From: City Council
To: Mary Gourley
Cc: Oriana Hart; Elissa Overton; Erik Billing; Torran Korman; Ana Kwong Subject: FW: The Commons
Date: Monday, August 31, 2026 9:07:00 AM
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Mary Gourley
City Manager
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From: Julie Campagna < >
Sent: Monday, August 31, 2026 9:00 AM
To: City Council <[email protected]>
Subject: The Commons
Dear Mayor and Members of the Sebastopol City Council,
I am writing as a Sebastopol resident in full support of the Building the Commons project. I also work at the Sebastopol Area Senior Center, though I am writing here in my personal capacity and not on behalf of my employer.
The Commons committee's framing already names the problem: the Senior Center needs more space to serve a growing senior population with an increasingly varied range of services. I can tell you from inside that building that this is true, and that it shows up in the small daily details as much as in the big picture.
I spend my working days in a space that is cramped and loud enough that ordinary tasks become difficult. There is no quiet room to spare, so a one-on-one conversation often means stepping outside or waiting for a space to open up or not having the conversation at all. Programs compete for the same rooms, so an instructor volunteering their time may end up teaching in a room that was never meant for a class, next to another (potentially loud) activity going on at the same time. And parking deserves particular attention. We have members who have simply stopped coming because there is nowhere to park.
I also have a personal stake. I am 56. In a few years I will be one of the people walking through those doors as a member rather than an employee. What I want waiting for me — and for my neighbors — is not a slightly larger version of what exists now. It is a place where an older resident can get to the library, look into a health or housing question, take a class, meet a friend for lunch, and vote, all in one trip. Consolidation is not a convenience for seniors; it is often the difference between participating and staying home.
I recognize this is a large undertaking and that questions of site, cost, and funding are exactly what the committee is working through now. I would ask the Council to keep this project moving with real resources behind it — to fund the next phase of planning.
Thank you for your service and for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Julie Campagna
Sebastopol, CA