a Sonoma Heritage Museum

First I want to thank David Detiert for the sensitive preservation of the Leese-Fitch Adobe and the Salvadore Vallejo Adobe, I guess I would only wish that the people employed in those buildings could interpret the history of the buildings. And I want to thank the city staff and project architect, Mr. Willers for their patience with my many questions over the past few months.

I am glad that the decision to certify the EIR has been postponed until next month because I don’t have any expertise in this area and have to rely on the knowledge and integrity of the city staff to insist on best-practice, and if more questions can be asked and answered between now and the next meeting I am in favor of that.

There is no doubt that a great deal of time, money and thought have been spent by the property owners to address the environmental impacts of traffic, noise, dust, storm water runoff, etc. Keep in mind that ANY development on that lot, because of its size, would require an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and would need similar mitigations.

It may be that most of the environmental impacts have been addressed but I do not think the historic significance of that location - surrounded by so many old or important buildings - has been completely addressed.

Is that project the best use of that lot? This will come up the next time that project comes before the Planning Commission for a Use Permit.

Rather than the proposed “Mission Square” commercial office and rental lodging a better use for that lot would be a museum with modern archival facilities to house the artifacts, and share the story of Sonoma, not only with our residents but with the many thousands of people who visit us for our great food, wine, weather, events and history.

On this precious lot - in the very heart of this historic town - there is an opportunity to have a Sonoma Heritage Museum to tell the story of our historic ecology, our wine production and agriculture; the tide of people: Indians, Italian and Chinese immigrants. A place to display and interpret the stories of our cultural artifacts: the porcelain dolls, marbles, horseshoes, patent medicine bottles, silver toothpicks – to tell the varied stories of the place and people of Sonoma.

It will be a public place with a park and benches and a café for visitors and locals alike. We need a place for archival storage, research and display of our cultural artifacts, and there is no better place for that than this precious location.

Thank you,
Karla Noyes
Before the Planning Commission May 13, 2010