This is an opportunity for members of the public to speak to the board on non-agenda items.  Comments on items that are on the agenda will take place during the discussion on that agenda item.  Members of the public may address the Board on matters within the subject matter of its jurisdiction. Please submit a Speaker Card to the Board Secretary prior to the meeting being called to order. Upon recognition by the Board President, please approach the podium. The Board shall take no action or discussion on any item not appearing on the posted agenda, except as authorized by law (BB 9323(2)). Speakers are limited to three minutes each (BB 9323(5)). Should a member of the public have comments that pertain to a complaint against an employee of the District, the Board advises that the matter should first be pursued using the appropriate district complaint procedure (BB 9323(6).

The Board will consider approval of absent Board Member(s), if necessary, due to illness, jury duty, or a hardship deemed acceptable by the Board in accordance with Education Code Section 35120.

The Board will receive information on the Fir Ridge Workforce Housing Project from Bridge Housing. 

Fir Ridge North at Fountaingrove Subdivision was approved by City of Santa Rosa in 1988

• A condition of this site’s development included either the construction of an elementary school, or low and/or moderate income housing
• A 6.03-acre site on Fir Ridge Drive was set aside for this purpose

The District took ownership of this property in 1995. On August 27, 2003, the SRCS Board of Education voted to pursue workforce housing on the Fir Ridge site rather than using the property as a possible elementary school site.

To implement that decision, the Board on October 8, 2008 selected a local firm, Pinnacle Homes, as a partner in a developer agreement. About that time, however, the nationwide economic crisis was taking hold and, among other impacts, housing prices plummeted. Once this occurred, the financial forecasts that supplied the economic viability of the proposed workforce housing project had to be reassessed. Revised forecasts showed that the project would not be viable with the new market conditions.

With the recovering economy, change in District leadership, and the possibility of increased financial resources, the Board voted on June 24, 2015 to enter into the twelfth amendment to the Fir Ridge Holding Agreement with the City of Santa Rosa so the District could develop a plan of action and implementation for this property.

In the fall of 2016, SRCS issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a feasibility study of the Fir Ridge Property. Through this process, Bridge Housing, based in San Francisco, CA, was selected to conduct the feasibility study. The contract for Bridge Housing was Board approved on December 14, 2016.

Representatives from Bridge Housing will provide information to the Board and answer questions about the Feasibility Study (Attached).