Ross Valley Sanitary District directors voted Nov. 19 to authorize the general manager to notify five shortlisted developer teams selected from a competitive request for qualifications for the district's 2000 Larkspur Landing Circle property.

The decision follows a staff presentation that said 24 RFQ submittals were received, more than 120 people attended the site tour, and the district responded to 89 written questions before the October submittal deadline. Gia Moore, the district's general manager, told the board the district evaluated responses using criteria published in the RFQ and prioritized responsiveness to the site's history, experience working with public agencies, financial capacity, and compatibility with district and city goals, including affordable housing and open‑space preservation.

Why it matters: The district is pursuing a disposition and development agreement (DDA) and expects revenue from sale or lease to help stabilize wastewater rates. Narrowing the field to a short list moves the process to a request‑for‑proposals (RFP) stage and, later, contract negotiations and a DDA with a developer.

Staff recommended — and the board approved — authorizing the general manager to notify the recommended shortlist and proceed to issue an RFP. Moore said staff and consultant Century Urban would transmit the RFP to shortlisted teams within roughly two weeks. The staff timeline presented at the meeting projected a RFP proposal deadline around late January 2026 and developer interviews in February, with a goal of recommending a selected developer at a regular board meeting in March 2026.

Century Urban, the district's consultant, echoed staff's assessment of demand for the site. "We received 24 RFQ responses," said Bryant Sparkman, president and managing principal at Century Urban, and described the site as an "extraordinarily rare opportunity" that drew substantial interest. Sparkman said the consultant intended to interview all five shortlisted developers to confirm compatibility with the district's goals.

The five firms that staff recommended for the short list, listed in the staff report, were Brookfield Residential in partnership with Carmel Partners; Related California; Shea Properties; Strada Investment Group; and Summerhill Apartment Communities in partnership with USA Properties Fund. USA Properties Fund spoke in support of the process at the meeting and noted prior experience delivering projects on Surplus Lands Act sites.

Board action and next steps: A motion authorizing the general manager to notify the recommended shortlist and to proceed with issuing an RFP was moved and seconded on the record and approved by voice vote. Staff said RFP responses would be due in late January 2026, interviews would follow in February, and a recommendation to the board is targeted for a regular meeting in March 2026. If a developer is selected, staff and the district's transaction counsel will negotiate an exclusive negotiating agreement and a DDA for board consideration.

Outstanding details: The board and staff noted a small discrepancy in target dates in materials vs. oral remarks; staff confirmed March 18, 2026, as the goal date in the packet and associated timeline. The board also discussed that the City of Larkspur will retain primary design authority; the developer will propose designs subject to city review and district major‑decision rights spelled out in the DDA.

The board took no additional binding land‑use approvals at the Nov. 19 meeting; it authorized staff to advance the RFP phase with the five recommended respondents. The RFP issuance and any DDA would return to the board for future review and formal decisions.