Home Care In Sonoma, CA

The Sun’s Anna Pier sat down with the City of Sonoma’s Community Development Director to find out what she and the new department are all about.

You and your position are both new?

I began June 22 in this position that the City Manager and the Council had created by combining two departments, Planning and Building. They gave it the title, Community Development Department. This is common in smaller cities. So I will oversee both divisions, following a project from when plans are submitted to the final inspection. The aim of creating a single department is to increase the communication between the two divisions. A clearer process from application through construction. And I like to identify processes that can be streamlined. To make the process clear from the beginning.

Why did you want the position?

When I read the position description, I thought: ‘This is me. This is my dream job.’

Can you explain?

The combination of my education and my job history culminate in this position. It combines the things I love about planning, historic preservation, community engagement, and architecture. And add in the small town charm.

You have moved to Sonoma.

I actually was already living here. I moved here in 2022 for my most recent job as Marin County Strategic Projects Manager. I’ve been living here in the City, but at the end of the month I’m moving to Boyes Springs.

You started here on June 1. Is it too soon to comment on the challenges you expect to face?

Honestly, they are no different than most communities in California. It will be all about how we look to the future. The General Plan update will kick off in October. I am the Project Manager for what we foresee to be a two-year effort. I’ll coordinate the work of our Project Planner, Kristina Tierney, and the consultant. My goal is to have robust community engagement – listening to everyone on the future of Sonoma, from the senior citizens to the high school students.

First step?

To set the broader policy, the vision. How does that look with regard to land use, transportation, equity, and cultural and natural resources? Families cannot afford to live here. We have to get creative on how to incentivize inclusionary housing. By incentivize, I mean the old carrot and stick, the carrot being funding, maybe reduced fees, and the stick being the codes requiring affordable housing.

Did you buy your new home?

No. On a single income that is not possible.

Some of your other responsibilities?

I will give trainings for both staff and various commissions – Planning, Climate Action, Design Review. This evening I will present on the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Preservation. The training will focus on how this applies to Sonoma. I used to work for the California Historic Preservation Foundation, where I offered training as well. Education and community engagement are very important to me.

How do you propose to get community engagement?

I need to learn what this community’s way is. It is important to me to hear from all voices, all sectors. My experience says that partnering with various local organizations is important. To get people to participate who don’t usually. And my goal is to work as closely as possible with the County to incorporate community comment from the Valley.

I detect a drawl. Where were you born?

I’m a native Californian, born in Panorama City, in L.A. County. But I grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Raleigh, North Carolina. And I got my Bachelor’s degree at the University of Oklahoma. I began in Architecture, but switched to Environmental Design. Then I went directly to grad school at Penn (University of Pennsylvania), where I simultaneously did a dual program for a Master of Science in Historic Preservation and a Master of City Planning.

Where have you worked in planning and in preservation?

Before Marin, I worked in planning in Encinitas, Laguna Beach, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and San Clemente. In preservation, for the CA Historic Preservation Foundation in San Francisco.

In your free time?

Hiking, exploring. And I love to travel. Last year I went to Brazil and Argentina. I’m just back from a trip with friends to Lassen, Crater Lake, Burney Falls, and the Umpqua Forest. Next month I am going to Hawaii with my 94-year-old grandma and my aunt. That’s the only state my grandma hasn’t visited. I used to do lots of volunteering – for instance, for the historic walking tour of San Juan Capistrano. And I was a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer for children. And I have fostered dogs.

Where do you hike?

SDC, the Regional Park, wherever I can take my two dogs. They are both rescues, Gatsby, a seven-year-old terrier mix, and Carnegie, a five-month-old shepherd mix.

What was your childhood dream?

Up till my sophomore year in high school I wanted to be a vet. But I switched to architecture. My mother tells me I was always drawing houses and buildings I knew on grid paper, to scale. Before my senior year in college, I went to a summer program on historic preservation in Nantucket, and that’s where I learned about city planning.

Take a look inside MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa, a 150-year-old resort in Sonoma, California, that just completed a four-year-long renovation.

For more than 150 years, the elegant MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa has served as a social hub at the heart of Sonoma, California, welcoming urbanites seeking an elegant base to explore the region. In the last four years, the hotel has undergone a complete renovation, updating almost every aspect of the guest experience — from the accommodations to the restaurants. The property, which boasts six acres in downtown Sonoma, just debuted the last phase of its transformation: a new spa, pool area, several new rooms, and a cottage.

"After four years of staged renovations, we couldn't be more excited to welcome the complete and final phase of the renewal of MacArthur Place," Chad Parson, CEO of Lat33 Capital, the ownership group behind MacArthur Place, told Travel + Leisure. "The design highlights the property's original beginnings as a farmhouse and adds a modern and inviting touch. The new spa, pool, and suites truly elevate our guest experience, placing the hotel at the forefront of Sonoma as a luxury destination."

Designed by L.A.- and NYC-based Kes Studio, the reimagined Spa at MacArthur blends modern amenities with cozy decor that feels sophisticated yet welcoming. With new treatment rooms, a welcome area, and locker rooms with steam showers, guests are pampered the minute they set foot in the spa. The holistic treatments, which include lavender and eucalyptus body polishes and essential oil massages, use products made from flowers, herbs, and plants grown on-site.

Guests can also relax and recharge in the beautiful pool area, which now features a whirlpool, private cabanas, chaise lounges, and sun umbrellas.

Another highlight of the redesigned MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa is the Artist Cottage, where art enthusiasts will feel right at home. The space is not just filled with inspiring art of all kind, but it also comes fully stocked with sketchbooks, pencils, watercolors, and paints for when inspiration strikes (which it certainly will because the cottage has views over the entire six-acre property).

"Our investment in the multiyear property-wide renovation is our commitment to innovate and elevate the guest experience each year," Parson added. "The new additions provide a sense of escape and a lasting feeling of relaxation, which ultimately enables our guests to enjoy the full restorative impact of our sanctuary."

As part of the multiyear renovation, the property also debuted three new food and beverage concepts, including Layla, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant; The Bar at MacArthur; and The Porch, an all-day coffee shop and marketplace.

Nightly rates at MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa start from $599, and you can book at macarthurplace.com.

Around 650 acres of open space on the much-debated Sonoma Developmental Center property in Wine Country has been transferred to California State Parks, the agency said this week, cementing its status as protected land.

Part of the 945-acre property near Glen Ellen, which is owned by the state of California, once housed the Sonoma Developmental Center, one of several state-run institutions for severely disabled people. The campus, closed in 2018, is slated to be redeveloped into a mixed-use development with hundreds of units of housing — a plan that was a point of contention between Sonoma County residents, the Board of Supervisors and the state.

Through many community meetings and public hearings, residents expressed a desire to protect the open space that surrounded the campus — a priority reflected in state law, which requires that open space be preserved in proposed development on state-owned land.

The open space connects Jack London State Historic Park to Sonoma County Regional Park, and its transfer to the state park system is the largest addition to state park lands in Sonoma County since 2010, state officials said. The land, which includes forests, grasslands and wetlands, is also a “critical wildlife linkage” between the Marin coast and the Blue Ridge and Lake Berryessa areas in Napa County, according to the state.

“Bringing this land into State Parks is a big win for the environment, outdoor recreation and local communities,” California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot said in a news release. “It protects an important wildlife corridor, safeguards diverse local ecosystems, and will expand opportunities for local residents and visitors to hike and enjoy the outdoors.”

Local leaders also celebrated the move.

State Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, whose district includes the developmental center site, called it a “huge win for preserving and stewarding this incredible open space,” which he said will benefit the environment and increase opportunities for outdoor recreation.

More For You

California State Parks expands for first time in years with major addition

This coastal California property was designated a national monument six years ago. But it’s still closed to the public

“We made a promise to the community at the beginning of the transition process that the vast majority of Developmental Center land would be protected forever. And, today, Senator Dodd and I are keeping this promise with this historic transfer of land,” said state Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Geyserville. “80% of the former SDC campus will now be protected forever and it’s a big win for the Valley and our County.”

State Assembly Member Damon Connolly, D-San Rafael, added that transferring the land to the state park system “has been a longtime goal” for Sonoma Valley residents, and that the move “will expand access to the outdoors while simultaneously protecting our local ecosystems.”

For now, State Parks will operate the land in an interim state until it is formally integrated into Jack London State Park — a process that will include community and stakeholder engagement, tribal consultation and an environmental impact report, among other logistical steps.

During the interim state, the public will still be able to access the lands for recreation, and the state will provide vegetation and wildfire management, trail maintenance and the installation of informational signs, restrooms and garbage cans. The state also plans to make the land, which is now accessible only from the west side, open from the east side as well.

“Through increasing public access to the open space and investing in trail maintenance and wildfire management, this is a major win for our community,” Connolly said.

The open space is separate from the roughly 200-acre built-out portion of the campus slated for redevelopment. The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved a specific plan for the site, which sets guidelines for the type of project allowed there, in December 2022, and the state selected a developer for the project in April 2023, though the development team’s plans for the site have not been finalized.

Reach Danielle Echeverria: [email protected]; Twitter: @DanielleEchev

When long-time Sonoma resident Ellen Shepherd lamented to friends how much she missed not having the live nativity scene at her church St. Andrew Presbyterian on Arnold Drive this year, the cast and crew of the annual nativity scene showed by up at her door step the day before their Christmas Eve performance at the old Sonoma Mission complex near the Plaza, downtown Sonoma.

Neighbors near her home at Sonoma Oaks (just off of Sonoma Highway) were stunned and thrilled on Saturday afternoon Dec. 23 to see a live nativity scene drive in and set up.

“This is amazing and wonderful,” exclaimed Shepherd (pictured above, with Brian Ness), totally surprised as she walked out to greet the cast and crew who drove the menagerie of animals to Shepherd’s house en route to prepare and set up the scene at the old Sonoma Mission barracks for Christmas Eve.

This year’s live nativity scene at the Plaza will be at the La Casa Grande courtyard at 20 East Spain Street, beginning at 1m on Dec. 24.

Brian Ness and Mike Weiss, operators of Vintage Kennel Club in Sonoma have been providing a live nativity scene in Sonoma at various churches since 2005. St. Andrew Presbyterian was one of several local Sonoma churches over the years that have had the rare opportunity to experience a live nativity scene presentation.

Back in 2018, Ness and his company of nativity performers made an appearance at St. Andrew to the delight of the congregation. Shepard who has been a member of St. Andrew Presbyterian for years (along with her late husband Harry) became very fond of Sahara the camel in the nativity scene. This past year, Sahara gave birth to a healthy baby camel calf.

“It’s only been in the past two years that we have performed the nativity scene at the Plaza,” said Ness. Previously, the nativity scene was not only performed at St. Andrew but at Sonoma Valley Community Church among other churches.

In 2021 Ness made arrangements with the Sonoma State Park, via the California State Parks Department to have the live nativity scene at the Plaza in an effort to make the experience more accessible to the public and easier to get to.

Story and photos by Jonathan Farrell

Foley Entertainment Group (FEG), established by businessman and Sonoma Valley vintner, Bill Foley, has acquired Sonoma's iconic MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa from Lat33 Capital. FEG will be taking over the day-to-day management of MacArthur Place, seamlessly integrating its renowned Foley Five Star Service into the property's strategic operations.

The upscale 69-room boutique hotel, located in the heart of California Wine Country, has just completed its multi-year transformation, recently unveiling its final stage of the four-year, property-wide evolution that includes a renewed spa and fitness center, revamped outdoor pool space, and the addition of five new guestrooms, including the brand-new Artists Cottage.

"I have always believed MacArthur Place to be the perfect addition to the Foley Entertainment Group family," said Bill Foley. "Adding to our already deep Sonoma County roots and portfolio of two hotels, seven estate wineries and multiple restaurants, MacArthur Place truly solidifies our place in this incredible wine region. It's an iconic hotel and the completion of the recent renovation has brought the already beautiful property to the next level. I am proud to welcome MacArthur Place to FEG."

FEG's acquisition of MacArthur Place will be effective immediately and marks the continued expansion of FEG's luxury hospitality portfolio, which boasts the acclaimed Farmhouse Inn in Sonoma County, Hotel Les Mars in nearby Healdsburg, and the iconic Hotel Californian in Santa Barbara, alongside an array of other distinguished resorts, restaurants, and vineyards across the globe.

"Bill Foley is a well-known and admired community member of Sonoma County and a long-time neighbor to MacArthur Place," said Chad Parson, Chief Executive Officer of Lat33 Capital. "As a vintner with extensive expertise in hospitality, paired with his deep knowledge and love of the destination, we are leaving the property in the best hands possible. We are confident that Bill and his team will honor the hotel's esteemed history, uphold the elevated guest experience, and strengthen its role as a key gathering place for the local community."

Originally a prestigious vineyard and working ranch, MacArthur Place has long been a centerpiece of the Sonoma community. Nearly all aspects of the six-acre parcel property underwent extensive renovations in August 2019 as part of an initial overhaul. The transformation of the historic property into a luxury hotel included an elevated reception and guest arrival experience, all-new guest rooms and signature cottage suites, and a fully reimagined food and beverage program featuring dining centerpiece, Layla, as well as The Porch and The Bar at MacArthur. The final phase of its property-wide transformation debuted in Fall 2023 — offering guests a refreshed spa steeped in wellbeing, an updated pool area and five additional guest rooms and suites.