Work continues on the future 19-acre north county regional park located on the Russian River, along an approximately 1.75-mile stretch of Geysers Road, just south of the Mendocino County line.
To date, Sonoma County Regional Parks maintenance and operations crews, in partnership with Russian River Keeper have removed more than seven tons of trash and seven abandoned vehicles from the site. Parks staff has also been working closely with Sonoma County Health and Human services to relocate homeless campers living on the property and connect them to the appropriate social services for rehousing and other needs.
The proposed Russian River Parkway runs along the banks of the Russian River, and will provide a minimum of three river access points. Although only recently under the management of Regional Parks, the area has long been known as an informal swimming spot during the summer months. Due to the lack of oversight and public amenities, such as trails, signs, restrooms or trash facilities, this use has impacted the environment and community. With cars parked along narrow shoulders and pullouts, traffic hazards are high and car break-ins have been common.
All river access points will include safety and improvements, miles of new trails, restrooms, trash and recycling bins, navigational and educational signs, and amenities like picnic tables, benches and scenic viewing areas.
Funding for the planning, development and construction of the $1.2-million parkway comes from a grant made possible through State Proposition 68, county park mitigation fees, and revenue from the Measure M parks sales tax approved by Sonoma County voters in 2018. In July 2020, Regional Parks secured the necessary fee title to the property underlying a 2-mile section of Geysers Road, thereby allowing the project to move forward.
The draft master plan, which will guide the park’s development and management is in its final stages of development and will be presented to the Board of Supervisors in fall 2021. Construction will begin in spring 2022, with the park’s opening in fall 2022. To learn more about Russian River Parkway project, visit russianriverpkwy.com. There you can access a presentation and interactive map, read related project documents and provide comments.
