On Thursday, September 4, 2025, Sonoma Valley Next 100 filed an Amended Complaint in the Sonoma County Superior Court against the California Department of General Services (DGS) – (Defendant and Respondent) and the Grupe Company, Rogal and Partners, and Eldridge Renewal LLC (Real Parties in Interest) in response to the proposed demolition and development of the former Sonoma Developmental Center (SDC).
The Amended Complaint requests that the court:
• Set aside the selection of Rogal/Eldridge Renewal as the developer of the Sonoma
Developmental Center (SDC) site.
• Prohibit DGS from signing on to any applications for development until a valid Specific Plan
is in place.
• Require DGS to obtain legally required measures from the Office of Historic Preservation to
protect historic assets at the SDC.
• Direct DGS to fund necessary maintenance and upkeep for the historic buildings and landscape at SDC, and to address any remaining deferred maintenance there, until a transfer to a third party is completed.
• Require DGS to rescind the transfer of the 52 acres to CalFire, and to make no subsequent
transfers for that purpose until the terms of Government Code section 65041.1 have been met.
“When DGS submitted the development proposal for the SDC site, it violated its duty under the
Enabling Legislation and Public Resources Code section 5024.5(a) by proposing to develop the
site before an adopted Specific Plan was in place,” said Norman Gilroy, President of Sonoma
Valley Next 100, the local non-profit organization that filed the Amended Complaint.
“DGS’s development proposal calls for the demolition of more than 95% of the historic
resources on the SDC site, and it was apparently submitted without completing the required
consultation with the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) to obtain prudent and feasible measures for the protection of historic resources. We also assert that DGS violated the mandatory provisions of Government Code Section 11011.1, the State law that governs all
disposition of state property, when it selected Eldridge Renewal LLC (a partnership between
Rogal and Grupe) without first formally offering the property to other agencies or non-profits. We ask the Court to overturn DGS’ decisions in each of those issues.”
“We have also challenged DGS’ decision to stop maintaining the SDC property as of June 30, 2025,” said Jon Wilson, a member of the legal committee at Sonoma Valley Next 100. “By removing all staff and withdrawing all annual maintenance funding for the site, DGS has violated the clear intent of the Enabling Legislation that DGS protect and preserve the SDC site, including its historic structures, throughout the period required for the final adoption of a Specific Plan for the property. We are asking that appropriate funding and staffing be restored until a Specific Plan is adopted so that these irreplaceable resources are protected until a new plan for the site can be implemented,” continued Wilson.
The Amended Complaint also claims that the transfer of 52 acres of the SDC site for a massive
$250M CalFire Regional Headquarters, a development that would be right on top of a sensitive
wildlife corridor on the SDC site, was in violation of Government Code Section 65041.1, which
sets “state planning priorities to promote equity, strengthen the economy, protect the
environment, and promote public health and safety in the state, including in urban, suburban,
and rural communities” for all State development projects.
“Each of these claims has urgency,” said Gilroy, “particularly since the public asset represented by the buildings and landscape at the SDC site is now being allowed to deteriorate as winter and the most active part of the fire season approaches. The time is now for DGS to manage the SDC site responsibly and in the best interests of the people of Sonoma County and the State of California.”
About Sonoma Valley Next 100
Sonoma Valley Next 100 is a nonprofit organization committed to preserving the natural,
cultural, and historical resources of Sonoma Valley while advocating for sustainable and
community-centered development. The group works to protect local environmental and
historical landmarks and engage in efforts that promote responsible, equitable land use.
Thank you SV Next 100 for filling this latest suit . Either a county or private agenda that seems pre – determined is at work here, or, agencies and just doing whatever they want !
We need to continue to fight for the preservations and honoring of the wildlife corridor, preservation of historic buildings and other sites, creek and waterway protection, design to avoid night light pollution, and safety of current grounds… Not to mention a reduction in the number of housing units ! Fire evacuation studies already show that at this number of proposed houses (950) this project will create a hazardous evacuation condition , right in the middle of fire county. It’s all too much, and this GEM of a beautiful and almost sacred site needs protection…
Thank you SV Next 100