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Council votes: planning approvals, storm-drain project and an ADU variance denial
Summary
The Ross Town Council approved a design review and variance for 34 Shady Lane, approved the Balinas Storm Drain Improvements Phase 2 IS/MND and advertising for bid, approved consent agenda items including the town nswer to the grand jury, and denied an ADU/variance at 36 Allen Avenue; votes were unanimous where recorded.
The Ross Town Council recorded several formal votes during its Sept. 11 meeting: approvals for a planning project at 34 Shady Lane, the Balinas Storm Drain Phase 2 IS/MND and bidding authorization, the consent agenda items (with a separately considered grand jury response), and denial of an accessory-dwelling/variance application at 36 Allen Avenue.
Approved: 34 Shady Lane design review and variance Council adopted Resolution No. 2537 approving design review, a nonconforming permit and a variance for a modest addition and deck legalization at 34 Shady Lane. The project seeks a 248-square-foot addition to a guest house and legalization/expansion of an existing deck; staff noted the Architectural Design Review committee voted 4-0 in favor. The vote was 5-0 (Mayor McMillan, Council members Dowling, Kercher, Robbins and Salter voting aye).
Approved: Balinas Storm Drain Improvements Phase 2 (ISMND and advertise for bid) The council adopted Resolution No. 2513 approving the final initial study/mitigated negative declaration (IS/MND) and the mitigation monitoring and reporting program for the Balinas Storm Drain Improvements Phase 2 project, and authorized the public works director to advertise the project for public bid. Public Works Director Rich Siminage described mitigation for biological, cultural, traffic and hazardous-materials issues and said the town plans to advertise immediately with bid opening in early October and construction staged to complete culvert/creek work in winter. The vote was 5-0.
Consent agenda and grand jury response (Item 13) The council approved the consent agenda by voice vote, and later pulled and separately approved Item 13(c), the town nswer to the Marin County civil grand jury report on housing. The separate motion to approve 13(c) passed 5-0 after council discussion of the town nnual progress reporting obligations and the staff response.
Denied: 36 Allen Avenue ADU/variance Council denied the applicant's request to convert an existing detached garage to an ADU and to construct a new detached garage within front/side setbacks, adopting Resolution No. 2540 (5-0). Council discussion centered on the absence of a demonstrated hardship required to grant a variance, concerns about precedent for garages in the front yard setback and neighborhood character and parking impacts on a narrow street.
Vote counts - Resolution No. 2537 (34 Shady Lane): Aye 5, No 0, Absent 0 - Resolution No. 2513 (Balinas IS/MND): Aye 5, No 0, Absent 0 - Consent agenda (items a,b,d,e,f,g): Aye 5, No 0, Absent 0 - Consent agenda item 13(c) (grand jury response): Aye 5, No 0, Absent 0 - Resolution No. 2540 (deny 36 Allen Avenue): Aye 5, No 0, Absent 0
What voters and residents should know: the Balinas Phase 2 project carries environmental mitigation measures and an estimated construction timeline that staff said aims to complete creek-related work in winter and finish by June 2026; staff said an updated engineer's estimate brought the project estimate nearer to $800,000, driven in part by alignment changes and contaminated-soils handling. The 34 Shady Lane approval implements a prior ADR recommendation; the 36 Allen Avenue denial means the applicant may revise and resubmit.
