Sausalito's Waterfront Deserves to Thrive.
Let's build that future together.
1,000 signatures in 10 days!
Over 15 Sausalito resident volunteers secured over 1,000 signatures on the AIM Petition, more than enough to get the AIM Initiative on the ballot this November.
May 15-25, 2026
A 1985 law is holding back our waterfront.
It may have served its purpose then. But it’s forty years later, and times have changed.
You've seen it:
Flooded streets
Fields sitting empty
Storage lots full of old RVs where studios and workshops could be
Millions of dollars in infrastructure repairs with no way to fund them
This law is Ordinance 1022, which voters passed in 1985. While it might have made sense then, many parts of it don’t serve our needs today. The reality is, the only way to change it is by a city-wide vote.
Forty years ago, these rules made sense. Today, they're holding us back. It's time to free our Waterfront — and the people and places that make it — to thrive.
The Way Forward
The Arts, Industrial & Maritime Preservation & Improvement Initiative
(the AIM Initiative)
The Vision
Our waterfront is special — where Liberty Ships were built during WWII and artists, makers, and creators still work alongside boat builders and skilled tradespeople.
AIM is designed to water these creative roots to cultivate a dynamic ecosystem where artists, makers and maritime businesses, as well as the whole community can thrive.
Other working waterfront towns similar in size to Sausalito like Port Townsend, Washington; Newport, Oregon; and Belfast Harbor, Maine, have shown that this kind of vision can succeed.
Of course, Sausalito is one of a kind — and AIM gives our waterfront the creative freedom to evolve, innovate and thrive in its own salty way.
What AIM Does
1. Frees creators and makers to sell what they make
Fishermen, bakers, artists, metalworkers — finally free to sell what they make, create, and catch, right where they work. Today, most can't. This fixes that.
2. Allows underutilized lots to become more studios, workshops, marine workspaces
Forty years and hardly any new studios, workshops, industrial or maritime workspaces. AIM lifts onerous restrictions on underutilized parcels to encourage more usable workspaces.
3. Protects what makes Sausalito special
Honors Sausalito's waterfront people and places — creating a viable path to help fund long-term sea level rise adaptation and shoreline resilience improvements for houseboat and waterfront communities so they endure for future generations. Excludes any new or additional uses that may displace the ICB Building or shipways at the historic Arques Shipyard. Excludes the downtown historic district, leaving its beloved character untouched.
4. Builds a thriving waterfront for everyone
Coffee shops and cafes alongside artists and maritime businesses — creating a dynamic, self-sustaining waterfront for all .
5. Helps fund infrastructure repairs— without raising taxes
Streets flood at high tide. Repairs will cost millions. AIM is a major step toward starting to generate the revenue to fix it — and protect the shoreline from sea-level rise.
6. Creates more ways to get on the water
Kayak launches, water taxis, floating amenities, and maybe, even someday, a community saltwater pool.
7. Puts Sausalito back in charge of its waterfront
Routine land-use decisions return to normal city process — with full public input. The way every other town already works.
Join Our AIM Team
Every year without action means more businesses struggling, infrastructure damage and higher costs.
November 2026 is our next chance.
The time for change is now.
Add your name to our list to help AIM pass this November.
Key Facts
The AIM Initiative (Arts, Industrial & Maritime Preservation & Improvement Initiative) is a citizen ballot measure that will appear before Sausalito, California voters in November 2026. It amends Ordinance 1022, a land-use law passed by Sausalito voters in 1985. AIM applies to the city's Industrial and Waterfront (Marinship) zones. It does not repeal Ordinance 1022, does not rezone any parcels for housing or hotels, and excludes the Downtown Historic District. The initiative is sponsored by Sausalitans for a Thriving Waterfront, a committee of local residents. Last updated June 2, 2026
Proponent & Supporter Quotes
The volunteers and official proponents of the initiative are four Sausalito residents who together represent decades of civic leadership, deep planning expertise, and the next generation with the most at stake: former two-term Mayor Ray Withy; Planning Commissioner and land-use attorney Fred Moore; Aaron Nathan, father of two and tech entrepreneur, and Historical Society and Downtown Business Association board member and volunteer, Adrian Brinton;
“This initiative was developed thoughtfully and deliberately, and we believe it works for everyone. It protects our arts and maritime heritage while giving existing businesses more room to thrive, incentivizes property owners to activate unused parcels as studios and workspaces, and provides more waterfront amenities that residents can enjoy too. Our goal is a waterfront that's alive, inclusive, and built to last.”
— Adrian Brinton, a Sausalito resident and a key volunteer in drafting the AIM Initiative
“I moved to Sausalito to raise my family here and I want to stay for decades. But that means the waterfront needs to work for the next generation, not just the last one. The AIM Initiative is how we make sure this place is still thriving with its unique charm when my kids are grown.”
— Aaron Nathan, Sausalito resident, technology entrepreneur and AIM Initiative Proponent
“The waterfront’s infrastructure has been eroding for the past 40 years because there has not been the money to repair it. The Marinship generates about $10,000 per acre in tax revenue — compare that to $70,000 per acre in our downtown commercial district. The AIM Initiative is the first real chance in decades to unlock the full economic potential of the Waterfront, without sacrificing what makes this place special.”
— Ray Withy, former two-term Mayor of Sausalito & AIM Initiative Proponent
“Forty years ago Ordinance 1022 passed and has stymied and stagnated our town's ability to effectively engage in land use planning – it has locked in antiquated perceptions from a bygone era. As a community, we have an opportunity to update the rules governing our waterfront so that the businesses and people who depend on it can adapt and thrive for years to come.The AIM Initiative enables us to move forward with good planning decisions that benefit our town and its businesses and residents”
— Fred Moore, Sausalito resident, AIM Initiative Proponent, Sausalito Planning Commissioner, and real-estate attorney
