Please Join the BVCA or Renew Your Membership Grange Road Will Be Repaired This Year Blooms Abound Cannabis Dispensary Proposed in Bennett Valley Shopping Center
Bennett Valley Community Events
The January Board Meeting BVCA Meeting Schedule and Contact Information
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 live in challenging times. We are all locked down and our daily lives disrupted in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. Please be careful and safe. As discussed in Bennett Valley Community Events below, we cannot hold any meetings for the foreseeable future.
We look forward to eventually returning to normal life and robust involvement and action among members of the Bennett Valley Community Association (BVCA). As we celebrate our fiftieth anniversary, your participation can help us to preserve and enhance our unique Bennett Valley community. We plan on publishing articles on the history of the BVCA and Bennett Valley. If you have an idea for a suitable article, please contact the editor Craig S. Harrison.
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
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 at least four 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.
Thanks so much for your support!
Trucks Delivering Asphalt to Crane Canyon Road in October 2018
Grange Road Will Be Repaired This Year
by Craig S. Harrison, Save Our Sonoma Roads
The Sonoma County Transportation and Public Works Department (DTPW) has released its list of roads that will be repaired during the 2020 construction season. We are delighted that the a 1.3-mile asphalt concrete overlay on Grange Road between Bennett Valley Road and Peracca/Guenza roads is included. It will cost about $1 million and was among the pavement preservation projects approved last year by the board of supervisors for 2020 and 2021. Other nearby projects include Adobe Road (Old Redwood Highway to Corona) and East Cotati AVenue (Rohnert Park city limit to Petaluma Hill Road). 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. When completed, the entire Grange-Crane Canyon Road between Bennett Valley Road and Petaluma Hill Road, about 4.5 miles, will be in great shape for the foreseeable future except for the last segment just before Petaluma Hill Road. Funding for Grange Road is partially the result of the advocacy of Save Our Sonoma Roads (SOSroads) and its members. Director Johannes Hoevertsz and Deputy Director Janice Thompson of the DTPW have told us that decisions to repair roads are now made, in part, based on the number of complaints about potholes or other problems. For that reason, please use DTPW’s SoCo Report It app for smart phones to report potholes or other road issues. This is especially true for the parts of Sonoma Mountain Road where the road is failing. 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.
Lupine (Lupinus bicolor)
Blooms Abound by Jacqueline Levy, Education Programs Manager
Audubon Canyon Ranch, Bouverie Preserve
All photos by Jared Jacobs
The warm dry February has made many flowers bloom early this year. Several species that did not bloom until mid-March last year started showing their colors in early March and are still abundant.
In the chaparral, multi colored shooting stars are in flower along with the yellow and white butter and eggs. Both these plants grow low to the ground. Butter and eggs have flowers in clusters on purple inflorescence. The oak woodlands are showcasing a variety of wildflowers.
White milkmaids’ four petaled flowers grow in clusters on a stalk.
From a distance baby blue eyes appear to be a simple white, yet a closer inspection reveals intricate blue patterned petals.
The white of wild strawberries promise small red fruits for the future. Yellow buttercups shine in the sunlight. Fiddlenecks on taller stems are a deeper golden yellow. The other golden flower growing among the grasses are California poppies. Common stickyseed’s yellow petals are like arms outstretched to give the observer a hug. Their centers are yellow with white dots. Cooler colors are also present under the oaks. Purple and white lupins are blooming. Ithuriel’s Spear has a cup of six petals each ending in a point. This member of the lily family can range from blue to purple.
In the riparian habitats, the striking mission bells are in full flower. Wild cucumber vines have white star shaped flowers that climb over shrubs and tree trunks.
Butterflies can also be seen visiting flowers. Mourning cloaks are often one of the first butterflies to be spotted in flight because they overwinter as adults, unlike many species that spend winter as a pupa or underground as a caterpillar waiting for spring. The mourning cloak is a large brown butterfly with cream tipped wings.
Large tiger and anise swallowtails are common now as will as the pipevine swallowtail. If you have sharp eyes you will also spot the small butterflies in the blue family.
With the rains returning after an unseasonably dry winter I am enjoying this cacophony of colorful flowers and hope their pollinators are able to thrive and make their rounds, so next year’s spring will be just as colorful.
Cannabis Dispensary Proposed Near
Bennett Valley Shopping Center
Karen Kissler, a Marin County resident, has applied for a permit from the City of Santa Rosa for a cannabis dispensary at 2300 Bethards Drive (at Yulupa), adjacent to the Bennett Valley Shopping Center. In addition to a retail marijuana store, she proposes to include a delivery service and a consumption lounge for smoking, vaping, and consuming edibles laced with THC. She proposes operating 8 am – 10 pm daily. Few, if any, consumption lounges are permitted in the North Bay so that customers may come to this location from long distances. Traffic may increase near the shopping center, including on Bennett Valley Road. Driver impairment is an issue, and neither the Santa Rosa Police Department nor the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office have a test for driving under the influence of cannabis.
Ms. Kissler owns the Alternatives dispensary in downtown Santa Rosa that was the site of an armed robbery in its parking lot. There is strong local opposition because the site is very close to family homes with children as well as schools and day care centers. There is also some opposition from commercial enterprises in the Bennett Valley Shopping Center who are concerned that this project may degrade the character of the area. Residents of rural Bennett Valley may wish to express concerns because this our closest shopping center.
The applicant purchased the building in December 2019. Previous tenants were mostly professionals such as architects and engineers whose leases have been terminated. Those business tended to operate weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm, and generated minimal traffic. One issue that deserves investigation is whether the zoning is appropriate because the use seems incompatible with the neighborhood.
You may express concerns about this project (File No. PRJ19-047) to Susie Murray, Santa Rosa Senior Planner (707-543-4348; SMurray@srcity.org) and District 2 Santa Rosa City Council Member John Sawyer (JSawyer@SRCity.org). In addition, Protect Our Neighborhoods 2020 has an ongoing petition drive that opposes this project.
Covid Shutdown Affects
Bennett Valley Events
To comply with the State and County Shelter In Place Order, the Guild Hall is closed for all activities until further notice. All meetings, rentals, and other events are currently cancelled through July but may be rescheduled. Because of this, the BVCA board of directors meeting on April 16 will take place by conference call. It would be a challenge to open this call generally to members, but if anyone wants to join, please contact President Robert Stephens.
The BVCA and the Guild had planned to host a talk on bears by ecologist Meghan Walla-Murphy at the BVCA's April meeting. Ms. Walla-Murphy has launched the North Bay Bear Collaborative to study the bears' movements. The highest density of black bears in the contiguous United States is in Mendocino and Humboldt counties, and they are slowly migrating into our area. From wildlife cameras placed in the vicinity of Sugarloaf State Park, black bears have recently become residents of Sugarloaf and the Mayacamas. We hope to be able to reschedule this talk later this year.
In addition, the Guild's 148th Annual Picnic is cancelled, the first time in its history. The Guild may have a smaller event later in the year conditions permitting.
The January Board Meeting by Marilee Jensen
I had been a board member of the Bennett Valley Community Association from 1999 until 2006. In addition, I was the Editor of the VOICE until 2015, so I had attended all of the board meetings during that time. Now, after a five-year absence, I was elected again to the board in order to better unify the community efforts of Bennett Ridge, where I live, with all of Bennett Valley. At this board meeting, I didn't recognize some of the newer members, including Robert Stephens, but I knew a few members very well, from over the years.
This was also the first board meeting where Robert Stephens served as President. What's going to happen tonight? No one knew what to expect. It became clear that Robert was looking for ways to make the organization more active and efficient, with increasing participation from Bennett Valley residents. What changes could we make to achieve that? Along with the uncertainty of getting to know each other on this "new" board, that impacted the interaction among us that evening.
How can we enthuse more people to participate in BVCA? Nate Belden suggested we find an event organizer, with the goal of drawing more people to meetings and events. That suggestion resulted in enthusiasm from some of us. Could that make a difference for our organization?
As one of the last items of this meeting, one of the board members unexpectedly moved that the BVCA meetings be changed from six months a year to a quarterly schedule, with the next meeting being on April 16, 2020. Should we do this? Can we do this? This change was approved by all. And then the meeting was over. What's next?
BENNETT VALLEY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
MEETING SCHEDULE
The forthcoming Bennett Valley Community Association (BVCA) Board meeting will be held Thursday, April 16, at 4 PM by conference call because public meetings are currently banned. The BVCA Board normally convenes at the Bennett Valley Guild Hall locatedat 4145 Grange Road, Santa Rosa on the third Thursday of every third month (January, April, July, October). Meetings normally 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, April 16
Thursday, July 16
Thursday, October 15
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! Four 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.
