Join one of the county’s Sonoma Valley-centric Commissions

Did you know that The Sonoma Valley Community Advisory Commission (SVCAC) is one of the longest running advisory commissions in the county?

It was first formed in 1993 through a Joint Powers Agreement between the County and the City of Sonoma particularly focused on land use planning. Presenting before the commission gives applicants an opportunity hear feedback from the community before moving on through the approval process to the Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Adjustments, or other local hearing body.

They may make changes to their projects based on their appearance at the SVCAC, and staff takes the discussions seriously and uses this to inform their work with the applicant and their presentation before the next hearing body.

Any large development project in the Valley has most likely come before this commission; the Verano Hotel and Housing development currently under construction at the old Paul’s Resort site, Boyes Food Center, the Siesta Senior apartments, Sonoma Developmental Center Specific Plan, proposed Amazon last mile center in the south valley, and various wine and cannabis projects have all had robust discussions here.

The SVCAC also hears informational presentations on a variety of subjects like the general plan, groundwater, various ordinances up for discussion, and the housing element.

Now is an exciting time to apply to join the SVCAC. We have the general plan updates for both the City and the County ramping up, the Springs Specific Plan that is planned to move forward in 2024, as well as a few large developments in the pipeline at the former SDC campus and elsewhere in the valley.

Our commissioners come from a variety of different backgrounds which helps them balance what many would see as competing priorities—creating housing supply, especially affordable housing; habitat preservation; water availability; traffic, noise, and quality of life concerns; drainage and flood risk—during discussions and when crafting their recommendations.

The SVCAC is also one of the largest commissions, with 19 seats in total: 11 voting members, 2 alternates, and 6 nonvoting ex-officio or emeritus members. Appointments are made based on geographical areas—El Verano West, Springs East, North Valley, South Valley, and the City of Sonoma are all represented. With this many seats, it can be a challenge to fill them all, so anyone who finds land use interesting, can approach presentations with an open mind, and enjoys getting into the details, is encouraged to apply.

The Springs MAC is interested in art that can engage, connect, and beautify neighborhoods allowing public participation. Wrapping bicycle racks, painting utility boxes, and submitting a design for the council’s logo competition achieved this. The council increased community engagement and outreach through successful cultural and public events such as the Dia del Niño celebration and Dia de Muertos colorful altars as well as organizing creek cleanups, an emergency preparedness event, and the second annual Winter Celebration where this year more than 130 families attended, and 300 free gifts were given away in addition to cookies and photos with Santa Claus. MACs help local representatives understand how they can best assist and serve the community. The government is at the service of the people, and the MAC is the bridge between the two. We encourage community engagement. Get involved, attend the meetings and or fill a current vacancy. MAC meetings bring important information to the community and provide an opportunity to give input. It gives community members (including the MAC members) a greater understanding of the working of Sonoma County government, services, and opportunities. How to apply. North Sonoma Valley Municipal Advisory Council The North Sonoma Valley Municipal Advisory Council (NSV MAC) formed in 2019 and officially launched in 2020 – virtually! Not many groups get their start amidst a global pandemic, meeting via Zoom, but the NSV MAC and its members have done a great job providing a platform for the unincorporated communities of Glen Ellen and Kenwood to voice their interests and concerns, work on projects for greater community benefit, and make space for public information sharing. It will come as no surprise given its geographic boundaries that the NSV MAC is deeply invested in the future of the Sonoma Developmental Center (SDC). They wrote comment letters throughout the specific planning process in the fall of 2021 through late 2022, providing a forum for the public to ask questions of planning staff, to raise concerns, and, ultimately, to share their vision for the former state hospital site. Housing and development continue to be primary interests for the NSV MAC; at their meeting in December of last year, they formed an ad hoc to study existing Glen Ellen Development & Design Guidelines with the intent to provide comment as part of the county’s recently launched General Plan Update. In addition to their attention to the housing and development, the NSV MAC advocates for community improvements to roads, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure improvements, and the beautification of public space, including a project at the Glen Ellen Triangle. Early on, they focused on fire preparedness and resiliency, with large portions of the NSV MAC area impacted by the 2017 fires. NSV MAC members have had a presence at the Glen Ellen Fair, marched in the Kenwood Fourth of July parade, and continue to look for ways to increase community engagement. While the MAC began meeting via Zoom, they now meet in a hybrid format: in-person at the Kenwood Depot, with participation also available via Zoom. The meet on the third Tuesday of each month at 5:30pm, and encourage you to stop by for a meeting and/or, if you’re interested, to apply!