‘Vision for Eldridge’ workshop at Sonoma Valley’s Hanna Boys Center

A 750-word “proposed vision statement” from the SDC Coalition will be presented at a free community workshop at the Hanna Boys Center on Saturday, June 15. Composed of SDC stakeholders, the Coalition will ask for further public input on the document, the first stage in a county-wide process of shaping a plan for the future of the former Sonoma Developmental Center (SDC) property in Eldridge.

“Visioning is part of any specific planning process,” said Tracy Salcedo of the Glen Ellen Forum community group, who pointed out that the SDC Coalition has had multiple meetings and workshops to discuss the issues of open space, housing, education and others as they pertain to the future of SDC. The coalition was created four years ago by 1st District Supervisor Susan Gorin, and consists of members from the Sonoma Land Trust, the Sonoma Ecology Center, Sonoma Mountain Preservation and the Glen Ellen Forum.

“What this workshop is for is to make sure all of the visioning that has gone on previously is consolidated into a single statement,” said Salcedo.

The draft vision statement, released on June 10, outlines a succinct vision of Eldridge and adds specific principals and pathways for the property’s future, including sustainability, preservation of open space, housing options, new educational and employment opportunities and means of implementation.

“Eldridge is a place where people of diverse backgrounds and interests live and work together, where natural resources are conserved and enhanced, concepts of sustainability and resiliency are put into practice, cultural legacies are honored, and compatibility with surrounding communities is preserved,” reads the introduction of the vision statement.

“The basic idea is preserving the open space, and making a place for people to live and work,” said Salcedo.

The vision statement is the first step in deciding how to execute a three-year, $3.5 million land use and environmental planning process for the 900-plus acre former Developmental Center.

The money will come from a three-year budget plan worked out between Sonoma County and the state’s Department of General Services, after July 1 the owner of the property, to determine the long-term fate of the former developmental center, its open space, its buildings and its heritage.

The Saturday morning workshop will have speakers from the Coalition including Supervisor Gorin, Deputy Director Milan Nevajda of Permit Sonoma, Richard Dale of the Sonoma Ecology Center, and others.

The meeting, from9 a.m. to noon, is free and open to the public; light refreshments will be served. The final agenda and the vision statement and guiding principles are available at transformsdc.com.