After months of options, Council picks the $3.1 million Piper Park rec building — 3-2

At Piper Park, near Hall Middle School and the police building, the City Council voted 3-2 to direct staff to return with a budget amendment adding a project to the FY 2025-26 Capital Improvement Program for a new 2,400-square-foot "enhanced" modular building at $3.1 million — a new home for the Recreation Department offices with integrated public restrooms. The item had been continued from the Sept. 17 meeting.

“The building does leak. I was in there the other day during the rain... there's a lot of water in there on the floor.”— Public Works Director Julian Skinner, on the current Piper Park facility

Staff laid out a menu rather than a single recommendation: a $400,000 temporary trailer at the low end, two 1,920-square-foot versions between $1.8 million and $2.6 million, and the 2,400-square-foot enhanced option the Council ultimately chose. Roughly $450,000 in EV charging and electrical upgrade costs were pulled out as a separate future item. Public Works Director Julian Skinner made the case for urgency on the existing structure: "The building does leak. I was in there the other day during the rain... there's a lot of water in there on the floor." Recreation Director Nick Stone said the department's current community room is not a highly sought-after space and that the department is challenged operating on school property.

Park & Rec commissioners pushed for the bigger build. Commissioner Jean Fidell cited 305,000 visits to Piper Park in 2024, and Commission Chair Vicki Harrison argued the city should build for the future, calling $3.1 million not a lot for a park loved across the county. Council Member Kandell said past experience with skimping pushed her toward the larger, nicer building because it is what the community deserves. Not everyone agreed: Vice Mayor Gabe said he was between the 1,920- and 2,400-square-foot options, noting that a half-million in savings could make a meaningful difference on high-priority safety work such as storm drains. The Mayor said he leaned toward the smaller, lower-cost footprint but would consider the enhanced modular version. Resident James Holmes, calling in by phone, asked the Council not to rule out moving Parks and Recreation into the space the library will vacate.

Staff will now bring back the budget amendment for the Council to formally adopt into this year's capital program.

Half-staff flag orders become a judgment call for the mayor

The Council unanimously adopted Resolution 50/25, amending the city's Outdoor Flag Display Policy to make clear that lowering the flag to half-staff in response to a presidential or gubernatorial order is discretionary rather than automatic. The mayor and vice mayor will decide, with standard recognized observances such as Memorial Day and September 11 still handled as before.

City Manager Dan Schwarz told the Council that a number of cities have taken the same route, handing the decision to the mayor. The Mayor framed it plainly, saying the change gives the city some tools in its toolkit to decide.

Two fire code ordinances introduced; chief says Larkspur's rules aren't changing

The Council unanimously introduced Ordinance 1092, repealing and re-enacting Chapter 14.04 to adopt the 2025 California Fire Code and 2024 International Fire Code with local amendments, and Ordinance 1093, repealing and re-enacting Chapter 14.10 to adopt the 2025 California Wildland Urban Interface Code and 2024 International WUI Code. A public hearing for adoption is set for the next regular meeting.

“A very high fire hazard severity zone by itself technically isn't a WUI zone or wildland urban interface zone.”— Fire Chief Ruben Martin

Fire Chief Ruben Martin told the Council the substance is unchanged: "All the amendments that are being made to the 2025 California fire code that's before you today are the exact same amendments that are currently adopted within the Larkspur Municipal Code." On the WUI ordinance, he noted a distinction residents often miss — "A very high fire hazard severity zone by itself technically isn't a WUI zone or wildland urban interface zone" — and credited an earlier fire chief and council with getting ahead of the state, which had designated only the trailhead to Dawn Falls in Larkspur as a very high fire hazard severity zone.