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WARRIORS BOUNCE BACK » Late SUN COMES OUT FOR BOTTLEROCK »

surge helps Golden State defeat Festivalgoers bask in warmth as


Houston Rockets, force Game 7. C1 food and music hit good notes. A3

BEING HAPPY LIKE SWEDISH » More


embracing trend of minimalism,
simplicity and balance. D1

SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018 • SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA • PRESSDEMOCRAT.COM

WILDFIRE RECOVERY » NEW HOMES SLOWLY GOING UP

County builders see


wave taking shape
PETER MORRISON / ASSOCIATED PRESS

Irish supporters of the “Yes”


campaign react to landslide vote
to repeal the country’s restrictions
on abortion Saturday in Dublin.

Irish end
abortion
ban in
landslide
Voters cement liberal shift
away from 1983 measure
with amendment repeal
By KIMIKO DE
FREYTAS-TAMURA
NEW YORK TIMES

DUBLIN — Ireland voted


decisively to repeal one of the
world’s more restrictive abor-
tion bans, sweeping aside gen-
erations of conservative patri-
archy and dealing the latest in a
series of stinging rebukes to the
Roman Catholic Church.
The surprising landslide, re-
flected in the results announced
on Saturday, cemented the
nation’s liberal shift at a time
when right-wing populism is
on the rise in Europe and the
Trump administration is im- JOHN BURGESS / THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
posing curbs on abortion rights Jason, top, and Jesus Garcia cover the frame of a Mocha Lane house Thursday being built by Shook & Waller Construction of Windsor in Santa
in the United States. In the past Rosa’s Coffey Park neighborhood. Contractors say as home rebuilding in the burn zones picks up steam they will need all the workers they can find.
three years alone, Ireland has
installed a gay man as prime
minister and has voted in anoth-
er referendum to allow same-
Demand for workers likely to parallel construction surge, experts predict
sex marriage.
But this was a particularly By ROBERT DIGITALE nearly 2,000 square feet.
wrenching issue for Irish vot- THE PRESS DEMOCRAT The Bakers hope to break ground later this

W Rebuild
ON H
27, 2018 • SECTI

ers, even for supporters of the summer and are willing to take the extra time
SUNDAY, MAY

measure. And it was not clear hen Mike Baker saw the first crop of and effort in order to get the home they want.
until the end that the momen- rebuilt homes rising from the earth Y Nearly eight months have transpired since
tum toward socially liberal pol- of fire-scarred Coffey Park, he real- NORTH BA the most destructive wildfires in state history
icies would be powerful enough ized the structures had a familiar look. ravaged the North Bay. What becomes clearer
to sweep away deeply ingrained “Almost all of these are floor plans that each month is the rebuild will take far longer
opposition to abortion. I recognize,” said Baker, pastor at Cros- than anyone wishes.
“What we have seen today re- spoint Church in Santa Rosa. The projects In Sonoma County, which suffered the
ally is a culmination of a quiet included a half-dozen rebuilt versions of his biggest losses of lives and property, fire sur-
revolution that’s been taking burned three-bedroom home, which had been vivors have received permits to rebuild about
place in Ireland for the past constructed in the northwest Santa Rosa 400 homes, less than a tenth of the nearly
10 or 20 years,” Prime Minister neighborhood three decades ago by longtime KENT PORTER
/ THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
5,300 houses, apartments and granny units
Leo Varadkar said at a count- homebuilder Condioitti Enterprises. that burned. The permitted rebuilds nearly
to
l on the home next
roofing materia
rhood, puts aged area.
Park neighbo
Rosa’s Coffey 125 homesites in the fire-dam
home in Santa ay at
Hemlock Street projects were underw
out of their tion
a family burned . As of Monday, construc
, a friend of

ing center in Dublin before the Builders and neighbors said it makes sense equal the number of burned lots that have
Dan Holleran California poppies
covered by
a vacant lot
STRUCTION
FOCUS ON CON and warmer, drier daysructio
in
n
out const
er on its way month when

W
ith wet weath supposed to be the off. Each

results of Friday’s vote were that the first rebuilt houses in the burned been put up for sale since the fires.
was would take ations
store, May ty’s fire zones found
Sonoma Coun ery grows, with new aingrove,
projects in of that recov Park, Fount
day, evidence on new homes in Coffey
up area.
walls going
the greater
Mark West 400 rebuildingthe
going in and lost. About

released, giving an early indica- areas would feature relatively few changes to Despite the relatively slow start, contractors
a Valley and pales with what was 250 in Santa
Rosa and
the Sonom ty so far , includ ing underway
to
Still, the activi issued countywide projects are actually
been . Far fewer
permits have city limits yed count ywide .
e battles
outside

SPECIAL SECTION INSIDE


remainder homes destro g fire survivors, includ d labor-
nearly 5,300

tion of the final outcome. the designs. In contrast, Baker and his wife, say a wave of rebuilds is coming. And they
replace the nown amon a lack of skille
now well-k ial costs and
The obstacles,payouts, rising mater a historic
ance Bay —
over insur to do the work. s the North far
ers available but done acros contractors searchingof proj-
s cleanup all with
Yet with debri right — the stage is set, ers speeding their reviewd.

“This has been a great exercise Zoë, now are working with architects and With debris from October’s fires contend that when it hits, the county will need
own nment plann groun
effort in its rs breaking
workers, gover wave of homeowne
and wide for cant
first signifi
ects and the

in democracy,” Varadkar said, engineers to prepare the building plans for nearly cleared, the stage is all the construction workers it can find to meet
“and the people have spoken their new Keoke Court house, which will add a set in the North Bay for home
second story and grow by about 25 percent to construction to pick up steam / H1 TURN TO BUILDERS » PAGE A14
TURN TO ABORTION » PAGE A15

Momentous day commences for SRJC grads


CLASS OF 2018 » College marks vidual expression, adorned with flowers,
sparkles and stenciled slogans.
centennial milestone, reflecting Author Gaye LeBaron, the commence-
cultural and ethnic diversity ment speaker and an SRJC graduate
from the class of 1955, noted the proces-
By MARY CALLAHAN sion “looked very different than the one
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT I was in” — a group of mostly teenagers
with a smattering of returned Korean
A century after 19 students formed War veterans taking advantage of the GI
the inaugural class of Santa Rosa Junior Bill.
College, launching a Sonoma County in- Sabrina Rawson, 47, was among the
stitution that has since enrolled an esti- hundreds of students who participated
mated 1.7  million students, the Class of in Saturday’s ceremony. A mother who
2018 took its place in history Saturday had five children before starting her ed-
— each graduate marking a milestone in ucation, she served two years as student
their own lives and an era shaped by the trustee while studying history, while also
school’s presence. battling lung disease.
The graduates ranged from 17 years “I never thought I’d be here,” said
old to 72, and reflected a widening spec- Rawson, who until three weeks ago
trum of cultural and ethnic diversity, walked around campus with an oxygen
ERIK CASTRO / FOR THE PRESS DEMOCRAT their colorful ceremonial stoles declar- bottle to aid her breathing. Now, she’s
Graduates making their way toward the stage during Santa Rosa Junior College’s 2018 ing membership in study and commu-
commencement ceremony on Saturday. nity groups, their caps a canvas for indi- TURN TO SRJC » PAGE A2

Business E1 Crossword T7 Lotto A2 Obituaries B4 SSU WINE PROGRAM TAKES ROOT: $11 million SANTA ROSA ©2018
Classified E5 Forum B11 Movies D6 Sonoma Life D1 facility with state-of-the-art classrooms and High 82, Low 51 The Press
Democrat
Community B10 LeBaron T1 Nevius C1 Smith A3 more poised to have its grand opening / E1 THE WEATHER, C8
A14 THE PRESS DEMOCRAT • SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018

“The cost of building is going to knock out projects that


would have rolled through over the next 12 to 24 months.”
RANDY WALLER, marketer of new homes who sees rising expenses sidelining some “borderline” developments in the North Bay

PHOTOS BY JOHN BURGESS / THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Construction workers build a home Thursday on Dogwood Drive in the Coffey Park neighborhood of Santa Rosa on Thursday.

BUILDERS the money.”


Rebuild could take decade
CONTINUED FROM A1 Many observers suggested
more building activity will take
the demand. place in the burned areas next
“I think it will be two to three year, at which time the need for
years of just everything that all construction workers will simi-
of us can handle,” said Ed Waller, larly increase.
CEO and partner in Shook & Woods of the Builders Ex-
Waller Construction of Windsor. change has regularly predicted
The October fires claimed the rebuild could take a decade
40 lives and burned 6,200 homes to complete. He said the worker
in a four-county region. Resi- shortage eventually will become
dential insurance claims have a serious problem for local
totaled about $8.4 billion. builders. That is why industry
By last week, construction had leaders are partnering with local
begun on 223 homes in the burned educators over the next three
neighborhoods of the county, years to offer several hundred
local planning officials said. high school students the chance
What can be said about the to learn enough skills to get
first rebuilders is they had lived hired in construction.
mostly in Coffey Park. They gen- The first companies offering
erally are rebuilding a similar to rebuild homes were local con-
home to what they had lost. And tractors like Waller, who with
they are among the first to lo- partner Steve Shook had framed
cate contractors and settle with thousands of homes for various
insurance companies in order county homebuilders over the
to make sure they complete the Missile Gutierrez, left, and Kody Young build a doorway during a Sonoma County Adult Education basic past four decades. But the sheer
rebuild before their rental assis- construction class in Santa Rosa. In light of a worker shortage, industry leaders are partnering with local number of destroyed homes has
tance money runs out, typically educators over the next three years to offer courses to train more craftspeople. drawn other builders.
within two years. Among them is Ron Ferra-
In Coffey Park, the land today Park nonetheless have found ro, who has moved his Sunset
resembles a hodgepodge of a ways to move forward, often by Developers to Santa Rosa
construction zone. Chest-high using a portion of the insurance from New York. He has begun
stacks of wood wall sheathing proceeds paid for their destroyed rebuilds for two clients in the
and various hues of port-a-pot- furniture, clothing and other county and this summer plans
ties line many streets, while home contents to help them to start about five homes on lots
clusters of workers fashion rebuild. he purchased in Fountaingrove.
foundations and frame walls. Brian Flahavan, a partner in He also is bidding on jobs for
But the rebuild remains scat- the Santa Rosa-based Synergy other contractors who need help
tered across a neighborhood Group, said the hundreds of in completing rebuilds.
where nearly 1,260 homes neighborhood residents he has A year from now, Ferraro
burned. You rarely see homes met with often expressed worry said, “there’s just going to be an
rising on three adjacent lots. that a rebuild would be too ex- abundance of work and there
Nonetheless, the neighbor- pensive, only to find “it’s not as aren’t going to be enough (work-
hood had 125 homes under con- bad as people think.” ers) to do it.”
struction, or 56 percent of the Waller, a house framer and The work also has prompted
total for the county last week. custom homebuilder for four the creation of a new company,
The neighborhood also leads decades, similarly said the vast Homebound, formed to offer a
the county in regard to over- majority of Coffey Park residents “Local suppliers are working hard to make sure the community has the “concierge service” that links
all rebuilding applications. he meets have the means to re- materials it needs to rebuild,” says Barry Friedman, CEO and president of fire survivors with builders and
The city last week reported build. He said the prospects seem Friedman’s Home Improvement. other experts who can help home-
it had received 276 requests worse for those in Santa Rosa’s owners with the recovery and
for building permits in Coffey Fountaingrove neighborhood, don’t want to live any longer British Columbia and the west- rebuilding process. The Santa Ro-
Park, compared to 91 combined where “we’ve talked to many, than necessary in a construction ern United States. sa-based company was founded
in Fountaingrove and Hidden many people that are hundreds zone, with the inconvenience of “These are historically high by Cardinal Newman High grad
Valley. The county had received of thousands (of dollars) short” “dirt and dust ... and nail guns.” prices,” said Anderson. Tom O’Brien, who is a principal
239 applications, with the largestin what they need to rebuild. The increasing cost of sup- at Atomic, a San Francisco-based
concentration — 78 homes — in For the first group of rebuild- Preparing for building surge plies and labor will affect not company that builds startups.
the Mark West Springs area ers, the new homes often resem- As the varied players in the only the cost of replacement O’Brien said he is a partner in
stretching from Larkfield to the ble their old ones. rebuild process move forward, homes in the fire area but also Homebound with Atomic found-
outskirts of Calistoga. Fewer than 10 percent of the they often are keeping an eye on those in new subdivisions, said er and managing partner Jack
rebuild permits submitted in each other for signs of increased Randy Waller, Ed Waller’s son Abraham, an investor in start-
Coffey Park at epicenter Santa Rosa have made major activity. and the broker/owner of W Real ups who lost his own Kenwood
Coffey Park has become the changes to the design, accord- Among building supply com- Estate in Santa Rosa. home in the October fires.
epicenter of the rebuild for ing to Steve Jensen, manager panies, officials such as Fried- Community leaders have said O’Brien said Homebound
several reasons, builders and of the city’s Resilient Permit man’s Home Improvement CEO thousands of new homes need will offer homeowners a way to
others said. A neighborhood Center. About 20 percent are the Barry Friedman are reviewing to be built in the county in the rebuild a quality home while
of tract subdivisions, it offers same designs and the remaining city building permit numbers coming years. Over the past saving money and providing
the easiest rebuild projects. 70 percent have minor or moder- and looking for other indications decade, builders have averaged end-to-end oversight by staff. He
As such, it also has attracted a ate changes, which he said means that would help anticipate de- less than 640 homes per year. predicted the service will appeal
number of longtime local build- they have “the same or nearly mand from those rebuilding. Randy Waller, who markets to doctors and others who don’t
ers, including Shook & Waller, the same” exterior designs. “Everybody is trying to figure new homes for a number of have time to devote hundreds of
Gallaher Homes, Synergy Group Even so, eventually the vast out where is that wave,” he said. builders, said the industry is on hours to rebuilding.
by Christopherson, Tuxhorn majority of rebuilders will take Asked about the outlook, he track to build more new homes While the company will work
Homes and APM Homes. the opportunity to revise and replied, “Friedman’s and other this year. But rising expens- throughout the county, it can offer
Also, builders credit the fire update what they lost, predicted local suppliers are working hard es mean some “borderline” its service in rural areas that may
survivors there with quickly Keith Woods, CEO at the North to make sure the community developments will be sidelined not have attracted as much in-
organizing themselves into the Coast Builders Exchange, a San- has the materials it needs to because they no longer make terest from builders as neighbor-
Coffey Strong neighborhood ta Rosa trade group. He likened rebuild.” financial sense. hoods like Coffey Park, said Julia
group to assist in the rebuild. it to car repairs: some will do Already the price of lumber “The cost of building is going Donoho, an architect, attorney
The efforts have helped neigh- tuneups, and some will under- this year has jumped 30 percent, to knock out projects that would and Homebound’s vice president
bors more quickly work through take “complete overhauls.” according to Random Lengths, have rolled through over the and general counsel. Such efforts,
the various issues of recovery Among the fire survivors, a company in Eugene, Oregon, next 12 to 24 months,” he said. she said, can make a significant
and rebuilding. Waller has encountered two dis- that reports on the North Amer- Among fire survivors, a large difference as the county works
Some builders also contend tinct approaches in how quickly ican wood products industry. number have not yet settled on toward recovery from the fires.
the Coffey Park residents appear people wish to rebuild. But publisher Jon Anderson the final compensation from “We need as many people to re-
to be in relatively good shape to Roughly three out of four fire said the jump is due less to their insurance companies, build as possible,” Donoho said.
afford replacing their homes. survivors ask him, “How soon rising demand than to unusual said Jeff Okrepkie, chairman of
Contractors acknowledged the can I get back in?” But the oth- supply constraints, including Coffey Strong. Many want to re- You can reach Staff Writer Rob-
majority of the county’s fire ers often say, “I don’t want to be those brought on by the “most build but “they are still waiting ert Digitale at 707-521-5285 or
survivors are underinsured. part of this first wave.” severe fire season” for loggers for those final numbers so they robert.digitale@pressdemocrat.
But they said many in Coffey The latter group, Waller said, and mill operators in decades in can be sure they actually have com. On Twitter @rdigit.
Rebuild
SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018 • SECTION H

NORTH BAY

KENT PORTER / THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Dan Holleran, a friend of a family burned out of their Hemlock Street home in Santa Rosa’s Coffey Park neighborhood, puts roofing material on the home next to
a vacant lot covered by California poppies. As of Monday, construction projects were underway at 125 homesites in the fire-damaged area.

FOCUS ON CONSTRUCTION

W
ith wet weather on its way out and warmer, drier days in
store, May was supposed to be the month when construction
projects in Sonoma County’s fire zones would take off. Each
day, evidence of that recovery grows, with new foundations
going in and walls going up on new homes in Coffey Park, Fountaingrove,
the Sonoma Valley and the greater Mark West area.
Still, the activity so far pales with what was lost. About 400 rebuilding
permits have been issued countywide, including 250 in Santa Rosa and the
remainder outside city limits. Far fewer projects are actually underway to
replace the nearly 5,300 homes destroyed countywide.
The obstacles, now well-known among fire survivors, include battles
over insurance payouts, rising material costs and a lack of skilled labor-
ers available to do the work.
Yet with debris cleanup all but done across the North Bay — a historic
effort in its own right — the stage is set, with contractors searching far
and wide for workers, government planners speeding their review of proj-
ects and the first significant wave of homeowners breaking ground.

INSIDE

FIRST HOME REBUILT WATER QUALITY IMPROVES TEACHING A NEW HELPING FIRE SURVIVORS
IN SR’S COFFEY PARK IN FOUNTAINGROVE GENERATION OF WORKERS NAVIGATE REBUILDING
The city has issued 197 permits Levels of benzene in water mains Training programs are aiding Local governments
to rebuild the neighborhood, have begun to dissipate, but a “race against time” to develop are working to accelerate and
where 1,260 homes were lost. building permits lag other areas. a skilled laborforce. simplify the permit process.
Page H6 Page H9 Page H12 Page H13

PARTICIPATING SPONSORS
H4 THE PRESS DEMOCRAT • SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018

WORD TO THE WISE »


Residents of burned neighborhoods share what they’ve learned about recovering

PHOTOS BY CHRISTOPHER CHUNG / THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Carmen Kilcullen, second right, and her daughter, Lauren Kilcullen, walk over a hose as the rebuilding gets underway at their Cross Creek Road property in the Fountaingrove neighborhood

Hard lessons, hope


of Santa Rosa. Finding the right builder can be a challenging, but for Kilcullen and her husband, Larry, it was a natural choice.

when starting over


By DANNY MUELLER

I
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

n the fire-scarred neighbor-


hoods of Sonoma County,
some homeowners are watch-
ing the walls of their new homes
go up. Others are staring at empty
lots before work gets underway, or
deciding whether to rebuild at all.
Across Sonoma County, near-
ly 5,300 homes burned, so the
scale of each rebuilding plan and
magnitude of those individual
decisions adds up.
More than seven months after
the fires, The Press Democrat
asked residents whose homes
were claimed by the disaster to
share their advice and insights
from the rebuilding process.
Joel Chandler and his wife, Tina,
had lived in the Larkfield Estates
neighborhood for 17 years. The
fires destroyed their home and
more than 700 others in the area.
Chandler, a general contrac-
tor, said the rebuilding process is
hard on people who want to do the
work themselves. His advice to
other homeowners: Be proactive.
“You have to push. You have to
constantly push. If you’re patient,
you will get nothing. You have to
be totally proactive in pushing
what you want to happen. Even if
you do that, it still takes months
to make things happen.”
Joel and Tina Chandler, who had lived in Larkfield Estates for 17 years before losing their home in
TURN TO LESSONS » PAGE H5 October’s Tubbs fire, have had their share of challenges with rebuilding. His advice: Be proactive.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS » WILDFIRE SURVIVORS’ ADVICE

“If you’re patient, you “Take what you know on “Material things don’t
will get nothing. You have Monday, but know that it matter, but it’s all
to be totally proactive could change on Tuesday. the mementos and
in pushing what you And don’t freak out that memories and things
want to happen.” it changed. You definitely you can’t replace.
JOEL CHANDLER, general contractor
who is rebuilding in the Larkfield Estates
have to be flexible.” That’s the hardest loss.”
neighborhood north of Santa Rosa HANS DIPPEL, property owner in JIM SCALLY, Santa Rosa resident about
Santa Rosa’s Fountaingrove neighborhood losing his home in Santa Rosa’s Coffey Park
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT • SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018 H5

JOHN BURGESS / THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Hans Dippel sorts through the remains of his fire-ravaged property on Chateau Court on Oct. 19 in Santa Rosa. His insurance coverage has given him time
to make careful decisions, he says, and he advises homeowners who are rebuilding after the wildfires to roll with the punches.

LESSONS You definitely have to be flexible.”


Finding the right builder can be a chal-
lenge all in its own right. But for Larry and
my areas of expertise.”
But neighbors shared their knowledge,
and she plowed ahead.
CONTINUED FROM H4 Carmen Kilcullen of Cross Creek Road in “I feel lucky to have the support of such a
Fountaingrove, it was a natural choice. tremendous community,” Woods said.
Despite uncertainty around septic and Rod McCannell, the man who had orig- Jim Scally lost his home of 28 years on
sewer service in the neighborhood, Chan- inally built their home, agreed to take on Crimson Lane in Coffey Park. Scally said the
dler said he hopes to have a building permit their rebuild project. Kilcullen said settling experience feels like a “full-time job that you
in hand by the first week of June. Then, he that decision made the whole process easier. don't really want.” Although the process is
said it's a matter of working “12 hours a day, “I think it’s important to make a decision frustrating, he said it’s important to focus on
seven days a week” to get his home rebuilt and get going,” she said. “If you don’t want the positive.
by the anniversary of the fires. to build, then do something else. If you’re “We did great to escape,” Scally said. “We
Hans Dippel lived with his family on Cha- going to build, then get into it. Because were 90 minutes trapped in our neighbor-
teau Court in Fountaingrove. The winery that’s going to delay things, and if you delay hood, and our car almost caught on fire at
supply salesman and former Santa Rosa things more and more, there’s going to be a one point. It was unbelievable. I’d say to be
City Council candidate said fear over rising problem.” prepared on what, if anything, happens —
costs and water contamination has pushed Tricia Woods, a teacher at Mark West what would you take? Be prepared for that.
more of his neighbors to sell. He said his Charter School, lost her home in Coffey We thought we’d be coming back home. We
insurance coverage has given him time to Park. She received a building permit this didn’t think the house would burn down.
make careful decisions. week, and a contractor is poised to break Things do happen.”
His advice to homeowners who are re- ground. Woods said support from a neigh- He advised fellow fire survivors that re-
building: Roll with the punches. borhood group has made all the difference covery will be about more than just rebuild-
“As you go through the process, you’re go- as she rebuilds. ing.
ing to hear one thing on a Monday, and things “Getting involved with Coffey Strong “I think the emotional part of it is going to
could change on a Tuesday. It’s not anybody’s was the best thing I did after the fire,” take a long time to heal,” he said. “Material
fault, it just changed. Take what you know Woods said of the neighborhood group. “As things don’t matter, but it’s all the mementos
on Monday, but know that it could change on a single mom and middle school teacher, and memories and things you can’t replace.
Tuesday. And don’t freak out that it changed. insurance claims and construction are not That’s the hardest loss.”

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H6 THE PRESS DEMOCRAT • SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018

COFFEY PARK IN SANTA ROSA »


Construction has begun on 125 homes as restoration of utilities continues

CHRISTOPHER CHUNG / THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Homeowner Dan Bradford, right, watches as PG&E lineman Marc Hockenberger tests for electrical power at Bradford’s rebuilt Coffey Park home.

First rebuilt home


a major milestone
T
By ROBERT DIGITALE first rebuild, a three-bedroom, two-bath discounted prices. It said residents would
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT home on a cul-de-sac west of the neighbor- save more than $100,000 on homes the
hood park. company estimated would cost $272,000 to
he first home stands re- The rebuilt, single-story house on Kerry $311,000.
built in Coffey Park, and Lane features the same exterior shape and But a group of residents in May filed a
was built on the same foundation as the class-action lawsuit against Hometown.
a few hundred more are original home of more than 30 years. The Those residents contended they still had
either under construc- contractor, Lake County Contractors of no idea when they could obtain their new
tion or soon to get started there. Cobb, started replacing the structure shortly homes, and they noted the company had
before the new year. notified them that on Sept. 1 fire survivors
The long-awaited rebuild has It was the first rebuild project to receive a would have to resume paying their monthly
begun in the northwest Santa building permit in the city and the first to be space rents, which average about $750.
Rosa neighborhood. The pace brought to completion. “When September comes, I’ll be paying
Dan Bradford, the homeowner, expressed two rents,” resident Cam Folks said at the
may still be slower than many gratitude for those who rebuilt his house news conference announcing the lawsuit
hoped for, but construction has and for the neighbors who cheered him on filed in Sonoma County Superior Court.
during construction. Stephen Braun, Hometown co-president
increased markedly from April. “I’ve made some really strong friendships and chief operating officer, said the com-
As of Monday, builders had out of this,” Bradford said. pany was working to get residents back
started to construct 125 homes into the park as quickly as possible and for
“the most reasonable costs.” The biggest
in the neighborhood, compared The last lot cleared challenge, he said, involved finding enough
to about 50 a month earlier, ac- May marked another milestone: the com- builders to replace the residents’ two-car
cording to the city’s Resilient pletion of hauling away ash and fire rubble garages, which need to be built on site.
from the single-family homesites of Coffey Hometown likely will lose money on each
Permit Center. The activity Park. unit it provides for the residents, Braun
amounts to more than 80 percent A lot on Waring Court was the last one said. Nonetheless, he said, “Seeing the
of the homes that currently are in the neighborhood to have an excavator devastation, the right thing to do was to get
scoop up bricks, broken metal and other bits these people back into houses.”
being rebuilt in all the Santa of debris from the Tubbs fire in October. It
Rosa neighborhoods that were was one of three lots cleared in early May by
scorched by the October wildfires. a private contractor. City relaxes setback rules
“It’s time for the next chapter,” said Mi- When seeking to rebuild, a number of Cof-
Overall, Coffey Park home- chael Wolff, CEO of Wolff Contracting in San- fey Park residents found themselves unable
owners since the fire have ap- ta Rosa, who oversaw the work. “It feels like to change the shape of their homes.
plied to rebuild 276 of the nearly now we’re really into the building phase.” In response, the city Planning Commis-
While the cleanup of small residential lots sion agreed in May to permit its staff to
1,260 homes burned there. By ended, one final project of debris remov- waive certain setback rules and allow more
Monday the city had issued 197 of al remained at the nearby Hopper Lane flexibility.
those requested permits. Apartments. A city official said the Hopper Some residents learned their final record-
Avenue complex would be the last of the ed subdivision maps featured rules about
Meanwhile, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. burned apartment and commercial sites in permitted setbacks and building envelopes
reports it has received 370 applications for the city to undergo such a cleaning. that were specific for each lot. A staff
new service from customers with a Coffey For many, the ash and rubble were more member called the rules a kind of “custom
Park address. than eyesores. They were painful reminders of zoning” that precluded the city planners
Also as part of the rebuild, PG&E in May the trauma and loss suffered in the neighbor- from allowing many changes to the size and
continued to replace underground utilities hood. For them, the cleanup provided relief. placement of homes.
in the neighborhood. Since the beginning of Instead of making each property owner
April, it has completed about 14,000 feet of go through the time and expense of hiring
new trenches, which hold electric, natural Lawsuit over The Orchard a civil engineer or surveyor to propose
gas and other utilities. Across the SMART train tracks from Cof- new setbacks, city staff brought forward
PG&E is on track to dig nearly 23 miles fey Park, residents of The Orchard mobile a solution that allowed the city engineer,
of trenches for such utilities in the burned home park continue to deal with the loss David Guhin, to make them on behalf of
neighborhoods around Santa Rosa, includ- of nearly 70 homes burned in the October residents.
ing Mark West and Hidden Valley. The work fire. Many residents say the rebuild process “For everybody who is trying to rebuild,
in Coffey Park is slated to be wrapped up by is taking too long and they blame the park this is going to make the process simpler,
the end of the year. owner, Hometown America, a Chicago-based more reliable, faster and more friendly to
Here is a recap of other Coffey Park news company that owns mobile home parks in 13 people who are trying to start a new dream,”
for the past month: states. Planning Commission Chairman Casey
The 223-unit park, which caters to resi- Edmonson said.
dents aged 55 and older, sits at Piner Road
Putting back the first home and Pinercrest Drive. You can reach Staff Writer Robert Digitale at
Last week city and neighborhood leaders After the fire, Hometown offered to help 707-521-5285 or robert.digitale@pressdemo-
celebrated the completion of Coffey Park’s residents buy new manufactured homes at crat.com. On Twitter @rdigit.

“I’ve made some really strong friendships out of this.”


DAN BRADFORD, owner of the first rebuilt home in Coffey Park
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT • SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018 H9

FOUNTAINGROVE IN SANTA ROSA »


Rebuild lags other neighborhoods, but benzene in water mains is dissipating

Water quality
begins to improve

KENT PORTER / THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Employees of Kaikaina Construction work on a house Monday in the Fir Ridge neighborhood of Fountaingrove in Santa Rosa. The home was razed during the Tubbs fire.

R
By KEVIN McCALLUM Dashner said. and Keysight Technologies.
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT PG&E crews and contractors are now Joe Kates, a Fountaingrove property
making significant progress upgrading the owner who attended the meeting, said there
ebuilding the hillside utility infrastructure in the Fountaingrove was debate about the wisdom of the phased
Fountaingrove neigh- and Hidden Valley neighborhoods. approach. Some residents who’ve been
The company has completed upgrades to struggling to figure out how to rebuild in the
borhood continues to lag three subdivisions where about 100 homes area have viewed the benzene problem as
other areas of the city. once stood, ensuring that residents will con- the final straw and decided to move on.
Seven and a half months af- nect to a fully modernized electrical system But Kates, a retired molecular biologist,
when they rebuild their homes. said he was actually encouraged by the
ter the Tubbs fire decimated the Crews, many from out of the area, have city’s systematic and data-driven approach
area, just 26 homes are under been installing new hookups that will allow to solving the problem.
construction, 2 percent of the residents to easily reconnect to power tempo- “It was a very strong signal and, on the
rarily during home construction and when basis of that, my wife and I are committed to
1,400 homes incinerated by the the home is ready for occupancy, he said. rebuilding,” he said.
blaze. “Our goal is to complete all of our subdivi-
sion work by the end of the year,” Dashner
That’s a fifth of the number said. Over-excavation of burned sites
that are being rebuilt in the Coffey An emerging problem during the rebuild
Park neighborhood to the west. Water lines to be replaced
has been the removal of too much dirt from
some burned sites in Fountaingrove.
There’s more than that in the Another key utility in Fountaingrove, mu- This is due, in part, to confusion over
pipeline, of course, with 91 per- nicipal water service, is also showing signs how much arsenic is acceptable within the
mits submitted and 49 issued. But of improvement. soil and the unique geological formations
After months of concern that benzene in the region. A naturally occurring metal-
the pace is still far slower than contamination might force a wholesale re- loid, arsenic can cause cancer in humans if
city officials and residents had placement of the water system, city officials ingested in high concentrations, such as by
hoped. Citywide, 250 permits have say that may no longer be necessary. drinking contaminated well water.
The steady drop in benzene levels in the Only recently, however, have agencies
been issued for new homes in the water mains — as opposed to the water agreed to examine and remedy problems
fire zone. service lines — gives them hope the cancer- caused by over-excavation.
causing chemical is steadily getting flushed Sonoma County and Santa Rosa, in
The reasons for the anemic pace of con- out of the water system in the 184-acre area, partnership with the California Governor’s
struction in Fountaingrove are numerous. where people have been advised not to drink Office of Emergency Services, have agreed
The cleanup process managed by the or bathe in the water. to review an estimated 200 sites in the coun-
Army Corps of Engineers got underway lat- “The data suggests it may be premature to ty that may have been over-excavated and
er in Fountaingrove than in other areas. The rush into full replacement,” said Ben Horen- replace the dirt if warranted.
home sites in Fountaingrove, many of which stein, director of Santa Rosa Water. Over-excavation can be a costly problem
are larger than lots in other neighborhoods, Instead, the city is initially planning for people seeking to rebuild, requiring large
have taken longer to clear. A high percent- to spend $3.4 million to replace 500 water amounts of clean fill material to be hauled to
age of insurance claims remain unresolved. service lines — 350 in the advisory area and the property before construction can begin.
And contamination in parts of the water 150 outside the area — and hope contamina- If it is found the site was over-excavated,
system has added a new layer of uncertainty tion levels in the mains continue to drop and the state’s contractor, Orange County-based
as residents decide whether to rebuild. eventually disappear. Sukut Construction, will return excess soil
One thing Fountaingrove has going for it, The service line replacements are expect- that should not have been removed.
however, is that key parts of its infrastruc- ed to be completed by Aug. 3, after which ad- State crews are currently operating in
ture appear to have fared better than other ditional testing will be performed to assess Mendocino County, but will be coming to
parts of the city. the success of the strategy. Santa Rosa and Sonoma County in two to
The electrical system in particular The city’s evolving approach to resolving three weeks, CalOES officials said.
emerged from the firestorm in much better the contamination problem has given some The work will be done at no cost to proper-
shape than the system in Coffey Park, which property owners pause. Several attended a ty owners, and the state will seek reimburse-
was completely fried by the Tubbs fire. private meeting with city officials May 15 at ment for the expenses from the Federal
While it took Pacific Gas & Electric Co. the Finley Community Center. Emergency Management Agency.
crews months to rebuild Coffey Park’s elec- The meeting was organized by Willie To report over-excavation concerns, prop-
trical grid, Fountaingrove’s underground Tamayo, founder of La Tortilla Factory, erty owners can call the Sonoma County
power lines could be re-energized almost who asked the media not to attend to allow Recovers Information Line at 707-565-1222
immediately after inspections confirmed residents and city officials to speak freely. In between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday,
the lines were largely unscathed, said Andy addition to Horenstein, attendees included email info@sonomacountyrecovers.org; or
Dashner, the company’s director of service City Council members Tom Schwedhelm and visit the County Administrator’s Office at
planning and design. John Sawyer; David Guhin, director of plan- 575 Administration Drive, Suite 104A. Prop-
It’s not entirely clear why the lines run- ning and economic development; and Jennifer erty owners must report concerns by May 31
ning about three feet under the sidewalk Burke, deputy director of water resources. to receive a site assessment.
fared better in Fountaingrove, though it Guhin said the city has conducted a num-
could have something to do with the lower ber of such meetings in the community in You can reach Staff Writer Kevin McCallum
density of homes in the area compared to recent months to address issues regarding at 707-521-5207 or kevin.mccallum@pressde-
the compact Coffey Park neighborhood, rebuilding, including at Kaiser Permanente mocrat.com. On Twitter @srcitybeat.

“It was a very strong signal and, on the basis of that,


my wife and I are committed to rebuilding.”
JOE KATES, Fountaingrove property owner after meeting with city officials to discuss plans to resolve water contamination
H10 THE PRESS DEMOCRAT • SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018

LARKFIELD-WIKIUP AND MARK WEST SPRINGS »


Thieves have struck a burned business and home construction sites

Burglaries cloud rebuild effort


bring it back the next day and unload it to get

J
By J.D. MORRIS
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT doing and get the work done. It’s just terrible.”

ohn Thill’s loss in the October


firestorm was twofold: He lost
Considering security, sewer service
Among the others affected by the burglaries
his home in Coffey Park and his were workers hired by Silvermark Construction
business on Mark West Springs Services, a Fairfield-based company that’s now
Road. looking to rebuild 12 homes in the Larkfield
area, most of them purchased from fire victims
Then he suffered a third blow in who didn’t want to rebuild themselves. Workers
February, when about $3,000 worth in May found numerous tools were missing,
of tools were stolen from a trailer he including a compressor and a pipe threader,
leading to thousands of dollars in losses.
set up at the site of his burned busi- David Hosking, the Silvermark’s vice president
ness, John’s Auto Body. of operations, said the company had already
made its equipment storage more secure, and
Thill says he had to dip into his contractors are considering doing even more.
own pocket to replace the stolen “We are talking about more of a combined
items, including a brand-new 20- security for the area ... getting a security person
there,” Hosking said. “But no one’s moved on it.”
inch steel chainsaw and a floor jack The stolen equipment delayed the company’s
that was still in the box. He was us- work a day and a half at most, but the projects
ing the tools to do a little work out of are moving full steam ahead now, he said,
estimating the company’s first rebuilt house
some tents he set up on the property in the Berry Brook neighborhood would be
where his auto shop once stood — an JOHN BURGESS / THE PRESS DEMOCRAT complete by mid-June. After that, the company
effort now made even more difficult John Thill, holding melted glass from a car, lost both aims to finish one house each week, according to
Hosking.
by the burglary. his Coffey Park home and his business, John’s Auto
So far, Sonoma County officials have issued
Body, in the October fires. Then in February, thieves
“I just don’t understand how someone can be stole tools from a trailer at his burned business. 96 rebuilding permits for single-family homes
that low,” Thill said. “I look at it as like I tripped and granny units in Mark West Springs and the
over something, fell down and skinned my fied a potential suspect to the Sheriff’s Office. area outside Windsor, which includes Larkfield-
knees, and now I gotta put some Band-Aids on But the lead “didn’t pan out” when deputies Wikiup. Some 740 homes were lost when the
them, stand back up and get going again. And followed up, Sgt. Spencer Crum said in an email. Tubbs fire tore through the unincorporated
that’s all I’m trying to do, and then somebody For now, Thill’s case is “suspended due to lack community in October.
comes by and does something like that.” of leads,” according to Crum. But Sheriff’s offi- In the coming weeks, the Board of Super-
cials are still trying to find the person or people visors is expected to take a up another key
responsible for the burglaries reported earlier rebuilding issue that was previously the source
Fear of thefts add to difficulties this month, which alarmed property owners in of much debate in the community: whether to
Thill isn’t alone. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s the area and prompted fears of even more bur- extend sewer service into the scorched Larkfield
Office says his case is likely related to a string of glaries as the rebuilding process ramps up. Estates subdivision, where homeowners were
other burglaries in the greater Larkfield-Wikiup “While we have minimal leads to go on, the previously connected to septic systems.
and Mark West Springs burn zone that law property crimes detectives are still working on The Sonoma County Water Agency has come
enforcement reported in early May. The other them,” Crum said in the email. “We can’t really up with a financing plan for homeowners who
incidents targeted trailers storing construction talk about what we are doing because we don’t wish to connect to the sewer system already run-
equipment for workers rebuilding homes want to let the criminals know our tactics.” ning nearby as part of the rebuilding process.
destroyed in the Tubbs fire that ravaged the For Thill, the burglary added another layer Connection to the system would be voluntary, so
unincorporated community north of Santa Rosa of difficulty to his life, because he now feels the homeowners who wish to stay on septic, as some
more than seven months ago. need to bring his tools back and forth between have said they do, won’t have to connect or pay
When the burglaries were first reported, the trailer where he’s living in Windsor and his for the sewer.
Sheriff Rob Giordano promised to investigate business. He’s trying to do some work, but it’s Supervisors are slated to consider the agen-
them “to the full extent” and staff extra patrols been “really tough,” he said. cy’s proposed financing plan at their next regu-
around the rebuilding sites. The burglaries were “It’s harder than I ever imagined it would be lar meeting June 5.
“completely unacceptable,” Giordano said in a — I thought that I could just set up a couple tents
statement. and start doing some work,” Thill said. “Since I’ve You can reach Staff Writer J.D. Morris at 707-
Thill said he thought he had an idea of who been broken into, now I have to load everything 521-5337 or jd.morris@pressdemocrat.com. On
may have stolen his belongings, and he identi- up at night, take it all home with me and then Twitter @thejdmorris.

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THE PRESS DEMOCRAT • SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018 H11

SONOMA VALLEY » Region may need 3,000 additional dwellings in 5 years

Fire deepens housing shortage


back from her, are well-known She mentioned interim hous-
By LORNA SHERIDAN

R
in Sonoma and she is thankful ing solutions including convert-
SONOMA INDEX-TRIBUNE
for the support she has received, ed shipping containers, retired
particularly from such organi- cruise ships or barges — shelter
amona Nicholson was zations as the Sonoma Valley that can be moved or reused
awake late on Oct. 8 listen- Rotary club, Seeds of Learning afterward.
and Habitat for Humanity. “Primarily, we focus on working
ing to the wind blow. Upon Volunteers have spent count- with the labor groups,” she said.
hearing that fires had bro- less hours picking up nails and “We listen first; act second. If this
ken out in Napa, she drove from her metal from the grounds and is feasible and collaborative, we
have even helped build a new are supportive. We want the bulk
Sonoma-area house, on the grounds hothouse for the property. of the work to go to locals whenev-
of her family’s Nicholson Ranch “I’m in good spirits,” she said. er possible, but it is not enough to
Winery, over the hill to Old Sonoma “I lost a lot but it has been nice get us through the rebuild.”
to live life a little sparer.”
Road to get a better look.
By the time she turned around to Seeking building permits
head back, the fires were menacing Housing driving policy The first step for those who
A report issued in late April want to rebuild is a building
her property. by the city of Sonoma provided permit.
“I grabbed my pets and wallet and the most precise accounting to CHRISTOPHER CHUNG / THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
For all those outside Santa
wanted to find our photo albums, as date of Sonoma Valley homes Ramona Nicholson is seeking to Rosa city limits, that means
lost in the fires. It found a total rebuild after the Nuns fire. working with the county’s new
well, but I just didn’t have time,” she of 407 destroyed homes, plus 487 Resiliency Permit Center, opened
said. As she raced out the driveway, additional structures burned across 29,000 acres. in February. The trailer, in Santa Rosa next to the
the flames had reached her house. Glen Ellen lost 183 homes, 140 were destroyed in county’s planning and building department, Per-
Kenwood, 48 in the Mayacamas Volunteer Fire mit Sonoma, was set up to accelerate the applica-
A firetruck was pulling in, but the District, 33 in the Schell-Vista area at the south- tion process for homeowners in unincorporated
captain told her he had no backup ern end of the valley and three in the northern Sonoma County needing to repair or rebuild.
— all the other trucks had been sent end in Eldridge. The center is currently meeting its goal of
The losses deepened a housing shortage that returning comments on completed applica-
elsewhere. was already acute before the fires. Countywide, tions within three to five business days, with
Nicholson, who owns the property, lost her the five-year need could be as high as 30,000 a 35 percent to 40 percent reduction in fees,
family home, her father’s house, her treasured homes, according to a May 10 report released by according to Maggie Fleming, a Permit Sonoma
Corvette convertible, 10 other small buildings and the Community Foundation of Sonoma County. spokeswoman. “And for less complex projects,
several rail cars on the winery property that first Based on the rush of recent applicants for we will return comments within three days or
night of the fires. The winery itself was spared affordable housing in Sonoma Valley, Supervisor further expedite with over the counter, same day
and reopened in mid-October. Susan Gorin, who represents the region, estimat- approval.”
A United Policyholders survey conducted this ed that at least 3,000 additional units are needed By late May, Permit Sonoma had issued about
spring found that almost 70 percent of those af- in Sonoma Valley to house families and the 150 home rebuilding permits.
fected by the fires believe they do not have enough future workforce. In Sonoma Valley, permitted projects includ-
insurance to replace or rebuild their homes, with The issue is driving post-fire policymaking ed only nine residences in Glen Ellen, four in
an even larger share still resolving their claims. and philanthropy. The Community Foundation’s Kenwood, one on Lovall Valley Road and one on
Nicholson found herself “adequately” insured. Resilience Fund, which had raised $13 million Castle Road. Six others were partway through
She estimated that her insurance will cover about by early May, expects to focus largely on issues the process, according to county officials. Per-
three-quarters of her rebuilding costs. of housing. The fund was created to address mits also have been issued for two guesthouses
The architect leading her rebuilding efforts, the mid- to long-term needs of Sonoma County in Glen Ellen and one in Kenwood.
Vic Conforti, hopes to pour a new foundation during the recovery and rebuilding process. Because Sonoma Valley was among the last
next week. Hers is one of four fire rebuilds he is The Rebuild North Bay Foundation is also areas to be completely cleared of debris in the
working on. focused on the long-term recovery process. government cleanup, permit applications are
Nicholson is using the opportunity to build a Jennifer Gray Thompson, the group’s executive expected to ramp up in the coming months,
better version of the 1940s ranch house lost in the director and a longtime resident of The Springs officials said.
blaze. north of Sonoma, expects construction labor Nicholson is still plowing through paperwork
“I grew up in that house and it’s actually great shortages to be a major stumbling block. for her rebuild, but she said that she is satisfied
to be able to reconfigure the space more logical- “We are heartened that groups such as La Luz with the process so far. She accepts that the wid-
ly,” said Nicholson who, since the fires, has been Center, CTE (Career and Technical Education of er effort is complex, and inevitably a slow one.
roughing it with her teenage daughter in the Sonoma County), North Bay Labor Council and Asked when she expects to be fully moved into
property’s old bunkhouse. North Coast Builders Exchange are all working her new house, Nicholson gave a knowing answer.
Nicholson, 54, and her ex-husband, Deepak hard right now to train skilled labor, but ulti- “I’m hoping for Christmas,” she said. Then
Gulrajani, who leases the winery and vineyards mately it will not be enough,” she said. she burst out laughing.

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H12 THE PRESS DEMOCRAT • SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018

LABOR SHORTAGE » Programs aim to meet unprecedented demand for skilled workers

Training prepares new


generation of tradespeople
By DIANNE REBER HART The North Bay Construction
FOR THE PRESS DEMOCRAT Corps works with high school

A
seniors through a partnership with
s survivors of the North Bay the nonprofit trade group North
fires wrangle with insur- Coast Builders Exchange, the
ance carriers, consult with Sonoma County Office of Education
architects and apply for permits to and the Career Technical Education
rebuild homes ravaged by October’s Foundation Sonoma County.
disaster, an effort is underway to The five-month, after-school
train a new generation of construc- training program introduces par-
tion workers and tradespeople to ticipants to careers in construction
meet the unprecedented demand. and trades disciplines, with students
“This is about radical collabora- visiting job sites, gaining hands-on
tion,” said Katie Greaves, Sonoma learning and earning college credit.
County Workforce Investment Keith Woods, executive director
Board director and director of with the North Coast Builders
employment and training for the Exchange, said he has been “blown
Sonoma County Human Services away” by the commitment of corps
Department. students. The program, he said, “is
It’s an effort sorely needed in not a home run, it’s a grand slam.
Sonoma County. The ratio of That they want to help rebuild the
construction workers to residential community is doubly impressive to
units under construction “is at a me.”
historic low,” according to the 2018 Training organizers are hopeful
Construction Industry Insiders current programs will help make a
report presented by the county difference in long-term rebuilding
Economic Development Board. The efforts.
county’s construction industry “in a “The fact is, before the fires there
race against time,” the report noted. was a critical shortage in the indus-
Help is on the way from several try,” said Kathy Goodacre, executive
quarters. director of the CTE Foundation.
The county’s 6-month-old Of- “It’s a serious issue.”
fice of Recovery and Resiliency is The foundation was approved in
working in support of local training April for a $1 million grant from the
programs to ease the labor shortage Bay Area’s Tipping Point Commu-
and aid the North Bay’s long-term nity to support expansion of the
rebuilding efforts. A partnership North Bay Construction Corps.
also exists to provide job training, Plans call for the corps’ expansion
connect employers with job seekers into neighboring counties.
and ultimately bring skilled work- Such programs help students cul-
ers to job sites across the region as tivate career interests and reinforce
the rebuilding effort progresses. “that there are multiple pathways
Several training programs were to success (besides college),” said
planned or in place before the Amber Figueroa, the foundation’s
October fires destroyed nearly director of CTE programs.
8,500 structures across Sonoma, It’s not only boys and men enter-
Napa, Mendocino and Lake coun- ing the programs. Nayeli Garcia, a
ties, including nearly 5,300 homes senior at Ridgway High School in
in Sonoma County. Enrollment is Santa Rosa, is enrolled in North Bay
rising in some classes, resulting in Construction Corps and is consid-
wait lists and expansion plans. Most ering a career in the building and
classes accommodate upward of two trades industry.
to three dozen students. She hopes to set an example for
The effort includes public and others, “because people think wom-
private sector programs, targeting en can’t do this kind of job,” said
young adults, dislocated workers Garcia, one of several students pro-
JOHN BURGESS / THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
and those without jobs or seeking filed on a video about the program.
new careers. Kody Young stretches to nail a header for a doorway during a Sonoma County Adult Stephen Jackson, director of col-
Training includes shorter, ac- Education basic construction class in Santa Rosa. lege and career readiness with the
celerated programs to longer-term Sonoma County Office of Education,
instruction by building and trades building and trades industry. nonunion, he said. points to construction courses like
professionals. It can cover every- Eligible job seekers can pursue Alex Wirtz, 18, received his high those in place at Petaluma High
thing from construction basics to training programs while getting school diploma in March from School and Healdsburg High School,
safety measures, certification in support for child care and transpor- Youth Connections, a program of among others. About half of the
forklift and scissor lift operations, tation costs, equipment and uniform the Community Action Partnership county’s 15 public high schools have
first-aid and CPR training, plus fees and other expenses, as well as of Sonoma County. He completed wood shop or construction tech-
“soft skills” like teamwork and best support with resumes, cover letters the NextGen Trades Academy for nology courses, with state funding
practices for interviewing and land- and interviewing skills. Applicants underserved and homeless youth available for additional programs.
ing jobs or apprenticeships. can get such help through Sonoma earlier this year and was hired as a “It’s important for lots of folks to
Training providers also include County Job Link, the local employ- roofer by Letitia Hanke, academy know Career Technology Education
labor unions and courses through ment center. founder and owner/CEO of ARS is a really strong program,” said
local colleges, with majors in Larry Richmond Jr., a Windsor- Roofing, Solar and Electric. Wirtz Jackson, a CTE Foundation board
landscape design, construction and based general building contractor, doubled his previous income as a member. “The job market is grow-
trades specialties. Pre-apprentice- was involved last year with the dishwasher at a Santa Rosa restau- ing tremendously for the construc-
ship training programs are also on inaugural North Bay Construction rant and takes pride in his new tion industry. It’s an exciting career
offer. Corps program for high school work. for many young people and adults.”
Various county departments are seniors and currently works as a “To me, it’s a really cool thing Nancy Miller, director of Re-
working in unison to bolster the Sonoma County Office of Education that I’m helping the community as gional Adult Education Programs
effort. instructor teaching adult students. well,” he said. with Santa Rosa Junior College,
The Workforce Investment Board, “Our goal is to train students to Hanke, who offers the acade- said the need is universal across all
in partnership with the Human enter the workforce,” Richmond my through her nonprofit LIME construction trades and experience
Services Department Employment said. Working with industry part- Foundation and has partnered with levels in the North Bay. And voca-
and Training Division, received ners, students learn “what it would youth-based agencies, is enthusias- tional training doesn’t necessarily
$3.25 million in emergency funds take to make it in their business.” tic about helping employers, young preclude a college education, she
from the state Employment Devel- Qualified workers can land entry- job seekers and the community said.
opment Department to help workers level jobs paying from about $18 rebuilding effort. “We need managers as well as
impacted by the fires, and is prior- to $24 an hour, often with benefits, “Contractors are begging,” she laborers. It’s kind of all hands on
itizing existing funding to support depending on the specialty and said. “They always talk about how deck,” she said. “It’s also a call to
those interested in entering the whether the employer is union or difficult it is to find good people.” service for our community.”

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THE PRESS DEMOCRAT • SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018 H13

“Being an architect, I know my way around here, but I see them


helping all these people who come in without a clue about what to do,
people who never had to pull a permit before.”
ROBERT ANDERSON, former Sebastopol mayor and planning commissioner

PHOTOS BY KENT PORTER / THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

The home of James and Sammie Lee burned during the Nuns fire in Kenwood, but a grape arbor somehow came through unscathed as did a workshop containing a classic pickup.

RECONSTRUCTION » Planners commit to quick turnaround for permits

County, SR seeking
to streamline recovery
By GLEN MARTIN
FOR THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

T
here aren’t many trees left on
Treehaven Court in Kenwood.
“It was like a fireball that
night,” said James Lee, pointing to
the Mayacamas Mountains to the
east. “It just blew down into the val-
ley and took out most of the houses
and everything else in this neighbor-
hood. We used to have a row of beau-
tiful redwoods along the driveway.
The only thing that’s improved is
our view of Sugarloaf.”
One structure on the property
owned by Lee and his wife, Sammie,
did survive: their workshop. Inside
its shadowed interior reposes a
beautiful jonquil yellow 1951 GMC
pickup. James had finished restoring
the truck shortly before the Nuns
fire broke out in October.
“We had left with our grand-
son with fire all around us,” said
Sammie Lee. “Our neighbors saved
this workshop by emptying their
swimming pool. It was incredibly
kind and brave of them.”
James shook his head at the recol-
lection.
“If we had lost that workshop, I
don’t know, I don’t think we would
be rebuilding,” he said. “We’re both
Builder Brian Cameron of Kaikaina Construction looks over building plans for a home Monday in the Fir Ridge neighborhood of
79. I’m not sure we’d have the heart
Fountaingrove in Santa Rosa. The home was razed during the Tubbs fire.
for it.”
But the couple does plan to re-
build, emphasized his wife. They’ve County and Santa Rosa city offi- law lost a home in the Coffey Park bility of some bumps in the per-
cleared the debris and resolved cials have sought to accelerate the blaze, concurred with Anderson mitting process, but emphasized
most of the geotechnical issues, as recovery from the most destructive about the helpful intent of PRMD public feedback generally has been
confirmed by a large divot marking wildfire in state history by stream- staffers, but maintained the agency’s favorable and that his staffers are
the site of their former home, where lining the permit process for people “interface” with an anxious and meeting their deadlines for five-day
toxic soil was removed. seeking to rebuild. The approach, for time-constrained public is less than turnarounds on permits. That’s all
“We’ve passed our soil tests, and the most part, is helping fire survi- ideal. predicated on applicants having
we’re working on our construction vors advance rebuilding projects and “In some ways it’s a matter of cul- their documents in order, Wick said.
plans,” said James Lee. “After that, reach their objectives more quickly, ture,” said Lawson, who has formed “We want people to know that
we have to get a contractor and according to residents with plans in a nonprofit group to help burned-out (regulators) and the engineering and
make sure we have enough money to the pipeline. homeowners connect with small contracting communities are work-
do what we want to do. It’s tough, be- “I can’t say enough about the contractors and lending institutions. ing closely together to make things
cause the cost of building materials good job the people here are doing,” “I’m designing two homes in Coffey happen as quickly as possible,” Wick
has skyrocketed since the fires, and said Robert Anderson, an architect Park and designing and building said. “As far as (fire victims) go, it’s
even the best contractors can only and a former Sebastopol mayor and a home on Bennett Ridge. Time is important that they come into the
give you a ballpark estimate. I was planning commissioner. “Being an money for me — I have very little of resiliency permit center even before
in construction for 35 years, and I’ve architect, I know my way around it to waste.” they have a home design so we can
never seen anything like this.” here, but I see them helping all these When he goes into the PRMD, also start helping them. We’re here to
The Lees have been heartened to people who come in without a clue called Permit Sonoma, Lawson says make things as easy for them as
some degree by initial visits to Sono- about what to do, people who never he often finds there are six permit possible.”
ma County’s Permit and Resource had to pull a permit before. The em- techs on duty, but “three are on Wick noted that permit issuance
Management Department, where a phasis is on expediting the process, computers, one’s talking to another tends to move in pulses, as evi-
“resiliency permit center” has been though it would be a mistake to agency official, two are on break — it denced by the regularly updated
established to help fire victims and think they’re giving away the farm. can be frustrating. I find, of course, statistics on the sonomacountyre-
their contractors work through the They’re telling people what they you can catch more flies with honey covers.org website.
complex and often daunting con- need and ensuring they receive their than vinegar, so I try to stay agree- “For example, some residents of
struction permit process. permits quickly once they’ve pro- able. But on the whole, I’d give them Mark West Estates may be going
“They seem to be doing a pretty duced the correct documentation.” a ‘C.’ ” with a group builder option, and
good job down there,” said James David Lawson, a Forestville con- Tennis Wick, the director of
Lee. tractor whose daughter and son-in- PRMD, acknowledged the inevita- TURN TO PERMITS » PAGE H14
H14 THE PRESS DEMOCRAT • SUNDAY, MAY 27, 2018

PERMITS Tips to help


CONTINUED FROM H13 speed up
you’ll see that reflected in an uptick on the permitting
website,” Wick said. “(Issued permits) will
drop back at some point as the trend shifts process

P
to individual builders.”
At this juncture, said Wick, the primary ermit Sonoma,
impediment to speedy permit approval the county’s
is a shortfall in qualified architects and planning and
engineers, especially geotechnical engi- building department,
neers. Most if not all of the nearly 5,300 has posted a series
homes that burned countywide will have of tips on its website
to go through a geotechnical review before about how to help
permit consideration, said Wick. speed up the appli-
“Given the shortfall in expertise, there’s cation and approval
only so much you can do,” Wick said. “Peo- process.
ple from outside geotech firms are coming Be complete: The
in, but they’re hampered by the fact that most important factor
our soil types are so diverse here. Typical- in shortening review
ly, geotechnical engineers are familiar only time is the complete-
with the soils in their own regions. Their ness of the plans,
work is specific to their locales, so it can be according to Permit
very hard for them to come in cold to a new Sonoma officials. Ap-
area and evaluate the geology and make plicants are advised
reliable recommendations for anchoring to review local zoning
homes to the earth.” and building code
David Guhin, the director of the Depart- KENT PORTER / THE PRESS DEMOCRAT regulations, and check
ment of Planning and Economic Develop- Plumber Ken Sousa lends a hand as concrete is poured for the foundation of his replacement home for any land use con-
ment for the city of Santa Rosa, said the in Larkfield Estates. The home was burned to the ground during the Tubbs fire. ditions that may apply
numbers confirm his agency’s success in to their parcel.
helping residents rebuild. Officials have Provide contacts:
targeted six fire-ravaged neighborhoods over the next few months. We’ll be bring- solutions. Cameron is working with an Applicants should
for expedited permit approval. During a ing on extra people to keep turnaround Oregon company to build homes from also make sure that
recent interview, Guhin logged on to the times in check. We have a hundred homes shipping containers. The techniques have Permit Sonoma
city’s reconstruction site (srcity.org/2675/ now under or ready for construction, and been highly refined, he said, and the homes knows who should be
Rebuilding) to check figures. More than we give their owners and their contractors can be constructed in modular fashion for contacted about the
3,000 of the burned homes were inside city the credit. They’re the trailblazers, and a fraction of the cost and time required for plan review (owner,
limits. they’ve helped us write the playbook that typical homes. He has applied for permits contractor, designer,
“This site is updated every 30 minutes,” we’ll use for the 2,900 homes that are going for one such structure. etc.) and how best to
Guhin said. “So right now we have 367 to follow.” “It’s for a house made from six contain- contact that person
homes in plan or review or under con- Up in Fountaingrove, Brian Cameron is ers, with three bedrooms and two baths,” (phone, email, etc).
struction. That’s about the same number building two of those homes — one for a he said. “But it was like hitting a wall. I Respond quickly:
of permits issued for all of last year. We’ve friend, and the second for his pal’s neigh- had plans drawn and submitted them, and When Permit Sonoma
been pulling out all the stops to make this bor next door. The foundations are in and it was 13 weeks before I got the markups employees comment
as seamless as possible for people, and I framing is about to commence. Cameron back. I redrew the plans according to the on a specific plan,
think we’ve been fairly successful.” — who juggles vocations as a contractor markups, and they threw it right back applicants should
Guhin said his agency must adjust to un- and a pilot for American Airlines — said at me. It’s clear they just want it all to go respond as quickly as
foreseen issues on a daily basis. Examples the two owners should be able to move into away. They say they want creative solu- possible. A pre-appli-
include jawboning bankers who balk at is- their new digs within 14 months. tions, but when you give them something cation meeting with
suing loans; adjusting established setback “As far as the permitting goes, it was a truly creative, they reject it.” the Permit Sonoma
rules to allow for the streamlined approval pleasure,” said Cameron as he switched Despite such conflicts, the progress on staff should be consid-
of updated home designs; and working generators to ensure the power tools of permits seems undeniable. And at the end ered, and applicants
up a temporary water filtration system to his crew were kept buzzing, howling and of each such paper chase, something pal- are advised to bring in
address Fountaingrove’s benzene contam- snarling. “I started these projects one week pable and precious awaits: a home, with all their draft plans and
ination problem, allowing homeowners after the fire. Two months later we had our the emotional power that implies. meet with staff mem-
to proceed with reconstruction while a plans finalized and we walked into (Santa Back on Treehaven Court, Sammie Lee bers in each cubical to
permanent solution is implemented. Rosa’s) resiliency center and presented watched a flock of cliff swallows soar and get initial feedback.
“We’re also encouraging innovative them. Five days later, we had their com- dip in the sky. For Permit Sono-
approaches, including manufactured ments back. We made the necessary addi- “I feel bad for them,” she said. “They’re ma planning and
homes and second units,” said Guhin. tions, resubmitted, and two days later our looking for their home. We had six bird- construction permit
“We’ve had some unexpected curves, and permits were ready. We have another proj- houses set up here, and every year they’d reports, go online to
we anticipate more of them. That said, the ect with the county, and that’s going well always go back to the same one to nest. sonomacounty.ca.gov/
367 homes now going through permitting too. Everybody has been super helpful.” Now, they don’t know what to do. But I’m PRMD/Permit-
represent 10 percent of all the homes lost Cameron does have one complaint, hoping we’ll all have a place to live here Reports/
in Santa Rosa from the fires, and we expect however, taking issue with county officials before too long. We just have to take it one
those numbers to increase dramatically who claim they are amenable to creative step at a time.” — Lorna Sheridan

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