SHARE:  
Leer en español
Dear Susan, 

I hope you are staying dry amidst another drizzly week! I am feeling thankful that, despite all the rain, we have had enough space between storms to avoid significant flooding this winter. Additionally, I’m grateful that various cities opened warming shelters, including the City of Sonoma, for our unhoused neighbors this past very cold weekend. Here's hoping we get some sunshine soon! Please continue reading for March announcements, upcoming events, and community news.

District 1 COUNTY Housing Update

Saturday March 9, 2024, 10:00 A.M. – 11:30 A.M.

Flowery Elementary School Multi-purpose room


Permit Sonoma and Supervisor Gorin’s Office are partnering to present an informational meeting on a variety of important housing topics described below, including brief status updates on major Sonoma Valley housing projects currently in process. Online resources for each topic are hyperlinked in the text below.


What is the Housing Element and why is it important? The Housing Element is one of the seven mandated elements of the County-wide General Plan that must be updated regularly. A housing element is required by State law (“Housing Element law”) to establish policies and programs that will support the provision of an adequate housing supply for all income levels. The Housing Element was recently updated and adopted by the Board of Supervisors in August 2023. A summary of the updated Housing Element will be discussed.


Permit Sonoma Policy Initiatives - Permit Sonoma will provide background and updates on three major policy initiatives that affect the Sonoma Valley:

  • The General Plan is a master policy document that prioritizes, organizes, and directs patterns of land use within the unincorporated county. A comprehensive update of the General Plan is beginning this year.
  • The County is updating the General Plan 2020 Safety Element and creating a new Environmental Justice Element to incorporate the latest requirements and information about environmental hazards in the county and identify and prioritize communities that are vulnerable to pollution and other environmental burdens.
  • The Springs Specific Plan development is ongoing. The plan is a long-term comprehensive planning and zoning document with standards that are tailored to regulating land use in the Highway 12 corridor. This plan re-imagines the corridor as a diverse public space with a community plaza and safety improvements for walking and biking.


State Housing Law - California legislators are responding to the state’s housing crisis through updates to housing laws. New regulations give housing developers incentives and consistency to get through the development process successfully. The following regulations and how they affect the County’s permit process will be discussed:

  • Senate Bill 330
  • Housing Accountability Act
  • Builder’s Remedy

Sonoma County Juvenile Hall opens new music studio - Sonoma County’s Juvenile Hall has opened a new music recording studio with the goal of promoting self-expression, positivity and wellness among youth detained at the facility with the assistance of local music professionals.

 

The studio includes industry-standard microphones and recording software as well as three acoustic/electric guitars, one electric guitar, several keyboards, one electric bass and an electronic drum set. Future plans include wind and brass instruments. Continue reading at the link below.

Press Release

Community Spaces Matching Grant Program - On March 5th, The Ag + Open Space Board of Directors approved the re-envisioned Matching Grant Program, a two-year pilot including an updated application process and resources set to go live on March 25th. Now known as the Community Spaces Matching Grant Program, applications during this two-year pilot phase will be accepted on a rolling basis, shifting from the previous model of only accepting applications every two years. Additional updates include technical assistance for applicants, and revised scoring and evaluation, to increase equity, access, and transparency. The Board also increased the funding for the program from $2 million to $3 million per year.

 

The Community Spaces Matching Grant Program centers community in open space by working with local non-profit organizations and public agencies to meet the open space needs within Sonoma County’s cities, towns, and unincorporated communities. Generally located in areas lacking open space, the program has funded projects in all nine of the County’s incorporated cities and numerous unincorporated residential areas. The program has protected over 500 acres of urban open space – including the creation and expansion of 41 parks, trails, greenways and more – and that amount of acreage will more than double when all 24 current projects are complete. 


Continue reading to learn more at the links below.

Press Release
Community Spaces Matching Grant Program

Vegetation Management Grant Program - Sonoma County is now accepting applications for $1 million in grants to fund projects that protect residents from wildfires by creating fuel breaks, expanding defensible space around homes, and removing vegetation along evacuation routes in fire-prone landscapes. 


The Vegetation Management Grant program, now in its fourth year, was created by the Board of Supervisors to reduce the threat of wildfires by partnering with community organizations, fire districts and resource managers to accomplish landscape-level fuel reduction efforts across Sonoma County. 


All grant applications must be submitted by 3 p.m. on March 28 to Sonoma County Ag + Open Space, which manages the program. Learn more at the link below.

Vegetation Management Grant Program

Springs MAC - Join the Springs Municipal Advisory Council on the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm.


Next Meeting: Wednesday, March 13th at 6:30pm.

Springs MAC

North Sonoma Valley MAC - Join the NSV MAC on the third Tuesday of each month at 5:30pm.


Next Meeting: Tuesday, March 19th at 5:30pm.

NSV MAC

Sonoma Valley Community Advisory Committee - The Sonoma Valley Community 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, March 27th at 6:30pm.

SVCAC Website




Susan Gorin, 1st District Supervisor
Stay Connected
Facebook