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: Written by: Greta Mart; Published: 19 December 2022

UPDATE 12/20/22 1 PM

Here's the latest update from the Santa Rosa CHP office:

Last night at approximately 5:42pm, Santa Rosa CHP and Monte Rio Fire personnel responded to a crash on private property at the Happy Hills Hunting Club. Response and rescue efforts by emergency personnel were hampered by difficult access and steep terrain. The crash involved two Jeeps in two separate crashes with a total of five occupants. Preliminary investigation indicates the first Jeep overturned down a steep embankment. The second Jeep driven by a 49-year-old male attempted to help the occupants in the first crash, but his Jeep also overturned down the embankment and crashed. In the first crash was a 32-year-old male driver and a male juvenile passenger who both sustained fatal injuries. Emergency personnel extricated and transported the 49-year-old male with life-threatening injuries to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital (SRMH). There were two additional male juveniles transported to SRMH with minor to moderate injuries. Any inquiries on the identity of the deceased should be directed to the Sonoma County Coroners Office.

INITIAL STORY

One person died immediately and another succumbed to their injuries north of Cazadero on Monday evening, after a vehicle went over an embankment and crashed 300 feet down a ravine.

Three others in the vehicle were injured. According to the CHP incident page, the first report came in at 5:42 pm that a car had driven off Mohrhardt Ridge Road near King Ridge Road.

Police and fire crews had to use helicopters and an ATV to get to the crash site near Ward Creek and rescue the survivors. We'll have more on this story as information becomes available.

: Written by: Marc Albert; Published: 19 December 2022

The future of the shuttered Sonoma Developmental Center has been decided, at least in concept. But the most contentious aspect---the eventual number of homes on the site---remains something of a mystery.

Slightly scaled back, but still ambitious redevelopment plans for nearly 1,000-acres of Sonoma Valley were approved Friday at the end of a nine-hour-marathon Board of Supervisors session.

Back and forth at the hearing centered on bringing that number into focus. For Supervisor Susan Gorin, who represents the area, the planning commission's recommendation for 1,000 units was unworkable.

"We really need to scale back the development on this site," she said, "and if that's the case, then I'm going to agree to 600-units."

Gorin, and the rest of the board, ultimately agreed on 620.

But 620 isn't really 620. Complex and layered local and state incentives and bonuses make the final tally opaque. Under recently-approved state housing laws, incentives and bonuses available to whoever develops the property could push the number to between 651 and 930. Similar local rules to encourage residential construction might push the figure even higher.

There was also resistance among board members to a hotel, though that possibility ultimately survived the meeting. Wording was added to allow a conference center and climate research facility in its place.

Whether the scaled back proposal is economically viable is something Supervisor David Rabbitt doubts.

"It would be another one of those specific plans that will go on a shelf and never see itself through to fruition," he said.

County staffers told the board that because of infrastructure needs, the financing gap for each market rate unit would be an estimated $170,000, nearly twice the hole of the planning commission's 1,000-unit proposal.

"Plans on the shelf that don't get implemented are the plans that are fiscally upside down and this plan is fiscally upside-down. At the end of the day, the state may look at it in a different fashion because, how do you put something on the market that has a hole of nearly eighty million dollars. You're going to have to pay someone to take it off your hands to move it forward," Rabbitt added.

With the county's approvals, the project moves to Sacramento where state officials will evaluate it and invite proposals from developers. The winning team would then negotiate a community benefits agreement with the county. Exactly when isn't clear.

: Written by: Noah Abrams; Published: 16 December 2022

Sonoma County has ambitious goals to reach carbon neutrality even sooner than the state. Right now the process is focused on raising funding and public awareness - so said Sonoma County Supervisor Lynda Hopkins.

"We are actually serious about securing funding for what is really, truly the greatest crisis of our lifetimes, and we really want to move the needle forward," Hopkins said.

The focus on funding for climate change holds true for Tanya Narath, with the Regional Climate Protection Authority. She said plenty of work lies ahead.

"We're generally heading in the right direction," Narath said at a recent public meeting. "Our challenge is we're not heading in that direction fast enough. We had reduced our emissions almost 23% below 1990 levels at 2020, which is good. But again, we need to do much more."

Narath said Sonoma County has two major challenge areas.

"Transportation and buildings," Narath said. "They are the largest emitters from our greenhouse gas inventory."

Most pressing, Narath said, is transportation emissions.

"So we need to reduce the number of miles that we drive," Narath said. "We need to switch from driving around in fossil fuel powered vehicles to zero emission vehicles, electric and other. And we need to find new funding sources to support these strategies that we put into place. So our Driveless Sonoma County campaign is aimed at making it easier and safer for all of us to get around the county without having to get into the car."

Narath pointed to positive effects of tackling greenhouse gas emissions.

"It's critical for the health of our community," Narath said. "Our existing buildings, if you're using a gas stove to cook your meals, you're emitting pollutants into your home. So switching to an induction cook top, clean electricity is really a key piece of improving indoor air quality."

With the 2030 carbon neutrality target looming, the Regional Climate Protection Authority is preparing a potential ballot initiative to put before Sonoma County voters in 2024. It would help publicly fund the move to carbon neutrality.

: Written by: Noah Abrams; Published: 16 December 2022

Any celebratory breaks have been short-lived for Natalie Rogers. Selected by a 4-3 vote within the city council, Rogers, who also works in mental healthcare at Kaiser in Santa Rosa, was right back to work on the overnight shift the day after her ascension to the mayoralty earlier this week.

She said she doesn’t take the position lightly.

"It was a bit of a surprise to see the outcome," Rogers said. "I'm honored that it turned out the way that it did. Very excited to be the mayor of Santa Rosa and to continue to see our council work together to keep pushing Santa Rosa forward to be a great destination city."

Rogers is the city’s first black woman to serve as mayor and noted the progress on diversity.

"All of our departments have been working on increasing our diversity," Rogers said. "It's just an honor to be a part of that."

Rogers said a holistic approach to the city's issues is a focus for her and the council.

"The new community center and the new fire station that we are looking at, the Hearn over-crossing; so there is a lot that we are putting into Roseland to try to make Roseland whole," Rogers said. "But with that being said, we have a whole city to run."

She said she’s excited for what’s to come.

"We each have a level of expertise in different areas, and when you bring that all to the council, I believe we can do wonderful things," Rogers said. "We have two new members gonna be a curve right now because there are a lot of changes, including me becoming mayor; but I think that we will get through the changes."