By Simone Wilson
Remember in June, when 1,000-plus “techno optimists” from around the world convened in Healdsburg for a mysterious month-long series of talks, salons and workshops on how to build a utopian future?
They weren’t kidding. Devon Zuegel of the Esmeralda Land Company, one of two groups behind the Healdsburg event, revealed this month that for the past year she has been in talks to purchase nearly 270 acres of land at the south end of sleepy Cloverdale, current population 9,000, and turn it into a “new town called Esmeralda.”
This former industrial site just east of Hwy 101 and north of the Cloverdale Airport is a classic slice of Northern Sonoma County landscape. After years of environmental cleanup by the landowner and government agencies, it’s now a blank slate of grassy hills, old oak trees and a mile-long stretch of coveted Russian River frontage.
“It’s a beautiful location,” said Cloverdale City Councilmember Melanie Bagby. “It has one of our best views south to the Alexander Valley. Absolutely breathtaking.”
Locals might also know it as the site of the would-be “Alexander Valley Resort” plan—a.k.a., the cash-strapped City of Cloverdale’s best shot at collecting even a fraction of the tourist- and property-tax money that Healdsburg enjoys. Over the past two decades, at the city’s encouragement, various developers have drawn up plans for a fancy hotel, rows of suburban housing, a golf course—even an equestrian center. But nothing has panned out.
Dreams vs. Reality
Enter Zuegel, an energetic young Los Altos native and career software developer in her early 30s with a lifelong dream of creating a walkable, college-campus-style West Coast community. It’s modeled after Chautauqua, the bohemian hamlet in New York where she spent summers as a kid. And she firmly believes she can drum up enough interest from real-estate investors who believe in her vision to make it a reality.
Indeed, Cloverdale Mayor Todd Lands said his only real concern about the Esmeralda proposal at this stage is whether it will come to fruition at all. “I’ve heard this song and dance before,” he said, “and reality is the only thing that scares me.”
Andrew Zamberlin, president of Diablo Commercial Properties (which manages the land) and son-in-law of Richard Spight (whose three children now own the land), confirmed that Zuegel currently has an exclusive option to purchase the property. This means she has it on hold right now while she and her team inspect the land and decide if it meets their criteria.
In the meantime, Zuegel has been making the rounds in Cloverdale, presenting initial sketches and getting feedback from local leaders. At this stage, she envisions an ungated neighborhood of family homes at various price points, arranged in a way that de-prioritizes cars; a nice hotel, as required by the city; venues to host the same kinds of events Healdsburg saw in June; and 60% open parkland, with public trails and river access.
“I’m super inspired,” Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore said of the plan, which would play nicely with a couple of his pet projects: the SMART train’s northward expansion and the adjacent Great Redwood Trail. Both run right through the Alexander Valley Resort property.
The supervisor said that while other developers might have seen future train and trail traffic, along with airport traffic to the south, as a potential nuisance, they instead serve as assets to Esmeralda’s utopian vision.
Faded Visions
Gore himself grew up in Cloverdale, next to the remains of the Preston colony of the late 1800s—a fringe community founded by faith healer Madame Emily Preston, known for her all-seeing “X-ray eye” and witchy tonics. It’s the stuff of local lore.
Also in the late 1800s, a group of French immigrants called the Icarians came to town and attempted to build another commune based on a sci-fi novel about an exotic island nation; a historical plaque still marks the spot.
“Wait a minute,” Gore said during a phone interview. “Have people been coming here for hundreds of years with idealism, and trying to mash that into practical development? Maybe there’s something about Cloverdale that attracts that type of dream.”
Zuegel and the leaders of Edge City, the other group behind the Edge Esmeralda popup village in Healdsburg, will have another chance to play with the concept next summer, when they plan to bring the event back to Healdsburg for a second year, from May 24 to June 21.
Just like in the months leading up to the first popup event, some locals are skeptical about Esmeralda’s plans for Cloverdale. In long threads on Facebook and Nextdoor, neighbors have shared their fears about Silicon Valley techies inundating their small ag town and turning it into a playground for the rich. “We will become the next Healdsburg,” one wrote.
Mayor Lands and other local officials who spoke to the Tribune stressed that if Esmeralda does end up buying the property, there will be a lengthy City review and public-input process.
“If anybody’s concerned and is loud on Facebook, then they should go meet with the team and tell them about their concerns,” Gore said. “These are not big, burly developers.”
