Call for hotel ban
EDITOR: Another potential hotel in the downtown. I believe soon there will be strong, if not overwhelming, community opposition against the recent development proposal for a hotel on Healdsburg Avenue and/or Matheson Street across from the Plaza. Printed reports indicated a sale escrow in process for 233 and 244 Healdsburg Avenue and four businesses on Matheson Street. The seller, John Holt, and associates, tried to sell this same property to the Kessler family for a 75-room hotel. In 2013. Strong community opposition shut that down. Let’s do it again.
The issues then of parking, traffic, congestion have only gotten worse in that section of Healdsburg Avenue. Do we want a “hotel row” with three hotels on one block? How about oversaturation? The potential loss also of four one-of-a-kind businesses (fabric, kitchenware, book and general items stores) would fly in the face of the community’s desire to keep a balance of local stores versus tourist stores and a hotel.
So, what is being done now on the tourism issues in town? The city council is beginning their study of the effects of tourism on the local community. Very slow. During the 2016 and 2017 elections cycles, new city council members heard from constituents about tourism growth and problematic infrastructure issues resulting from that. In addition, a local ad hoc group made serious community presentations on the effects of continued tourism growth. They have done good outreach and need to be heard.
I urgently request the city council to get in front of this issue and be proactive and commit. I think a future hotel ban needs to be looked at in the downtown commercial district, or the entire town. A second option could be changing land use and zoning in the downtown and elsewhere to prevent future hotels and timeshares. City council members heard from their constituents in the 2016 and 2017 elections about tourism growth concerns and its effects on residents.
There are presently four hotel projects in various stages with a potential 350 rooms. (Nu Forest, H3, Dry Creek and Saggio Hills). How many is too much? What’s the quality of life going to be like in town, when you have an additional 700 potential tourists per day (350 rooms x two per room).
How do we continue to preserve the small town character of Healdsburg? What’s your opinion? I think locals and their businesses need to predominate to keep this a real town. Otherwise why would all these hotels want to come here and sell our small town character? Please consider this. Would you like our town to be like Yountville in Napa County, where tourists dominate and one hardly sees a local resident or local business?
I strongly believe that allowing another hotel in the downtown will lessen our small town character and values. If you care about our town, please speak out now against this ominous hotel development in our downtown. I am a 28-year resident and my kids grew up here.
Bruce Abramson
Healdsburg
Great success
EDITOR: The inaugural Art After Dark event last Friday looked like a great success. This introverted writer thoroughly enjoyed the bistro lights hanging above the street, the great music and the sociable vibe. I loved seeing so many neighbors and friends. I arrived in time for the last song of the ukulele players, in front of whom a small child was standing entranced and left while my friend Gail Jonas danced with several children to the music of Vintage Crush.
In between I greeted lovely people I knew, was introduced to lovely people I hadn’t met before, took in the delicious smell of The Wurst’s food, admired Walter Murray’s quilt made out of his denim overalls from the last 100 years, and watched children enjoy face painting and puppetry. Our community’s wonderful Healdsburg Center for the Arts was thronged with visitors who must have been as moved as I was by the current display of stunning photographs.
Kudos to Healdsburg’s community builder, Gina Riner; the arts center; and the City of Healdsburg for organizing Art After Dark. The event was free, as are the next two to be held on August 25 and September 22 (both Fridays) from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Art After Dark is a wonderful community building event for our town and I hope we have one every year from now on.
Nancy Roberts
Healdsburg
Chorus rehearsals begin soon
EDITOR: August is a month when life’s pace slows down and we enjoy this time before school begins and vacations end. For one group of people in Sonoma County, when that page is turned to August, pulses accelerate and anticipation levels rise. That group is the current and future members of the Healdsburg Chorus. We know that we will soon be back in rehearsals, enjoying preparation for the Christmas season and our winter concert series.
We begin rehearsing at 6:30 p.m. on August 28 at the Healdsburg Community Church, 1100 University Avenue in Healdsburg. Rehearsals will continue to be every Monday evening at 6:30 until performance time, along with extra one hour rehearsals on four consecutive Thursdays if needed. Our 60-some voices will be lifted in song as we prepare for “A Christmas Fantasia,” while we sweat in 90-degree heat.
The chorus is led by Jim Humphreys, who has been at work since the last concert’s echo died away, sifting through music, old and new, creating that perfect mix of “fantasia” (unstructured work) and songs about winter and the winter holidays. Susan Nelson, our accompanist, has also been at work, practicing the music to come, to be ready for the reconvening of the chorus.
We are a group of non-professional singers who have been sharing our love of song in Sonoma County for more than 27 years. We welcome all newcomers who would like to sing with us. No auditions are required nor ability to read music, just a love of music and sharing that love with others. If you are interested in joining our group, show up August 28 at 6:30 p.m. at Healdsburg Community Church. For more information you can call Janet at 431-7014, or leave a message for Brenda at 837-8468.
The planned performances for “A Christmas Fantasia” are at the Glaser Center in Santa Rosa at 3 p.m. December 3 and three performances at Healdsburg Community Church at 7 p.m. on December 7 and 8 and at 3 p.m. on December 9. We look forward to your participation by singing with us, making a donation and/or being in the audience.
Brenda Balding
Healdsburg Chorus
Bach Jam thanks Raven
EDITOR: The third annual Bach Jam was held at the Raven Performing Arts Theater on July 25. This event, featuring music only by J.S. Bach, is part student recital and part talent show. It is a thrill to have our young classical string players on the stage for the easier Bach pieces and also a thrill for our more advanced student players and adults to play together the famous Bach Double Violin Concerto. The audience had a good time too at this free performance. Thanks to the Raven for opening its doors to us and supporting this musical evening. We could not have done it without you.
Joella Olsen
Windsor
New and exciting
EDITOR: Folks, there’s something new and exciting in our town – “Art After Dark,” a street party giving us, at no charge, live music, theater and other street entertainment as well as activities for children and a gallery show of fine art. “Art After Dark,” from 7 to 9:30 p.m. on Plaza Street, will reappear on the last Fridays of August and September. The July kickoff was attended by an enthusiastic local crowd. Thank you, City of Healdsburg and the Healdsburg Center for the Arts, for sponsoring this happy community event.
Joyce Power
Healdsburg
Nuese mistaken
EDITOR: I find it interesting that in Robert Nuese’s rebuttal to my letter he thought I wasn’t meant to be taken seriously, that I don’t understand a world economy and that I don’t find living in Healdsburg to be “great.” He couldn’t be more mistaken.
If all those who own homes, and feel beleaguered by the fact that they’re fortunate to do so want to feel generous, sell your homes with a mid-western price to a delightful young couple, and move. Opinions without actions become tiring after awhile.
As far as the world economy is concerned, inequality isn’t just our country’s blight, it’s the world’s, but life isn’t fair. For thousands of years there have been those who had more than others. Suggesting that the accumulation of wealth ought to be regulated and then dispersed to the masses are two issues we’re never going to agree on; needless to say, does it make sense to tell people to succeed, but only succeed to a certain point, but regardless, you should give away any profits you may earn. Was my father the only parent who ever read the story of “The Little Red Hen” to his children?
No one is more qualified to discuss how the young people of Healdsburg feel about our hamlet; I’ve listened to them for over 30 years. For the record, most of them can’t wait to get out of Healdsburg because, “There’s nothing to do.” I’ve always argued the point that with a bit of age they’ll feel differently. By the way, many have returned, both as permanent residents or as weekenders. Some of you seem to hate the fact they’ve purchased a second home in Healdsburg; I’m just happy to see them. I’m thrilled when they remember who I am.
When I left college I wanted to teach for the high school from which I graduated. I knew then, decades ago, that I’d never be able to afford a home in Healdsburg, but then, as the sign on my classroom wall read, “Teaching … in it for the outcomes, not the income.”
The glass is either half full or half empty. I love driving by the buoys at Memorial Beach … yes, the diving platform is gone, and the speedboats on the other side of our award-winning bridge are gone, but we still have a park. Trowbridge Canoes has moved, but it’s still in business, and Amy’s slushes are unbelievable. Our weather, our small town ambiance, our streets and streets of renovated homes, our parks … yes, the grass is greener whether you rent or own if you live in Healdsburg.
No offense, but you could be living in the Central Valley.
Brent Mortensen
Healdsburg
