May 27, 2019.  The SDC Coalition invites the public to a free community workshop on June 15, 2019 from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. at the Hanna Boys Center Auditorium. Over the next few months, Sonoma County will begin a three-year, $3.5 million land use and environmental planning effort for the the 900+ acre Sonoma Developmental Center (SDC) property, that is also known as Eldridge, CA. The purpose of the June 15th meeting is:

• Learn more about Sonoma County’s planning framework for developing allowable land uses, zoning designations, and environmental protections for Eldridge
• Share with the public and receive feedback on a proposed Eldridge Vision Statement and Guiding Principles
• Build support for cohesive community engagement

The SDC Coalition is a group of Sonoma County agencies and non-profit partners working together since 2013 on  issues related to the closure of SDC, and the reuse planning and disposition process for the land and developed campus. Since 2015, the SDC Coalition has hosted numerous public meetings to solicit ideas and feedback on different visions and possible futures for SDC.  The results and synthesis of this public engagement process are available on this blog site, and the Wallace, Roberts Todd (WRT) 2018 “Existing Conditions Assessment” for SDC contains an excellent summary of  “community voices” derived from stakeholder interviews and public comment on reuse priorities and concerns for the open space lands and developed campus.

In the Fall of 2019, Sonoma County will start a formalized process for community engagement pursuant to their authority under the Sonoma County General Plan and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  The June 15th Workshop will educate participants about the upcoming planning process, and provide a structured and facilitated workshop setting to review and discuss a draft vision statement and set of guiding principles for Eldridge that has been developed by members of the SDC Coalition.

Speakers scheduled for the workshop include: Sonoma County Supervisor Susan Gorin,  Deputy Director Milan Nevajda of Permit Sonoma, Richard Dale of the Sonoma Ecology Center, and representatives from the Glen Ellen Forum and Sonoma Mountain Preservation. The meeting  is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be served. The final agenda and a draft of the vision statement and guiding principles will be available on this blog site several days prior to the meeting.

The Transform SDC Blog site was launched in 2014 to provide the Sonoma Valley community — and those interested in the future of the Sonoma Developmental Center (SDC) — a forum and information source for news related to the closure of SDC and plans for the future of this remarkable property and historic place.  For more information, please post a response on the blog site, or email John McCaull  at   johnm@sonomalandtrust.org.