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By KEVIN McCALLUM
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Supporters of plans to acquire a 2-mile swath of vacant land once eyed for a highway and transform into an urban park cheered a move by the Santa Rosa City Council supporting their efforts Tuesday.
The city will ask that 50 acres of land once eyed for the extension of Highway 12 over what is now Spring Lake Regional Park instead be set aside for bicycles, pedestrians, parks, gardens, public places, environmental restoration, and limited development.
The council agreed to send a letter to Caltrans requesting the state agency consider “alternative non-motorized uses” for the 300-feet wide strip of unused right-of-way running from Farmers Lane to Summerfield Road in its upcoming review of Highway 12 between Napa and Sonoma counties.
That would set the stage for the agency to declare the property surplus, which would allow it to sell or transfer the land to another agency or non-profit.
The council’s action, while a modest one, was nevertheless historic, said Steve Rabinowitsh, a member of the Southeast Greenway Committee.
“For the first time residents of Santa Rosa are going to begin to take back a property that was going to be a highway and make it a piece of land that we can all appreciate and use,” Rabinowitsh said.
Dozens of supporters wearing green outfits to the council meeting applauded the decision.
Some noted that the greenway could prove a vital east-west link for bicyclists, while others stressed it could connect neighborhoods to nature, especially the trio of parks – Howarth Park, Spring Lake park and Annadel State Park — just to the east.
“The Southeast Greenway is like a wedge of openness and opportunity penetrating our city and bringing parks and nature closer to our neighborhoods,” said Jim McAdler, committee treasurer.
The state acquired the parcels from the 1950s to the 1970s along what was then the city’s southern border with an eye toward sending Highway 12 up over what is now Spring Lake. Fierce local opposition stalled the project and it is now considered dead.
“There will be no highway over Spring Lake,” Councilman Gary Wysocky said.
The group’s mood was tempered somewhat, however, by the realization of just how long it might take to make their vision a reality. Assistant City Manager Jennifer Phillips estimated the study could take two to three years to complete.
Some council members pressed staff representatives to find ways to move the process along.
Councilman Susan Gorin suggested the city needed to remain closely involved with the group and perhaps even apply for grants jointly. She proposed a council sub-committee, but Phillips said that could be a “drain on resources” and City Manager said such a move was premature.
It’s unclear whether the state would be looking to sell the land to the highest bidder or could be convinced to turn it over to the city or a non-profit conservancy group.
“Everybody down here thinks it’s a great project,” Councilman Scott Bartley said. “We’re all in the same Catch-22 situation of ‘if we only had the money.’”
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This is one of the oldest conflicts in Santa Rosa.
Caltrans owns the right of way and has designed the missing sections of Highway 12 from Sonoma County to Interstate 5.
It would be possible to have economical intrastate commerce with the Sacramento area. This highway would have a huge positive financial impact to the north bay.
Before development started in east Santa Rosa, it was known the highway would be built. All homes sold in the area have had the disclosure about the fiture Highway.
Having a state highway run through the city on Farmers lane is a hazzard and results in fatalities each year.
This ‘ greenway’ is selfish NIMBY behavior.
BUILD THE HIGHWAY!
@ Jim. An independent group started this agenda in order to turn that unused land into a park. That hard work is starting to pay off. This has nothing to do with your rant. Also this is how you “quote” something.
The State purchased the property when they intended to build a road. Now, Santa Rosa wants the State to give the property to them for free. But the State only gives land away if it is to be a road. The scam is that the city will use this (park) land for a non-motorized road. If the land becomes a park, the City has to pay so don’t send in your wish list just yet. Roads have cars on them. Why not make it a real road with houses on both sides, single family of course like what was there before. Then, the City might not have to pay for the property.
Please leave the orchard trees, those that aren’t diseased. Also, it would be really nice if a spongy track (I don’t know what they are called but SRJC has one) meandering through the park for walking and running on. I think it would be well used, lots of runners in that area. A picnic area would be nice too. Just something a little different.
See, there’s no ‘Transit Village’ gulags out that way, so no need for road infrastructure.
Incrementally the ‘Plan’ would be for there not to be single family homes away from the the stack ‘n pack either.
Is everyone starting to get…
‘the picture’?
More Agenda 21.