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Council approves joint‑powers agreement with State Parks to activate Toscano Hotel first floor as visitor center
Summary
The council unanimously approved a joint powers agreement with California State Parks to activate the first floor of the Toscano Hotel (state property) and authorized a sublease to the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau; the state will not charge rent for activation and the city will handle upkeep and utilities.
The Sonoma City Council voted unanimously to approve a joint powers agreement (JPA) with the California State Parks to activate the first floor of the historic Toscano (Toscana/Tuscano in some packet references) Hotel on state park property and to authorize a sublease to the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau.
City Manager David Guin said the agreement would allow the city to activate an underused state‑owned space across from the plaza, remove existing security cages and provide a staffed, regular public presence to display history and help visitors. Matthew Allen, deputy district superintendent for the Bay Area District of California State Parks, said staff had opened the gates during planning discussions and saw consistent public interest. Allen said the activation would let visitors "get that history" and learn about local destinations.
Under the JPA presented to the council, the state is not charging the city for the activation use of the first floor; the city would handle cleaning, utilities and regular upkeep. The plan calls for freestanding displays and minimal alterations so the historic fabric is preserved; any work will be coordinated with state park historians. The city intends to sublease the space to the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau so volunteers and bureau staff can operate regular hours.
Councilmembers asked about the sublease language that mentioned investigation and cleanup of hazardous substances. City staff said the JPA assigns responsibility for pre‑occupancy conditions to the state and staff will clean up the sublease language to align with the JPA. The council clarified the JPA is a zero‑cost activation agreement and that any sublease between the city and the visitors bureau would carry a separate lease term and dollar amount to be documented in that sublease.
The council approved a motion authorizing the City Manager to execute the JPA with State Parks and to execute a sublease with the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau for the first floor. The motion carried unanimously.
Why this matters: Activating the space is meant to preserve a historic building by putting it into regular use, create a staffed visitor resource near the plaza, and free up the Carnegie Building for potential city departmental space. City staff said volunteers will be trained with state materials and the visitors bureau will help keep the space open to the public.
