Chase/CVS Threaten Sebastopol’s Future & Soul

A fierce struggle over a proposed Chase Bank and CVS Pharmacy development indowntown Sebastopol may reach a climax at the City Council public hearings on July 17 and 19. The Council will either confirm previous decisions by itself, the Design Review Board (DRB), and the city's Planning Commission to reject the proposal, or allow it to be built.

On one hand, you have the good, loyal friends of the Pellini family, which owns the corner, and some Rotarians supporting the proposal by focusing on the past and private property, both of which are important. A recent letter to the editor of a local weekly advocated this position regarding “the Pellini project,” as if this important issue were merely a personal matter, rather than a larger issue about Sebastopol’s small town character.

Oopposition focuses on Sebastopol’s future, the consequences of what ends up on that key corner, and the bigger picture beyond any one family and its friends. The presence of Chase, the U.S.’s largest bank, and its frequent partner, CVS, the U.S.’s 18th largest corporation, anchoring the center of our small town would threaten community businesses, including credit unions and local banks.

The Chase/CVS development has been appropriately rejected numerous times by the DRB, the Planning Commission, and the City Council, for many valid reasons. Yet the millionaire managers of these two Goliaths keep using their power to get the only thing they want—extracting more money from Sebastopudlians and our natural resources. GoLocal needs to be more than a slogan; it should be practiced.

The Council meetings on Chase/CVS have been moved to the large Sebastopol Community Center for what is expected to be a showdown. Opponents, who seem to be in the majority, will demonstrate on Friday, July 13, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the site of the intended development in an action initiated by Occupy Sebastopol.

I love Sebastopol and its people, in spite of our differences. Chase/CVS do not care about us. They have plundered people around the globe for a long time and paid millions of dollars in penalties. Chase CEO Jamie Dimon reported to Congress in June that his bank lost $2 billion dollars in the kind of derivative gambling that crashed the American economy. He now admits that it was over $9 billion. Is this the kind of boss we want anchoring our downtown?

Lawmakers, including City Council members, should not do what law- breakers want, just because they are powerful. It is time for our small town David to bravely stand up to these mighty Goliaths and be a model for other communities and local businesses threatened by them.

Sebastopol’s next election for City Council is already being influenced by the Chase/CVS proposal. Two offices will be up for the vote on Nov. 2. Kathleen Shaeffer, an incumbent, supports the development, whereas departing Mayor Guy Wilson opposes it. Two of those who have taken out papers to run seem to favor the development, Scaheffer and architect and former council member Kathy Austin. Two other candidates would be more likely to vote against it—Planning Commissioner and businessman Robert Jacob and John Eder, a businessman who was formerly a council member in nearby Cotati.

Last week’s letter in a local weekly wonders “what is best for the community.” It is certainly not to ignore the damage Chase/CVS have done to people, their homes and health. These loan sharks and drug- dealers--which is what they really are--leave trails of misery. “Rules and regulations…guidelines” concern the letter writers. Perhaps because I am a seminary-trained, ordained United Methodistminister, I believe that laws should be based on ethics and morality and protecting people from harm. The multiple criminal failures of CVS to clean up its toxic residues and Chase’s predatory banking practices reveal their lack of ethics and morality. Allowing Chase/CVS to anchor our downtown would be a bargain with the devil, which would put our small town’s soul at risk.

I favored the Northeast Area Proposal a few years ago, but through direct democracy, it was defeated. Instead, in that space we now have the Barlow Project, which is genuinely local. Waiting turned out to be best. Let us be patient and strengthen that eastern entrance to Sebastopol, rather than weaken it with drive-throughs that would clog our downtown with more cars, thus making pedestrian, bicycle, and emergency vehicle movement more difficult.

Something nice at that busy corner would be good. But “nice” and Chase/CVS do not mix. Let’s encourage our current City representatives to be patient until a better, ethical offer comes along. Otherwise, we could be in a long-term relationship with convicted white-collar criminals.

Let’s not sell an important part of our downtown commons to the highest outside bidder just because they have big bucks. Who knows what other corporate criminals might follow.

Shepherd Bliss farms, teaches college, and can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it