Coming soon: public scoping period
On May 6, the Board of Supervisors voted to offer Dyett & Bhatia a new consulting contract for SDC environmental analysis. Next up on the agenda is release of the Notice of Preparation (NOP) on June 20 (more or less), which begins the 30-day Public Scoping Period. Public scoping serves to include agencies, stakeholders, and interested public in the decision-making process and to allow full environmental disclosure (see below).
Your feedback during Scoping is essential! Even if you've already submitted comments regarding SDC environmental issues a gazillion times, you need to do it again because the County is not required to consider them unless sent in as scoping comments during the Public Scoping Period. Really? Yes!
Scoping comments should identify the following:
1. Environmental issues that should be addressed (e.g., impacts on wildlife, traffic, consistency with land use policies, noise, light, etc.)
2. Alternatives that should be included in the EIR analysis; provide as many details as possible.
3. Methodologies that should be used in the EIR analysis
4. Environmental Thresholds (Significance Criteria)
5. Mitigation Measures
6. Information sources or studies that should be consulted in preparing the EIR. For example, the SAFE Study recently completed by KLD Associates and commissioned by Valley of the Moon Alliance.
As we gear up for Scoping, SCROLL DOWN this page and click on the links below for talking points, resources, and supporting materials.
Additional resources
Important Things to Remember and How to Submit Your Comments
- Comments need to be directed to the current Board item at hand – the draft “project description” and staff report.
- It's is critical to point out why the current alternative (Eldridge Renewal application) does NOT meet the needs of the community, is NOT responsive to overall Sonoma Valley community input, and is not acceptable.
- Identify clearly what needs to change in the project description – for one, the overall numbers need to be reduced. The vast majority of community members and local organizations asked for a substantial reduction in numbers because those numbers result in significant unavoidable impacts.
- Using a template is not really the way to go. Form letters don’t usually get any attention from the reviewers. Speak honestly and make a few points clearly. Several board members have rural communities in their districts. If you can figure out ways that they can relate to our plight, that would help. In some sectors, there is a general feeling that Glen Ellen and Kenwood are rich white communities, which is not entirely the case. The fact that Glen Ellen already houses over 200 apartments on the south side of SDC should count for something, and those residents will be directly impacted by traffic, noise, etc.
- Comments should be submitted to Permit Sonoma staff working on the campus redevelopment: Tennis Wick (Director): tennis.wick@sonoma-county.org; Wil Lyons (Planner): wil.lyons@sonoma-county.org
- Other important links, such as County Supervisors and State Legislators (tough not necessarily for the purposes of Scoping) can be found by clicking on the link below.
Rogal/Eldridge Renewal Application
This link will take you to the many documents that comprise the most current version of the Eldridge Renewal application.
Outline of EIR Process
Click on the button below for information on the EIR process we posted for the first NOP back in 2022 (a huge thanks to land-use planner Vicki Hill). Seeing that we're now dealing with a "Specific Plan with a Builder's Remedy overlay" - whatever that means, no one really knows as this is a novel concept - there could be some changes, but this is more or less how the process unfolds.
Talking Points
This section is under construction. Please check back soon.
Court's Final Ruling on SCALE/SCT CEQA Lawsuit
The purpose of Scoping is to identify issues that must be addressed in the revised EIR. The Court's final ruling in the SCALE/SCT CEQA lawsuit identifies many of these issues as related to the now decertified first EIR. Click on the button below to read the final ruling.
Sonoma Land Trust Scoping Comments re 2022 NOP
For those of you willing to take the deep dive, please read scoping comments provided by the Sonoma Land Trust back in 2022 when the County issued the NOP for the original SDC Specific Plan EIR. Note: These comments were prepared by professionals. Seeing that most of us aren't able to generate anything remotely as comprehensive, please know that this document is included here to provide a broad overview of the many different issues that must be addressed.
SDC Project Status
The County re-hired consultant Dyett & Bhatia, and environmental review will soon begin on the "Specific Plan with a Builder's Remedy overlay." Stay tuned for information on opportunities for public input during the EIR 30-day Public Scoping Period anticipated to begin in late June. Detailed instructions will soon be posted here on the ALERTS page.