Coastal Conservancy approves $250,000 grant to begin plans for Climate Adaptation Center in Sonoma Developmental Center redevelopment

The California State Coastal Conservancy has approved a grant of up to $250,000 to the County of Sonoma for exploring the creation of a Climate Adaptation Center at the Sonoma Developmental Center development.

The proposed center would focus on developing resilient products, processes, and services to benefit all Californians in their daily lives, including research into innovation in water reuse, microgrid energy production, low-carbon mobility, vegetation management, fire safety technology, regenerative agriculture, vermiculture technology, equitable farm starts and their contribution to climate adaptation.

“The Coastal Conservancy is excited to be a part of the sustainable and transformative redevelopment at the Sonoma Developmental Center,” said Coastal Conservancy Chair Doug Bosco. “The people of Sonoma County know only too well the face of climate change. We have suffered the most devastating fires, floods and droughts. It is time to fight back by attracting the best and brightest innovators, inventors and investors to this beautiful campus and develop the synergy necessary for this monumental job.”

Chair of the Board of Supervisors James Gore said he was grateful for the opportunity for Sonoma County to explore the creation of this new center and to continue to lead on climate adaptation.

“With a knowledge hub like the Climate Adaptation Center, Sonoma County would be on the ground floor of critical research and analysis that would help us locally and at the state level,” he said. “I look forward to hearing more about this proposal.”

The Coastal Conservancy cited the benefits of anchoring a development with more than 700 acres of protected open space and more than 25 percent on-site affordable housing as key reasons to choose the SDC site. In addition to the Coastal Conservancy Climate Adaptation Center, the draft SDC Specific Plan calls for:

• Open space protection for 700 acres and preservation of Sonoma Creek.
• Affordable housing including 50 percent designed to be “missing middle housing” for working professionals such as teachers, nurses and firefighters.
• The creation of more than 900 jobs.
• A walkable core campus with transit, pedestrian and bike infrastructure to provide alternatives to automobile use.
• Commercial, recreational, and civic uses for residents, employees and the greater Sonoma Valley.

“The Climate Adaptation Center would allow people to work and live climate adaptation in their daily lives,” said Permit Sonoma Director Tennis Wick. “We need the center as a way to bring back high-quality jobs and a diversified economy in an area that often relies on hospitality and agriculture.”

The Climate Adaptation Center plan will be developed in approximately one year. Upon its completion, Permit Sonoma will make the plan available to the developer selected via the California Department of General Services disposition process and will be used in refining their development plan. The Climate Adaptation Center will both study climate action and implement sustainable community practices in its daily operation.

Until its closure in 2018, the Sonoma Developmental Center provided services to people with developmental disabilities for more than 120 years and at one time was the county’s largest employer. The property includes a historic campus, agricultural lands, and vast open space resources. State law requires the redevelopment to prioritize housing, especially affordable housing and housing for people with developmental disabilities, and be economically feasible.

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Media Contact: 
Bradley Dunn, Permit Sonoma Policy Manager 
Bradley.Dunn@sonoma-county.org 
(707) 321-0502 
2550 Ventura Ave. 
Santa Rosa, CA 95403