Cows will stay at Montini Ranch

The cows grazing at the Montini Ranch on Fifth Street West aren’t going anywhere. However, the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District is moving forward with a gravel path across the south part of the pasture despite the Sonoma City Council’s displeasure with the plan. The district must allow disabled access to the property to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The slope is too steep on the west side of the property to provide disabled access, nor can the state park allow such access through Vallejo’s home because of restrictions on historic properties. Therefore, the only option for compliance is to cross the pasture.
Construction is currently a year behind schedule. The project will likely break ground in late spring or summer.
The trail is the result of a long mediation process with landowners, neighbors and city, county and state officials, as well as land-use consultants. The district does not actually require the city council’s approval to move forward, but entered the mediation process to find a plan that would please everyone. The consensus at those meetings was to allow cows to graze, but to keep hikers at a distance while providing public access.
Andrea Mackenzie, general manager of the preservation district said that the district has two obligations in administering the property. The first and foremost is conservation and the second is recreational access. The district purchased the 98-acre property outright in 2006 for $13.9 million, and also secured a conservation easement on the upper half of the ranch.
A handful of trails will be installed at the site at a projected cost of $225,000, allowing locals and visitors to climb the hill and enjoy views of the Valley. The unpaved, gravel trail across the pasture will vary from 3 to 5 feet wide and will have a “see-through” wire fence on its north side to separate cows and hikers. Cows will roam freely between the district’s and Bill Montini’s property in the north pasture and will be visible from the road. At least once a year for about three weeks, the cows will graze on the area south of the trail for vegetation management. During that time, the trail will be closed.
The plan also calls for two disabled parking spaces on unpaved gravel at the corner of Verano and Fifth Street West.
“I think a lot of people just aren’t informed about what’s being planned and the process for the planning. People seem to think it’s just arbitrary, heavy-handed… It’s just not like that,” said City Councilmember Steve Barbose, who was part of the mediation process.
The City Council rejected the mediation proposal by a 4-1 vote at its Sept. 17 meeting, with only Barbose voting in favor.