Sonoma & Marin Counties Vote Yes on Measure I to Renew Funding for SMART
We’re urging residents of Sonoma and Marin counties to support the SMART sales tax renewal by voting yes on Measure I March 3, 2020. If passed, Measure I will renew the existing one-quarter cent sales tax to fund the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) for another 30 years. SMART is the passenger rail system that was approved by voters in 2008 and began operating in 2017. It runs from Larkspur in Marin… Read More
Renew the City of Sonoma’s Urban Growth Boundary
Help us tell Sonoma City Council that they must give voters the chance to renew the urban growth boundary that has protected open space and farmland around the city for 20 years!
Championing the Bay Area with True Highlander Spirit
Jake Mackenzie knows a thing or two about standing strong. Whether herding sheep as a boy on his Scottish family croft, or responding to a tough crowd at a regional planning hearing, Jake is a man who doesn’t stand down. True to his convictions and a natural leader, Jake is known in the North Bay and beyond as a steward of smart city planning and a voice many seek when it comes… Read More
Rohnert Park Votes YES on Measure B to the UGB
The people of Rohnert Park chose to renew the city’s Urban Growth Boundary by an outstanding 90%. This is a huge win for open space in the North Bay, setting a precedent for other Bay Area cities to grow in a climate-smart way—within city boundaries and not on precious open space lands.
City of Sonoma—Back to the Future—1999?
In the city of Sonoma, it feels like some folks are going back to the future, or simply back to about 1999. Back then, the city of Sonoma was among the nine cities in Sonoma County that were fighting sprawl by voting in the first urban growth boundaries. Greenbelt Alliance partnered with the community to gather signatures and put the measure on the ballot, which passed with a 64% majority. Now the… Read More
Renewing Rohnert Park’s UGB with Measure B
Special Election November 5, 2019 The city of Rohnert Park is on its way to renewing its voter-approved urban growth boundary for another 20 years in a special election on Nov. 5, 2019. Get the specifics of the measure here. Greenbelt Alliance partnered with the City Council and staff to develop the UGB renewal Measure B to protect open space and prevent sprawl in this growing city that lies within the heart… Read More
Land Conservation & Smart Growth Work Together in Sonoma County
Written by Sonoma County Ag + Open Space Land conservation and compact, city-centered growth work together to protect Sonoma County’s working and natural lands from urban sprawl while continuing to maintain the many benefits of these lands such as local food, scenic views, greenbelts and community separators, parks and trails, clean abundant drinking water, and habitat for wildlife. Sonoma County cities and communities maintain their small-town character because of the open spaces… Read More
At Risk Greenbelt Land is the Heart of Sonoma Valley
The recent closure of the Sonoma Developmental Center has created an opportunity for the whole Bay Area to plan the future of these vital greenbelt lands. Community support is needed as the planning process begins.
Delayed General Plan Update Leaves Sonoma County at a Crossroads
The Sonoma County General Plan update has been postponed for the past three years due to the fires and floods that have devastated the North Bay. The county is at a crossroads, facing many new and ongoing challenges, and an update to the plan is urgently needed to help plan for this “new normal”
North Bay: Rebuilding for Resilience
Through 2018, North Bay residents and leaders focused on rebuilding and getting people and communities back on their feet. For Greenbelt Alliance, it was also a year of forging new partnerships to make cities and towns more sustainable and our landscapes more resilient in the wake of the fires.