(This is the first of a two-part story on the Hanna Center’s development plans. This part covers specific plans, mainly described by Hanna Center CEO and President Cameron Safarloo, while part two will focus on the concerns some members of the community about them ).

The Hanna Center expects Sonoma County to begin drafting an Environmental Impact Report in early 2025 on its plans to develop 60 acres of land adjacent to its 90-acre campus on Arnold Drive so it can continue to offer and expand its services to Sonoma. The community of Vale.

“Sonoma County will oversee the preparation of a draft Environmental Impact Report, but we anticipate that effort will begin soon after the first year,” said Cameron Safarloo, president and CEO of the Hanna Center. “However, it will be some time before a document is ready for public viewing. This could happen in late 2025 or by mid-2026.

“We look forward to public hearings and consideration of our application in the coming months.”

Hanna Center proposal statementfiled with Permit Sonoma on Oct. 19, 2023, states the project would consist of market-rate housing, affordable housing, a job training center, a commercial/office development to house child care/preschool and daycare services of adults, a continuing care residential community, a hotel, expanded open space, a nine-lot major subdivision with a designated remainder and a density bonus application.

“Hanna has served as a resource for the Sonoma Valley for over 75 years, and we hope to continue serving our community for the next 75 years,” Safarloo said. “To do this, we need to expand our income beyond donations, which is the purpose of the proposed development.

“The long-term leases that make up the majority of our forward agreements are designed to ensure that Hanna remains connected to the ground while providing sustained revenue for our programming. From much-needed housing to retail space, we believe the proposed developments provide an ideal balance of community value and sustainable revenue for Hanna.”

Through its programs, the Hanna Center addresses trauma and empowers youth, others, and communities. It provides one-on-one clinical care, group sessions, mental health resources, career-focused skill development, and training for practitioners and organizations across the country in the trauma-informed best practices and innovative methodologies they implement in Sonoma.

Recently, the Hanna Center has accelerated its collaborative efforts with Sonoma Valley organizations through efforts such as Hanna’s Community Health Hub, which offers a wide range of therapies tailored to meet the diverse needs of the community, all rooted in trauma-informed practices.

Safarloo said that during the Hanna Center’s recent efforts, community members have expressed a need for affordable and senior housing, varied and flexible day care, housing for sale and employment opportunities.

“Our goal is to carefully develop this acreage in a way that creates the most opportunities for our community,” he said. “Each element of our plan incorporates the results of our work in addition to community engagement and resources.”

He said the proposed project offers housing options that address a wide range of community needs, including 142 homes for sale, 244 senior housing units consisting of 200 independent living units, 20 assisted living units, 24 memory care units and 130 affordable housing units.

“The addition of these residential units to the housing stock will greatly assist the county in meeting its regional housing needs allocation requirements,” he said.

The Hanna Center plans to provide professional training and mentoring opportunities for its students, program participants, clients and community members in the hotel, senior housing, day care and retail developments.

“We expect these additional developments to provide expanded opportunities beyond the current professional training and mentoring programs that Hanna currently offers,” said Safarloo.

The proposed project would also create more than 10 acres of open space with access to streams, views, sun, shade and small gathering areas for walkers, hikers and bicyclists.

“Leading medical research continues to highlight the benefits of open space for human health, and we’ve always known that our land in Sonoma is special,” Safarloo said. “Maintaining our open spaces and adding increased public access to this land is directly in line with Hanna’s mission.”

Some Sonoma Valley residents have expressed concern about the large scale of the proposed developmentsaying, among other things, that it would overburden water and sewer systems and create massive traffic congestion, which would be especially problematic when fires occur.

“We understand that residents are concerned about the outcomes of the proposed development, which is why transparency is important in our communications,” Safarloo said. “We plan to work closely and conscientiously with Sonoma County to avoid any associated challenges that may come with the development of our community.”

He said Sonoma County has hired Rincon Consultants, Inc., an environmental consulting firm, to prepare a detailed Environmental Impact Report that will identify the project’s potential impacts.

“The county will use this EIR to carefully evaluate potential impacts and develop mitigation requirements that aim to reduce optional impacts to a less-than-significant level,” Safarloo said. “The county will also use the EIR to assess and understand significant impacts that are determined to be unavoidable.”

The Hanna Center arranged for Fehr & Peers, a transportation firm, to prepare a detailed evacuation analysis.

“This firm has extensive experience statewide and in Sonoma County,” Safarloo said. “Hanna is confident that careful study of these issues by highly qualified experts will ensure maximum levels of fire resistance and provide adequate plans for the safe evacuation of area residents.”

The Hanna Center sponsored community meetings to explain and discuss the project and created a document room on campus that offers public access by appointment to view project materials and ask questions.

Safarloo said the Hanna Center will schedule additional community meetings and public meetings will be sponsored by the county to provide opportunities for public comment as the application process continues.

“We are grateful to our neighbors for their involvement in the future of our community,” said Safarloo, “Our community is crucial and we value transparency.”

Reach reporter Dan Johnson at [email protected].