Dear Community

In 1986 I purchased my home in the country, near the town of Windsor. It was a home badly needing a whole face lift. From the foundation to the roof, she sagged, creaked and smelled terrible. Our home was built before the end of the civil war. It was a mess and I knew it would take a great deal of time and money to bring it back to the glory that it once bestowed. During the final escrow period I was informed by my Realtor Sandy Gary, that the property next to my home had been rezoned to light industrial. I was shocked and deeply disappointed because I had asked Sandy on several occasions if the property next to my NEW home would be changing its zoning, she reassured it would not. In my last conversation with Sandy, she told me "I have good news and bad news, the good news is you have a home, the bad news is the property next to you was just rezoned." During the same month when I took possession of my new property, a very large FOR SALE sign went up on that rezoned land. This beautiful piece of land is a major catch basin for the Mark West Creek when flooding occurs. It’s a stunning piece of property, with its private sandy beach and a creek that would take your breath away. It was flatter then a pancake with several old barns and homes that badly needed repairing. The property was a pasture for sheep and cows that would sometimes wander onto our property, not aware of the fence lines. It had vernal pools with enough undisturbed land for the wild habitat in the creek. In the years after my purchase I experienced four to five major flooding events next door on the unsold 20 acres. My house was built on a knoll and was protected from the flood waters as the farmers of long past had remarkably planned its future against possible flood waters. When flooding took place I watched many large trees that had uprooted floating by in the distance from my kitchen window, awed with the power of Mother Nature. We were safe, dry, and somewhat sound in my little house. In 1987 I became pregnant with my first and only child. During the pregnancy I hurried to renovate my home before the birth of my daughter Mariana, two weeks after her birth I became a single mother. My extended family that lived in San Francisco which included my mother and grandmother, while of modest means were eager to help complete my American Dream. I proceeded through my journey of continuing to work on our home and raising my daughter, it has been a sincere and painful struggle, but I would do it all over again, because I have a wonderful and beautiful daughter in and out. In 1986 while working for a very large retail outlet which I won't mention, but it starts with a letter S and ends in Asshole, I became disabled to the point that I wasn't able to work again. So I had a young child to care for and unfinished home, bills to pay, but God Willing somehow we survived. Thanks to the family and the income I made from renting out living space on my property. Soon before my daughter was to be enrolled in school, I decided to return, after almost twenty years, to school. I was never a good student and going to college for the first time was scary. In 2001 my mom's death provided me with the funds to pay off my mortgage, it was a bittersweet time losing my mom after my grandmother a year early. These two women who were also were single parents. They were hard working women that took care of their children with love and strict discipline. My mom used to tell me when I was sharing how difficult times were, "the second hundred years won't be as hard" what do you mean the next hundred years, what about now, suck it up and go forward.

In December of 2005 Jack Studebaker and Ron Fowler owners of Mesa Distribution, also known as Liquid Investments purchased the 20-acre parcel right next to our home. It was not until 2007 that I and my neighbors were notified of the plans for a 154,000 square foot building along with a repair shop of 5,000 square feet within a hundred feet of the creek banks. This project was stamped and approved by the Sonoma County Planning and Permit Department. We were given little notice along with a false notion as a committee we could have input in the final process of this development. Hearing after hearing all the neighbor's suggestions fell on deaf ears. Basically this massive project was forced down our throats despite pleas from my neighbors to move the building away from my home and away from the creek. There was never an occasion that we asked that this mammoth concrete slab not be built; we just wanted this huge Wal-Mart size facility to utilize the entire 20 acres and be moved away from the people and critters that utilized this environment. Both Mesa Distribution and the court had no respect for the neighbors regarding pollution, noise, traffic, and disturbing the riparian environment. Now this low lying land is twelve and fourteen feet above my land. I decided to fight Mesa and the county not only trying to protect the environment, but to keep flood waters away from my home. My attorney and neighbor in 2008 were told by the planner Steve Padavon that when my house floods I can sue Mesa Distribution. My attempts to force Mesa and the county for an EIR failed in the courts. Taking it to the San Francisco courts also failed, the facility was already built while in arbitration, it was up and running and my attempts to protect my home an environment was a pain in the ass for the courts. This is another case of deep pockets being able to hide the truth. When you're the 1% the world is yours and decisions are yours for the keeping, no matter who and what they destroy. All night long we are forced to hear loud trucks traveling along the side of their building. The driveway is parallel to our bedrooms so we constantly hear horns, backup alarms, and workers shouting orders trying to get their jobs done at any cost. Recently I received in the mail notice that Mesa wants to change their time of operations allowing them to work on Friday nights and Saturday. I will lose the opportunity to live one day of silence; Saturday is the only day that we can plan family events and breath clean air. Mesa will own the roads on that day, the only day my neighbors celebrate not hearing the sounds of the commuters traveling to work. The whole neighborhood relaxes on the weekend when the business park is closed. It's a day when men and women of steel run and cycle through our beautiful farmlands on Airport Blvd and Laughlin Rd. I'm sharing this story with you in an attempt to gain your support and a plea for help. Please would you write your Supervisor of Sonoma County and ask that Mesa Distribution not be allowed to extend their time of operations. There is Budweiser Distribution less than a half of mile from my home that doesn't work on Friday night or Saturday. Most of the businesses in the business park don't work on Saturday or Sunday. It could take away the business of small operators that supply beverages to party events. PLEASE HELP, I DON'T KNOW WHO TO ask anymore, I need the communities help. Would you please contact the Supervisors of Sonoma County that will hear our case on April 17, 2012 at 2:10 in the supervisor hearing room at, 575Administration Drive, Room 102A Santa Rosa, they will decide if Mesa Distribution could extend their days of operations to Friday nights and Saturday.Thank you for your support.

Beverly Schenck
Just Say No to,
Mesa Distribution Subsequent Mitigated Negative Declaration

The Supervisors e-mail are : PHONE NUMBER TO ALL SUPERVISORS

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