What could southwest Santa Rosa look like by the year 2025?
By integrating civic buildings, public transportation, housing and retailers, the area could be a bustling city center according to a final report filed by Sonoma State University urban planning students who have been focusing on the long-range future of the area for a year.
The students from the SSU Planning Workshop will present "Southwest Santa Rosa Community Plan: 2025" at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 16 in the Santa Rosa City Council Chambers. The event will be broadcast on Community Access television, Channel 71.
One of the essential proposals the SSU Planning Workshop advocates is the redevelopment of the old Santa Rosa Naval Auxiliary Air Station into a multi-use center featuring civic buildings such as social services and a transit hub, as well as living spaces located above ground-level storefronts.
"We believe that these modifications would better serve a growing population, as well as building the developments to serve the currently proposed SMART system," says Dru Krupinsky, one of the planning students, referring to the anticipated commuter train that would ran from Ukiah to Marin.
The plan also has a number of interesting proposals that differ from current long-range planning policies in the area. Some focus on encouraging the development of multi-use buildings and increasing residential and commercial density in some areas.
Area leaders and community members are strongly encouraged to attend the SSU Planning Workshop's presentation, as many of the policy tools that the report recommends may be useful to those already involved in working towards solutions for the area.
For further information on the Southwest Santa Rosa Community Plan, contact SSU planning professor Steven Orlick at (707) 664-2414.
