Commercial Real Estate in San Geronimo: Valley Zoning, Stream Rules and the Former Golf Course

By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.

San Geronimo is one of four unincorporated villages in the San Geronimo Valley, between Woodacre and Forest Knolls along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Its commercial property is limited to a few village buildings, community facilities and the large former golf course, now in public hands. Business use is shaped as much by stream protection for Lagunitas Creek’s salmon, by septic limits and by county design rules as by base zoning. Confirm the zoning of any parcel with the Marin County Community Development Agency.

Who controls the parcel

San Geronimo is inland and unincorporated, so Marin County regulates land use under Title 22. The guiding local document is the San Geronimo Valley Community Plan, adopted by the Board of Supervisors on December 2, 1997. It covers Woodacre, San Geronimo, Forest Knolls and Lagunitas, whose village areas total 1,336 acres. The county’s community plans page lists it as the valley’s plan. Water comes from the Marin Municipal Water District, which absorbed the old San Geronimo Valley Water Company in 1951. Wastewater is handled by on-site septic systems. For neighboring villages, see our Woodacre, Forest Knolls and Lagunitas guides.

San Geronimo zoning for commercial and mixed use

The community plan maps three commercial categories onto county zoning: Commercial General (C-P or H-1), Commercial Residential (VCR) and Commercial Recreational (RCR). A 2022 Planning Commission resolution on valley rezoning lists the districts present in the valley as ARP, RSP, R1-B, RA-B4, CP, H1, OA, RCR and VCR.

District	Intended uses	Business uses (Chapter 22.12)
VCR Village Commercial/Residential	Keeping village commercial character, balancing resident and visitor uses	Retail, offices and restaurants up to 40 patrons permitted. Bars, larger restaurants and hotels by use permit. Housing permitted
CP Planned Commercial	Lower-intensity retail, office and housing	Restaurants, bars, offices and hotels permitted. Housing accessory to commercial use, except affordable units
H1 Limited Roadside Business	Rural roadside commercial with limited housing	Most uses by use permit
RCR Resort and Commercial Recreation	Resort and recreation facilities with public access	Hotels, B&Bs and restaurants permitted
OA, ARP, residential	Open area, agriculture and homes	Home occupations. Farm uses under Chapter 22.08

Uses not listed in a district’s table are not allowed. Confirm each parcel on the county zoning map, since village commercial frontage is small.

The San Geronimo Valley combining district and stream rules

Lagunitas Creek and its tributaries support one of Northern California’s largest wild runs of endangered coho salmon. According to the county’s news release, the Board of Supervisors approved an updated Stream Conservation Area ordinance and rezoned every lot in the valley into a new combining district. The release covers 1,485 households. The rules set a minimum 35-foot no-touch zone along all streams, cap residential additions in stream areas at a 300-square-foot footprint, and require site plan review for development in stream conservation areas. They followed a legal settlement with the salmon advocacy group SPAWN. The 2022 Planning Commission resolution created the San Geronimo Valley (SGV) combining district in Section 22.14.050 to apply uniform standards across every base district in the valley.

For a commercial buyer, this means any expansion, parking lot or outdoor area near a creek may be limited regardless of base zoning. The plan itself notes a fish ladder in San Geronimo as an area of special interest.

The former golf course and community facilities

The San Geronimo golf course was built in 1965 and opened to the public after a membership sale failed. A county news release dated March 28, 2024 describes buying the 157.3-acre former course at 5800 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard from the Trust for Public Land, which had acquired it after the course closed in 2018. The price was $4.5 million. Part of the site would become a new Marin County Fire Department headquarters, reusing the old clubhouse and replacing the current headquarters at 33 Castle Rock Avenue in Woodacre. The rest is under a conservation easement limited to passive recreation. The largest commercial-scale site in the village is therefore public, not available for private development.

The community plan also records the 1924 mission-style schoolhouse on Sir Francis Drake, now the valley’s Cultural Center, and San Geronimo School, built in 1967.

Lodging, short-term rentals and cannabis

Short-term rentals. Under Chapter 5.41 (Ordinance 3816, May 2024), the San Geronimo township is capped at 10 licenses initially, falling to 7. Commercial lodging and B&Bs are exempt but need zoning approval.
Cannabis. The county licenses only delivery-only medicinal retailers, with no storefronts.
Home occupations. Home occupations are permitted in the village and residential districts and make up much of the valley’s business activity.

Transfer tax, business tax and property tax

Only the county’s $0.55 per $500 transfer tax applies, excluding assumed liens, per the Recorder’s sheet. Businesses need a county business license, renewed by July 31. A sale generally triggers Proposition 13 reassessment.

Due diligence that matters in San Geronimo

Start with our commercial due diligence checklist, then add:

Map the parcel against stream conservation areas and the 35-foot no-touch zone before planning any expansion.
Request the county Environmental Health septic file. The plan warns that the valley floor’s high water table causes septic problems and that a leach field generally needs about an acre.
Confirm the base district (VCR, CP, H1 or RCR) and any nonconforming status.
Check MMWD service and meter size for any food or water-intensive use.
Review fire access and wildfire exposure on Sir Francis Drake and side roads.

Questions people ask

Who regulates property in San Geronimo?

Marin County, under Title 22 and the 1997 San Geronimo Valley Community Plan. San Geronimo is outside the Coastal Zone.

What commercial zoning exists in the valley?

VCR, CP, H1 and RCR, according to the community plan and county records, alongside agricultural, open area and residential districts.

How do the stream rules affect business property?

They set a minimum 35-foot no-touch zone along streams and require site plan review in stream conservation areas, which can limit expansions.

What happened to the San Geronimo golf course?

It closed in 2018, was bought by the Trust for Public Land, and the county moved to buy it in 2024 for a fire headquarters and passive recreation.

Can I run a café on septic?

Possibly, but a high water table and small lots often limit septic capacity. Confirm with Environmental Health before you buy.

How many short-term rentals are allowed?

The San Geronimo township cap is 10 licenses initially, falling to 7.

Does Diamond handle commercial property in San Geronimo?

Contact Matthew Martinez to discuss buying, selling or leasing commercial property in San Geronimo.

Sources & notes

San Geronimo Valley Community Plan (1997) (county plan hosted by the San Geronimo Valley Historical Society)
Marin County, Community and Area Plans
Marin County, Board approves San Geronimo Valley policies and Planning Commission Resolution PC22-009
Marin County, offer on San Geronimo property (March 2024)
Marin County Code Chapter 22.12 and Chapter 5.41 (GoCodebook, October 2026)
Marin County, delivery-only cannabis
Marin County Recorder, transfer tax and county business license

Note: We did not read the plan’s commercial services section or Table 3, or the zoning map for San Geronimo village parcels. The county news release gives no year for the Board vote, so confirm the stream ordinance’s effective date.

This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.

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