Fairfax planning commission approves preferential parking at 62 Reardon Ave with arborist and water‑meter conditions

The Fairfax Planning Commission on Feb. 20 approved a preferential parking permit to expand an existing parcel parking space at 62 Reardon Avenue, allowing the site to accommodate two vehicles. The motion passed unanimously with conditions that include an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)‑certified arborist report and a requirement that the expansion stay clear of the eastern neighbor’s water meter.

The permit, Application 25‑01, would extend an existing preferential parking space approved in 1999. Staff told the commission the project would create a roughly 34‑foot long parking area that varies from about 7 to 10 feet in width, expanding off an existing driveway that has an approximately 42 percent slope. Staff said the parking work would require private funds of more than $10,000, consistent with a town resolution adopted shortly after the town’s preferential parking ordinance was enacted in 1984.

Why it matters: Fairfax’s preferential parking ordinance was written in part to address hazardous roadside parking in the town’s hilly areas. Commissioners and neighbors raised public‑safety and operational concerns — including conflicts with nearby mailboxes, narrow roadway pinch points, and the potential need to meet Ross Valley Fire Department standards — and added conditions meant to reduce those risks while allowing the homeowner off‑street parking.

Staff report and agency input

Planning staff summarized the permitting program and the project. Staff said the town’s vehicle and traffic provisions and related preferential parking ordinance lower certain application fees and allow homeowners to construct off‑street spaces within public right‑of‑way where the work will not harm public safety and will be privately funded. Staff noted no written report was received from the Ross Valley Fire Department; staff did, however, speak with a fire inspector who identified concerns similar to previous preferential‑parking reviews: the proposed spot might narrow the improved roadway if vehicles encroach into the street, could conflict with mailboxes, and could prevent the 20‑foot roadway width the fire department prefers. Staff explained the fire department enforces the 20‑foot requirement only for projects equivalent to a 50 percent remodel or a new house. As a result, staff said, the town’s permitting process relies on a revocable encroachment permit so the town may require removal of the parking if the roadway is widened in the future.

Public comment and applicant statements

The property owner — who spoke in person at the hearing — described the current driveway as “terrifying” to use and said the expansion would reclaim an underused dirt parking area and relieve roadside competition for scarce curbside spaces. A neighbor who identified concerns by email told the commission she was mainly worried about construction duration and whether the work would affect a tree and the shared mailboxes located near the proposed parking.

Commission discussion and conditions

Commissioners asked for clearer construction and plan drawings and for confirmation about mailbox locations and the neighboring water meter. One commissioner said the project drawings were difficult to read at the dais and suggested the commission could continue the hearing if more detailed plans were needed; another commissioner, however, said she walks the hill regularly and was generally comfortable with the proposed location provided staff and the fire department’s comments are addressed.

Acting Chair Swift said the commission’s approval was for a specific location and that if Ross Valley Fire Department later required a different location or other changes at the building‑permit stage, the project should be returned to the planning commission. Staff recommended adding a final miscellaneous condition requiring an ISA‑certified arborist report assessing the health of a tree east of the parking space and recommending protections during excavation; staff proposed the arborist be on‑site for any excavation within 10 feet of the trunk or a distance the arborist deems necessary.

Formal action and outcome

The commission voted to approve “Resolution 2025‑01, a resolution of the Fairfax Planning Commission approving Application No. 25‑01 for preferential parking permits to expand the existing parcel parking area within the Reardon Avenue right‑of‑way along the property frontage at 62 Reardon Avenue,” with the added conditions that the expansion stay clear of the existing eastern neighbor’s water meter and that the applicant submit an ISA‑certified arborist report and follow staff recommendations. The motion was seconded and carried by roll call: Commissioner Newton — aye; Commissioner Kelly — aye; Commissioner Petrone — aye; Commissioner Jansen — aye; Acting Chair Swift — aye. Staff reminded the public that a 10‑day appeal period applies.

Next steps and implementation notes

Approval is conditioned on typical building‑permit review. Staff said the applicant will need to obtain a revocable encroachment permit and coordinate construction timing and signage with the police and building departments to limit street obstruction. If Ross Valley Fire Department requires modifications at the permit stage that change the approved location, the commission requested those changes return to the commission for further review. The arborist report and water‑meter clearance requirement are conditions of approval to be confirmed at the building permit stage.

What was not decided

The commission did not grant any waivers to Ross Valley Fire Department roadway standards. No written fire department determination was in the record at the time of the hearing; the commission’s approval anticipates the department’s later review at building permit, and staff and the commission agreed the project should return to the commission if the fire department requires a different site or additional mitigation.

Community concerns recorded

Neighbors asked for confirmation about mailbox locations and for an estimate of construction duration. One neighbor asked how the project would protect the tree that shares proximity with PG&E infrastructure; staff and the applicant agreed to follow up on tree protection details during permit review and to coordinate separately about the tree and utility lines.

Ending

The commission’s approval grants the applicant conditional preferential parking at 62 Reardon Avenue; conditions added at the hearing focus on tree protection, avoiding impacts to a neighbor’s water meter, and permitting safeguards so the town can require removal of the parking if public‑safety needs change. A 10‑day appeal period applies before the decision becomes final.