Mountain lion sighting
On Sunday at approximately 2:30 a.m., the Sonoma Police Department was notified of a mountain lion sighting in the area of Broadway and MacArthur Street. Upon arrival, an officer located a mountain lion in a parking lot adjacent to Nathanson Creek.
According to a police statement, when the mountain lion saw the officer, it ran into the creek area and eventually disappeared. Police notified the California Department of Fish and Game. Under California law, wild animals, such as mountain lions, fall under its jurisdiction.
The City of Sonoma’s Animal Control Officers will be working with state fish and game officials to address the issue, the statement said. In the meantime, warnings will be posted along the bike path, Sonoma Overlook Trail and the Mountain Cemetery.
Police recommend that residents exercise caution and call 911 if they spot a mountain lion.
Reber challenges Brown
David J. Reber of Sonoma is running against incumbent Valerie Brown for the 1st District seat on the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors.
Brown, who has represented the 1st District seat on the Board of Supervisors since 2002, had announced her intention to run for re-election earlier this spring and until last week, when Reber announced his intention to run, had been unopposed.
Reber, 53, is a Sonoma Valley native and a graduate of Sonoma Valley High School. He earned a degree in management from Sonoma State University and an MBA from San Francisco State University. Previously a commercial lending officer with Bank of America, Reber has been president of Dasun Homes, Inc. for the past 23 years.
In 1998, he was elected to the Sonoma Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees and served as board president in 2001. As chairman of the Public Schools Committee for Temple Lodge #1 F.&A.M., Reber has been responsible for the Sonoma Valley Teacher of the Year program since 1997.
Reber, who is registered as a Republican, lives with his wife, Susan, in El Verano. Their three children live elsewhere in California.
Live music OK’d at EDK; Kitchenette opening
The city of Sonoma Planning Commission at its meeting Thursday evening approved by a 4-2 vote to allow live music from 11 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. in the El Dorado Kitchen restaurant.
“It’s a matter of live music by the customers’ request,” said Jens Hoj, EDK general manager. “What’s better than listening to music and having a mimosa on a beautiful Sunday afternoon?”
The restaurant is at 405 First St. West across from the plaza, so not surprisingly, the city received letters from a few nearby residents expressing concern about the anticipated noise, such as, “I am a light sleeper and need quiet at night.”
Noting that brunch service is in the middle of the day and specific complaints were about night noise, commissioner Tom Anderson said, “After hearing from the applicant – the letters and issues from the neighbors are mitigated.”
Commissioner Randy Cook said, “This is not the Hard Rock Café.”
Tomorrow (Friday), the Kitchenette, a gourmet cafe adjacent to EDK, will open after a series of delays postponed the kickoff date for more than six weeks.
Led by EDK pastry chef Octavio Alcantar, formerly of the French Laundry and Bouchon Bakery in Yountville, the café will serve a light menu of fresh pastries, savory sandwiches, organic salads, wine, beer and other cold beverages, as well as organic Clover Dairy soft-serve ice cream with various decadent toppings. The Kitchenette will also offer picnic basket lunches to go. The new spot, located on the ground floor of the El Dorado Hotel, will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 405 First St. W. For more details, visit www.eldoradosonoma.
Friedman’s ready for renovation and expansion
The city of Sonoma Planning Commission voted unanimously at its meeting Thursday evening to approve the Friedman Brothers’ remodeling and expansion of its home improvement facility.
The 5.83-acre property expansion plan at 1360 Broadway calls for an increase in existing retail space of 12,059 square feet; the construction of a 32,670-square-foot covered shed; 93 new parking spaces; 1,388 square feet of administrative office space. In keeping with the minimum open space requirement for commercial spaces, there will also be 30,525 square feet of landscaped area.
“They’re expanding and remodeling and they’re going to do even more business,” city planner David Goodison said.
A significant element in the environmental review process was to ensure that the expansion and remodeling does not create drainage impacts on neighboring properties. To improve water quality and to reduce the speed of water runoff, a bio-swale has been proposed.
Bio-swales are storm-water retention ponds that provide flood control and remove pollutants from parking lots, such as motor oil or radiator coolant. Civil engineer Julia Harberson explained to the commission that the existing swale cannot handle any additional water without flooding the neighboring properties and the existing swale is not up to bio-swale standards.
As recommended in the 2020 General Plan Environmental Impact Report, there will be turn lane improvements for the Broadway/Napa-Leveroni Road intersection.
