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Planning staff finalizes enhanced public‑noticing policy and outlines 2026 work plan priorities
Summary
Planning staff presented a finalized public‑noticing policy emphasizing on‑site signage, tiered outreach and case‑by‑case 500‑foot notice evaluation; commissioners recommended tweaks. Staff also summarized 2025 accomplishments and previewed 2026 priorities including housing‑element implementation, reach codes, commercial code modernization and corridor design work.
Corte Madera planning staff asked the commission on Nov. 19 to accept a finalized public‑noticing policy that adds on‑site signage and a tiered outreach approach for larger projects. The staff proposal, developed in response to a 2024–25 work plan item, organizes projects into five tiers and calls for correlation between sign size/number and site characteristics, renderings on major signs and use of community channels such as newsletters and the community readerboard.
Staff summarized commission feedback incorporated into the policy — for example, evaluating a 500‑foot notice radius for the largest projects and including renderings on signs — and explained why some earlier suggestions were not adopted. Commissioners sought operational clarifications: staff will require applicants to submit a sign‑installation template and staff will conduct site checks to confirm signs were posted; applicants must replace vandalized signs at their expense. Staff and commissioners agreed compliance will be monitored, though the policy is guidance rather than code and would require a code change to make some elements mandatory.
In the same meeting, staff previewed the 2026 planning and building work plan. Highlights include continuing housing‑element implementation (including potential tenant‑protection and rental‑registry work), implementing expanded reach codes and revised permit‑fee incentives, digitizing property files, commercial code modernization (including parking standards and temporary‑use rules), and exploring AB 1033 options related to ADU sale/condominium practices. Commissioners urged additional attention to corridor design and a short, public “urban‑design playbook” to guide larger redevelopment along Madera Avenue, Tamalpais/Grama Vista and other key corridors.
Commissioners also discussed operational issues such as the policy’s 300‑ vs 500‑foot notice radius, whether hearings should be postponed if on‑site signage is not posted by a deadline, and thresholds for moving major remodels into higher notice tiers. Staff said those elements will be evaluated and the policy may be revisited after a year of implementation. The commission provided feedback to refine the policy and work‑plan priorities; no formal vote was required at the Nov. 19 meeting.
