Three recent incidents in downtown Healdsburg have residents wondering if it’s safe to dine at a parklet or even walk the sidewalks. In all cases, drivers not fully in command of their vehicles were involved in property damage.
Saturday morning, May 23, shortly before 8am, a vehicle jumped the curb on Healdsburg Avenue near the corner of North Street and plowed through the front window of Baci Cafe & Wine Bar at 336 Healdsburg Ave.
The vehicle, a white Honda HR-V, traveled some 40 feet into the restaurant, breaking glass and damaging tables and chairs, according to Baci co-owner Lisbeth Holmefjord. Photos show extensive furniture damage to the dining area and the bar, with the vehicle deep in the main dining room.
Police said the driver was given a breathalyzer test at the scene which came up negative, so alcohol was presumed not to be a factor. The driver indicated he may have lost control when hot coffee spilled inside the car. He was released before the owners arrived.
No one was in the building at the time. When police and fire responded they helped clear the debris and pushed the vehicle back onto the street. A contractor arrived shortly thereafter to board up the opening, and Baci posted a note saying the business would be closed until further notice.
“We are devastated. It’s a very busy time for us,” Holmefjord said. “We don’t know when we will be able to open up; there is structural damage.” But the owners hope to reopen in 6-8 weeks, pending the city inspection.
In the meantime they are running a Go Fund Me campaign so they can pay staff their full salaries and compensate “tipped” employees. It can be found on the business website at bacicafeandwinebar.com.
Parklet Collision
That incident followed by about three weeks the April 24 hit-and-run collision on North Street, just around the corner from Baci. A vehicle described as a black Tesla Model Y, a small SUV model, ran into a parklet built in the parking slot in front of Guiso’s Latin Fusion at 117 North St. The collision occurred about 9:30pm, while customers were still being served their dessert course.
The vehicle, with what witnesses said were a female driver and passenger, left the scene and fled down Healdsburg Avenue to Piper Street, where it turned right. Police put out a search alert for the vehicle, which was found unoccupied a short time later at Piper and Fitch streets.
Though no one was hurt, the parklet was knocked partially off its foundation, and several days later city Building Inspector David Willoughby posted a notice that it needed to be “repaired or demolished as soon as possible.” On May 5, Willoughby’s posted deadline, it was removed.
While an investigation led to a suspect being identified, the police department was at first cautious about bringing charges. “The owner of the vehicle has been identified and identification of the person driving the vehicle at the time of the collision is still under investigation,” said Police Chief Matt Jenkins on May 12.
By May 25, a full month after the incident, the case was finally referred to the DA for charges, according to Dispatch Supervisor Teresa Gruner.
“A potential suspect has been identified, and the information has been sent to the District Attorney’s office for review,” Gruner said. “[They] will ultimately decide whether or not there is enough evidence to proceed with the charges of 20002(A)(1) CVC,” or misdemeanor hit-and-run—fleeing the scene of an accident causing property damage but no physical injuries.
As to the identity of the suspect, said Jenkins, “We will only be able to release the name of the suspect if charges are ultimately filed in the case.”
Pedestrian Crossing
This is what eventually occurred with the March 13 incident, when a silver Tesla ran into a pedestrian alert station on Healdsburg Avenue at the Plaza Street crossing at about 2pm. Witnesses said the driver got out of his car, surveyed the scene and took off. He was later located parked behind the Safeway on Vine street and arrested.
Chad Colebank of Healdsburg, 54, was eventually charged with two counts of driving under the influence and a single count of hit-and-run with property damages. Having agreed to a court-appointed solution, he will appear in court on June 20 for a settlement conference.
Initial estimates on replacing the pedestrian RRFB alert system came to $55,000, though repairing it is not on the city’s calendar as yet. Meanwhile extra warning signs have to suffice for cautious, or incautious, pedestrians and drivers.
An update: Chef Carlos Mojica of Guiso’s Latin Fusion has decided to rebuild his restaurant parklet. Maybe it will keep the traffic out.
