August 30, 2025
Marin County developer, Dietrick Burks, says local officials deliberately slowed his floating home projects because he’s Black.
A Black real estate investor is suing Marin County, California, and its chief building official, claiming he was subjected to unfair permitting hurdles because of his race. Dietrick Burks, an entrepreneur who sells floating homes, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit this week alleging county officials imposed unlawful requirements that stalled his projects.
“This is a place I wanted to retire. I was very excited about being here in Marin County. I don’t have that excitement anymore,” Burks said, according to ABC News.
Burks said his first floating home sale in 2019 went smoothly when he had a white business partner. But according to the lawsuit, problems began after the community learned Burks was Black and he pursued subsequent projects on his own.
“I was just shocked. I couldn’t believe that in today’s society, in the world that we live in today, that I was actually faced with having to deal with that,” he said.
The lawsuit claims residents of Waldo Point Harbor petitioned the Marin County Board of Supervisors to block Burks’ efforts. It also accuses Chief Building Official William Kelley of “intercepting the plans” and collaborating with the board to modify the county’s municipal code in a way that targeted Burks’ projects.
“It was only when he was doing the other ones by himself, that he encountered, essentially, these issues,” said Burks’ attorney, Patrick Buelna.
Burks’ legal team argues that he was subjected to rules not on the books, such as mandatory inspections before his floating homes could even be transported into Marin County.
“That had not been a requirement. That was simply a gate-keeping requirement in a gate that was only used to prevent him from entering the Sausalito Marina,” said attorney Adante Pointer.
In February 2024, the Board of Supervisors voted to formally tighten regulations on floating homes. Marin County officials, responding to inquiries from ABC7 News, said they had not yet been served with the lawsuit but stated: “Once received, we will carefully review it and respond through the legal process. The County’s building policies are applied uniformly and are not motivated by race.”
Burks said that once whistleblowers within the building department flagged the treatment he was receiving, his permits were eventually approved.
“There were several in that county government that said I was being held to a different standard,” Burks said.
Although he was able to sell the homes, Burks’ attorneys say the delays caused significant financial losses. He is now seeking compensation as part of the lawsuit.
