The 99-unit Rancho de Sonoma Mobile Home Park is cleared for a condo-style conversion, the Sonoma City Council voted Wednesday night. The 5-0 decision, influenced by legal directives as to exactly what the Council could consider, allows owner Preston Cook to convey ownership to current tenants.
“This is the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make,” said council member Steve Barbose. “The state law does not give us the latitude to oppose the conversion. We created an ordinance, and Mr. Cook meets the test.”
At its last meeting, the city council, hoping to clarify conflicting survey results offered by competing homeowner groups, called for new balloting within the mobile home park. The results showed 52 in favor of conversion and 39 opposed, with 3 non-respondents. The previous, contested survey tallied 57 for and 3 against, with 37 non-respondents.
As a condition of approval, Cook will make $2 million in improvements to the park, including upgrading outdated utilities. If current tenants do not buy, they can continue to rent the space, as can one of their heirs. And though the conversion would void local rent-control laws, Cook’s plan will match or better them.
Opponents charge that residents of the all-senior park will be priced out of their homes. Council member Joanne Sanders disagreed. “The owner is offering rent control over and above what he has to do by law,” she said.
The council’s previous adoption of a mobile home ordinance kept the members within narrow legal guidelines, focused on whether Cook had met key criteria. That made the long session of public comments – most in opposition – oddly moot.
The new survey could not replace the previous vote, cautioned City Planner David Goodison and City Attorney Tom Curry, but was simply more information for the council members as they considered whether the original survey was valid. They voted it was.
“We followed the rules,” said Sue Lofton, Cook’s advisor. “The survey is valid.”
Another finding the Council had to make was whether Cook was trying to escape rent control. It decided he was not, as demonstrated by his guarantee to limit rent increases. “Thanks to Mr. Cook there will be no displacement of residents,” Sanders said.
“I’m the most avid supporter of affordable housing on this board,” said Mayor Ken Brown, but indicated he had been advised to vote in favor to avoid a lawsuit the city couldn’t win.
In other business, the council approved relocating the Tuesday night Farmers Market to city streets in a four-week trial to begin August 11, and city staff was directed to form an advisory group to consider actions if the state closes Sonoma’s state parks. Lastly the council discussed its meeting schedule, including beginning and ending times. Members agreed that five-hour meetings, which typically follow a full work day, are too draining for members and support staff. Possible solutions are to be studied.
