North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park & Open Space Preserve Master Plan

What & Why?

To fully realize the possibilities of development, Regional Parks is preparing a Master Plan for the Park & Preserve. The process is studying additional passive recreational opportunities for public enjoyment and how to best protect this unique and sensitive environment.

Summary of Public Feedback on the Three Draft Alternative Plans

The planning team developed three draft alternative plans as a way to explore the possibilities for future development of the Park & Preserve. Public review of the three draft alternative plans was open and held originally from September 15 to October 30, 2020. The community requested an extension of the comment period and Regional Park complied, with the public comment period eventually ending November 18, 2020. The community provided extensive feedback during the public comment period. 

The community submitted comments by email and letter, direct message in the online Story Map, and through Facebook and Instagram. Altogether, 285 responses were received including more than 700 separate comments by topic. Comments ranged from simple statements to multi-page letters detailing ideas and suggestions.

An overview presentation (PDF: 1.7 MB) of the extensive community feedback was provided during the January 25, 2021 Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission (PRAC) Meeting. Sixteen community members provided additional comments during the publicly held Zoom meeting.

The planning team poured through the comments sorting by topic, subject, and community requested action or concern. The team then compiled and sorted like-comments into a table format to concisely review the communities input and better consider the range of support or concern for specific plan elements.

One community member created an informal neighbor group, conducted a survey of 150 people, and submitted answers to some of the questions. Questions and comments included in the transmittal letter are shown in the table of compiled comments Fall 2020 (PDF: 179 kB).

• Survey as originally submitted (PDF: 1.2 MB)
• Original unsorted community response (PDF: 3 MB)
  
  
  

What's Next?

The extensive public comments are being carefully considered as the planning team develops the preferred draft plan. As part of the Master Plan and the Initial Study preparation, draft documents will include draft management plans and a Draft California Environmental Quality Act document. Regional Parks is working to complete draft plans and documents, including all graphic and written documents. An Environmental Review Committee and Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission, both public hearings, will be held during the public comment period offering another way and opportunity for the community to provide feedback on the project.

Public meeting dates and other planning information will be shared on this website. 

For more information, please contact Project Manager Karen Davis-Brown, by phone  (707) 565-1359, or by email at  karen.davis-brown@sonoma-county.org.