PD Editorial: New Courthouse Square park makes unifying statement: People are the priority

When the ribbon comes down at Old Courthouse Square today, Santa Rosa finally will cut ties to a 50-year-old mistake - the decision to bifurcate downtown’s central plaza to accommodate cars.

With the opening of the city’s new unifying plaza park - a labor of love and source of rancor for years - pedestrians will once again be the priority in the city’s core district, as they should be.

The benefits of this $10.5 million project already are starting to show: Less noise, more foot traffic and reduced stress about cars and trucks racing through the downtown core. But most important, downtown now has something it’s long needed - a large, central gathering place that marks the heart of the community.

That heart will be pumping this afternoon as residents and elected officials gather at 12:30 p.m. for the long-awaited dedication ceremony. This will be followed by a festival that will include music, children’s activities, a historical photo display, food and libations and other attractions.

It’s a worthy celebration, a recognition that the city has now come full circle on what do to with its square. A 1.5-acre central plaza has been a part of the design for downtown Santa Rosa since it appeared on the first official map of the community six years before the Civil War.

A courthouse ultimately was built on the square in 1884, but that came down 22 years later in the Great San Francisco Earthquake, which hit Santa Rosa as hard as any community. More than 100 people were killed in this town alone. The damaged courthouse was replaced by a larger version in 1910, and that one lasted until 1966, when it was deemed to be a seismic risk and demolished. Unfortunately, that’s when the decision was made to open up the plaza to cut-through traffic rather than preserving the area as the plaza was intended.

Of course, while the square has now been reconnected, it’s clear the community is far from unified on this project. Many don’t like the idea of traffic having to weave around the streets of downtown to get through the area, while others have been critical of the new park’s spartan design and a central lawn area that looks from above like the American Red Cross symbol or, worse, the green cross used to represent medical cannabis.

To the former, we say, if it takes longer to get through downtown for vehicles, so be it. Downtowns should be a place drivers should get to, not through. And to the latter, we want to let them know that the X-shaped lawn area has historic significance. It marks the footprint of the old courthouse, the one that was damaged in 1906. Moreover, the area is framed with sections of the granite courthouse steps from the courthouse that was demolished in 1966. Those are nice historical connections to have.

Finally, we say, give the park a chance. The trees will grow, people will come and, as has been reported, this is just the first phase of the project. Other changes will come later as the funds come available. But this is more than a good start. It’s a vital statement: That people are the priority and that downtown is a destination - not a shortcut.

Congratulations, Santa Rosa. You’ve got it together.