Politics & Government

Fitch Mountain appraisal commissioned

Sonoma County Open Space District in preliminary talks with mountain property owners, Supervisor Mike McGuire says.

After more than a decade of discussion and a series of frustrating "peaks and valleys,"  area leaders have taken a new first baby step toward a dream of creating a public park atop Fitch Mountain.

"I would like to see Fitch Mountain open to the public," Sonoma County Supervisor told members of the Healdsburg Parks and Recreation Commission Wednesday night. "It's the crown jewel of our landscape -- but we still need to see if we have a willing seller."

McGuire, a former said that Sonoma County Open Space District has commissioned a real estate appraisal of the value of more than 300 acres of land on the top of the mountain. 

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An anonymous group of private investors known as Francez Ltd. owns the land, which is divided into 251 acres under a conservation easement and 75 acres held for potential development, according to McGuire. 

Ed Wilson, of the real estate law firm in Healdsburg, is representing the owners in the talks, McGuire said.

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Depending on the results of the appraisal, the county -- with financial backing from a host of public and private partners -- could enter into extended negotiations on purchasing the land and turning it into a premier public view spot and hiking destination, McGuire said.

Such a process would take a minimum of three years and would involve close and frequent communications with neighborhood  groups, volunteers and residents, he said.

"There are lot of things that are of concern," said Fitch Mountain Association president Laura Rodriguez, one of about 20 Fitch Mountain residents at the meeting Wednesday.

"Access is a problem -- there are narrow, one-lane roads, and we have issues as it is," she said. "Overall we are supportive," Rodriguez added, "but this is in our backyard."

Rodriguez said she and other residents already "brace ourselves for the impact of extra people between Memorial Day and Labor Day," so that special attention would have to be made to make sure the area can accommodate visitors.

Fire suppression management is another main issue, said Laura Tietz, head of FireFreeFitch, a grassroots group seeking better fire safety on the mountain.

"If you look at the grounds of Villa Chanticleer, you can see what a fire defensible space looks like," Tietz said. "But if you go down and look past the dog park, you can see the thick French and Scotch broom and downed trees -- that's what the top of the mountain looks like."

Tietz said later that if the fire safety issues were addressed, a public park on Fitch Mountain would be "an added focal point for people to come to Healdsburg," she said.

Some local hikers currently access the land, but they are technically trespassing, McGuire said.

"For the people of Healdsburg to say we took over the mountain would be a good thing," Tietz added. "I think it would be a highly desirable action for people in the city to have access to the top of the mountain."

Tietz said, however, that the fire safety issue must be addressed head-on.

"The city of Healdsburg is only as safe as the top of Fitch Mountain," she said.

Healdsburg City Manager Marjie Pettus said she and a group of city and county staff members and non-profit leaders toured the top of the mountain recently to gauge the current condition. She said they were impressed that there had been some volunteer cleanup work on the mountain.

"The property is in much better condition than we anticipated," Pettus said. "There was some overgrowth, but the roadways and the trails were clear."

Pettus said access would likely be focused at rather than up on the narrow residential roads.

"We would create extra parking at the Villa and a trailhead that starts there," Pettus said.

Pettus said the main challenge for the purchase is the financing. While the Sonoma County Open Space District would be the purchaser, the city would handle maintenance and operations at the park -- an added expense for a city already facing a tight budget.

On the plus side, Pettus said she was encouraged by the success of Healdsburg Ridge, a new park area near the neighborhood that the city opened about two years ago. Healdsburg Ridge has stewardship of the nonprofit organization -- a group Pettus said is also involved with exploring the park at Fitch Moutain.

"We're trying to find a point of balance," Pettus said. "We're looking to engage the public sector -- without a public buy-in, it's not going to be a success."

Lynn Lyon, one of several Fitch Mountain residents who addressed the commission Wednesday, said she was "anxious" at the thought of large numbers of visitors coming to the mountain -- especially people who would block private driveways, throw loud parties or otherwise disturb the serenity of the neighborhood.

"I've been here 16 years and I'm a big hiker," she said. "But I'm anxious about bringing more people in -- it's going to take a lot for me not to feel anxious."

McGuire said the appraisal results would likely take about two or three months. Even if there were a purchase, it would take a minimum of three years to develop a master plan for the new park, he said.

Kent Mitchell, chairman of the Healdsburg Parks and Recreation Commission, said more than 400 people packed the at the last public hearing on the issue about seven years ago.

"Needless to say, there's a lot of public interest in this," he said. "If this moves ahead, we'll be holding another public hearing."


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