August __, 2018

Governor Edmund G. Brown c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173 Sacramento, CA 95814

RE:	The future of the Sonoma Developmental Center

Dear Governor Brown:

As the Sonoma Developmental Center (SDC) prepares for final closure after 127 years of operation, [we/organization name] request your support for an agreement with Sonoma County that will govern the transition of ownership and use of this remarkable property. We are concerned that if no agreement is in place before you leave office, it will be much harder to maintain community trust and engagement in what officials have consistently described as a “unique and collaborative effort” to plan a new future for SDC. 

Earlier this summer, the Department of General Services (DGS) ended the reuse planning process initiated in 2017. The site assessment report is still not available to the public, and DGS denied Sonoma County’s recent request for financial support for land use planning and a community-supported governance model. Once SDC enters “warm shutdown” mode at the end of 2018, we will face increased risks to public safety, wildfire danger, and the threat of vandalism and other damage to what will suddenly be a mostly vacant property. We ask the state to keep its promises, and take the following actions to protect SDC:

	1.	Transfer governance authority and provide adequate funding to a local agency or newly created institution (e.g. a trust or JPA) to manage and protect the site for security and fire protection, maintain and operate the utilities, consider interim uses and steward the land, and move forward with land use planning for reuse of the property.  

	2.	Execute an agreement and timeline for the permanent preservation of SDC’s 700+ acres of open space lands, water resources, and diverse natural habitats through transfer to our state and/or county park systems. We urge the state to adopt the “Land Protection Proposal” developed by the SDC Coalition that presents a plan to protect the ecologically significant wildlife corridor and natural areas of SDC.

Your administration has done a very commendable job managing the closure of SDC. We hope that you can bring the same commitment and dedication to quickly approving a plan for the governance, stewardship and management of SDC. Our community’s safety and well-being depend upon it.

Sincerely,

Signature

C.C.	Senator Mike McGuire
	Senator Bill Dodd
	Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry
	Assemblymember Marc Levine
	Sonoma County Board of Supervisors