From: Dale Wiley
Sent: Monday, May 25, 2026 9:53 PM
To: City Council <[email protected]>
Subject: The future of A&M BBQ in Sebastopol
May 23, 2026
Dear Sebastopol City Council,
Maybe complaints by neighbors about the smoker, air quality and traƯic problems surrounding the A&M BBQ have some legitimacy, but I feel it is your responsibility to take a look at the value of this small business to our city. With its popularity among local customers, and the gift of diversity, equity and inclusion it brings our basically lily-white town, you should be doing all you can to keep them here! Thinking about how you, as the the representatives of the residents of this town, can help to solve this problem. Your response should not be to just close them down because some residents complained.
How about giving A&M BBQ more time to find another place—or even assisting them in finding a more appropriate location ?
I think that The Barlow is failing because it does not represent the majority of citizens of Sebastopol and West County. Sometimes I’m not sure you get that the long time and faithful core of Sebastopol is an aging population that was drawn to the history, social consciousness and tightly-knitted commitment of this close and caring community. These are people who love the Apple Blossom Parade and Gravenstein Apple Fair, Peacetown in the summer, an independent bookstore, wonderful Amiot sculptures and a theater that brings the best films in the world to their home town. And they love this unpretentious restaurant with great staƯ, great music and great down home BBQ.
Please don’t push them out ! Help them stay.
Dale Wiley
Retired teacher, WSCUHSD
Sebastopol