Hundreds comment as Mill Valley board takes public input on draft EIR for middle‑school modernization

The Mill Valley School District on Sept. 10 held a public hearing on the draft environmental impact report (EIR) for the planned modernization of Mill Valley Middle School, opening a formal comment period that runs through Oct. 17 at 5 p.m.

Richard Crissetti, the EIR consultant, told the board the document is intended to inform, not decide, and invited comments focused on the EIR's environmental analyses, technical adequacy and proposed mitigation measures. He said the board will prepare written responses to environmental comments and is scheduled to consider certification and any project approval in December.

Dozens of speakers filled the podium for two‑minute remarks. A recurring theme among parents, students and residents was a split in community opinion about whether to renovate and temporarily house students on the existing Sycamore (current middle‑school) site or to relocate interim classrooms to the Edna/Lomita campus.

Chantal Carlon, co‑owner and lead coach of West America Taekwondo, told trustees her family has run the dojo and an associated after‑school program at the Lomita location for 42 years and urged the board to avoid any option that would displace those programs. "For 42 years, our family business has been part of the fabric of Mill Valley," she said, asking the district to preserve the dojo and the after‑school care that many working families rely on.

Multiple parents and residents emphasized traffic and safety risks if the district placed a middle school at the Edna/Lomita location. Dusty Kenny, a Lomita neighbor, described recent local evacuations and said adding large school traffic to narrow residential streets could slow emergency response and create gridlock: "You can't even get out of your own driveway," he said.

Other commenters raised environmental and regulatory concerns. Susan Dawson cited a Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) preliminary finding that identified soil vapor samples and contaminants of concern and said one methane reading was "in the explosive range," asking the board whether state regulators would approve renovation plans that keep older foundations in place.

Supporters of renovating in place argued the EIR finds on‑site renovation is safe and is the least disruptive and most cost‑effective alternative. Rebecca Stone, a parent and Measure G supporter, noted the bond budget has fallen from roughly $134 million to $95 million and warned that continued delays will further erode funds: "Every year we stall, $8,000,000 vanishes from that budget," she said, urging the board to advance the project.

Several students spoke in favor of moving forward so their classes will benefit from modernized facilities, asking practical questions about portables, outdoor activity spaces and timelines.

Board members and staff did not respond to comments during the hearing, consistent with the announced norms; staff asked commenters to submit written input to Julio Arroyo to ensure inclusion in the record. The district's EIR comment page and contact information were reiterated from the dais.

Next procedural steps: the written comment period closes Oct. 17 at 5 p.m.; staff will prepare written responses to environmental comments and proposed revisions, and the board expects to review certification of the EIR and any preferred project or alternative in a future meeting (anticipated in December).