What do we want West Marin to look and feel like in the years ahead? What do we want to protect, what needs to change, and how do we balance the needs of the people who live, work, and build their lives here? 

Those are questions no single person, organization, or government agency can answer. They require a community conversation. The county’s West Marin Visioning initiative invites residents, workers, businesses, and community organizations to help define a shared, long-term vision for the region. This community-driven effort will guide county decisions, investments, and policies so they reflect local priorities.  

Even as this initiative begins, we hear community members talking about it. What this says to us is that there is a need and desire to discuss topics that are foundational for West Marin at a time of both challenge and opportunity. 

Community input, ideas, insight, and engagement will shape the outcome of the process. The county’s role is to facilitate and bring structure to the ideas. It will listen to both majority views and minority opinions and relay synthesized recommendations to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors. There will be inclusive outreach and engagement, and a clear, accessible vision document that becomes a touchstone for planning and policy implementation. As a true community vision, it will be a resource for all West Marin actions, initiatives, and projects. 

The work will span Marin’s coastal and inland communities, including Dillon Beach, Tomales, Chileno Valley, Hicks Valley, Marshall, Inverness, Inverness Park, Point Reyes Station, Olema, Nicasio, Forest Knolls, Lagunitas, San Geronimo, Woodacre, Bolinas, Stinson Beach, and Muir Beach. 

These communities are unique, close-knit, highly engaged, and deeply interconnected, with strong relationships among residents, local institutions, and systems. With many pressures and challenges facing West Marin, the county sees a need to understand a desired direction. This effort will be the space in which we tackle questions of balance and competing considerations.  

We are at the starting point. One of the first major steps is the establishment of a Community Advisory Group, or CAG. The Board of Supervisors will consider the CAG and the bylaws that will guide it at their Oct. 20 meeting. The CAG will ensure the process stays grounded in local knowledge and has broad representation. It will be involved at every step, from selecting a consultant who will advance a robust community engagement process through the adoption of the vision.   

The CAG will be a board-appointed advisory body with up to 13 members. Applications will be open to all who are physically present in West Marin for at least six months of the year, including residents, workers, and students. The county will start accepting applications in November, and the board will select and appoint members in early 2027. Application materials will be widely publicized.    

The CAG is just one aspect of the community’s role in the visioning process. The group will hold public meetings in West Marin, but there will be numerous opportunities to engage outside of these meetings—through workshops, surveys, listening sessions, tabling at existing community meetings, written comments, and more. The project consultant’s role will be to design and implement a deep and broad community engagement program that captures all perspectives. The CAG and county staff will together synthesize and balance the input and recommend a cohesive and holistic statement of a desired direction for West Marin. 

The visioning website provides information, updates, and ways to get involved at https://www.marincounty.gov/wmv.  

Dennis Rodoni is Marin’s District 4 supervisor and Sarah Jones is the director of its Community Development Agency.