Take Control of Our Community - Support Book Passage Saturday, March 25th, 12-2pm!

Many people in Marin are upset that Corte Madera Town Center management secretly cancelled Marshall’s new lease, and then secretly arranged to rent 27,000 square feet of space to Barnes & Noble - without any input from the Marin community.

The decision was made by Morgan Stanley (the out-of-town asset managers) for the Florida State Board of Retirement (the out-of-town owners). The Marin community had no advance notice of, nor opportunity to comment on the proposed tenant.

Marin homeowners must endure a thorough and lengthy review process to get permission for even the smallest changes to our homes. Remote corporations should be held to the same standards as individuals in our community.

Marin doesn't need another chain bookstore - there is already a chain book reseller less than a mile away (across Highway 101), and B&N will certainly damage Marin's local independent bookstore, Book Passage. National studies show that locally-owned businesses, particularly independent bookstores, give back to the community far more than chain stores.

Join us on Sat. March 25 between noon and 2:00 pm, to demonstrate to the owners and managers of Town Center that we oppose this decision. There is a police permit for the demonstration, which will be non-confrontational and peaceful. Meet at Madera near Washington Mutual Bank, Madera in front of Safeway, or the one around the corner near IL Fornaio Restaurant and the Bay Club. Show your support for Book Passage and independent community media.

The protest is organized by Citizens for Local Control (CLC), a small but determined group who recently appeared before the Corte Madera Town Council. In January the CLC asked the Corte Madera Town Council to adopt an ordinance requiring a public hearing and a review process before a retail business covering 20,000 square feet or more is allowed to open in this town.

CLC has requested a Review to determine whether the opening of a large-scale or “big box” retailer would harm the local economy, locally-owned businesses, or the character of the community. CLC working to enact comparable legislation at the county level. Other municipalities have succeeded in passing such legislation, including San Francisco (see http://www.newrules.org).

If you cannot be there on the 25th but want to help with ideas, events, write letters, or make phone calls in the future , send a message to “citizensofmarin [at] yahoo.com“ (Susanne Karch, Citizens for Local Control).

More information can be found at http://www.bethemedia.org