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48-505: Americano Creek springs from low-lying coastal hills 4 mi (6 km) west of Cotati and runs westward, paralleling Roblar Road. It passes a closed landfill and crosses the Valley Ford Road. At this point the channel becomes better defined and also deep enough for kayaking during the winter months. Kayakers access the creek here by means of an unpaved boat launch road that is reachable from Marsh Road. The lower reach of

96-399: A 284-to-41 margin) the incorporation of Cotati as a separate city. After incorporation, the city grew rapidly, due in part to being within commuting range of San Francisco . Between 1965 and 2000, the population increased by more than a factor of four. In 1979, Cotati voters approved a rent control ordinance for all residential rentals, but in 1995, that ordinance was partly preempted by

144-499: A ballot measure prohibiting "big-box" retail stores of more than 43,000 square feet (4,000 m ). However, on November 4, 2003, Cotati voters approved (by 1,047 votes to 1,013) Measure B, granting an exception to this ordinance so that a Lowe's home improvement warehouse could be built on the west side of U.S. 101. In order to cope with declining revenue, the City instituted a series of budget cuts, starting in 2007. As of August 2009,

192-549: A cabin near Crane Creek . After the natives burned it, he retreated south to Mill Valley . In July 1844, the Mexican government granted Rancho Cotate (encompassing present-day towns of Cotati, Penngrove and Rohnert Park, and home to Coast Miwok people) to Captain Juan Castaneda, a Mexican military commander from Texas , in payment for his service as a soldier under General Vallejo . The grant took its name from

240-430: A closed landfill , and as of 2006, a hard rock quarry was proposed for it. Americano Creek is dry 4 to 6 months each year. For its first 8 mi (13 km), the stream meanders through a broad valley dominated by agricultural uses, principally cattle grazing . The valley floor is flat and wide, especially at the lower elevations. Due to siltation, virtually no rocks are evident in the streambed. Grazing occurs in

288-558: A family was $ 62,419. Males had a median income of $ 44,771 versus $ 35,779 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 24,206. About 5.3% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line , including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those over age 64. In the 2000 Census, 89% of the residents reported that English was their primary spoken language. 11% reported languages other than English, including Spanish (8%), Italian (1%), French (1%), Russian (1%), and Portuguese (less than 1%). The Cotati Chamber of Commerce

336-538: A political party. The city is served by Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District . Thomas Page Elementary School is the only public school actually located in Cotati. The main high school serving Cotati is Rancho Cotate High School , which is in neighboring Rohnert Park . Sonoma State University , a public college about 1 mi (1.6 km) east of the city limits, has an influence on Cotati. Coast Miwok Too Many Requests If you report this error to

384-606: A sand bar forms at the mouth of the estero, restricting tidal exchange. At other times, tidal influences extend up to 4 miles (6 km) from the mouth. High levels of salinity have been observed in the estero. The Estero Americano is protected by the Estero Americano State Marine Recreational Management Area . Like an underwater park, this marine protected area helps conserve ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems. Two permanent Coast Miwok villages were located on

432-482: Is a business organization that promotes economic prosperity within the City of Cotati through economic development services, business services and community events. The chamber is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) organization funded by membership dues, fundraising projects and donations. Cotati has numerous annual events, many of them organized by its Community and Environment Commission: As of 1995, Cotati had 20.06 acres (8.12 ha) of parks. Cotati parks include: Cotati

480-534: Is also part of the 3rd Senate District , represented by Democrat Bill Dodd , the 12th Assembly District , represented by Democrat Damon Connolly , and Sonoma County's 2nd Supervisorial district. According to the California Secretary of State , as of February 10, 2019, Cotati has 4,506 registered voters. Of those, 2,365 (52.5%) are registered Democrats , 701 (15.6%) are registered Republicans , and 1,175 (26.1%) have declined to state

528-554: Is also surrounded by agricultural uses. However, the channel becomes better separated from grazing areas. The estero itself is a federally protected area. Flow rates are highly seasonal with the heaviest flows occurring in the rainy winter months. Water testing of Americano Creek and Estero has generally found pH (acidity) levels in the range of 7.5 to 8.0, which satisfies the guidelines in the State of California Basin Plan. In some years,

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576-519: Is crossed in three places: Valley Ford-Franklin School Road, Highway One, and Slaughter House Road. All three crossing are concrete continuous slab structures. The State Route 1 bridge, built in 1925, is 144 ft (43.9 m) long and located near milepost 50.47. The Valley Ford-Franklin School bridge, built in 1961, is 198 ft (60.4 m) long. The Slaughter House Road bridge, built in 1990,

624-628: Is governed by a city council with five members, who serve four-year terms. Each year, council members elect a mayor and vice mayor from among themselves. Municipal election are held in November during even-numbered years. The city has its own police department. With respect to the United States House of Representatives , Cotati is in California's 4th congressional district , represented by Democrat Mike Thompson . Cotati

672-615: Is now known as Rancho Cañada de Jonive , while Dawson and McIntosh settled upon Rancho Estero Americano . Rancho Cañada de Pogolimi was a Mexican land grant given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to María Antonia Cazares, widow of James Dawson. The Ebabias Creek tributary is shown on a diseño of the Rancho Cañada de Pogolimi grant in 1844 but the possible Indian origin has not been determined. Bridges cross Americano Creek in three locations: Gericke Road, Roblar Road and Valley Ford Road. The newest of these, built in 1985,

720-469: Is only 75 ft (22.9 m) long. Cotati, California Cotati ( / k oʊ ˈ t ɑː t iː / ; Miwok : Kota’ti ) is an incorporated city in Sonoma County, California , United States, located approximately 45 mi (70 km) north of San Francisco in the 101 corridor between Rohnert Park and Petaluma . Cotati's population as of the 2020 Census was 7,584, making it

768-563: Is the 73 ft (22.3 m) long concrete slab structure at Valley Ford Road, 3.6 mi (5.8 km) east of the junction with State Route 1 . The oldest of these, built in 1964, is the Roblar Road crossing, a 27 ft (8.2 m) concrete culvert situated 0.7 mi (1.1 km) east of Valley Ford Road. The Gericke Road bridge is a 107 ft (32.6 m) long concrete continuous slab built in 1972 about 0.2 mi (300 m) south of Valley Ford Road. The Estero Americano

816-641: Is water. The city is about 17 mi (27 km) from the Pacific Ocean. It lies entirely in the drainage basin of the Laguna de Santa Rosa . The Petaluma River watershed begins just south of town. To the west is the Stemple Creek watershed. The sources of all three watercourses lie in the hilly area between Stony Point Road and U.S. 101, just west of town. A gap in the coastal ridges near Petaluma often allows coastal fog to reach Cotati in

864-797: The Rodgers Creek Fault (5 mi or 8 km east) and the Tolay Fault. To the west of Cotati is wetland habitat for Sebastopol meadowfoam , Pitkin Marsh lily , Showy Indian clover , and several other endangered species . The 2020 United States census reported that Cotati had a population of 7,592, The racial makeup of Cotati was 5,997 (79.6%) White , 1,412 (18.6%) Hispanic , 83 (1.1%) African American , 15 (0.2%) Native American , 182 (2,4%) Asian , 151 (2%) Pacific Islander , and 698 (9.8%) two or more races . There were 2,828 households out of which 772, (27%) had children under

912-506: The census of 2000, there were 6,471 people, 2,532 households, and 1,607 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,444/sq mi (1,329/km ). There were 2,585 housing units at an average density of 1,376 per square mile (531/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 83.56% White , 2.33% African American , 0.90% Native American , 3.60% Asian , 0.23% Pacific Islander , 4.40% from other races , and 4.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.52% of

960-679: The cession of California to the United States following the Mexican-American War , the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo provided that the land grants would be honored. As required by the Land Act of 1851, a claim for Rancho Cotati was filed with the Public Land Commission in 1852, and the grant was patented to Thomas Stokes Page, February 18, 1858, for 17,238.60 acres. The landholding remained in

1008-471: The 1979 ordinance was repealed by Cotati voters in 1998, it was replaced with a more limited ordinance aimed at mobile home parks. At the present time, eight of the nine incorporated areas in Sonoma County have rent control for mobile home parks, the exception being Healdsburg . In 1990, Cotati citizens voted to impose a limit on future annexation of land by the city. This was followed in 1997 by

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1056-482: The City expected to run out of money in its General Fund within a year. In April 2010, Cotati voters passed Measure A, which imposed a 0.5% sales tax for five years. In June 2014, they passed Measure G (by a vote of 922 to 808) to increase the city sales tax to 1%. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 1.89 sq mi (4.9 km ), 0.53% of which

1104-535: The Coast Miwok village of Kotati. However, a legend arose that Rancho Cotate was named after a Pomo chief named Cotati, and in 1973 the state perpetuated this legend on the historical marker it placed in the plaza. Rancho Cotate consisted of 17,238.6 acres (6,976.2 ha). Captain Castaneda moved to San Francisco and never developed Rancho Cotate. Because he failed to fulfill the legal requirements of

1152-666: The Cotati Depot in 1907. It was located near the East Cotati Avenue crossing, almost 1 mi (1.6 km) east of the plaza. It was demolished to make way for Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit 's Cotati station . Prior to 1915, the major north–south roads (Petaluma Hill Road and Stony Point Road) bypassed Cotati. In that year, the state routed the Redwood Highway (part of U.S. Route 101 ) onto

1200-576: The Cotati Police Department until September 3, 2003, when the department moved into a new building next door. The Cotati Speedway, a wooden oval track for automobile racing, was built near the depot around 1921. It was about 1.25 mi (2 km) in circumference. World records were set there, but it failed in its first season and was torn down in 1922. In 1927, the Cotati Volunteer Fire Department

1248-909: The Estero Americano: one named Uli-yomi at the head of the estero, and another named Awachi at its mouth. The earliest Spanish maps show the creek and its estuary as Estero Americano . At the time of the Russian colony at Fort Ross , the Americano Creek was known as the Avacha River . To counter the Russian settlement General Vallejo sent three "Americanos", Edward McIntosh, James Black (1810–1870), and James Dawson, to settle just southeast of Bodega Bay . These three men came to California as sailors with Captain John B.R. Cooper , brother-in-law of General Vallejo. Black settled upon what

1296-576: The Page family for over eighty years. Subject to seasonal flooding from the Laguna de Santa Rosa, the land was used to graze cattle and sheep. In October 1870, the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad completed the first railroad from Petaluma to Santa Rosa , and a town formed around the wood and water stop called Page's Station , then Cotati . Cotati's hexagonal plaza and street grid plan

1344-508: The United States, is California Historical Landmark number 879. The other U.S. city with a hexagonal layout is Detroit, Michigan . The Coast Miwok civilization thrived in the Cotati area since at least 2000 BC , with principal villages built near major streams. Documented villages in the area included Lumen-takala (northeast of present-day Cotati), Payinecha (west of present-day Cotati), and Kotati . In 1827, an Irishman named John Thomas Reed ventured into Miwok territory and built

1392-461: The age of 18 living in them. There were 1,670 families with an average family size of 3.49. Housing units were 59.7% owner-occupied and 43.3% were renter-occupied. The average household size was 2.68 people. The population is made up by 1,617 people (21.3%) under the age of 18, 731 people (9.6%) aged 18 to 24, 2,408 people (31.6%) aged 25 to 44, 1,771,people (23.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,076 (14.2%) people who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

1440-416: The average family size was 3.05. The population was distributed, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 35.6% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males. The median income for a household was $ 52,808, and the median income for

1488-562: The creek flows westward past the small community of Bloomfield , paralleling Valley Ford Road, and passes under State Route 1 , known locally as "Highway 1" or "the Shoreline Highway", at which point it begins to define the Sonoma-Marin county line. Just west of the highway, the watercourse 's official name changes to Estero Americano . It meanders past the town of Valley Ford . Valley Ford-Franklin School Road crosses at

Americano Creek - Misplaced Pages Continue

1536-429: The creek non-navigable. Pollutants found at hazardous level in the creek have included fecal bacteria , copper , ammonia , and zinc . The creek's headwaters area is a historic habitat for a number of rare and endangered species including Sebastopol meadowfoam, Limnanthes vinculans ; showy Indian clover, Trifolium amoenum ; and Pitkin Marsh lily , Lilium pardolinum ssp pitkinese . This area also contains

1584-567: The grant, he lost control of the rancho, which passed to Thomas Larkin and then to Joseph Ruckle. In 1849, Ruckle sold the land to Dr. Thomas Stokes Page, a former resident of Valparaíso , Chile, for $ 1,600. Rancho Cotate was recorded in California state records as follows: Cotate #65, Sonoma Co., Grant of 4 sq. leagues made in 1844 by Gov. Micheltorena to Juan Casteneda . Confirmed in 1846. Patent for 17,238 acres (6,976 ha) issued in 1858 to Thos. S. Page. In T 5-6N, R 7-8W, MDM. With

1632-407: The last bridge across the estero. Shortly thereafter, Ebabias Creek enters from the north. The last 6 mi (10 km) of the estero are virtually without road access or visibility from public roads. The estero continues to define the county boundary until it reaches the coast, where it empties into Bodega Bay about 4 mi (6 km) southeast of the town of Bodega Bay . Its mouth lies near

1680-594: The least populous incorporated community in Sonoma County. Like all of Sonoma County, Cotati is included in both the San Francisco Bay Area and North Coast . Located in the Sonoma Coast AVA , Cotati can also be considered part of Wine Country . E & J Gallo Winery operates a 400-acre (160 ha) vineyard called Two Rock Vineyard in the hills west of town. Cotati's hexagonal downtown plaza, one of only two hexagonal town layouts in

1728-428: The mostly unpaved Cotati Boulevard. U.S. 101 passed through the downtown plaza until 1955, when the highway was rerouted further west. U.S. 101 still bisects Cotati, and the former route is called Old Redwood Highway. In February 1921, the old schoolhouse at 201 West Sierra burned down. A new school built on the same site opened in 1922. This building has served as City Hall since 1971. The rear of this building housed

1776-776: The north end of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary . California's 1994 water quality report designated all of Americano Creek and most of the Estero Americano as "impaired" streamways as defined in section 303(d) of the Federal Water Resource Statutes, due to runoff from pasture land and feedlots. As recently as 1987, a single gully near Americano Creek released 4,000 tons/year of sediment , contributing to flooding in downstream communities and making

1824-515: The passage of AB ( Assembly Bill) 1164, known as the Costa/Hawkins Bill. At the time, Cotati was one of five cities in California with "strong rent control " laws which included vacancy control. (The other cities were West Hollywood , Santa Monica , Berkeley and East Palo Alto ). The Costa/Hawkins bill made it impossible for California municipalities to enforce vacancy control, except in special cases like mobile home parks . When

1872-595: The population lived in households and 0.1% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters. There were 2,978 households, out of which 941 (31.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,214 (40.8%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 399 (13.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 161 (5.4%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 259 (8.7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 35 (1.2%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . 812 households (27.3%) were made up of individuals, and 215 (7.2%) had someone living alone who

1920-406: The population. There were 2,532 households, out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and

1968-432: The streambed itself, putting pathogens directly into the water. During the rainy season (November to April), this bottomland consists in places of an expansive marshy area. Most native wetland vegetation has been destroyed by ongoing grazing. Grazing is so intense that cattle are seen wading in a broad marshy streambed over 16 in (40 cm) deep and over 300 ft (100 m) wide. The lower reach of Americano Creek

Americano Creek - Misplaced Pages Continue

2016-560: The summer, giving it a marine climate that is noticeably cooler and less sunny than the "coastal" climates of nearby Santa Rosa and Sebastopol . Cotati averages fewer than 800 hours per growing season in the 70–90 °F (21–32 °C) range. The soils of the Cotati area are characterized by recent alluvial materials, explicitly those areas bordering the Laguna de Santa Rosa and its tributary Washoe Creek . These materials are largely stream and valley alluvium , with artificial fill in some areas. Active faults near Cotati include

2064-471: Was 36.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males. There were 3,143 housing units at an average density of 1,669.0 per square mile (644.4/km ), of which 59.1% were owner-occupied and 40.9% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.6%. 59.3% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 40.6% lived in rental housing units. As of

2112-520: Was 37.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.9 males. The 2010 United States Census reported that Cotati had a population of 7,265. The population density was 3,857.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,489.5/km ). The racial makeup of Cotati was 5,929 (81.6%) White , 1,255 (17.3%) Hispanic , 122 (1.7%) African American , 75 (1.0%) Native American , 283 (3.9%) Asian , 30 (0.4%) Pacific Islander , 427 (5.9%) from other races , and 399 (5.5%) from two or more races. The Census reported that 99.9% of

2160-413: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44. There were 1,774 families (59.6% of all households); the average family size was 2.97. The population was spread out, with 1,591 people (21.9%) under the age of 18, 871 people (12.0%) aged 18 to 24, 2,060 people (28.4%) aged 25 to 44, 2,130 people (29.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 613 people (8.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

2208-555: Was designed during the 1890s by Newton Smyth as an alternative to the traditional grid. Dr. Thomas Page's barn once stood where the plaza is today, and each of the streets surrounding the plaza is named after one of his sons. In 1892, the Page family created the Cotati Land Company to subdivide their ranch into parcels of five to twenty acres (two to eight hectares). By 1901, good land was selling for $ 30 to $ 60 per acre. Page family ownership ended in 1944. The Cotati area

2256-522: Was organized. Since 1993, Cotati has been part of the Rancho Adobe Fire Protection District. A local weekly newspaper called The Cotatian was established by E. A. Little in 1944 and lasted until 1964. The current local paper is The Community Voice , published in neighboring Penngrove . On July 2, 1963, less than a year after the incorporation of the lands north of town to form Rohnert Park , voters approved (by

2304-475: Was shaken up by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake . After the quake, Drury Butler reported that "the chimneys were as a rule thrown down". In particular, the Stony Point School at 38°20′36″N 122°44′30″W  /  38.34325°N 122.74166°W  / 38.34325; -122.74166  ( Stony Point School ) suffered a chimney failure. The Northwestern Pacific Railroad built

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