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CITY PLANNING COMMISSION REBUFFS NEW PIAZZA HOTEL PLAN
1865 –May 25, 2023 Date, Date, 20202020
16-ROOM GUEST HOUSE WOULD SCRAPE 50-FOOT DOWNTOWN HEIGHT LIMIT By Christian Kallen
➝ Piazza Hotel, 5
Photos by Christian Kallen
Piazza Hospitality, already the operators of three premiere hotels in downtown Healdsburg, made their case to build another to the city’s Planning Commission Tuesday night. Although their presentation was well-received and their previous works— at Hotel Healdsburg, H2H and Harmon Guest House—held up as positive examples of Healdsburg’s development, their new plan failed to overcome hesitations about the scale of what they are proposing for the downtown corner of North Street and Healdsburg Avenue. Instead, the commission unanimously voted to “continue” their discussion until a later date when the applicant could address concerns about massing, materials and the impact of a 50-foot tall pair of structures on one of the city’s busiest corners. The commission had a chance to review the proposed four-story, 16 guest room hotel at 400 Healdsburg Ave., with commercial space and a restaurant on the ground floor. An earlier plan to include an open-air walk-through plaza on the ground level was jettisoned; the entire ground floor will now be commercial space. At present, the project, called the HH Residence Hotel, will join the three earlier hotels under Piazza management, located farther south on Healdsburg Avenue toward the roundabout. Piazza’s principals, Pablo Petrone and Circe Sher, were present at the meeting, though only Petrone spoke to the commission. The bulk of their presentation
PLAZA MARCH Over 200 farmworkers and supporters demonstrated at the Healdsburg Plaza on May 20
for disaster pay, compensation and jobs with justice.
Farmworkers Rally During Winery Weekend DISASTER PAY AND COMPENSATION MOTIVATE 200-PLUS IN MARCH TO PLAZA By Christian Kallen
Describing Healdsburg as the “center of wealth in Sonoma County,” Davin Cardenas rallied a crowd of some 200 farmworkers, their families and supporters at Giorgi Park on Saturday in a demonstration in support of disaster pay for farmworkers. Gathering strength and numbers as it went, the group marched down residential Piper Street toward the Plaza and did a loud loop in front of West Plaza Park. Then it settled at the gazebo for music, speeches and chants extolling the power of labor in the success of Healdsburg’s food and wine notoriety. Cardenas, the North Bay Jobs With Justice director of organizing, pointed out that the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors recently created a compensation fund
based on the lobbying effort of North Bay Jobs With Justice. He served as translator for several Spanish-speaking members of North Bay Jobs With Justice (NBJWJ) who had come to Healdsburg with their message of climate justice for workers. Cardenas also played the role in reverse, translating English speakers into Spanish, including Councilmember Chris Herrod and Mayor Ariel Kelley (who introduced herself in Spanish as well). Herrod said, “This is just the beginning of our efforts, and we need everyone to return and keep delivering our message,” speaking of the growth of an equity movement in Healdsburg, a city that is in the midst of its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) process. “Equity is on the rise, diversity is on the rise, organization and negotiation are on the rise in Healdsburg." “I am grateful to the team of farmworkers who are bravely using their voices to shed light on
these labor issues,” said Kelley. “We are listening.” She then acknowledged the leadership team of North Bay Jobs with Justice, as provided to her by executive director Max Bell Alper. The primary issue that drove the march and demonstration was disaster pay for area farmworkers: both hazard pay for working during dangerous conditions, such as active fires and heavy smoke, or extreme heat and flooding, and compensation for lost pay during weather and disaster crises. Speaking of her own awareness of farmworkers who were put at risk during climate disasters, Kelley said, “While there are many good actors in the industry, it is the actions of many bad operators that is pressuring these workers and protest organizers to take action and demand hazard pay.” Also noted was the disparity between the attendees of the Healdsburg Wine and Food Experience, whose VIP tickets
LEAFLET An attendee at the Healdsburg Wine & Food
Experience looks over the demands for disaster pay asked for at the North Bay Jobs With Justice demonstration. cost over $4,000, and the $17 hourly wage of farmworkers. However, the event that the demonstration focused on, the
Grand Tasting in the West Plaza parking lot, did not cost $4,000 to attend, but
HEALDSBURG’S COUNTRY FAIR READY FOR AUCTION
FFA Twilight Parade at 6pm on Thursday, May 25. It’s more than a milelong caravan of floats, old cars and tractors, marching bands and dancing clowns; it’s the official signal that summer is about to begin in Healdsburg. The parade takes more than an hour to pass any given point, and it seems as if the entries keep appearing from around the corner, like a cluster of clowns exiting a too-small compact. That’s because the entries are stacked up in six staging areas along the residential streets southeast of the Plaza, feeding in sequence to the parade’s official starting point at Matheson and East. At 6pm, the parade route starts near St. John's Church on East and Matheson streets. Participating cars, trucks and trailers turn onto Center Street
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND BEGINS WITH THURSDAY TWILIGHT PARADE By Christian Kallen
Photo by Christian Kallen
LAS DANZANAS Folklorico dancers in the 2022 Twilight Parade
were a musical and colorful highlight.
First let’s get the name right: It’s the Healdsburg Future Farmers Country Fair, taking place for its 74th year, once again at Rec Park on Piper and University. Though its first day was Wednesday of this week for families involved in Future Farmers and 4-H activities, for most locals and visitors alike the big weekend kicks off with the
➝ Farmworkers, 3
➝ Country Fair, 3