Sausalito Expands Downtown Parking Initiative

Sausalito Expands Vision for Downtown Parking Lot Redesign

Sausalito is taking a bold step forward in reimagining its downtown parking lot, moving beyond simple repaving to consider a more transformative approach. The City Council has directed consultants to explore options that go well beyond the boundaries of the 144-space lot located near the ferry landing. This shift reflects a growing desire among residents and officials to create a more welcoming and cohesive waterfront area.

“Much of the comment and feedback we have heard is slow down — we can do better than just repaving the parking lot,” said Vice Mayor Melissa Blaustein. “When I hear from the people making public comment tonight, they are very respected architects, land-use city planners, people who have spent their entire careers thinking about what is the best approach to making community zoning or community projects work.”

Mayor Steven Woodside acknowledged that the initial scope of the project may have been too narrow. “My own personal view is we have some of the most valuable real estate in the bay and all we are doing is parking cars on it,” he said. “It’s perhaps our fault that we may have narrowed the scope too much at the outset and didn’t give the team enough flexibility.”

The council reviewed three options for the parking lot redesign and has instructed consultants to return in three months with plans that integrate the lot’s makeover into a broader, phased redesign of nearby roads, parking, paths, and public spaces.

“We’re at an inflection point,” said Councilmember Jill Hoffman. “But I think we’re really at a point where we need to repave the parking lot.”

Last July, the council approved spending $2.5 million to update the lot, with directions to retain 144 spaces. It hoped to finalize the designs this spring and complete the makeover a year from now.

City consultants were tasked with evaluating parking space layouts, sidewalks, traffic access, circulation, trees, landscaping, electric vehicle charging, and bike parking. They also considered proposals from decades ago to turn the parking lot into a pedestrian plaza.

In late January, the city held a workshop where several dozen members of the public shared their opinions on three proposed designs:

• Improve as is: This option involved repaving and restriping the lot with some smaller spaces. Most of the 38 Indian laurel fig trees, which are unhealthy, would be replaced with large trees. The estimated cost is $1.7 million.

• The paseo: This design would bisect the lot with a tree-lined walkway from the ferry terminal to Anchor Street, which connects to Bridgeway. A vehicle pickup and dropoff location would be created. Additional greenery, including bioswales to collect water and support the flora, would be added. The parking spaces would be slightly smaller, allowing the lot to accommodate 153 cars. The estimated cost is $3.3 million.

• The plaza: This option would create an area next to the ferry landing that could be closed to vehicles during peak season or used for public events. The parking layout would be rotated and 153 cars could be accommodated. Vina Del Mar Park could get an entrance for ferry passengers. The estimated cost is $3.5 million.

Community feedback from the January 29th meeting was very helpful, with a clear preference for prioritizing people over cars. “Most attendees appeared comfortable with slightly smaller parking stalls, which could either allow for additional parking and revenue or create space for other amenities and features,” said Sara Khorshidifard, city project manager.

During the discussion, Councilmember Ian Sobieski presented an architectural plan — not by the consultants — that reconfigured parking lot 1 and adjacent streets and parking lots, adding 53 more spaces, and relocated bus stops and other vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

“I’m not in a rush to spend the money on something that doesn’t hit on all cylinders,” he said. “That schematic is exciting to me — 53 more parking spaces which could pay for the entire project.”

“I agree,” said Councilmember Joan Cox. “I would like to see us … expand the scope of their visioning, even though we can only afford to undertake improvements to lot 1 at this time.”