Page 4 - Sonoma County Gazette 3-19

4 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 3/19
LETTERS cont’d on page 5
Time to Act
not. But even that needs to address the traffic on Airport during rush hours BEFORE units are added. And more to the point, Santa Rosa and
There’s also 40 years of solid documentation to back up the
urban open space idea and I’ve
been creating fact sheets based on some of that information as well
as a couple of short bibliographies about a variety of related subjects including the psychological, physical health benefits; amazing data on how regular exposure to nature including unstructured play in nature really makes a huge difference in child development in terms of cognition, social skills, concentration and physical health, concentration and observational skills. It’s basically the kind of play many of us grew up with, but so many of today’s don’t get to experience. Of course, author Richard Louv’s books, including his Last Child in the Woods, beautifully summarizes much of the above research.
Housing & Homelessness – they’re always an issue and getting worse. Education and Emergency Services are also concerning. The world
its environs are desirable due to the rural/recreational surroundings. If that is spoiled or traffic makes it such a nuisance to even get to or around in, I don’t call that planning. I call that handing over the future and quality of life to the pockets of developers who will be long gone to solve the problems of the mess they’ve created. The County must restrain themselves in permitting these wholesale changes to the area. And nothing I’ve seen proposed is anywhere near the definition of “affordable.”
is changing – is Sonoma County keeping up?
Next July the State Courts empanel a new Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury for a full fiscal year investigating these sorts of issues and some of the Jury’s own ideas.
I also need to thank you for the Gazette’s yearly “Spring Gardener’s Guide”. It really is a fine resource and I was amazed to receive an e-mail from Marsha Dupres this evening noting I was even quoted in it. I’m always amazed to find myself quoted! I will admit I’ve not yet picked up my copy so have to do so. In fact, I should probably subscribe, it would be easier.
You, a Sonoma County citizen, can participate along with 18 peers, on an adventure in County government. Be one of those who choose to volunteer; be a part-time member of local government for a year.
Michael Fargo
I don’t know if I properly thanked you for connecting me with Duane DeWitt before the holidays. I’ve
met with several people from the NeighborWood group and learned a great deal about the history of their work to get the City of Santa Rosa
Apply now thru March 31 for
the 2019-20 Grand Jury.
NeighborWood
Thanks for your continued fine work on maintaining a wonderful local resource. I always look forward to reading the Gazette because it is about Sonoma County and all the interesting towns and areas. So many of us appreciate your ‘labor of love’.
Download application:
sonoma.courts.ca.gov/info/ administration/grand-jury
Questions? See Facebook Sonoma County Civil Grand Jury or e-mail: TuesdayPeter@SBCglobal.net
Warm regards,
Virginia Hotz-Steenhoven, Santa Rosa (Roseland)
Peter Andrews
President, Sonoma County Grand
Jury Association
to purchase the land. They have established an impressive foundation and I and others new to the project are incredibly impressed with their can -do attitude and persistence.
Housing: How Much &
Where?
Is “planning” simply setting
the number of units for building? Given the significant traffic issues,
in Larkfield-Wikiup for instance, adding units without addressing the already glutted main arteries cannot be justified as addressing a “housing crisis,” since people will not be able
to get either to or from their residence for work or school. Another reminder: Half of Larkfield-Wikiup burned. We’re still addressing the clean-up/ rebuilding effort. To start new housing in the middle of the traffic/rebuilding problems I’d call the definition of “poor planning.” Moving the focus from an already congested area East of Hwy 101 to the large open swaths West of 101 and away from the burned area, near the SMART train station makes more sense whether
its designated as “commercial” or
Weather or Not
Those contacts have allowed me to begin researching the conservation easements, the preliminary concept plans and what incredible potential this site has for a truly publicly accessible urban open space. It is
As a former newspaper editor I was struck by a couple of things while waiting with your paper for breakfast at Adele’s in Santa Rosa
a wonderful concept and would
truly benefit all the residents of Roseland, The land has so much potential for educational use as well as providing an easily accessible,
free place for people to experience the healing benefits of a natural
area. I’m suggesting to Parks and
Rec they further develop SouthWest Community Park which has land that has not yet been completely developed and use those areas for more turfed sports fields and sports courts. It has much more parking and is a bus hub and already has turf and courts. It’s less than a mile from the Roseland Creek site.
First, the story Kimmy. In New York was as well written as anything I’ve read anywhere in a while. Mo McElroy is a gifted writer. I look forward to more submissions from her. She is very talented.
On the other hand I kept running into one of my pet peeves. I used to plead with local columnists not to begin their columns with the weather. Without naming names here are a few column ledes from the February edition of the Gazette. 1 “As I write this the skies have cleared...” 2. “Yes
I feel spring coming.” 3. It’s been a soggy January.” 4. “Though today feels more like spring... 5. “Spring is right around the corner.” 6. February when early spring arrives.” And on and on.