This Marin County blog rounds up recent local headlines—from a Mill Valley DUI incident that crossed the Golden Gate Bridge to planning in Kentfield. It also explains what these developments mean for residents across Tamalpais Valley, Novato, Ross, and beyond.
Table of Contents
Discover hand-picked hotels and vacation homes tailored for every traveler. Skip booking fees and secure your dream stay today with real-time availability!
Browse Accommodations Now
Mill Valley DUI incident highlights Shoreline Highway safety and enforcement
In the early hours of Monday, a Mill Valley woman was arrested after authorities say she drove while intoxicated and nearly struck a Marin County sheriff’s sergeant who was assisting a medical call on Shoreline Highway. Deputies chased her as she continued onto the Golden Gate Bridge. They finally caught up at the San Francisco toll plaza.
Deputies evaluated her at the scene and charged her with several offenses, including DUI, assault with a deadly weapon, driving over 100 mph, reckless driving on a freeway, and having false identification. She posted bail and was released soon after.
For folks from Mill Valley through Sausalito and Tiburon, this incident really brings home the ongoing worries about impaired driving along the Highway 1 corridor. It’s tough for emergency responders to react quickly when traffic patterns shift near the Golden Gate Bridge toll plaza.
In Marin City and Corte Madera, drivers often share the road with emergency crews parked along Shoreline helping with medical calls. This event is a pretty blunt reminder of why enforcement ramps up on weekend nights and early mornings in towns like Larkspur and Fairfax.
What this incident means for local traffic safety
The pursuit and stop at the toll plaza show how Marin County deputies work with city police when incidents cross city lines—from Mill Valley to San Francisco and back over the bridge. In towns like San Rafael and Novato, safety advocates hope this reminds everyone to stay alert for impaired drivers, especially as tourists and locals head through Sausalito and into the Richmond San Rafael Bridge area during busy times.
Novato hearing on Kitsch + Sync’s family-entertainment concept
Novato officials plan to hear a use-permit request for Kitsch + Sync, a family-entertainment spot proposed for 1757 and 1767 Grant Ave. The business describes itself as a family-friendly café and play concept, blending a quick-service restaurant with an indoor play zone and a small outdoor play and seating area. If approved, the place would open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and serve beer and wine for onsite consumption only.
A zoning administrator will hold the hearing at the Novato Community Development Department at 922 Machin Ave. Neighbors in downtown Novato and folks from nearby San Rafael and Bel Marin Keys can chime in on how this family-focused business might fit into the Grant Avenue corridor, which already draws visitors from all over Marin, including Corte Madera and Greenbrae.
- Location: 1757 and 1767 Grant Ave., Novato
- Concept: cafe + indoor/outdoor play space
- Hours: 9 a.m.–9 p.m., daily
- Alcohol: beer and wine for onsite consumption only
People across Novato and nearby Santa Venetia, plus merchants along Grant Avenue, are watching to see how this concept—meant to draw families from Ross Valley and southern Marin—will fit with existing traffic and foot traffic, especially on busy weekends.
Potential impact on Novato’s family-friendliness and commerce
Supporters say Kitsch + Sync could turn into a destination for families from central Marin, the Canal neighborhood in San Rafael, and even travelers from Petaluma looking for a bite and a safe spot for kids to play. Some folks worry about parking and crowding on Grant Avenue during peak times, especially since the corridor already has popular boutiques and eateries that attract everyone from Santa Rosa commuters to Fairfax day-trippers.
Ross four-way stop aims to calm neighborhood traffic
The Ross Town Council approved a new four-way stop at Bellagio Road, Canyon Road, and Winding Way after residents raised safety concerns. Public works director Richard Simonitch put the project cost at about $11,000, with signs expected to go up this spring. The council said the current single stop sign on northbound Canyon Road just isn’t enough for all the cross traffic.
People in Ross, and commuters from nearby San Anselmo and San Rafael, have debated how this change will affect neighborhood safety, school drop-offs, and access to the winding streets that give Sleepy Hollow and Santa Domenica their character. It’s a small upgrade, sure, but it shows Marin County’s commitment to calming streets without totally reworking the canyons and cul-de-sacs that define Ross and its neighbors.
Kentfield planning review: modest expansion at Ross Valley Nursery School
The county planning office is reviewing a proposal to add 537.8 square feet to the 2,615-square-foot Ross Valley Nursery School building at 689 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.
The Kentfield Planning Advisory Board plans to hear the case at 7 p.m. Wednesday in College of Marin’s Academic Center, room 229.
This potential addition feels like a careful step in keeping Marin’s education options steady, while still trying to balance traffic, parking, and the neighborhood character that so many Kentfield and Greenbrae families value.
Ross Valley Nursery School is one of Marin’s most popular early-learning sites.
The expansion could affect nearby Coupeville and Sausalito commuters, who often coordinate with Kentfield families in the Tamalpais Valley, San Anselmo, and Fairfax areas.
Everyone’s just trying to juggle school runs with Marin’s winding byways along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard.
From Mill Valley to Novato, Ross, and Kentfield, these talks echo Marin County’s ongoing balancing act between growth, safety, and community identity.
Maybe you live near Shoreline Highway in Tiburon or up in the hills above Greenbrae—either way, these decisions have a way of rippling through the way we move and gather as a Marin community.
It’s worth keeping an eye on your town’s planning commission agendas and police blotters. The local details matter for every family making Marin County home.
Marin County’s towns—Mill Valley, Sausalito, Tiburon, Belvedere, San Rafael, Novato, Larkspur, Corte Madera, Ross, Kentfield, San Anselmo, Fairfax, and beyond—keep shaping a region defined by conversation, care, and a deep-rooted sense of place.
Here is the source article for this story: In Your Town for Feb. 24, 2026
Find available hotels and vacation homes instantly. No fees, best rates guaranteed!
Check Availability Now
Cities and Towns in Marin County
Things to Do in Marin County
Places to Stay in Marin County
