Corte Madera staff to re-adopt reach codes; committee asks staff to re-evaluate remodel thresholds and a 1992–2010 exemption

Corte Madera — Town staff recommended re-adopting local “reach codes” that exceed the 2025 California Building Standards Code, and the Climate Action Committee on Aug. 20 urged staff to return with more analysis on lowering the single-family remodel threshold and on whether to re-include a housing vintage that the statewide cost-effectiveness study currently excludes.

“Reach codes are local amendments to the California Building Standards Code, which is also called title 24,” town staff told the committee as they opened a multi-hour discussion of the 2025 code cycle and local options.

Nut graf: Staff explained which of the town’s existing local amendments still exceed the 2025 state code, recommended readopting those provisions, and requested committee feedback on possible additional local measures — notably whether to lower the remodel-trigger threshold from 750 to 500 square feet for single-family projects and whether the 1992–2010 housing vintage (currently excluded from the town’s local target scores because a solar incentive used in the state cost-effectiveness calculation ended early) should be re-examined.

What staff proposed and why - Staff said the 2025 state code (Title 24, energy and CalGreen…