Editorial: Gazebo debate

Healdsburg¹s historic plaza park is in the midst of a
much-needed facelift that will restore and rejuvenate the square
that has served as the city¹s social and physical epicenter for 150
years.
Despite a very tight deadline, the project is on schedule and on
budget and should be finished by Nov. 17. The heavily travelled
park will have a new irrigation system, an upgraded electrical
system, new lawn and a new concrete spoke from its center to
Healdsburg Avenue, recreating the original design. We look forward
to the unveiling of the newly refurbished plaza.
A proposal to replace the existing gazebo as part of the
renovation project has tossed a small monkey wrench into what has
otherwise been a placid project. Former editor and Tribune
columnist Ray Holley, who has been part of the plaza renovation
committee, has been lobbying various officials with a proposal to
demolish the existing gazebo and replace it with a new design. The
gazebo is riddled with dry rot and will need to be replaced and
Holley and others believe it makes sense practically and
financially to demolish it now while the plaza is under
renovation.
If this were merely a construction project, particularly a
private project, such a change in the design and process would make
sense. The plaza renovation, however, is a public project that has
undergone extensive public review and replacing the gazebo has not
been a topic of public debate or have there been any discussions of
a design for a new structure.
It will become a matter of public debate Monday, however, when
the Healdsburg City Council will discuss Holley¹s proposal to
³piggyback on the current project and replace the gazebo sooner
rather than later.² Once again, from a practical standpoint, the
argument makes sense, but this is a public process, with public
money being spent and overseen by the elected City Council. Vice
Mayor Gary Plass, who has led the subcommittee, doesn¹t disagree
with the intent or wisdom of replacing the gazebo, but believes
that the public deserves to get what it was promised with the
refurbished plaza.
³I don¹t want to be accused of any bait and switch,² said Plass.
³We promised the community they would have the same old plaza. I am
in support of the efforts to replace it, if that¹s what the
community wants, but not as part of this renovation.²
The plaza facelift is on schedule, on budget and the City
Council is now being asked to consider a major change midway
through the project. We believe replacing the gazebo is warranted
and should take place, but not without adequate public notice,
review and discussion. The project as approved should be completed
and the gazebo replacement considered at a later date.
‹ Barry W. Dugan