Letters to the Editor

Stick to the plan

Editor: A recent letter writer’s view (see Jan. 2 “Letters to the Editor”) of the issue of the cows and Montini Ranch seems to have been “lost in translation.” The issues are not whether the Montini family made millions, the backyard views of the residents of Montini Way will be changed or whether the west side has been “waiting patiently for access” to the hiking trails. The crux of the matter is whether the Open Space District should be allowed to arbitrarily change the intent of the original plan that took months/years to negotiate and with which all parties/residents were satisfied. The Open Space District plan with regards to the hiking trails is not about the narcissistic view of west vs. east Sonoma – it is about implementing the original intent of the agreed-upon, negotiated plan: keeping the Montini ranch rural space with the cows and providing hiking trails for all Sonomans. Let’s keep to the real issues on the table.
 
Audrey J. Chapman
Sonoma

Editor: We are writing to add our voices to all those who have so eloquently spoken up in defense of the original intent of preserving the Montini Open Space and in defense of the cows who reside there.
When we moved to Sonoma four years ago, we were captivated by the lovely blend of rural and urban qualities of this city. When we bought our home, we did so largely because of the preserved Montini Ranch across the street. We immediately fell in love with the cows and felt so lucky to have found a city that had the foresight to save these historic ambassadors of the town’s heritage and the pristine backdrop of the Montini Ranch. It is a rare sight to find within a city, as are the beloved Clydesdales, the Patch, and the local vineyards. These are living reminders that connect us with our historical past.
While the Open Space District deserves to be congratulated for their efforts to preserve agricultural land throughout Sonoma, we are dismayed that they have miscalculated the importance of these wonderful animals to the city and its visitors. We have attended several meetings when the Open Space District solicited public comment. We have spoken out at those meetings about the importance of the cows to the city and have witnessed many others voice the same sentiment. It is disheartening to feel that those voices have either not been heard, or not considered. From all we have heard from those local leaders who were involved from the beginning of the Montini preservation process, keeping the cows and the pasture intact was of primary importance.
We have a print of a charming mural created by the fourth- and fifth-grade class of Sonoma Charter School in 2005, which depicts the dairy cows front and center with the Montini Ranch as their stage. It is a singular reminder to us of the love that this city and its children have for these special animals and the land they call home. Hardly a day passes that we don’t see people stop and let their children watch the cows and hear the kids squeal with delight while the parents snap their photographs. These are poignant reminders that our children trust us to protect this rural gem for the next generation.
We urge the Open Space District to reconsider the importance of the cows and the pristine quality of their pasture to the city. We urge the District to really listen to the many people who have spoken out on this issue. The city is passionate about preserving its heritage – please work with us to find a way to do that.

Judith and Anthony Marciante
Sonoma

Editor: I am writing in support of public access to the former Montini property. The Open Space District has made considerable effort to find a solution. It would be helpful to remind readers of some facts:
The Montinis sold the property to the Open Space District and received almost $14 million. This money came from taxpayers. The land belongs to all of us.
The Montinis are allowed to graze cows on public property. This will not change under the District’s plan. The District is proposing to fence cows off from the trail in order to mitigate the alleged dangers from mixing hikers with cows.
I can only assume that Bill Montini’s public comment about the physical impacts of a small parking lot and trail were made facetiously. Any disturbance from the construction of a small parking lot and trail will be small compared with what occurred on the property his family sold for the development of the Montini Estates.
The overriding policy issue is whether the public has a right to use public property. If the directors of the Open Space District decide that the public should not have the trail on public land it will set a terrible precedent. If they rule against the staff’s plan, they should require the Montinis to repay the District the difference between the fee value of the property, which the family received, and an easement value. There is $14 million of our tax money at stake.

Philip Sales
Sonoma