Dance Academy neighbor speaks out
This letter was sent in advance of the City Council’s decision on Wednesday night.
Editor:It’s time to clear up all the misunderstandings regarding our feelings toward the Dance Academy. First and foremost, neighbors surrounding the Academy do not wish to close Sarah Duran-LeVine’s school. We fully appreciate and understand the enormous asset it is in the community and what wonderful classes it offers Sonoma’s children.
What is difficult for not two or three families, but over 20 immediate neighbors to understand, is how a Special Event Facility can be permitted, when it is not zoned nor does it come close to any of the City’s requirements for special events.
The event request is being made for the school’s financial survival. We totally support the school, but this is the wrong request to achieve that.
Would anyone in this town welcome 100+ revelers in their backyard most of the summer with amplified music until 10 p.m., partying to midnight? Most of the Academy’s supporters do not live near the school nor have they experienced the noise. Believe me, it’s bloody loud.
Most importantly, Land Use issues should never be decided on the economics of a business.
The Academy’s garden is indeed attractive. It has been beautifully manicured by the present tenant – where it appears eight parking spaces were, at some point, removed from the backyard. The added income from 20 wedding receptions could add up to $100,000 to the school’s bottom line.
The problem is, it is not zoned for Special Events, it has no Use Permit as an Event Center and 20 events over five summer months equals four events a month – which could result in one every weekend. This would be unacceptable for any neighbor to endure just feet away from our adjoining fence.
We built our Second Street home where we will soon reside, knowing full well there was a Dance Academy at 180 E. Napa Street but we had no idea that special events were going on.
The City Planning Department told both us and the LeVines that there was no Use Permit, yet nine events took place last summer, with many neighborhood complaints.
Yes, I’ve built two event centers in Sonoma. When I applied I was told I had to have over 40 parking spaces on each site, a concrete sound wall at one, neighborhood approval, noise and traffic abatement, ADA accessibility and bathrooms, a separate building for a dumpster and recycling, fire sprinklers and fire exits and all amplified music inside.
None, I repeat NONE of these requirements which I had to build, are in place at the Dance Academy. And after 10 years of operation, we have never received one complaint from the City. Like you, Sarah, I hate being in this controversy. I love this town as you do, but it appears different rules apply to each of us.
Yes, you are on a semi-commercial street near the Plaza, but you are surrounded by residences and an approved B&B on all four sides, none of whom support your application or wish to have a Special Event Center next door…… and over two dozen adjoining households concur. It’s illegal, it’s intrusive and it’s un-neighborly.
Before you ask the City Council to approve your appeal of the Planning Commission’s denial for a Special Events facility, you need to ask yourself if it’s fair to be granted such a generous gift. This will be a major Land Use decision in this neighborhood of Sonoma and a precedent will be set by the City where every other struggling Sonoma business (of which there are many), could request the same.
You didn’t accept our first neighborhood compromise on events but many of us are willing to help find other revenue streams for you, so that your “Secret Gardens Event Center” would be unnecessary.
If all the parents you have fighting for the survival of the school could channel their energies and love for you and your programs into ways to generate needed income, there are many neighbors who would be willing to help.
Unfortunately, this is an offer that has been rejected by the Academy since we began this hurtful and unfortunate struggle. We should all be embracing and building on the successful school you have built, Sarah, and not watching you lobby for an inappropriate, illegal use permit.
Suzanne Brangham
Sonoma
Deserves more attention
Editor: How is it decided which stories will receive greater coverage, color photos, and prime print space, while others are either entirely ignored or simply printed in banal black and white?
I can’t help but ask this question as I read February 5th edition of the Sun. As someone who participated in last week’s, “Road to Reality” life skills course for 250 of our graduating Sonoma Valley High School seniors, I was disheartened to see an amateur dog parade receive full page attention, with color photos, while “Road to Reality” merely received a rote black and white write-up of seven paragraphs.
“Road to Reality” was an event of huge magnitude; the culmination of hundreds of locals donating hundreds of hours of service, goods and time to better our community. It featured nationally recognized speakers, over 160 gift donations from generous local venders, and untold hours of organizing and planning. Not to mention a price tag of $25,000 raised entirely by the Soroptomists of Sonoma Valley.
This event was about a community rallying together to send off our locally grown young adults on to the next phase of their lives with all the wisdom, love and support that the best of this town has to offer. This was one generation of locals honoring, celebrating and selflessly donating to another generation. This was the finest women of Sonoma, as found in our Soroptomists, giving away money, time, and knowledge to promote the safe passage of our youth; ones they knew and ones they just met.
Now surely, does this story deserve a few more accolades, a little more coverage, at least a photo from our town’s local paper? Anyone who knows me knows how much I adore dogs. My dog lives like a little king. And the wet pooches on page 23 of this week’s Sun are undeniably cute, but did we need eight blurry color photos of them? Wasn’t one child out of 250 at last week’s “Road to Reality” event worthy of a photo in your paper?
Grazia Bianchi
Sonoma
Success on the Road to Reality
Editor: Thank you for covering the “Road to Reality” event last week. We appreciate your support of the teens with articles for the general public.
Jean Hopeman,
Publicity Chair
Soroptimist International of Sonoma Valley