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Tag: City of Santa Rosa

  • Launch of Master Planning and Community Engagement Process

    Launch of Master Planning and Community Engagement Process

    Some of the best things in a community begin with a simple idea: what if? 

    What if this long-vacant corridor became a place filled with laughter, connection, nature, and joy? What if it became a place where neighbors greet one another on a morning walk, kids discover new adventures, families gather for picnics, and friends meet up for a bike ride or sunset stroll? 

    For years, community members have carried that vision forward. What started as a grassroots effort has grown into a shared undertaking fueled by neighbors, volunteers, community organizations, public agencies, and local leaders working together to create something special. Now, we’re excited to begin the next chapter. 

    The Southeast Greenway is more than a park project. It’s a chance to create something extraordinary together. 

    City of Santa Rosa, in partnership with Sonoma Land Trust, Greenway volunteers, and community partners, is launching the master planning process for the Southeast Greenway that will transform the two-mile corridor of vacant land into 47 acres of park amenities, trails, natural open spaces, and community gathering places that community members across Santa Rosa can enjoy. 

    But here’s the most exciting part: the Greenway isn’t being created for the community. It’s being created with the community. 

    The ideas, stories, and dreams of Santa Rosa residents will help shape what comes next. Whether you’ve been involved for years or are just hearing about the project today, there’s a place for your voice in this process. 

    We invite you to be part of this exciting next chapter. Fill out our community survey, attend a community workshop this November, or come see us at community events this fall. Your voice will help shape a park that serves all of Santa Rosa and future generations. 

    Together, we will create a park that reflects the city’s diverse communities, celebrates local culture and creativity, and advances equity, inclusion, and connection. We hope you’ll join us, bring your friends and neighbors, and help spread the word.  

    As we like to say, we’re on the path together. 

    Thank you for being part of this journey. We can’t wait to see what we’ll create together. 

  • Note From the Chair

    Note From the Chair

    There is a chill in the air as summer moves into the rearview mirror. It is a poignant time for me as my favorite pastimes go away, and I look forward to a fresh start; a new beginning.   

    Creating a Greenway is a long process, as those of you who have been following along already know. Breaking it down into phases will help us understand the many facets of this project. We closed a chapter with the acquisition of the property. We are embarking on the next phase of planning, and we hope you come along for the ride as we begin the next chapter with Phase 1 of master planning. 

    Hop aboard and join us for this exciting new phase and be sure to take the survey available in English or Spanish! 

  • Meet the Community Engagement TeamS

    Meet the Community Engagement TeamS

    Community involvement is an important part of the Southeast Greenway’s planning process. As we move into the next chapter of creating a park for the community, with community input, we’re excited to be working with a number of organizations on outreach. These organizations will help us reach different community members across Santa Rosa and Sonoma County for input into the future Southeast Greenway park.   
     
    Civic Edge Consulting – They led outreach and engagement in Sonoma County supporting projects related to transportation, housing policy, and wildfire resilience. As a women-owned, employee-led firm, they focus on empowering communities through authentic community engagement and responsive communications towards the public. 

    Kimzin Creative – Believing joyful futures are created by, for, and with community, they will lead creative and arts-based engagement for the Southeast Greenway master planning process using the arts to unleash the creative capacity of Santa Rosa’s diverse communities and inform the design, programs, and operations of the new 47-acre park. Their work creates welcoming spaces where communities historically excluded from placemaking can come together to dream, imagine, and shape what’s possible. As a Petaluma-based arts and equity consulting group, with recent contributions to Santa Rosa’s General Plan Update, Kimzin Creative brings trusted relationships and deep knowledge of the region’s vibrant communities to the project. 

    Latino Service Providers (LSP) – Serving as a bridge across generations in the Latinx community and working to improve access to healthcare, mental health services, education, legal support, and other social services, LSP will be helping with connecting the Latinx community during the next phase of the Greenway project. They will be conducting outreach activities such as tabling at Water Bark and other community events, at open houses, and other events to reach Spanish speaking neighbors near the Greenway, and across Santa Rosa.  

     We’re excited to be partnering with these organizations to engage with the diverse communities living within Santa Rosa and Sonoma County! 

  • Southeast Greenway’s New Look

    Southeast Greenway’s New Look

    As we officially launch the master planning process, the Southeast Greenway is entering an exciting new chapter—and we have a new look to support our community-led planning process! 

    Inspired by the corridor’s natural beauty and future potential, the new logo features rolling hills, a winding pathway, and native wildflowers that symbolize connection, movement, environmental stewardship, and the relationship between people and nature.  

    The refreshed identity reflects the community’s vision for a vibrant, accessible greenway while our new website provides a welcoming hub for project information, events, engagement opportunities, and ways to help shape the future of this once-in-a-generation park.

  • Successful Summer Appeal

    Successful Summer Appeal

    Thank you for your support

    • Inclusive Outreach: Reaching neighbors and residents across Santa Rosa to ensure all voices are heard.   
    • Events & Engagement: Hosting walks, open houses, and interactive workshops to weigh in on the design.   
    • Volunteer Coordination: Empowering the people-powered engine driving this campaign.  
    • Grant Matching Leverage: Multiplying your impact to unlock critical federal, state, and foundation funds. 

    Working together, we’re ensuring the City of Santa Rosa’s newest park is being built by the community for the community. Thank you!

  • Sharing Dreams for the Greenway

    Sharing Dreams for the Greenway

    Volunteers Worked Together to Envision a Completed Park

    After years of advocating for the Santa Rosa Southeast Greenway park land, volunteers gathered together to write down their dreams for park amenities onto sticky notes. The notes were then placed in recommended areas on a map of the greenway. This was an important step in maintaining the ideas and input received by volunteers and community members over the years as the Southeast Greenway moves into the next phase of planning.  

    In early July, Southeast Greenway volunteers and supporters gathered once again to share their dreams for the park, now with renewed energy as CMG Landscape Architecture has joined the project to help design the park’s master plan. Long time volunteer Pete Dellavalle presented possible recreational uses and their locations such as a pump track, adaptive playgrounds, yoga area, and more.  

    Attendees also met representatives from CMG Landscape Architecture, who the City of Santa Rosa recently hired to help design the master plan for the park, and Civic Edge Consulting, who will help with community engagement and outreach. CMG Landscape shared more about their work and how they plan to integrate and restore natural features along the Greenway as part of their plans for including trails, habitat spaces, and recreational areas. It was exciting to see how even with new organizations involved, the focus is on making sure the Southeast Greenway is going to be a park built by the community, for the community.  

    Special thanks to Sonoma Clean Power for hosting the gathering at their downtown Santa Rosa headquarters and Santa Rosa City Mayor Mark Stapp for attending.

    If you have dreams for this park, stay tuned for upcoming workshops, surveys, and more.  

  • Asm. Damon Connolly Walk & Talk

    Asm. Damon Connolly Walk & Talk

    Learning about legislative work and our park

    Support from local legislative representatives for the planning and development of the new Santa Rosa Southeast Greenway City Park continues to be strong. On Saturday, July 25, Asm. Damon Connolly hosted constituents of his CA-12 Assembly district (Northern Marin and Southern Sonoma counties) at Howarth Park’s Cypress Point picnic area for a presentation and walk to introduce them to the Greenway. Staff and interns from his office joined Sonoma Land Trust staff and Southeast Greenway Committee members to provide information and answer questions about the history and status of the two-mile stretch of land between Farmers Lane and Spring Lake. 

    After being provided snacks and beverages by Assemblymember Connolly’s office, the approximately 40 guests, who were from both counties, were guided on the path connecting Howarth Park to Spring Lake Park. The group then proceeded on Spring Lake Park paths to the west side of that park’s campground area. From there, the party was able to walk through the gate that opens onto the location where the Southeast Greenway will merge into Spring Lake Park, seeing the Greenway stretching west to Farmers Lane and the views of Santa Rosa and the ridges beyond. 

    Along the way, guests learned about the monthly guided walks on the Greenway, in which they can participate to experience first-hand the varied landscape, habitats, and crossing points that will be preserved and created for the surrounding neighborhoods and the entire community. They were also invited to participate in upcoming community input sessions that will be offered as part of the planning process unfolding over the next year or so. The response among the guests was strong and positive, with expressions of equally strong interest in participation in planning sessions and sharing what they learned with family, neighbors, and friends. 

  • Volunteers Provide Their Muscles

    Volunteers Provide Their Muscles

    Keeping the Park Clean

    A flock of wild turkeys enjoying breakfast on the Southeast Greenway on Sunday, July 25, were surprised to be joined by Sonoma Land Trust staff and Greenway volunteers who were there to walk the property in search of trash. Armed with collection tools provided by the City of Santa Rosa, the group split up working in different sections of the Greenway from Franquette Avenue up to Summerfield Road. 

    The annual clean-up had been delayed for several months, waiting for the City to mow the property. Volunteers filled several dozen large plastic bags with bottles, cans and other items. Also left for pick-up was a huge tractor trailer tire, a rusted car bumper, and shopping carts. It was sad to see some areas being used as major trash dumps, especially along creek beds. Even with the large amount of trash, volunteers finished the work earlier than planned. One first-time volunteer was awed by the beauty of the Greenway. 

    Volunteering with the Southeast Greenway is a fun and rewarding way to be part of something lasting. We hope you’ll join us!  

  • City Selects Master Plan Consultant

    City Selects Master Plan Consultant

    A Major Milestone in Bringing Santa Rosa’s Newest Park to Life!

    After months of anticipation, the Santa Rosa City Council has taken a major step forward for the Southeast Greenway. On June 16, 2026, the Council approved a contract with CMG Landscape Architecture to lead the master planning process for the nearly two-mile corridor connecting Farmers Lane to Spring Lake.

    This marks the official start of the next chapter for the Greenway: planning the transformation of 49 acres once slated for freeway expansion into a vibrant, welcoming public park in the heart of our city.

    CMG brings deep experience shaping public spaces across the Bay Area. The San Francisco-based firm led the landscape design for the Petaluma River Park project, which will become a destination park. They designed Mission Rock, the waterfront neighborhood near Oracle Park developed in partnership with the San Francisco Giants, and played a leading role in long-term planning for Crissy Field, one of the most visited and beloved parks in the region. Their portfolio also includes major civic and waterfront resilience projects throughout Northern California—work that should translate well to a community-defining space like the Southeast Greenway.

    According to the City of Santa Rosa’s announcement, community outreach will begin soon, giving residents a chance to help shape a shared vision for the park. Input gathered from participants will inform a draft master plan, expected to be ready for public review in spring or summer 2027.

    This is wonderful news, and a strong signal that real progress is finally underway. As outreach plans take shape over the coming weeks, we’ll be right here to help spread the word.

    Stay connected with us for upcoming opportunities to get involved and make your voice heard as planning begins.

  • Shaping Paths Between Two Greenways

    Shaping Paths Between Two Greenways

    City Survey and Community Bike Ride Offer a Chance to Weigh In 

    The City of Santa Rosa is taking on an exciting connectivity project: linking the Prince Memorial Greenway downtown with the future Southeast Greenway, closing a critical gap in what could one day be a continuous east/west trail across the city. As part of the Greenway Connectivity Study, City planners are asking the community to help choose between three possible routes—and there are two great ways to get involved.

    Take the Survey
    The City has put together an online survey walking through the three proposed alternatives, complete with maps and visual simulations of what each option could look like on the ground. It takes about 15 minutes to complete, and your input will directly inform the City’s recommended path forward.

    Join the Community Bike Ride
    Want to see the routes in person? Join City planners and fellow community members for a guided bike ride on Saturday, July 11 at 10 a.m., meeting at Prince Gateway Park. The flat, approximately 4-mile ride heads to Montgomery High School and back, giving riders a firsthand look at two of the route options along the way. All ages and abilities are welcome, and there’s an optional group lunch afterward for anyone who’d like to keep the conversation going.

    There’s also an in-person workshop on July 29 from 6–7:30 p.m. at 635 First Street in the City Hall Campus with a short presentation, Q&A, and free snacks and childcare provided.

    This is a great opportunity to have a direct voice in how our community connects, walks, and bikes for years to come. Learn more and find additional details on the City of Santa Rosa’s project page.