Sonoma County supervisors deadlock over downtown county campus at former Sears site in Santa Rosa

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors hit a deadlock Tuesday over the proposed move of county headquarters to downtown Santa Rosa, with at least two supervisors saying they did not feel comfortable making a decision without more details about how the county would pay for the landmark project.

It marked the second time in two months the board has delayed a decision on purchasing the former Sears site, at a cost of $20.75 million. Redevelopment of the property would cost $35.7 million to $55.4 million annually over a 30-year mortgage, county officials said, giving a price range that depends on the project’s scope.

The impasse came nine months after the board agreed in concept to move county offices from the existing campus north of Steele Lane to the vacated property at the south end of Santa Rosa Plaza.

Supervisors Lynda Hopkins and David Rabbit both said they needed more specifics about the proposed financial plan, which staff provided Tuesday. That plan includes a proposal to use a partnership under which a private firm would “design, build, finance, operate and maintain the building (including all utilities and repairs for 30 years),” a staff report said.

To advance the sale and financing plan, the board needed support from four of the five supervisors. After several hours of staff presentation and deliberation, it became clear that Hopkins and Rabbitt had not been swayed.

Rabbitt said he remained opposed to the Sears site and would instead like to see the county pursue a plan that would have a new complex built, possibly in phases, on the existing northern Santa Rosa campus.

“It’s a safer route to go for a county that really has not that much if any long-term debt,” Rabbitt said, of the idea to do a phased build.

Hopkins however said she is open to the Sears site, but stressed the need for a more complete plan to also create satellite government centers throughout the county, making key services more accessible for rural residents.

Staff have proposed allocating $1 million per year over 30 years to cover the costs of leased buildings outside of Santa Rosa, but Hopkins, who represents a sprawling west county district, worried it would not be enough.

“I’ve been consistent in asking for a real plan,” Hopkins said.

Delaying a decision to purchase the property means it may not be available when it comes back to the board in two to three months, a risk all members said they understood.

Supervisor Chris Coursey, a former Santa Rosa mayor who has championed the Sears site, cautioned his colleagues over that risk and noted that supervisors have to be on the same page to make such a big decision, but should not expect every unknown to be answered.

“If we have to have every question answered before we get to a decision, I don’t think we’ll ever get to a decision,” Coursey said. “A lot of these questions won’t have answers until we have a decision about what direction we’re going to.”

He added that the longer the board waits, the more expensive the project — or any project — will become.

The delay leaves in limbo supervisors’ efforts to replace the county’s current, aging campus. The 83-acre campus dates back to the 1950s and has a maintenance backlog of over $300 million, according to the county.

When the board chose the Sears site last year, supporters touted the property’s proximity to public transit including the SMART stop in Railroad Square and bus lines, the potential to reinvigorate downtown Santa Rosa and the opportunity to develop housing on the current campus in northern Santa Rosa.

Supervisor Susan Gorin said those benefits prompted her to change her mind and support the Sears site over a project on the existing campus.

“If we’re serious about climate change we absolutely need to make the best decision to move the county center downtown right next to the transit hub,” Gorin said. “Let’s make it as easy as possible for our future workforce. Sears is the only choice to make.”

Supervisor James Gore, the board chair, signaled he supported advancing the downtown move while leaving room for closer study.

“What we’ve seen is the allocation of this much money needs to be vetted more fully and if that slows down and risks another site that’s just the way it happens,” Gore said. “This will be the largest obligation we make in all of our times as a county supervisor.”

A few Santa Rosa residents spoke Tuesday in favor of a downtown location, praising the alternative transportation access and opportunity to boost businesses.

Construction workers, carpenters representing local workers unions and eager developers dominated those who showed support.

“The building of this project will create local jobs for many trades, and once built will provide support for local economy of shops and restaurants,” said local carpenter Victor Biveli.

However, many other speakers urged the board to back away from the Sears option because of the high cost, concerns over the impact on roads near downtown Santa Rosa and parking.

The county has the largest single workforce in the North Bay, at over 4,300 workers, though only about 1,800 would be based at the downtown offices, officials have said.

Jana Blunt, president of the local SEIU 1021, which represents the largest group of unionized county employees, said the union recently conducted a survey that showed most responding members did not support the move to downtown.

The survey respondents cited the difficulty of parking, the project’s high cost and congestion on Highways 101 and 12 and in downtown Santa Rosa.

“It shouldn’t be done on the backs of the workforce and it shouldn’t be done with the county of Sonoma’s dime,” Blunt said.

Coursey, whose district includes downtown Santa Rosa, said his support for the project did not stem solely from the benefits to the urban core of his district.

“This project has to be able to stand on its own as the right thing to do for Sonoma County,” Coursey said. “It needs to be the right thing to do for all of our residents, for all of our taxpayers regardless of where they live.”

You can reach Staff Writer Emma Murphy at 707-521-5228 or emma.murphy@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MurphReports.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been revised to correct an editing error. The purchase plan needs support from four of five supervisors to advance.