City Hall, Council Chamber

100 Santa Rosa Ave

Santa Rosa, CA

City of Santa Rosa

Planning Commission

Regular Meeting Minutes - Draft

Thursday, March 12, 2026

4:30 PM

1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

Chair Weeks called the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m.

6 -

Present

Chair Karen Weeks, Vice Chair Vicki Duggan, Commissioner Charles

Carter, Commissioner Patti Cisco, Commissioner Miles Horton, and

Commissioner Terrence Sanders

1 - Commissioner Aaron Pardo

Absent

2. REMOTE PARTICIPATION UNDER THE BROWN ACT (Gov. Code § 54953.8)

None.

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

3.1

Draft Minutes - February 26, 2026.

Approved as submitted.

4. PUBLIC COMMENTS

None.

5. COMMISSION BUSINESS

5.1 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Chair Weeks read aloud the Statement of Purpose.

5.2 COMMISSIONER REPORTS

None.

5.3 OTHER (i.e. VICE CHAIR ELECTION, NEW MEMBER INTRODUCTIONS)

None.

6. DEPARTMENT REPORTS

None.

7. STATEMENTS OF ABSTENTION OR RECUSAL

Commissioner Sanders will be recusing from item 11.3 due to a

personal relationship, and will be leaving the meeting at the start of

that item.

8. PRESENTATIONS

None.

9. CONSENT ITEMS

None.

10. REPORT ITEMS

None.

11. PUBLIC HEARINGS

11.1

PUBLIC HEARING - MEADOWOOD RANCH - REVISED TENTATIVE

MAP - PLANNING RECORD - 2875 DUTTON MEADOW - PLN25-0563

(THIS ITEM WAS CONTINUED FROM THE FEBRUARY 26, 2026

PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING. ITEM WITHDRAWN BY

APPLICANT; HEARING WILL NOT BE HELD.)

11.2

PUBLIC HEARING - CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT STREAMLINING

BACKGROUND: The City is working on an initiative to streamline the

Conditional Use Permit (CUP) process with the goal of making it more

predictable and less costly for applicants and business owners. The

primary objective is to support economic development within the City by

making it easier to establish and expand businesses. The proposal

includes amendments to the Zoning Code to address three main

elements: 1) Create a new Director Level CUP process, allowing certain

uses to be reviewed and approved administratively rather than requiring

a public meeting or hearing, unless one is specifically requested; 2)

Reduce the level of CUP (Director, Minor, or Major) required for certain

uses, to reduce timelines, lower costs and improve overall efficiency,

while maintaining appropriate review and oversight; and 3) Update the

Temporary Use Permit section of the Zoning Code to allow for a

broader range of temporary activities, including pop-up retail and interim

activities for vacant or underutilized sites and buildings, supporting the

activation of spaces and encouraging reinvestment. Staff is

recommending that the Planning Commission make a recommendation

to the City Council to amend the Zoning Code to streamline the CUP

process.

RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by the Planning and

Economic Development Department that the Planning Commission, by

resolution, recommend to the City Council adoption of Zoning Code text

amendments to address streamlining and process improvements for the

Conditional Use Permit process.

PRESENTED BY: Jessica Jones, Deputy Director of Planning

Deputy Director Jones presented.

Staff responded to Commissioner inquiries.

Chair Weeks opened and closed the Public Hearing at 4:48 p.m.

A motion was made by Vice Chair Duggan, seconded by Commissioner

Cisco, to waive the reading of the text and adopt;

RESOLUTION NO. PC-RES-2026-007 ENTITLED: RESOLUTION OF THE

PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SANTA ROSA MAKING

FINDINGS AND DETERMINATIONS AND RECOMMENDING TO CITY

COUNCIL ADOPTION OF ZONING CODE TEXT AMENDMENTS TO

ADDRESS STREAMLINING AND PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE

CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT PROCESS.

The motion carried by the following vote:

6 -

Yes:

Chair Weeks, Vice Chair Duggan, Commissioner Carter,

Commissioner Cisco, Commissioner Horton and Commissioner

Sanders

1 - Commissioner Pardo

Absent:

11.3*

PUBLIC HEARING - MD MARKET - CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT -

1478 GUERNEVILLE RD - CUP24-027 (THIS ITEM WAS CONTINUED

FROM THE FEBRUARY 26, 2026 PLANNING COMMISSION

MEETING)

BACKGROUND: The project proposes approval of a Major Conditional

Use Permit to allow a neighborhood-serving retail market with alcoholic

beverage sales for off-site consumption and extended hours of

operation from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m., seven days per week, within an

existing commercial building located at 1478 Guerneville Road. The

project includes minor interior tenant improvements and on-site

modifications such as parking lot restriping, circulation adjustments,

lighting upgrades, and installation of security features. No expansion of

the existing building footprint is proposed. The application has been

filed by Mangal Singh Dhillon (MD Market). File No. CUP24-027., This

project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by the Planning and

Economic Development Department that the Planning Commission, by

resolution, approve a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to allow the sale of

alcoholic beverages for off-site consumption and to allow extended

hours of operation at the proposed MD Market, located at 1478

Guerneville Road, Assessor’s Parcel No. 041-043-056.

PRESENTED BY: Kristinae Toomians, Senior Planner

Commissioner Sanders left the meeting at 4:52 p.m.

Ex Parte Disclosure: None.

Project Planner Toomians presented.

Applicant presented.

Staff and responded to Commissioner inquiries.

Chair Weeks opened the Public Hearing at 5:12 p.m.

Dr. Shipley spoke in opposition of the project.

Janice Shipley spoke in opposition of the project.

James D. spoke in support of the project.

Chair Weeks closed the Public Hearing at 5:21 p.m.

Staff and the Applicant representatives responded to Commissioner

inquiries.

A motion was made by Commissioner Cisco, seconded by Commissioner

Carter, to waive reading of the text and adopt;

RESOLUTION NO. PC-RES-2026-008 ENTITLED: RESOLUTION OF THE

PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SANTA ROSA MAKING

FINDINGS AND DETERMINATIONS AND APPROVING A MAJOR

CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE SALES FOR

OFF-SITE CONSUMPTION AND EXTENDED HOURS OF OPERATION (6:00

A.M. TO 12:00 A.M., SEVEN DAYS PER WEEK) LOCATED AT 1478

GUERNEVILLE ROAD – FILE NUMBER PRJ24-014 (CUP24-027).

The motion carried by the following vote:

5 -

Yes:

Chair Weeks, Vice Chair Duggan, Commissioner Carter,

Commissioner Cisco and Commissioner Horton

1 - Commissioner Pardo

1 - Commissioner Sanders

Absent:

Recused:

12. ADJOURNMENT

Chair Weeks adjourned the meeting at 5:42 p.m.

Approved on:

_______________________________

Madeline Brown,

Recording Secretary