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Mill Valley planning session: commissioners praise tree preservation, press applicant to shrink balcony and resolve easement access
Summary
At a June 24 study session, the Mill Valley Planning Commission reviewed a design‑review application for 97 Buena Vista Avenue proposing demolition of an existing house and construction of a new two‑story home with an attached ADU. Staff and the applicant emphasized tree preservation and code compliance; commissioners asked for revised balcony designs, clarified ADU connectivity, and directed staff to work with Public Works to resolve a blocked storm‑drain easement. No formal action was taken.
Michelle Johnson, associate planner, presented a design‑review study session for 97 Buena Vista Avenue, describing a proposal to demolish an existing single‑family dwelling and build a two‑story, 2,928‑square‑foot home with a 499‑square‑foot attached two‑car garage and a proposed 799‑square‑foot attached ADU on a 9,375‑square‑foot lot.
Johnson told the commission the site sits two blocks north of downtown Mill Valley, is within a wildland‑urban interface and very high fire severity zone, and includes two redwood groves that the project team proposes to preserve; she said a small cherry tree in poor condition is proposed for removal. She summarized zoning parameters: proposed lot coverage of 29.6 percent (maximum 40 percent), adjusted floor area below the 2,937.5‑square‑foot maximum, and a proposed building height of 24 feet 10 inches (25‑foot max).
The applicant’s presenter described months of neighborhood outreach and revisions to shift the building away from protected trees. The applicant said they will maintain a minimum five‑foot setback from tree trunks, update the…
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