While any business to fill vacant spaces is most welcome, I would hope for a better quality food establishment than Subway in downtown.
We already have one in Tam Valley, and I have tried it a few times, but have always been disappointed by the quality of the meat that they use.
I would like to see a sandwich shop that only uses organic bread, produce and meats. High quality, well trimmed, grass fed, free range , nitrate and nitrate free meats might cost a little more, but I would be more willing to spend a little more for something that tastes better and is better for me.

I just love these....."I want, I want, I want" followed (or preceeded) by "You can't, you can't, you can't." Don't try to tell me that Baskin-Robbins served health food. It was a nice spot that served a purpose. Just like Subway. And, more to the point, there is nothing wrong with having more than one franchise in the area. Actually, the one in Tam Junction isn't really in MV - it's in the county, and not under city control. The two locations can co-exist just fine.

I think we would all like to see that Ricardo. However, that type of business does not seem to be knocking down the door to open shop in this space. So, the question is, lackign that type of business, do we turn away a subway and not allow a new business from coming in and sit with vacant space or do we allow a business who wants to come in to come in? The answer would seem obvious but the obvious is never so obvious by the reaction of some in this community.

As long as they adhere to the wooden sign requirement, why not? If people want to buy Subway, the business will survive. If not, they won't!

The Parkwood neighborhood (where I live), adjacent to the rear of the proposed subway, seems not in favor of a subway in this location. A large chain, such as subway, doesn't seem in character with downtown mill valley, and unfair to new and old businesses close by who also serve sandwiches. Boo Koo is in the same complex, and already does a brisk business (including sandwiches, and the new bakery across the street is also going to serve sandwiches. Mill Valley Market, has a wonderful selection of sandwiches, and a special everyday. This building has already had a problem with rats from the baskin robbins that was there for years, and has never been properly maintained. The addition of another meat oriented business will make this worse. You can still find pink plastic spoons and other trash from Baskin Robbins, and they've been gone for a long time. This is the same spot that removed 3, healthy, mature redwood trees, which seemed more to be as a method not to maintain a brick pathway through the building. The owner claimed the trees were dying because the dry cleaner on site had poisoned their roots, but as a gardener, I witnessed no die back what so ever. The toxic clean up is on-going
A lack of parking for another busy business has to be considered as well. The Baskin Robbins business was sporadic,mostly busy on warm days, subway would bring in a steady stream of cars to a dangerous to pedestrians, entry & exit parking lot. What's next? Chucky Cheese @ D'Angelos?

How about a mini hardware store?

Give the business a chance. There is no other Subway in Mill Valley. The local Subway is in an unincorporated part of Marin County, outside the clutches of the Mill Valley Council. It is not a chain. It would be owned by an indiviual, not the national corporation. Traffic concerns? Did those who object to a Subway complain when Balboa Cafe went in across the street? The Baskin Robbins ice cream was healtheir than Subway food? The City Council talked of their wanting businesses which generate more foot traffic when they were hesistant on the real estate office opening up downtown. Well this would generate more foot traffic.

Give the business a chance. If the people don't want it, it will go bankrupt.