Santa Rosa Planning Commission Meeting: September 10, 2026 – Massage Appeal & Senior Housing Approvals
Santa Rosa Planning Commission Meeting – September 10, 2026
The Santa Rosa Planning Commission held a regular meeting on September 10, 2026, at 4:30 PM in the Council Chamber. The meeting included two major public hearings: an appeal regarding a massage establishment certificate denial and a proposal for a continuing care retirement community. The commission unanimously denied the appeal and approved all three resolutions for the Emerald Isle project.
Consent Calendar
- None.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Non-Agenda Matters: No public comments were made.
- Highway 12 Massage Appeal: The appellant, represented by attorney Richard Freeman, argued that the business owner, Weihong Hu, was not responsible for illicit advertisements placed by a third-party marketer. Freeman stated that Hu had limited English skills and was unaware of the ad content. Staff countered that Hu, as the business owner and property co-owner, was responsible regardless of who placed the ads.
- Emerald Isle CCRC: Several residents spoke in opposition, citing wildfire evacuation concerns (referencing the 2017 Tubbs Fire), traffic density, parking adequacy, and inadequate detail in the evacuation plan. One resident supported the project, emphasizing the need for senior housing.
Discussion Items
- Highway 12 Massage Denial Appeal (Item 11.1): Staff presented evidence that the business had advertised on illicit websites, violating the City's Massage Ordinance. The appellant claimed Hu did not own or operate the business during earlier periods and that she hired a marketer without knowledge of the ads. Staff noted that Hu had reported herself as owner/operator to the California Massage Therapy Council in May 2024. The commission questioned the appellant about the discrepancy. After deliberation, the commission found the evidence of gross violations compelling and voted to deny the appeal.
- Emerald Isle Continuing Care Retirement Community (Item 11.2): Staff recommended adoption of a CEQA addendum, approval of a Minor Use Permit (including main building height), and a Major Hillside Development Permit for an 82-unit CCRC on a 12.57-acre site. The project includes a three-story main building with 63 independent living units, underground parking, 18 single-story casitas, a 9-bed assisted living/memory care building, and amenities. The applicant, Gallaher Companies, highlighted the need for senior housing, the campus design, emergency preparedness (24-hour staffing, buses, hotels), and compliance with fire and building codes. The City Fire Marshal confirmed the secondary access road and evacuation plan meet standards. Commissioners praised the design and supported the project, noting its superiority to a previous 2019 approval.
Key Outcomes
- Highway 12 Massage Appeal: The commission voted unanimously (7-0) to deny the appeal and uphold the Planning and Economic Development Director's denial of the Massage Establishment Certificate. This action is final and results in immediate closure of the business, a two-year property restriction, and permanent prohibition on the business owner operating massage services in Santa Rosa.
- Emerald Isle CCRC – CEQA Addendum: Approved unanimously (7-0).
- Emerald Isle CCRC – Minor Use Permit: Approved unanimously (7-0).
- Emerald Isle CCRC – Major Hillside Development Permit: Approved unanimously (7-0). The decisions are final unless appealed within 10 calendar days.
- Next Steps: The project also requires Major Design Review by the Design Review and Preservation Board at a future meeting.
Meeting Transcript
Yes. Thank you all for joining us. I'd like to ask the interpreter currently on the Mandarin channel to commence interpretation of the meeting. For those just joining the meeting, live interpretation in Mandarin is available in person and virtually. Members of the public or staff who are on Zoom wishing to listen in Mandarin can join the Mandarin channel by clicking on the interpretation icon in the Zoom toolbar. It looks like a globe. Could we have the interpreters repeat the following statement on the channel for us to test the council chamber headsets? We are translating this meeting in Mandarin over Zoom and in person. Interpreters, could you please repeat the following statement? We are translating this meeting to Mandarin over Zoom and person. For those of you who are just joining us, we are working on our interpretation channel. Please give us one moment. Okay, we're gonna test one more time. Would the interpreters currently on the Mandarin channel please repeat the following statement? We have this meeting translated into Mandarin on Zoom and in the room. Okay, it looks like corrections have been made. I will turn it over to our chair to start today's meeting. Sorry. Okay, welcome everybody. This toasty Thursday afternoon. I'd like to call to order the uh September tenth, twenty twenty sixth meeting of the Planning Commission. If we could have roll, please. Thank you, Chair. Commissioner Carter. Commissioner Sisko. Here. Commissioner Horton. Here. Commissioner Pardot? Here. Commissioner Sanders. Vice Chair Duggan? Here. Chair Weeks. Here. Let the record reflect that all commissioners are present. Okay, thank you. We have no remote participation. We have one set of minutes from August 13th. Are there any changes, corrections, additions? Okay, so then since we have none, uh, no changes on that, they will be approved as submitted. Uh, we'll go on to public comment on non-agenda matters. So we're now taking public comments on item four, which is non-agenda matters. This is the time when any person may address the commission on matters not listed on this agenda, but which are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the commission. If you are in the chambers and wish to make a comment, please make your way to the podium and please state your name for the record, and you'll have up you'll have three minutes for your comment and a countdown timer will show on the screen. Is there anybody who would like to make their way to the podium for comments on non-agenda matters? Okay. Seeing no one, we will go ahead and close the public comment period. Um our statement of purpose is that we are 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.
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