Corte Madera council upholds neighborhood appeal, overturns planning commission approval for second driveway at 800 Corte Madera Avenue

The Corte Madera Town Council on Aug. 5 voted 3–2 to uphold an appeal and overturn the Planning Commission’s April decision approving a new second driveway and height-variance for retaining walls at 800 Corte Madera Avenue.

The dispute centered on a proposal to build a roughly 445-foot driveway (about 120 feet within public right of way and 325 feet on private property), with associated retaining walls as tall as about 11–13 feet at some locations, the removal of 47 trees in the immediate project area and replacement planting of 32 trees. Council members cited concerns about the scale of grading and visual and neighborhood impacts when declining to approve the Planning Commission’s prior permit.

Principal planner Martha Battaglia presented staff findings and the history of review, saying the project was originally approved by the Planning Commission by a 4–1 vote after multiple neighborhood meetings. Battaglia told the council the driveway “would enhance [the fire department’s] ability to access the property during emergencies and would enable the property owners to evacuate more quickly in event of an emergency.” She also described the project as an approximately 11.4-acre lot in the R-1C Hillside Land Capacity District with steep topography (average slope ~52%) and said the proposal would require a major design…