San Anselmo planners review 4‑unit proposal at 58 Magnolia Avenue

The San Anselmo Planning Commission on Jan. 6 held a study session on a conceptual plan to demolish an existing c.1930 single‑family house at 58 Magnolia Avenue and replace it with a two‑story building containing four one‑bedroom apartments.

Planning staffer Jackson DeBroni introduced the project, calling it “a 4 unit residential development.” The applicant’s architect, Jeff Gard, described the design as living spaces on an upper floor with podium parking beneath and said the team was “primarily seeking design feedback as well as a temperature reading from the planning commission” on the concept in its current form.

The project would demolish the existing one‑story house and accessory structures, excavate roughly 46 cubic yards of earth, and remove two heritage trees (a front‑yard palm and an internal redwood), according to staff. The proposed four units would be about 1,034–1,043 square feet each, with one covered parking space per unit in podium parking beneath the living level. The parcel was rezoned from R‑1 to R‑3 during the town’s 2023 housing element update and is located in the downtown mixed residential land‑use designation.

Why it matters: The property is an identified “opportunity site” in the town housing element and the proposal would add three…