Corte Madera committee targets five large complexes in push to expand multifamily EV charging

The Corte Madera Climate Action Committee on an undisclosed meeting date discussed strategies to promote electric-vehicle (EV) chargers in multifamily housing, including a planned outreach campaign to the five complexes that together account for more than half of the town’s multifamily units.

Committee members said the effort will combine technical outreach, utility coordination and property-owner engagement to overcome infrastructure and cost barriers. Committee member Karen Lang and staff member Phoebe provided an inventory showing that over 500 multifamily units are concentrated in five properties; San Clemente Place was identified as government-subsidized housing that may be subject to special rules.

Why it matters: Most renters in Corte Madera live in multifamily buildings, the committee said, and many renters are younger and less likely to have private garages. That concentration of units means that targeted outreach to a small set of property owners could increase charging access for a large share of local residents.

Committee discussion and background Phoebe, who described Corte Madera’s local reach code, told the committee that new residential construction in town must include EV infrastructure beyond the state base code. Under the town’s reach code, roughly 85% of new multifamily spaces with assigned parking must be EV-ready (panel capacity, conduit and a receptacle), and 15% must be served by installed level 2 chargers. The town’s retrofit triggers were also described: when a parking lot or adjacent electrical system is modified, 20% of modified spaces must become level-2-capable and 5% must have chargers installed. Phoebe noted that some state housing laws allow projects to seek waivers of local reach-code requirements if the project can show that the reach code would affect affordability.

Committee members described barriers they have encountered in early outreach. One property manager told a committee member that infrastructure upgrade costs were too high in initial talks with PG&E and that decisions were made at corporate headquarters rather than by on-site managers. Committee member Phil, who described installing chargers at his own multifamily property, said that breaking the work into components—having electricians focus on electrical connections while others perform carpentry or conduit placement—can reduce costs. Phil said his installed charger cost about $2,000.

The committee said it will consult Marin Clean Energy (MCE) account managers to clarify incentives for multifamily landlords and to gather lessons from other local installations. Committee members also noted external resources and events: the Charge at Home website (a cost-estimation tool) and an EV show scheduled for May 4 at the Red Hill Shopping Center were mentioned as outreach opportunities.

Next steps and outreach plans Committee members agreed to convene a subcommittee—currently including Karen Lang, Committee member Simon, and the committee chair—to coordinate outreach, contact property managers, and offer property walkthroughs to brainstorm charger locations. The subcommittee plans to meet after the committee session to finalize questions and outreach steps and to confer with MCE about incentives and account‑level coordination. The committee also discussed offering printed materials and posting on Nextdoor and the town newsletter to support outreach.

The committee did not take a formal vote on a policy or funding measure at the meeting; members said future work will focus on outreach, technical assistance and coordination with utilities and nonprofit partners.