The Healdsburg City Council will hold a public hearing at 7:00 PM on Wednesday April 16 to receive public comments on the Saggio Hills Final EIR. The Council is not expected to take action on the EIR at this time.

City staff have published two documents. The first includes responses to comments received on the Saggio Hills Final EIR following its preparation. The second includes corrections and revisions to the Saggio Hills Draft EIR and Final EIR.

In this post, Richard Burg expresses his opinion about the project. His opinions are his own, and posting it here does not imply endorsement. In the spirit of an open exchange of views, I welcome posts expressing a different perspective. I reserve the right to edit submitted posts for clarity and length. -- Tom Negrino]

By Richard Burg

There is enormous momentum for development on this parcel. One reason I believe a healthier alternative is to increase downtown density, is that doing SH now, will contribute to the evolution of Healdsburg Avenue from March Avenue out to the City line. There will be subtle economic pressure to develop commercial activity along there, robbing the downtown of transactions! It wouldn’t happen overnight, but it will be a contributing factor to “sprawl.” 

The truth is, the City is under no obligation to annex this land. It might be embarrassing for city staff face the developer; yes, the city might never again get such a high end proposal; and yes, Healdsburg Avenue might turn into Santa Rosa Avenue anyway. I am not convinced our City has managed long term planning in the most progressive manner. Healdsburg has been very lucky! The combination of wine, food, and good marketing. And, to give them some credit, the City hasn’t killed the golden goose either! Yet. Saggio Hills might be the first new restaurant location since the hookup fees were increased to pay for the new water treatment plant.

Saggio Hills appears to be an appealing project from many perspectives – size, siting, design, potential revenue, gifts to the city. 

But I don’t think it will be good for Healdsburg. If you visit high end destination resorts next to or in small cities, they suffer the ebb and flow of transients; they transform in response to the particular economics of tourism. Half Moon Bay has  a Ritz Carleton and an ocean; Aspen has skiing; Jackson Hole, WY, has the Tetons, Yellowstone, and snow; Carmel has the ocean. We have wine. (And maybe gambling!) Imagining what  the 500 visitors to a conference up there will do or buy in downtown isn’t a compelling vision for a sustainable city with the values and qualities that are so appealing now.

It would generate significant TOT revenue. If half the 70 residences are available for transient occupancy, with 3 or 4 bedrooms each, plus the 130 ”keys” in the resort (each of which will have a minimum of 2 beds), Saggio Hills will, at a minimum, double the number of beds available for visitors. We’ll need to make reservations at our favorite restaurant a year in advance! So scale is an issue. 

Perhaps it is idealistic and naive to think Healdsburg could be a model city that can plan to survive no grapes, less water, no fuel – with more local industry (small), more locally produced food, more walkable neighborhoods that provide living and working opportunities. If we don’t make a case for it today, we will become more dependent on wine and tourists – both risky in most of the 10-20 year projections for carbon fuels, agriculture, and climate.

The approval process is highly technical, with certain comments being allowed to be considered only at certain stages; it is difficult for the average citizen to know when the right time is to be heard. The commissioners gave a great deal of leeway in allowing comments that would have better been delivered at an earlier stage of the project.

Next Tuesday, 12/4, a Special Meeting will be held to continue discussions about the Tentative Map. Following that, a Public Hearing will be held on 12/11 regarding the Development Agreement. This is where we will get a complete picture of what Healdsburg will receive for allowing this valuable, pristine property to be annexed for the Saggio Hills development. Then, the City Council will decide, once advised by the Planning Commission, on the various entitlements that will allow the project to go forward.

Fasten your seat belts.

Looks like the development agreement has not yet been released, so that part of the project won’t be discussed at this meeting, as previously announced.

Instead, the commission will be discussing the Area Plan and the Tentative Map. The Planning Commission’s agenda is kind of hard to find on the City’s Website, so here’s a direct link (PDF). But you might not want to bother; there’s not much on that agenda of interest, besides the Saggio Hills item. Note that the time for public comments is before the part of the agenda where the project will be discussed. We’ll be there; stop by and say hello.

Last weekend I hiked the property with both my wife and dog, just before the sun set.  There weren’t any “no trespassing” signs posted so I figured it was OK.  To say this is a beautiful place with breathtaking views shows only how inadequate my words are to describe it.

Surveyor’s flags mark where buildings and roads and visitors will replace the rocks and trees that have been left undisturbed for decades, or maybe longer.  I realized that this would be, most likely, the last autumn that it would look like this.

Unless something happens to change the city’s plans, Saggio Hills, as we know it today, will be but next year’s memory.  Take a walk up Passalacqua Road some evening…and enjoy what we now have…while we still have it.

Although the development agreement has not yet been released, the Healdsburg Planning Commission will review some of the other parts of the Saggio Hills plan at 7:00 p.m. next Tuesday, 11/27, at Healdsburg City Hall.

What it means:
This was a major step in moving the plan forward. Once the Planning Commission approves the remaining parts of the plan, it will be sent to the City Council who will hold public hearings. They will then either approve or reject the development. Construction is planned to start next spring and is expected to last at least two years.

What’s at stake:
Saggio Hills is the last large property (258.5 acres) with development potential remaining in Healdsburg. When this project is completed, it will include a 130-unit resort hotel in bungalow style buildings, restaurants, a convention center, spa, several swimming pools, gift shop, outdoor wedding pavilion, and other buildings. There will also be 70 upscale “resort residences” (ranging from 5,500 to 12,000 square feet) which are expected to be used as vacation homes by wealthy individuals.Saggio Hills is expected to become a major revenue source for the City of Healdsburg through taxes and fees, as well a boost for the overall economy through tourism. A recent newspaper article put the contribution at approximately $70 million. These funds are badly needed to provide Healdsburg with government services, including fire and police.The development company has created an exhaustively detailed plan (see link in previous post) designed to minimize the impact of Saggio Hills on the environment. In addition, they will provide public trails, as well as land and funds for “affordable” housing area (planned at 150 units), a park (with lighted soccer fields), and a fire substation.

Why be concerned?
This project, if adopted, will have a large and permanent impact on everyone who lives in Healdsburg. The Planning Commission essentially said that the developer had “mitigated” (the most popular word of the evening) all of the negative impacts, with the exception of three categories of problems which cannot be completely mitigated. Those unmitigated impacts, in their view, do not rise to the level that should limit the “economic engine that will benefit the community.” The official term for this is a “finding of overriding consideration.”

What are the Unmitigated Impacts?
Basically, they fall into three categories: aesthetics (including light pollution and sky glow), transportation (increased delays at the Dry Creek/101 interchange), and “cumulative” (impaired air quality during construction). Read the EIR report for the detailed information.

What other issues are there?
Lots. Parkland Farms will see increased traffic as well as the light pollution. Some residents fear that this development at will pull businesses northward, changing the Plaza-centric character of Healdsburg. Some feel that there should be no development at all in this area, others think the proposed footprint is too large and disruptive. Others believe this is an important opportunity in the growth of Healdsburg, and that this developer is doing a good job in creating a project that our town can be proud of.

What should you do now?
Get informed. Learn the facts. Talk to your neighbors. Read the planning documents. Let your officials know your opinion.Last night, the Planning Commission meeting began an hour earlier than the usual time, which meant that many people (including me) arrived after the time for public comments was closed. However, there will be several opportunities in the near future for Healdsburg citizens to make their desires known to both our elected and appointed officials.Please let our town know what you think…by making comments to this post and participating in this blog.

The City of Healdburg’s Planning Commission meets Tuesday, November 6, 2007 at 7 PM 6 PM in City Hall. This is a Public Hearing on the Saggio Hills project. Hope to see you there!

Link to Saggio Hills Final EIR (warning: 10.4 MB PDF file!) We’ll be posting a report on this meeting here, and your comments are very welcome.

(Photo of part of the Saggio Hills project area by David Morgenstern)