Roseland Review by Duane Dewitt - December 2019
With Christmas coming, it is always important for Roseland residents to put their Christmas wishes out there. Perhaps WE may get something better for Roseland for Christmas, and far beyond in the future if we ask. How about this for a wish? Buy a “living” Christmas tree, and plant it somewhere in Roseland after Christmas. Many local trees are being cut down for development projects. There is always a need for more trees in Sonoma County, especially after two large fires within two years. Yeah for Trees!!
There is news to report on about the city of Santa Rosa hosting various meetings in Roseland. Often these meetings are where WE residents have to listen to city officials give us their version of what they are going to do to us. Sometime there may be a bit of a difference such as on Weds. Night Nov 13th when Santa Rosa Police chief and many police officers hosted a Community Listening session at Roseland University Prep High School. The main topics of the sessions chosen by the city were Homelessness and Traffic. A “Community of Impunity” is what Roseland has become in regards to both of these issues in the two years since Roseland was annexed into the city. Basically many local Roseland residents feel law enforcement is not dealing with these issues very well here.
In the future Roseland Review will discuss this meeting in depth, but this month there are some Christmas wishes relayed to the column by readers which need to be talked of as soon as possible because the city of Santa Rosa has released a request for comments regarding the city efforts to forever alter the Roseland NeighborWood on Burbank Ave.
To see larger or download the map go here: https://srcity.org/DocumentCenter/View/26439/Roseland-MP_191101
First the city has released an "Initial Study and Proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/Proposed MND) for the City’s Roseland Creek Community Park Project.”
It has a “Review Period: November 19, 2019 to December 18, 2019.” PLEASE READ IT AND MAKE COMMENTS before Dec. 18th. You can read it here: https://srcity.org/2448/Park-Projects
Comments may be directed to the attention of Ms. Jen Santos at 55 Stony Point Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401. jsantos@srcity.org
Many Roseland residents are concerned the city has discriminated against Roseland in this process while serving the residents of eastern Santa Rosa better in regards to park planning. Such as with the Southeast Greenway planning effort, The Kawana Springs Community Park planning effort, and the Downtown Specific Plan. In those processes politically well-connected citizens were allowed to guide some of the process and power in the decision making process. This has not been the case for Roseland residents who are routinely ignored by Ms. Santos and city staff.
There was a city sponsored meeting at Roseland Library on Saturday Nov 23, 2019 at 10 am for the Downtown Specific Plan which includes land from Dutton Ave. and Sebastopol Rd. going north and east. But the local residents faced another listening session where they were not allowed to be a part of the decision making process.
Trish Tatarian and Mary Goe, long-time residents of Roseland have pointed out to various elected officials repeatedly we need help. Here are some excerpts from an opinion piece they had published in the Press Democrat in the past. Santa Rosa elected officials, as well as Sonoma County officials and Roseland School Board officials, still drag their heels on these needs rather than helping the community. Ms. Goe and Ms. Tatarian pointed out, “Recently annexed to Santa Rosa, Roseland is at a disadvantage compared to most neighborhoods and, due to the cost of the fires, residents have been informed that infrastructure improvements will not be happening quickly. However, one disadvantage that should be corrected is parkland acquisition.”
They point out, “Roseland has the lowest level of park acreage per population compared to other sections in town. The 2035 General Plan calls for 6 acres per 1,000 residents, half of which may be outside the area. The last census identified approximately 17,000 people residing in Roseland (Hearn Avenue north to Highway 12 and Stony Point Road east to Highway 101). Based on the 6/1,000 formula, Roseland should have 102 acres of parks. Instead, Roseland has a total of 25.5 park acres including the 6-acre Bayer Farm Community Park and the 19.5-acre Roseland Creek Park. Even if we follow the existing General Plan goal for 3.5-acres of city parks per 1,000 residents, our neighborhood should have 59.5 acres of parkland.”
They asked long ago, “How do we assure that Roseland gets the additional 34 acres of parkland before the space available is paved over?”
