Bennett Valley Voice

BENNETT VALLEY VOICE

Volume 9 No. 1

Bennett Valley Homeowners Association

BVHA

Board Of Directors

President Bill MacIver Vice President David Steiner Sec /Treasurer Nancy Batson Bill Jacobs Warren Watkins Tamara Boultbee David Zedrick Paul Mowbray Michael Bates

Memo From The Board

ELECTION UPDATE: Michael Bates was elected to the seat vacated by Dona Moberly. The Board in turn elected officers as indicated above. We thank Dona for her work and contributions to to the Association and welcome Michael to the Board. Service on the Board and direct participation in activities carries much responsibility, personal time and hard work.

There is always a need for concerned involvement. The Valley needs your support whether it's in new/renewed membership, appearance at public meetings, speaking out on issues and, yes, serving on the Board! The pressure for amendments to the General Plan is growing. Through hard work we continue to be successful in our fights to uphold the General Plan and in advancing agricultural growth, but never safe.

Please renew your membership, join if you aren't already a member and participate. ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS UPDATE: 1) After years of frustration and disagreement, the blind intersection at Sonoma Mountain and Pressley roads has finally been eliminated. Kudos go to our persistence over the past year and to 1st District Supervisor Janet Nicholas for helping push this project through.

A new road safety improvement project is on County Public Works' drawing boards. Design plans and right-of-way acquisition are underway for construction of a new bridge across Matanzas Creek on Bennett The project plan includes a new bridge to the south of the existing bridge and a new roadway that will eliminate the dangerous curves on both sides of the bridge.

The new, straightened roadway will rejoin the old road about 100 yards before it reaches the Pisenti property. land will be disturbed. • But to over riding baret? No productive Ag Due to overriding safety considerations, the homeowners' Board supports this project. However, we do have concerns about. such road improvemnts that will increase speed, make Bennett Valley more vulnerable as an artery to other parts of the County and invite more urban sprawl.

January 1986

3) We to refer to the Bennett Valley Road-Yulupa intersection as a "safety improvement" although thatwas our understanding of the reason for the project. Upon completion it is obvious that the City of Santa Rosa envisions Yulupa Avenue as the principle artery into Bennett Valley than Bennett Valley Road. That concern aside, although it could be an ominous signal to Bennett Valley homeowners, the Board feels mislead by the City because we thought they had agreed to provide a smooth, radius and an acceleration lane so that outbound Bennett Valley traffic (especially truck traffic) would not be seriously impeded.

intersection has become the bottleneck safety hazard we argued it would be and thought we had been successful in changing the City's plan. We have appealed to the City for remedial action. LAND USE

Issues Update:

1) Anthony & Anne Haas of Great Oak School, 6480 Sonoma Mountain Road, applied for a permit school of 75 students. The Haas School has grown and operated without County Planning Department determined the request was inconsistent with the disapproved. The County Board of Zoning Adjustments appeal for a General Plan Amendment.

We spoke in opposition to the amendment inconsistency with existing and planned uses and the fact that proposed amendments to the General Plan, regardless of their apparent results and good intentions, set precedents General Plan to irrelevancy. It is unknown at this the BZA determination will be appealed to Supervisors.

2) Richard & Carmain Schweiger have filed to rezone their 13 acre parcel, Pressley Road, from a 15 acre density to a 5 acre minimum so they can qualify for lot split. The Schweigers proposed similar split in 1982 which was turned down by the County Planning Commissioners and the Board of Supervisors.

The conducted thorough study of the issue at the time and found numerous problems with the proposal. Besides conflicting with the B. V. Specific and the General Plans, the property was deemed to be severely unstable for development, marginal in water availability, have access limitations, problem opposing neighbors. We have written again in opposition.

3) In August 1985 the County Building Department discovered that a "Stop Work" November 1984 illegal dwelling construction the Pisenti property, 4975 Bennett Valley Road, being ignored and that construction continued to the point that the two story structure was virtually complete. Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors denied an appeal by the Pisentis for a General Plan amendment dwelling the property.

The Pisentis subsequently applied for and received a unit" proviso that the second unit conform with rules governing these units. Prior to the denial of the General Plan ammendment, the 2nd solution was discussed as a possible solution to abatement of the illegal Unfortunately, changeover of Homeowner officers, our mail with the notification of the Pisenti 2nd unit filing was reviewed too late for the BHA Board to consider position and take action.

Considering the seriousness of sanctioning an illegally built structure under the pretext used to skirt General Plan land use controls, vigilant toassure that 2nd unit regulations are observed on this parcel.

foregoing problem illustrates how tenuous controls are, how easily land use rules can be circumvented, and haw much everyone's help. We urge you to be alert proposed notices. There is no guarantee that we are aware of issues before it is too late for action. Please help.

Probably some of the most interesting history to us today is that of the early Bennett Valley settlers. The following is a little history lesson adn quiz for us all. The information was gathered from past issues of the Bennett Valley VOICE with thanks to those individuals who have contributed their efforts in helping to document the history of the area. (The answers follow upside down.) 1) Bennett Valley was once part of a large Land grant called owned by 2) The first family to settle in the valley were the in the year 3) The second family to settle here were The 4) What Indian tribe was native to the area?

5) An Indian word pronounced ee-00-100-pa is known today as 6) The first school in Bennett Valley was the and was built in the year 7) Who was the B.V. resident elected Assemblyman to represent Sonoma County in 1853 by the Party? 8) Does Bennett Valley have a Cemetery?

9) B.V. had a Office until located in the blacksmith shop of Dana B. Bremner. 10) What mineral was discovered and mined on Taylor Mtn. beginning in 1877? The B.V. Grange was formed in what year? It is the Grange Hall in the continuously in use as a Grange Hall.

The first B.V. Fire House was built in what year? Who was the first fire chief? 13) By the 1880's there were 4,000 acres of producing 486,000 gallons of They were killed off by _ at the turn of the century and farming was discouraged thru the _

The Bennett Valley Voice

The VOICE is mailed quarterly to all members with the exception of this January issue which is distributed to all residents. Initial membership is $5.00 for the 1st year, renewal is $3.00 per year following. A11 residents and members are welcome at the monthly meetings held at the Firehouse on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7:30 PM to voice their opinions and concerns on issues that arise. Hope to see you there.

THE BENNETT VALLEY HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION 1986 Membership Dues Bennett Valley Homeowners Assoc., P.O. Box 2666, Santa Rosa, California 95405 $3.00

New Membership

$5.00 RENEWAL NAME ADDRESS Please make checks payable to Bennett Valley Homeowners Assoc., and send in by March 10, 1986.

Bennett Valley

Homeowners Association

P.O. Box 2666 Santa Rosa, CA 95405