Healdsburgers

[A somewhat longer version of this message was sent to me for posting on Healdsburgers. It’s my intention that Healdsburgers become a blog celebrating many aspects of Healdsburg community life. That said, I don’t want this to become a single-issue blog, and certainly not one expressing only one point of view regarding the Saggio Hills project.

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.

During the meeting on Monday, 11/27, the Healdsburg Planning Commissioners approved the Area Plan for Saggio Hills, which incorporated their staff’s comments. During the time set aside for public comments, about a dozen people spoke with concerns about water, schools, agriculture, fire risk, sightlines and the visibility of some of the proposed new homes, wetlands and wildlife, visual and sound impact on Parkland Farms residents, and the number of people who will be using the proposed convention facility. I was impressed by the thoughtfulness and reasonableness of the public comments. Planning and Building Director Rick Tooker addressed many of the concerns, also in a thoughtful and reasonable way.

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.

One of the bits of news from last night’s Planning Commission meeting (we hope to have a recap post up soon) was that the Draft Development Agreement between the City and Sonoma Luxury Resort LLC (the developer) has now been posted, all 120 pages of it, on the city’s Web site. Like so many other things on that site, it’s a bit hard to find, so here’s a direct link (warning: 5.6 MB PDF file).

The next chapter in the story of the Saggio Hills development will be written at the Planning Commission meeting Tuesday, November 27, at 7 PM at Healdsburg City Hall.

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.

Went downtown and picked up a round of the Downtown Bakery’s excellent pull-apart dinner rolls for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving dinner, as well as one of their terrific cheesecakes for dessert (yes, I know it’s not a traditional Turkey Day dessert, but it’s just so good).

Happy Thanksgiving to all, from the folks here at Healdsburgers.

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.