In late 2024 Susan Gorin announced limited funds to create a Temporary Springs Plaza in the county owned parking lot, adjacent to what everyone calls “the Old Church Mouse Building” at the corner of Boyes Boulevard and Highway 12. In 22 years of living in the Springs I have been hearing about some kind of community space for the Springs and the Springs Specific Plan. Sort of an existential play like Waiting for Godot. There was that brief moment when Supervisor Gorin thought it would be a good idea for the county to partner with Ken Mattson to build a community plaza at this site, as he owned the two buildings at this site and the county owned the parking area around the buildings. As we all know this was not a very good plan, based on Mattson’s track record here in Sonoma and other municipalities. The supervisor thought him a “savvy developer”. Most of us and the Springs Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) did not share that opinion.
I thought a temporary spot for our community would be great in the interim, as we continue waiting for Godot. I volunteered to help, by trying to keep the area clean, as the county did not have funds for it. The MAC formed an ad hoc committee for implementation, Ron Wellander, a Sonoma City Council member volunteered to select and acquire trees and others volunteered to help out. We all realized that this was not the end all. That hopefully one day there would be a permanent community space, professionally planned and executed with ample funds provided for it.
Reaching out on social media a “cleaning crew” was formed: Me, Georgeann Quinn, Megie Marvel, Lisa Trembly (and the Springs Rotary), Hannah Aclufi and Judie Osborn-Shaw. Since January 2025 we have been taking turns each week to clean the area. With gloves, buckets, brooms we do our best to pick up trash and place it in the Recology receptacles the county has provided. From day one it has been a challenge. In the real world nothing is perfect. People throw trash on the ground, dump large objects, the un-housed camp on the sidewalks by the Mattson buildings, people do not read the signs and dump trash in recycling and compostable waste bins and vice versa and the area that is gated and locked between the two building was already full of trash. We have figured out some solutions amongst ourselves, and with the help of our new supervisor, Rebecca Hermosillo. The adjacent property owner secures the trash receptacles, unlocks and places them out on the proper day for pick up. The owner of the barber shop let me into the locked area between the buildings to remove the trash…