Richardson Bay is a bucolic waterway just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, surrounded by tony California towns from Sausalito to Tiburon. It’s also home to a small seaplane base, dating back to when it was a working marine shore, not an affluent suburban enclave.

So why did a small group of homeowners who all bought knowing they had a seaplane outpost in sightline and earshot suddenly galvanize to shut it down? The rallying cry that started with a “time to fight back” post on Nextdoor.com ended in a 4-hour Marin County Planning Commission hearing. Along with noise, a small group of nearby residents lamented that the planes antagonized the heron, egrets and other water birds that frequented the marshland, which become a protected area a few years after the base’s last use permit was issued.

But maybe it wasn’t the noise or birds that drove nearby residents to the commission. Maybe they were just emboldened after two other recent victories they’d scored there: defeating an attempt to build a private school and affordable housing, and forestalling plans for a medical office building.

Ultimately, this hearing would not end in victory…for the NIMBYs. Most of the hundreds who showed up came to speak on behalf of the seaplane base. Turns out the float planes are loved by many around the bay and its operator is known as much for dressing as Santa to fly holiday presents around and delivering supplies to California wildfire victims as he is for ostensibly over-revving his engines.

What’s more, a review of the seaplane permit showed that numerous conditions were out of the commission’s jurisdiction – like restrictions on flight paths, noise and hours of operation. So eventually the recommendation given was to eliminate three restrictions from the permit, because, apparently, the Federal Aviation Administration is better qualified to determine aeronautical flight plans than a county planning commission.

And what of the birds? Turns out the protected zone for herons and egrets also extends around the houses and roads in the area, so if dispensing with the seaplanes made sense, so would dispensing with the housing. In this case, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander…and good for Seaplane Adventures…but thankfully, not for the kinds of neighbors who want to turn public areas into their own private nesting zones.

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