Sonoma County Debates Saying No to Noel

Christmas carols are fine, as long as there’s no singing after sundown, a group of Sea Ranch residents say.

The group opposes plans for the community’s annual sing-along at a historic barn, citing county regulations that say the event must end by sundown.

The carolers plan to go to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Tuesday to ask for special permission to allow the Dec. 21 event to continue until 7 p.m. as planned.

“We really are talking about Scrooge here,” said Susan Clark, a member of the Sea Ranch Board of Directors and one of the key supporters of the Christmas event. “There are only a very few who have protested. The rest of the community is very supportive, but some just don’t want to have singing or anything else going on in the barn.”

John McChesney, who heads the opposition, contends the issue isn’t about caroling. He worries that if an exception is granted, more will follow.

“I’m not against Christmas and I’m not against Christmas carols,” McChesney said. “But I’m afraid we’ve been caught in a marvelous PR trap. No matter what we say, we’re the Grinch.”

The barn, which dates back to the late 1800s, is owned in common by Sea Ranch residents, many of whom helped with a long and expensive restoration project. The structure is a federally recognized historic landmark.

Last spring, the Sea Ranch board applied to the county for a use permit that would allow different functions at the barn. The Board of Zoning Adjustments granted the permit but limited the number of events to 24 a year. It also limited events to daylight hours.

But Clark said that was an oversight, because the popular Christmas sing has been held at the barn for the last two years.

Supervisor Ernie Carpenter said he could not understand how anyone could object to the event.

“Get a life,” he said. “The event bothers no one. There aren’t even any homes anywhere near the barn. But there are people in Sea Ranch who are bright, have a lot of resources, and have a lot of time on their hands. That’s a dangerous combination.”