Thoughts about Sebastopol's Northeast quadrant Plan

[Carol Mitchel]

Seeing how global warming is really due to our prodigious over-consumption, adding 180,000sq feet more of retail space in the northeast part of Sebastopol, seems like a poor way to address the problem. It seems like it would be better for Sebastopol to be a true leader in this area and start exploring ways to stop chasing our retail tails and get off the "we need more and more retail" hamster wheel. Building a huge development like this that also includes 87,000sq ft of office space, 300 housing units(80% at market rate), 100,000sq ft new city building definitely needs a community impact study. It is expected to generate 8000 more car trips through town. Already the neighborhoods get lots of frustrated commuters speeding through to avoid the clogged up town. What will it be like after this comes to fruition? What about all the pollution we residents will have to breath from all of those idling cars and trucks?

Given that all of this area is in the flood zone, it is required to build up on podiums with parking underneath or with a lot of compacted fill that they are proposing to dredge from the Laguna de Santa Rosa. A lot of this area requires 10ft of fill. I am convinced that construction in this area will also require lots of pile-driving because it is in an earthquake liquefaction zone. Even with this kind of building, there are doubts about the earthquake safety, especially if we have a Kobe, Japan type quake (where all three nearby quakes could slip at once as recently suggested in a new study by the USGS). Sebastopol has ignored this risk calling it less than significant impact in the EIR.

In any case this is bound to be a very expensive way to build. I think that the only businesses that will be able to locate in this new area will be chain stores. In fact, what their retail study suggested for this area was an outlet mall of chain stores. The unique local businesses we have now, will be priced out. There are a lot of things we could do to improve things for our existing businesses. Increasing the access with more and better parking would be a start. This would generate more revenue without so much expense. It is seductive to just throw out the old and build something new, instead of improving what we have. What do you think is the greener option?

The city has their eyes on all the new retail tax they will get but there aren't any free lunches here. It requires $5,000,000+ for infrastructure from the city. What about maintenance afterwards? This will all require more policing and services from the city. After a flood, who is on the hook for the cleanup in the understructure parking lots? Even a moderate earthquake could rupture the sewage and water pipes that will be now 16ft underground (once they add the 10ft of fill).

There are those think that adding all of this to our town will somehow be a talisman against sprawl in the county. We don't own that land and we have no control over what happens to it. I think the vineyards are more likely spaceholders for subdivisions. What else will make you so much money? Unless we are willing to spend as much on a tomato as on a high end bottle of wine, these lands aren't likely to go back to some benign form of agriculture. However, if all of the people who think this, are willing to deed their property over to some sort of agricultural preserve and move into high density housing, that might have an impact. You can build Sebastopol as dense as you want and it is still going to fill in all around us.

There is also a big concern about the amount of groundwater we have for all of this extra development. The city has refused to have the ground water mapped to make sure how much is there. They have confused the ability to pump out more with actual availability over time. Two patient, retired geologists from the USGS have repeatedly warned them of the dangers of this. Yet they steadfastly ignore them.

I want Sebastopol to retain its character and not become another generic town. I think we have the creativity to do it if we only try instead of copy-catting all of our neighbors.--------Carol Mitchel

[Helen Shane]

Important Notice

Last night at the Sebastopol City Council meeting a huge step was taken toward a sustainable alternative of the proposed Northeast Area Plan.

At the City Council meeting, in a packed house, the Council approved Council Member Linda Kelly’s request to agendize Sebastopol Preservation Coalition's request for a study session or separate agenda item to publicly discuss the proposed changes to the General Plan that would affect the rest of the community.

Also agendized is the issue of whether or not to pursue the hearing process on the Draft EIR and the Northeast Area Plan.

Come to the SPC meeting
on February 13 at Palm Drive Hospital
at 7:00 p.m. to learn more.


Then attend the Council Meeting on February 19
probably at the Sebastopol Community Center starting at 7:00 pm.

Join our email distribution list to stay informed. All information is confidential.

[email protected] or [email protected] or call Clare at 823-1405

[Zeno Swijtink]

Seeing how global warming is really due to our prodigious over-consumption, adding 180,000sq feet more of retail space in the northeast part of Sebastopol, seems like a poor way to address the problem. (...) I want Sebastopol to retain its character and not become another generic town. I think we have the creativity to do it if we only try instead of copy-catting all of our neighbors.--------Carol Mitchel

Presently the greater Sebastopol area is a bunch of well-off people who regularly drive their Priuses to Santa Rosa when they need a big ticket item.

How can we creatively deal with that climate warming, city-coffers depleting behavior?