Miller Avenue Precise Plan and Need for More Community Participation

By Ken R. Wachtel

THE MILLER AVENUE PRECISE PLAN

I agree with the City's recent decision to put the Miller Avenue Precise Plan on hold with no additional outside consultant work done for six months. This matter should be addressed by the new City Council to be formed in December.

The zoning ordinances on Miller Avenue are antiquated and unusable. Many of the buildings on Miller are reaching the end of their feasible commercial life. Without a new plan, each owner and developer will come to the City asking for a special set of zoning entitlements for their individual parcel. This would result in the City reacting to each application rather than planning, and there is the potential for inconsistent development. Clearly, an updated zoning ordinance is necessary to provide predictability to both the community and property owners and to give specific guidelines to the City from which changes will require a variance procedure.

But then the hard decision is what should this new zoning ordinance look like? Zoning ordinances, like tax codes, are a collection of community values. Do we want multi-unit housing, affordable housing, distinct bike paths, restaurants, commercial spaces, increased building heights, increased or decreased parking requirements or front setbacks, etc?

I do not like the proposal for a roundabout at Miller and Camino Alto. That would be unsafe for the seniors and high school students who cross at that intersection many times a day. I am not in favor of the proposed changes to the creek setback rules. I do not know why we need back-in parking and I am very concerned about the proposed reduced parking requirements. If there is not enough parking, the merchants on Miller (without their own parking) will find it very difficult to be successful.

The City needs to take 3 big steps backward to make a greater affirmative effort to seek and understand our community's values for Miller. Those values may differ from the consultants' ideas or the current MAPP design. If elected I will reach out to the entire community and seek wide-spread input before I make any long term decision regarding the future zoning of Miller Avenue, or for that matter any major aspect of the City's future. With the input and understanding of the community we can go forward with a new zoning ordinance that reflects the reality of the street, the neighborhood and the values of our community.

THE NEED FOR INCREASED COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN CITY DECISIONS

All too often I have been at City meetings when people have had to leave before the matter for which they were attending could be heard. People have families, jobs and other important things to do in the evening. But many just can't stay when their matter comes on the agenda at 10:00 PM or later. Mill Valley should take advantage of the current digital means of communication with the community. I am wholeheartedly in favor of web streaming City Council, Planning Commission and other key City meetings with an opportunity for those viewing at home to submit comments by email. Snail mail communication is slow and expensive; it limits the availability of communication. I believe the City should use its best efforts to compile the emails of the community residents and businesses so information can be disseminated in a less expensive and more effective way. Of course, we would have to consider those who are not email savvy so they too are kept within the informational loop. Mill Valley should adopt a position of encouraging and facilitating community participation in City discussions and decisions.