Kent Island sits in Bolinas Lagoon, surrounded by some of the most ecologically sensitive coastal habitat in Marin County. The lagoon supports eelgrass beds, harbor seals, migratory shorebirds, and the quiet tidal rhythms that make estuarine environments among the most productive ecosystems on earth. The development proposal envisioned a hotel, marina, and associated infrastructure that would have fundamentally altered the island and the surrounding habitat.

The campaign against the Kent Island development drew together local residents, environmental organizations, and conservation-minded politicians. The opposition argued that the lagoon's ecological value far exceeded whatever economic benefit a hotel might generate, and that once the island was developed, the damage would be irreversible. In 1967, the development proposal was defeated, establishing a precedent for the land-use battles that would define Marin County's future.

Kent Island remains undeveloped today. Its story is part of the larger narrative of Marin County's transformation from a county that could have been covered in subdivisions to one of the most protected landscapes in the Bay Area. The defeat of the Kent Island development helped build political momentum that would eventually create the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and protect tens of thousands of acres of coastal Marin from development.