Welcome to Telecom Valley?

The town on the river has seen so many changes over the past hundred years, and now it's the center of yet another. Once known as the 'egg basket of the nation' only to become a sophisticated tourist town, Petaluma, California is poised on the edge of citydom. Once it was the gateway to the Sonoma Wine Country, but now it's something much more exciting and, perhaps, sinister. It is the center of the so-called 'Telecom Valley', sister to Silicon Valley in so many ways.

The stage is set -- the industry giants have moved in and set up shop, importing workers from other counties, states and countries. Very few of their specialized positions are actually filled by people already living in Sonoma County. But they are finding it a more difficult task to bend the residents to their will than the silicon-heads did down in their little corner of the world. Northern Californians have watched the south bay grow into a monster, where no one but millionaires can afford the lifestyle, and basic services are out of reach of the middle class.

Two defeated ballot measures in the June, 2000 election has to do with allotting money to widen the highways of Sonoma County; these measures were heavily backed and endorsed by the owners of many of the Telecom companies -- they want easy access for their goods and employees. Sorry, fellas. You can move in, but we won't make it easy.

On the plus side, homeowners in the area benefit when their houses become in demand. Until they want to sell and buy another. The only way to get that money out of a house is to move elsewhere, and no one here wants to do that. Petaluma is now the most expensive town in Sonoma County; a modest three-bedroom house on the West Side goes for well over $300,000. Most of the new houses being built start at nearly $300,000 too. That lets a lot of people out of the house-buying lottery for good.

Most residents don't see the benefit in becoming a second center of new technology. Tom B. has been a retail manager for most of his career, and if he didn't already own his modest house in Santa Rosa, Tom and his wife would certainly never be able to acquire one now. But his brother Peter has benefitted from the new businesses in the area -- currently a commuter, he will be working in his hometown when his employer relocates to Santa Rosa this year.

Cyndi and Paul make almost a hundred thousand a year between them, but Cyndi's son and Paul's recurring medical problems with a back injury have made it difficult for them, and even though they are in their late 30's, they don't see themselves ever buying a house in Sonoma County. Cyndi already knows they will be retiring elsewhere.

Tess and Sean are in their late 20's. He hopes to move into the high-tech industry one day, but is currently working in a freight warehouse. Tess brings in the lioness' share of their income -- she is one-third owner in a trendy beauty salon. They have secured a two-year lease-to-buy option with one of clients. This kind of deal is becoming more and more difficult in a housing market where people compete to pay the full asking price.

Don Green is the acknowledged 'Father of Silicon Valley'. A 68 year-old Liverpool native, Green lives in a mansion within a gated community in the hills of Santa Rosa. He founded Digital Telephone Systems, Optilink and Advanced Fibre Communications. Now semi-retired, he wants to be a philanthropist to other telecom millionaires. He has planned a $42 million concert hall addition to Sonoma State University, to which he donated $10 million in seed money. He has a love of choral music, and he wants to provide fine music to all the other telecom engineers who will relocate in Sonoma County.

Other Telecom millionaires seem to be following Green's lead in philanthropy, and giving generously to the arts. There is no talk of money for low-cost housing and homeless shelters. No supplements for police, firefighters, teachers and other mid-pay professionals who can't compete in a high-tech paradise. But Green and his ilk should beware -- Sonoma County isn't Silicon Valley, and the residents won't go quietly into that new Robber Baron haven.

In 1999 Petaluma passed an urban growth boundary that will allow for 3,000-4,000 new homes over the next 20 years. More than that would require a new ballot measure. Pamela Tuft, Petaluma's Director of General Plan Administration, expects the available housing to be gone in 15 years.

Nokia is a new, much touted addition to Telecom Valley. Nokia is a Finnish company and prefers to import employees from Scandinavia to man their new operation. Chet Stevens, the V.P. of Customer Relations at Nokia, has opened discussions with Santa Rosa Junior College regarding opening a technical trade school there. The company is hoping to train teachers in the industry.

This would be a start in the right direction, but many high-tech companies prefer to hire from their own pool. This is your wake-up call, friends...the original inhabitants of Sonoma County are watching you closely. They were here first, and they're fiercely protective of their way of life. Watch your steps...and make them baby steps, if you want a peaceful existence in this Eden.