To afford opportunities for public review and comment a technical advisory group was formed in Mendocino County in early 1992, consisting of representatives of various community agencies and organizations including the Mendocino County Farm Bureau, Audubon Society, Cattlemen's Association, Army Corps, of Engineers and the League of Women Voters. Participation by persons with property fronting on the River was also solicited.
A primary objective of the plan is to identify areas for public access within the two counties. Two sites are to e selected in Sonoma County; one in Mendocino County. When the sites have been selected, detailed studies will be conducted to evaluate their feasibility for development. Hyden Associates, Landscape Architects, have been selected to perform the public access study.
On January 19, 1994, a special meeting of the Technical Advisory Group was held to consider the issue of public access and recommend a Mendocino County site. Also attending the meeting was Bob Sawyer, representing the City of Ukiah Planning Department.
Gary Hyden, of Hyden Associates, discussed various sites on the Russian River in Mendocino County that had been identified as having potential for public access. Based upon his analysis, Hyden recommended two sites as having highest potential for public access: Riverside Park on the east end of Gobbi Street in Ukiah, and Comminsky Station Road, near the Sonoma County Line.
Both sites are attractive from the stand-point of offering potential for public access and both are publicly owned - which is essential as only limited funds are available for land acquisition. The Gobbi Street site is owned by the City of Ukiah and the Comminsky Station Road site by Cal-Trans.
Both sites also have limitations. The Gobbi Street site has already been selected by the City of Ukiah for development as a park. Therefore, if this site was recommended by the TAG, work done through the Coastal Conservancy would only serve to expedite the park's development by the City.
As Comminsky Station Road is located near the Sonoma County line, it is not readily accessible to Mendocino County residents. Furthermore, no agency or organization is available or currently identifiable to assume responsibility for operating and maintaining the site if developed. In its favor, it should be noted that the site is fairly spacious, offering a quarter mile of river frontage.
After discussion, a majority of TAG members concluded the Comminsky Station site most closely corresponds to the objectives for river access specified in the Plan and recommended that a detailed study of the site be prepared by Hyden Associates.
Copyright Mendocino Environmental Center 1998
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