What's happening: Two significant changes to how businesses open in Mill Valley took effect this spring, completing a regulatory overhaul the City Council has been building since late 2025.
The context: In November, the Council adopted a new parking ordinance that eliminated parking requirements for most changes of use in existing buildings under 5,000 square feet. Under the old rules, converting a bank to a restaurant could trigger significant new parking requirements. Under the new rules, for smaller commercial spaces, none are required. The ordinance also increased the shared parking reduction allowance from 10% to 40%, giving property owners with mixed uses significantly more flexibility.
In April, the Council followed with a rewrite of the commercial zoning code that took effect May 20. The core change: a new Administrative Use Permit tier, processed by city planning staff rather than the Planning Commission, at a fee of $1,954. Previously, most businesses above 1,500 square feet required a Conditional Use Permit: minimum two months, a fee of $7,389 plus a $342 fire district review. For the businesses most likely to open on Miller Avenue or Throckmorton, the upfront planning cost has dropped by roughly 75%.
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