Santa Rosa Planning Commission Regular Meeting – June 12, 2025
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Santa Rosa Planning Commission Regular Meeting – June 12, 2025
The Santa Rosa Planning Commission held a regular meeting on June 12, 2025, at 4:30 PM in the Council Chamber. Chair Karen Weeks presided, with Vice Chair Vicki Duggan, Commissioner Charles Carter, Commissioner Patti Cisco, and Commissioner Miles Horton present. Commissioners Aaron Pardo and Terrence Sanders were absent. The meeting adjourned at 5:10 PM. The primary agenda items were a presentation on the FEMA flood risk mapping project and a public hearing to find the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) consistent with the newly adopted General Plan 2050.
Consent Calendar
- No consent items were presented.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public spoke during public comment periods or public hearings.
Presentation – FEMA Flood Risk Mapping Project
- Claire Myers, Storm Water and Creeks Manager, and Jimmy Bliss, Chief Building Official, presented an update on FEMA’s flood risk mapping for the Santa Rosa Creek watershed. The project is in Phase 2 (analysis and mapping) with preliminary maps expected by the end of June 2025.
- The presentation covered: the definition of Special Flood Hazard Areas (1% annual flood chance), impacts on property owners (potential insurance requirements, stricter building standards), and the multi-step timeline (preliminary release, 90-day appeal period, final determination, effective date around spring 2027).
- The city expressed concerns about properties mapped into floodplains where floodwater stays within creek banks, and a specific disagreement about a Lakeview Drive property being in the 500-year floodplain. FEMA agreed to review these, but updated maps have not been seen.
- City outreach includes a direct mailer, a community meeting with FEMA representatives, and an online FAQ. Insurance discount opportunities (pre-FIRM and newly mapped discounts) were noted, and the city is exploring participation in the Community Rating System to offer up to 45% discounts.
- Commissioner Horton asked how climate change factors into FEMA’s mapping. Myers responded that FEMA uses current data, not forward-looking scenarios; the city’s own flood study included climate scenarios and shows similar but not identical extents.
- Chair Weeks asked about the potential impact of federal efforts to dissolve FEMA. Myers stated that as of the meeting, FEMA is operating business as usual, though they lost their project manager and face new meeting policy restrictions (no in-person travel). FEMA still plans to release maps at month’s end.
- There were no public comments on this item.
Public Hearing – Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Capital Improvement Program Consistency with General Plan 2050
- Sheila Wolski, City Planner, presented the recommended resolution to find 18 new CIP projects consistent with the General Plan 2050. The projects span multiple departments and include:
- Water/sewer line replacement in Montgomery Village
- Traffic signal at Morgan Street & 9th Street; roundabouts at A Street & 6th and A Street & 7th
- Safe Streets and Roads for All (federal grant) projects
- Contingency funds for approved CIP projects
- Reservoir seismic upgrade at Newgate & Fountain Grove Parkway
- Repairs to four high-priority reservoirs
- Conversion of emergency wells to production wells
- Laguna treatment plant gate replacement and bypass piping
- Geyser Pump Station vibration monitoring upgrades
- CIP software tools upgrade
- Reclamation valve condition assessment and mapping
- Permanent fire station at Fire Station 11 (550 Lewis Road)
- Bear Park natural play area replacement
- Environmental assessment for Youth Community Park master plan
- The projects are exempt from CEQA under Guideline 15378 as a consistency determination; each project will undergo separate environmental review later.
- Commissioner Carter asked about the CEQA process for the Youth Community Park master plan. Wolski and Amy Nicholson clarified that the environmental assessment is preliminary and would inform any future CEQA document if a specific project is proposed.
- Commissioner Horton asked why a signal is proposed at 9th & Morgan while roundabouts are planned nearby. Rob Sprinkle, Deputy Director for Traffic Engineering, explained that the roundabouts originated from the 2004 Linkages project and were advanced with the Caritas development; the 9th & Morgan location is too constrained for a roundabout, though the city is increasingly favoring roundabouts.
- Horton also asked about the viability of the Safe Streets federal grant given federal changes. Sprinkle confirmed the grant has been awarded but not yet obligated, and the city is proceeding.
- Chair Weeks opened and closed the public hearing at 5:09 PM; no public comments were offered.
Key Outcomes
- Motion and Vote: Commissioner Cisco moved, and Vice Chair Duggan seconded, to adopt Resolution No. PC-RES-2025-011 finding the 18 new CIP projects consistent with the General Plan 2050. The motion passed unanimously (5-0), with Commissioners Pardo and Sanders absent.
- The approval of the May 8, 2025 draft minutes was deferred to the next meeting (July).
- Chair Weeks noted that the appeal of the Elm Tree Gas Station will go to City Council on August 19, 2025, and reminded commissioners that Merit Award nominations close June 30, 2025.
Meeting Transcript
Okay. Um it is four o'clock. Uh four, excuse me, four thirty. Sorry. Everybody's gonna have to sit here for another half an hour just so you know. Um and I'd like to call the June twelfth meeting of the planning commission to order. And if we could have roll, please. Thank you, Chair. Commissioner Carter. Here. Commissioner Sisko. Here. Commissioner Horton. Here. Commissioner Pardot. Is absent. Commissioner Sanders is absent. Vice Chair Duggan? Here. And Chair Weeks. Here. Let the record reflect that all commissioners are present with the exception of Commissioner Pardot and Commissioner Sanders. Thank you. And we'll move on to item number two. We mount participation. We have none. We have one set of minutes from May eighth. Are there any changes or corrections? I'll abstain because I wasn't here on the eighth. Thank you. And that's okay, because it still gives us four. So thank you. Correct. Yes, we'll move on to the next agenda. Thank you. Okay. So we will move the approval of May the eighth, May eighth minutes to the first meeting in July, because we are not having a second meeting in June, I believe. So that goes on to public comment and non-agenda matters. This is the time if you would like to address the commission on matters not listed on the agenda. Please make your way to the podium. Seeing no one other than staff, which is delightful. Um go ahead and close that. Uh and then we'll uh go on to commission business. The planning commission is charged with carrying out the California planning and zoning laws in the city of Santa Rosa. Duties include implementation 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. And then we'll move on to 5.2 commissioner report. Um I have a couple of things. One is uh the appeal of the Elm Tree Gas Station to the City Council will be going on as of now, and I think this is pretty set, but things can always change as we know on August 19th. And once again, I wanted to mention the merit awards for the City of Santa Rosa, they close on June 30th. So if you have anybody you would like to nominate for a merit award, please go on the city's website and take a look.
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