Alta Woods neighbors contest SB9 driveway as town mulls settlement

The week's biggest fight is a legal one: the Town Council met behind closed doors Thursday over Chiang v. Town of Corte Madera, the lawsuit challenging the Town's denial of an SB9 urban lot split and two-unit development at 800 Corte Madera Avenue. At the center of it is whether a revocable trust can satisfy SB9's owner-occupancy affidavit requirement, and whether the applicant can build a new driveway across the unimproved "Alta Way" paper street into the Alta Woods neighborhood.

“Any proposed work that is not legally entitled to ministerial review should follow the otherwise applicable Town process, including neighborhood participation where required.”— Karen Lorentson and Brenda Brown, Alta Woods Preservation Group

Community Development Director Amy Lyle denied both applications in March, finding the trust itself couldn't qualify under state guidance given to Orinda. State housing regulators pushed back with a technical assistance memo concluding trust ownership doesn't categorically disqualify a property from SB9 eligibility. Town Manager Adam Wolff's subsequent review of the record split the difference: he reversed the Town's sequencing and paper-street objections but affirmed the core denial, writing that the Town would approve the lot split itself if the applicant can satisfy the state's affidavit guidance — though not the driveway access as proposed.

The Town's own surveying consultant flagged further problems: a deed restriction limiting development, an unresolved right-of-way status for Alta Way, missing easement paperwork, boundary errors on the tentative parcel map, and a finding from Central Marin Fire that the plans lack adequate hydrant coverage. Applicant's attorney Todd Williams disputes the Town has any grounds left at all, arguing the applications "were deemed approved by operation of law on February 17, 2026," and has separately asked the Town to shield the identity of whichever trust beneficiary signs the residency affidavit, citing prior threats of violence tied to the driveway dispute.

Ahead of Thursday's session, the Alta Woods Preservation Group wrote the Council pressing a different question entirely: whether the driveway, grading and retaining walls through their neighborhood even qualify for SB9's streamlined review, or should go through standard Town design review and public hearings given hillside stability and drainage concerns. The group is asking for written clarification and a meeting with staff before the Town commits to any settlement. No settlement or further Council action was reported out of Thursday's closed session.

Town banks flood grants as high tides loom next week

The Town enters a forecast wet winter in better shape than it started: Public Works told the Council Tuesday it has landed $125,000 from the Marin Community Foundation for preliminary design of the Marina Village flood berm and been notified of an $850,000 FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant — nearly a million dollars toward the Town's biggest flood vulnerability. A drone survey of Marina Village's perimeter, done with consultants Dudek and Vara 3d, is now feeding into the berm design, while staff and the town attorney work through federal grant requirements before returning with details.

On the ground, crews have stockpiled 70 tons of sand and 700 pre-filled sandbags at the Paradise Pump Station, built new storage bays, and opened fill stations at Town Hall and San Clemente Park. The last two check valves in Mariner Cove are on order; once installed, both Mariner Cove and Marina Village will be fully protected by valves — though staff cautioned they don't help if tidal water tops the road or arrives with a high-tide storm.

Corte Madera also joined Larkspur, Novato, San Rafael, Belvedere and Marin County in a September bid for state SB 1 funding to prepare a Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan under SB 272, a 2-3 year regional effort that could unlock further state grants if funded.

The preparation meets its first real test this week: NOAA is forecasting unusually high midday tides from Oct. 26 to Oct. 30, and the Town is urging residents in low-lying areas to get ready now. Saturday's Flood Preparedness Fair at The Cove School gave residents a head start, connecting them with flood-mitigation vendors ahead of the king tides.

Council approves $30 million bond for affordable housing renovation

The Council held a TEFRA hearing Tuesday and approved bond financing to renovate San Clemente Place Apartments, a 79-unit affordable complex built in 2008, as part of EAH Housing's renovation plans. The resolution authorizes up to $30 million in tax-exempt bonds issued by the California Municipal Finance Authority for accessibility upgrades, electrical and mechanical work, and common-area improvements, with residents temporarily relocated during construction.

To make the financing possible, the Town is joining CMFA through a Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement — a step staff emphasized carries no financial or legal liability for the Town itself. The Council adopted the resolution as staff recommended, clearing the way for the renovation to move forward.