To Whom It May Concern:
At 8100 Valentine Ave, which used to be the LDS Church, Seb City Council and Planning Commission had a great building for a multi-use New Library and Senior Center. Maybe would have had enough room for needed senior housing units in the periphery of the back of the acreage/parking. But, no. On 9/22, the Seb Planning Commission approved to shoe horn a high density housing development by Grupe Company from Stockton, that will not meld well with the character of Sebastopol.
The Sebastopol citizens were at the meeting in full force, expressing their disappointment and concerns about the
development, especially because of the free rein that the developers have for cramming the houses in: building setbacks as little as 4ft, public safety concerns re: egress and ingress, inadequate planning of garbage services, damage to existing trees, no garages or storage for residents, street parking expectations on an already busy street, and last but not least-- the poor infrastructure that already exists, roots in the sanitation pipes, and the exploding demand of sewage that will hit the old, poorly maintained sewage and overall updating and maintenance due to the City of Sebastopol (recently reported by the Sonoma Co. Grand Jury for taking away $5 million dollars that should have gone to water and sewer departments for said public improvements). What about the demands for increased water use by the development. We already pay through the nose for city water.
I would like to think Grupe Builders won't charge as much as +1 million $$ homes in The Canopy--that was supposed to be affordable housing....but I think this just another major money maker for the big shots, not the first time home buyers and critical workers of Sebastopol.
Why even put chairs out for the public at these meetings in the Youth Annex, if they (City of Sebastopol) does not listen to the public.
~Lindsay Kvam