PLAN FOR STRAW VOTE AND LAST COMMENT 12/8

SUPERVISORS' PLAN TO TAKE STRAW VOTE AND HEAR LAST PUBLIC COMMENT ON DECEMBER 8th

It appears Paul Kelley, Chair of the Board of Supervisors, is intending to conduct yet another straw vote on the Dutra Asphalt plant proposal on December 8th. Supervisor Valerie Brown, who is on record against the Dutra proposal, cannot be present on the 8th and has apparently received a commitment from Mr. Kelly that a final vote will not happen on that date. It also appears obvious that the pro-Dutra strategy is for Supervisor Kelley to use the Straw vote hearing to close public comment on the "revised" proposal, and then put Dutra on a Consent Calendar vote in January. He tried this earlier this year, but public outcry and right to speak stopped this tactic. Those in favor of Dutra’s proposal would like to close the record and end public comment on the vague "revised" project description as soon as possible, however the facts still remain:

1) The revised project is still a polluting industrial factory located in a protected Scenic View Corridor and next to a sensitive wildlife and wetlands habitat. Approval would still require a zoning change from commercial, agricultural and scenic to industrial. No overriding benefit to the residents has been proven to support re-zoning.

2) Noise of barge unloading still exceeds General Plan decibel limits and would require a General Plan Amendment for excessive noise.

3) The seven story towers (62 ft.) are still significant blight on the area and a noxious landmark for the Gateway to Sonoma County and Petaluma.

4) The project still adds air pollution of the area and the new calculation of 6.7 additional cancers per million exceeds CEQA's level of significance of 5. It is unhealthy and will cause illness.

5) Truck traffic will be constant, every 3 minutes, and the Petaluma 101 South Interchange will be dominated by Dutra traffic. By their own estimates 100,000 trucks per year coming in and out of the Dutra site at Haystack landing will occur.

Help us stop this proposal. It appears a final decision will occur in the very near future. Time is of the essence!