Candidates stress parks master plan, accessibility and youth engagement during Tiburon council interviews

At public comment and during interviews at the Tiburon Town Council meeting March 5, applicants for advisory boards emphasized the town's parks and recreation master plan, trail access, inclusive playgrounds and youth engagement while a resident asked about litigation referenced in a prior closed session.

Why it matters

Commissioners and advisory bodies shape recommendations to council on design review, parks, disability access and emergency planning. Candidate priorities highlighted issues the council will consider as it implements the recently adopted parks and recreation master plan and as new commissioners take their seats.

What candidates said — highlights

Public comment: A resident who identified herself as Jenna asked the council to put the parks and recreation master plan on a future agenda, saying, “I hope at your next meeting to see the parks and rec master plan on the agenda.” Another caller, Tim Ben Carpenter, asked why a prior discussion of litigation had been held in closed session and said, “Why is it so hard to build in Tiburon? That’s the question with the permits and the zoning.” The mayor and staff declined to answer on the spot, citing the Brown Act and directing the caller to submit questions in writing to the town manager.

Design Review Board: Architect Phoebe Hoescher, who said she has lived in Tiburon since 1994 and runs a local practice, told council she would bring “an objective viewpoint” to the board and described an effort to minimize impacts of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) through sensitive massing and site design within state regulatory limits. She also said she would recuse herself on projects involving her firm.

Parks, Open Space & Trails (POST) Commission: Several candidates advocated for implementation of the parks master plan and for increased outreach. Andrew Thompson drew on family history with local open-space creation and proposed expanding the POST commission’s membership temporarily to broaden outreach and build coalitions to reduce resistance to trail access changes, saying, “a greater number just gives us more of a force of talented people to build greater coalitions.”

Mike Tafari emphasized execution and coalition building to move master-plan priorities from ideas to projects. Jonathan Taylor, a Tiburon native and new parent, proposed programming and low-cost activations to engage youth and suggested using youth roles, including social-media coordination, to showcase parks and expand participation. He said he wanted to create “opportunities for a high schooler to also have that formal experience working with a group like ourselves.”

Nicole Voss, a parent who participated in master-plan focus groups, emphasized neighborhood-level improvements and downtown pocket amenities, and suggested Tether Park and partnerships with downtown developers as places to add recreational access.

Accessibility and inclusion: Lena Godfrey, an applicant to the Diversity & Inclusion Task Force, framed disability and accessibility as an under-addressed area and said, “I can’t bring my 4 children to play anywhere in this community.” She described ongoing work on an inclusive playground in Novato and urged Tiburon to plan for accessible playgrounds and aging-friendly amenities.

Council response and next steps

Council members asked candidates detailed questions about trail access, how they would manage conflicts, and the role of advisory commissions versus council decision-making. The interviews concluded and later in the meeting the council voted to appoint several of the candidates (see separate article listing votes and outcomes). The council then moved into closed session.

Ending

Applicants were invited to remain engaged even if not appointed; staff will notify appointees and the council will implement master-plan priorities through budgets, outreach and commission recommendations.