No.

Okay, everyone.

I'd like to call to order the January eighth of the twenty sixth meeting of the Planning Commission.

And if we could please have rule.

Thank you, Chair.

Commissioner Carter.

Here.

Commissioner Sisko.

Here.

Commissioner Horton is absent.

Commissioner Pardo.

Here.

Commissioner Sanders.

Here.

Vice Chair Duggan.

Here.

Chair Weeks.

Here.

Let the record of the fact that all commissioners are present with the exception of Commissioner Horton.

Thank you.

So we have no remote participation.

We have one set of minutes.

Are there any changes or corrections to the minutes from anybody?

Okay, then those will stand as submitted.

And we'll move on to public comment.

I'm on agenda items.

There's no public here, so no public comments.

And so we'll go to our statement of purpose.

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.

Two commissioner reports.

Any commissioner reports?

Okay.

Um then 5.3.

We have nothing.

Five or item six department report.

Yes, uh, thank you, uh Chair Weeks, members of the Commission.

Um, so I do have a few things here for you.

Um, so I may have mentioned to you uh 2026.

We will be having numerous appeals moving forward.

Um so three that I wanted to make mention to the commission.

Um, one I think might have already mentioned, um, so the Pira Vita project that the Commission reviewed um last year uh has been appealed.

Um we were looking at a meeting date, the first council meeting in March, um, but we will need to reschedule that due to some conflicts with council members' attendance.

Uh so we're working on a date for that.

Um the Lago Fresca project that the commission recently acted on, as did the design review and preservation board.

That project has also been appealed, and it is scheduled for the February 24th council meeting.

Um, and then uh a project that you haven't seen yet but will is a assisted living facility on Benjamin's, and that was reviewed and acted on by the zoning administrator.

Um it is a uh a large um community care facility which is reviewed at the minor use permit level.

I'm forgetting right now how many beds it is, but um, so it went to the zoning administrator.

There was concerns by the neighbors, so it is being appealed to the planning commission, so that will come before you and we're working on a date for that.

Um then uh so that's it for for appeals for now.

Um then just uh a quick um update on our staffing.

Uh just wanted to share with the commission that we had two senior planner vacancies that we were working to fill, and I am pleased to announce that we have filled both of those, one with a promotional um uh from our internal staff, Sheila Walski, who's a city planner here, who we brought over from the town of Windsor back in 2022, uh, is uh has been promoted to senior planner.

Uh of course that leaves her city planner position vacant, so we'll be recruiting for that.

Um and all these vacancies are on our development review team, so they're the planners that you would see come before you with new development projects.

Um then uh Hanna Michelson, uh, who is currently a contract planner.

I think she's come before the board a couple times, uh, or before the commission.

Um we've been lucky enough to snag her permanently, so she will be our our other senior planner coming on board.

Uh so you will be seeing both of them here probably in the near future.

Um and I feel like there was one other thing, but now I can't remember what it was.

So um, oh, I know what it was.

Uh the design review and preservation board.

We have currently to have two vacancies on that board for uh the architect, the two architect positions.

Uh we have just received an application for one of those for a local from a local architect that I hope is will be moving forward here uh in the not too distant future, but that leaves us with still a vacancy with an architect.

So if any of you are aware of any architects living uh in the city that might be interested in joining the board, uh we would appreciate any assistance that you could help us with getting the word out on that.

And that's all I have.

Thank you.

Any questions of staff on that?

Okay.

So then uh any, we'll move on to statements of abstentions or recusal.

Any?

Okay.

Uh no presentations, no consent items, no report items.

Move right in to our public hearing.

Uh it's a housing element implementation, PLN 25-0397.

And Kristen will lead us off.

Oh, I did want to mention that this item was continued from the December 11th, 2025 planning commission meeting.

Good evening, Chair Weeks and fellow members of the board.

Before you today is the housing element implementation package.

Umward to you as part of our housing element of the general plan.

Um, and I will go into the background.

So the housing element is a state-mandated component of the general plan.

Um, this outlines the city's housing needs and goals and policies and programs in an eight-year cycle.

We're currently in the sixth cycle at the moment.

Um, and this project is focusing on implementing two specific housing element programs and then also complying with various state law.

So there's some of the categories that we'll be going over today.

Two of these are the housing element programs.

So one is uh housing element program H6, this is for innovative housing options.

Um, underneath that is tiny homes on wheels and housing co-ops.

I'll go into more detail about all of these as we continue.

The next is housing element program H38, zoning code amendments.

This has a long list of state law requirements that we are trying to become consistent with, and this also focuses largely on group home shared living residences and care facilities.

Uh the next category is accessory dwelling units.

Uh there have been quite a few state laws that were just signed in October, and then we also need to address some of the inconsistencies in our zoning code to also comply with state law.

And then lastly, are some zoning code consistency updates to make sure all of the sections being touched are updated through other ways that they are seen in the zoning code.

So for the timeline for this project, the housing element was adopted on February 14, 2023, a part of the state mandated timeline.

Housing elements can be adopted separately from the general plan.

So as you know, the general plan was also recently adopted for the general plan 2050, and the housing element was once again amended with that.

The project started in July 2024, and then the revisions in June 3rd, 2025.

So the first uh piece we're going over is housing element program H6, which is innovating housing options.

This focuses on exploring innovative and alternative housing options for the to provide greater flexibility and affordability of housing stock.

So this focuses on tiny homes on wheels and housing cooperatives.

So for tiny homes on wheels, these are independent living quarters mounted on a wheel trailer chassis that includes a bathroom, a kitchen, and a sleeping area.

So I'll provide us some photos on the right-hand side.

Uh but here's a list of things that will be for tiny homes.

So they would require a minor conditional use permit and DMV licensing.

Uh design standards look like in conventional residential structure.

They would have a maximum of 400 square feet and 14 feet in height.

There'll be limited to one per property allowed in R and R1 zoning districts.

An existing single family will be required, no impact or connection fees, and not a mobile properties with ADU, but the detached ADU, and they will utilize parking from the existing residents.

They're also supposed to be on a paved surface and have their own specific setbacks.

Tiny homes are not something that are new to the city.

These were part of our resilient city program through temporary housing.

So there have already been several tiny homes around the city.

We just changed the way the ordinance worked and wanted to bring forward another type of ordinance.

Also, that it was something that the housing element really wanted to have tiny homes for residents.

The next part of this housing element program for innovative housing options is housing cooperatives.

So these are basically a type of shared housing, a corporation, a group of people that own the structure, and then they own a share that gives them a chance to live in one of the units.

And they all have ability to vote and work on how they want the residence to be handled.

This is not so much a land use, it is, it's more of an ownership type.

So what we're mainly doing here is adding definitions into the zoning code to really emphasize this type of living accommodation so that people can have more ways to live and more ways to own, because owning has been quite difficult over the past few years.

Going into next is H38.

This is for the long list of zoning code amendments that it listed for various state laws.

So here's the list, and I will go into that now.

So the first is farm worker housing.

So right now, this is known as agricultural employee housing in the zoning code.

This is being updated to reflect several other jurisdictions and how they're dealing with farmworker housing.

And then a lot of the specific details are coming straight from the employee housing state law requirements.

So the first type is a single-family type of residential use.

This would be the farm worker dwelling unit.

You'll typically just see these, they're just normal single-family homes that you'll just see around, and they just happen to be farm workers that are also living there.

The next one is the farm worker housing complex.

This one has a specific section in the in-state law.

This is considered an agricultural use, only to be able to allow a larger multifamily type of use in these agricultural areas that maybe typically don't allow multifamily.

And so these are allowed by right through state law.

And then it's also being offered in zoning districts that allow multifamily uses.

The next one is temporary seasonal farm worker housing.

This is a land use that is only allowed if the crop production, horticulture, and orchard and vineyard land use is existing, and they are required to get a temporary use permit to move forward with this type of housing.

Oh, I wanted to go back real quick.

The farm worker housing complex through the state law allowances, that one would be allowed in the R R and R1 zoning districts, and that is the same for the temporary and seasonal farmworker housing.

The next is the changes to our community care facility and our health care facility section.

So this section is being proposed to be split into two.

So one section will focus on residential care facility, and the other one will be on medical care facility as well.

A medical care health care facility.

So going into this, a residential care facility is a 24-hour non-medical residence that has 24-hour non-medical residential care, and there's three different categories, and these facilities are most commonly found in single-family residences.

So residential care facility licensed large is the facility with seven or more patients, and the care facility small is with six or less patients.

And then the unlicensed care facility is the facility, does not require a license to operate and doesn't have a patient limit.

To go a little further into some of these types, these are all listed in various sections of the state law and various types of different code.

The residential care facility unlicensed is allowed also by right and is covered under the American Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act.

Part of the non-medical aspect of this is it allows incidental medical services.

So for this type of service, this is specifically called out in the code, specifically mainly for the alcohol and other drug facilities.

It has a list of requirements to be considered an incidental medical service to be listed under non-medical type of use.

This has been updated to more closely align with what the code requires.

So it has very specific instances where it is required and then where it is not.

So this has a 300-foot in all direction community care facility of a residential care facility operation.

It has a buffer to reduce the overconcentration of these types of facilities around each other.

And then the exemptions are for the ones listed here, which is for the assisted living facility, alcohol and other drug facility, foster family care home, temporary shelter, and transitional shelter care.

Next is part of this split of the sections is medical service health care facility.

This is more of a long-term medical focus, but still long-term residential medical care.

These facilities are operated as residences and not hospitals.

So this is also going to be split into large and small.

Licensed.

So these type of facilities have different types of over concentration buffers between facilities.

So these facilities, certain ones are listed in a 300-foot, like the immediate care facility and the pediatric day health and respite care, and then the 1,000-foot over concentration buffer has this other list of types of facilities that fit into these.

Moving on to the other updates within this housing package.

There is an error here for supportive housing.

It is actually supposed to say the land use tables are being updated to reflect the state law requirements, and this also incorporates how maybe when a minor use permit and design review is required versus when state law is the thing that is being used for a certain certain type of use.

The next is low barrier navigation center.

So this is a type of emergency shelter also within the government code, and this is being brought into so that we align with the state code.

There are a variety of definition updates made to make some of these land use changes fit in more closely.

Some of these were made to address how modern day housing is utilized.

So we know a lot of bunch of roommates live together, a bunch of people that are living together is not maybe considered a family in how people view in the traditional sense.

But this is how it has been found in both now in state law and case law, and we're trying to update these definitions to align with that and how the reality is now with these types of residences.

Further updates would be for the accessory dwelling unit section of the zoning code.

There are a variety of them.

So the first one is we are clarifying the number of allowable ADUs for single family and multifamily units.

It was a slightly confusing before, and maybe not particularly in alignment with state law, and it is now more closely to what is required and aligns with the also the handbook provided by the State Department HCD.

And then there's also another amendment for the zoning code, sorry, for the housing element program H38.

This one is to allow ADUs on properties in the historic register.

And then also implementing three of these state bills here.

So the first one, AB 462, is about allowing a person that is going through natural disaster recovery.

This would allow them to obtain occupancy to a detached accessory dwelling unit prior to the primary home being built.

This is actually something the city was doing during the time of the 2017 and 2020 fires, but then later was not allowed through state law.

But this is now a change in state law, so it is something that we were particularly ahead of in the beginning.

And then for SB 543, this updates how square footage is calculated for ADUs and JADUs, and also provides new timelines for procedures and procedures for doing appeals to both application denial and for permit denial, as well as application completeness.

And then the other bill is AB 1154, and this removes the owner occupancy deed restriction requirement for JADUs if they have their own bathroom.

There's still other variety of other deed restrictions that are in place for junior accessory dwelling units.

Other sections for zoning code consistency.

A lot of these land uses have their own requirements for parking, and so that was updated to reflect some of the different name changes that were required.

And then as all of these are land uses, they're part of our land use tables.

So that required some additional updating to the notes, and then also specifically to the actual line items in the tables.

And then the last component is that there was an amendment to the city code Title 21, so not the zoning code.

This is to add an inclusionary housing exemption for tiny homes on wheels.

So for this, this was publicly noticed in the Press Democrat, and no public comment has been received at this time.

For the California Environmental Quality Act, this was reviewed under the indendum for the environmental impact for impact report for the general plan 2035.

This was certified by council in February 2023, and then once again, June 5th, 2025.

And then there is a statutory statutory exemption for accessory dwelling units pursued, sorry, pursuing to these sections and chapters for any accessory dwelling unit change to the zoning code or the city code.

This statutory exemption applies, and then there is the common sense exemption that these amendments do not cause a significant effect on the environment because the future obligation for project will be reviewed for CEQA.

The Planning and Economic Development Department recommends to the planning commission that our resolution recommend to the city council adoption of zoning and municipal code amendments to implement goals, policies, and programs within the housing element.

If you have any questions, my information is here.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are there any questions of staff?

Okay, so with that, I will go ahead and open the public hearing on this item.

If you are in the audience and wish to make a comment, please make your way to the podium and state your name for the record.

You will have three minutes.

So seeing no one rise, I will go ahead and close the public hearing and bring it back to the uh commission.

And would somebody like to uh enter the resolution?

Sure.

Commissioner Sanders.

I move a resolution of the planning commission of the City of Santa Rosa recommending to the city council approval of amendments to Title 20 and Title Twenty One of the City Code to implement the two thousand twenty-three through two thousand thirty-one housing element and state law file number PLN two five- zero three nine seven and await the reading of the text.

Second.

Okay, so that was moved by Commissioner Sanders, seconded by Vice Chair Duggan.

So we'll go ahead and start comments with Commissioner Sanders.

Yep, I will support.

And can you make all the findings?

Yes, I can make all the findings.

Sorry to be so glib.

Commissioner Carter.

I can do make all the necessary findings for this resolution.

We'll be supporting it.

Thank you.

Commissioner Pardeaux.

I I too can make all the required findings and I'm approval of the Commissioner Sisko.

I also can make the required findings and I appreciate all of the clarifications in the zoning code, you know, to have the particularly the over concentration more uh clear.

And what is a non-medical use, all of those clarified clarifying uh things help us when we're reviewing a project.

So glad to see that this is done and good job.

Thank you.

Vice Chair, I can also make all the required findings and um again, thank you for your hard work.

It's the whole document with what, eighty-three pages with all the red lines and well done, thank you.

And I can make all the required findings.

Thank you.

And I also can make all the required findings and echo thanks.

And just because we don't have any questions doesn't mean it wasn't a lot of work that you put into it, so thank you.

Um and with that, if we could have a vote, please.

Thank you, Chair.

Commissioner Carter.

Aye.

Commissioner Sisko?

Aye.

Commissioner Pardot?

Aye.

Commissioner Sanders.

Aye.

Vice Chair Duggan?

Aye.

Chair Weeks.

Aye.

Let the record reflect that that passes with six ayes.

Thank you.

So with that, I will go ahead and adjourn the this meeting.

And thank you once again.