2 Roundabouts Proposed for Central Healdsburg Avenue Area

Two traffic roundabouts would grace Healdsburg's new southern gateway if the plan moves forward as proposed Wednesday at a public workshop.

"I think the northern roundabout, at the five-way intersection, works well," said Healdsburg area landscape architect Ron Hodges, one of about 75 people at the meeting at "I'm not so sure about the southern one."

By southern roundabout, Hodges was referring to a second proposed roundabout at the end of the northbound 101 off-ramp to Central Healdsburg.

Roundabouts were only one of the aspects of the proposed for an 80-acre tract straddling the five-way intersection of Mill Street, Healdsburg Avenue and Vine Street and the

Despite some reservations relating to train tracks and pedestrian access, almost all of 260 people who returned surveys last month on the CHASSA project agreed with adding both roundabouts -- especially the northern one at the five-way intersection.

Other amenities are proposed in the area to make the town's entrance feel inviting, attractive and less confusing to navigate.

"A clear trend is that people prefer landscape and art be used at the southern gateway to give the feeling of arrival," said Jim Heid, part of a team of project consultants led by Oakland-based Community Design + Architecture. "Not just for tourists -- but even for people who live here, they want a feeling of coming home."

Heid said public participation in the CHASSA project has been high and is a very important aspect. Community participants agreed.

"I'm excited about the opportunity to do a project that benefits the local community, that we can be proud of, and that offers housing and other services for the citizens," said grad Jim Provost of Santa Rosa, partners with Scott Schadlich of Healdsburg in Next Development.

Next Development is a private partnership planning a mixed-used development on more than eight acres on a former lumberyard section of CHASSA east of Healdsburg Avenue and south of the railroad tracks.

Tim Rood, project manager for Community Design + Architecture, said the next step will be to draw up cost estimates and a general plan to bring before the public and

"This will be a flexible framework with a blend of options," Rood said. "We're not saying that a specific use goes on a specific corner."

Public improvements within CHASSA will be with assistance from government transportation agencies on the traffic improvements, Rood said.

Threatened in Gov. Jerry Brown's June 29 budget with the dissolution of its redevelopment agency, , and $572,000 annually thereafter, to allow the city's redevelopment program to continue.

Rood said he expected his group would have a plan in place sometime in September or October.