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The new Roundabout will have a major visual impact on our beloved downtown. Public Works has asked us to give them design input for the center portion of the Roundabout. Do we want to make a strong statement about our hometown identity? Or perhaps we would prefer just pleasant landscaping in the center of the Roundabout. Let us know what you want!

This is a computer-generated image created by Sonoma County Public a few months ago. This image was created from a photograph taken on Highway 116 looking west.

You can see Westside Center in the distance on the right. The design shows a redwood tree surrounded by native shrubs at the center of the Roundabout.

This is your blank canvas! What would you like to see in the center of the new Roundabout?

For a larger downloadable image click Roundabout Download. Send us a verbal description of your inspiration for the new Roundabout.

Or even better also send us a sketch. Email your idea(s) to Chairman of the Roundabout Committee

Boulder and Live Oak
Ken Smith superimposed a photograph he took of a live oak growing next to a large boulder onto the Public Works “blank canvas” image. Our local quarries could possibly provide a large boulder or a grouping of boulders for the Roundabout. Perhaps three live oaks in the center of the roundabout would be preferable to just one tree as shown.

Boulder and Valley Oaks
This design is similar to the above Boulder and Live Oak design except three valley oaks replace the live oak. There is concern that the live oak would take too long to mature. A few smaller boulders would be included in the design. Native shrubs and ground cover are used for this design.

This is a sketch for the Roundabout provided by Landscape Architect Cary Bush. Cary and landscape designer-contractor Gerald Dodson worked together on this concept.

They envision a Native Valley Oak “bosque” of five to seven trees with a large rainwater catchment dish and stone “runnel” made from our local quarried stone that directs water to a sump “dissipator” for groundwater saturation.

Cary and Gerald are enthusiastic about the idea of making a statement with the rainwater-collector: that Forestville adopts the combining factors of ecologic function with art.

Rainwater Catchment Design
The dish collects rainwater; the rock wall directs the rainwater down to a specially prepared permeable soil near the end of the rock wall (soil area not visible here).

Coyote bushes cab be seen growing along the edge of the wall. Other native drought-tolerant plants can also be planted.

Three valley oak trees are shown growing in the roundabout, trees that are currently on the nearby Crinella property.

Native grasses grow under the oak trees. Flowers growing among rocks are shown near the outer areas of the roundabout center.

The highest part of the wall will be on the west side of the roundabout circle so that the interior of the roundabout circle will be easily visible from the downtown area.

This higher part of the rock wall will be facing the downhill grade to to lessen the likelihood that an out-of-control vehicle will hit the rock wall.

Vesta Copestakes has a vision of a beautiful natural-looking rock garden for the Roundabout. This rendering was created for the most part from a photo from the boulders and flowers at the boundary of Merillee’s Vineyard on Slusser Road (off River Road not far from Forestville).

The rocks and large boulder will come from our local rock quarries. The mix of native and non-native flowers speak to our love of Nature.

Redwood tree design: We would witness the redwood tree grow over the years at the heart of our community. Eventually the flower rock garden would be given over to redwood sorrel as the redwood roots take over the full extent of the roundabout ground surface.