Planning Commission · meeting of Tuesday, Oct. 28
"Either way the tree goes away": commissioners approve a heritage redwood removal at 100 Piedmont Court
The single most uncomfortable vote of the week came at 100 Piedmont Court, where owner Steven Crystal asked for a heritage tree removal permit for a healthy front-yard redwood measuring 106 inches in circumference. Its roots have lifted the driveway enough, he told the commission, that the breakover angle now scrapes vehicles — including the wheelchair-accessible van his father-in-law, who has MS, relies on, and his wife's Honda Fit. An arborist concluded that cutting the offending roots would destabilize the tree and lead to failure, leaving removal and stump grinding as the only viable option.
“super reluctantly yes”— Chair Swisser, voting to approve the removal
The required 15-day protest period produced one protest, on aesthetic and ecological grounds and citing northern spotted owl habitat, and two Marin Audubon speakers appeared by Zoom. Elise Onik said the neighborhood sits in an active spotted owl zone, while acknowledging the owls did not nest there this year — which she attributed to other trees in the neighborhood coming down. An ecologist confirmed no owls nested at the site this year. Audubon president Barbara Salzman argued that a tree is part of an ecosystem, and that with redwoods lifting sidewalks and driveways all over Marin, some solution short of removal ought to exist.
Commissioners didn't find one. One noted that if the roots were cut the tree would eventually fail anyway — "either way the tree goes away." The vote was 5-0 to approve, with a recommendation, not a binding condition, that the owner plant a replacement tree elsewhere on the property at his own discretion. Chair Swisser voted "super reluctantly"; Commissioner Wagstaff's was "very reluctantly, yes." A 15-day appeal period applies.
Planning Commission · meeting of Tuesday, Oct. 28
Sixteen hundred square feet lighter, the 80 La Cuesta rebuild wins over the same commissioners who sent it back
The commission approved demolition of the existing house at 80 La Cuesta and construction of a new three-story 5,572 sq ft residence — 532 sq ft basement, 527 sq ft attached garage, and a 700 sq ft attached ADU. It took a variance for a 10'9" front garage setback where 15 feet is required (matching the existing condition), an FAR exception allowing 0.326 where 0.25 is the maximum, and a slope use permit for 290 cubic yards of cut and 101 of fill, with 189 hauled off site.
“I was not a fan of the design originally. I think it's a much much improved design now. Still not a fan of flat roofs, but that's just me.”— a Planning Commissioner, voting to approve
This was the project's second trip. After a June 2025 hearing at which commissioners asked for less bulk, architect Kevin Hardy of Chambers and Chambers came back having cut roughly 1,600 square feet overall and about 1,000 square feet of FAR, eliminated attic and deck space above the garage, added stepbacks and clerestory windows on the east elevation facing the uphill neighbor, and produced a shade study. The homeowners explained the ADU: two of their children and the husband have muscular dystrophy, and absent a cure their daughter is expected to use a wheelchair, so a caretaker will eventually need to live on site.
Staff recommended approval if the findings could be made, and the reversal was audible — one commissioner who had opposed the original scheme called it "much much improved." Chair Swisser admitted the staff report's 0.36 FAR figure had him on the phone asking why the house was still so large before he learned it was a typo. The vote was 5-0, and the commission also allowed an applicant-proposed 80 sq ft upper-floor study on top of the approved plans, one commissioner noting it added less than 0.1 to the FAR. A 10-day appeal period applies.
Planning Commission · meeting of Tuesday, Oct. 28
Heatherwood Park's pump station gets a rebuild — but no public phone-charging outlets
Public Works won approval to tear down the aging sewer and storm drain pump station at 90 Diane Lane in Heatherwood Park and replace it with a 565 sq ft concrete platform structure carrying rooftop equipment, including a new generator, on a smaller footprint. The package needed design review, a rear-yard setback variance of 3'2" where 15 feet is required, and a conditional use permit for a public utility building in the R-1 district. Plans add a pittosporum hedge and lily plantings, textured and colored concrete chosen for graffiti resistance, and a pedestrian path relocated away from the structure.
“I'm really glad to see this thing getting done. It's been very entertaining watching it.”— Commissioner Wagstaff, speaking as a resident before recusing himself
Neighbors came with practical asks. Nen Arshime of 88 Diane Lane said he liked the design changes but urged the city to be longsighted and wire in electrical outlets that the city-owned emergency generator could power during an outage. Public Works Director Julian Skinner declined, saying a storm drain pump station is not a place the city wants residents congregating and charging phones. Michael Lewis of 23 Midway said he'd never once seen the previously discussed sandbag station used — it isn't in this project — and suggested tag-proof paint, since the building gets tagged a lot. A commissioner distilled the night: landscaping around this building really matters.
The vote was 4-0, with Commissioner Wagstaff recusing because he lives in Heatherwood Gardens. He spoke first as a resident during public comment. A 10-day appeal period applies.