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Council gives direction on commercial zoning overhaul; agrees to AUP framework and thresholds

City Council of the City of Mill Valley · November 17, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Council held a lengthy study session on proposed commercial-code updates: removing the 1,500-sq-ft CUP trigger, creating administrative use permits (AUPs), setting downtown thresholds (consensus toward a 3,000-sq-ft AUP band with 3k–5k AUP and >5k triggering full review), and asking staff for further research on food-truck and drive-thru rules.

Planning staff presented a comprehensive update to commercial zoning rules intended to modernize use categories, update performance standards and streamline approvals to support business vitality. "Existing commercial regulations have been really a roadblock for new businesses," Planning Director Patrick Kelly said, noting the 1,500-square-foot threshold for conditional use permits has created delays and costs for prospective tenants.

The planning commission recommended replacing the old threshold with a more tailored set of size-based triggers and an administrative use permit (AUP) process for…

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