Nothing of this size or scale (100 events totaling 10,000 people per year) has ever been allowed in a community separator or in RRD zoning. It would undermine decades of longstanding greenbelt protection and city-centered growth.
PUBLIC HEARING JULY 9 – 1 PM SONOMA COUNTY BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENTS – COMMENT DEADLINE JULY 5
Oppose Luxury Resort in Community Separator
Several coalition members have written to inquire exactly where 3890 Old Redwood Hwy. is. Below are more details from Teri Shore (Greenbelt Alliance).
- Cloverleaf Ranch burned in the 2017 wildfires, but much was saved and they are rebuilding and operating under COVID restraints.
- The luxury resort is proposed for a 22 acre property next door called Buzzard’s Gulch that was also burned, and the two houses that were there were completely destroyed. The developer has named his project Sonoma Solstice.
- Back in the 1980s up until about 1987, this property was part of Cloverleaf Ranch. It was parceled off to a family member at that time. It then fell into disrepair and the old buildings were abandoned for decades. The family member lived there on one house and there was also a mobille home. Both burned down.
- There was never a permit of any type at Buzzard’s Gulch and certainly not for a major event facility and adult lodging or for alcohol service, etc..
- The new luxury resort proposal intensifies development and density beyond what was ever there before or ever allowed in a community separator or RRD zonoing
- In any case, the previous historic use is long extinguished and not relevant to the current proposal.That is stated clearly by the county.
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Nothing of this size or scale (100 events totaling 10,000 people per year) has ever been allowed in a community separator or in RRD zoning. It would undermine decades of longstanding greenbelt protection and city-centered growth.
If the developer wanted to rebuild a youth camp there, we would be OK with that. Of course if Cloverleaf Ranch wanted to renovate or improve its youth camp, we’d be totally supportive!!! So far they haven’t.
If the developer scales back to what might be allowed, such as a small B and B up to five rooms, a farmstay or a vacation rental, we’d probably be OK, too. Depending. It would need to go through a public permitting process, too.
The luxury event center goes way beyond what is allowed. We are sorry that the county didn’t make it clear to the developer when he bought the property after the fires from a member of the Cloverleaf Ranch family that his vision for the site was in conflict with longstanding voter approved policies! They did him a disservice as well as all of us.