Residents of Sonoma Mountain Road urge county to repave after years of chronic deterioration

Multiple residents of Sonoma Mountain Road told the Board of Supervisors that a roughly 3.2‑mile stretch remains in dangerously poor condition after years of deferred maintenance.

Kevin Hsu said he bought his property two decades ago and that repeated promises from successive supervisors have not led to repaving. He described frequent washouts, long‑standing barricades, near‑miss traffic incidents involving cyclists and emergency vehicles, and personal injury tied to the road condition. "It's a vital road," Hsu said; "yet this road is still abandoned by the county and ignored."

Chad Herman and Tim Metzger, who live on the same mountain, described broken vehicle parts, recurring potholes, and an inability of simple patching to provide a lasting fix. The speakers asked county staff and supervisors to prioritize durable repaving of the route rather than repeated temporary repairs.

Vice Chair Hermosillo and other supervisors responded by acknowledging the long list of roads in need countywide and describing ongoing efforts to prioritize and expand pavement preservation funding. A board liaison noted the county has paved hundreds of miles since 2014 but that Sonoma County manages far more road miles than neighboring jurisdictions, which complicates prioritization.

Board members directed staff to meet with constituents and the Director of Public Works to review the specific roadway segment and consider its status in upcoming pavement cycles; no immediate county funding was promised during the hearing.

Residents may petition for follow‑up at district offices and staff committed to a local coordination meeting.