This article takes a look at Fernwood Cemetery in Tamalpais Valley and its push to expand in Marin County. We’ll get into why the cemetery wants more land, what that means for folks from Mill Valley to San Rafael, and how it might affect local Jewish communities and ongoing housing debates in towns like San Anselmo and Corte Madera.
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Why Fernwood is seeking more land in Marin County
Fernwood Cemetery, which Hollywood Forever Inc. owns, wants to expand from its current 36 acres to more than 58 acres over the next decade or so. The plan would more than double the cemetery’s size in Tamalpais Valley and onto nearby San Rafael lands.
They’re hoping to add space for on-site mortuary and crematory services, plus dedicated areas for green burial, conventional burial, and traditional Jewish burial practices. CEO Tyler Cassity says the cemetery’s green burial section probably has about ten years of sales left at current rates, so new capacity is pretty much necessary.
Marin County overall is feeling the squeeze for burial space. Neighboring Mount Tamalpais Cemetery in San Rafael faced state action last year after questions about mismanaged endowment care funds, which affected families all over the region.
The Jewish burial question and Gan Yarok
Community leaders in Marin County have raised alarms about a shortage of Jewish burial space. Congregation Kol Shofar in Tiburon and Congregation Rodef Sholom in San Rafael have both spoken out about the need.
Kol Shofar bought 1,200 plots at Mount Tamalpais back in 1989 and still owns about 200, which shows there’s steady demand for dedicated Jewish burial sites. Fernwood’s Gan Yarok—its Jewish section—was the first green Jewish cemetery in the United States, which attracts families who want cremation or green burial options that skip embalming and use biodegradable shrouds or simple pine boxes.
Hollywood Forever bought Fernwood from Daphne Fernwood Inc. in 2004. In 2022, a related entity, TYO LLC, picked up a nearly 50-acre parcel next to the cemetery and merged most of it into Fernwood to make expansion possible.
County planning documents show that about 17 acres of that parcel remain in an upzoned housing inventory. There are proposals for around 25 homes, which would be priced above the county’s moderate thresholds. This has sparked concern among local housing advocates who are wary of more development pressure, even as the cemetery stresses its need for more green burial space in a county so focused on conservation and neighborhood character.
Housing plans versus cemetery needs: what Marin residents should know
County records say the 17-acre parcel beside Fernwood could be used for housing. Some Marin residents worry this could change the character of towns like Larkspur, Corte Madera, and Sausalito if a development project moves ahead.
Cassity insists there aren’t any plans to develop the housing portion. He says expanding the cemetery’s green burial capacity is still the main goal.
The tension between cemetery expansion and housing keeps coming up in Marin’s planning discussions. Folks in San Rafael and Novato are watching closely as the proposal moves through the county’s review process.
Community responses and local sentiment
Residents across Marin County have mixed feelings. Some say the expansion is necessary to meet growing demand for sustainable burial options.
Fernwood’s regional status does help take pressure off other older cemeteries in Mill Valley and San Rafael. But others worry about the land-use implications and the idea of housing on a parcel that seems suited for cemetery expansion.
Advocates in Tiburon and San Anselmo want to protect Marin’s rural and hillside character. They’re urging planners to really consider environmental impacts before moving forward.
The owner’s background and public record
Beyond the project itself, Tyler Cassity and his family’s history intersect with regional headlines. Cassity’s relatives faced felony fraud charges tied to National Prearranged Services Inc. in the past.
Cassity was named in civil allegations that wrapped up in 2012. He hasn’t been charged, but the family history definitely colors some local conversations about trust, governance, and stewardship—whether you’re in Fairfax or the Ross Valley.
For Marin County residents, the Fernwood expansion means more than just another land-use decision. It touches on sustainable burial choices in Marin City and the preservation of green spaces in Tiburon.
There’s also the question of Jewish burial practices in San Rafael. Development politics linger over the whole thing, too, as the county tries to balance growth with conservation in places like Corte Madera and Mill Valley.
As Fernwood seeks county approvals, Marin’s towns—Mill Valley, San Rafael, and even those Napa-ish corridors running through Novato—are watching. Everyone’s curious to see how this plan might shape the region’s approach to death care, green burial, and the tricky balance between expansion and preservation that defines life in Marin County.
Here is the source article for this story: Tamalpais Valley cemetery proposes expansion
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