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Old fire station workshop Saturday

A community workshop to review and discuss plans for the redevelopment of the old fire station, at 32 Patten St., will be held, at the building, from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 8.

The workshop is sponsored by the Sonoma Community Development Agency (CDA, the city's redevelopment agency), which owns the property, and will be conducted by Foothill Partners, the developer selected to prepare a proposal for the site.

The current Foothill Partners proposal includes a roughly 10,800-square-foot commercial building divided into six ground-floor tenant spaces and one second-floor space with a nine-stall, off-street parking lot and 24 parking spaces perpendicular to the curb on Patten Street.

Envisioned tenants include two restaurants along with other retail shops. The developer has confirmed that one interested tenant is Peet's Coffee, which would involve a retail coffee shop. Design of the facility would include outdoor seating areas, walkways and landscaping.

A town hall meeting was held in 2007 to solicit input on possible uses and designs from members of the community and neighborhood property owners. Following that meeting, the CDA issued a "request for qualifications" (RFQ) from interested developers, listing the following objectives for the property:

• That it serve as a gateway to the Plaza, providing a southern anchor to the Plaza business district.

• That it stimulate pedestrian-oriented activity that complements existing commercial uses in the downtown.

• That it be highly attractive and compatible with the character of the community, both architecturally and functionally.

• That it utilize environmentally-friendly principles in project design and construction.

• That it provide revenue generation to the agency and/or economic benefits to the city.

After interviewing a number of interested developers, the CDA board entered into an exclusive negotiating agreement with Foothill Partners, Inc., based on its proposal to redevelop the site with a retail center.

Objectives of the Saturday workshop are to:

• Review existing site conditions and applicable zoning regulations.

• Review the history of the site, including previous public forums and actions, and CDA objectives for the site.

• Provide the developer with feedback and suggestions from neighbors and other interested members of the community as to how the site should be re-used and redeveloped.

A workbook of additional background information has been prepared and is available on the city's website at sonomacity.org/default.aspx?Pageid=455. Workbooks will also be printed and available at the meeting.

Questions and comments about the project can be directed to Doug Wiele of Foothill Partners by calling (916) 939-9890 or Sonoma Planning Director David Goodison, at 938-3681.