THE SANTA ROSA NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION JUILLIARD PARK NEWSLETTER
Good news, there's a new group of concerned citizens who will be getting out information to the Juilliard Park residents and businesses. It's been years since the now defunct neighborhood association has had any meetings or put out a newsletter.
Our group, The Santa Rosa Neighborhood Coalition works in multiple neighborhoods, and on city-wide issues as the needs present themselves. We also have a website, www.SantaRosaNeighborhoodCoalition.com. We are not one of the city sanctioned neighborhood groups and use our own funds for our newsletters. That way our materials are not censored or edited by the City of Santa Rosa.
SOME SURPRISING NEWS
There are some important issues in the Juilliard Park area right now. As some of you remember, the Juilliard Park neighborhood was originally part of the large Gateways Redevelopment Project Area but because of strenuous opposition from the neighborhood, the City dropped the neighborhood from the project. The subsequent lawsuit to stop the entire project was unsuccessful, so now 1,100 acres of Santa Rosa, including Santa Rosa Avenue, has been declared "blighted" and subject to condemnation. The Juilliard Park neighborhood narrowly escaped. Recently, it has come to light that in 2006 a plan had already been developed in which all of the buildings in the neighborhood were to be torn down, and the land turned over to private developers.
YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED
Judy Kennedy, a Burbank Gardens neighborhood resident, recently asked the City Council to have Juilliard Park added back into the Redevelopment area. She claimed to be representing your neighborhood. We believe that the people of Juilliard Park can represent themselves and that they have previously spoken loudly against being redeveloped. Is she advocating on behalf of the special interest groups who would profit from the redevelopment of the neighborhood? LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD! Be a part of the Santa Rosa Neighborhood Coalition--Juilliard Park Branch. [email protected]
ARTS DISTRICT IN DANGER? CORRECTION
SANTA ROSA NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION JUILLIARD PARK NEWSLETTER
CORRECTION
RE: NEIGHBORHOOD RE-ZONINGS AND GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENTS
According to the City of Santa Rosa Planning Department, we misinterpreted the City's proposal to change land use designations in the area. Since the document did not give specific addresses, we assumed that all of the A Street properties were proposed for zoning changes. In fact, only 4 properties on South A Street were to be affected, and those properties have been dropped from the City's most recent plan. The properties which have businesses and art studios WILL NOT be changed, thank goodness.
On Bosley Street, the City is proposing to change some residential properties' General Plan designation from mixed-use to residential. Since it is unlikely that those property owners would want a commercial use, the change should not be significant. More significantly, properties at the east end of Sebastopol Road, including Shank Brothers Gararge, will have their zoning changed from Commercial to Residential in order to conform to the General Plan and the Station Area Specific Plan. This could be problematic for the property owner but we were told that representatives from the City have been in contact with that owner already.
We apologize for any inconvenience and the false alarm regarding the A Street Art District. The City handed out a document map that showed the entire Juilliard Park area being affected. No specific parcels were outlined. It would help all of us if the City would let the property owners know about pending changes well in advance. The matter was scheduled to go before the City Council this month.
We welcome your input and comments.
Sincerely,
The Santa Rosa Neighborhood Coalition
THE A STREET GALLERY REOPENS!
The art studios and the A Street Gallery have made an enormous contribution to the Juilliard Park area by supporting our local artists as well as hosting popular events and supporting the small businesses there. The Gallery is back and better than ever! Stop by and see the fabulous art from our many local artists---312 South A Street.
ARE YOU EXPERIENCING FREQUENT SEWER BACK-UPS?
Some property owners have had an unusual number of blockages in their sewer laterals in the Juilliard Park neighborhood. The blockages are more frequent during rains. Could it be that the City's capacity is insufficient to handle the flow demands? City documents indicate that "the existing sewer mains at the intersections of Santa Rosa and Sonoma Avenues....have flow demands that are greater than 90 percent capacity." The document further states that "Development of the Park and Gardens sub-area should be staged after the completion of the Todd Road Trunk Main so that these problem areas will not be worsened by the proposed development." The Park and Gardens sub-area consists of properties on both sides of Santa Rosa Avenue.
Please contact us at our website if you have any information to report on this situation. [email protected]
****
CITY PLANS TO DEMOLISH BURBANK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Two citywide master plans call for eliminating the school to make way for housing. The Business Plan for the Parks Master Plan and the Business Plan for the Arts District both show housing on this large site. The land is owned by the school district so they would have to cooperate in order for the land to transfer to developers. Although the current economy is very weak and there is virtually no development happening right now, the City has been quietly laying the groundwork for future development and redevelopment. The neighborhood residents should weigh in on this plan if they haven't already done so. What is the City's plan for the students who attend this elementary school?
COURTHOUSE SQUARE WILL BE RE-UNITED---What is the impact?
It's already a done deal as of the approval of the Santa Rosa Downtown Station Area Plan. Traffic will be diverted onto Healdsburg/B Street going south which dead ends at First Street. Cars will be able to turn left or right at that point. It should be expected that many more cars will cut over to South A Street to get back to Santa Rosa Avenue. Increased traffic through the neighborhood will be undesirable for our residents, students and park users. We wonder how many of the residents knew about this when the plans were being developed. Issues like this and others need to be addressed by a functioning neighborhood group. Make it happen!
GET INVOLVED! IT'S YOUR CITY!
Our group, The Santa Rosa Neighborhood Coalition works in multiple neighborhoods, and on city-wide issues as the needs present themselves. We also have a website, www.SantaRosaNeighborhoodCoalition.com. We are not one of the city sanctioned neighborhood groups and use our own funds for our newsletters. That way our materials are not censored or edited by the City of Santa Rosa.
SOME SURPRISING NEWS
There are some important issues in the Juilliard Park area right now. As some of you remember, the Juilliard Park neighborhood was originally part of the large Gateways Redevelopment Project Area but because of strenuous opposition from the neighborhood, the City dropped the neighborhood from the project. The subsequent lawsuit to stop the entire project was unsuccessful, so now 1,100 acres of Santa Rosa, including Santa Rosa Avenue, has been declared "blighted" and subject to condemnation. The Juilliard Park neighborhood narrowly escaped. Recently, it has come to light that in 2006 a plan had already been developed in which all of the buildings in the neighborhood were to be torn down, and the land turned over to private developers.
YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED
Judy Kennedy, a Burbank Gardens neighborhood resident, recently asked the City Council to have Juilliard Park added back into the Redevelopment area. She claimed to be representing your neighborhood. We believe that the people of Juilliard Park can represent themselves and that they have previously spoken loudly against being redeveloped. Is she advocating on behalf of the special interest groups who would profit from the redevelopment of the neighborhood? LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD! Be a part of the Santa Rosa Neighborhood Coalition--Juilliard Park Branch. [email protected]
ARTS DISTRICT IN DANGER? CORRECTION
SANTA ROSA NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION JUILLIARD PARK NEWSLETTER
CORRECTION
RE: NEIGHBORHOOD RE-ZONINGS AND GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENTS
According to the City of Santa Rosa Planning Department, we misinterpreted the City's proposal to change land use designations in the area. Since the document did not give specific addresses, we assumed that all of the A Street properties were proposed for zoning changes. In fact, only 4 properties on South A Street were to be affected, and those properties have been dropped from the City's most recent plan. The properties which have businesses and art studios WILL NOT be changed, thank goodness.
On Bosley Street, the City is proposing to change some residential properties' General Plan designation from mixed-use to residential. Since it is unlikely that those property owners would want a commercial use, the change should not be significant. More significantly, properties at the east end of Sebastopol Road, including Shank Brothers Gararge, will have their zoning changed from Commercial to Residential in order to conform to the General Plan and the Station Area Specific Plan. This could be problematic for the property owner but we were told that representatives from the City have been in contact with that owner already.
We apologize for any inconvenience and the false alarm regarding the A Street Art District. The City handed out a document map that showed the entire Juilliard Park area being affected. No specific parcels were outlined. It would help all of us if the City would let the property owners know about pending changes well in advance. The matter was scheduled to go before the City Council this month.
We welcome your input and comments.
Sincerely,
The Santa Rosa Neighborhood Coalition
THE A STREET GALLERY REOPENS!
The art studios and the A Street Gallery have made an enormous contribution to the Juilliard Park area by supporting our local artists as well as hosting popular events and supporting the small businesses there. The Gallery is back and better than ever! Stop by and see the fabulous art from our many local artists---312 South A Street.
ARE YOU EXPERIENCING FREQUENT SEWER BACK-UPS?
Some property owners have had an unusual number of blockages in their sewer laterals in the Juilliard Park neighborhood. The blockages are more frequent during rains. Could it be that the City's capacity is insufficient to handle the flow demands? City documents indicate that "the existing sewer mains at the intersections of Santa Rosa and Sonoma Avenues....have flow demands that are greater than 90 percent capacity." The document further states that "Development of the Park and Gardens sub-area should be staged after the completion of the Todd Road Trunk Main so that these problem areas will not be worsened by the proposed development." The Park and Gardens sub-area consists of properties on both sides of Santa Rosa Avenue.
Please contact us at our website if you have any information to report on this situation. [email protected]
****
CITY PLANS TO DEMOLISH BURBANK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Two citywide master plans call for eliminating the school to make way for housing. The Business Plan for the Parks Master Plan and the Business Plan for the Arts District both show housing on this large site. The land is owned by the school district so they would have to cooperate in order for the land to transfer to developers. Although the current economy is very weak and there is virtually no development happening right now, the City has been quietly laying the groundwork for future development and redevelopment. The neighborhood residents should weigh in on this plan if they haven't already done so. What is the City's plan for the students who attend this elementary school?
COURTHOUSE SQUARE WILL BE RE-UNITED---What is the impact?
It's already a done deal as of the approval of the Santa Rosa Downtown Station Area Plan. Traffic will be diverted onto Healdsburg/B Street going south which dead ends at First Street. Cars will be able to turn left or right at that point. It should be expected that many more cars will cut over to South A Street to get back to Santa Rosa Avenue. Increased traffic through the neighborhood will be undesirable for our residents, students and park users. We wonder how many of the residents knew about this when the plans were being developed. Issues like this and others need to be addressed by a functioning neighborhood group. Make it happen!
GET INVOLVED! IT'S YOUR CITY!
