Holiday looms large for Mom’s Beach neighbors

The homeowners of Forestville's River Drive have been counting down to July Fourth, but not because they expect to have a good time hanging out in the neighborhood.

Though they live right off the Russian River, mere steps from one of its most popular beaches, the summer holiday represents not fun or relaxation, but a maddening siege for those who live between River Road and the water.

From the traffic that jams their small street as motorists seek scarce parking, to the empty beer bottles, scattered trash and flotation devices they leave behind, the crowd of visitors who squeeze into the neighborhood on summer holidays and hot weekends is enough to drive some River Drive residents to flee their homes.

“Most of my neighbors have really had it,” said one local, David Emery, whose home directly across from a wide trail leading down to the Forestville Access Beach puts him at ground zero for negative impacts.

But many residents and beachgoers alike say there has been some improvement in the frequency of impolite, even gross behavior that for was regrettably common on their street in the days before Sonoma County Regional Parks imposed a formal prohibition on alcohol at what's known locally as Mom's or Mother's Beach. Drinking also is prohibited at Healdsburg Memorial Beach, though it is allowed at all others.

There's still drinking going on at Mom's, and intoxication, but not to the degree it once was before July 1, 2015, where residents would find strangers passed out in their yards or drunk and belligerent on the street, they say.

“It seems like we still have the same amount of traffic, and hot days, it's like bumper cars down there,” said resident Gina Voight. “But I personally haven't witnessed the kind of craziness that we had before the alcohol ban, where people were peeing and puking in the streets, and there were fights.”

These days, neighbors said, visitors still smuggle in beer - leaving behind empties, several said - but the infamous beer pong tables of yesteryear seem to be staying in the past.

A smattering of beachgoers enjoying the sunshine and view of the redwoods above the river Monday said the beach is generally mellower than it once was and less rowdy than most other river beaches, as well.

Despite a busy weekend, it was completely free of litter, as well. “Of all of them, it seems like it's a more local beach,” said Steve Thoma, 27, of Novato.

Bill and Janet Drew of Santa Rosa came with their granddaughters Monday and said they have noticed the difference since alcohol was banned.

“I come down here some days by myself,” said Janet Drew, 60. “Some places you don't feel safe being there by yourself.”

The gravel beach is the middle of three county beaches that have opened over the past two decades in the town of Forestville along about 2½ miles of Russian River frontage. The others are Sunset Beach, about three-quarters of a mile away on the other side of the Hacienda Bridge, and Steelhead Beach, to the east of Mom's.

But it's unique to the area because the access point is located right between houses, a short way down the block from a tiny parking lot with 17 spaces.

The rest of the street between River Road and the Hacienda Bridge is quite narrow and fills quickly with parked cars, some of which block driveways or butt into the street too far, making passage by larger cars or emergency vehicles a challenge.

In addition, vehicles commonly stop in front of the path to the beach, blocking traffic while they unload.

And many drivers, in their quest for parking, insist on making U-turns in the street rather than continuing down the road under the bridge to the other side of River Road, where more parking is available.

The advent of tour buses from the Bay Area - an increasingly frequent sight at most Russian River beaches - makes for more trouble, as the wide vehicles attempt to navigate the crowded, narrow street.

“We've been actually blocked from getting out of the street,” said Christine Cannon, a 34-year resident whose primary concern is beach fires many build at night, illegally and frightening close to the trees.

Residents have posted all manner of signs along the streets declaring trespassing and parking in front of their homes off-limits, though legally they can't prevent parking on the street, as long it doesn't block the road or someone's driveway.

Some have even put up traffic cones or boulders to keep parked vehicles at bay.

“Everybody's just trying to fend for themselves,” resident Bill McKinley said.

Sonoma County Sheriff's Capt. Al Vernon said his agency gets fewer nuisance calls from the neighborhood than it once did, however - fewer calls for public intoxication, disturbing the peace, public urination and the like since the alcohol ban went into effect.

Supervising Russian River Ranger Scott Bolin said the crowd at Mom's Beach generally seems less boisterous, as well, though he concedes that with eight river beaches to patrol and a team of six rangers, it's a challenge to keep the alcohol enforcement up.

He also noted that, while river visitation has increased drastically over the past decade, there had been no growth in staffing.

“We're on the lookout for, of course, folks exhibiting signs of being overly intoxicated, but Mother's Beach, it's prohibited,” Bolin said, “so we'd be contacting people specifically there about alcohol more than some of those other spots.”

Authorities said they all would be on the lookout for trouble over the holiday, with two extra deputies on patrol dedicated to the river, Vernon said.

The CHP also will have roving officers patrolling for impaired driving and will be “hammering the parking areas” along River Road, said Officer Steve Fricke.

CHP Officer Jon Sloat said, “We recommend people not park illegally, because officers will be out there towing vehicles.”

You can reach Staff Writer Mary Callahan at 707-521-5249 or mary.callahan@pressdemocrat.com.