#83,
January 9, 2002
It's 2002
... 40 years since Lafferty Park was added to Petaluma's General Plan, 38 years
since it's been a part of Sonoma County's General Plan. It was 10 years ago
that the City of Petaluma began trying to make the plan a reality. And it's
been a year since I predicted Lafferty Park would open by the end of 2001.
Oops!
Well, part
of my prediction came true. Last January I wrote, "after the 2000
election, Lafferty stopped being a political football." Indeed, after
several unanimous votes of support from the Petaluma Planning and Parks
Commissions, the City Council in October certified the final environmental
impact report. By unanimous vote! Even Councilmember Mike O'Brien, who had been
highly critical of Lafferty during his campaign, expressed a change of heart.
With this
kind of unanimity within the city, what happened? I wasn't surprised that Peter
Pfendler's SMC continued their effort to kill Lafferty Park while feigning
innocence. The highlight of their charade was reached at the October council
meeting, when an SMC lawyer was asked if the SMC would initiate litigation
should the city try to open the park. The lawyer, with a straight face, replied
that he and his clients "had not discussed the matter." What an
insult to the City Council and citizens of our community!
But I was
expecting support from the county, expecting they'd abide by their plans. Not
only has Lafferty Park been in their General Plan since 1964, but it sits in
the middle of the County Open Space District's largest priority greenbelt and
priority recreation zones. Then there is the county's 1970 "Preliminary
Recreational Use Report for the Lafferty Ranch Property," which concludes
that acquisition of "the proposed Lafferty Ranch Park Site be ... highest
priority in the county program." The report goes on to say, "The
location of the site would be directly beneficial to the people of the Petaluma
area and the size and the character of the site would invite county-wide, regional
use."
BFO!
(Blinding Flash of the Obvious): Petalumans are county residents and Lafferty
Park is a county park! It's in our county plans, it's within an easy drive of
the majority of the county's residents. It will be open to everyone. Get it?
Lafferty Park: owned by the city, used by the county.
That's why
I was shocked when, last March, the supervisors basically told the city,
"it's your park, you widen the road or we'll sue you." This delayed
the city's approval of the EIR by another seven months adding at least $20,000
to the city's tab. Then, after county staff during those seven months failed to
cooperate with the city in reaching a road agreement, the supervisors repeated
the threat, emulating the tactics of the SMC by faxing it to the city just a
few hours before the council met to approve the EIR.
BFO No. 2:
the city has done more than its fair share - it's time for the supervisors to
give Petaluma a helping hand, and do their fair share toward opening this
city-owned county park. Step one: drop their double standard for roads. At
Fitzpatrick Lane, a narrow twisting county road serving a recently opened
nature park (funded by the OSD!), the county has nothing more than a sign
reading "One-lane winding road, 15 mph." Or look at Los Alamos Road serving
Hood Mountain County Park. That's a scary road! At Lafferty, additional signs
posting single lanes and lower speed limits, and perhaps some carefully placed
speed humps, are all that's needed (beyond routine maintenance.) Step two:
expedite the approval of OSD purchase of Lafferty's development rights, which
will preserve this irreplaceable open space park.
To
dramatize our long uphill struggle for Lafferty Park, Friends of Lafferty Park
is sponsoring the first "Walk to the Park" this Sunday. We'll be
leaving Putnam Plaza at 10:30 a.m., or you can join us along the way, as we
walk to the (locked) Lafferty Park gate. For details, see
http://www.laffertyranch.org/events.htm. Call 778-0629 to RSVP. County
supervisors, you're welcome to join us, and help us take the last step to
Lafferty Park.