Page 35 - Sonoma County Gazette 6-20
P. 35

  Ruleless Roseland Restless?
2 IMPORTANT Roseland Land Development meetings to attend:
Santa Rosa Design Review Board: Thurs. June 4 at 4:30 pm. Santa Rosa Planning Commission: Thurs. June 11 at 4 pm.
It has been a beautiful spring this year with greenery bursting out all over in Roseland. The air has been as clean and crisp as ever in the last 30-40 years. With “Shelter in place” restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic being lifted, the crush of traffic is back onto Sebastopol Rd., as well as Hearn Ave., so air pollution is rising again in Roseland.
Local residents in the Burbank Ave. area are concerned about another “Burbank Ave. Subdivision” at 1400 Burbank Ave. It is to the south of Roseland Creek on the east side of Burbank Ave. It is a very big proposal for four parcels totaling 14.2 acres. A similar proposal for homes on Dutton Ave., near Hearn Ave., on 14.5 acres named Paseo Vista has three parks slated for onsite recreation but this proposal has none. Instead it is a proposal for a much denser project of 136 homes divided up into” 62 single-family units, 12 duets, and 64 multifamily units on one parcel.” Local neighbors to the project have appealed the prior approvals of the proposal. The project is up for discussion at an Appeal Hearing before the Santa Rosa Design Review Board.
During the two months of “Shelter in place” in Roseland it was a noticeably quieter time. Except for the drivers with exhaust amplification systems on cars and motorcycles “winding out” their engines at all hours of the night and day. Many young folks were restless while people of all ages were out walking dogs.
Cautious because of COVID-19 the City is conducting “virtual” public meetings with streaming video and telephone options. There will be NO PUBLIC ALLOWED at the meeting on Thurs. June 4, 2020 at 4:30 pm. Instead it has been written concerned citizens may comment online, BUT BEFORE THE MEETING at https://www.srcity.org/designreview.
The Taco trucks were doing a booming business without worrying about the “social distancing” guidelines the local governments were calling for in both Santa Rosa and Sonoma County. It has been 15 years ago since the city of Santa Rosa and Sonoma County officials tried to deal with the Taco trucks for fairness to existing businesses.
There were endless rule breakers who were selling all kinds of food and things in the area without licenses or permits. This was, and still is, a problem for local business people who obey the rules. Especially those who have buildings, the “bricks and mortar” type of businesses which have competitive disadvantages because they play by the rules.
Adam Ross is the City Planner, phone number 543-4706 and email at ARoss@srcity.org. Please call Mr. Ross or write to him to find out how to make your participation count. Plus you can try to participate during the meeting if you have computer and internet connections. Here are two links for this from the city. https://srcity.org/1323/Design-Review-Board
These disadvantages are growing because the officials, and the Santa Rosa police, appear to no longer be interested in enforcing any rules in Roseland. It appears there is no traffic law enforcement, and no parking tickets being given out anymore. To many Roseland residents it appears now is “anything goes” time.
https://srcity.org/DocumentCenter/View/28150/Virtual-Meeting-Public- Participation-Instructions-PED
But on Wednesday, May 22, 2020 at 5:30 a.m. there were many police on Westwood Dr., including police officers from as far away as Sonoma. They had come to arrest a juvenile male suspected of a gang related shooting the week before at Andy’s Unity Park in the Moorland neighborhood miles south of Roseland. The Press Democrat reported the Sonoma County, “SWAT team served a search warrant at the suspect’s house, located in the 700  block of Southwood Drive in Santa Rosa.” He was arrested.
A week later on Thurs. June 11, 2020 at 4 pm the Planning Commission will be hearing an appeal to the same project. It was filed by the same eight local residents who first protested the approvals of this project by the Zoning Administrator earlier this year. According to the city, “Meeting access information (including instructions) and meeting documents are available online at www.srcity.org/planningcommission
Roseland Review has not seen any police in the area since then. With the opening of Southwest Community Park again to the beer drinkers and “drive through drug dealers” it would be nice to have more police present in Roseland on a daily and nightly basis. “Beat cops” up on Sebastopol Rd. enforcing the law and issuing tickets would make a world of difference.
ONLINE ACCESS www.zoom.us/join - Meeting ID 988 0836 6416 PHONE ACCESS (888) 475-4499 Meeting ID 988 0836 6416
 They could begin with also moving the homeless out from the Roberts Ave. area where there are property owners overwhelmed.
   Three years ago the Sonoma County Community Development Commission received a $392,000.00 grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency to help begin revitalizing the area. Now, where the Joe Rodota Trail meets up with the Sonoma Marin Area Transit Trail under the Hwy 12 overpass is a hobo haven.
The county has not been having the meetings with the community required under the grant and forward progress is minimal. Bicyclists were recently allowed back on the Rodota Trail after it was recovered from the bums at a very high cost to the taxpayers. Now many do not feel safe enough to use the trail.
Please go out and enjoy the weather while you can, be well
and stay safe. Burbank Ave. has become a speedway for cars so be careful if walking in the area south of Roseland Creek.
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