July 27, 1999

New wording for resort ballot

A Sonoma County Superior Court judge sided with backers of Sonoma's
anti-hillside resort initiative yesterday afternoon, granting the group's request to
change the wording of the Sept. 21 ballot.

The new ballot asks, "Shall the ordinance prohibiting the lease and sale of certain
real property behind Mountain Cemetery owned by the City of Sonoma be
adopted?"

Formerly, the ballot used the word "regarding" instead of "prohibiting." Although
the actual ordinance - which would ban hotel or resort development on the
60-acre site - is unchanged proponents wanted the ballot language to more
accurately reflect the issue under consideration.

The single-word change, signed this afternoon by Judge Laurence K. Sawyer,
followed a 45-minute closed session between the Sawyer, county counsel, and
attorneys for both the City of Sonoma and the Rosewood/Paradise Resorts
partnership. The partnership has had its eye on the property since last September.

County Clerk Eeve Lewis said yesterday that although such changes are not
uncommon, the fact that they were proposed after last month's 10-day review
deadline meant that they couldn't be implemented without a court order.

Sonoma's City Council voted 4-1 during emergency session last Wednesday
night to change the language, which was originally a restatement of the proposed
ordinance's title. Councilmember Al Mazza cast the lone dissenting vote.