September 4, 2019.   Sonoma County has taken the first step in what will be a multi-year effort to create a specific plan for the former site of the Sonoma Developmental Center (SDC) by releasing an application for community members to serve on a Planning Advisory Team to help develop the specific plan.  Follow this link to Sonoma County’s dedicated page to SDC for the advisory team application. The application deadline is October 4, 2019.

As the Sonoma County website for SDC states,  “The SDC Specific Plan will guide future development at the SDC site. The Plan seeks to define and achieve a clear vision for the future of the site, which includes consideration of mixed uses, economic development opportunities, affordable housing, open space and resource conservation, as well as cultural and historical preservation.”

The County is also committed to engaging with the community to build a consensus vision for the site’s future.  As Supervisor Susan Gorin stated in the press release for the application announcement, “There has been a tremendous amount of community engagement in the Sonoma Developmental Center. The Planning Advisory Team is a great opportunity for community members to build on this work to create the vision for the future of this special place.”

The three main task of the Team are to (1) advise county staff and consultants as a sounding board for plan development (2) review specific plan materials and (3) serve as ambassadors to the public.  The Team’s composition will include 13 members as follows:

• 2 will be representatives of community organizations active in the Glen Ellen-SDC area, selected by the Permit Sonoma Director
• 3 will be community members with technical expertise relevant to planning for the SDC site
• 8 will be community members at large, at least 5 of the members will reside or work within 2 miles of the SDC site

The County has developed the following mission statement, core values, and duties to inform potential applicants of what to expect if selected for the Team. This will be a considerable time commitment for Team members, with likely monthly meetings over the three year planning time frame.

For more information about the County’s specific plan process and to sign up for their email updates, go to:  https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/PRMD/Long-Range-Plans/Sonoma-Developmental-Center/.

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.  For more information, please post a response on the blog site, or email John McCaull  at   johnm@sonomalandtrust.org.