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What has been accomplished?
EDITOR: I would like very much to know whose idea it was to make Petaluma Avenue a one-lane road. It is, without a doubt, one of the busiest streets in town, and with only one lane, it is very difficult to get both in and out of our office yard.
This morning I had to wait for more than 50 cars to go by the office before I could get in. Getting out is just as difficult. It has been a two-lane road for quite a while, and while there was some difficulty with traffic, it was nothing like it is today.
Why was this done, and what did it accomplish? Is this done by the same people that wanted to take away the busiest parking lot in town and build more housing?
Perhaps we really do need a new city council. I know there are people who live in this town with a much broader and smarter perspective than the current council. Even though I have a business in town, pay taxes in town, I’m not allowed to vote as my house is five miles outside of town. That’s another travesty, that the other 30,000 people in the 95472 zipcode can’t vote. No wonder we’re in trouble.
Nancy Aita
Sebastopol
Bike lane suggestions
EDITOR: This is a respectful letter to City of Sebastopol/Cal Trans/bike lane designer with respect to the new lane striping and bicycle lanes in Sebastopol on North Main and Petaluma Avenue. New bike lanes in other areas appear to be working fine.
On Petaluma Avenue, from the Old Aubergine to the Feed Store is now one lane on the west side. A bike lane takes up the entire prior car lane, and there is designated parking on both sides of the street.
Note that on the east side, from Aubergine to the Feed Store, there is the equivalent of about one block that does not have a substantial parking lot associated with the buildings. Having an office on Petaluma Avenue, I struggle daily with entering the one lane. My staff struggles. My clients struggle. Frequently, one of us is out in the road indicating when it might be safe to pull out.
Prior to the new striping, it was seldom that we saw any cars parked on the east side of Petaluma Avenue. Since the new striping, I have looked every day and at the most, I have seen four.
I suggest you remove the parking on the east side, move the bike lane into that area and reopen a secondary lane on Petaluma Avenue.
Regarding North Main Street, at the intersection/traffic light at Healdsburg Avenue/North Main/High School Road, the main area on the south side of Safeway is now one lane up to the next light, Main intersecting McKinley, where previously there were two lanes plus a turn lane.
When the McKinley light is red — the traffic backs up past the light at High School Road, causing High School Road to back up. I sat through three lights before we could pull out onto Main Street on a weekend. I cannot imagine what it would be like at opening and closing school hours. I understand the bike lanes need to stay, but this section needs to be redesigned also.
Geni Houston
Sebastopol
Graton Green thanks
EDITOR: On behalf of the Graton Green Group, thank you to all the amazing people who created the Graton Green Gathering Sunday, Sept. 30, to celebrate the new Graton Green. Thank you to Supervisor Lynda Hopkins who, with a dozen children equipped with special scissors, cut the green ribbon at the water tower soon to become the Graton Green Amphitheater (though naming rights are still open).
Also, many thanks to Sarah Emerson, a priest at the Stone Creek Zen Center, who blessed the green for its gifts to nature and the community. Orrin and Terri Thiessen were there with Susan Ballinger, chair of the GGG design committee, to answer questions about the unique adjacent housing facing the green, and green designs.
The Bohemian Creamery and Mexico Lindo, along with local bakers provided wonderful food and troubadour Chris Riebli with local bands The Rogers, New Skye, the Hubbub Club provided the perfect music for the day. There were so many volunteers who worked to make the event happen that there is insufficient room to list them all. You know who you are, and I hope you know how much you are valued and appreciated.
HolLynn D’Lil, president
Graton Green Group board of directors
Council endorsements
EDITOR: It’s been my pleasure to work in partnership and collaboration with the Sebastopol City Council since January 2017. And it’s my hope that the residents of Sebastopol will vote to re-elect Patrick Slayter, Una Glass and Sarah Glade Gurney to the council.
I support these candidates not because they’re incumbents. Far from it; I think that government is often well-served by fresh perspectives. But Patrick, Sarah and Una bring the best of both worlds: experience combined with a desire to innovate and try new things.
I’ve worked directly with Patrick to support local businesses, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and facilitate green building through Sonoma Clean Power, and to bridge the gap between county and city governments.
Una, working with Patrick, has spearheaded Sebastopol’s focus on affordable housing, which will result in the first-ever joint city-county “Raise the Roof” housing expo. Una is committed to developing new solutions to address west county homelessness and has been a crucial ally in the fight for coastal protection.
Sarah has advocated for bicyclists and pedestrians on Ragle Road — an effort which culminated in the first-ever joint grant application between the city and the county. No one is more dedicated to green transportation, including Sebastopol’s new free bus route.
I hope to work with all three as council members in the future.
Lynda Hopkins
5th District Supervisor
