Taking back the beach

<p>Fed up with drinking parties and homeless encampments on Patterson Point beach, a sliver of land perched on a bend of the Russian River, a group of Monte Rio residents is buying the troublesome 1.8-acre site.</p><p>“There have been late-night teen drinking parties and homeless people living down there,” said Rich Holmer, president of Friends of Villa Grande. “We think we can control that by limiting the hours of access.”</p><p>What is unusual about the $210,000 deal is that the group, about 90 households comprising Friends of Villa Grande, has formed a partnership with the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District to acquire the tiny beachfront property at Villa Grande, a neighborhood a mile downstream from downtown Monte Rio.</p><p>It is only the second time that a non-profit agency has been the beneficiary of a matching grant from the Open Space District.</p><p>Villa Grande has raised about $70,000 to buy the site and is getting another $140,000 from the district for a conservation easement under which the group agrees to preserve the site and refrain from developing it.</p><p>The goal of acquisition is to both provide public access and, at the same time, allow the Villa Grande group some measure of control over the property. </p><p>In deference to opponents, there won't be a parking lot nearby. The Villa Grande group plans to improve existing trails and erect signs that include directions to the beach and notification that use is limited to daylight hours.</p><p>Some in Monte Rio fear that creation of a park will attract more unwanted visitors to the Villa Grande community, which began in the 1900s as a collection of vacation homes along a narrow-gauge railway. None, however, spoke in opposition at a hearing last week before county supervisors.</p><p>Since the 1950s, the property has been owned by the Torr family, which has long been prominent in river-area real estate and civic affairs.</p><p>“Of course, this is a cost benefit for the Open Space District, but for me, it is about protecting public access,” said west county Supervisor Efren Carrillo.</p><p>Supervisor Shirlee Zane also questioned how the county would monitor public use.</p><p>“If we restore the habitat and people are attracted to the spot, how do you ensure that low-intensity use continues?” Zane said.</p><p>Open Space District program manager Misti Arias responded that county officials will visit the site periodically.</p><p>“It is limited to low-impact use and if there are violations, we will follow through with the owners,” Arias said.</p><p>With the county grant secured, the land transfer is expected to close in mid-September.</p><p>The Villa Grande group plans to work with Circuit Rider Productions to remove invasive plants such as blackberry and English ivy and replace them with native vegetation. A 100-yard path provides access to the beach and passes a grove of redwood trees.</p><p>Roberto Esteeves, a Friends of Villa Grande board member who lives across the street, said, “we think of this as a preservation project because we need to strike a balance between restoring the land and allowing public access.”</p><p>You can reach Staff Writer Bleys W. Rose at 521-5431 or bleys.rose@pressdemocrat.com.</p>