Roseland Review by Duane DeWitt - April 2017

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There will also be volunteers from the Friends of Roseland Creek meeting at the Roseland Creek Elementary School parking lot on Burbank Ave. across from the Roseland Creek Nature Preserve. Nice new signs have been installed there by the Sonoma County Agriculture Preservation and Open Space District (SCAPOSD) to signify this land has been preserved by taxpayer money. Local volunteers will lead efforts to “beautify” and clean up the Roseland Neighbor Wood as locals call this already beautiful oak woodland and meadow area. There will be tools and refreshments for those joining the “Friends of Roseland Creek” on this effort to “Spruce up” this natural jewel in a bit of spring cleaning. This will be happening rain or shine so please come out and see our local nature at its best.

There is a responsibility to “Remember Roseland” as it was before the onslaught of urban sprawl reached into the formerly pristine areas inhabited by the indigenous peoples of the Pomo Indian and Coast Miwok Indian tribes locally. At least a decade ago Roseland residents close to the Neighbor Wood site worked with each other, and then highly paid consultants paid by Santa Rosa taxpayers, to plan for a “Pomo Interpretive Village” on the southern bank of Roseland Creek near McMinn Ave. This is on a six acre parcel of land eventually purchased outright by the (SCAPOSD) and later deeded over to the city of Santa Rosa though it is still located in the unincorporated county jurisdiction. Now the city of Santa Rosa has denied that it ever adopted the formalized plan from 2010 when hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent for many meetings with the community to plan for Roseland Creek Park and Trail. On Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017 at the Santa Rosa City Council meeting another consultant was hired for a new plan effort.

The city staff stated, “The services will build upon planning for the park that has been underway since 2009 and facilitate the continuation of public input received thus far from the processes for the Roseland Specific Area Plan, Roseland Annexation, and specific park-site conversations.” This new effort leaves many Roseland residents who participated in past efforts to be apprehensive the city Recreation and Parks Department staff are seeking to override the desires of local residents and NOT do a Pomo Interpretive Village as promised long ago. A Professional Services Agreement with Design Workshop, Inc., of Stateline, Nevada to, “Provide a master plan, 30% and 100% design and engineering plans for Roseland Creek Community Park in the amount of $187,794.00” was approved. In addition, “David J. Powers & Associates, Inc., of San Jose, CA” was hired to “Provide environmental review and declaration services for Roseland Creek Community Park in the amount of $146,960.00”

This is $334,754.00 more money to redo a plan citizens of Roseland thought was completed over seven years ago. But the city staff claim the first plan was never adopted, even though there had been applications for state grants in the past stating the plans were finalized. With the new controversy of the Paulin Creek Preserve land being possibly sold to a developer by the county of Sonoma, and the (SCAPOSD), many Roseland residents are concerned for the future of the Roseland Neighbor Wood. Roseland Public Schools officials have stated they want to now build a new Middle School on the small green space at the Roseland Creek Elementary School. This leads some locals who have talked with Roseland Review to believe the school district will try to force playing fields over onto the Roseland Creek lands previously thought to be protect in perpetuity from development. Roseland Review will research these matters further for future news reports.