Roseland Review by Duane DeWitt - September 2017

School started at the Roseland Public Schools in mid-August so there is a need to be more cautious when driving on the narrow roads near the elementary schools on West Ave. and Burbank Ave. Even Sebastopol Rd. should be a place where you drivers are more wary of the youngsters walking to school. In the future the Roseland University Prep High School campus will be moved over to the new buildings being constructed at Sheppard schools. Until then drivers please be extra safe as the kids get back into the routine of school days.

There was a hearing with the Sonoma County Local Agency Formation Committee on Wednesday August 2, 2017 where the members voted to allow the progress of a proposed “annexation” of the Roseland County Island. It was pointed out the term for such an action is known as a governmental reorganization. Some opponents of the proposed action spoke in opposition and claimed they would mount a “protest petition” to stop the process. As Roseland Review goes to press it is unknown if they have turned in the required amount of signatures of registered voters in the areas to annex. This has led to local rumors, but this column is about Roseland realities. As of now reorganization is on track to occur, possibly before Christmas.

Construction crews are busy at 3 housing projects in Roseland. One in a city portion of Roseland at Boyd St. and Sebastopol Rd. is underway with heavy equipment working on the basic ground work as streets had already been made at the site before a previous project was abandoned. There will be housing built there “where luxury meets downtown” according to the advertising signs. Two projects in the county may have housing available before the luxury project is even into building stage. Crossroads, a 79-unit affordable housing complex on Burbank Ave. in a series of 3-story buildings is all framed and roof rafters are in place. A road between Liana Drive and Burbank Ave. is now being constructed so all the new auto traffic from the perhaps up to two hundred new residents of the dense complex can get to and from home easier.

Over on Dutton Ave. the Paseo Vistas subdivision is under construction with the groundwork being done on the sanitary sewer systems and stormwater piping systems being put in now. These homes will be for sale homes with a stipulation there be some which are affordable to low income families. This was how the project was able to get a density bonus for the number of houses to be built and also get a “utilities certificate” granted by the city of Santa Rosa while the land still remains in the “county island” portion of Roseland under the jurisdiction of Sonoma County.

Make a Difference Day will be on Saturday October 28, 20017 from 10:00 am until noon or longer if you wish to help out the community of Roseland with more of your time. Members of the Friends of Roseland Creek with the Burbank Ave. Neighborhood Association as well as the Hughes Ave. Neighborhood Association, and Roseland Action, will be working with volunteers from the Community Action Partnership to help clean and maintain the Roseland NeighborWood. Streets near by will be spruced up as well as the public spaces near Sebastopol Rd. and the parking lot for the Roseland Community Center and Library. The library has become a very busy place with many families visiting to make use of the childrens’ section of the book collections. Computers area also available there for visitors to use as well as copies of the daily Press Democrat, including the Sunday editions, which are used by many visitors.

History of Roseland: A longtime Roseland resident asked Roseland Review if there would be a section celebrating the longtime history of Roseland in the new library to be built in the future. There is not much word on what is happening with the projects for the Roseland Village Shopping Center. At the next Roseland Brownfields Advisory Committee meeting taking place on Wednesday, September 20th, from 5:30PM to 7:30PM at the CDC Office at 1440 Guerneville Rd, SR 95403 the Roseland Review will ask for news we in the community can use. Members of the public can attend these meetings which will be directly affecting Roseland’s future. You could be asking the questions you want answered about the future of many of the vacant lots and run down sites in Roseland.