From: emwiig
To: _CityCouncilListPublic
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Public comment on the Civic Center Project for Tuesday"s mtg.
Date: Sunday, September 11, 2022 6:03:48 PM
Santa Rosa City Council members,
After reviewing the Civic Center Project Feasibility presentation that will be shared at Tuesday's meeting, I just wanted to express how THRILLED I am to see staff recommending a long-overdue correction to this city: daylighting the confluence of our creeks! In addition to applauding the city's goal of increasing downtown land for desperately needed urban housing, I'm writing with one request to make Santa Rosa as great as it can be: whatever option is chosen, please develop in such a way that our natural confluence becomes not an afterthought but rather a celebrated focal point of our city's core. All the world's greatest cities, big and small, intimately and proudly revolve around their natural water source, be it a bay, river, lake or sea. Small as it might be, ours is the confluence of these creeks. This is Santa Rosa's opportunity to not only liberate the confluence from concrete, but to honor it and design a riparian heart for this community–think of it as a more organic counterpoint to courthouse square.
This would entail ensuring enough space for its banks, opportunities for people to engage with the creek zone, and designing for maximum human accessibility and pedestrian flow while avoiding elements that prevent access and enrichment, such fences, abutting building facades, or, as specified in option 3, fleet parking adjacent to the creek zone.
Thanks for hearing me out,
Evan Wiig
Santa Rosa, CA