The only issue the Planning Commission will advise the Council on, however, is whether the DA conforms to the General Plan. The substantive elements of the DA will be the focus of the future Public Hearing before the CityCouncil.

However, several people, including me, will speak to some of the apparent weaknesses in the DA as it stands. If this project is approved, the City needs more than confidence, rather remedies and assurances, that the developer can meet his obligations (park, fire station, affordable housing, etc). Once he receives his entitlements, he can sell the parcels, go broke, slow down, speed up, or go looking for financing. It isn’t clear to this reader how well protected the city is in this contract. This might be because the DA is a formal document and I’m not an attorney.

I believe this project, potentially costing as much as a half billion dollars in capital, is a big deal for Healdsburg. And it is a seductive package. But the city is under no a priori obligation to approve it, e.g., apply for the annexation of the property into the City limits.

That is why I believe every question about this appealing but overwhelming large project is worth asking. And being sure the answers are reasonable, honest, guaranteed, and in the best interests of the City. It is true the developer appears to be giving us a lot. And it is also true the project itself seems to sit lightly on the land, in spite of its size. But there are still important questions to ask!