A personal message re Dutra Asphalt Plant

From P4C member Connie Madden:

Honorable Sonoma County Board of Supervisors:

I am Connie Madden, author, Petaluma360.com blogger and activist living in Petaluma - and I very strongly oppose the request of Dutra Materials to locate an asphalt plant at Petaluma's gateway on 101 South and just exactly across from our most popular walking trails - a real tourist draw - Shollenberger Park and bird sanctuary.

If Dutra could somehow convince me they would truly enclose this new plant and operate during the day, that could possibly be a mitigation - but we know they have not kept their side of the bargain at their site in San Rafael (operating 24/7, building docks and other structures without permits, noise and air pollution). Their record is not at all good at that facility.

As you know, Petaluma is a major tourist destination in our County and that draw is greatly enhanced by the presence of Shollenberger and its extended wetlands, just now coming into use! Birding enthusiasts come from all over to share the experiece of spotting the hundreds of varieties of migratory birds that depend on this place for nesting, for resting en route.

This is a very beautiful park, treasured by so many. Our Rowing Club Regatta draws 600 participants each year - but this plant would end that by blocking the River so the Regatta could not take place. One wonders if OTHER boats could get past the huge barge Dutra intends to dock in a narrow part of the River as well!

The idea of placing two huge smoke stacks right alongside the freeway as our gateway view is, as Council member Mike Healy said, disheartening! Let alone the likely presence of additional pollution making its way into the park and into residential neighborhoods.

As you will hear, former Petaluma Council member, David Keller, and Friends of the Petaluma River Director, David Yearsley, were invited to view Dutra's "state of the art" facility in LA and found to their dismay BLUE SMOKE PLUMES exiting the "state of the art" plant - and more of same rising from trucks that were supposed to be covered with tarpulins but were not. Yuck!

It just doesn't make business sense to insult the eyes, ears and nose of people coming to Petaluma for a get-away, business trip, trip to Sonoma's wonderful wine country - by first offering them a view of smoke stacks, smell of asphalt, noise of the very loud plant.

If there is any way of convincing Dutra to move this plant further from our bird sanctuary or at least demanding any facility be fully enclosed - and regulations honored - we might still be able to add this asphalt plant to our landscape. But Dutra's record is not good - and we have managed for 150 years without an asphalt plant at the gateway to our postcard pretty River City. At this time, I would deny their request!

Thank you for your consideration.

Yours, Connie Madden
Petaluma360.com