About PreserveCarriger.org

PreserveCarriger.org is an alliance of concerned neighbors that are seeking to make their voice heard.  Carriger Road is a small country road in the heart of Sonoma Valley that is being threatened by a large real estate development requiring rezoning and an amendment of the general plan.

Hanna Boys Center (Hanna) purchased 17501 Carriger Road with the purpose of developing 27.5 acres of their land and the 30.1 acres of 17501 Carriger Road property.  Hanna, the developer, is attempting to develop six high-end trophy home sites (plus one existing site) — and build the infrastructure associated with them –while putting all the traffic onto Carriger Road.

PreserveCarriger.org’s purpose is to protect the bucolic nature of Carriger Road and its surroundings, while limiting further degradation of this charming country road.  Carriger Road is a unique country lane loved by those who live on it, plus the many more of all ages from nearby areas, who use it daily for walking, jogging, riding bicycles, riding horses and other outdoor activities.   It is also the thoroughfare to equestrian and sheep ranches as well as to several vineyards and a rest-home.

Email Updates

If you would like to receive email updates about PreserveCarriger.org and how you can help, please email your name, email address and street address to PreserveCarriger.org@gmail.com.  (Please note:  The email sign up located on the top-right column of the page is to join and follow the blog — this is separate from the email updates).

What You Can Do to Help Preserve Carriger Road

Every one can help — it’s simple.  Write or email the Sonoma County planners. In addition, contact Sonoma County supervisors, politicians running for office, local media and Hanna to express your opinion of this proposed development. Useful addresses and some suggested formats are on the Who To Write & Email page. Every letter, every email, will help preserve this beautiful corner of the Valley.  Thank you.

Background

Hanna has submitted a request to amend the Sonoma County General Plan by rezoning 27.5 acres from their existing property zoned Public Facilities (PF) to Rural Residential (RR B6 3) status and combining this land with the recently purchased 30.1 acre property located at 17501 Carriger Road.  From this combined 57.6 acres, Hanna would carve out and sell six individual lots for the construction of new homes, in addition to a seventh lot on which there is a pre-existing home.  Access to all properties is planned to be via Carriger Road despite the fact Hanna has existing access via Arnold Drive.

If approved, this would result in years of increased construction traffic and noise, as well as additional residential traffic on a road that cannot tolerate an increase. It would also have a significant negative impact on Sonoma Mountain watershed (including a blue-line creek), wildlife habitat, undisturbed scenic beauty, and loss of educational value to local students.  The residents of the area are strongly opposed to this development.

Good Charity – Bad Idea

Hanna is a great organization that does a wonderful job with abused and distressed youths; however, their recent application to act as a real estate developer is out of character and ill-conceived. The idea of placing seven trophy homes at the end of Carriger Road is completely at odds with the rural surroundings. Hanna followed the advice of board members led by a prominent San Francisco Shopping Center Developer, to look to property purchase and development for fund raising without regard to the adverse affects on the character of the Carriger Road rural community and its residents.

Profit is the Motive – Not the Local Environment

Profit is Hanna’s motivation and it overrides any concern regarding the negative impact on the Carriger neighborhood or those who reside there. Hanna stated income from the $3 million forecast profit will sustain less than 2 extra boys on an ongoing basis. They also just spent $15 million on new buildings. They say all this will maybe allow them to house 12 extra boys. $18 million for 12 extra boys makes for strange mathematics.

Preserve the General Plan- Don’t set a Dangerous Precedent

PreserveCarriger.org seeks to protect the General Plan.  If Hanna is successful in carrying out their plans, a precedent for this area will be set that would encourage future developers to use as a basis to request higher density zoning amendments. The zoning change from PF to RR3 is also taking away land that is designated for public benefit and placing it in the hands of private developers. Hanna is a non- profit charity and, as such, is indirectly subsidized by the taxpayers. Rezoning part of their property amounts to misuse of public land. Water is a big issue on Carriger. The water table is dropping and some houses have had to truck in water in the past. New wells have to be 1000 feet deep or more. More wells could be a big problem.

Carriger Road is Unique – Used by Many for Recreation

Carriger Road is a beautiful, narrow rural road, used daily by residents, hikers, cyclists, dog walkers and horses. Carriger Road is only 15 feet wide in places, full of potholes, has two blind bends and would be destroyed by the many years of heavy construction traffic that would result. The application proposes to sell off individual lots. This will take years and building will be staggered so Carriger Road will be subject to as many as ten years of completely unacceptable heavy construction traffic. By the application’s own estimate there will be 70 extra journeys a day on Carriger, not counting construction traffic. They do not seem to be counting the handymen, gardeners, swimming pool maintainers, maids and tree trimmers that each trophy home will generate.

Locals Overwhelmingly Opposed – February Meeting Shows

The local residents are overwhelmingly opposed to the application. Hanna has clearly not thought this through and, as the meeting on Feb 16^th showed, has a public relations disaster on its hands that will ultimately result in diminished contributions. Hanna has access to the proposed development from Arnold Drive through part of the property they already own. Hanna has rejected this saying they don’t want the increased traffic!!!  They are, however, quite willing to dump it on Carriger Road.  At the meeting some 70 plus local residents expressed their opposition and concerns. The Hanna representatives seemed unwilling to change any aspect of their plan.

What We Need – Tell Everyone & Hanna This Is A Bad Idea

We need support to preserve the beautiful rural nature of Sonoma Mountain and the Sonoma Valley.

We urge Hanna to reconsider this development. Visit our website, talk to your local representatives, write to Hanna and newspaper editors.  Most of all, come and walk Carriger Road and see for yourself this unique corner of Sonoma that could be blighted forever.­­­­­­­­­­