Healdsburg resort developers sweeten deal

The developers of the luxury Saggio Hills development in Healdsburg have sweetened their offer in an attempt to convince city officials to approve their proposed five-star resort hotel and residential project.

Late Wednesday night, the developers told the City Council they are willing to pay $1.75 million toward construction of a new fire substation, rather than the $1 million they previously committed to the firehouse.

They also said they would be willing to donate $1 million to an affordable housing project on top of the 14 acres they already agreed to give for the city to build affordable housing.

It’s been almost a year and 20 public hearings at both the Planning Commission and City Council since the project was first formally proposed.

“We must ask the City Council to make a decision,” developer Robert Green said Wednesday.

But the three Healdsburg City Council members who will decide the fate of the project – two other council members have recused themselves due to potential conflicts of interest – won’t begin voting on parts of the application until at least Sept. 3, the next scheduled meeting on Saggio Hills. At least two more meetings will follow.

The chances for approval for the 130-room resort and 70 multi-million dollar homes appears to be even better following the latest offer from the developers.

“If you look at the totality of the whole thing, it’s shaping up to be a good project for the community,” Councilman Gary Plass said after Wednesday’s meeting.

“I am pleased to see the enhancements. It’s better for the community. It makes it a better project,” Vice-Mayor Jim Wood said of the developers’ newest proposal. “It demonstrated the development team listened to the City Council and the public.”

Wood then added: “Is that enough for us to vote for it? That’s still to be told.”

Councilman Mike McGuire was unwilling to say whether Saggio Hills has been polished sufficiently to get his approval.

“It’s important to keep an open mind,” he said. “The City Council needs to continue to drive the best deal for the community.”

Green said that it was three years ago that he and his partners bought the 259 acres at the north end of town to build Saggio Hills on the largest undeveloped piece of property in Healdsburg.

“We’ve been here for three years because we’re serious about building a high-quality resort and residences,” he said, noting that Saggio Hills will have a large community park, public hiking trails, virtually no visual impact from below and have one of the highest ratings as an environmentally-friendly construction project.

Green said that when it comes to some of the concessions asked of the development team “we’ve never said no. It’s one of our faults.”