SVHC District Board Receives Four Proposals For Hospital South Lot Site

June 28, 2017

Yesterday the Sonoma Valley Health Care District Board held a public meeting to hear proposals from interested parties regarding potential uses for the 2.83 acres of available vacant land in downtown Sonoma owned by Sonoma Valley Hospital. Not included in the RFP is the current hospital employee parking lot on the 4.1 acre site which will be retained by the hospital.

Four interested parties had submitted proposals by the June 15, 2017 deadline, and representatives attended the meeting to discuss their proposals and answer questions. Three proposals came from developers who proposed various forms of housing for the site; the fourth proposal recommended the District retain ownership of the parcel and that it contain a mix of rental units, open space and meeting space.

“We appreciate the thoughtful recommendations made by all four parties. The proposals we received have provided new ideas for the board to consider,” said Jane Hirsch, Board Chair.

“When we decided to proceed with an RFP early this year, we said it was needed as part of an education process for the board to understand what’s possible in terms of use,” Hirsch said. “That’s why we did not place any restrictions on who should make a proposal or what should be considered – we’re interested in all ideas that would work under the current zoning regulations. Ultimately, our goal is to make a decision that best serves our hospital and our community.”

The board did not announce a timeline for formally responding to the proposals, although it has been noted that financial obligations that are part of the financing it obtained to purchase the lot initially make it likely a decision needs to be reached by September.