Sausalito faces legal threat after red-tagging landmark

Sausalito and the owner of a landmark waterfront building are locked in a battle over its structural safety. The conflict started on Oct. 29, when city officials interrupted a private party for 40 Silicon Valley executives at 558 Bridgeway — the former home of the Trident restaurant. A building inspector posted a pink card saying the venue, piers and parking lot were unsafe. Do not enter or occupy, it said, entry may result in serious injury or death. Nikita Khandheria, whose special event business rents the second floor from owner Bob Freeman, said a city enforcer and some police officers came upstairs and told the occupants they had to leave. The building dates to 1898. In 1960, the Kingston Trio folk group bought it and renamed it the Trident, and it attracted musicians, artists and actors. Today, it sits above three parcels, two owned by Freeman and one by the city. The restaurant closed last December, and the lower level is vacant. On Oct. 28, city officials received an engi