A salute to Rohnert Park, the planned city with big plans

NORTH BAY DESTINATIONS | ROHNERT PARK

A salute to one of the North Bay’s destination cities!

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VCA Animal Care Center of Sonoma County celebrated switching to SCP’s EverGreen service during a “green” ribbon-cutting hosted by the Rohnert Park Chamber of Commerce.

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Where business and community thrive

I s Rohnert Park the greatest city in the North Bay? Other jurisdictions may have more residents, greater area or pricier real estate—but they don’t have what the the Friendly City has: Everything else. A world-class entertainment venue… a respected center of higher education… a state-of-the-art casino resort… more family friendly fun this side of Disneyland—Rohnert Park ticks off just about every box that makes a community worth living in. Schools, parks, you name it. Even the city’s lack of a centralized community hub is soon to be addressed, as plans move forward to build a state-of-the-art downtown on a 28-acre parcel owned by the city. As the North Bay’s only so-called “planned city”—that is, its mapping and infrastructure were planned out prior to development—Rohnert Park was created in the late 1950s from scratch, when the vast acreage of the Rohnert Seed Farm was developed into a neighborhood-focused community

of schools, parks, housing and families. Now it has the rare opportunity to design its city center strategically using best-practice 21st century planning concepts. In a few years, Rohnert Park could boast the North Bay’s busiest destination downtown. But what will creating a modern-day downtown from scratch look like? How do city leaders and the business community work to make things happen? Where did Rohnert Park come from? And what’s there now? In this special section sponsored in partnership with the City of Rohnert Park, NBb takes an in-depth look at the self-stylized Friendly City—what’s ahead, what’s behind and what are the fun things to do once you’re there. From its humble origins as a seed farm, Rohnert Park blossomed into a thriving community of over 40,000 residents—and stands at the precipice of its next phase of exciting growth. Greatest city in the North Bay—who can truly say? But here’s the pitch for Rohnert Park.— Jason Walsh, editor

Welcome to the Friendly City

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CONTENTS Thriving families, businesses, community… all roads lead to the ‘friendly city’

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Welcome to the Friendly City Rohnert Park, the little town with big plans

Jason Walsh

12

Building a Dream A new downtown is coming

Janis Mara

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Following the Plan Jessica Zimmer How the city makes smart development happen

28 Seeds of a Small Town

Jason Walsh

A brief history of Rohnert Park

31 Friendly Facts

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Did you know this about Rohnert Park?

32 Staying a Haven

Jessica Zimmer

The importance of affordable housing

36 That’s Entertainment Cerrissa Kim

Rohnert Park is not only the friendly city—it’s the FUN city!

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44 Word of Mouth

Great places for food and drink

50 Park Scene

Photo essay of neighborhood parks

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54 Leading by Example Meet Chamber CEO Lisa Orloff 57 Rohnert Park 101 Information and city contacts 58 Beyond the Boardroom Rosie Padilla Q&A with Susan Hollingsworth Adams

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NORTH BAY DESTINATIONS | ROHNERT PARK

An early conceptual map of the 28-acre downtown.

Building a dream A state-of-the-art downtown could cement Rohnert Park as a prime North Bay destination

By Janis Mara

“Things will be great when you’re downtown—everything’s waiting for you!” —Petula Clark, “Downtown” I n what could cement Rohnert Park as the North Bay’s most up-and- coming city, the city council in August 2024 reached a significant milestone toward a decades-long dream: Building a downtown from scratch. The council on Aug. 27 unanimously approved CenterCal Properties LLC of El Segundo as the developer for the estimated $400 million project. The council had already purchased a location for the downtown—a vacant 28-acre site at Rohnert Park Expressway and State Farm Drive—for $12.5 million in 2022. While it will take around two years to finalize the designs and get approval before ground can be broken, selecting a developer sets the final processes in motion. The development plan includes a hotel, town square, public walkways,

retail and housing. As detailed by CenterCal, the proposed hotel would be next to the SMART train station, next to the city public works lot. Approximately 150,000 square feet of retail space, including a grocery store, would face State Farm Drive. The total number of residences is not yet hard and fast, with one estimate at around 300 homes along Enterprise Drive and State Farm Drive. At least 25% of the homes will be affordable housing—available for households making up to 80% of area median income. One man with a front row seat to local development throughout the years is Rohnert Park’s first mayor and city manager Peter M. Callinan, 94. Callinan and his wife, Greta, moved to Rohnert Park in 1958 and bought one of the first homes in the A neighborhood where they raised their six children. Callinan served on the inaugural city council for a year and as the original city manager for 27 years. When asked why Rohnert Park is just now getting a downtown, Callinan replies: “Paul Golis, the original developer, never planned one,” referring to the local attorney sometimes

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credited as the “Father of Rohnert Park.” “I’m happy that we’ll finally have a thriving, transit-oriented development with new restaurants and retail shops in the heart of Rohnert Park,” Callinan says. The newest member of the city council echoes his sentiment. “It’s beyond exciting to participate in the delivery of Rohnert Park’s community hub that is decades overdue,” says Emily Sanborn, who was elected to the council in 2022. The council considered a number of developers for the job, but Sanborn says they settled on CenterCal Properties because of its unique portfolio, among other things. “While most developers have experience building housing, CenterCal also has extensive experience in retail development,” the councilmember told NorthBay biz in an email. CenterCal’s development portfolio matched the shopping list of wants and needs the council received from Rohnert Park residents and Sonoma State University students via community feedback surveys, Sanborn says. The list included food and beverage establishments, retail stores and beautiful gathering spaces, she says. Additionally, the councilmember says that CenterCal sites have what she described as a cohesive and positive vibe with attention paid to details. The team the council worked with was receptive to their ideas and did a good job on projects similar to the proposed Rohnert Park downtown, Sanborn says. Though Sanborn didn’t mention a specific shopping center, CenterCal’s portfolio includes Emeryville’s Bay Street, a three-block stretch of the East Bay city remodeled as a walkable shopping, dining and community gathering place in 2022. City Councilmember Jackie Elward says from what she’s seen of CenterCal's work, she’s “excited to see it replicated here.” Elward envisions the downtown eventually hosting such popular community events as the farmers market, as well as Fourth of July, Halloween and Christmas-lighting celebrations. “[It will be] a place where

The City of Rohnert Park purchased the site formerly occupied by a State Farm building for $12.5 million in 2022.

people can come to create forever memories.” A clean slate

The benefit of building a downtown from the ground up is that it affords the developer greater flexibility in how they apply their creative expertise within the parameters of form-based code, Sanborn says. Another benefit, according to City Manager Marcela Piedra: “We have a clean slate. It’s like an empty canvas we can fill in.” Piedra adds, “We’re in a unique situation in that we can learn what works well from other cities that have established downtowns and put that to use.”

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Other cities have found success with what is known as the mixed-use concept, the city manager says. “You want to make sure you are creating a community space,” she says. “Not only a retail hub, but also restaurants and entertainment, so you are bringing people in—and you also have housing.” Piedra notes that other North Bay cities—such as Santa Rosa, Novato and San Rafael—were built before the SMART train existed, so their downtown designs didn’t make the most of having a train station. It’s the other way around with Rohnert Park. “We’re going to have a hotel there so people can take SMART to Rohnert Park and stay at the hotel,” another way to draw folks to the downtown and the city, she says. However, the most important thing is the wants and needs of Rohnert Park residents, stresses Piedra. “And being able to start from scratch with their input will go a long way. “At the end of the day, it’s what your community wants and what your community can support,” Piedra says. As for the challenges, while none are insurmountable, the city manager mentions: “How are we going to address the parking needs? How will we address traffic conditions? How do we ensure that people will come?” Another challenge: The previous developer of the parcel removed healthy trees, and now the community is concerned that it could happen again, Piedra says. “We want to make sure we preserve those trees—that they are part of the design of the site,” she says. Financing is also a concern, the city manager says, something Sanborn had noted, saying, “Cost is the greatest challenge we face.” Robert Eyler, a professor of economics at Sonoma State University, seems to agree. Like Sanborn, the economist gave the costs of construction as a challenge.

The benefits of creating a downtown from scratch are that “you can shape it in the city’s image, or the way the city wants it to be nestled among the city’s other assets,” Eyler says. “It’s how it presents an augmented sense of Rohnert Park as a city and a destination.” The downtown will have a significant effect on the Rohnert Park business community and the North Bay in general, the professor says. “For Rohnert Park, the hope is that it will provide more foot traffic for merchants in the city, and a destination—another defined space like the golf course,” Eyler says. “The living spaces downtown are a big deal, expanding the indigenous market,” Eyler says. It’s only natural that people will walk from their homes to the various shops, restaurants and other venues in the downtown, he says. As for the overall area, “For Sonoma County, it’s another place to talk about that people can visit,” he says. With that in mind, choosing the businesses to inhabit the mixed-use buildings will be important, Eyler says. “Calistoga is known for its spas, Sonoma for its wine tasting. One of the things downtown will need is some differentiator that suggests, ‘This is why someone should come to Rohnert Park rather than some other place,’” he says. Regarding Eyler’s comment about Rohnert Park finding a unique draw, Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Lisa Orloff immediately ticked off a series of the city’s venues for families and children. “There’s Scandia with its mini-golf, arcade games and go-cart track, Rebounderz with indoor trampolines, Double Decker Lanes bowling alley, Cal Skate skating rink, Fundemonium, a hub for children’s activities like radio-controlled cars, Nitro City Racing and the Reed Between the Lines escape room,” she says. Rather than spas or wine, Rohnert Park is a family destination, the chief executive says. Rohnert Park City Councilmember Samantha Rodriguez envisions the

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“You want to make sure you are creating a community space. Not only a retail hub, but also restaurants and entertainment—so you are bringing people in." —Marcela Piedra, city manager

downtown serving as a “focal point” for the entire community—a space to build upon such popular community events as the annual Party on the Plaza and the Fourth of July Jubilee. “Economically, a vibrant downtown will attract businesses, tourism and investments, with the SMART train right next door it will provide access and traffic to the heart of the city,” says Rodriguez in an email. “[Located] right between our neighbors at Sonoma State University, Green Music Center and Graton casino, making it a more attractive destination for both residents and visitors from the larger North Bay Area.” Location, location, location Orloff, Callinan and the council members all agree that the downtown has been a long time—too long a time—coming. The first developer to work on Rohnert Park’s downtown was SunCal, one of the largest U.S. real estate development companies specializing in large-scale, mixed-use, master-planned communities. SunCal acquired the property in 2014 with plans for a project called Rohnert Crossing. The project was never realized, and SunCal sold to Laulima Development. Laulima was set to build the new downtown until unexpected setbacks cropped up, caused by the 2017 North Bay wildfires and the pandemic, Orloff says. Laulima backed out of the deal and sold the site to the city in 2022. While this might have seemed like a setback, it actually worked out well for the city, Orloff says. “When Laulima was the developer, the plan was to open the downtown in 2020,” Orloff says. Given the advent of the pandemic, the timing would have been disastrous. Then the city was able to buy the land, “which gave us control over our own destiny,” she says. Another piece of luck was being able to build the downtown in this location, she says. “It’s not in a residential area, so it won’t route traffic through neighborhoods,” she says. “It’s right near the SMART train; someone in San Francisco could jump on the ferry to Larkspur, jump on SMART and visit our downtown. We really got lucky to have a piece of property in a prime location.” Councilmember Elward describes having a centralized community hub near public transportation as “essential.” “Having the SMART station within walking distance will naturally attract more outsiders who will come here to spend money, which will be huge for our local businesses and city revenue,” Elward says. “It will also create jobs for our constituents, students and those in the area.” While a significant milestone has been reached, there’s still a lot of work to be done—and decisions to be made. The project’s concept became even more concrete in October after the city and developer signed an exclusive negotiation agreement. The agreement requires the two parties to work out significant terms, including whether the city will sell or lease the land to CenterCal Properties. Asked via e-mail about the potential sale of the property, Sanborn said, “Whether the land will be sold to the developer is to be determined during the negotiation phase happening over the next couple months.” Another area of concern came up during the August meeting when representatives from labor groups asked both the city council and CenterCal Properties to ensure that local residents in the building trades

have a fair chance to work on the job. Scott Bohrer, vice president of development for CenterCal Properties, represented the company at the meeting. Bohrer encouraged labor groups to connect with his company. “It’s exciting to see the engagement with all of the local unions and trades,” Bohrer told the city council. He added, “Our door is open,” and he said labor groups will “have the opportunity to bid the project.” Ultimately, city leaders and residents are hopeful the downtown project will provide the crucial component Rohnert Park has been missing all these years. “Rohnert Park has always had a heart,” says Councilmember Gerard Giudice. “When our downtown is a thriving center of Sonoma County commerce, we will have a physical manifestation of that heart.” As Orloff puts it, with all the amenities Rohnert Park already boasts, the downtown will be the icing on the cake: “When you add in Sonoma State University, the Green Music Center, plans for a pickleball arena, Spreckels Performing Arts Center and gaming at nearby Graton Resort and Casino—we have a lot to offer!” g

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Adega Apartments in northwest Rohnert Park. [Photo courtesy Development Services Department, City of Rohnert Park]

Following the plan From parks to ADUs to student housing—how Rohnert Park encourages residential development

By Jessica Zimmer R ohnert Park stands out in Sonoma County and the North Bay as a city that is attracting a variety of talented developers and completing multiple residential developments on schedule. The key to these achievements has been following the city’s 2000 general plan, says Rohnert Park Councilmember Susan Hollingsworth Adams, who represents District 5. “The 2000 plan outlined the specific development areas like the University District, close to Sonoma State University, where developers are still constructing housing today. Determining where development should take place and having infrastructure to support new homes allows the city to grow in a stable and predictable way,” says Hollingsworth Adams. As of fall 2024, Rohnert Park is discussing plans for a 28-acre downtown. The area will include a mixed-use center of retail shops,

restaurants, a boutique hotel and 450 residential units. This part of town will be built in partnership with El Segundo-based developer CenterCal Properties. The city also continues to encourage private development of housing east and west of Highway 101. “In addition, we’re turning our focus to constructing Sonoma Mountain Village, a 200-acre campus on the south end of town. As multiple projects—like units in Village North and Village South near Golf Course Drive West—near completion, I’ve seen residents enjoy building community,” says Gerard Giudice, city councilmember for District 3. Giudice says in recent years Rohnert Park has become more ethnically diverse, with a large Asian American and Pacific Islander population and many Turkish and Kurdish residents.

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“The new housing, the parks and recreation options, amenities like the Green Music Center at Sonoma State University and the proximity of vacation spots like Lake Tahoe combine to draw residents from throughout Sonoma County and other areas, including San Francisco and Portland,” says Giudice. Steady through the ebbs and flows Rohnert Park’s progress is due to the steady construction of residential units. This action has been underway for over two decades, with a slowdown during the 2008 recession. “Everything came to a screeching halt during that period. The real estate market picked up gradually. We were really going again by 2015, when interest rates dropped and developers returned,” says Hollingsworth Adams. In the years since 2008, Rohnert Park has gained momentum in construction by adhering to its roots as a planned city modeled after Levittown, Pennsylvania. It has also continued to implement smart planning principles. Such work ensures long-time residents of the city are supportive of the expansion. “I receive regular feedback on development by attending community events, talking with our community development team and interacting with constituents,” says Hollingsworth Adams. Hollingsworth Adams’ deep understanding of Rohnert Park comes in part from her family history. Her parents, Art and Sandy Hollingsworth, moved to the city in 1961 when she was 3. As Rohnert Park grew, Art Hollingsworth came to serve as president of the Rohnert Park Chamber of Commerce, chairman of the Rohnert Park Planning Commission and member of the city council. He also served

Rohnert Park’s amenities like the Green Music Center is a draw for visitors outside the community, says Gerard Giudice.

several years as mayor. Hollingsworth Adams has worked as the director of operations in her family’s insurance business since 1997. Before she was elected to the Rohnert Park City Council in 2018, she served for 14 years on the city’s Planning Commission. Hollingsworth Adams says the formation of a cooperative, efficient management team is another reason Rohnert Park has moved forward. “We are blessed with talented leadership: Rohnert Park City Manager Marcela Piedra, who worked for seven years as a city manager in El Centro; Director of Development Services Ali Giudice

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[no relation to the councilmember]; and City Engineer Vanessa Garrett, our director of public works. [They] help us achieve our goals on time in ways that are responsive to the community,” says Hollingsworth Adams. Solutions to minimize delays One of the other reasons Rohnert Park is seeing high amounts of residential development is it has gradually reduced application- and permit-processing times. For example, the city has seen an uptick in construction of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) since 2017. Prior to that year, less than 10 applicants submitted plans for ADUs. For the past four years, the total number has been close to 60. Property owners are building ADUs all over the city. “Based on this interest, we’ve combined the two steps of the permitting process: the planning review, which involves the city looking over factors like setback, height and water capacit; and the Building Department’s pulling of permits,” says Alicia Giudice. Before the shift in late October, the first step took three to four weeks. The second step took about three weeks. Combining the steps has reduced the total processing time to three weeks, on average. “The city has been working with the Napa Sonoma ADU Center, a local nonprofit that helps property owners plan to build ADUs. This year they will be assisting us with developing a program to offer property owners in Rohnert Park pre-approved plans for ADUs and raising awareness about the advantages of ADUs,” says Giudice. Rohnert Park’s standard procedures also include closely monitoring population growth, employment data and worker commute times. These actions allow the city to encourage development that keeps pace with workers’ needs. The U.S. Census Bureau’s current

New builds such as homes in the University District reflect the rising cost of real estate.

$1.2 million,” says Giudice. Going forward, Rohnert Park will work with a third party to conduct a survey to rate the city’s development procedures. “We want to hear developers’ and residents’ ideas for making our application and permitting processes more user-friendly. Then we can figure out what more to change,” says Giudice.

Keeping the city green Rohnert Park has prevented sprawl by maintaining its urban growth

population estimate for Rohnert Park is 44,546, as of July 2023. In 2010, the population was 40,971, a number that reflected the problematic housing market. The city’s population had been 42,236 in 2000. Since academic year 2019-2020, the Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District has seen increased enrollment of between 1% and 4% every year. The 2024-2025 enrollment is 6,365, a 3% jump from last year. Data show Rohnert Park is home to adults who work in a wide range of fields. “The top four are management, office and administrative support, construction and maintenance, sales and related occupations and health care. When it comes to processing permits, we bring in consultants when needed to minimize the chance of slowdowns,” says Giudice. The price of housing has increased in the last four years. “The higher price points are in the newer developments, such as the University District or Willow Glen. However, it’s difficult to say which areas are considered more expensive. For example, in 2024, we saw homes in the D Section, an older neighborhood, sell between $750,000 up to

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means there will not be any development in that area,” says Jake Mackenzie, a member of the board of directors for the Greenbelt Alliance (GBA). The GBA is a nine-county Bay Area nonprofit dedicated to preserving open space. The Greenbelt Alliance is currently watching the development proposed for downtown Rohnert Park. “We want this area to be a walkable, livable community in the center of town,” says Mackenzie, who’s also a former longtime council member. Sonoma State University, a primary employer in the city, also wants the downtown to be vibrant. “We hope Rohnert Park’s downtown will be an engaging entertainment and shopping area for our students, faculty and staff to explore. We recruit more than half of our students from out of the area. They are interested in going places that are close by, yet outside of the university,” says M. Monir Ahmed, chief financial officer and vice president for administration and finance for Sonoma State University. For the past two years, SSU has hosted Community Partners, a twice-annual forum for local partners in the area. Attendees have included City of Rohnert Park, City of Cotati and Sonoma County administrative officers, law enforcement and fire officials, the Rohnert Park and Cotati chambers of commerce and representatives of the SMART train. “Beyond creating space to discuss the downtown, SSU wants to help Rohnert Park remain a city where housing is not out of reach—affordable housing should continue to be built,” says Ahmed. “Jeff Keating, associate vice president of government relations and

Outdoor celebrations like the July 2024 concert by Pride & Joy SF at the Rohnert Park Community Center are one of the reasons new residents move to Rohnert Park. [Photo courtesy Community Services Department, City of Rohnert Park] boundary (UGB). This is a restriction that requires there be green open space between the city and neighboring municipalities. Rohnert Park voters accomplished this goal in 2019 with a 90% approval of Measure B. The measure renewed the 2000 UGB lines. “Another action that aided the city in establishing open space is that in 2024, the Federated Indians Graton Rancheria took 60 acres in the northwest part of the city. They put this land in trust. This

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strategic communications at SSU, goes to most city council meetings. He’s there to hear what occurs and answer questions about SSU as needed.” SSU further aids Rohnert Park by meeting the housing needs for its students. It stands out as being a university that has sufficient on-campus housing to house the undergraduate and graduate student populations that may come to the campus from outside the area. “This is partly due to the number of students who already live in Sonoma County or the North Bay and commute to SSU,” says Ahmed. SSU recently opened up on-campus housing to faculty, staff and non-traditional students, like students with families. This step has helped ease the housing demand in areas close to the university, in Rohnert Park, Cotati and Penngrove. The business community is supportive of Rohnert Park’s achievements in residential development. “One concern is whether residential development will impact traffic in town. So far, there’s been no serious concerns,” says Lisa Orloff, CEO of the Rohnert Park Chamber of Commerce. Small businesses around the city are most excited about the development of downtown. The completion of this area has the potential to lift the profits of hotels and restaurants. One of the final pieces of the puzzle is the construction of new parks. The idea is for the city to have enough parks and recreational activities to meet residents’ needs. Rohnert Park’s 2000 plan makes this possible because certain areas slated for residential development have predetermined set- asides for parks.

Yoga instructor Laurie Phillips, second from left in navy tank top, leads an outdoor yoga class at a park in Rohnert Park. [Photo courtesy Community Services Department, City of Rohnert Park] “This means we don’t have to plan parks on the fly. There are several steps taken when looking at the space for a new park, including communicating with the city council and residents. Together, we take into consideration what amenities new and current residents might want and what we’re missing,” says Cindy Bagley, director of community services for the City of Rohnert Park. Since 2018, the city has used the “color dot” system at community meetings to ask for input.

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Rainbow Park is among the many green spaces located throughout the community.

“We bring out a board with a large photo blow-up of the park. Then we hand out different color dots denoting park features, like playgrounds. We ask kids ages 2 through 5, ages 5 through 12, parents with kids and people without kids to share what they want

and where they want it,” says Bagley. There is currently a lot of interest in inclusive playgrounds—play areas designed and built to accommodate people of all ages and abilities. Rohnert Park also satisfies residents by

offering a wide range of activities in parks, from youth sports leagues to yoga. It has a planned project to renovate the pickleball courts at Sunrise Park and add sound mitigation for this sport. “Our special events are another component to connect community members. Residents take pride and find friends when they attend or volunteer with our annual Halloween Carnival, winter Holiday Lights Celebration and Party on the Plaza series, an outdoor concert series that takes place on Friday nights June through August,” says Bagley. One of Bagley’s favorite events is the RP Jubilee, which takes place on the Fourth of July. “I like that this year we had activities for all ages, including live music by Pride & Joy SF, family games, an outdoor escape room and 8-person video gaming,” says Bagley. g

Please email comments to jwalsh@NorthBaybiz.com

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Igniting the Joy of Music for 50+ Years. All ages, all abilities— let’s have fun and play!

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Rohnert Park 2025

ESCAPE ROOMS • Reed’s Gingerbread Cottage • The Babysitter • The Pirates’ Treasure. 3 in - house escaPe Rooms : 2 PoRtable escaPe Rooms : • The Philosopher’s Stone • The Pirates’ Treasure. 707-595-5550 R eedbetweenthelines . com 5800 R edwood d R ., s uite c R ohneRt P aRk , ca 94928

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• Weekly adult skate nights • Monthly themed events • Birthday party destination • STEM field trip destination

COMMUNITY SUPPORT • Annual “Skate & Donate” fundraisers • Raising money for local non-profits

CHECK FOR SEASONAL HOURS Hours fluctuate throughout the year Visit calskate.com for the latest updates

Get Rolling with the Whole Family! >

6100 Commerce Blvd, Rohnert Park (707) 585-0494 • www.calskate.com

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NORTH BAY DESTINATIONS | ROHNERT PARK

History

By Jason Walsh I ncorporated in 1962, Rohnert Park is what’s known as a “planned city”—a development term for a community that was carefully planned since its inception. It’s why the streets in many neighborhoods begin with the same letter—city planners wanted to make it easy to navigate. It’s why most sections of the city have their own small park, a nearby school and accessible major thoroughfares. Most North Bay towns we know today weren’t formally planned, but sprang up around trade or transportation centers—i.e. lumber mills, rail stations or bay-connected shipping routes. Their city centers are defined by train stops; their streets named for town founders and landowning families. Unlike Rohnert Park, there was a lot less planning and a lot more Old West-style land grabbing involved in the formation of most North Bay towns. But even planned communities have their origin stories. And Rohnert Park is no different. Among the original residents of what is today’s Rohnert Park area were a tribe of Miwok-related indigenous peoples who called their village, Kotate, according to local historian John H. DeClercq, who in the 1970s penned a history of the city titled, A History of Rohnert Park: From Seed to City. (Kotate is from where Cotati, to the south, derives its name.) As with other indigenous peoples across America, local tribes were marginalized and forced off their ancestral lands by European settlers as early as the 16th century when Spanish expeditions first arrived. In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, forced relocations to nearby Spanish missions in San Francisco, Sonoma and San Rafael were part of the tragic decline at the hands of European settlers for many in the North Bay indigenous population. The Spanish in the 18th century began asserting a firmer military (and religious) grip over much of Alta California, as it was then known; when Mexico gained independence in the 1820s its military garrisons leveled their own harsh controls over the region. Among the first non-military European settlers to claim land in Sonoma County was Irish cattle farmer John Reed, who in 1827 built a house near what is today’s Crane Creek Regional Park, east of Rohnert Park. Reed’s stay was brief: Local tribe members set fire to his property and he retreated south to the southern Marin area where he built a mill to supply wood to the growing Presidio of Yerba Buena (today’s SF). Reed’s lumber operation gave name to the City of Mill Valley. Days of the Ranchos Hoping to draw settlers to populate its vast expanse, the Mexican government offered land grants in the form of ranchos to retired soldiers as an inducement for them to stay in the area. Juan Castaneda, a former soldier of Mariano Vallejo, the general who built a rancho in Petaluma and commanded the garrison in Sonoma, was in 1844 granted what was dubbed the Rancho Cotate—17,238 acres between Petaluma and Santa Rosa, encompassing today’s Rohnert Park, Cotati, Penngrove and beyond. The delineation of Rancho Cotate from Petaluma to the south and Santa Rosa to the north was important—while the latter communities incorporated into cities in the 1850s and ‘60s, the privately owned Rancho Cotate remained sparsely populated farmland. Meanwhile, Seeds of a city The origin story of Rohnert Park

Rancho Cotate passed through a variety of private owners—from Castaneda to Thomas Larkin to Thomas Ruckel to Dr. Thomas Page. Page acquired the land in the time following the 1846 Bear Flag Revolt in Sonoma, which led quickly to California becoming a territory of the United States. When Thomas Page died in 1872, “the Rancho was broken up and sold off piecemeal,” DeClercq described. Northern homesteaders and sharecropping tenants bought land, while larger parcels were sold as ranches. By 1900, Page’s sons still owned about 4,000 acres in the grazing lowlands of the valley where several creeks led to frequent flooding. Meanwhile, the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad had established a rail line from Petaluma to Santa Rosa, with a fuel stop along the way at what was called Page’s Station (today’s Cotati). As business grew around the station, streets were established and settlers arrived. With the area growing, the Pages sold what was left of Rancho Cotate to George P. McNear, the prominent area businessman and son of Petaluma town founder John McNear. In 1929, the rancho was acquired by Waldo Emerson Rohnert, a central California seed farmer who successfully mitigated the ranch’s flooding woes and turned the land into a successful seed farm—one of the most prominent horticultural businesses in the county. Rohnert died in 1933, and his son Fred took over the family seed business. In the ensuing years, especially following World War II, a population boom in the county replaced “the orchards and fields with subdivisions,” as DeClercq wrote. A modern city In the early 1950s, Sonoma County attorneys and developers Paul Golis and Maurice Fredericks had drawn up a master plan—based on Levittown, Pennsylvania and its concept of the “neighborhood unit”—to create a new city of 30,000 people, featuring eight subdivisions each with pools, parks, schools and city services. Their desired location: The 2,700-acre Rohnert seed farm property. In July of 1955, Golis and Fredericks purchased the entire seed farm from the Rohnert family for $540,000. Partnering with the Valley View Land and Development Company, which owned the adjacent 580-acre Brians Ranch, the builders petitioned the County of Sonoma for the creation of a special assessment district, to allow property taxes and the selling of bonds to pay for public improvements such as streets, water and sewer lines and other necessary infrastructure. When the Rohnert Park Community Services District was created in 1956, it consisted of two rental houses, a barn, flooded fields, pheasants, but “not a single tree,” according to DeClercq. By 1957, “the old seed farm became a flurry of construction,” he added. Within 18 months, wells were dug, a sewage plant was built, and streets and sidewalks were laid. By 1958, the first Rohnert Park homes were completed. With the population increasing in the ensuing years, calls to incorporate as a city grew. An initial vote to incorporate in 1960 failed, 85-118, with residents skeptical about separating from county governance. Two years later, a second election was held. By a vote of 308-238, residents approved incorporation. On Aug. 28, 1962, the City of Rohnert Park was born.

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NORTH BAY DESTINATIONS | ROHNERT PARK

A community newspaper from 1962.

Dr. Thomas Page, 1870 [Sonoma County Library archive]

Aerial view of the city after initial phase of development, circa 1958. [University of California archive, Sonoma County Library collection]

Model homes on Allison Drive, 1958. [Sonoma County Library archive]

Most of the Rohnert Seed Farm was entirely undeveloped until the late 1950s.

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Sonoma County’s only Private Pickleball Club C O M I N G S O O N ! 17 state of the art indoor courts | 16 outdoor courts | High quality food and beverage

Sonoma County’s only Private Pickleball club

of the art indoor courts

rts pro shop

Facilities:

•33 total courts •Full service pro shop • Gym

•Locker rooms with showers •State of the art recovery center

s with shower art recovery

Happenings:

•Reserved courts •Open play •Social events • Tournaments • Clinics •Private events

16 outdoor courts

Reserved courts Open play Social events Tournaments Clinics Private events

555 Rohnert Park Expressway, Rohnert Park

Thank you, Avila-Bunch Architects!

NORTH BAY DESTINATIONS | ROHNERT PARK

Friendly Facts

n Call Me By My Name The name of the city was chosen by vote: “Rohnert Park” was preferred over “Cotati Park,” 398-128.

[rpremembers.wordpress.com]

n Cities in Common Rohnert Park is the sister city of Hashimoto, Japan. The planning concepts for Rohnert Park were inspired by Levittown, Pennsylvania, one of the first post-WWI planned communities in the U.S.

n Founding Father Paul Golis, one of the attorneys who first conceived of creating a city on the Rohnert seed farm, has been called "The Father of Rohnert Park.”

n Well-Known Grads NASA astronaut Nicole Aunapu Mann graduated from Rancho Cotate High School in 1995; former MLB pitcher Brandon Morrow graduated from Rancho Cotate High School in 2003.

[University of California archives, Sonoma County Library collection]

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NORTH BAY DESTINATIONS | ROHNERT PARK

The 36 units at Willowglen Apartments in southeast Rohnert Park, completed in 2022, are affordable housing constructed by Burbank Housing. [Photo courtesy Burbank Housing]

Staying a haven Rohnert Park maintains affordable housing By Jessica Zimmer R ohnert Park has rental and ownership units at lower prices than many other cities in the North Bay, but it is a challenge to ensure that prices and supply continue to match the incomes of prospective tenants and owners. The city partners on this task with nonprofit organizations, including Burbank Housing, a

homelessness. We’re considering sites that are centrally located. We also hope to get involved in creating and managing affordable housing units in the new downtown,” says Jocelyn Lin, director of housing development for Burbank Housing. Sites with easy access to commercial shopping centers and major roads are particularly attractive for affordable housing. These areas allow workers to walk to their jobs and make essential trips like grocery shopping. Rohnert Park has a number of areas open in these types of spots. The Urban Growth Boundary limits building on the outskirts of town. The city is working with HLT to identify and develop other areas for affordable housing ownership. HLT is excited about these collaborations because Rohnert Park tends to build on a larger scale than other cities in Napa and Sonoma counties. As of fall 2024, Rohnert Park and HLT have created 32 permanently affordable ownership homes and stewarded four resales of those homes. This means the former owners built equity and sold to the next buyers at affordable prices. “These 32 homes have already served 36 families and will continue to serve more,” says Dev Goetschius, executive director of the Housing Land Trust of the North Bay. Goetschius adds inclusionary zoning is one of the strongest ways to consistently promote affordable housing that is part of the community.

Santa Rosa-based affordable housing developer and property manager, and Housing Land Trust (HLT) of the North Bay, a Petaluma-based nonprofit. The latter organization assists individuals priced out of the housing market with purchasing homes restricted by the terms of a land trust. Generally, residential property developers are required to build 15% of the units as affordable housing. State law mandates that the City of Rohnert Park build 25%, or approximately 113, of the units in the new downtown as affordable housing. The requirement for this area is higher because the new downtown is public property owned by the city. Rohnert Park showcases affordable housing rental opportunities on a city website. The current list includes The Arbors, Gardens at Santa Alicia, Tower Apartments, Vida Nueva and Willowglen Apartments managed by Burbank Housing. The most recently completed development is Willowglen Apartments, in 2022. “We’re now looking at potential Homekey projects in Rohnert Park. These would create housing for individuals experiencing or at risk of

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NORTH BAY DESTINATIONS | ROHNERT PARK

Willowglen Apartments, above, and Santa Alicia Gardens, right, are among the affordable housing stock in Rohnert Park.

“A diverse community is a vibrant community.” —Calum Weeks, Generation Housing

Such zoning is created by government ordinances that require or provide incentives to make a certain percentage of units in a new development affordable. “Rohnert Park has great inclusionary zoning code. Keeping it and strengthening it will continue to create more affordable housing. The City’s new Housing Element cycle also began last year. There are new programs that are just taking effect,” says Goetschius. Rohnert Park has room to move in other directions, like reforming impact fees. “The 2024 Generation Housing Action Plan proposes a right size impact fee policy that would incentivize deed-restricted affordable and affordable by design housing,” says Calum Weeks, policy director for Generation Housing. The organization is a Santa Rosa-based nonprofit focused on increasing the supply, affordability and diversity of homes throughout the North Bay. It is a concern for Sonoma County that cities other than Rohnert Park as well as unincorporated parts of the county have seen the pipeline of new housing projects slow down. This is in spite of the fact that cities and unincorporated areas updated their housing goals for the eight-year period from 2023 to 2031. “Additional action is needed to ensure we continue building a steady volume of housing that supports people from all walks of life. A diverse

community is a vibrant community,” says Weeks. HLT views education as key to helping new owners of affordable housing retain ownership. The organization currently provides pre-purchase support and education for applicants and prepares for the close of escrow. “(We) continue in that role while they are in their home, ensuring a successful homeownership experience,” says Goetschius. Having a spectrum of housing in certain areas may also encourage renters and owners of affordable housing to remain in the city where they currently live. Other cities and unincorporated areas of the North Bay could adopt Rohnert Park’s strategy for creating this type of spectrum. “[Establishing a spectrum of housing] is epitomized in the Willowglen development, which has housing from rentals to Housing Land Trust homeownership homes to a variety of market rate homes. We are also seeing this in other cities, where both the inclusionary units and market rate units are a variety of housing types, such as Makenna and Riverbend developments in Petaluma. In these developments, there are identical market rate units next to inclusionary units,” says Goetschius. g

Please email comments to jwalsh@NorthBaybiz.com

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