Sonoma County Grand Jury • 2005-2006

This Land is Your Land a Report on the Sonoma County Open Space District June 27, 2006

Published: June 27, 2006 17 pages
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Findings and Recommendations 8 findings

F1
The key element in the selection process employed by the Open Space District is the Acquisition Plan. The plan currently in use – Acquisition Plan 2000 - establishes four basic criteria by which properties are evaluated. These are agriculture, greenbelts, natural resources, and recreation. Maps of Sonoma County outlining key areas for land use in each of the categories are contained in the plan and the extent to which a property is located in one or more of these areas is used to establish a priority for that property. The plan is well founded and an excellent means of selecting potential acquisitions.
No recommendations for this finding
F2
Procedures to be followed by the district in processing applications are well established and documented. Examples of this documentation are given by the flowcharts shown in Exhibit Two following this report.
No recommendations for this finding
F3
The use of an independent professional appraiser to determine the current market value of properties under consideration ensures that the district will not pay more than a fair price for an easement or for a property purchase.
No recommendations for this finding
F4
Under the measure that was passed in 1990 all funds collected from the sales tax were to be used to purchase easements and properties. There was no provision per se for funds to be used for the maintenance of purchased easements or properties. The district has, however, developed an effective stewardship program that involves the use of volunteers and other concerned citizen organizations.
No recommendations for this finding
F5
At the time the original measure creating the district was passed in 1990, California law required a 2/3rds majority vote to pass any tax measure adopted by the county. However, by establishing the authority as an independent taxing agent, the sales tax measure passed with a simple majority vote. Since that time California law has been changed to eliminate this possibility so that today there is no advantage in having a separate authority. The county itself could levy the sales tax if approved by the voters and thus provide the funds needed by the district.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
The Board of Supervisors should consider merging the Open Space Authority into the district. It served a purpose in getting voter approval of the sales tax in 1990, but that purpose no longer exists. From a purely financial standpoint the County Treasurer and Tax Collector could easily take over the role now performed by the authority. The only reason to perpetuate the authority would be for its function as an oversight agency approving the work of the district.
F6
In the early years, much of the activity of the district was centered on the obtaining of agricultural easements. In recent years, as the value of property in Sonoma County has escalated, more property owners have been interested in the outright sale of their holdings and the emphasis has shifted to the buying of property.
No recommendations for this finding
F7
The Citizens’ Advisory Committee was originally designed to give the general public a voice in directing the operations of the district. However, over the years its role has been greatly diminished so that today it is viewed simply as a conduit by which public opinion can be relayed to the district.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
The Board of Supervisors should consider restructuring the Citizens’ Advisory Committee to give it greater responsibility for overseeing the work of the district. If this were done, the committee could assume the role now given to the authority. To do this it would probably be necessary to reduce the size of the committee to make it more workable.
F8
Members of the Board of Directors of the Open Space Authority are appointed to a four- year term and are generally reappointed for successive terms. Some current members of the board have served since its inception 15 years ago. Conclusions Based on our findings in this investigation, the grand jury is satisfied that the procedures put in place for evaluating properties being considered for purchase ensure that funds which are 6 available to the district are being used in an effective manner to preserve the scenic beauty and the agricultural heritage of Sonoma County. Commendations The grand jury would like to thank all those persons who gave their time and effort to enable us to conduct this investigation.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
If the Open Space Authority is retained, there should be a two-term limit imposed on board members. Eight years is long enough for one individual to serve in this capacity. Required Responses to Findings None Requested Responses to Recommendations None Required Responses to Recommendations Board of Supervisors – R1, R2, R3 7 Open Space District Work Process Flow Chart Courtesy of Open Space District 8 Open Space District Work Process Flow Chart Courtesy of Open Space District 9 Lands protected by the Open Space District Courtesy of Open Space District 10 OPEN SPACE DISTRICT ACQUISITION INVENTORY Project Name Type Acres Price Category* Location Fiscal Year 1992-1993 Marty Easement 223 495,000 Meachem Hill, Highway 101, Petaluma/Rohnert Park McCord Easement 3,053 700,000 Mayacamas/Alexander Valley Northeast of Healdsburg Cloudy Bend Easement 368 100,000 Lakeville Highway, SE of Petaluma Fiscal Year 1993-1994 Sebastapol Railroad Easement 8 20,000 Between Highway 12 and Bike Path, Sebastopol Doerksen Easement 120 107,000 St. Helena Road, Santa Rosa Alba Lane Fee 31 635,000 Santa Rosa/Larkfield, Highway 101 White Easement 41 448,000 Santa Rosa/Larkfield, Highway 101 St. Francis Vineyards Easement 92 875,000 Highway 12 at Sonoma Creek, Kenwood Vasila Easement 200 125,000 Bloomfield Road Brown Easement 14 190,000 Horn Avenue, Santa Rosa/Rohnert Park Burns Easement 560 425,000 Spring Hill Road, West Petaluma St. Luke's Fee 33 $660,000 Old Redwood Highway, Santa Rosa/Larkfield Dougan Easement 376 350,000 Bloomfield Road Cotati Highlands Easement 317 2,080,000 Meachem Hill Highway 101, Santa Rosa/Rohnert Park Fiscal Year 1994-1995 San Francisco Fee 28 133,000 Whittier Ave., Santa Rosa Archdiocese Lorenzini Easement 221 500,000 Between Salt Point SP and Stillwater Cove, Rohnert Park De Loach Easement 75 535,000 North of Arata Lane. Windsor Ziedrich Easement 42 140,000 North of Arata Lane. Windsor Fitch Mountain Easement 4 0 Russian River, East of Healdsburg 11 Project Name Type Acres Price Category* Location Fitch Mountain Easement 179 1,030,000 Russian River, East of Healdsburg Myers Ranch Easement 373 100,000 Coleman Valley Road West of Occidental Fox Easement 22 150,000 Russian River, NE of Healdsburg Diggers Bend Easement 33 $300,000 Russian River, NE of Healdsburg Haroutunian South Fee 21 169,200 Santa Rosa/Rohnert Park Separator Stony Point Ranch Easement 285 470,000 Gravenstein Highway, Cotati Carinalli Easement 245 760,000 Laguna de Santa Rosa Vicinity Graton RR R-O-W Easement 16 174,356 Occidental Road, south of Graton and Forestville Alba Lane/ St. Easement 63 680,000 Santa Rosa/Larkfield Highway 101 Lukes(Resale) Lang Easement 243 1,250,000 Porter Creek Road Fiscal Year 1995-1996 Silberstein Easement 12 200,000 Windsor/Larkfield Separator Dutton Ranch Easement 69 315,000 Highway 116 South of Graton Freiberg & Henshaw Easement 203 1,250,000 NE face of Sonoma Mountain Moon Ranch Easement 381 1,400,000 Sonoma Mountain (west) Silacci Easement 196 495,000 Lakeville Highway Arbor Farms Easement 306 1,400,000 Napa-Sonoma Highway Santa Angelina Easement 7,877 1,725,000 Highway 128 to Lake County line McCormick Ranch Easement 1,364 1,700,000 Los Alamos Road - Hood Mountain Matteri Easement 116 342,000 Ylanda/Petaluma Hill Road Taylor Mountain Alman Marsh Easement 27 54,000 East of Highway 101 South Petaluma Unity Church Fee 21 400,000 Old Redwood Highway Santa Rosa/Larkfield/Windsor Anderson Easement 30 220,000 North Cloverdale Palm Terrace Easement 8 900,000 Laguna de Santa Rosa Sebastopol 12 Project Name Type Acres Price Category* Location Mickelsen Easement 419 670,000 Meacham and Pepper Roads Northwest Petaluma Herzog Easement 561 990,000 Lakeville Highway Southeast of Petaluma Fiscal Year 1996-1997 Knudsen Easement 221 423,000 Roblar Road East of Cotati McNear Peninsula Easement 10 184,500 Petaluma River Downtown Callahan Easement 106 550,000 North of Healdsburg Treadwell Easement 10 100,000 Russian River North of Cloverdale Weston Easement 1,160 1,650,000 South and East of Healdsburg Guttman Easement 158 400,000 Porter Creek & Franz Valley McCormick Ranch Easement 1,011 650,000 Los Alamos Road Hood Mountain Yee Easement 630 $795,000 South of Petaluma Youing/Amos Fee 45 370,000 Santa Rosa/Rohnert Park Separator Fiscal Year 1997-1998 McCrea Easement 287 1,200,000 NE face of Sonoma Mountain Geary Easement 592 2,300,000 Bennett Peak Hopper Easement 87 285,000 Estero Americano near Bodega Bay Morrison Brothers Easement 137 375,000 Santa Rosa/Rohnert Park Separator Keegan & Coppin Fee 24 550,000 Bennett Valley Road Windsor Oaks Easement 711 1,600,000 North of Windsor Wright Preservation Bank Fee 173 1,650,000 Occidental Road Magers Easement 62 80,000 Gray Creek Watershed Aggio Easement 249 485,000 Petaluma/Rohnert Park Separator Gustafsson Easement 31 134,000 Austin Creek State Recreation Area Haroutunian North Fee 18 395,000 Santa Rosa/Larkfield Separator Oken Fee 76 890,000 Santa Rosa/Larkfield Separator Fiscal Year 1998-1999 Sonoma Developmental Easement 290 255,000 Adjacent to Jack London State Park Center 13 Project Name Type Acres Price Category* Location White II Easement 15 235,000 Larkfield/Windsor Separator Dashiell/Molle Easement 83 330,000 Petaluma Hill Road Lang Easement 0 0 Porter Creek Road Amendment Bodega Bay Fire Easement 1 50,000 Bodega Bay Protection Dist. Hafey Easement 501 900,000 Knights Valley Highway 128 Monte Rio School District Easement 4 188,000 Near Monte Rio Community Center Bath/Watt Fee 46 790,000 North side Taylor Mountain Mazzetta Easement 481 990,000 Pepper and Meachem Roads Petaluma Nathanson Creek Easement 1 95,000 Park/Sonoma Valley High School Mom's Beach Easement 11 70,000 River Road NW of Forestville Skiles Easement 171 632,000 Adjacent to Jack London State Park Nahmens Easement 255 1,150,000 Canfield Road South of Sebastopol Fiscal Year 1999-2000 Nunes Fee 120 975,000 Taylor Mountain Colliss Easement 1,578 1,025,000 Coleman Valley Road Windor Town Green Easement 3 764,500 Historic Windsor Matteri Fee 116 398,000 Lower slopes of Taylor Mountain Mickelsen/Camozzi Easement 256 1,500,000 Two Rock Valley McCord Easement 3 0 Northeast of Healdsburg Fiscal Year 2000-2001 Unity Church Transfer to Old Redwood Highway Santa Regional Parks Rosa/Larkfield/Windsor Red Hill Easement 911 1,370,00 Recreation Adjacent to Sonoma Coast State Beach Grove of the Old Trees Easement 28 1,250,000 Natural Resources Fitzpatriock Lane Occidental Cook Easement 519 1,700,000 Greenbelt Lichau Road East of Rohnert Park Modini Easement 1725 1,044,000 Natural Resources Pine Flat Road Alexander Valley Glen Oaks Easement 234 1,500,000 Greenbelt Highway 12 near Glen Ellen Solak Easement 1 165,000 Recreation West County Trail Dewar Easement 40 284,750 Natural Resources Estero Americano 14 Project Name Type Acres Price Category* Location Ho Fee 30 560,000 Greenbelt Petaluma Hill Road Fiscal Year 2001-2002 Laguna Farms 1,440 0 Greenbelt Laguna de Santa Rosa Cooley Ranch Easement 19,064 5,750,000 Natural Resources Adjacent to Lake Sonoma Lelmorini Easement 1,218 1,800,00 Coastal Agriculture Highway One Richardson Easement 2 53,000 Recreation Sonoma/Marin Line Addition to Cloverdale Azevedo Easement 236 1,750,000 Coastal Agriculture River Park Fallon Road, Two Rock Valley Morelli Ranch Easement 454 2,161,000 Greenbelt Western slopes Sonoma Mountain Natural Resources Martin Ranch Easement 429 1,600,000 Coastal Agriculture Valley Ford Two Rock Valley Balletto Easement 253 2,600,00 Greenbelt Laguna de Santa Rosa Bianchi Easement 631 1,518,000 Coastal Agriculture Highway One Freestone Valley Ford Fiscal Year 2002-2003 Paulin Creek Fee 9 1,575,000 Recreation Open Space Preserve Scott Easement 533 3,345,000 Greenbelt, Western slopes of Sonoma Agriculture Mountain McCullough Easement 284 2,898,500 Natural Resources Mark West Creek Keiser Park Easement 7 1,140,000 Recreation Town of Windsor Rigler Easement 415 850,000 Recreation Coleman Valley Road Natural Resources Riverfront Park Easement 305 3,803,000 Recreation Russian River Girouard Easement 1 18,500 Recreation Cloverdale River Park Keen Easement 61 350,000 Natural Resources Norrborn Road North of Sonoma Prince Memorial Easement 1 4,000,000 Recreation Downtown Santa Rosa Greenway Grossi Easement 48 315,000 Greenbelt Petaluma Hill Road Agriculture Sunset Beach Easement 21 616,000 Recreation Russian River County Regional Parks Asbomo Fee 98 4,250,000 Recreation North of Healdsburg Johnson Fee 297 3,000,000 Recreation Expansion of Hood Mountain Regional Park 15 Project Name Type Acres Price Category* Location Johnson Access Fee 3 1,025,000 Recreation Expansion of Hood Mountain Regional Park Carrington Fee 335 4,800,000 Recreation Highway One Sonoma Beach to Salmon Creek Brayton Easement 130 1,301,500 Agriculture Pepper Road Petaluma Fiscal Year 2003-2004 Indian Valley Easement 24 465,000 Natural Resources Laguna de Santa Rosa Connolly Easement 63 250,000 Greenbelt Dutcher Creek Road Cloverdale Jacobs Ranch Fee 168 4,878,000 Greenbelt Sonoma Mountain Area Fox Pond Fee 53 2,880,000 Recreation Healdsburg Ridge Flocchini Easement 153 780,000 Agriculture Petaluma River Wetlands Skiles State Park Fee 47 0 Recreation Adjacent to Jack London (State Coastal Conv. Grant) Martinelli Fee 261 1,092,000 Natural Resources Lakeville Highway Petaluma Recreation Wilroth Easement 240 2,220,000 Natural Resources Adjacent to Fairfield Osborne Greenbelt Preserve Barella/Roblar Ranch Easement 758 2,269,500 Agriculture Petaluma Valley Ford Road Eliot Trust(Donation) Easement 71 0 Agriculture Sonoma Mountain Greenbelt Fiscal Year 2004-2005 Van Hoosear Wildflower Easement 160 3,300,000 Natural Resources Base of Sonoma Mountain Preserve Beltane Ranch Fee 1,290 9,115,000 Recreation Potential Addition to Sugarloaf Ridge State Park Sebastopol Skate Park Fee 1 125,000 Recreation City of Sebastopol Maffia, Eda Easement 245 1,150,000 Agriculture Dickson Fee 648 2,800,000 Natural Resources Sonoma Baylands Wilroth (Donation) Fee 11 0 Greenbelt Adjacent to Fairfield Osborne Natural Resources Preserve Cooper's Grove Fee 226 4,865,000 Recreation Sonoma Mountain Road Summer Home Park Fee 3 365,000 Recreation Sunset Beach Regional Park Easement 69 Willow Creek Fee 3373 10,225,000 Recreation Sonoma Coast State Beach Easement 515 225,000 Tolay Lake Ranch Fee 17,737 11,176,018 Recreation Cannon Lane East of Petaluma 16 Project Name Type Acres Price Category* Location Lawson Fee 247 1,160,000 Recreation Addition to Hood Mountain Regional Park Prince Gateway Park Fee 1 405,000 Recreation Downtown Santa Rosa Camp Gulala Easement 425 400,000 Natural Resources Skaggs Spring Road East of Annapolis Montini Ranch Fee 152 11,300,000 Greenbelt Borders City of Sonoma Easement Natural Resources Saddle Mountain Fee 960 9,213,000 Natural Resources Calistoga Road Near Santa Rosa Recreation * Acquisition Plan Categories are those in Acquisition Plan 2000. These were not used prior to 2000. 17

Conclusions 2

Commendations 1