Santa Rosa Planning Commission Regular Meeting - March 13, 2025
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Santa Rosa Planning Commission Regular Meeting - March 13, 2025
The Santa Rosa Planning Commission met on March 13, 2025, at 4:30 PM in the Council Chamber. The meeting included a presentation on the Active Transportation Plan update, and public hearings on the Dutton Avenue Development Project and a Housing Element Amendment. All items were recommended to the City Council. The meeting adjourned at 5:36 PM.
Presentation: Santa Rosa Active Transportation Plan Update
- Transportation Planner Torina Wilson presented the update to the 2018 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, now renamed the Active Transportation Plan (ATP). The public review draft was released on March 3, 2025, with public comment accepted through March 31, 2025. Wilson highlighted the plan's focus on safety, equity, and "all ages and abilities" infrastructure. The plan includes goals of making safety the default, and prioritizes projects based on safety, health equity, transit access, demand, connectivity, feasibility, and coordination with pavement maintenance. Phase 1 engagement received almost 500 comments and 2,000 interactions. The plan is expected to go to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board in May and to the City Council in June 2025. Commissioners asked questions about lighting, project prioritization metrics, specific projects like the Jennings/SMART crossing and Humboldt Street bike boulevard, and clarification on mileage numbers. No public comments were received.
Public Hearings: Dutton Avenue Development Project
- Item 11.1(a): A request for a General Plan Amendment (GPAM24-002) and Rezoning (REZ24-002) for a 5.95-acre parcel at 3150 Dutton Avenue, from Medium Density Residential (R-3-18) to General Industrial (IG), to allow future industrial development. The site was previously designated residential in 2006 due to a planned SMART station that is no longer planned. The project includes an Addendum to a 2018 Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) per CEQA. Staff received three written comments, with concerns about industrial/residential proximity and support for industrial use. The 2023-2031 Housing Element listed the site for 86 moderate-income units, which will be offset in the upcoming General Plan 2050 update on a site on Acacia Lane within 180 days of Council action. The Planning Commission voted 5-0 to adopt three resolutions recommending the Council:
- Adopt the Addendum to the MND (Resolution PC-RES-2025-003).
- Approve the General Plan Amendment to General Industry (Resolution PC-RES-2025-004).
- Approve the Rezoning to IG (Resolution PC-RES-2025-005).
- Commissioners expressed support, noting the logical return to industrial use, with Commissioner Cisco recalling the 2006 denial that was overturned by Council.
Public Hearings: Housing Element Amendment
- Item 11.1(b): An update to the 2023-2031 Housing Element to reflect a transfer of 641 Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) units from Sonoma County to the City following the annexation of 34.93 acres at Lance Drive. The transfer was agreed upon with the county and includes 34 very low-income units and 607 above moderate-income units, matching the approved Lance Drive project. Two clerical errors were corrected: the title of Table 5-2 and a mathematical error in Table 5-11. The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) confirmed the amendment maintains substantial compliance. The Planning Commission voted 5-0 to adopt Resolution PC-RES-2025-006 recommending the Council approve the amendment.
Commission Business
- The Commission approved the minutes of February 27, 2025, as submitted.
- Vice Chair Duggan reported on the Planning Commissioners Academy and Brown Act training.
- The Commission recognized former Commissioner Julian Peterson for his seven years of service.
No public comments were made on any agenda or non-agenda items throughout the meeting.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, everyone. Um I'd like to call the March thirteenth, twenty twenty five meeting of the Planning Commission to order, and can you please call roll? Thank you, Chair. Commissioner Carter. Here. Commissioner Sisko. Here. Commissioner Horton is absent. Commissioner Pardeaux is absent. Commissioner Sanders. Here. Vice Chair Duggan. Here. Chair Weeks? Here. Let the record reflect that all Commissioners are present with the exception of Commissioner Horton and Commissioner Pardau. Thank you. And so with that, we have no remote participation. And we have uh one set of minutes from February twenty seventh. Are there any changes, corrections, additions? Okay, seeing none, those uh will be approved. And I do we have any public comments on the minutes? If so, please make your way to the podium. Seeing none, I will go ahead and close the public comment on the minutes and we'll move it on to uh public comment on non-agenda matters. Um this is a time when any person may address the commission on matters that are not listed on the agenda but which are within the subject matter jurisdiction. If you have any comments, please make your way to the podium. Seeing no one, I will go ahead and close the public comment and move on to uh item five commission business. Uh the planning commission is charged with carrying out the California planning and zoning laws in the city of Santa Rosa. Duties include implement 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 map, and undertaking special planning studies as needed. So with that we'll move on to five point two commissioner reports. Are there any reports, Vice Chair? Um yes, this last week. Um all of us, including some staff attended the planning commissioners academy put on by the League of California Cities, and this year it was held at the Hyatt Regency Sonoma here in Santa Rosa. And it was wonderful to be able to walk or bike to the venue and then get home for dinner. Um but it was a wonderful academy. We had all sorts of different sessions, including the one that um Chair Weeks and I participated in on when meetings go sideways. And then um earlier this week we also had a Brown Act and uh board and commission orientation training that I think maybe four of us attended. And that was um lots of good information. Thank you. Any other comments so with that I would like to welcome former commissioner and hopefully in the future, Commissioner. Julian Peterson. I guess come come come on down, Julian. Uh Julian was uh planning commissioner for four years, maybe a little more than four years. I should have that oh my gosh, way more than four years. Seven years. Um I loved serving with Julian, he was vice chair for a while, I think two years or three years. Um I always loved also following Julian because he always could say s things so succinctly and clearly. It was just like ditto. So Julian, uh thank you so much for your service. Um and I know it's not gonna be the last we see of you when those little ones get a little older.
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