The developer of the controversial Mallard Pointe housing project in Belvedere has submitted preliminary construction documents with the city.

The documents, which involve demolition, infrastructure improvements, stormwater control and a final design map, are under review. The city plans to respond on the completeness of the files soon.

“These applications represent one of the initial steps in the process and will occur well before any onsite work begins,” said Rebecca Markwick, the city’s director of planning and building.

The permits can be issued only after the developer, Mill Valley-based Thompson Dorfman, meets the conditions of approval set by city staff, the Planning Commission and the City Council. Replacement of the bulkhead and building retrofits are among the conditions.

“The project proposes to demolish the existing buildings on site and construct a new road and new utilities to serve the future apartment building, duplexes, and single family homes that will be permitted separately,” wrote Bruce Dorfman, cofounder of the development company.

The developers are requesting at least two years to complete the project, according to the documents.

The project site is 1-22 Mallard Road along the Belvedere Lagoon. The project was originally submitted in 2021 as a 40-residence development, which would be 18 more homes than the neighborhood has now. The proposal included five duplexes, six single-family homes, a 23-apartment building and an accessory dwelling unit.

In 2023, the Planning Commission voted to require the project to undergo an environmental review. The decision went against the advice of city staff and consultants to grant an exemption.

The commission’s action prompted the developer file another plan for 70 residences — including 55 apartments in a four-story building — by invoking state density bonus laws.

The City Council overturned the environmental review mandate and approved the 40-residence plan last May. The council also approved a tentative subdivision map and a revocable license for irrigation, landscaping, lighting and pedestrian paths along Community Road.

Thompson Dorfman plans to split the three-parcel complex into 12 lots to assist in the development of streets and other infrastructure. Mallard Road would become a 20-foot-wide, two-lane private access drive without sidewalks. The private drive would have textured pavement, traffic calming devices and street signs to reduce vehicle speed, according to Markwick.

Under the state’s housing mandate, Belvedere must allow 160 new residences over the eight-year planning cycle ending in 2031.