Letters to the Editor 4-10-14

Apple Blossom street closures
Editor: It’s parade time again.
On Saturday, April 12, 2014, the City of Sebastopol will be holding the annual Apple Blossom Parade, and it will be necessary to post your street for “no parking” from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. that day.
The “no parking” areas will be posted to include the following:
• Petaluma Avenue, entire street;
• High School Road, between East Hurlbut and North Main Street;
• Main Street, between Eddie Lane, south to Palm Avenue;
• Calder Avenue, between South Main Street and High Street;
• High Street, between Bodega Avenue and Willow Street;
• Willow Street, between South Main Street and Jewell Avenue;
• East Hurlbut Avenue, entire street;
• Wallace Avenue, entire street;
• Taft Street, entire street;
• Bonnardel Avenue, entire street; and
• Sunset Avenue, entire street.
Eddie Lane will be closed at the west entrance on that date (at North Main Street).  The only access to Eddie Lane will be from the east side from Johnson Street.
I’m asking the residents who live within the above areas to please assist us to keep the traffic flowing smoothly by keeping their vehicles off the street from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. Thank you for your cooperation.
Jeffrey D. Weaver
Chief of Police
Volunteer week
Editor: The American Red Cross of Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake Counties is celebrating its volunteers and the work they do in the community during National Volunteer Week, April 6 through 12.
Last year, Red Cross volunteers in the Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake Counties chapter provided food, shelter, comfort and hope to 112 local families who faced home fires and other disaster situations. They trained 5,640 people in lifesaving skills and provided services to military members, veterans and their families in 99 cases.
We want to invite the public to sign up to volunteer and be a part of our lifesaving work. We’re looking for diverse volunteers of all ages and skill levels. Go to redcross.org/SML to learn more about volunteering with us and how to submit a volunteer application.
If you want to volunteer to help when a disaster strikes our community, download the Team Red Cross app for your smart phone. You’ll receive notifications when Red Cross volunteers are needed in the area. The app can be found in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store by searching for American Red Cross or by going to redcross.org/mobileapps.
I want to extend my sincerest thanks to the 578 local Red Cross volunteers who help us fulfill our mission 365 days a year, 24 hours a day in Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake Counties.
Nicole Massey
Regional Volunteer Director
American Red Cross
California Northwest Region
Palm Drive support
Editor: The actions by the Palm Drive District Board, I am sure, were very difficult and taken after full review of every alternative. In their transition the other community hospitals in the region and the JPA of which they are a member will provide every possible support and assistance we can.
Kurt Hahn
Interim Executive Director
Northern California
Healthcare Authority
Healdsburg
Rotten car wash
Editor: The Rotten Robbie gas station and car wash on Healdsburg Avenue has for some time been a public nuisance because of its continued noise violations and other environmental issues. Since the car wash began operating about 25 years ago, it has never complied with the original use permit, and the number of violations has grown steadily. About two years ago it “upgraded” to louder high-pressure power washers and a shrill dryer that have made the situation intolerable for its neighbors. Since this new installation, the noise has been so loud that those neighbors are overwhelmed by it, and literally have to live inside with doors and windows constantly closed to muffle the sound even partially. Additionally, there are toxic sprays and sleep-disturbing late-night deliveries to deal with.  Last fall, under heavy pressure from the nearby residents and from the city, Rotten Robbie offered to try to mitigate the noise level by remodeling a section of its facility. That process has been markedly unsuccessful, and yet the wash has remained open for business — despite the fact that the latest remodel has not been approved by the city. This business has continued to make life miserable for its neighbors, and yet it continues to profit from its noncompliance with the original use permit. Surely it should be held to the standards that were developed when the original permit was approved.
Sebastopol now has the opportunity to address this problem as it gets ready to update the city’s General Plan. I urge the Planning Commission and the City Council to take a fresh look at this situation. How does this operation fit into the General Plan? What are the limits of combined use zoning regulations? Should a business, which operates in a manner that causes direct harm to its neighbors, and which continues to thumb its nose at the terms of its own use permit, be allowed to operate under these circumstances or at all?
Michaela Grobbel
Sebastopol