Larkspur Begins Planning Process For Community Parcel

A large number of Larkspur residents want a new library and, it seems, they're going to get one.

The Larkspur City Council decided 3-2 on June 6 to designate the Rose Garden Community Facility Parcel for a "mixed-use center and library-related uses." The parcel is a 2.58-acre piece of land on the former Niven Nursery site given to the City by the New Home Company, which purchased the property in 2011 to develop it for housing.

An anonymous resident has offered to give the City $4 million toward the construction of a library on the site, plus another $1 million in matching funds for the operation of the library.

The City Council held three meetings in May, culminating in a hot-tempered debate June 6 about the fate of the site. And now the City Council is preparing to start the design process. Larkspur City Manager Dan Schwarz and the Larkspur Library Foundation will negotiate with New Home Company during a closed session at 4 p.m. Wednesday. Following that, at the regular City Council meeting at 7:30 p.m., the City Council will appoint an ad hoc committee "to work with staff and community on (the) planning process for (the) Community Facility, including outreach on fundraising efforts."

Wednesday's City Council agenda also includes:

• A proposal from the Friends of Corte Madera Creek Watershed for the restoration of the habitat.

• An update on plans for the Doherty Drive improvements.

• The appointment of a Citizen of the Year.