NORTH BAY DESTINATIONS | ROHNERT PARK
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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Rohnert Park 2025
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