Start thinking about your comments for the DEIR
Submit comments during the 60 day public comment period!
The public draft of the new Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the SDC Campus Specific Plan and Eldridge Renewal Project is expected to be published by Permit Sonoma by late summer.
Following its release, Permit Sonoma will initiate a 60 day public comment period to allow community members, local groups, and public agencies to submit formal feedback on the environmental analysis.
Key Project Context:
Background: The original 2022 Environmental Impact Report and Specific Plan were rescinded and decertified by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors in late 2024 following a successful California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) lawsuit by community advocates.
The Current Proposal: The applicant, Eldridge Renewal, LLC, has proposed a mixed-use development on the 180-acre core campus utilizing "Builder's Remedy" provisions. The plan details 990 residential units (including affordable housing), commercial and retail spaces, and a 130- to 150-room boutique hotel and conference center.
Environmental Focus Areas: This new DEIR process, handled by consulting firm Dyett and Bhatia (the same firm that handled the initial deeply flawed EIR), is supposed to address the previous court-identified flaws. It is expected to place heavy analytical emphasis on wildfire evacuation planning, local water supply assessments, and impacts on the surrounding wildlife corridor.
To submit formal comments on the upcoming Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Eldridge Renewal project, you can use the official communication channels established by Permit Sonoma.
While the DEIR public comment period has not yet officially opened, Permit Sonoma accepts written input and documentation regarding the Sonoma Developmental Center housing development project through the following methods:
Submission Methods:
By Email (Preferred): Send your digital comments directly to the dedicated project inbox at SDC@sonomacounty.gov.
By Mail: Address physical letters to the assigned project planner:
Permit Sonoma
Attn: Wil Lyons
2550 Ventura, Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95403
In-Person Public Hearings: Once the DEIR is published, Permit Sonoma will host formal public hearings where you can provide oral testimony or turn in physical comment cards.
Tips for Making Your CEQA Comments Count:
Because this is a legal review process under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), structuring your comments correctly ensures they must be evaluated and addressed in the Final EIR.
Focus on Environmental Impacts: Base your comments on specific environmental areas (e.g., wildfire evacuation routes, groundwater availability, riparian corridor setbacks, wildlife corridor disruption, etc.) rather than general opinions about whether you like or dislike the project.
Be Specific and Fact-Based: Rather than stating "traffic will be bad," reference specific local intersections, existing congestion points, or narrow evacuation bottlenecks.
Suggest Mitigation Measures: If you identify a major flaw, suggest realistic solutions, alternative designs, or specific scientific data and studies that the county's consulting firm should review.
You can track project updates, meeting schedules, and the exact start date of the 60 day public comment period directly on the official Permit Sonoma SDC Project Page.
Folks, submitting comments on the new DEIR is super important. Please stay informed and engaged! The future of Sonoma Valley is at stake. Regularly check back here for updates.
DGS neglects maintenance of sdc core campus
Huge Fire Hazard at SDC
Huge Fire Hazard at SDC
The CA Department of General Services (DGS) discontinued maintenance of the SDC core campus at the end of June 2025. As these photos reveal, the once beautifully manicured grounds are quickly turning into an enormous fire hazard. On top of that, a good many of the fire hydrants along Arnold Drive are "out of service"!!!
When so much emphasis is placed on the need for individual property owners to maintain defensible space - especially during fire season and particularly in the wildland-urban-interface (WUI) - why is it that DGS gets a pass?
Residents of Sonoma Valley are now expected to maintain defensible space around structures by removing flammable materials, such as dry grass and leaves, dead trees, and overhanging branches. Being a good neighbor during fire season means mitigating risks on your own property to protect the entire community, yet DGS neglects its duty to be a good and responsible neighbor. What gives?
Huge Fire Hazard at SDC
Seeing that two lawsuits focusing on the SDC redevelopment project are still pending, construction is not likely to begin anytime soon. So what's going to happen with all the dead and dying vegetation, not to mention other safety hazards - cracked pavement, collapsing buildings, falling fences, malfunctioning storm drains, etc. - following in the wake of DGS' cynical abandonment of this property it still owns.
What can you do?
The property is owned and managed by the State of California. Maintenance requests need to be directed to DGS, which oversees repairs and upkeep for state-owned facilities. Contact their Customer Service Center in Sacramento to report maintenance issues.
Phone: (916) 376- 1800
Email: DGSRESDAMBGeneralInquiries@dgs.ca.gov
You can also contact your State Representatives, Senator Cabaldon or Assemblymember Connolly.
Senator.Cabaldon@senate.ca.gov
assemblymember.connolly@assembly.ca.gov
CLICK HERE to read David Bolling's article in the April 2, 2026 edition of the Sonoma Valley Sun.
Spring 2026: A number of fire hydrants along Arnold Drive are "Not In Service."
Call or write to Fire Chief Steve Akre (Sonoma Valley Fire Department) to ask what he plans on doing about the fire hazards at the SDC.
email: stevea@svfra.org
phone: 707-996-2102
CLICK HERE to read Tracy Salcedo's article about SDC maintenance in the April 1, 2026 edition of the Kenwood Press.
Fall 2025: The collapsing roof of Sonoma House, a historic treasure, is covered in cheap disintegrating plastic sheeting.
Fall 2025: Microplastic on Sonoma House grounds (from disintegrating plastic sheeting covering the collapsing roof) will surely make their way into Sonoma Creek.
Fall 2025: Notice debris on the roof of this abandoned building that once served as housing.
Fall 2025: Tall grass along Arnold Drive creates a fire and tripping hazard.
Spring 2026: Lights are definitely out at the SDC!
Spring 2026: Neglected grounds of SDC core campus.
Spring 2026: Another inoperable fire hydrant on Arnold Drive.
Thankfully, fire hydrants were still working in 2017 when the Nuns Fire swept through the SDC.
Spring 2026: Tall grass and dead tree on Arnold Drive.
Spring 2026
scoping has closed: Thanks to all who submitted comments!
On Aug. 29, Permit Sonoma issued the Notice of Preparation (NOP) for the SDC redevelopment project. The 30-day Public Scoping Period closed on September 29.
A huge THANK YOU to individuals, nonprofits, and agencies for submitting your comments.
WHAT'S NEXT? Please check back here soon for details on how you can stay involved.
In the meantime, please read the Provide, Protect, Preserve Alternative recently submitted to Permit Sonoma by SCALE and SV Next 100.
The Provide, Protect, Preserve Alternative was developed by a small working group of representatives from Sonoma Community Advocates for a Liveable Environment (SCALE) and Sonoma Valley Next 100 in response to public health and safety concerns, environmental site constraints, non-compliance with CEQA (as identified by the Sonoma County Superior Court in the SCALE decision), and broad community input. It represents a balanced and environmentally superior approach to redevelopment of the site.
To read the Provide, Protect, Preserve Alternative, click on the button below. CLICK HERE to read the SCALE SDC EIR scoping comments letter.
SV Next 100 needs your help!
Sonoma Valley Next 100 is providing consistent leadership in support of an alternative solution to the widely-opposed Eldridge Renewal, LLC plan for redevelopment of the SDC core campus. Click on the button below to learn how SV Next 100 is working hard to make sure redevelopment of this ecologically sensitive site is scaled to harmonize with the property’s rural setting, preserving its wildlands, supporting its wildlife, minimizing wildfire evacuation risks, and benefiting the people who live in and around it. Thank you for any support you are able to provide!