Opponents of Sebastopol redevelopment plan lead

In a possible victory for opponents of a controversial redevelopment plan, Kathleen Shaffer and Guy Wilson were leading Tuesday in the race for two seats on the Sebastopol City Council.

With most absentee ballots counted, Shaffer, a Palm Drive health foundation board member, was leading with 37 percent of the vote. Wilson, a school board member, was second with 34 percent, followed by appointed council member Jen Thille, 23 percent; and sustainability consultant Colleen Fernald, 6 percent.

“I’m cautiously optimistic,” Shaffer said as she waited for the results from Sebastopol’s six precincts.

Said Wilson, “It’s incredibly gratifying, very honoring.”

Wilson was a strong opponent of a plan to add 300 residential units and nearly 400,000 square feet of new business and civic space between the downtown and the Laguna de Santa Rosa. If later precinct results confirmed his victory a new council majority would be opposed to the Northeast redevelopment plan.

Thile, in third place, strongly supported the plan. Shaffer had characterized her position as somewhat in the middle.

Of the remaining council members, Larry Robinson strongly supports the plan, but Linda Kelley and Sarah Gurney oppose it.

In a related matter, a ballot measure to place a 4 percent tax on Sebastopol electric and natural gas bills was leading 59 to 41 percent. The measure’s passage requires majority approval.