Our guest  was Gary Wysocky, recently elected City Council member.

We had an energy-filled discussion about parking standards for downtown; about the proposed project at the Whitehouse site, where there is a proposed hotel project to be built , along with a city-sponsored new multistory garage.

The question was raised about whether the city, in asking for a 545 space garage to be built with parking district funds, is relying on old studies and data. Willard Richards has made a study of this, and suggests that only 381 spaces are needed. The hotel developer, Metro Pacific, requested just 90 spaces, and the opinion was shared by many that the parking district, with its limited funds, should not build an enormous garage on the basis of speculation about future high-rises.

Gary registered his concern about deferred maintenance on the city’s water delivery system. In a related matter, he was encouraged to contact Brenda Adelman about her observations on plans for what she considers the overbuilding of the Laguna Treatment Plant, considering the flow numbers are much lower than the study projections.

Gary announced that the Sonoma County Transportation Authority voted to put the proposed bike and pedestrian overcrossing over 101 near the Junior College in their Tier 1 projects, a significant action.

Larry Haenel reported that he is on the new “Green Team” for the SR High School District , where is a board member.

Jim Wilkinson reported that a group of people is looking into the possibilities for a pass-through through the Plaza shopping center, now that Mervyn’s has closed there. A member of SR Main Street has done some conceptual designs for such a project.

 Anne E. Seeley