The hotel is so obviously dead. Forget about it and move on. Stop wasting staff hours. Make a proper plaza with 100% public input. Mighty Forestville and Graton are creating wonderful plazas and don't even have city governments! Consider the following: if anyone believes what the developers say the margin between profitability and loss is a few percentage points of interest. They are angling for a low cost guaranteed loan from the city or tax abatements, that's how real estate works. If investors don't think this is a good idea why should residents or the Council? Then consider why anyone would pay outrageous rates to stay in such a hotel. With a roof deck verboten to locals. What is there to see here? Empty restaurants in the Barlow? Bike through the seasonal homeless encampment on the Joe Rodota Trail? The wine tourism train left 15 years ago.
I don't usually comment but I have to say I'm appalled at the attitude of the three council members about the soccer fields. To be upfront, my kid did play in Wesco but that was years ago now. This is exactly the mindset that holds Sebastopol back - just purely from an economic point of view, not to mention actually trying to build a community that is welcoming for families.
Just having the Times attend, recap, and intelligently contextualize City Council meetings for us is worth their subscription $.
Agree on this completely
The hotel is so obviously dead. Forget about it and move on. Stop wasting staff hours. Make a proper plaza with 100% public input. Mighty Forestville and Graton are creating wonderful plazas and don't even have city governments! Consider the following: if anyone believes what the developers say the margin between profitability and loss is a few percentage points of interest. They are angling for a low cost guaranteed loan from the city or tax abatements, that's how real estate works. If investors don't think this is a good idea why should residents or the Council? Then consider why anyone would pay outrageous rates to stay in such a hotel. With a roof deck verboten to locals. What is there to see here? Empty restaurants in the Barlow? Bike through the seasonal homeless encampment on the Joe Rodota Trail? The wine tourism train left 15 years ago.
I don't usually comment but I have to say I'm appalled at the attitude of the three council members about the soccer fields. To be upfront, my kid did play in Wesco but that was years ago now. This is exactly the mindset that holds Sebastopol back - just purely from an economic point of view, not to mention actually trying to build a community that is welcoming for families.