For the past two months, a case study in how to lobby the county of Sonoma has been taking place from the quiet neighborhood of the Aqua Caliente Knolls. Last August, Bob Hughes discovered that there was a plan to change the name on the entry sign of the community from “Aqua Caliente Knolls” to simply “The Knolls.”
Hughes, who hated the proposal, wrote to 1st District Supervisor Susan Gorin’s office and blasted the idea, demanding the supervisor stop the change.
“It’s not just a sign on (Highway) 12 - it is a Navigational and Historical Landmark that has been there for over 45 years,” wrote Hughes in an Aug. 21 email to Pat Gilardi, Gorin’s district director. “Travelers look for the Aqua Caliente Knolls sign on the entrance wall when trying (to) find the subdivision and/or neighboring locations. It represents the Historical Nature of the Aqua Caliente Knolls and Aqua Caliente area.”
Hughes spent the next eight weeks lobbying Gorin’s office, getting the supervisor’s staff to investigate the history of the sign, the neighborhood, and the legality of changing the name. He wrote to local resident Maureen Bruce, who moved to the neighborhood six years earlier and was working with a group of 50 residents to change the sign.
“No changes should be made in any of the common areas including the sign,” wrote Hughes. “It has not been approved, nor do you have any authority to make or lead any change efforts.”
Hughes added that “residents who have been here a short time should not be taking liberties.”
“Signage was never an issue until you arrived a relatively short time ago,” wrote Hughes.
Bruce, who moved to the neighborhood from Minnesota, said she was shocked by the anger of the response.
“Nobody knew who he was. I tried to arrange a meeting with him, but got no answer,” said Bruce. “All we wanted to do was spruce up the area. The sign was covered up by juniper brush and I could not even see it at first. It is 45 years old and we just thought it would look nice to get a new sign.”
Bruce and her group called themselves the “El Portola Committee.” She said her group represented 50 of the area’s 137 homes. They proceeded to cut back much of the juniper and other foliage around the sign and asked a private contractor about replacing the sign.
“We were told it could cost as much as $3,000,” said Bruce. “The decision to shorten the name to ‘The Knolls’ was based on the costs. It was cheaper to shorten the name, then to replace the whole thing.”
Bruce added that the county commended her group for taking on the job.
“Tom O’Kane of the Public Works Department, thanked us after we cut back all the juniper and said he wanted to use our neighborhood effort as an example for other county projects,” said Bruce.
But Hughes wrote to Bruce and Gorin that cutting back the foliage was a responsibility of the county and ecologically harmful.
Hughes referred to the proposed changes as “offensive, illegal, misleading, inaccurate and aristocratic.”
Gorin’s office investigated the matter and regularly reported back to Hughes.
“We have found that the sign is located on private property, and that the common area of Agua Caliente Knolls is not County responsibility,” wrote Gilardi in an Aug. 21 email to Hughes.
Gilardi told Hughes wording changes would not require a permit, but in the same email he said he had heard of other opposition to changing the sign and specifically asked Maureen Bruce what research they had done pertaining to permits?
“I have sent an email to Mr. and Mrs. Bruce and suggested that they needed to do outreach in the community on this issue and advised we have received complaints,” wrote Gilardi to Hughes. “With enough opposition I suspect the Bruces will abandon their idea,” wrote Gilardi.
Bruce said she and her group began to feel intimidated by the process.
In the end, Bruce and her El Portola Committee decided they’d had enough and gave up. In an Oct. 4 email to Gorin’s office, Hughes declared victory.
“Today, after much public support from neighbors and others nearby we received a printed notice, evidently copied to all residents in Aqua Caliente Knolls … that they have canceled their … sign change project. Your assistance has been much appreciated,” wrote Hughes.
Bruce’s letter said it was “disappointing” to report that the El Portola Committee was unable to move forward.
“After much communication back and forth with the supervisor’s office, their final suggestion to us was to consult an attorney to avoid civil litigation. The committee felt it at this point it could not continue,” wrote Bruce in her letter to her neighbors.
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