A Century on Sausalito’s Waterfront

A letter from Jim Madden, 3rd Generation Harbormaster, Sausalito Yacht Harbor

My family has worked on Sausalito’s waterfront for more than a century.

My grandfather, Herb Madden Sr., began building boats here in the early part of the last century and established the boatyard that eventually became Madden and Lewis. Years later, he helped create Sausalito Yacht Harbor and Spinnaker Point.

My grandfather put my father, Herb Madden Jr., to work on the waterfront when he was nine years old. My father continued that tradition with me, and I started working here when I was twelve. My father continued working on the waterfront until he was 90. The pile driver he built and that I later worked on still sits beside my office today.

At 67, I care deeply about the future of Sausalito’s waterfront. I want to preserve its maritime and working character while making sure it remains a place where businesses can operate, invest and adapt.

I also know firsthand how difficult it can be to obtain approvals for even relatively modest changes to an existing waterfront property.

The Lighthouse Restaurant is a good example. It took us approximately two years to obtain the approvals necessary simply to reopen an existing restaurant, even though the project involved no significant new construction.

That experience is important to me when considering Measure X. There has been considerable discussion about whether changing the current rules will make development too easy. My own experience has been that obtaining approvals from the City of Sausalito is neither simple nor automatic.

One reason I support Measure X is that it would provide greater flexibility in the types of businesses and activities allowed on portions of the waterfront. It would broaden opportunities for arts, manufacturing and industrial uses, bakeries, fitness centers, medical clinics and other businesses. It would also provide greater flexibility for accessory retail and commercial uses, giving businesses more opportunity to sell goods and services from their waterfront locations.

I believe a broader mix of appropriate uses can help create a more active and vibrant waterfront — a place where people can work, make things, eat, shop and visit — while maintaining the maritime, industrial and artistic character that makes this area of Sausalito unique.

Measure X itself is not a housing measure. The additional uses identified for these waterfront zones are nonresidential. Housing and the City’s Housing Element are separate issues.

Our waterfront also faces practical challenges. Buildings and infrastructure are aging, businesses need to adapt, and sea-level rise will require significant investment in the years ahead. We need to preserve what is special about the waterfront while giving businesses and property owners a reasonable opportunity to reinvest in it.

I have read Measure X and listened to arguments on both sides. I recognize that it makes meaningful changes to our existing land-use rules. After considering those changes, I support Measure X.

For me, it comes down to balance: preserving the working waterfront that my family has been part of for generations while providing enough flexibility for it to remain active and viable in the future.

Measure X will not solve every problem facing the waterfront, but I believe it provides a reasonable path forward.

My family has a great deal invested in this waterfront, both financially and personally. I want to see it preserved, improved and thriving for generations to come.

That is why I support Measure X.