Santa Rosa Planning Commission Regular Meeting - December 12, 2024
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Santa Rosa Planning Commission Regular Meeting - December 12, 2024
The Santa Rosa Planning Commission held a regular meeting on December 12, 2024, at 4:30 PM. The meeting included two public hearings: a state legislation zoning code text amendment to ensure compliance with new state laws, and a proposal to streamline the Landmark Alteration Permit process and consolidate the Cultural Heritage Board and Design Review Board into a single Design Review and Preservation Board. Both items were recommended for City Council adoption. The commission also received a department report on the cancellation of the Woodlands at Chenate EIR scoping meeting.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the November 14, 2024 draft minutes as submitted.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Brian Meuser (past chair, Cultural Heritage Board) spoke in support of the streamlining and consolidation proposal (Item 11.2), but urged making professional qualifications mandatory for the new board, at-large appointments, mandatory training for staff, and reducing or eliminating landmark alteration permit fees.
- Sher Ennis (West End resident) spoke in opposition to the high landmark alteration permit fees, which increased from $1,337 in 2018 to an estimated $8,000–$10,000 in 2024, making simple repairs financially infeasible and discouraging preservation.
- Denise Hill spoke in support of the proposal, emphasizing the need for mandatory training for staff and board members, and recommended that the city pursue Certified Local Government (CLG) status to access grant funding and state resources.
Discussion Items
- Department Report: Deputy Director Jessica Jones reported that the Woodlands at Chenate project EIR scoping meeting scheduled for December 12 was canceled due to a conflict with a Santa Rosa School Closure Committee meeting. The meeting will be rescheduled for after January 5, 2025.
- Item 11.1 – State Legislation Zoning Code Text Amendment: Supervising Planner Amy Nicholson presented amendments to align the city code with 2023-2024 state laws. Key changes include: expanding detached ADU allowances on multifamily properties (up to 8), eliminating owner-occupancy deed restrictions, permitting unpermitted ADUs built before 2020, updating density bonus provisions (including new options for up to 100% density bonus without requiring 100% affordable units), requiring shared parking accommodations under certain conditions, and removing the need for rezoning for housing projects to achieve General Plan consistency. The commission discussed options for regulating ADUs on SB9 properties (staff recommended Option 3 – prohibiting ADUs in high-fire areas and on narrow streets). Questions were clarified on unpermitted ADUs, non-conforming structures, and General Plan consistency.
- Item 11.2 – Landmark Alteration Process Improvements & Board Consolidation: Deputy Director Jones presented proposed amendments to streamline the Landmark Alteration Permit (LMA) process and consolidate the Cultural Heritage Board (CHB) and Design Review Board (DRB) into a single Design Review and Preservation Board (DRPB). The proposal creates a director-level review for minor alterations, expands exemptions, and moves many items from CHB to the zoning administrator. The DRPB would have required qualifications: at least two architects, one landscape professional, and one archaeologist/historian. The commission discussed concerns about professional qualifications, at-large appointments, training for staff and board members, and the high permit fees. The panel noted that fees are not within their purview but would be addressed by the City Council. The commission also discussed the potential for pursuing Certified Local Government status.
Key Outcomes
- Item 11.1 – Resolution PC-2024-026: The commission voted 6-0 (Commissioner Carter absent) to recommend that the City Council adopt the zoning code text amendment to ensure consistency with state law.
- Item 11.2 – Resolution PC-2024-027: The commission voted 5-0-1 (Commissioner Sanders recused, Commissioner Carter absent) to recommend that the City Council adopt the zoning and municipal code amendments to streamline the LMA process and consolidate the CHB and DRB into a single Design Review and Preservation Board.
- Commissioners expressed support for: making the new board an at-large appointment to ensure qualified members; requiring mandatory training for staff (director and zoning administrator) and board members; reducing or eliminating landmark alteration permit fees; and exploring Certified Local Government (CLG) status. These comments were noted for transmittal to the City Council.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, everybody. Uh I'd like to call the December twelfth, twenty twenty four uh meeting of the planning commission to order. Can we have roll please? Thank you, Chair. Commissioner Carter is absent. Commissioner Sisko. Here. Commissioner Pardell. Here. Commissioner Peterson. Here. Commissioner Sanders. Here. Vice Chair Duggan. Here. Chair Weeks. Let the record show that all commissioners are present with the exception of Commissioner Carter. Thank you. Um with that, we oops. We have one set of minutes from the November 14th meeting. Are there any changes to the minutes? Okay. So with that, those will be approved as submitted. Um can I just confirm something with the attorney? If we don't have public comments or comments on an item, do I need to open the public hearing? I noticed the other night at council they only did it when there was a comment. So it never never mind, I'll just do it the way I've been doing it. Sorry. It just is a funny thing to say public comments when there's no public. Um we'll move on to public comment on non-agenda items. We are now taking public comments on item four and non-agenda matters. This is the time when any person may address the commission on matters that are not listed on this agenda, but which are in our subject matter jurisdiction. You would like to make a comment under this item, please make your way to the podium. Seeing no one rise, we'll close the public comment portion and move on to uh commission business. Um our purpose is that we are charged with carrying out the California planning and zoning laws in the city of Santa Rosa. 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 special planning studies as needed. So that would be helpful. So with that, um, we will go ahead and open the public comment period on item 5.2 commissioner report. If you'd like to make a comment on this item, please make your way to the podium. Seeing no one arrives, we'll close this, and then we will move on to department report. Thank you, Chair Weeks, members of the commission. I'm Jessica Jones, Deputy Director of Planning. Um, I just have one thing that I wanted to bring to your attention. Uh the Woodlands at Chenate project, um, which I know all of you are are interested in following. Um, there is a EIR scoping meeting that was planned for Monday evening. Uh we learned uh early this morning that there is a conflict with another important meeting for that area, and the Santa Rosa it is the uh Santa Rosa School Closure Committee meeting is held the same day at the same time and is looking at the potential of closing a school that is in that neighborhood. Um, and so there was some concerns that it would conflict with you know folks wanting to potentially go to both meetings and which one would they attend. So the school uh meeting is not able, they're not able to reschedule that meeting, so uh it's last minute, but we uh went ahead and canceled the EIR scoping meeting for the Woodlands at Chenate project. Um so uh if you are out in the community and talking to folks, uh, if you can help us spread that word, uh, an email went out to the distribution list for that project this afternoon. Our website was updated, um, and we've also contacted so far one of the more active folks in the neighborhood to ask them to help us spread that word.
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