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.

Healdsburg is unusual in Sonoma County in that we have our own municipal electric utility, rather than being in thrall to the whims and tender mercies of PG&E. This is usually a good thing, because we have been insulated (no pun intended) from the vagaries of the overall electric market forces. For example, a few years ago when Enron engineered the fake electricity crisis and much of California suffered rolling blackouts, we rode it out with little effect. We occasionally have some electrical events that are unique to us, such as the scheduled blackouts last year when the City needed to upgrade our power substation.

The City Council will be holding a hearing in the Council Chambers at City Hall at 7PM on Monday, April 14 to discuss the intended rate increase, and discuss plans to phase in the increases over time. If you’re interested in how your bill will be going up (and who isn’t?), we’ll see you there.

In the meantime, we want to hear from you. Healdsburgers is about all of us, not just the few of us who have contributed so far. If you’re interested in posting on Healdsburgers, just drop me a line with your post, and I’ll put it up. Please be aware that I’m out of town this week on business, so I may not be able to give as timely a reply as I usually would.

As I said in a previous post, I’m not comfortable in making Healdsburgers an anti-Saggio Hills site; there are other sites for that (look at the right sidebar for one). I’d like this place to be one where both sides of an issue are aired.

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.