Residents of Clay Street near the The Lodge at Sonoma have been complaining for years about the noise, garbage, and traffic problems at the northeast corner of Sonoma’s largest hotel. At issue: an improper and ill-planned loading dock. Lynn Fiske Watts has lived next door to the hotel since it opened. She says the lack of a proper loading facility has turned Clay Street into a non-stop delivery zone, where big (and loud) trucks make awkward U-turns on the residential street, despite the signs indicating that U-turns are illegal.
Meanwhile garbage bins in the dock are are often overflowing; she reports that sometimes the stench fills the neighborhood. “It’s like living at the crossroads of the Iowa 80 Truck Stop and the city dump,” says Watts. “I’ve lived in Chicago, New York, Boston, Oakland, and San Francisco’s Mission District and never experienced so much noise and so many disruptions during the day and night. Built without a loading dock and approved without noise mitigations, The Lodge enjoys the use of City streets at the expense of the neighborhood.”… The problem dates back to the city’s approval of the original design. That site plan, upon which an EIR and other studies were based, included a restaurant and loading dock on the Southern border of the property. But an administrative change – as in, no public meeting or vote – allowed architects to flip the restaurant location to the north side, abutting Clay Street. No loading dock was included in the new plan, so the hotel improvised one. “The Lodge should respect the residents of the surrounding neighborhood as much as their clientele,” Watts says. “They allow their employees to smoke on their property along Clay Street, and the sidewalk and street are littered with butts. They could move recycling bins to another location on its 9.5-acre property. They could supervise their service area and manage their deliveries to reduce the time trucks have to stay and run their refrigeration units.” Bottom line: “They should adhere to city ordinances, regulations, and code.” So far, Watts says, neighbors are unhappy with the hotel’s non-response to their complaints. But that may change. The Lodge is planning to expand the restaurant and create an outdoor seating area, a project that will trigger a new, public hearing. Watts is hoping that the loading dock issues can be addressed then.
Sonoma City Councilmember David Cook, candidate for County Supervisor, has come out swinging in his run against incumbent Susan Gorin. When Gorin made a statement about Sonoma Valley loses in the 2017 fires, Cook turned up the heat. “This is instructive,” he said. “The voters can now differentiate between an incumbent who thinks losing 400 homes and one life is somehow OK, and a challenger who thinks the 5,600 plus homes and businesses and 22 lives lost in Sonoma County is a capital disaster. While this highlights the nearly complete lack of compassion she often shows, it is really about her level of ignorance.” Cook, clearly warming to the subject, fired back that Gorin “is incompetent as a supervisor. Without knowledge, she can’t exercise leadership.” Cook said he’s better equipped to deal with fire preparedness. “I was a firefighter. I know how to pre-plan for firefighting. I know how to get the job done.”
A true calling. Recently, 25 service-dog trainers and their six-month-old Labrador Retrievers visited Jack London State Park. A Bergin College of Canine Studies literature professor had requested students read Call of the Wild, and then bring their tail-wagging trainees to experience the author’s historic homestead. The pups got the full tour, visiting the museum and Wolf House before heading to Eucalyptus Grove for a training session.
Another sign that the Sonoma Developmental Center is now the property-formerly-known-as. The U.S. Postal Service will hold a public meeting to discuss plans to relocate from the Eldridge Main Post Office, which closed in June, to a yet-to-be-determined location. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 2, 11 am, at the Glen Ellen Post Office.
Road repairs on Arnold and West Napa, tree trimming on Highway 12… traffic jams everywhere, and now the bridge over Sonoma Creek on Boyes Boulevard is closed for major repairs. “Hey, here’s a great idea,” quips John Deal, probably texting from a gridlocked car. “Let’s do road projects on several major routes at the same time, and during fire season, to boot!” Sarah Parker, on the other hand, doesn’t understand what all the complaining is about. “People are either bitching about the roads being terrible or they’re bitching about the roads being worked on. Be thankful they’re being worked on and quit your whining. It’s temporary.”
Two young boys had a serious talk at the Aquatic Center the other day. One of them was curious about a third, absent friend of about the same age. How old is he? one asked. Not sure, said the other, wavering; like nine or ten. Nine, he finally decided. The other lad took it in, pulled on his shirt, and reached an earnest conclusion. “He looks more like ten.”
– Val Robichaud, Page3@sonomasun
Be First to Comment