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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Santa Rosa Planning Commission Regular Meeting – July 22, 2021

Planning Commission — Thursday, July 22, 2021

BodySanta Rosa, California

SessionPlanning Commission

DateThursday, July 22, 2021

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 2:06:49

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:23

Okay, um Patty, is everything ready?

0:30

We are ready to go.

0:32

Okay, thanks.

0:43

I was gonna say there's not seven of us, but there's not seven of us, is there?

0:47

So okay.

0:49

Okay.

0:50

Um I would like to call to order uh the July 22nd, 2021 meeting of the Santa Rosa Planning Commission.

0:59

Before we start, I'd like to read the following statement.

1:02

Due to the provisions of the governor's executive orders N25-20 and N29-20, which suspend certain requirements of the Brown Act and the order of the health officer of the County of Sonoma to shelter in place to minimize the spread of COVID 19.

1:20

The planning commissioners will be conducting today's meeting in a virtual setting using Zoom webinar.

1:26

Commissioners and staff are participating from remote locations and are practicing appropriate social distancing.

1:32

Members of the public may view and listen to the meeting as noted on the city's website and as noted on the agenda.

1:39

Members of the public wishing to speak during item four, the public comment period or during our public hearings will be able to do so by raising their hand and will be given the ability to address the commission.

1:51

So with that, um madam host, I'd like to ask you for roll call.

1:59

Okay, let's go ahead and do a roll call.

2:03

Um we'll start out with uh Commissioner O'Creppy O'Krepke.

2:09

Here.

2:10

Commissioner Holton?

2:13

Commissioner uh Dugan.

2:18

Here.

2:19

Commissioner Carter.

2:21

Here.

2:23

Uh Commissioner Peterson.

2:28

And Chair Weeks.

2:29

Here.

2:30

Let the record show that all commissioners are present.

2:34

Thank you.

2:34

And that voice you hear is Stephen Brown, who's going to be sitting in today for Mike Maloney.

2:42

Thank you.

2:44

Um, so with that, uh item two, steady session.

2:47

We don't have a study session.

2:49

Item three, we do have three sets of minutes, uh, June 10th, June 24th, and July 8th.

2:57

Uh are there any changes or corrections or additions?

3:02

Okay, seeing uh all shaking heads, no.

3:08

Um those uh minutes would will uh stand as approved.

3:14

Uh item four is a public comment period.

3:17

I will now open the public comment for any item not included in this meeting's agenda.

3:23

If you wish to make a comment via Zoom, please select the raise hand button.

3:28

If you are dialing via telephone, please dial star nine to raise your hand.

3:33

Each speaker will have three minutes and a countdown timer will appear for the convenience of the speaker and the viewers.

3:41

Please make sure to unmute yourself when you are invited to do so.

3:45

And your microphone will be muted at the end of the countdown.

3:51

Mr.

3:53

Brown, do we see anybody who have their hands up?

4:06

Chair Weeks, I do not see any hands up at this point.

4:10

Thank you very much.

4:12

Uh so with that, I will go ahead and close the public comment period.

4:17

Um, then we'll move on to item five.

4:21

And 5.1 is our statement of purpose.

4:26

The planning commission is charged with carrying out the California planning and zoning laws in the city of Santa Rosa.

4:32

Duties include implementing of plans, ordinances, and policies relating to land use matters, assisting in writing and implementing the general plan and area plans, holding public hearings, and acting on proposed changes to the zoning code, zoning map, general plan, tentative subdivision maps, and undertaking of special planning studies as needed.

4:55

So item 5.2 is uh committee reports.

5:00

Uh Mr.

5:00

Carter, do you have any report on this uh waterways advisory committee?

5:07

Not today.

5:08

Thank you.

5:10

Uh and then uh item 5.3 is commissioner report.

5:14

Uh is any do any commissioners have anything they would like to report.

5:20

Okay.

5:22

Um I have a few things.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Planning And Zoning██████████████████████████████████34%

Procedural████████████████████20%

Cannabis Regulation███████████████████19%

Transportation Safety██████6%

Parking Management█████5%

Public Comment████4%

Personnel Matters████4%

Public Hearing████4%

Housing█1%

Summary of Proceedings

Santa Rosa Planning Commission Regular Meeting – July 22, 2021

The Santa Rosa Planning Commission met virtually via Zoom on July 22, 2021, at 4:00 PM. The meeting included approval of prior meeting minutes, commissioner reports, and four public hearings: a setback variance for a fire rebuild, two rezoning requests, and a conditional use permit for a cannabis dispensary. Chair Weeks reordered the agenda to accommodate abstentions, placing the dispensary item last. The meeting adjourned at 6:17 PM.

Consent Calendar

Approved draft minutes from June 10, June 24, and July 8, 2021, as submitted (unanimous).

Public Comments & Testimony

No public comments were made during the general public comment period.
On the Eggert Rezone (1434 Peterson Lane), William Van Aslan of 1414 Peterson Lane spoke in opposition, citing concerns about on-street parking overflow, traffic safety at the Peterson Lane/Sagebrush Drive intersection, and the size and privacy impact of proposed two-story homes.
On the Warren Residence variance, no public testimony was heard; staff noted that one neighbor expressed support for the rebuild during a site visit.
On the 1225 Fulton Road Rezoning, two email correspondences from neighbors were received in support of the day care facility.
On the Green Pen Dispensary, no members of the public testified during the hearing; however, public correspondence submitted prior included concerns about crime, traffic, and proximity to schools.

Discussion Items

1. Warren Residence Tubbs Fire Rebuild – Setback Variance (ZV20-003) – 3523 Coffey Meadow Place

Request to reconstruct a two-story home destroyed in the 2017 Tubbs Fire, allowing the second story to encroach 5 feet into the required 10-foot side yard setback on both sides.
Senior Planner Susie Murray presented: the lot is narrow; several existing homes in the same Planned Development (PD) district have similar vertical construction at the five-foot setback. The variance is needed because the city's resilient city measures did not waive the second-story setback requirement.
Commissioners visited the site; all six found they could make the required five findings for approval. No opposition.
Motion by Commissioner Okrepkie, seconded by Vice Chair Peterson. Approved unanimously (6-0).

2. Eggert Rezone (REZ21-001) – 1434 Peterson Lane

Request to rezone a residential lot from R-1-9 (minimum 9,000 sq ft) to R-1-6 (minimum 6,000 sq ft) to allow a future two-lot minor subdivision and development of a single-family home on each lot.
Associate Planner Kristinae Toomians presented: the 12,800+ sq ft lot is surrounded by R-1-6 properties to the north and west; the rezoning is consistent with the General Plan's low-density residential designation. Late correspondence from Robert and Cindy Tancreto (1402 Peterson Lane) raised concerns about on-street parking and speeding traffic.
Public speaker William Van Aslan opposed, citing parking, traffic, and privacy concerns.
Commissioners clarified that the rezoning only changes the zoning designation; any future subdivision would require a separate public hearing before the Subdivision Committee. All found the rezoning consistent with the General Plan and not detrimental to public welfare.
Motion by Vice Chair Peterson, seconded by Commissioner Okrepkie. Recommended to City Council (6-0).

3. City of Santa Rosa – 1225 Fulton Road Rezoning (REZ20-004)

City-initiated rezoning from PD (Planned Development) to RR (Rural Residential) to allow a permanent child day care facility in a former church building. No new construction is proposed.
Associate Planner Kristinae Toomians presented: the property currently operates under a temporary use permit; the rezoning aligns with the General Plan's rural residential designation. Two emails from neighbors expressed support for the day care. The city-owned site also includes a planned sewer lift station, which will remain.
No public testimony. Commissioners found the rezoning appropriate and noted the need for child care.
Motion by Commissioner Duggan, seconded by Commissioner Holton. Recommended to City Council (6-0).

4. Green Pen Dispensary (CUP18-080) – 349 and 353 College Avenue

Resubmittal of a revised conditional use permit for a cannabis retail dispensary and delivery (State License Type 10) in an existing 2,943 sq ft building at 353 College Avenue, with a 25% parking reduction. The revised project incorporates the adjacent property at 349 College Avenue (burned in 2020) for five additional parking spaces, bringing the total on-site parking to nine spaces (plus two spaces retained for the existing office at 349 College). The building is in the Ridgway Historic Preservation District (GC-H zoning).
Interim Senior Planner Adam Ross presented: earlier version was denied in 2019 (2-2 vote); revised circulation plan provides a one-way entrance from Glenn Street and a right-turn-only exit onto College Avenue to reduce neighborhood traffic. A focused traffic study (July 1, 2021) found the project would generate fewer than 50 new peak-hour trips and that the site screens out of VMT analysis. Staff recommended modifying Condition 15 to restrict no more than 50% of the nine spaces to 30-minute parking (instead of all nine) to ease enforcement.
Applicant representatives Brian Dombrowski, Dennis Hunter, and engineer Cameron Nye (WTrans) spoke: highlighted community engagement (removing planter box, painting building neutral colors, new fence for neighbor), complementary parking demand with the adjacent office use, and a successful similar operation at another dispensary. They offered to provide employee parking stipends for off-site parking.
Commissioners discussed parking enforcement and employee off-site parking. Commissioner Holton initially proposed a friendly amendment to require a full-cost stipend for employee parking in Condition 20, but withdrew after learning conditions run with the land and could bind future less-intensive uses. The commission agreed with staff's recommendation on Condition 15.
Motion by Commissioner Duggan, seconded by Commissioner Carter, with Condition 15 modified as recommended (no more than 50% of parking spaces to be signed for 30-minute parking). Approved (4-0-2; Vice Chair Peterson and Commissioner Okrepkie abstained).

Key Outcomes

Warren Residence Variance: Approved (6-0).
Eggert Rezone: Recommended to City Council (6-0). Future subdivision requires additional public hearing.
1225 Fulton Road Rezoning: Recommended to City Council (6-0). The day care operator may apply for a minor use permit in the future.
Green Pen Dispensary: Conditional use permit approved (4-0-2) with amended Condition 15 (no more than 50% of nine parking spaces restricted to 30-minute parking). Condition 20 encourages but does not mandate employee off-site parking.
Commissioner Reports: Chair Weeks announced retirements of Deputy Director Bill Rose (leaving for private sector) and senior staff Patty Pacheco Greg (retiring after 27 years); appointed Commissioner Okrepkie to the Subdivision Committee. Commissioners expressed gratitude for their service.
Staff Reports: Andrew Trippel, Planning Commission liaison, reported on a joint general plan session with City Council and upcoming August 12 meeting where Commissioner Patty Sisko will be seated.

Meeting Transcript

Okay, um Patty, is everything ready? We are ready to go. Okay, thanks. I was gonna say there's not seven of us, but there's not seven of us, is there? So okay. Okay. Um I would like to call to order uh the July 22nd, 2021 meeting of the Santa Rosa Planning Commission. Before we start, I'd like to read the following statement. Due to the provisions of the governor's executive orders N25-20 and N29-20, which suspend certain requirements of the Brown Act and the order of the health officer of the County of Sonoma to shelter in place to minimize the spread of COVID 19. The planning commissioners will be conducting today's meeting in a virtual setting using Zoom webinar. Commissioners and staff are participating from remote locations and are practicing appropriate social distancing. Members of the public may view and listen to the meeting as noted on the city's website and as noted on the agenda. Members of the public wishing to speak during item four, the public comment period or during our public hearings will be able to do so by raising their hand and will be given the ability to address the commission. So with that, um madam host, I'd like to ask you for roll call. Okay, let's go ahead and do a roll call. Um we'll start out with uh Commissioner O'Creppy O'Krepke. Here. Commissioner Holton? Commissioner uh Dugan. Here. Commissioner Carter. Here. Uh Commissioner Peterson. And Chair Weeks. Here. Let the record show that all commissioners are present. Thank you. And that voice you hear is Stephen Brown, who's going to be sitting in today for Mike Maloney. Thank you. Um, so with that, uh item two, steady session. We don't have a study session. Item three, we do have three sets of minutes, uh, June 10th, June 24th, and July 8th. Uh are there any changes or corrections or additions? Okay, seeing uh all shaking heads, no. Um those uh minutes would will uh stand as approved. Uh item four is a public comment period. I will now open the public comment for any item not included in this meeting's agenda. If you wish to make a comment via Zoom, please select the raise hand button. If you are dialing via telephone, please dial star nine to raise your hand. Each speaker will have three minutes and a countdown timer will appear for the convenience of the speaker and the viewers. Please make sure to unmute yourself when you are invited to do so. And your microphone will be muted at the end of the countdown. Mr. Brown, do we see anybody who have their hands up? Chair Weeks, I do not see any hands up at this point. Thank you very much. Uh so with that, I will go ahead and close the public comment period. Um, then we'll move on to item five. And 5.1 is our statement of purpose. The planning commission is charged with carrying out the California planning and zoning laws in the city of Santa Rosa.

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