COMMENTARY — Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part commentary discussing the Cerri/Purity building.
At a work session on Jan. 21, the council decided to look closer at the options for affordable housing on city-owned sites. This included 3 North St., also known as the Cerri building or the Purity building. While the meeting agenda and staff report were focused on affordable housing, the council was being asked to consider a project last approved in 2017. The last time council was presented with options for this site was Aug. 15, 2016. I am the only member still serving on the council when that vote was taken. Lots of things have happened in Healdsburg since 2016 including fires, floods, housing shortages and the SDAT process. After hearing about the potential for other uses for the site, including affordable housing, I am now open to follow the SDAT team’s recommendation and embark on a thoughtful, inclusive community master-planning effort for the West Plaza area as a whole.
Formed in 1978, the farmers market has become much more than its cherry-tomato selling beginnings. It is now a cultural landmark deeply woven into the fabric of Healdsburg — a place for people to gather and chat on level terms. Over the last 40 years they have been bounced around downtown, but have remained at West Plaza Park for the last 15 or 20 years. It has worked. The market’s greatest desire, however, is for a permanent home and to keep the ability to sell on the plaza during the week. They also desire amenities including easy and safe access for farm vehicles and pedestrians, access to electricity and water, shaded parking similar to the Davis Farmers Market, some storage, and bathrooms. A certified kitchen would be nice, too. After the city purchased 3 North in 2004, a working group was formed to vision a parking lot that also serves as the permanent home of the farmers market.
During the process, options were explored and some participants sought to preserve the Cerri building at 3 North as a covered space for events. In August 2016, a vote was taken and this group largely voted for preserving the entire building, while the farmers voted for the ground-level, solar-panel shaded “Agrarian Reuse” concept. The council subsequently chose none of the above — creating what is known as the “compromise.” Split the difference and preserve a small portion of the building for storage, a kitchen, a stage, bathrooms and a small meeting space. At this point the project no longer had parking and the home of the farmers market as its primary use — it had morphed into an outdoor events center with a support building. Due to size constraints, market days that include the Zucchini and Pumpkin festivals would require North Street to be closed to traffic, while wintertime events would be limited to the small allocation of indoor space.
The process that led up to the “compromise” never considered a master plan. One obvious option never considered: Could the agrarian reuse concept overwhelmingly favored by the farmers be realized on West Plaza independently of 3 North? Taking this a little deeper, could the costs of such a project be shared between enterprise funds to make it happen in the near future? Could the solar shade structure be paid for with the electric fund, helping us meet state climate mandates? Could parking lot surface upgrades, water and power be paid for by Measure V intended for streets and economic development? Could bathrooms and ongoing maintenance be absorbed into the bed-tax funded community services budget? Importantly, this would free-up the Cerri building on 3 North to be preserved in its entirety as covered space available for off-season events.
Could that also be absorbed into the same community services budget currently not meeting its reserve policy? Would we need to raise revenue with weddings, wine events and high-dollar rentals? If we could go back to Aug.15, 2016 with this information, what would the outcome of the vote be?
Shaun McCaffery is a councilmember in the Healdsburg City Council.
