The City of Santa Rosa and County of Sonoma are pleased to announce that the Roseland Area Annexation process is moving forward, and the transition of the area to the City will officially occur on November 1, 2017. On Wednesday, the Sonoma Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) Protest Period and associated Protest Hearing for the annexation of the Roseland area closed with an insufficient number of written protests received to either require an election, or cause the annexation to fail. The City and County will continue to work together to ensure a smooth transition of services for the area.
The next step in the process is for LAFCO staff to file a Notice of Completion with the County Recorder’s Office, which will serve as the effective date of the annexation. The Notice of Completion will be filed on November 1, 2017, and services to residents in the annexations areas will be provided consistent with those received in other incorporated areas.
“This is a big next step in shaping the future of Santa Rosa,” said City Council Member John Sawyer, who also served on the Joint City-County Roseland Annexation Committee throughout the four-year process. “The City, County, and the Roseland community have worked closely throughout this process to come up with a sustainable agreement. It’s rare to find such dedication toward such a positive outcome.”
City staff are coordinating with County staff to make the services transition as smooth as possible for residents and business owners in the Roseland area. Residents and businesses included in the annexation will receive information about the transition in the mail the third week of October. The Roseland Area Annexation website also provides information to new residents and businesses and can be accessed at srcity.org/Roseland.
“As Chairwoman of the Board of Supervisors and a member of the Joint City-County Roseland Annexation Committee, as well as a long time Santa Rosa resident, I am thrilled that this day has finally arrived,” stated Chairwoman Shirlee Zane. “It took tremendous leadership and creativity on the part of the City and the County to get here, and I am proud of the collaborative effort that moved this annexation forward after decades of attempts.”
“Everyone involved in this process should be proud of their work to incorporate the interests, ideas and vision of the Roseland community to make this a smooth transition for residents and businesses. This has been a long time coming, and is worthy of celebration and praise. We are excited to welcome our neighbors officially into the City of Santa Rosa,” said Mayor Chris Coursey.
The process for this annexation has been in motion since 2013 when the City Council and the County Board of Supervisors identified it as a priority in order to unify the five unincorporated islands in southwest Santa Rosa. The five islands have been completely surrounded by the City, but serviced by multiple jurisdictions. As part of Santa Rosa, the community will be serviced by the City going forward.
“Seeing the annexation process through to completion was one of my top priorities when I took office representing the Fifth District,” said Supervisor Lynda Hopkins. “I look forward to continuing to serve the newly annexed residents of the Roseland area as their County Supervisor while they also enjoy the city level services and representation that their location and intensity of development deserve.”
The Roseland Area Annexation will increase the City’s population by nearly 7,500.
A special ceremony and celebration will be held on November 4, 2017 from 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. at Roseland Village Center (779 Sebastopol Road) to welcome newly annexed community members into the City.
Additional information about the Roseland Annexation can be found at srcity.org/Roseland.