Demolition has started at Mallard Pointe in Belvedere, where developer Thompson Dorfman plans to replace older rental units with new housing. The Marin Independent Journal reports that one duplex on the site is still occupied.
The project
The city's project page says Mallard Pointe covers 1 to 22 Mallard Road. The approved plan removes 22 existing homes and builds 40 new ones. The demolition permit was issued July 15. In an earlier update, the city said physical demolition could not begin until it also issued a permit to replace the bulkhead along the lagoon. The city's page now includes an FAQ on the bulkhead permit dated Oct. 5. It also notes that under state law, building permits are non-discretionary once an applicant meets all conditions.
The holdout
Rebecca Markwick, Belvedere's director of building and planning, told the IJ that the remaining occupants are "illegally living there" and that the developer has started eviction proceedings. PG&E has shut off utilities to the rest of the property, but the occupied unit still has power. Thompson Dorfman co-founder Bruce Dorfman told the paper the company is in an "ongoing legal process" with the household and would not comment further.
The appeal
A group called Belvedere Residents for Intelligent Growth has appealed the bulkhead permit. It argues that seismic and geotechnical studies and a floodplain permit are needed first, and it asked that work stop. The appeal goes to the City Council on Nov. 9. Markwick told the IJ the city sees no merit in the claims and has not halted work. She said the in-water work falls under the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which extended the work window to Oct. 30, and that another one-week extension is likely.