Letters to the Editor 10-17-13

Mess up the downtown
Editor: On Oct. 11, 2013 there was an article in the Santa Rosa newspaper on the proposal for a new downtown Healdsburg hotel. I think we are at a tipping point in the downtown area. The Kessler proposal for a 75 room, 4-plus story hotel on Healdsburg Avenue, 1/2 block from the Plaza, could very well result in unsustainable traffic issues, increased congestion at the intersections, inadequate parking, and too many new 24/7 tourists. This two-lane road already has a 36-room hotel and a 56- room Hotel Healdsburg a 1/2 block away, along with four restaurants. The back-up and congestion at the five-way and at Matheson is already strained and getting worse at commute times and the weekends. Thirty-three on-site and 37 offsite parking spots by the train tracks are mentioned, but what about parking for 138 employees? Where will employee parking be placed and at what cost? The West Plaza Parking lot is already very full – where will people park?
In the meantime, why can’t the City Council deal with a “ smarter” hotel proposal? The 75 rooms could be located on the 4 lane entry way into town without mitigating problems. Look at the Best Western Hotel and its expansion several years ago which had no local issues. Instead, this  hotel developer is jamming 75 rooms on the most crowded street in Healdsburg and appears insensitive to preserving small town Healdsburg. He also wants height and parking variances. The developer could either downsize dramatically to 30 rooms on this site or move his 75 room hotel to the entry way into town. This could be a win-win for both the residents wishing to protect their downtown and plaza area, and the City leaders who want economic development and hotel tax revenues. Most people I know, want to see Healdsburg’s small town values preserved, and not buried under huge projects that create long term problems  for the residents. This proposal could truly mess up the character of our downtown and plaza area. I think there should be discussion on limiting  the size of hotels in the downtown district. If you care about preserving small town Healdsburg, I hope you will voice your concerns to the City Council and newspapers.
Bruce Abramson
Healdsburg
Need more parking
Editor: I am a Healdsburg resident. I have raised my family here. I have my family here. I love Healdsburg. I work in Santa Rosa, but take public transportation to work, four out of five days. I park my car in the lot that is next to the Quonset hut. Well, I used to, until the city decided to make it 3- hour parking, now I park further down, next to Barn Diva. Not a big deal, really, it’s the same area.
Now the city wants to get rid of the public parking and build a big hotel across the street from h2Hotel.
May I please suggest somewhere else? How about the lot across the street from Big O Tires; or the lot behind Big John’s; or maybe the lot where the vegetable stand used to be across from the skate park; or maybe the lot that is right off the freeway, across from Giorgio’s pizza and the park and ride lot?
Then, maybe increase the use of taxis; or maybe bring in Pedi-cabs; or maybe a horse drawn carriage that could bring people in and take them back to their hotel? There are other ways to look at this and other solutions. We need parking space. The city thinks we need more hotels because they don’t like sending people to Geyserville or Cloverdale or Windsor when Healdsburg is full. God forbid we share some wealth with our neighbors! Please, please look for other places to put this hotel besides downtown. It is already a crowded mess. Help alleviate the problem, don’t create a bigger one.
Jeannie Barnes
Healdsburg