GRATON The Graton Fire Department siren may soon be replaced by
the siren’s song of open space in downtown Graton.
To that end, there was a public meeting last Saturday (July 18)
to discuss the possibility of converting the property surrounding
the fire house into a park.
In January, the county’s Board of Zoning Adjustments approved
Graton Fire’s move to a new location between Gravenstein Highway
and Hicks Road, opening the door for a deal with the town.
Fifth District Supervisor Efren Carrillo attended Saturday’s
meeting, along with Todd Holmes, manager of planning for Sonoma
County Regional Parks, and about 50 Gratonians showed up with
visions for green space as well as concerns for the
neighborhood.
“It’s exciting for us as policy makers to see everyone
involved,” Carrillo said. “Thanks Graton Fire and HolLynn
D’Lil.”
D’Lil has been working on the project for 1 1/2 years, and
believes the location would be a good fit in the regional park
system, since it abuts the West County Bike Trail. She hopes to get
the county involved in funding and upkeep of the proposed green
space.
The area includes three parcels in downtown Graton consisting of
one 150’ by 40’ parcel and two others that are 150’ by 60’. The
truck lane would be removed, making downtown Graton more
pedestrian-friendly.
“Think about it as a plaza,” D’Lil said. “The park will create
an arrival place for users of the trail as well as a town gathering
spot.”
Suggestions for the park included incorporating a bus shelter,
keeping the building in place to create a dance floor/
multi-purpose room/meeting space; a park where tourists can sit and
have coffee; a sculpture garden; a flea market, or creating a
storage place for relics of Graton. There was even a suggestion to
move the water tower in order to create an “Eiffel Tower” of
Graton.
There was a lot of support for a community garden, and for “real
bathrooms for real people” with toilets and running water.
But Graton resident Jennifer Butler is concerned about the noise
she believes a park would bring to her neighborhood.
Butler, who works full-time and raises her daughter across from
the fire house, said that she could “hear the firemen sneeze from
her house.”
“How many people live that close? Open spaces are noisy,” she
said. “I already pay $7,000 a year in property taxes,” and she’s
worried that the project could make her taxes go up.
She was also curious about the effects of parks on property
values, although Holmes assured her that parks increase the value
of adjacent properties. He also encouraged the group to create a
sustainable model for the space saying that it would be a “huge
mistake to go forward without that.”
Concerns about soil contamination surfaced as well, but D’Lil
said that the fire department told her that it was within a year of
addressing the issue.
Aside from Butler’s concerns about noise and concerns about
contamination, the question of funding took center stage.
According to Holmes, projects such as the one proposed are
funded largely through mitigation fees paid by developers. Since
the economy has gone so bad and construction has ground nearly to a
halt, revenue generation has slowed down.
Additionally, the county recently spent mitigation fees on
Sunset Beach on the Russian River.
John Roehl, who “accidentally” chose to live in Graton had two
concerns about money. One was the consideration of the cost of the
property and project, and the other was whether the fire department
was willing to wait for the community to come up with $2 million
(in his estimation).
Roehl was concerned that the project might require the town to
raise taxes and stressed the need for community involvement.
“Community gardens are fine as long as the community is
involved,” he said.
Several people mentioned the Forestville community park as a
possible financial model for what’s been temporarily dubbed
“Whistle Park,” in honor of the train that used to run through
town. But it was pointed out that Forestville has a larger
population base and sports leagues that pay fees to help offset the
cost of the park.
Butler had those concerns as well, and talked about the county
not being able to afford to get involved with the project.
“The roads and ditches flood and the county can’t even afford to
address that,” she said. “How can we have a park when we can’t even
do the basics?”
When asked what she wanted in the space, she said she’d like to
see a lawn area with play structures, but she doesn’t want it to
encroach on her space.
Some thought it would be a good idea to start small with a
playground and bike racks to accommodate people on the trail to
keep the project “mobile at the get-go.”
But D’Lil believes it’s an opportunity that may not come around
for the tiny community again.
“It’s a prime piece of real estate downtown,” she said. “I know
it’s coming along at a crazy time, but the opportunity is here and
it might not come again.”
“This is a chance for Graton to have some open space,” D’Lil
added, estimating that it will take about $500,000 to get the
project off the ground.
“It’s time to go out and do some serious fundraising,” D’Lil
said. “We need a plan and donations and then we can get a line item
in the county’s budget. This is a five year project and five or six
people can’t do it alone.”
She added that if the community doesn’t act on it, there will
likely be light industry or retail installed on the property.
But at this point, the project is barely a blip on the county’s
radar.
“It hasn’t come to a point where we can consider it,” Carrillo
said, adding that the supervisors have plenty on their plates at
this time trying to balance the budget.
D’Lil reiterated that the citizens of Graton have to make it
happen, and the meeting was the first step in the process.
