Corte Madera estate owners sue to build driveway across walking trail
The owners of an 11-acre estate in Corte Madera, California, are suing the town to build a second driveway across part of a long-used walking trail. They say it would provide convenient access and an emergency route during wildfires; neighbours argue the path should remain open and that there is no proof the owners have the right to build there.
The property, known as the “Guitar House” and once owned by music promoter Bill Graham, sold for $22.4 million in 2021. A similar proposal was overturned in 2024 after officials found its environmental costs outweighed its benefits, but the owners say they own to the path’s centre line and would preserve public walking access. Their plan would pave half of a 40-foot-wide strip for about 120 feet; the dispute has also prompted personal insults, a request for police presence at a meeting and a referral of a council member’s disclosure of confidential information to the county attorney’s office.
- Owners are suing to build a second driveway across part of a trail.
- The proposed route would pave half of a 40-foot strip for 120 feet.
- Neighbours dispute ownership and want the walking path kept open.
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An 11-acre estate in Corte Madera, California, includes a walking trail that has been used by the public for many years. The current owners want to build a second driveway across a portion of this trail.
The estate, known as the "Guitar House" and once owned by music promoter Bill Graham, sold for $22.4 million in 2021. The owners say the driveway would provide convenient access to their property and serve as an emergency route during wildfires; they claim they own the land to the trail's centre line and would preserve public access. Local residents and officials oppose the plan, questioning the owners' legal right to build and arguing that the environmental and community costs are too high.
A similar proposal was rejected in 2024 after officials found the environmental impact unacceptable. The disagreement touches on broader questions about balancing private property rights with public access and environmental protection.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The property owners contend they hold legal title to land extending to the trail's centreline, giving them the right to develop it. They emphasise legitimate concerns about emergency evacuation during California's severe wildfire season, where alternative routes could prove lifesaving, and commit to maintaining public walking access despite the driveway. Their proposal would affect only half the trail width over a limited distance, representing a compromise that enables necessary infrastructure whilst preserving the recreational path's core function.
The case against
Opponents argue that the owners have not substantiated their claimed ownership rights, and that a long-established public walking trail represents a valuable community asset worth protecting from private encroachment. The town's 2024 rejection of a similar proposal, based on environmental costs outweighing benefits, suggests the project's impacts may be genuine rather than negligible. They worry that approving this development sets a precedent for further erosion of public access to trails and green spaces, undermining the community's interest in preserving shared recreational resources.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Bitter feud in ritzy California enclave erupts as famous ‘Guitar House’ looks to alter beloved walking trail…for a second driveway”.