The Caprice offers free valet for all as trade for public spaces

A car is seen April 5 at the small parking lot at the corner of Mar West Street and Paradise Drive, where The Caprice restaurant (background) has its valet stand. Officials say the restaurant has been using the public spaces there, on the street and at the Railroad & Ferry Depot Museum parking lot in Shoreline Park — instead of its 25 rented spaces at Point Tiburon Plaza — in violation of its valet permit, pushing out residents and visitors alike. (Francisco Martinez / The Ark)

After years of resident complaints and town attempts to work with The Caprice on parking problems created by the restaurant’s valet service, Tiburon could be on track for a solution: free valet for all, no food purchase required.

The catch is where to put the cars. In exchange, owner Jerry Dal Bozzo wants legalized access to nearby public spaces, where the valets have been parking customer cars “since inception” — and in violation of the permit.

“Because we’re … the reason why there’s more parking needs, then we should be maybe obligated to … supply parking for the general public, not just for our restaurant,” Dal Bozzo told the Town Council at its April 3 meeting.

Staff requested the hearing so the council could either revise the permit, revoke it for the ongoing violations or tell staff what information is needed for the council to decide. The council punted.

“I don’t want to sit here and try and come up with parking solutions downtown with the information that we have,” Councilmember Jon Welner said.

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