The Sonoma Group Executive Committee delivered a letter to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors in advance of the BOS' Dec. 16 meeting to consider a proposed development of the Sonoma Developmental Center near Glen Ellen.
The proposed transformation of the historic Sonoma Development Center campus is seen as one of the most ambitious and large-scale redevelopments of public property in Sonoma County history.
Sonoma Group leaders outlined several points of consideration about the proposal, which would add up to 1,000 housing units, to point out water shortage, fire danger, increased density in a rural area and increased vehicle pollution due to more traffic and lack of infrastructure to support that traffic.
They urged the supervisors not to adopt the current proposal and laid out the following to consider as alternatives:
1. Significantly scale back the size and scope of the proposed Sonoma Developmental Center Specific Plan to fewer than 450 residential units by adopting the Historic Preservation Alternative, removing the hotel, and reducing or eliminating the commercial elements – while requiring phasing of the development.
2. Incorporate specific timelines and actions into the Specific Plan and FEIR to provide for the immediate and permanent protection of the 745 acres of open space and transfer to county open space district and state and regional parks.
3. Revise the Final Environmental Impact Report to include adequate identification, analysis and mitigation of environmental impacts to meet the California Environmental Quality Act – as it is currently inadequate to meet CEQA on multiple issues including wildfire evacuation, biological resources, and climate change (VMTs and GHGs).
4. Require project specific EIRs for all major development projects at SDC, including any proposed new hotel or connector road.
5. Delay action on the associated General Plan Amendment and Zoning changes until 1 through 4 are completed.
6. Commit to developing a Community Benefits Agreement governing any significant commercial development of the SDC historic campus in the Specific Plan.
7. Commit to supporting and helping implement a Special (Community Benefits) District to ensure that the entire SDC lands remain in public hands to fulfill the mandate of Gov’t Code §14670.10.5.