Deny Use Permit to Ratna Ling/Dharma Publishing
Industry belongs in town - not in rural Sonoma

This is a Sonoma County, CA Board of Zoning Adjustment Issue

Coastal Hills Rural Preservation (CHRP) is a group of citizens concerned with preserving the integrity of rural Sonoma County, CA and protecting its resources from inappropriate land use. We invite you to join us in addressing a land use issue in our community that can have broader, long term impacts on rural Sonoma County in general.

THE ISSUE is inappropriate land use. A Resource and Rural Development Zone (RRD) is designated in the Sonoma County General Plan for timber production, ranching, agriculture, recreation, low density housing and the production, processing and protection of local resources.


In 2004, in an RRD zone, a use permit was approved, for Ratna Ling Retreat Center as the primary land use and Dharma Publishing's printing facility, at 18,750 sq. ft., as an ancillary (accessory) land use. A printing press was allowed because some members of the Ratna Ling community make religious books as a spiritual practice.


In 2007, Dharma Publishing moved its entire printing operation from Berkeley to Ratna Ling Retreat Center in the rural Sonoma Coastal Hills near Timber Cove. The printing facility was expanded to 21,000 sq. ft. In 2008, the printing operation was allowed to add 39,000 sq. ft. of additional book storage structures through a "temporary" zoning permit, without a public hearing. The book printing, storage and distribution facility now totals 60,000 sq. ft.


In 2011 Ratna Ling Retreat Center and Dharma Publishing applied for a new Use Permit to make their "temporary" zoning permit permanent. The new use permit would make the "temporary" book storage structures permanent, remove limits on book production, triple press workers to 97 (from 27), double supply round trip truck trips to 365 (from 182), almost double residents to 122 (from 67), double worker housing and add the manufacture of non-text sacred objects.


Contrary to the purposes of an RRD Zone, the printing operation trucks in all supplies and trucks out all finished products via a 200 mile round trip to the East Bay (Oakland, CA).
This is an issue of concern for all people who live in or love Sonoma County.


WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT: If approved, the use permit could set a precedent, now and into the foreseeable future, allowing within RRD zones, new uses unrelated to the true purposes of an RRD zone. Once a new use is established, succeeding owners inherit the right to continue that use. For example, if Ratna Ling Retreat Center is sold, a new owner can run a lodge but not a separate printing operation. But, a new owner can use the vacated press building as an accessory structure for a variety of permitted uses.


Coastal Hills Rural Preservation does not oppose Ratna Ling Retreat Center as a place for meditation, reflection, contemplation and healing. We oppose industry in rural areas.


Coastal Hills Rural Preservation applauds Dharma Publishing efforts to make sacred books available to Tibetan refugees. They successfully carried out this mission in an industrial area of Berkeley for 30 years. With approval of their 2004 Use Permit, Ratna Ling Retreat Center and Dharma Publishing got everything they asked for; 27 resident members of the Ratna Ling community can make books full time, as many as 100,000 books a year to ship to Tibetan refugees. Retreatants (guests) can volunteer in book making during their stay. It is clear by their actions that Dharma Publishing has not been willing to abide by the very limits they established and the County accepted as an ancillary use.


PLEASE HELP:


1. SIGN OUR PETITION: Go to Change.org and search for "Coastal Hills Rural Preservation." You will find a lot more detailed background information there.


PLEASE sign our Petition, especially if you are a resident, land owner or voter anywhere in Sonoma County. If approved, this use permit could set a precedent for new uses in RRD zones in your neighborhood. Please let us know the city/town where you live. We need to persuade 3 out of 5 commissioners or supervisors from other districts to vote in our favor. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to sign. Thank you for your support.


2. SHARE THIS PETITION with your email and social media networks.


3. DONATE TO CHRP (Coastal Hills Rural Preservation): CHRP needs your financial help. Challenging the Sonoma County permitting process for Ratna Ling Retreat Center/Dharma Publishing has been a 3 year long, grassroots, complicated, daunting and expensive effort. We need a lawyer and experts to present our best case. You can make a tax-deductible online donation through our 501(c)3 sponsor the OWL Foundation. Click on this link , then choose CHRP, to donate using Paypal: https://owlfoundation.net/DONATION.htm

Thank you!


4. INFORM YOURSELF: For updates, more information and photos visit our blog:
https://sonomacoastalhillsruralprese....blogspot.com/