Happy New Year! I hope you had a joyful holiday season and that your 2023 is off to a good start, rain included!
And what a start we have had for the new year. Rain poured down on my roof, and I thought it would never end. I thought of so many who are suffering through these series of atmospheric rivers, one after the other, overflowing the banks of our streams, creeks and rivers. The heavy gusts of winds continue to down trees and power lines, leaving many without power for hours or days. The County set up a number of community charging centers in the West County to provide refuge for those without power, and an evacuation center at the SC Fairgrounds. The County had issued flood evacuation warnings along the low-lying areas of Russian River. And we know that Schellville and the low-lying areas along Fremont Drive flooded significantly once again with road closures.
THANK YOU for all of our first responders, homeless service providers and volunteers to help people evacuate, shelter safely and recover after the storms subside. The silver lining is the generous filling of our reservoirs and providing much-needed moisture to our drought-stressed trees and landscape.
|
|
Sonoma Developmental Center - This might feel like old news at this point, but I wanted to write in reflection on the December 16, 2022 Board of Supervisors meeting on the Sonoma Developmental Center (SDC) Specific Plan and Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR). It goes without saying that the SDC is a hot topic in the First District, as evidenced by the number of community members who participated in the marathon Board meeting both in person and online. To the Sonoma Valley community: thank you for showing up and sharing your perspective, not just on December 16th but at countless meetings over the years.
So first, a brief rundown of some highlights of what was approved at the Board meeting:
- A base of 620 units of housing, with the expectation that density bonuses could see the total number of units at 750. The number/percentage of those units designated for affordable incomes will be determined once a development team is chosen by the state and works with the community on project for the site,
- 700 acres of open space protection,
- An enlarged wildlife corridor, including an expanded 100-foot setback on Sonoma Creek,
- Job creation potential of more than 900 living-wage jobs, and
- A walkable core with commercial, recreational, and civic uses for residents, employees, and the greater Sonoma Valley.
The Board decision came as we closely approached a December 31st deadline from the State of California to approve the Specific Plan and Final EIR. While I would have been more satisfied with a smaller number of base units, I agreed to work through this compromise with my board colleagues toward the end result of 620. I thank them for their diligence in diving into the details large and small, and for listening to the voices of the Sonoma Valley and their concerns over wildfire evacuation, maintaining the wildlife corridor, and addressing housing affordability in the Valley. While we may not agree on everything, I am hopeful that the plan we approved will allow for the creation of a vibrant addition to the region for all residents – workers, families, retirees, and anyone lucky enough to call this Valley home.
|
|
In parallel to the county’s specific planning process, the state’s Department of General Services (DGS) has been reviewing proposals submitted by development teams interested in purchasing this site after issuing a request for proposals in the summer of 2022. These parallel state and local processes have caused some confusion in the public and, now that the SDC Specific Plan and Final EIR have been approved by the Board of Supervisors, you may be wondering, what’s next? While I have not been informed of an exact date, my expectation is that DGS will choose a developer this coming spring or early summer.
Another related item that was raised at the Board of Supervisors meeting is the topic of a Community Benefits Agreement for the redevelopment of the SDC. A Community Benefits Agreement with the developer can include any number of agreed upon benefits, amenities, and/or mitigations, under common themes such as labor, parks and recreation, parking and traffic, and many more. They also work to build trust and partnership between a developer and the surrounding community. I expect the conversation around a Community Benefits Agreement to begin when the developer is selected, and will be a great way for the community to continue to participate in shaping what they’d like to see at SDC, codified by a Developer Agreement defining details of the project and timeline and process for construction.
Relatedly, while it will take some time for the state to select a developer, and then even longer before anything is built on the campus, I hope we still approach the conversation from a positive, aspirational angle. The SDC campus is an invaluable asset to our community, and will continue to be so as it takes a new form: a site of much needed affordable housing, protected open space, a potential climate research hub… and what else would you like to see?
Thank you once again to our community for their participation throughout the process. I know that not everyone is satisfied with the result – I count myself, in some ways, among you – but I am proud of the balance our board and Permit Sonoma staff were able to strike, and look forward to the next steps in the journey as we enter the next phase.
|
|
Bennett Valley PG&E Town Hall - PG&E is hosting an in-person town hall on Tuesday, January 24 from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m., to provide information about their continued efforts to improve safety and reliability for our customers in the Bennett Valley community. I hope you will join for the conversation.
During the town hall PG&E will be discussing the outages customers have experienced, steps they are taking to improve safety and reliability in your community and resources available for their customers.
Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions and share their feedback with Ron Richardson, Vice President of the North Coast Region, the local team and experts.
Tuesday, January 24
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Bennett Valley Grange
4145 Grange Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95404
Seating is limited, please RSVP at the link below.
|
|
Mark West Creek Regional Park and Open Space Preserve - Take the Survey! Mark West Creek Regional Park and Open Space Preserve is a future Sonoma County Regional Park located 12 miles north of downtown Santa Rosa, located at 3000 Porter Creek Road. Take the Survey to share your input to help guide this park’s master plan. A master plan is the document that guides the development of trails, recreational and educational uses, and stewardship of the natural resources. Follow the links below to take the survey.
|
|
Sonoma Water Video - Russian River Pipeline Crossing Upgrade |
|
Energy & Resilience Workshop Series Expand to Include In-person Events - The County of Sonoma, Climate Action and Resiliency Division is pleased to announce the latest homeowner workshops in an on-going series for those interested in learning more about the benefits of making improvements that will help make your home more energy efficient and resilient.
The online workshops cover a range of topics including evaluating energy use, making a project plan, funding your projects, solar photovoltaics and battery storage, heat pumps for HVAC and water heating. In addition to the online series, two in-person workshops have been added. Presentations will include information about saving energy at home with DIY projects to making bigger improvements to increase your home’s efficiency. Attendees will also learn the latest updates on the current and upcoming rebates along with information about the County’s property-based financing program and other resources such as no-cost consultations.
To register, please click on the workshops below that you would like to attend. All registered attendees will receive copies of the presentation and slides upon conclusion of the workshop.
Online workshops are held on Wednesdays 11:30am – 12:30pm
When: 2/18, 11:00am – 12:00pm
Where: Santa Rosa Central Library, 211 E Street, Santa Rosa
What uses the most energy in your home? What repairs or upgrades around the house will make the biggest impact on your energy bills? What DIY projects can you tackle yourself? Why all the buzz about going all-electric? We dig into all of that and more during our free Home Energy Workshop brought to you by the County of Sonoma’s Climate Action and Resiliency Division.
|
|
Opening Soon: 2023 Arts & Cultural Equity Fellowship Grants - Creative Sonoma is pleased to announce the second year of this grant program! Up to six emerging to mid-career Sonoma County creative artists and leaders – who work within or on behalf of communities of color – will be provided grant funds and training to increase the impact of their work. Visit the link below for more details and the important dates leading up to the March 6, 2023 deadline.
|
|
Springs MAC - Join the Springs Municipal Advisory Council on the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm.
Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 8th at 6:30pm.
|
|
North Sonoma Valley MAC - Join the NSV MAC on the third Wednesday of each month at 5:30pm.
Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 15th at 5:30pm.
|
|
Sonoma Valley Citizen's Advisory Committee - The Sonoma Valley Citizens Advisory Commission advises on local planning projects in the Sonoma Valley, and hears informational items on other areas of interest. Join the SVCAC on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm.
Next Meeting: Wednesday, January 25th at 6:30pm.
|
|
Susan Gorin, 1st District Supervisor
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
