Mill Valley planning commissioners urge redesign of 100 Evelyn Avenue plan over fire access and drainage concerns

Mill Valley — The Planning Commission on Jan. 27 held a study session on a proposed new single‑family home at 100 Evelyn Avenue, where staff and the project team outlined a design that commissioners and nearby residents said raises unresolved safety and infrastructure questions.

Staff described the project as a roughly 2,000‑square‑foot home with a 340‑square‑foot garage and a driveway that would cross an adjacent parcel to reach Evelyn Avenue. "The lot coverage is proposed at 27 percent, which would require a variance," staff told the commission, adding the site would remove about 13 trees (seven protected) and require substantial grading and terracing.

Christy Torres, the project architect, said the team studied more than a dozen access options and aimed to minimize grading by siting the garage where elevation differences were smallest. "We are really, really interested in making this as fire resistant as possible," Torres said, describing noncombustible zones, low massing and measures to meet defensible‑space guidance.

Neighbors and commissioners focused on three threshold issues: fire access, off‑site easements/ownership for the driveway, and stormwater/runoff tied to heavy earth export. Multiple residents said prior projects on Evelyn had left potholes and drainage problems on the private roadway. "There is a significant amount of runoff that comes down Evelyn," said Rich Laferjee, who lives below the site, and asked the city to coordinate with property owners and the water district on mitigation.

Staff reported the civil engineer estimated about 653 cubic yards of cut, 135 cubic yards of fill and more than 500 cubic yards of export or off‑haul — a volume commissioners characterized as unusually large for a small hillside lot. Commissioners noted that typical projects on similar lots tend to involve closer to 100 cubic yards of off‑haul and encouraged the applicant to redesign to dramatically reduce truck trips and grading.

The fire department had reviewed the project but had not signed off; commissioners and staff said the fire marshal’s requirements would likely be gating for further approvals. Commissioners questioned whether a 12‑foot driveway would meet Mill Valley fire access standards, noting the department often requires a 16‑foot clear width or alternative measures such as a standpipe and walkway to meet the 150‑foot defensible‑access rule. "That will be the gating item for this," a commissioner said.

Ownership and access rights also remained unsettled. Andrew Shields, a prospective purchaser, said he expects to finalize purchases of the parcels soon and is negotiating easements with an adjacent owner, Thomas Dicker, for the driveway and utilities. Commissioners noted that lot‑line adjustments or purchasing adjacent land could reduce driveway length and grading but cautioned such moves raise separate planning and council requirements.

Torres and the project team said they will continue discussions with fire officials and refine drainage and permeable‑surface options; they also said they could route runoff to nearby sewer or storm facilities and explore catchment basins. "We've got some options to really reduce water that's coming down Evelyn as it relates to our site," Torres said.

Because the session was informational (a study session), the commission took no final action on the project. Commissioners asked the applicant to return with technical confirmations (fire‑department signoff or a defined alternative such as a standpipe; MMWD flow‑rate data if needed), any easement or lot‑line agreements, a geotechnical report for neighbors, and redesigned site plans that materially reduce grading and off‑haul.

The commission did complete routine business at the meeting: members approved the meeting agenda at the start of the session and later approved prior meeting minutes by voice vote. The planning commission adjourned after closing items.

What’s next: The applicant is expected to return with revised plans and technical documentation addressing fire access, off‑site access rights, and measures to limit runoff and truck traffic before the commission will consider formal design‑review approvals.