Larkfield Estates breaks ground on $4.8 million sewer project

“How many of you ever thought you’d be at a groundbreaking celebration for a sewer?” Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore asked a crowd of some 60 people gathered Saturday morning on North Dover Court in the Larkfield Estates neighborhood north of Santa Rosa.

The line got a laugh, and yet there they were, residents happy to mark the kickoff of the $4.8 million project scheduled to install 10,000 feet of sewer main, with lateral lines to all participating parcels, by October.

What made the event noteworthy is that it marks a significant step in the ongoing recovery of the neighborhood, which was destroyed by the Tubbs fire in 2017.

“This is a huge milestone for resilience and recovery,” said Larkfield Estates neighborhood organizer Gena Jacobs, who finally moved into her rebuilt home on Oxford Court in October.

“This creates an opportunity for people to make a choice whether they want to participate in this project or not,” she said. “It’s going to allow us to build a bigger, better and more sustainable community for the future of Larkfield Estates and generations to come. We had to put something together that was viable for everybody.”

Those who have voluntarily signed up for the new sewer line will benefit from a financing deal hammered out over the past two years, including month after month of meetings between homeowners, the Sonoma Water agency and Sonoma County representatives and staff. The end result for some was not a just new sewer plant but a more robust sense of community.

“A lot of people have come together,” Jacobs said. “People who didn’t know each other are now getting to meet one another and having neighborhood events and potlucks. As people started moving back into their homes, people started having a Wine Wednesday, or showing a movie outside.”

Construction of a sewer for Larkfield Estates will cost between $50,000 and $65,000 per home, but the agency will delay homeowner payments until 2030. For connection fees, about $12,000 per residence, homeowners will be offered 20-year loans at 2 percent.

“There are 144 lots in the project and 66 people have agreed to participate right now,” said Barry Dugan of Sonoma Water. “Anybody can come in later, but those 66 have taken advantage of that financing program.”

Some lots remain vacant while construction is either underway or pending on others, he said. About half the neighborhood’s homes ?are included so far in the new project, while other homeowners have opted to continue using septic tanks.

People who sign up later won’t be able to get the same financing, and the cost will go up 3% per year, said Mike Thompson, assistant general manager of Sonoma Water.

“The big thing is we made a commitment that we’re going to rebuild better. Resilience is not just rebuilding,” said Gore, whose district includes Larkfield Estates.

“This is a prime example because this isn’t just about a sewer instead of septic tanks,” he added. “This is a voluntary program. Most public works programs require that you hook up. This is about people being able to rebuild in the ways they want to rebuild.”

You can reach Staff Writer Dan Taylor at 707-521-5243 or dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter@danarts.