Corte Madera planning commission approves Marin Joe’s renovation with conditions on parking, lighting and landscaping

Corte Madera Planning Commission on Tuesday approved a package of permits allowing exterior renovations and a modest expansion of the outdoor dining area at Marin Joe’s, the 70‑year‑old restaurant at 1585 Casa Buena Drive, but attached conditions requiring the owner to record a deed restriction tying a separate parking parcel to the restaurant, submit a parking management plan and supply dark‑sky‑compliant lighting for both lots.

The approval covers design review application PL25‑0035, conditional use permit PL25‑0055 and variance request PL25‑0056. The commission voted unanimously (4–0, one member absent) to adopt the findings and conditions in the staff resolution after a public hearing and applicant presentation. “The applicant proposes to enlarge the patio by a 195 square feet to accommodate a total of 28 seats,” staff planner Claire said during the presentation.

Why it matters: The project restores a longtime local business while changing the site’s footprint and intensifying outdoor dining, which triggered the conditional use permit and two variances. Commissioners emphasized neighborhood impacts — chiefly parking, lighting and fire‑safe landscaping — and secured enforceable conditions to address them.

What the commission approved and why The proposal revises the restaurant’s exterior finishes, adds a front entry canopy, extends roofing over a trash/enclosure area to comply with Sanitary District 2, upgrades windows and doors, and expands the rear patio by approximately 195 square feet to create a 28‑seat outdoor dining area. The property is a 17,480‑square‑foot parcel with a 5,497‑square‑foot nonconforming restaurant building…