Letters to the Editor 10-24-13

Hotel response
Editor: I am responding to recent articles covering our new hotel plans and letters from Mr. Abramson and Mrs. Barnes in last week’s paper.  
Any fair discussion of the height request for our proposed rooftop level should include the reason we have made the request:
Our ground floor is specifically designed to answer the concerns of our neighbors. On the ground floor we will create a pedestrian walkway or Paseo along the northern boundary to enhance and protect access to the neighboring restaurant. The Paseo will also encourage pedestrian activity on the block and around the Plaza.  
Our ground floor design also includes an increased setback on the eastern boundary to preserve another neighbor’s trees.  
We need to regain some of this area that is buildable under the City zoning ordinance and could include a basement level below, finished space on the ground floor and three floors above; we have left all of that area as open space to address our neighbors’ concerns. The rooftop level is where we request to regain some of this foregone space.
The rooftop level is smaller than the floors below and it would be almost entirely unnoticeable from street level as it is deliberately set back from the parapet of the full story below.  
The rooftop level would be open to the public and readily accessible by an express elevator from the lobby. We are excited to share this unique place and the views of the surrounding countryside with all of Healdsburg.
While we respect the opinions of Mr. Abramson and Mrs. Barnes we disagree. Pushing density out to the perimeter of downtown is a recipe for more vehicle traffic, not less. Infill developments, such as our proposed hotel, encourage walking traffic rather than vehicle traffic.
On the parking issue, we have worked closely with the dedicated City of Healdsburg staff to ensure that our current plan increases the amount of parking available in downtown.  
We look forward to working through the processes in the months ahead and ask that those who are interested visit our website for access to our plans and updates on our progress, www.kesslercollection.com.
Owen Smith
Kessler Collection Director of Real Estate Development, Western Region
How high?
Editor: If anyone is wondering how big a five story building is, just go to Santa Rosa and look at the old AT&T building. That’s five stories. That’s big.
Jackie Sahud
Healdsburg
Crammed in
Editor: The design of the proposed five-story hotel is beautiful, but that’s about the only positive comment I can make about the possibility of it being built in the middle of town. It would be over-sized, crammed into the middle of the busiest area of town, not only eliminate a parking lot but adding even more cars to a saturated area.
Please carefully consider the impact this hotel would have in our lovely plaza area.  The size and location is not appropriate on Healdsburg Avenue but it would be wonderful on the outskirts of town or in any spacious area that would show it off and be accountable for all the cars that would accompany it.  
We won’t be able to reverse a decision to cram this beautiful building into an inappropriately small lot just for the sake of appealing to the tourists and the town’s growing reputation as a designated location. The writers of those glowing stories will soon write us off if/when they see that we are just another Napa.  Let’s keep Healdsburg an authentic town in which to live and work. We can share what we have with others but lets not fashion ourselves for them.
Viva Healdsburg!
Marian Murphy
Healdsburg
All good things
Editor: They say, “All good things must come to an end” and so it is with our current exhibit, “The Movie Stars Next Door: Fred MacMurray, June Haver and the MacMurray Ranch.”   This very popular exhibit will end on Sunday, Oct. 27. If you have not had an opportunity to visit the Museum and see it yet, please make time to do so. It is a unique collection of never before seen photos, artifacts and memorabilia that provides insight into both the professional and private lives of Fred MacMurray and his actress/wife, June Haver.  
Sponsored by the Fred and June MacMurray Foundation, this exhibit would not have been possible without the personal involvement of Kate, Fred and June’s daughter and a longtime Healdsburg Museum supporter. We have been honored by their generosity and the resulting display has proven to be the Museum’s most popular exhibit in many years. Kate MacMurray also provided dozens of behind-the-scenes stories about her parents’ lives and careers in the accompanying audio tour narration.
I urge you to take advantage of the next few days. Come to the Museum and take a look for yourself.  
Our regular hours are Wednesday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Healdsburg Museum & Historical Society is located at 221 Matheson St.   Admission is always free.
Holly Hoods, Curator
Healdsburg Museum