After an unpermitted Piper Park event, commissioners start writing the rulebook — and a dance studio asks to bring Holi to Larkspur

Recreation Director Nick Stone brought the commission a draft special events policy for city parks, covering what counts as a "special event," fees, insurance and ABC/RBS requirements for alcohol, staffing, ADA access, portable toilets, food permitting, review of event marketing and logos, notification of nearby neighbors, and who signs off. Stone told commissioners he did not expect a vote and wanted an interactive discussion before a draft goes to the city attorney. No action was taken.

The push behind the policy was a recent event at Piper Park that went ahead without coming to the commission. Commissioner Fidell pressed the point repeatedly, asking who approved it and where the line sits — if 500 people show up, can staff approve it alone; at a thousand, does the commission get a say. Fidell also asked why an event organizer wouldn't extend the courtesy of presenting to the parks and recreation commission in the first place. Chair Harrison said closing Piper Park for an event is a non-starter given how heavily it's used.

On the definition question, commissioners landed on no single head-count trigger. Vice Chair Baxter said 100 is probably too small a number, since a family reunion picnic can hit 100 people. Harrison said there is no number, but rather four or five qualifiers — park size, event size, public versus private, parking needs. The commission's consensus: events should come to the commission before approval, and staff should explore whether the City Council will delegate approval authority to the commission.

The evening also brought a live pitch. Ena, artistic director of Dance with Ena, asked to hold a Holi color festival in Larkspur, describing it as a celebration of love, the arrival of spring, good over evil, and new beginnings. Elizabeth Pontius, director of marketing at Bon Air, said the shopping center would provide operational support — parking, restrooms, cleanup crews and setup facilities. Staff will bring a revised policy back after legal review.

With the Rec Department losing its lease, a new building is planned for Piper Park — and the commission wants in before Oct. 15

The Recreation Department's lease in the Larkspur-Corte Madera School District building is ending, and staff have proposed building a new recreation office and community room at Piper Park, on the gravel lot near the EV charging station and the old public works trailer site, along with replacement of the park's original restrooms.

The City Council has reviewed three options, ranging from a low-cost trailer or portable classroom to a steel-framed modular building of roughly 2,400 square feet, with a smaller 1,900-square-foot alternative in between; commissioners heard a cost delta of about $500,000 between options. Stone said he favors the higher-end steel-framed building, telling commissioners the community room space is what makes the difference for him and that not being able to offer a space for the community is difficult. The item returns to Council October 15 with pricing and design details.

Commissioners were unhappy to be hearing about it secondhand. Fidell said this was the second time in six months that an activity under parks and recreation purview had skipped the commission — the Piper Park event first, the building decision second — and said several council members' comments showed a gap in knowledge about how the park system works that the commission could have filled. Chair Harrison asked whether the matter could be agendized so the commission could discuss it in detail and make a recommendation. Stone said he would confer with the city manager and report back next week; a special meeting or agenda item before the Council vote is the ask.