City Council Advances Affordable Housing After Lengthy Deliberation In Mill Valley

MILL VALLEY, CA — The Mill Valley City Council approved the next step in an affordable housing project at their Monday meeting, during a meeting marked by thorough discussion and passionate public input.

Following more than a dozen public comments, the council ultimately passed the motion, approving the re-zoning and design review for Bayfront Terrace, which paves the way for 45 new units aimed at low-income families.

Not all community voices were supportive, but many expressed the urgency of new housing.

“I’m just here to thank you all on council and staff. It’s a lot of work, and we really need the housing,” said long-time Mill Valley resident Nancy Carlston.

Council members and city staff explained the necessity of removing a small, seasonal wetland from the development site — a move intended to allow the project to benefit from a California Environmental Quality Act exemption and to streamline litigation.

“There were no significant environmental impacts that were identified that could not be reduced to lesser than significant levels with mitigation,” said Danielle Staudy, the city’s principal staff presenter.

With this approval, Mill Valley takes a tangible step toward addressing regional housing needs.

Mill Valley’s plans for new affordable housing ignited debate particularly around environmental protections and the location of low-income developments. The meeting centered on the approval of Bayfront Terrace, a 45-unit development requiring rezoning and a technical removal of 0.15 acres of protected wetland.

“Adding a seventh and the largest yet [multi-family building] on this fragile wetland edge will deepen a pocket of segregation, rather than weaving families into our already existing infrastructure,” said Mill Valley resident Paige Anderson.

Citing exhaustive analyses — including an Environmental Impact Report — Mill valley City Attorney Inder Khalsa and staff offered assurances that all required mitigation measures would be adopted as binding conditions.

Chris Palomo, Senior Organizer for NorCal Carpenters Union, emphasized the need for responsible contracting.

“We fully support affordable housing," Paloma said. "But this case, and this housing project, you are at risk for having unfair labor practices.

Palomo cited past wage violations among contractors and urged the council to prioritize apprenticeship training and healthcare provisions.

The council, reassured by Khalsa that the project would indeed be built with prevailing wage requirements, nonetheless heard Palomo and others’ calls for continued oversight.