Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Good afternoon everyone. I'd like to call the 04/09/2026 meeting of the Planning Commission to order and could we have roll please.

Thank you Chair. Commissioner Carter?

Here.

Commissioner Sisco? Here. Commissioner Horton?

Here.

Commissioner Pardo is absent. Commissioner Sanders? Here. Vice Chair Dugan? Here. Chair Weeks?

Here.

Let the record reflect that all commissioners are present with the exception of Commissioner Pardo.

Thank you. We have no remote participation. We have one set of minutes. Any changes, corrections, etc. To the minutes? None. Then they will be approved as submitted. And then we'll move on to public comment. This is the time if anybody in the audience would like to make a public comment on an item that is not on the agenda please go to the podium. Seeing no one rise, I will close the public comment on non agenda items and move 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 plan 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 with that we'll move on to Commissioner Reports. Are there any Commissioner Reports? Okay. And we have no other. And Department Report, Ms. Jones?

Yes, thank you Chair Weeks and members of the Commission. Jessica Jones, Deputy Director of Planning. Just a couple quick things for you. One item just to give you notice that we expect to be coming forward to the Planning Commission in June, likely your second meeting in June, is an appeal of a zoning administrator action for a minor use permit for a community care facility on Benjamins Road. And then just to note for your calendars, we do not have any items for your meeting in the next meeting in April, April 23, we will be cancelling that meeting.

And then a couple items from council just to note that the council on Tuesday heard the ordinance for the conditional use permit streamlining that the commission moved forward and that was the first reading was approved by the council so we'll have a second reading of that at their next meeting on the twenty first. And as long as there isn't any changes to that, that ordinance would go into effect on May 21. And so then we would have our director conditional use permit process and start working on streamlining some of the businesses here in town. And then Spring Lake Village item that the Commission recently heard is scheduled for council on May 12 and then I can't recall if I've let the Commission know this in the past or not but the Del Valle drive thru is being appealed that is the one that the Commission voted to deny and that is at this point tentatively scheduled for July 28. And that is all I have.

Thank you. And are there any public comments on department report? Seeing nobody rise. We will move on. Are there any statements of abstentions or recusal? We have no presentations, no consent items, no report items. We have one scheduled item. It is a public hearing 1977 Marsh Road annexation and sewer connection and it is an ex parte item so we'll start with Commissioner Horton.

I visited the general vicinity of the property and have nothing further to disclose.

Thank you. Commissioner Sanders?

I as well visit the vicinity of the property and have nothing further to disclose.

Thank you. Commissioner Carter?

I visited the site and have nothing further to disclose.

Thank you. Commissioner Sisco? I have nothing to disclose.

Have nothing to disclose.

I visited this item and have nothing to disclose. So with that Ms. Mikkelsen.

All right, thank you. Good afternoon Chair Weeks and members of the Commission. My name is Hannah Michelson. I am the project planner for the annexation and sewer connection at 1977 Marsh Road file number PLN 250580. So this project is a request to pre zone a single parcel for annexation into the city to provide sewer service for the existing home and to allow for the future development of an accessory dwelling unit.

The proposed zoning district is RR20, Rural Residential. This project is located within a county island in the Northwest quadrant of the city of Santa Rosa. The general plan land use designation of this parcel is very low density residential. It's surrounded on the west and the south by very low residential and then on the north and the east by low density residential. Additionally, the RR20 proposed zoning rural residential is consistent with the very low density residential general plan land use designation and it's also consistent with other RR20 parcels in the immediate and surrounding area.

This project has been reviewed in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act and it qualifies for a section fifteen thousand one eighty three exemption in that pre zoning is consistent with the city's general plan. It also is exempt under section fifteen thousand three and nineteen in that future annexation of existing private structures developed to the density allowed under the pre zoning classification. As part of the staff review we received one comment. This was an inquiry from an adjacent neighbour as to the size of the current and potentially future sewer mains as well as the cost to connect for the future sewer lines. This was referred to the water engineering services who provided both the size and the cost and also explained that in order to connect any parcels or properties within this County Island would also need to undergo annexation.

And with that no further issues or comments were raised. Therefore the Planning and Economic Development Department recommends that the Planning Commission by resolution recommend to the City Council to prezone the property at 1977 Marsh Road to the RR20 zoning district consistent with the very low density residential general plan land use designation. My contact is here at the bottom of the screen if anyone has questions they're welcome to reach out to me directly. Additionally the applicant is here should you have any questions for them and LAFCO is also here if you have any LAFCO related policy questions. And that concludes my presentation. Thank you.

Thank you. Are there any questions for staff? Commissioner Horton.

Thank you. Sorry if I missed this. Can you just clarify the one public comment about the size of the sewer main and what the verdict was?

Absolutely.

So the answer is that the water and sewer mains to the east are both eight inches. The water main to the south is eight inches and the sewer is 10 inches. There would be a one time water department connection fee, one for water and one for sewer and that sort of depends on that you know those change annually so if someone wanted to know they could reach out. And then finally as I said that water just reminded anyone in that county Island that they would also go through an annexation request if they wanted to join. And finally LAVCO can discuss this or we can discuss this further but LAVCO did conduct a sentiment survey so all 25 property owners in the County Island were reached out to in both October and December to ask if they wanted to join the annexation and the results of which were four people expressed interest however there was not a logical boundary and therefore LAVCO went ahead and recommended the single parcel annexation.

Thank you.

Any other questions? Commissioner Carter?

The property is annexed by a shared driveway which will remain in unincorporated county. Does that present any complications?

Actually, believe they have an Eastman and I think the applicant could potentially answer the agreement there.

I see some nodding about the easement so I'll accept that. It makes sense. Thank you.

Thank you.

Any other questions? Okay, with that I will go ahead and open the public hearing on this item. If you have any comments on this item please make your way to the podium. Seeing no one rise, I will close the public hearing on this item and bring it back to the Commission. So if somebody would like to enter the resolution.

I move a resolution of the Planning Commission of the City of Santa Rosa recommending that the City Council prezone the property located at 1977 Marsh Road to the rural residential RR20 zoning district assessors parcel number 36030 file number PLN25-five80 and wait for the reading of the text.

I'll second.

Thank you. So that was moved by Commissioner Sisco and seconded by Ms. Chair Duggan. Let's go ahead and start with Commissioner Sisco.

I have no issues with this project and can make all of the findings.

Thank you. Vice Chair?

I too can make all the required findings.

Commissioner Carter?

I can make all the required findings and will support the resolution.

Commissioner Sanders?

I can make all the required findings and will support the resolution.

And Commissioner Horton?

I can make all the required findings and I'm in support. Thank you.

And I also can make all the required findings and will be in support of this. So with that if we could have the vote please.

Thank you Chair. Commissioner Carter? Aye. Commissioner Sisco? Aye. Commissioner Horton? Aye. Commissioner Pardo is absent. Commissioner Sanders? Aye. Vice Chair Dugan? Aye. Chair Weeks

aye

Let the record reflect that motion passes with six ayes.

Thank you. So with that, unless there's any other business, the meeting of the Planning Commission will be adjourned.