As a former member on the Springs MAC (2019-2021), a community leader of the Springs Community Alliance (2012-2019), and a representative on the Springs Redevelopment Advisory Committee (2006-2012) I was deeply involved in the planning for the Springs Community Plaza. Your article referred to Susan Gorin announcing “limited funds to create a Temporary Springs Plaza”. I wanted to bring to the community’s attention that the remaining funds from the Highway 12 Corridor Improvements Project – Phase II – Stage 2 (completed in 2015 and settled in 2017, I believe, was $2 million. Those funds were designated at the time for a plaza in the Springs. Since the money was part of a bond it could not be spend on other county projects. As of 2020 (before I moved out of the area), I confirmed with county budget personnel that at least $1.3 million was still in the county budget (TPW) as available and unspent.
I wanted to share this info as an avenue that should be pursued. Susan Gorin always downplayed the available funding for the Springs Plaza…just as she obstructed the efforts of the Springs Community for over a decade. I hope this helps in your efforts to finally bring a gathering place to the Springs.
Ellen Conlan, Sonoma
Thank you Ellen for checking on those funds. When I left the Board three years ago I had checked and there was $1.8 million in the fund. The staff person I talked to said at a certain point those funds had to be reconciled and disbursed I assume to the general fund. They could not stay in the account indefinitely. I sure would be interested to know what the $500,000 was spent on over those 3 years. It seems everything with the county ia cloak and dagger. From the magical plan that Susan Gorin was developing with Mattson to unilaterally eliminating the ad hoc Plaza comittee on the MAC that you and I were on. Maybe some of those funds bought the picnic tables and the 10 trees in wooden boxes. I certainly wouldn’t call that a Plaza. As you know, Ellen, there was a plan for the Plaza, but the county has been unwilling,to implement. The county had an oppotunity to buy the auto repair property next to the current Plaza site. They didn’t buy it. The Springs has and continues to be the step-child of the county. The Springs Specific is still not approved after almost 8 years. A Plaza has not been built when a plan existed 20 years ago. They talk about business devlopment and what we get are vape and sex shops. The Springs should never have been a part of the county. We are a gerrymanded District. We have nothing in common with Rincon Valley. We share the same name of the City of Sonoma and the same zip code. The majority of our spending in the Valley is in the City of Sonoma, but we do not share in their sales tax benefits. It is time to seperate out from the county. It just makes sense.