Springs photographer joins Redevelopment Advisory Committee

Three House MultiMedia photo editor Ryan Lely was appointed to the Springs Redevelopment Advisory Committee in a swearing-in ceremony conducted at the County offices last week.
Formed in 1984, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved the Redevelopment Plan for the Sonoma Valley Redevelopment Project, which is the area located along Hwy. 12 between Agua Caliente Rd. and the city limits at Verano Ave. The Sonoma Valley Redevelopment Area extends west along Boyes Blvd. to Railroad Ave. and encompasses a residential neighborhood between Boyes on the north and Cherry Ave. on the south.
“I always liked the Springs because I felt like the community had a lot of personality due to its diversity and history. The area has a storied past as a vacation destination, which has transformed into a residential area,” said Lely. “This leaves the Springs with a residual sense of a leisurely lifestyle but contained in a working-class neighborhood. It’s an intriguing juxtaposition and one I hope to explore further as the Springs continues its redevelopment process.”
A Springs native, Lely’s family has been in the construction business in the Sonoma Valley for over 30 years. He holds degrees in physical anthropology as well as in art and art history (with an emphasis in architectural theory) from the University of California at Santa Cruz. He repatriated to the Springs in early 2006. He has worked with Three House MultiMedia since August of last year.
“I know this area like the back of my hand. To be able to play a role in its redevelopment, and make it a destination outside the city of Sonoma, has been an invigorating challenge. My hope is to help foster a community that maintains its heritage while it modernizes,” explained Lely. “The Springs, I believe, is dynamic enough to do it all.”
Lely encourages interested parties to attend RAC’s meetings to both contribute their opinions as well as garner a sense of what can be achieved. The next meeting is 7 p.m., Oct. 4 at the Boys and Girls Club, 100 W. Verano Ave., Sonoma.