Dear Mountain Lovers,

Community consensus is that the three Sonoma Developmental Center “alternatives” released on 11.1.21 are unacceptable for numerous reasons. 

• They do not protect the natural systems—creek setbacks, wildlife corridor, dark sky requirements—or address the impact of traffic and people on those systems. This is SMP’s #1 priority.

• They ignore community input from the past eight years, and fail to address climate, sustainability, and wildfire threats. 

• They propose huge new development (density 3 to 4 times more than the adjacent neighborhoods, with more houses than Temelec, Chanterelle, and 7 Flags combined) in the midst of an existing wildlife corridor and rural area.

• The analyses are purely economic, not taking into account sustainability or our low-income housing crisis (only 25% of proposed housing is low income). Instead, all three include a hotel - a carrot for developers.

• The housing proposed does not provide for our local workforce, seniors, or special needs, all requested by the community many times. 

• Even the economic assumptions are questionable: rebuilding after the fires sent construction costs to $800 per square foot and above, yet all three alternatives use $350/SF average for new construction and $565/SF for “reuse” construction.

Our next step as a community is proposing a 4th alternative, a 4th way. SMP, the Glen Ellen Forum, Sonoma Land Trust, Sonoma Ecology Center, North Sonoma Valley Municipal Advisory Council, and all the groups working on private proposals are working non-stop on this 4th way. We strongly urge you to provide input and get involved:

• Send specific ideas to all the Supervisors: https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/Board-of-Supervisors/Supervisorial-Districts/

• Register for 11.13, 11.16, or 11.17 presentations. Ask your questions, state what you want to see (even if it's for the umpteenth time!): https://www.sdcspecificplan.com/meetings

For Background: 

• Download and read alternatives report (pp 22-54 for three-alternatives diagrams)

• “The Fate of SDC” Sonoma Radio series on Fridays from 4 to 5 PM. KSVY 91.3 FM, KSVY.org, or the Free Smart Phone App.

• Glen Ellen Forum community discussions of SDC on Youtube from November 1st (SDC segment starts at about 39 minutes in) and November 8th

• Learn more about additional, private proposals: www.eldridgeforall.org 

• Sonoma Land Trust statement

 

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