Neighbors vow ongoing engagement as Sebastiani winery parcel enters general-plan and rezoning process

During the public-comment portion of the Sonoma Planning Commission meeting a local resident described ongoing neighborhood concerns about potential changes to the Sebastiani winery parcel and said neighbors intend to stay engaged through the general-plan update and any rezoning or specific plans.

Ken Stokes, who identified himself as a Brazil Street resident and a member of a neighborhood group, said he previously spoke to the commission and city council and had met with planning staff to learn about the process. Stokes said the group is working to separate fact from rumor and intends to prepare specific input on land use, zoning and development as the city—s general-plan update proceeds. "We are trying to separate fact from fiction... we are working hard as a group to educate ourselves and come back in due course with exactly that," Stokes said.

Stokes said neighbors were initially alarmed when they learned the winery property could be affected by the general-plan update and rezoning; he praised then-Chair Barnett—s earlier encouragement for neighbors to participate and said the group met with planning staff (he named Jennifer Gates) to clarify roles and timelines.

Stokes told the commission he expects neighborhood participation to continue through the general-plan update and any future specific-plan or zoning proceedings, saying, "you'll be hearing from us... for the next 12 plus months all the way through the update of the general plan, ultimately the adoption of new zoning, and presumably... adoption of a specific plan of development for the piece of property." He stressed his remarks reflected his personal view and not necessarily the neighborhood group's unanimous position.

The comments were entered during the meeting—s public-comment period; commissioners did not take action on the matter at the session but acknowledged the speaker and the expectation of future engagement.