Major road project aims to improve Springs area near Sonoma

In a scene befitting the often-cramped and chaotic corridor that is Highway 12 north of Sonoma, utility crews this week were busy moving gas pipelines as drivers slowed to maneuver around various work sites marked off by bright orange construction cones.

It was a preview of the traffic woes to come for the area of Sonoma Valley known as The Springs when the county launches its multi-million dollar street improvement project in late April. Sidewalks, ornamental lighting and bike lanes will be installed and the road widened from Boyes Boulevard to Agua Caliente Road, geared at improving pedestrian safety along the busy corridor on Sonoma’s northern outskirts.

“There will be some disruption through construction,” said Tom O’Kane, deputy director of Sonoma County’s Transportation and Public Works.

“This is a major project. We’re talking about both sides of the road being redone,” he added.

Traffic tie-ups are a small price to pay for businesses and residents who have waited years for the second phase of the highway overhaul that has been on the drawing board for decades.

The lack of sidewalks forces pedestrians to walk on the edge of the road, dodging cars that pull in and out of businesses and residential driveways.

“There are close calls everyday,” said Angela Ryan, a senior administrative assistant at Teen Services Sonoma on Highway 12.

It’s a concern for the teen center. About 400 kids come through their doors each month. The majority walk or ride their bicycles from surrounding neighborhoods, Ryan said. While it’ll be difficult for the teens to navigate around construction sites, she said the street improvements will make it safer for the teens in the future.

Program Director Jodie Taylor agreed. It’ll also provide much needed revitalization to the area, she said.

“It’s going to bring a lot to The Springs. It needs a little face-lift,” said Taylor, who lives on Highway 12 just a few hundred feet away from the center, formerly known as Sonoma Valley Teen Services.

The project was derailed three years ago when the state axed redevelopment agencies and froze the main source of local funding for the project. The approaching work is an extension of the improvements done five years ago in the first phase - from Encinas Lane to Boyes Boulevard.

“Here we are finally finishing the project,” said Rich Lee, chairman of the Springs Community Alliance. He also sat on the redevelopment advisory committee for the area before the county agency was eliminated in 2012.

“It’s just a huge step for The Springs in terms of transforming it from a rural community to a pedestrian community,” he added. “I hope it’ll encourage more development.”

Sonoma County supervisors two weeks ago gave the project the final green light, awarding the $5.2 million contract to O.C. Jones and Sons, the Berkeley-based company that handled the county’s airport runway extension. Work should be completed by the fall, said Susan Gorin, the Board of Supervisors chairwoman.

“I’m asking everyone for patience,” she said.

While some are concerned about traffic and its impact on businesses, Gorin said she has heard a lot of enthusiasm for the work.

“People are excited the project is going to be completed this year,” she said. “They’re grateful the county has not lost sight of the project.”

Alan Medina believes it’s a much needed overhaul that will benefit the valley. As owner of Parsons Lumber and Hardware store located off the highway, however, he’s bracing himself for the traffic problems that will confront his customers.

For months, he and his employees have been handing out bilingual fliers with an alternative route to the store that avoids the highway by way of Greger Street. He’s concerned the roadwork will eat into his business, which normally gets about 200 customers a day.

“We’re hoping to minimize the impact,” said Medina, who has owned the store since the late 1980s.

“We’re anticipating a big hit on sales,” he said. “I’m expecting it to be as high as 20 percent.”

Jeannette Tomany also worries construction will hurt sales and donation drop-offs at Republic of Thrift, the store she started with her sister, Michelle Mammini, three years ago as a way to raise money for Sonoma Valley schools.

Tomany said she’s also concerned about the impact the project will have on parking space on and off their property. The proposed sidewalks will edge into the store parking lot, likely reducing the number of spaces by six, she said.

Customers and residents no longer will be able to park on the shoulder of the highway, creating concern for the thrift store and other businesses with limited parking space, she said. While there’s a need for the sidewalks and bike lanes, she said the county could have done more to resolve concerns about parking.

“Our parking lot is busy every day,” she said. “How will you survive? Parking lots should be in the works.”

Although the state has been lenient on the rules, parking is not permitted on the shoulder of the highway, O’Kane said.

He said only a handful of parking spots will be provided as part of the project. He acknowledged it won’t solve the problem.

“When the governor took the redevelopment money, he took money that was intended to purchase some properties and create off-street parking,” he said.

“This is a public safety project focused on the hundreds of pedestrians that are on the shoulders every day,” O’Kane added. “Once this is done, we’ll see what can be done for additional parking.”

You can reach Staff Writer Eloísa Ruano González at 521-5458 or eloisa.gonzalez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @eloisanews.