Purely Occidental: Still growing

Expanding the Occidental Library, an OAEC nursery update, and tea from the heart

In the current Occidental Library

A New Library in an Underutilized Space

At the June 3 Sonoma County Library Commission meeting, when the fiscal year 2026-27 budget was approved, commission members voted to move Occidental’s public library from its current location to the Occidental Community Center to “give West County the full-service library it deserves.”

“It was universally supported,” said Erika Thibault, Sonoma County library director. “I don’t believe I received a single comment in opposition to it.”

Occidental resident Sarah Wieland, representing Occidental Community Council, spoke before the Library Commission on June 3 and noted that many members of the community are in favor of relocating the Occidental Library to the community center.

In the current Occidental Library

While the cozy 655-square-foot space of the current library, tucked alongside Howard’s Station restaurant, doesn’t have room for programs or multiple computer stations, the approximate 2,500-square-foot Occidental Community Center offers much more flexibility, Thibault said. It means space for an expanded collection, programs for seniors and kids and multiple computer stations with Wi-Fi.

Occidental’s Mary Koski commented in support of the library relocation. “We were very excited to hear about the prospect of our local library branch moving into the Occidental Community Center, which is currently underutilized,” she wrote in a public comment, identifying herself and her husband as frequent library patrons. Alexandra Matthews, another Occidental resident, said in her public comment that the library move would provide a boost to the north end of town. Additional public comments pointed out the increased space could house programs as well as more shelving for physical books, which would benefit older patrons who may prefer reading on paper.

Yet there will be quite a bit of work to repurpose the community center into a functional library — and the Sonoma County Library has budgeted $1 million for the task. Refreshes would include electrical work, the addition of Wi-Fi, painting, moving walls, new flooring and furniture and adding lockers so patrons can pick up books after hours. Thibault said the existing programs at the recreation center would not be impacted, including the winter craft market.

“The building is owned by Parks and Recreation,” Thibault said. “And we’re very close to finalizing a MOU [memorandum of understanding] with the county for the project.” The MOU is necessary before the project can arrive at a firmer timeline and design plan. While the library director originally hoped the MOU would be in place by October, she now estimates it will be firmed up by the November commission meeting.

“Supervisor Hopkins has been in meetings with the community, and she is very supportive of this,” Thibault said. “I don’t expect any opposition on the Board of Supervisors.”

Yet that does not mean everyone in Occidental unanimously agrees about the project. Linda Hall, a frequent library patron, is not happy about the proposal.

“That building is made for basketball,” she said, referring to the Community Center. “It has no windows. It has no charm.” The current location, on the other hand, is easy to navigate, with wisteria that blooms in the spring, she said.

The current library in Occidental

Hall said they could have author talks on an as-needed basis at the community center, and that everything they need they already have in the easy-to-navigate current location that is now open five days a week and full of atmosphere—and windows. “Who wants to sit in a block?” she asked.

Yet Thibault said it can’t be ruled out that windows might be added as part of the upgrades to the Occidental Community Center.

“Once we have a MOU in place, we can start working on interior improvement,” she said.

The Nursery at the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center

From the OAEC website

Head Gardener Nicolas Whitaker was busy preparing two nurseries in April of this year. Two days after the garden shop at the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center (OAEC) flung open its gates after a year-long closure for a complete overhaul, Whitaker and his wife welcomed a baby boy into their family.

“Everyone thought I was talking about a different kind of nursery,” Whitaker said, when he had been referencing his plans for reopening the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center.

The previous head gardener Doug Gosling retired two years ago, and Whitaker said he held Gosling’s work as a “north star vision” as he planned updates for the horticultural outpost of West County.

His efforts include expanding the native plant selection, selling veggie starts again and expanding their hours to Wednesday through Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm. They will also be open year round, though with reduced winter hours.

“We want to be the first stop for locals,” he said.

“It might take people a long time to find out about us,” he said. “A lot of people know about OAEC,” he said, referring to the center, “but not about the nursery.”

The nursery has also become a destination for plant lovers of all kinds. Whitaker said there are customers who come up from Los Angeles with OAEC as their destination, and that he can tell a garden has plants from their nursery just by looking at it.

“We’re a labor of love,” he said. “And we bring a lot of experience to the table.”

The OAEC nursery is located at 15290 Coleman Valley Road. Learn more at nursery.oaec.org.

Two Trees Tea House

At Two Trees Tea House

Tucked among the redwoods for which it’s named, the Two Trees Tea House has been brewing a range of carefully sourced caffeinated and herbal teas for a year and a half. For their pay-it-forward tea service, no one is turned away for lack of funds.

“There’s a lot of hidden poverty in Sonoma County,” said owner Chris Lewis. “I want to create a space for everyone.” He spoke of an unhoused person who comes in daily to warm up with a pot of tea and a baked good. “People need to feel they have a community that loves them.”

Lewis has lived in Occidental for 10 years, and similar to the owners of the nearby Hazel restaurant, he was committed to finding a space in the town he loves. “Everyone is taken care of here,” he said.

His tea room is a space of care, a sanctuary. For sale in the entryway is secondhand teaware, encouraging people to breathe new life into old things and in so doing reject the hamster wheel of consumerism. There are cozy nooks—both inside and out—to enjoy your pot of tea, all of them unique: cushions under the tree branches, an antique brown leather arm chair. There’s also single origin tea flights and loose tea for sale.

Lewis previously worked as a creative director for the British brand Harrod’s, where he worked out of Asia for more than 25 years. He had to see firsthand the impact of colonial aftermath on tea plantations, the displacement of indigenous people and the pernicious effects of pesticides.

When he opened his Occidental tea room with his husband, who he met in Tokyo, he wanted to do things differently. “I wanted to get back into tea, but I wanted to do it on my own terms,” he said. The teahouse owner spoke of young women in countries who never had access to education that are now growing tea and starting businesses. “That’s what I think about when I pull a caddy of their tea down to sell it,” he said. “It’s what gets me up in the morning.”

In the marriage of two great tea cultures—British and Chinese—the Two Trees Tea House offers authenticity alongside compassion. “Tea is what pulls people together,” Lewis said. Whether you’re celebrating or commiserating in British culture, you put the kettle on. “Tea helps you slow down.”

Two Trees Tea House is located at 3597 Bohemian Highway, Occidental. Learn more at twotreesteahouse.com.

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