Exploitative overdevelopment of public land for private profit victimizes all of us!

Many Sonoma Valley residents fear buildout of the Eldridge Renewal (Rogal/Grupe) plan for the SDC core campus will impact emergency evacuation routes and procedures, putting lives at risk when the next fast-moving wildfire hits. To better understand how adding thousands of vehicles to our two-lane country roads could hamper emergency evacuation, the Valley of the Moon  Alliance (VOTMA) commissioned an Evacuation Time Estimate Study by KLD Associates, a leader in the field.  To read the results, click on the button below.

Another important resource for understanding public opposition to the Eldridge Renewal plan rooted in concerns for public safety is Small Is Beautiful, a short documentary film by award-winning filmmaker Carolyn Scott.  Screenings are available upon request. CLICK HERE to watch the trailer. CLICK HERE to contact Carolyn Scott.

The Sonoma Valley Wildlife Corridor stretches from Sonoma Mountain, east across the valley floor, to the crest of the Mayacamas Mountains. This corridor links the large block of high-quality habitat on the Marin Coast to the expanse of wildlands in the Blue Ridge–Berryessa region of eastern Napa County. The SDC core campus forms a narrow pinch point in the Sonoma Valley Wildlife Corridor.  Overdevelopment of the property will result in, among other things, significant impacts to the local environment, most notably to wildlife habitat and connectivity. Click on the button below to read scoping comments submitted by Sonoma Land Trust.

The Eldridge Renewal plan calls for demolition of approximately 90% of the buildings located throughout the SDC core campus. Developers Rogal and Grupe have chosen to flagrantly disregard numerous citations, laws, and professional opinions regarding preservation of historic buildings, sites, or cultural landscapes of historic interest or value in order to squeeze in as much new housing as they possibly can. Click on the button below to read scoping comments submitted by the Glen Ellen Historical Society.

The Enabling Legislation for redevelopment of the SDC core campus clearly  prioritizes affordable housing: "California is experiencing an acute affordable housing crisis. The cost of land significantly limits the development of affordable housing. It is the intent of the Legislature that priority be given to affordable housing in the disposition of the Sonoma Developmental Center state real property."

Sounds good, but in reality only 20% of the 990 housing units proposed in the Eldridge Renewal plan will be "affordable."  The rest - 80%! - will be market rate, meaning expensive and beyond the reach of those regular folks who need it most. Again, why should our PUBLIC LAND be handed over to developers so they can reap huge profits by providing only the minimum requirement of affordable housing?  If our PUBLIC LAND is to be committed to housing, our first priority should be to create housing for low-income families, seniors, veterans, essential workers, and people with disabilities to ensure housing stability.  We must not accept specious arguments that the only way developers can  build affordable housing is by subsidizing it with market rate units. It's those market rate units that will pad developers' pockets while depleting natural resources and overburdening local infrastructure. Click on the button below to read the 2022 Civil Grand Jury report on Affordable Housing in Sonoma County.

Prior to the SDC closing in 2018, the property received water from an independent water distribution system consisting of water supply sources, a raw water conveyance system, an on-site 1.8 million gallon per day (MGD) surface water treatment plant (WTP), and a potable water distribution system.

When in operation, the system’s water supply was provided by surface water from two on-site lakes (Suttonfield and Fern) that were fed by various diversions from local creeks and springs and treated at the WTP. 

Over the last four years, three reports have been issued assessing various elements including supply, demand, and cost (funded by the Valley of the Moon Water District - 2022, the Department of General Service - 2023, and most recently by Eldridge Renewal LLC - 2025).

Of concern is 1) the condition of the water and wastewater infrastructure; 2) the cost to bring the system to a safe and operable basis; and 3) who's going to pay for the upgrades - developers or taxpayers?

The DGS report made recommendations, deemed necessary, to get the SDC potable water system back into full operation (“urgent projects”). These totaled $2.8m, with the largest item being repairs to the WTP of $800,000. (Note: 2023 estimates). Additional costs to make improvements to transmission line and distribution improvements were estimated at over $9m.

The Eldridge Renewal LLC report includes an estimate of annual water demand (based on the Rogal/Grupe proposal). The entire development is forecast to consume 400 Acre Feet Per Year (AFY) with the proposed hotel being the single largest use at 36,800 gallons per day or 41 AFY.

What is not clear: Who will be responsible for providing water to the SDC? Will it be the Valley of the Moon Water District or will Eldridge Renewal outsource to one of the large, typically publicly-quoted water companies, such as American Water Works Company, Inc (AWK) or the California Water Service Group (CWT)? Click on the button below to learn more.

The Eldridge Renewal plan calls for demolition of 90% of the buildings situated throughout the SDC core campus. These buildings are, to a great extent, full of lead paint, asbestos, and PCBs among other contaminants. Not only will such large-scale demolition be noisy and disruptive, but it could also prove lethal to local human, animal, plant, and aquatic life should hazardous materials escape into the environment. 

Sadly, many of the buildings slated to be demolished could be saved through adaptive reuse, the process of repurposing existing buildings for a new use—such as turning a dormitory into apartments—rather than demolishing them. This sustainable approach preserves historical character and reduces carbon emissions by avoiding new construction. 

Click on the button below to read Sonoma Valley Next 100's scoping comments re demolition, excavation, and disposal. CLICK HERE to read David Bolling's Feb. 19, 2026 article in the Sonoma Valley Sun: "Is SDC a Toxic Time Bomb?"

DGS discontinued all maintenance of the core campus at the end of June, 2025. Word is that water to all structures and landscaping - excepting fire hydrants - has been turn off, although it appears a great many of the fire hydrants along Arnold Drive are not working. Since two lawsuits are pending,  redevelopment of the SDC core campus beginning anytime soon seems highly unlikely. So what's going to happen with all the dead and dying vegetation, not to mention other hazards (such as neglected buildings collapsing in on themselves, cracked pavement, falling fences, and malfunctioning storm drains) following in the wake of the State's abandonment of this property it still owns?

Click on the button below to see how once beautifully manicured grounds are turning into an enormous fire hazard.  CLICK HERE to read Tracy Salcedo's article about SDC maintenance in the April 1, 20206 edition of the Kenwood Press.