After $192 tickets and a petition, Niven Park goes off-leash on a six-month trial

At Niven Park, the park on the Cape Marin/Greenbrae edge of town, a resident petition asked the Council to carve out a portion where dogs could run off-leash. Staff went further, recommending the entire park except fenced areas like the playground be designated off-leash for a one-year pilot with no time-of-day limits — police had told staff that time restrictions generate more complaint calls than they resolve. The Council landed in between: a six-month pilot, park-wide, no fencing, no sub-areas, no time limits, approved 4-1, paired with a community-organized 'ambassador' program to talk neighbors through complaints before code enforcement or police get involved.

“If we make any portion of the park off leash for dogs without fencing that area in, we're not really able to guarantee to any other patron that they won't encounter an off leash dog.”— the City Manager, on staff's central concern

The hearing drew a long line of speakers — the agenda lists 14 public comments, including one resident who came back for a second turn. Much of the heat came from recent enforcement. A 33-year Cape Marin resident named Corey described officers arriving twice a day: "Nobody came out to give us any idea why all of a sudden community officers were destroying our community by coming out twice a day and just handing out $192 tickets... $250 expensive tickets." The City Manager later told the Council that enforcement had been driven strictly by resident complaints about off-leash dogs, and that citations are audited to guard against pretextual stops.

Staff's central worry was what the city can promise everyone else. "If we make any portion of the park off leash for dogs without fencing that area in, we're not really able to guarantee to any other patron that they won't encounter an off leash dog," the City Manager said. Supporters framed it narrowly: "This is not a broad policy change," one resident said. "It's a very targeted low-risk pilot to solve a specific very local problem." Cape Marin resident Tom Miller argued the waterside stretch was the better spot because sound dissipates there; resident Denise Rocha praised the community that dog owners have built and asked for a real feedback channel.

The dissenting council member argued for keeping leashes on park-wide, citing the other patrons who share the space, the precedent for Larkspur's other parks, and health and safety — opposing both fencing and off-leash designation. There was also a moment of disclosure: Mike Marles told the Council he had signed his wife's name to the petition, and Council Member Marles said for the record that her husband had used her email address and that she had not made up her mind. The City Manager cautioned that a dog ambassador program cannot carry legal enforcement authority, and suggested a community bulletin board for informal self-policing instead. The pilot runs six months.

At 1000 Drakes Landing Road, 19 rental townhomes become for-sale — and four affordable units shift to moderate-income ownership

The already-entitled 19-unit townhome project at 1000 Drakes Landing Road (APNs 022-050-06, -14, -24 and -25) came back to the Council with a change of plan: the applicant wants to build it for sale rather than for rent. The approved project used a density bonus and included four affordable rental units — three low-income and one moderate. As an ownership project, the code would call for a different mix (5% low, 5% moderate, 10% above-moderate), so the applicant asked for an 'alternative equivalent action' making all four affordable units moderate-income for-sale homes.

Staff recommended approval, telling the Council these would be the first entitled deed-restricted moderate-income ownership units in the current housing cycle. The Council adopted Resolution 28/26 unanimously, 4-0, after one member flagged that the resolution's language didn't match the municipal code — 'moderate level units' was corrected to 'moderate income units' before the vote.

New library building, 'limited' service: director asks to unfreeze a position

Department heads walked the Council through a plain-language service-level self-assessment — ideal down to basic — as the preliminary FY2026-27 budget takes shape. The library, despite its new and larger home at The Commons, rated itself at 'limited': five days a week and no evening hours. "We're primarily at five days a week and we don't offer any evening hours," Library Director Damon Hill said. "It's a little colder, more transactional." He asked to restore a frozen position and add resources to reach 'standard.'

“We're primarily at five days a week and we don't offer any evening hours... it's a little colder, more transactional.”— Library Director Damon Hill, on the library's current service level

The City Manager said he expects to return with a proposal to at minimum unfreeze a frozen library position so Hill can hire immediately, and staff recommended community surveys and focus groups to pin down which hours and programs residents actually want before larger staffing bets. Council members pushed for hours past 5 p.m. and Sunday openings so students and working residents can get in. The Commons Foundation president told the Council the group is raising money to extend hours and fund enrichment programs.

Recreation reported climbing from 'limited' toward 'standard' after a long stretch short-staffed, crediting a new recreation coordinator and weekend coverage, with plans to expand camps and events. Administration rated itself between 'advanced' and 'standard' but carried an old flag from the auditor: "The auditor says you have a super user and you're not supposed to have a super user... you probably should have somebody who's dedicated to this particular function," the City Manager said, describing the case for a dedicated finance position over the long term. No votes were taken; staff will bring polling and budget proposals back.