Muir Woods Teen Treatment Center Expansion News & Info

Project History - 1733 & 1743 Skillman Lane

2013: 1733 Skillman Lane purchased by Muir Wood with single family residence.

2013: Scott Sowle founded Muir Wood Adolescent and Family Services. 1733 Skillman Lane was licensed 5/3/13 by California Department of Social Services, Facility # 496803428, for 6 patients.

2014: Muir Wood requested a use permit to expand its existing operations to 10 patients and 17 staff, referring to the property as a single six-acre parcel with a required minimum of 20 parking spaces. One of the Permit Sonoma conditions for expansion was that Muir Wood was required to abandon offices and meeting rooms in its secondary dwelling unit to use it for additional patient beds.

March 6, 2014: Approved: UPE14-0018 REQUEST FOR A USE PERMIT FOR A LARGE RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITY BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF BEDS AT AN EXISTING SMALL RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITY FROM 6 TO 10 BEDS ON A 3.0 ACRE PARCEL (1733 Skillman Lane). See Use Permit Conditions of Approval UPE14-0018 1733 Skillman. The use permit specified "no new buildings, or additional site development, is requested." Muir Wood could not expand beyond 10 patients on 1733 Skillman under this use permit.

2016: Muir Wood completed a subdivision of the 5.88-acre property. The subdivision was actually started nine years earlier by Golterman, who had received tentative approval with a mitigated negative declaration before abandoning the process and selling to Muir Wood. The mitigated negative declaration declared two residential homes on the property would create little cumulative impact based on several findings, including less than 10 vehicle trips per day. In 2016, Muir Wood resurrected the lot split. Permit Sonoma inexplicably allowed Muir Wood to use the outdated 2007 mitigated negative declaration, which was based on residential use, despite the changed use to a commercial treatment facility. Permit Sonoma did not take into consideration the new potential development of two large treatment centers on the property. Muir Wood finalized the lot split with Permit Sonoma without additional public review in August of 2016. None of the neighbors who objected to the 2015 expansion were notified. 2 separate legal lots were created. Lot 1 (1733 Skillman Lane, APN 048-250-001) and Lot 2 (1743 Skillman Lane APN 048-250-002).

2016: Once it received approval for the subdivision, Muir Wood still avoided public input. Instead of applying for a second treatment center, Muir Wood applied to build a five-bedroom single family residence and another detached secondary dwelling unit on the second parcel.

2019: The construction was completed on the second parcel in January of 2019. Without informing the county or neighbors, Muir Wood immediately applied to the state to convert the brand new residence into a second six-bedroom treatment facility. The application was granted a new address, seemingly unrelated to the existing operation, raising no red flags by state officials.

April 2019: (only three months later) Muir Wood obtained state approval and put the new buildings at 1743 Skillman Lane into use as a second facility with an additional six patients. No notice or public review was required.

August 25, 2020: Muir Wood applied for building permit at 1743 Skillman for "Installation of a 30' diameter Yurt". Permit Number #BLD20-5552 was denied 8/26/20.

2022: Muir Wood asked for an additional third expansion. Request was filed for a Use Permit to expand the existing residential care facility at 1743 Skillman Lane from six beds to ten beds. This would be in addition to 10 beds at 1733 Skillman Lane.

February 10, 2022: Expansion request DENIED by BZA

email Skillman Neighbors : skillman@skillmanneighbors.org