Tolay Park opening delayed until fall

A pending agreement with a neighbor over flooding concerns has held up the opening of Tolay Lake Regional Park, a 3,434-acre park south of Petaluma more than a decade in the making.

Officials had hoped to complete the environmental document earlier this year and open the park to the public by May, but a farmer who grows hay just to the north of the property has demanded that Sonoma County Regional Parks provide a fix to flooding on his property coming from the seasonal Tolay Lake, according to Supervisor David Rabbitt.

“The latest is, we’re getting close,” he said. “A neighbor to the north has concerns about water inundation. The hydrology is pretty amazing. The land was managed differently by the ag owner than by regional parks today.”

A former dairy ranch, the park has been open to visitors on a limited basis through a day-use permit system. County officials hope to settle the hydrology concerns soon.

“We’re close to an amicable solution,” said Karen Davis-Brown, a park planner.

A solution would likely involve a short term and long term plan, she said. Initially that county would manage vegetation and replace culverts, while a larger lake restoration project could be five to 10 years out, she said.

If the neighbor agrees to the plan, the environmental document would need to be updated, she said. A final Environmental Impact Report could be approved by August, with the park fully opening 30 days after that.

“Our intention is in August,” Davis-Brown said. “We feel good about that. We’re looking at a fall opening.”

The park would likely open with minimal improvements, including signage and upgrades to the Cannon Lane access road. Many amenities identified in the Tolay Lake Regional Park Master Plan, including campsites, visitor center and trail improvements, have not been funded.

Besides the limited public access through the permit system, the park hosts the annual two-week Tolay Fall Festival. Rabbitt said he hoped the park would be fully open by this year’s festival.

(Contact Matt Brown at matt.brown@arguscourier.com.)