The Springs. A place. A state of mind. People out on stoops, walking along newly laid sidewalks under streetlights, running along the corridor in the early morning, visitors staying at the Fairmont venturing out to the neighborhood, locals gathering around taco trucks, hot pink and beige comingling, Spanish and English fill the air.
This place hums.
The Springs is in a moment of change that will require the talents of the whole community to steward into the future. In 2016-18, we will engage in a planning grant process that will involve community voices to create a vision for the future.
The success of the planning grant process will require the voices of the entire community; only then will it be an authentic exercise that reflects the wants and needs of all who reside here. It is a diverse group, therefore we anticipate robust discussions and ideas about the future.
The key element here is participation; in order to have your voice heard, you must come to the table. Please watch for dates and meeting times in the paper and in this column. The county is currently calling for volunteers for a Citizen’s Advisory Team. Please see page 2 for more information.
Change is the only constant
This moment is but one iteration amongst a history of change and, therefore, an apt time to reflect on the history of the Springs.
The Springs is a term used for decades — noted in the 1994 Highway 12 Design Guidelines — to encompass four small towns, Agua Caliente (“Hot Water”), Fetters Hot Springs (named for George and Emma Fetters), Boyes Hot Springs (named for Henry E. Boyes, formerly “Agua Rica” or Rich Water), and El Verano (“The Summer”). These four towns share histories that weave them together, even though each has a character of its own.
Forever it has been the place to be in the summer to enjoy water – in the creeks and straight from the earth at over 100 degrees. The Springs is woven by tentacles of creeks that flank neighborhoods and define boundaries; its history defined by water and fluidity and immigration.
Historically, while the City of Sonoma was known for the mission, revolts and shifting power; the Springs was known primarily for pleasure, relaxation and summers spent in creeks and public pools. In 1880, Northwestern Railroad established stations in the Springs area, thus the tourism boom begun.
Automobiles entered the valley via ferries from San Francisco that previously were exclusive for rail passengers. While Northwestern continued to operate a train that stopped at Boyes until 1942, clearly it was the end of an era. Fire gutted much of the area in the 20s, and the Great Depression brought the tourism economy to a halt.
Still, the Springs area demonstrated resiliency that only comes from adversity and once again, the area reinvented itself into an affordable and charming family hamlet with the quirky character that has always defined this place.
Over the years, development in the Springs area was sporadic and largely unplanned. Economic and cultural shifts were evident; the only thing one could count on was change. In 1975, the jobless rate in Sonoma County soared to 13.5 percent and in the Sonoma Valley, the population increased to 40,000, double that of 1960.
In 1978, the South Sonoma Valley Area One Specific Plan was completed by the Sonoma County Planning Department, which today is PRMD. Attention was once again focused on the Springs with the intent to develop the area with specific goals in mind. Still, the area resisted organized change and the Springs grew organically into an area where working families could purchase or rent homes for rates below the city.
Post 1978, where the Springs was once an area of pleasure then families, it now morphed into a blend of working people and new immigrants in search of the American Dream. Drug use and crime exploded in the 1980s and few American communities were spared, including the Springs.
In 1984, there was another attempt to focus on the Springs when the Community Development Commission and Board of Supervisors adopted a redevelopment plan for the area. Janet Nicholas was the newly elected Supervisor for the First District. It was a time marred by challenges and not enough triumph. A difficult road.
In 1994, Mike Cale was the First District Supervisor when the Redevelopment Agency retained consultants to create the Highway 12 Design Guidelines. They held three public workshops and created a citizen’s advisory committee, with familiar names, such as Cathy Wade Shepard, Bill Blum and former Supervisor Ig Vella, the modern day grandfather of politics in the Valley. Identified needs included development of a central plaza or town square, sidewalks, parking, and bike lanes. The document expressed a commitment to appreciation for Hispanic Heritage as well as “numerous examples of artistic expression” as “integral to the character of the Springs Area.” This is the plan most often cited, likely because it is within memory for current residents, and because many of the goals remain intact, even as some of the aesthetic guidelines are outdated.
Supervisor Mike Cale believed in the vision and knew the corridor needed massive improvements for safety and economic development. He advocated strongly for funds, and it was his efforts that began an important process that has led us to this time of sidewalks, lights, and the coming bike lanes. Mike provided the critical first step in a long journey.
The 1994 NAFTA agreement pushed thousands of Mexican farmworkers to seek new opportunities in America, the Springs provided a home base for many seasonal agricultural workers. The demographics of the Springs shifted again as a growing and vibrant Latino population settled into the fabric of the community, although many returned home during the off season.
Supervisor Valerie Brown continued Cale’s work and became a strong advocate for change in the Springs, particularly for Highway 12 improvements. Under her leadership, Phase I of the Hwy 12 improvements was completed and Phase II was poised to begin when in 2011, Governor Brown dissolved Redevelopment and the funding was rescinded.
By 2011, the Latino population had become a stable, non-itinerant, population with deeper roots and greater numbers in the area. The Latino population has been and continues to be an asset to this community, just as the long-term families are who have been here for multiple generations. They are workers, business owners, renters, homeowners, and community leaders. Like all Springs residents, they are deeply invested in the economic and cultural direction of the area.
In 2013, I was elected to Supervisor and had the pleasure of providing the final push over the finish line when the Board of Supervisors approved county funding for Phase II of the Hwy 12 corridor, with the hope the funds would be recovered through litigation with the state. I am happy to say we were successful in this endeavor. To continue the work of previous supervisors was a proud moment for me. To see the sidewalks laid and lights lit is a privilege I will not soon forget.
But our work here isn’t done; it is in fact, just beginning. This time, the planning grant process comes at a unique time for the Springs, as the necessary infrastructure to support increased commercial businesses and community activities will be completed in 2016.
Who are we now?
In a word: diverse.
The diversity in the Springs is a major asset to the area and often cited by residents as a primary bonus of living here. To be clear, the Springs is part of the Sonoma area, but it is a different place and deserves its own identity. The planning grant will honor the diversity and incorporate this asset into the process. The Community Advisory Team will reflect the current demographic.
The Springs is approximately 4.4 square miles and is home to over 15,500 people and 345 businesses. Homeownership rates are at 48.3 percent and renters comprise 43.2 percent, with the remaining homes vacant at 8.5 percent (vacant homes are either second homes or vacation rentals). In contrast, the City of Sonoma is 2.2 square miles and 59.1 percent own their own homes.
We have economic diversity, especially noticeable between the hills to the east of the Hwy. 12 corridor and the flat lands to the west. Much like the city, the eastside into the hills tends to be more affluent and the flatlands are more diverse in economic and ethnic makeup. About 80 percent of Springs residents work in the service sector, with the largest numbers concentrated in hotels, restaurants, construction, and retail. The median household income is $54,324 and the per capita income is $27,189 (per capita income is income received by residents over 15 years of age divided by population). In the nearby city of Sonoma, the mean household income is approximately $85,000 per year.
Unemployment rates average approximately 4.4 percent, down considerably in the past few years; however unemployment rates don’t account for those who have left the workforce or those without documentation. In 2011, a study performed by the Sonoma Valley Community Fund with the Economic Development Board estimated that fully one-third of Springs residents lived 200 percent below the federal poverty line.
We have a nearly inverse relationship to the age demographic to that of the city. Approximately 60 percent of the Springs residents are 44 years old and younger (median age is 35 years old); in the city of Sonoma, about 55 percent are 45 years and older (median age is 49.2 years). Our commercial and cultural future must take this element into account.
We have tremendous ethnic diversity in the Springs. The population of Latinos is approximately 50percent and the Caucasian population is 41 percent; in contrast the city of Sonoma is about 15 percent Latino and over 80 percent Caucasian. To encourage Latinos to come to the table, we will have translators at every meeting and Latinos on the Community Advisory Team.
The point of comparison is to draw attention to the difference in needs and desires of each part of our overall Sonoma Valley community. All areas are valuable to our quality of life. While one can and often does have a Sonoma address out here, the Springs is not identical nor should it be formed into a clone or extension of the city. The Springs should complement the city; we believe this will be an asset and offer a different experience for both tourists and residents alike. I am looking forward into the future with this community.
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