City Hall, Council Chamber  
100 Santa Rosa Ave  
City of Santa Rosa  
Santa Rosa, CA 95404  
Design Review Board  
Regular Meeting Minutes - Final  
Thursday, February 6, 2025  
4:30 PM  
1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL  
Chair Jones-Carter called the meeting to order at 4:36 p.m.  
6 -  
Present  
Chair Melanie Jones-Carter, Vice Chair Adam Sharron, Board  
Member Michael Cook, Board Member Henry Huang, Board Member  
Victoria Liptak, and Board Member Drew Weigl  
1 - Board Member Ernest Wuethrich  
Absent  
2. REMOTE PARTICIPATION UNDER AB 2449 (IF NEEDED)  
None.  
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES  
3.1  
Draft Minutes - January 16, 2025  
Approve as submitted.  
Chair Jones-Carter opened and closed public comment at 4:37 p.m.  
4. PUBLIC COMMENT  
Chair Jones-Carter opened public comment at 4:37 p.m.  
Duane DeWitt spoke regarding the merger of the Cultural Heritage  
Board.  
Chair Jones-Carter closed public comment at 4:39 p.m.  
5. BOARD BUSINESS  
5.1 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE  
Chair Jones-Carter read aloud the Statement of Purpose.  
5.2 BOARD MEMBER REPORTS  
Chair Jones-Carter reported that item 9.1 will be continued to a  
date uncertain.  
No other reports.  
5.3 OTHER (i.e. VICE CHAIR ELECTION, NEW MEMBER INTRODUCTIONS)  
Chair Jones-Carter opened the Vice Chair elections.  
A motion was made by Board Member Weigl, seconded by Board  
Member Liptak, to nominate Board Member Sharron to Vice Chair.  
Board Member Sharron accepted the nomination.  
The motion carried by the following vote:  
6 -  
Yes:  
Chair Jones-Carter, Vice Chair Sharron, Board Member Cook,  
Board Member Huang, Board Member Liptak and Board  
Member Weigl  
1 - Board Member Wuethrich  
Absent:  
6. DEPARTMENT REPORTS  
Staff Murray reported.  
Chair Jones-Carter opened and closed public comment at 4:50 p.m.  
7. STATEMENTS OF ABSTENTION  
Vice Chair Sharron abstained from item 9.3 due to his employment  
with the County of Sonoma, specifically as a Planner with Permit  
Sonoma.  
8. CONSENT ITEM(S)  
None.  
9. SCHEDULED ITEM(S)  
9.1  
CONCEPT DESIGN REVIEW FOR THE COMSTOCK COMMONS  
HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER AT 10 SANTA ROSA AVENUE;  
FILE NO. DR24-055  
(THIS ITEM HAS BEEN CONTINUED TO A DATE UNCERTAIN.  
WHEN IT IS RESCHEDULED, ADDITIONAL NOTICING WILL BE  
PROVIDED.)  
BACKGROUND: The Design Review Board (DRB) will consider the  
Comstock Commons Hotel and Conference Center, involving a new  
nine-story hotel with 151 guest rooms and an approximately  
104,000-square-foot event and conference center, as a concept item.  
This item is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act  
(CEQA) as the DRB will be providing comments and no action will be  
taken.  
Chair Jones-Carter reported this item will be continued to a  
date uncertain and additional noticing will be provide once it  
has been rescheduled.  
9.2  
CONCEPT DESIGN REVIEW FOR THE PINER APARTMENTS, A  
MULTIFAMILY MIXED-USE PROJECT PROPOSED AT 2000 PINER  
ROAD; FILE NO. DR24-034  
BACKGROUND: The Design Review Board (DRB) will review the Piner  
Apartments as a concept item. The project proposes to construct a  
103-unit, 4-story, mixed-use apartment complex. The project features  
three 4-story buildings situated above two semi-recessed parking  
garages. Along Piner Road, one building will include four ground-floor  
retail spaces with senior housing above, while the other two buildings  
will offer rental units available to all ages, sharing a common parking  
garage. The buildings will be arranged around a central plaza at the  
north end of the site, with amenities such as activity areas, a pool, and  
a community building located to the south. This item is exempt from the  
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as the DRB will be  
providing comments and no action will be taken.  
RECOMMENDATION: Provide comments, suggestions, and  
recommendations related to the design of the Project.  
PRESENTED BY: Kristinae Toomians, Senior Planner  
Project Planner Toomians presented.  
Applicant representatives made a presentation.  
Chair Jones-Carter opened public comment at 5:23 p.m.  
Dave spoke in opposition to the project.  
Ryan spoke in opposition to the project.  
Anton spoke in opposition to the project.  
Chris spoke in opposition to the project.  
Dan spoke in opposition to the project.  
Michael spoke in opposition to the project.  
Duane DeWitt spoke in support of the project.  
Chair Jones-Carter closed the public comment at 5:43 p.m.  
Staff and the Applicant representatives responded to Board  
Member inquiries.  
Board Members provided comments and feedback.  
*9.3  
PUBLIC HEARING - APPEAL OF THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR’S  
DECISION TO APPROVE THE TIERRA DE ROSAS PUBLIC PLAZA  
LOCATED AT 883 & 665 SEBASTOPOL ROAD; FILE NO. DR22-041  
BACKGROUND: An appeal of the Zoning Administrator's approval of  
Minor Design Review for a 1.01 acre privately maintained park that will  
serve as an outdoor public gathering place for the community and will  
be part of the master development for Tierra de Rosas (formerly known  
as Roseland Village). The item is exempt from the California  
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  
RECOMMENDATION: Deny appeal and grant Minor Design Review  
approval.  
Vice Chair Sharron left Council Chambers at 6:51 p.m.  
Ex Parte Disclosures: None.  
Project Planner Toomians presented.  
Staff responded to Board Member inquiries.  
The meeting went into Recess at 7:12 p.m. and Reconvened at  
7:20 p.m.  
Chair Jones-Carter opened the Public Hearing at 7:21 p.m.  
Appellants made a presentation.  
Chair Jones-Carter opened public comment at 7:31 p.m.  
Anna spoke in opposition of the Mitote Food Park, not the proposed  
Park at the subject site. She also requested Spanish translation.  
Raul spoke in opposition of the Mitote Food Park, not the proposed  
Park at the subject site.  
Alma spoke in opposition of the Mitote Food Park, not the proposed  
Park at the subject site.  
Member of the public spoke in opposition of the Mitote Food Park,  
not the proposed Park at the subject site.  
Pedro spoke in opposition of the Mitote Food Park, not the  
proposed Park at the subject site.  
Rosa spoke in support of the project but opposes the food truck  
portion of the project.  
Duane DeWitt spoke in support of the project as a green space that  
is open to the community but opposes the food truck portion of the  
project.  
Member of the public spoke in opposition of the Mitote Food Park,  
not the proposed Park at the subject site.  
Juana spoke in opposition of the Mitote Food Park, not the  
proposed Park at the subject site.  
Henry spoke in opposition of the Mitote Food Park, not the  
proposed Park at the subject site.  
Chair Jones-Carter closed public comment at 7:59 p.m.  
Chair Jones-Carter closed the Public Hearing at 8:00 p.m.  
Staff responded to Board Member inquiries.  
Chair Jones-Carter re-opened the Public Hearing at 8:10 p.m. to  
allow for rebuttals.  
Applicant representatives provided a rebuttal and concluding  
comments.  
Applicant representatives responded to Board Member inquiries.  
Chair Jones-Carter closed the Public Hearing at 8:15 p.m.  
A motion was made by Board Member Weigl, seconded by Chair  
Jones-Carter, to waive reading of the text and adopt as amended:  
RESOLUTION NUMBER DRB-2025-001; ENTITLED: RESOLUTION OF THE  
DESIGN REVIEW BOARD OF THE CITY OF SANTA ROSA DENYING AN  
APPEAL AND UPHOLDING ZONING ADMINISTRATOR DECISION TO  
GRANT DESIGN REVIEW APPROVAL FOR THE TIERRA DE ROSAS  
PUBLIC PLAZA, A 1.01-ACRE OUTDOOR, PRIVATELY MAINTAINED PARK  
THAT IS PART OF THE MASTER DEVELOPMENT FOR TIERRA DE ROSAS  
(FORMERLY KNOWN AS ROSELAND VILLAGE), LOCATED AT 883 AND  
665 SEBASTOPOL ROAD, FILE NO. DR22-041.  
The motion carried by the following vote:  
4 -  
Yes:  
Chair Jones-Carter, Board Member Huang, Board Member Liptak  
and Board Member Weigl  
1 - Board Member Cook  
1 - Board Member Wuethrich  
1 - Vice Chair Sharron  
No:  
Absent:  
Abstain:  
10. ADJOURNMENT  
Chair Jones-Carter adjourned the meeting at 8:35 p.m.  
Approved on: December 18, 2025  
s/ Madeline Brown, Recording Secretary