Sonoma County leaders again face dilemma: what to do with large Chanate Road tract

Sonoma County supervisors will consider options today to restart the process of selling the old county hospital complex in northeast Santa Rosa.

The county Board of Supervisors will discuss the future of the ?82-acre Chanate Road property at their meeting today and hear proposals from city staff about possible sale of the tract.

The property was set to be sold to developer Bill Gallaher but the deal was quashed in July following a lawsuit by neighbors. A Sonoma County judge ruled county officials had improperly neglected to perform an environmental review of the property.

Gallaher was planning to build 867 homes on the land, an ambitious development plan that would have been one of the city’s largest single housing projects in recent memory.

The county canceled the land deal with the developer in October, and the county is now restarting the process of determining what to do with the property.

Supervisors will consider the possibility of issuing a request for proposals from developers for the sale of the Chanate Road land, comprised of 12 separate parcels, in its entirety or smaller pieces. Certain parcels would be excluded from a potential sale, including a 26-acre plot owned by the Sonoma County Water Agency and a nearly 10-acre parcel that will be dedicated for public access and use, according to a staff report.

An appraisal of the property is expected to be completed in late January, according to a staff report. A request for proposals could be issued in February, with proposals due by May 10.

State law requires the county to first offer the property for sale to certain government agencies and qualified nonprofits. If that process doesn’t pan out, as was the case previously, supervisors could look for proposals from the private sector.

Supervisor Shirlee Zane said Monday the board will discuss a variety of options for the land.

“We want to get the liabilities off of our books, because we’re spending a lot of money in terms of security, and we want the highest and best use for the public benefit,” Zane said.

Any proposals for the property will be subject to public input before the county determines how it chooses to proceed.

“I can tell you we need housing,” Zane said. “So obviously, that’s going to be part of the mix, but we’ll have to see who applies and is interested.”