Council adopts Capital Improvement Plan and grants Hotel Sebastopol a 3-year extension
Council adopts Capital Improvement Plan and grants Hotel Sebastopol a 3-year extension
With only three members present, it was a bare quorum
Three members of the city council were present for the July 2 city council meeting, including Mayor Diana Rich, Councilmember Neysa Hinton, and Councilmember Sandra Maurer. Vice Mayor Stephen Zollman and Councilmember Jill McLewis were absent.
The evening started on a joyful note with the presentation of Years of Service awards to three volunteer firefighters—including a father and son team with 65 years of service between them—and a public works employee.
Raymond Senn, Volunteer Fire Fighter: 45 Years
Matthew Senn, Volunteer Fire Fighter: 20 Years
Joseph Aiello, Volunteer Fire Fighter: 10 Years
Fidel “Tito” Quintero, Public Works: 20 Years
City adopts Capital Improvement Program
The city of Sebastopol’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) is a five-year plan, outlining improvements to city facilities, parks, streets, bike paths, crosswalks, water/sewer/stormwater infrastructure and more. The city adopts its annual budget for capital projects based on this plan. The projects in the first year are those proposed to be funded in the 2024-25 Budget, which the council will present later this month.
The CIP was introduced by the city’s engineering consultant, Toni Bertolero of GHD. This year’s CIP featured 20 projects—many of which were described in last year’s CIP, so Bertolero chose to focus on six new projects. These included the following:
Bodega Avenue Bicycle Connection from Ragle Road to Atascadero Creek. Proposed budget of $50,000. This year, the work on this project will include a concept design (which will cost $10,000) and applying for a grant for the construction.
Covert Lane/Zimpher Drive Pedestrian Crossing Improvements. Proposed budget of $10,000. Rectangular rapid flashing beacons at this intersection. Year one work includes preparing a concept plan and applying for a grant for the construction.
Sunset Avenue/Johnson Street Pedestrian Crossing Enhancements. Proposed budget of $46,700. Year one work includes creating the design and applying for a grant for the construction.
Flood Resiliency Master Plan. Proposed budget of $170,000. This master plan document will identify priority CIP projects and will allow the city to pursue grants for funding flood control and flood management improvements that will mitigate flooding along Calder Creek and the Laguna area.
Sebastopol Community Cultural Center (SCCC) Master Plan. Proposed budget of $85,000. This project would develop flood mitigation and flood proofing alternatives and costs for flood mitigation projects, as well as examining alternative locations (outside of the flood zone) for SCCC.
Water System Master Plan. Proposed budget of $120,000. This plan will include a hydraulic modeling and system capacity analysis for the entire city and identify a water-related capital improvement program to fix deficiencies in the system. Master plans should be updated every five years, and the water master plan was last conducted in 2005.
A long and interesting discussion ensued on these and other projects in the CIP. Councilmember Maurer said she had walked the proposed Bodega Avenue Bicycle Connection from Ragle Road to Atascadero Creek with a bike transit expert and said it seemed unsafe, given the speed of the traffic there. Mayor Diana Rich wondered about the unfunded CIP project entitled “Purchase of Market Rate Units” (which seemed so unlikely) and this led to a discussion of the new Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAFHA), which might in the future provide money for affordable housing in cities throughout the Bay Area (including Sebastopol). Councilmember Neysa Hinton asked by it was taking so long to get the Ned Kahn structure up. Interim Planning Director David Woltering said it was due to wet soils in the area. Mayor Rich asked why the City Hall ADA work had been reduced from $100,000 to $20,000. Staff responded that they simplified the project the due to the city’s budget constraints.
During the discussion, the council also agreed to add a $70,000 firewall project for the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center to the CIP. With that adjustment, the council approved the project 3 to 2 (the two being absent).
See the full CIP document here.
Hotel Sebastopol granted a development agreement, essentially extending their permits and fee deferrals for another three years
The Sebastopol City Council first approved plans to develop Hotel Sebastopol, a project of Piazza Hospitality, in 2017. Since then various calamities have ensued—including the pandemic and today’s high interest rates—which have continually pushed the start date for construction farther into the future. This week, Piazza asked for and was granted another extension in the form of development agreement, which essentially extended their permits and fee deferrals for another three years.
Councilmember Maurer put Piazza’s Vice President of Development Daniele Petrone on the hot seat with a series of questions, starting out with “When is it going to start construction?” and ending with “Why aren’t we a priority?”
Petrone explained that the company was having some trouble assembling the financing for the $90 million project. They have secured a USDA construction loan through the Small Business Administration, but that required more complex environmental and archeological investigations and mitigation, which has slowed the project. In addition, they have had some difficulty persuading banks to loan them money for such a high-end development in a “unproven market like Sebastopol.” He also said there is a possibility of private financing in the works.
Petrone said the company is still committed to building the project. They’ve spent $8 million on the project thus far, between land acquisition, architectural work and permitting.
“The death of this project would be catastrophic to us,” he said.
Then the elder Petrone, Paolo, playing the bad cop, lectured the council, advising them to be “proud and patient,” as they waited for the company to produce a beautiful project which would both be an elevating addition to the town and could bring in over a million dollars a year in TOT taxes to the city.
Ultimately, the council approved the project 3 to 2 (the two being absent), with the caveat that the developer deliver an annual update on what’s happening with the project.
Departmental reports to be attached to the City Manager’s Report to the council
In their final act of the evening, the council agreed to have city department heads submit monthly updates both to the city council (which they already do) and to the public via attachments to the City Manager’s report at council meetings.
Watch the full city council meeting here. The next Sebastopol City Council meeting is July 16 at 6 pm at Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425 Morris St., Sebastopol.