Pine Grove project a threat to our town’s character
EDITOR: Two city council members, one of whom is involved in the real estate industry, have been at work to advance the Pine Grove Square Project (PGS). City funds have been spent on preliminary plans. This is a large real estate development only one block south of the intersection of Main and Bodega.
If passed by the city council and built, it will place two large multistory housing buildings, together with a few retail units, along almost all of the second block on the east side of South Main Street. It will eliminate at least half of the 140 existing parking spaces.
This would completely change this central downtown block facing South Main from the corner of Main and Burnett Streets to the corner of South Main and Willow Streets. The PGS also involves extending Willow Street eastward another block to connect with Petaluma Avenue, eliminating at least 15 more parking spaces. This part of the project would likely be paid entirely from the city’s general fund.
In short, it continues the process, begun with the recent completion of the CVS, of making Sebastopol look like just one more ugly, SoCal-type city. Prepare yourselves for episodes of giant heartburn. Possibly even an ulcer or two.
Unless this project is drastically altered and reduced, get ready for dealing with decreasing the available parking from 140 spaces to less than 70 spaces. In addition to the losses of parking spaces, the yellow Southern Pacific railroad car, the sole reminder of the city’s electric and steam train past, a symbol of bygone eras of west county transportation, will be removed and lost. Vital records now stored there also lost.
The Western Sonoma County Historical Museum will be engulfed by these two relatively large steel, concrete and Plexiglas structures, one two-storied, the other three-storied. The town forever loses its character. The aesthetic effects will be grossly negative. There is not one shred of respect, or even a nod of acknowledgement to the styles that are dear to most of us. While some have suggested that the CVS parking lot provides extra parking, in reality parking there would mean trying to get across Petaluma Street on foot: a dangerous task under present-day, constant workday traffic. There are simpler, less painful ways to leave this world.
According to its present schematic (above), either 61 or 69 residential units will be wedged into two compact cubes. The plan includes constructing one two-story unit on the corner of Burnett and Main. A second three-story box-like unit will go on the corner of Willow and Main, directly across from the post office. Pedestrians trying to cross there already are imperiled.
Three presently functional, business parcels: an architectural office, the chamber of commerce’s property and a triangular part of the Hop Monk Restaurant parking lot, would be absorbed to provide the space necessary for building the project. Whoever the developer is who wins the building contract, he or she must be required to supply a ground level lot, or rooftop parking spaces, for the occupants and customers of these buildings.
Everyone uses the present, beautiful tree-lined city parking lot between Main and Petaluma and Burnett and Willow. Haven’t you already lost time driving around looking for parking? Who hasn’t? This is already costing many of us time and stress. Not to mention money, when appointments are missed or work-starts delayed. We stand to lose our town’s identity. Contact the city council.
Frank H. Baumgardner, III
Santa Rosa
