Politics & Government

Agenda Report: City Council Eyes Montini Preserve

Tonight's meeting will revisit bike paths, redevelopment funding and the Community Center easement.

In what looks to be a marathon meeting, the Sonoma City Council will start tonight at 6 p.m.  at the Community Meeting Room at the . Check Sonoma Patch starting this evening for live updates of City Council decisions.

Ongoing Maintenance Costs a Concern for Montini Preserve Purchase

The city will revisit plans to absorb the 98-acre Montini Preserve, the historic former land of General Vallejo, which sits to the north of the State Park’s Vallejo Home.

Find out what's happening in Sonoma Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Currently owned by the Sonoma County Agricultural Preserve, the Montini Preserve is up-for-grabs because the Agricultural Preserve is looking to eschew ongoing maintenance costs. The Agricultural Preserve purchased the parcel for $13.9 million in 2005, which included a $1.15 million contribution form the City of Sonoma.

Originally, the group planned to transfer a small 9-acre segment of the property to the City of Sonoma, while the 89-acre parcel above the Vallejo Home would become the responsibility of State Parks.

Find out what's happening in Sonoma Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

But with California’s looming budget crisis and ongoing cuts to State Parks programs, the group decided the property would be better maintained by the City of Sonoma.

In a Sept. 10 Council Meeting, officials directed city staff to create a proposal reflecting the realities of the costs associated with taking on the property.

The primary cost to the City of Sonoma would be ongoing maintenance costs for the 98-acre preserve. The Sonoma Open Space District has agreed to fund the first three years of ground upkeep, but after that the funding would have to be added to Sonoma’s general fund.

The Sonoma Ecology Center will present their maintenance proposal tonight, which includes estimated annual costs of $15,000. Yearly costs, according to the plan, which makes ample use of volunteer labor, but outsources upkeep of trails and property repairs, could drop as low as $11,000 per year, if one-time changes are made to the grounds to require less labor intensive monitoring. 

The City would also pay a one-time cost of about $10,000 to annex the property.

The Council previously toyed with plans to create public access to the site through trail head access on the west side of the property. These trails were slated to begin construction this year, but the construction has since been postponed until the property’s ownership is settled.

If the transfer goes through, the funding would be added to Sonoma’s general budget in September 2011,  and the property transfer would occur in August of 2012.

Bike Paths, Take Two

The City Council will revisit downtown bike-paths after a resident’s complaint that the original decision unfairly parceled off the West Spain Street lane from the rest of the project.

"My neighbors and I thought that the bike lane issue was one (not four separate proposals for each street) and because the Spain Street opponents were so vigorous, we felt sure that it would be defeated,” wrote Michelle Finn, in an email to the City. 

Since then, Finn, a resident of Fifth Street West, has collected over 150 signatures opposing the Fifth Street West Bike Lane.

In a Sonoma City Council approved a preliminary plan to build bike lanes along urban street, with the except of West Spain Street, which was cut from the plan due to community outrage.

One of the reasons cited for the ax of the West Spain Street Lane was the perceived danger of the street, which residents said was filled with busy, often reckless, traffic.

Since then, a of West Spain Street found that speeding is rare in the area.

Community Center Easement

The council will also revisit, and potentially formalize, an agreement to offer the a historic preservation and community services easement—which would amount to a regular funding commitment from the city.

Following the last meeting, city staff drafted easement materials, which would provide $100,000 annually to the Community Center—of which 20 percent would be set aside for future improvements.

The easement would guarantee the city rights to use the building much like it is currently used—as an impromptu city parks department and an extension of city services—and would mandate that the building be maintained as a historic property.  

Sign Regulations Gets Simpler, More User Friendly

The Design Review Commission (DRC), in consultation with sign makers, the real estate community, and the Economic Development Advisory Committee, has been hard at work drafting amendments to the sign ordinance to answer the concerns of area business owners.

The changes would both clarify the language of the sign ordinance and allow a broader definition of signs to be displayed. Most importantly for businesses, the DRC would change the administrative review process, requiring fewer projects to be reviewed directly by the DRC.

Additionally, the Council will consider amending the outdoor display rules, to mandate a four feet clearance for outdoor displays, but allowing such displays to exceed 16 square feet.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here