Preserving Sonoma’s small town character

Sonoma’s City Hall continues to impart its character to the Historic Plaza

What is small town character and how is it preserved? Small town character cannot be universally defined, but in the case of Sonoma it means slower not speedier, quieter not noisier, relaxed not hectic; safe not dangerous; and small not big. These are quantifiable factors that can be controlled, but personal values and relationships are also factors, such as friendliness vs. hostility, and generosity vs. greed.

For Sonoma, what’s small is big. By this is meant that how we define size and scale is relative to our community, not a fixed standard; what’s small for Santa Rosa or Napa is often too big for Sonoma. When it comes to change, a similar principle applies; a small change for another community may be a big change for Sonoma. Though change is inevitable, the scale, scope and nature of that change should be considered very carefully and made slowly with great deliberation. When it comes to built structures which exist for many generations, this is particularly important. Once built, the people of Sonoma must live with buildings for a long time.

We live in a speedy society where change is rapid and often driven by greed; progress itself is commonly defined as growth, despite considerable human and environmental costs. To resist growth and the wealth that accompanies it requires a willingness to forego the lure of money, use discipline and patience, and creatively establish benefits that enhance the lives of people and community. To base an economy on what is best for business and tourists is to ultimately sacrifice the heart and soul of community character.

I recently returned from a week’s vacation in Sedona, AZ. Located in spectacularly beautiful natural surroundings, Sedona itself has entirely surrendered to commercialism, and feels sterile, soulless and over-developed. Like Sedona, Carmel, Monterey and much of the Napa Valley, Sonoma can fall victim to the same fate unless attention is paid.

We live in a society of laws. Emotions may drive the nature of legislation and law, but laws and regulations are the basis of how legal decisions are resolved. Accordingly, an effort to preserve Sonoma’s small town character requires defining that character and committing it to precise language within Sonoma’s General Plan and Development Code. Lacking objective standards, these documents sound lovely but leave the meaning of small town character open to endless interpretation.

Recently, I announced that a citizens’ committee, Preserving Sonoma, will soon begin the circulation of a petition to place an initiative on a special election ballot this fall to add objective standards to our General Plan and Development Code pertaining to the approval of any new hotel within city limits: until Sonoma’s annualized occupancy reaches 80% (in 2012 it was 64.8%) new hotels over 25 rooms will be prohibited. Thus the Preserving Sonoma initiative links large hotel development to occupancy; if not linked, Sonoma will be overbuilt. Several large hotel proposals are currently before the city or being contemplated; as the economy improves there will be more.

Many factors contribute to small town character, and hotels are but one. Tasting rooms, event centers and the like also have impacts, but they are somewhat smaller in scope. This initiative is a focused attempt to address a major vulnerability. If you have interest in learning more, you can email me at info@preservingsonoma.com, call me at 996-9498 or visit preservingsonoma.com.

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