Please Join the BVCA or Renew Your Membership
The BVCA Was Founded Fifty Years Ago Status of Commercial Marijuana Projects in Bennett Valley Seasons Greetings Will Grange Road Be Repaired in 2020? Welcome New BVCA President Robert Stephens BVCA Meeting Schedule and Contact Information
Bennett Valley Community Events
The BVCA and YOU! Join. Engage. Support.
BV Guild Contact Information
Please Join the BVCA or Renew Your Membership by BVCA Board of Directors
We wish you a happy, healthy, and successful 2020 and look forward to a robust year of involvement and action among members of the Bennett Valley Community Association (BVCA). Your involvement can help us to preserve and enhance our unique Bennett Valley community.
The BVCA is a non-profit organization whose purpose includes protecting the rural beauty of Bennett Valley, building a sense of community, providing preparation for emergencies and serving as a unified voice with government agencies. Together, we can strengthen our corner of the world.
Specifically, the mission of the BVCA is to:
Promote and preserve the residential rural character and natural environment of Bennett Valley
Educate, instruct, train and inform the local residents on disaster preparedness and emergency response as well as local land use and environmental issues
Serve as an open forum for active Bennett Valley community participation
Provide a bridge for communication between county agencies and the Bennett Valley community
During 2019, the BVCA held or helped organize community meetings concerning mountain lions, the reorganization of our local fire department, and Rebuild North Bay.
We have tried to keep you informed of proposed commercial cannabis projects in our area, the reorganization of our local fire protection district, and which roads were to be improved.
We're asking each of you to add your voice to the Bennett Valley community by renewing your membership in the BVCA or joining for the first time. Our dues are only $20 per year plus any additional contribution you may choose to make. You will help fund the many activities in which we are involved and stay informed via the VOICE newsletter which is sent to members six times per year.
These newsletters can keep you informed about a broad range of issues affecting Bennett Valley, provide updates on the status of our local fire department and Guild activities and enable sharing of community information. We need your participation to achieve our mission as a community association.
Send checks to BVCA, P.O. Box 2666, Santa Rosa, CA 95405 or pay online at www.bennettvalley.org by choosing “Join/Renew: BVCA Membership." For questions about dues contact Larissa Goliti at lgoliti@hotmail.com or 578-3453. For questions about paying online, contact Bill Finkelstein at bill@bennettvalley.org or 536-1026.
Thanks so much for your support!
David Sandine, a BVCA Founder.
The BVCA Was Founded Fifty Years Ago
by Craig S. Harrison, VOICE Editor
The year 2020 marks the Bennett Valley Community Association’s first half century. Founded as the Bennett Valley Homeowner’s Association, the name was changed to BVCA in 2012 to avoid confusion. This is a good time to honor the nine Bennett Valley residents who signed the Articles of Incorporation on December 6, 1970. They are the original directors and were visionary leaders of our community:
Walter Benson
Ash Cutchin
Paul Hamilton
William Jacobs
Bradford Lundborg
Paul Mowbray
Charles Hunnemaker
William Pisenti
David Sandine
Each founder loved Bennett Valley and wanted to make his voice heard.
David Sandine is probably the only founding director who is still alive. He and his wife Sandy have just moved into their rebuilt home on Bennett Ridge after losing it to the Nuns Fire in 2017. In 1970, David was a young engineer starting his career while building his home on Bennett Ridge. He recalls “the BVCA was originally formed to have an organized voice in the development of Bennett Valley. The county was preparing zoning for the Valley and we wanted input.”
Walter (“Spike”) Benson was the developer of Bennett Ridge and built several of the homes there. David recalls that Spike was a “real character,” drove a Porsche race car at Sears Point, and was a very smart and honest man.
Paul Hamilton was a prominent architect who designed and built many homes in Bennett Valley. Paul rejoined the BVCA board from 2006-09 and when he passed away a few years ago was living on Mountain Meadow Lane.
William (Bill) Jacobs was a local dairy rancher, rock quarry owner, and road grader. His ranch on Sonoma Mountain Road became part of Sonoma Mountain Regional Park in 2003. David Sandine recalls that Jacobs “was a very old-school and no-nonsense type.”
Brad Lundborg was an internist and for a time the medical director of the former Health Plan of the Redwoods. He immersed himself in civic affairs, including being chairman of the California Coastal Commission from 1977-79 where he opposed coastal housing projects such as The Sea Ranch and Bodega Harbor. He also led a Boy Scout group. He eventually moved to a ranch outside of Healdsburg.
Paul Mowbry was a civil engineer who had a local engineering business. William (Bill) Pisenti was another old school character who was always eager to give his opinion. He lived at Rockhill Ranch on Bennett Valley Road and was very involved with the Bennett Valley Grange. Bill also helped found the Bennett Valley Volunteer Fire Department.
David Sandine believes that the BVCA was “successful in working together and with the county to protect Bennett Valley.”
During 2020 we plan on publish a series of articles on the history of the BVCA and Bennett Valley. We welcome your participation. If you have an idea for a suitable article, please contact me.
Status of Commercial Marijuana Projects
in Bennett Valley
by Craig S. Harrison, VOICE Editor
The Table lists the attempts to grow cannabis on 13 properties within the Bennett Valley Area Plan that have been made during the past two years. None of these operations existed before the Cannabis Ordinance was adopted in 2016, so there are no examples in Bennett Valley of legalizing previous ongoing operations.
It is difficult to obtain information concerning the location or status of proposed grows, so there could be additional sites. The County refuses to maintain a web site to provide such information, and the only way to remain current is to file periodic Public Records Act requests. This web site attempts to provide current information: http://www.sosneighborhoods.com/
APN
Address
Permit Application Status
049-130-015
4944 Bennett Valley Road
Inactive; site ineligible because parcel <10 acres
055-010-031
2274 Wellspring Road
5 ministerial permits issued
049-150-005
4050 Grange Road
Awaiting supervisors hearing
049-130-005
4065 Grange Road
Awaiting supervisors hearing on appeal
049-071-054
4265 Sonoma Mountain Rd
Terminated December 31, 2017; ineligible parcel
049-030-090
5365 Sonoma Mountain Rd
Inactive; site ineligible because parcel <10 acres
136-201-004
6480 Eagle Ridge Road
Terminated; another grower might apply
055-150-018
3141 Matanzas Creek Lane
Withdrawn; another grower might apply
055-150-011
3220 Matanzas Creek Lane
Withdrawn; another grower might apply
055-150-010
3400 Matanzas Creek Lane
Inactive; another grower might apply
055-140-015
3575 Matanzas Creek Lane
Inactive; site ineligible because parcel <10 acres
055-140-006
3700 Matanzas Creek Lane
Awaiting Board of Zoning Adjustments hearing
055-140-024
3803 Matanzas Creek Lane
Awaiting supervisors hearing
Four sites are cultivating. Three have operated since 2017 under PRMD’s Penalty Relief Program while they applied for conditional use permits: 4050 Grange Road, 4065 Grange Road, and 3803 Matanzas Creek Lane. The Agriculture Department has issued five ministerial permits for 2274 Wellspring Road, a type of permit that essentially allows no public involvement.
In November, the Board of Zoning Adjustments approved a permit at 4065 Grange Road, which Bennett Valley Citizens for a Ban on Commercial Marijuana Facilities appealed to the board of supervisors. The hearing for the appeal will likely occur during the first quarter of 2020.
On December 17, the board of supervisors decided to eliminate Board of Zoning Adjustment hearings for nineteen controversial permit applications, including 4050 Grange Road and 3803 Matanzas Creek Lane. The supervisors will probably hold hearings on whether to issue conditional use permits for these projects in early 2020. The supervisors also announced that they will make more permits ministerial to block neighbors from raising objections. SeeSonoma County Supervisors surrender our rural lands to the cannabis industry, apologize for pretending to entertain resident’s concerns. https://tinyurl.com/v8twrno
On a related issue, on January 6 the supervisors considered the circumstances where hemp can be cultivated. Hemp cannot be distinguished from marijuana until just before harvest when THC levels are measured. Soon Bennett Valley residents may smell huge fields of fragrant hemp.
One of the wonderful things about working at nature preserve, such as Bouverie, is noticing the seasonal changes in wildlife. After the first rain male frogs are heard calling out to females. Growing up in Bennett Valley it is a familiar nighttime sound. What is less familiar is the sight of Sierra Tree Frogs and Western Toads hopping out in the open. These amphibians are so numerous on the preserve that most rainy nights I have to stop my car on the way out to move them off the driveway to avoid running them over.
Every wonder where these little creatures go during the day and the dryer seasons? Despite their name, our native tree frogs don’t spend much time in trees. When conditions are unfavorable for them on the surface they go underground. Many other amphibians and reptiles do the same.
If you have ever looked closely at an amphibian’s feet you will have notices that they don’t have nails or claws. Digging is not their forte. Amphibians must rely on other animals to provide a way for them to migrate vertically underground, as do snakes.
Mice, voles, and moles all provide tunnels for themselves and inadvertently for other animals seeking moist or temperate conditions. Gophers are great burrowers and provide both food and homes for a variety of animals. A gopher’s burrow is a bed and breakfast for snakes and borrowing owls. Though extremely rare, there are still some nesting borrowing owls in Sonoma County.
Next time you may be about to curse the gophers digging up your yard, remember that without them the frogs, toads, and burrowing owls we cherish, and the snakes that help keep rodents in check rely on them. In addition, borrowing animals help aerate and fertilize the soil.
Even if you don’t feel glee upon the sight of frog as I do, perhaps you can appreciate them for their diet of invertebrates which includes ants and flies. I am glad to know they are out there when I hear them singing. For me, and I hope for you, listening to the rain and frogs at night this time of year is its own season’s greetings.
Trucks Delivering Asphant to Crane Canyon Road in October 2018.
Will Grange Road Be Repaired in 2020?
by Craig S. Harrison, Save Our Sonoma Roads
In May 2019, the supervisors approved a list of pavement preservation projects for the 2020 and 2021 construction seasons. Among the approved projects is a 1.3-mile asphalt concrete overlay on Grange Road between Bennett Valley Road and Peracca/Guenza roads that will cost $1 million. A complete list of road projects is posted at http://www.sosroads.org/.
An asphalt overlay project places a large amount of new asphalt on top of the damaged surface. It is more expensive than a chip seal (fine aggregate rock sprayed with a layer of oil) and provides longer-lasting road surfaces. Funding for Grange Road is partially the result of the advocacy of Save Our Sonoma Roads (SOSroads) and its members.
SOSroads met with Director Johannes Hoevertsz and Deputy Director Janice Thompson of the Transportation and Public Works Department (DTPW) in December 2019 to discuss road repair issues. We asked whether the Grange Road project would be scheduled during 2020, and learned that decisions concerning project scheduling will be announced by February. We also learned that decisions to repair roads are now made, in part, based on the number of complaints about potholes or other problems. We will alert the Bennett Valley community once DTPW announces its schedule for this year’s construction season.
Winter rainfall is creating many potholes. Please use DTPW’s SoCo Report It app for smart phones to report potholes or other road issues. As noted above, such reports are a consideration in making pavement preservation decisions. You may also use the link on the DTPW website (https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/Services/SoCo-Report-It/Submit-a-Service-Request/) to report an issue or call DTPW at 561-5100. Both the app and the website have a brief “Video Demonstration” showing how to use Report It. Director Hoevertsz emphasized that sending photos is especially helpful because sometimes county crews are unable to locate the problem that was reported.
Welcome New BVCA President Robert Stephens by Craig S. Harrison, VOICE Editor
At its November organizational meeting for the coming year, the BVCA board of directors chose Robert Stephens to be our new President. Please join the board in wishing Robert every success.
I have stepped down after twelve years as president, and will continue to serve the BVCA as the VOICE editor.
When I was first a candidate for the BVCA board in September 2005, I wrote that I would work to include all residents on issues that affect the entire valley, especially those who are relatively new to this area. I wanted the BVCA to work on problems common to all of us, including our pot-holed roads, generally inferior public services, the prospect at that time of new septic requirements, and improved access to nearby parks and conservation areas.
I hope I have helped to make some improvements in these areas, and urge others to step up to help the BVCA make Bennett Valley a better home for all of us.
BENNETT VALLEY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
MEETING SCHEDULE
The forthcoming Bennett Valley Community Association (BVCA) Board meeting will be held Thursday, January 16, at 7 PM at the Bennett Valley Guild Hall located at 4145 Grange Road, Santa Rosa, CA. The BVCA Board convenes the third Thursday of every other month (January, March, May, July, September, November) at the Bennett Valley Guild Hall. Meetings commence at 7 PM and are open to members and non-members alike. We invite and encourage public attendance. The current BVCA Board meeting schedule through calendar year 2020 is as follows
Thursday, January 16
Thursday, March 19
Thursday, May 21
Thursday, July 16
Thursday, September 17
Thursday, November 19
The Board meeting Agenda opens with public discussion, with each presenter invited to address the Board for up to three minutes with their name, address, and concern. Following public input, the Board will receive a report from the Treasurer, and reports of any official notifications from the County. Additional topics of discussion will include county roads, VOICE, the BV Fire Protection District, status of Guild litigation, and potential speakers for coming meetings. Minutes from previous meetings of the BVCA Board are typically posted on the BVCA website soon after they are approved. You can find an archive of meeting minutes here.
The Fire District Board of Directors meets the third Tuesday of each month at 5pm at Station 1, 8200 Old Redwood Highway, Windsor. For now the Board is holding its meetings there as they anticipate major remodel work at many of their other stations throughout 2020. They will revisit their meeting locations in a few months as their facility plan and schedule are developed.
To building a sense of community in Bennett Valley by serving as an open forum for community participation;
To providing information on local environmental and land use issues and encouraging communication between residents and government agencies with the goal of promoting and preserving the rural character and natural environment of Bennett Valley;
To educating and providing resources that encourage disaster and emergency preparedness
Membership Benefits: The Bennett Valley VOICE delivered straight to your inbox!
Six times a year, the BVCA will keep you up-to-date on a broad range of topics pertinent to your community.
$20 per household per year = Electronic version of BVCA’s newsletter
Get access to exclusive events, speakers, discounts and plenty of opportunities to meet, greet and broaden your own Bennett Valley “family”.
Pay dues online here, or make checks payable to BVCA, and send to P.O. Box 2666, Santa Rosa, CA 95405. Or if you’d simply like to support the BVCA, a section 501(c)(3) organization, you can do so here. Any questions? Contact Bill Finkelstein at bill@bennettvalley.org. The BVCA thanks you!
Bennett Valley Guild (BV Guild)
Go to http://bvguild.orgto learn more about the BV Guild, including the Guild calendar or, for an article on the early historyof the Bennett Valley Guild.
If you have any questions email Bill/Patty Allen at paddybill@sbcglobal.net.
