City Hall, Council Chamber  
100 Santa Rosa Ave  
Santa Rosa, CA  
City of Santa Rosa  
Planning Commission  
Regular Meeting Minutes - Final  
Thursday, November 14, 2024  
4:30 PM  
1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL  
7 -  
Present  
Chair Karen Weeks, Vice Chair Vicki Duggan, Commissioner Charles  
Carter, Commissioner Patti Cisco, Commissioner Aaron Pardo,  
Commissioner Julian Peterson, and Commissioner Terrence Sanders  
2. REMOTE PARTICIPATION UNDER AB 2449 (IF NEEDED)  
None.  
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES  
3.1  
October 10, 2024 - Draft Minutes  
Approved as submitted.  
4. PUBLIC COMMENTS  
Duane DeWitt spoke on intelligent transportation systems for the  
Downtown Specific Plan.  
5. COMMISSION BUSINESS  
5.1 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE  
Chair Weeks read aloud the Statement of Purpose.  
5.2 COMMISSIONER REPORTS  
Vice Chair Duggan reported she will be using her phone for the  
purpose to only to take notes and no other purpose.  
5.3 OTHER (i.e. VICE CHAIR ELECTION, NEW MEMBER INTRODUCTIONS)  
None.  
6. DEPARTMENT REPORTS  
Staff Liaison Jessica Jones reported.  
7. STATEMENTS OF ABSTENTION BY COMMISSIONERS  
None.  
8. PRESENTATIONS  
None.  
9. CONSENT ITEMS  
None.  
10. REPORT ITEMS  
None.  
11. PUBLIC HEARINGS  
11.1  
PUBLIC HEARING - ELM TREE STATION EIR PREVIOUSLY  
CERTIFIED BY PC - PLANNING PROJECT - 874 N WRIGHT RD -  
PRJ21-033 (THIS ITEM WAS CONTINUED FROM OCTOBER 24 TO  
NOVEMBER 14 AND IS BEING CONTINUED TO A DATE  
UNCERTAIN.)  
BACKGROUND: The Elm Tree Station project includes a Conditional  
Use Permit and Design Review for two general retail spaces (3,448 SF  
and 432 SF), gas station with extended hours of operation (24/7),  
apartment unit (806 SF), and outdoor amenity space.  
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by the Planning and  
Economic Development Department that the Planning Commission, by  
two resolutions, (1) adopt an addendum to the Elm Tree Station  
Mitigated Negative Declaration and (2) approve a Conditional Use  
Permit to allow the development of a gas station with extended hours of  
operation, two general retail land uses across two buildings, one  
apartment unit and a small park for the property located at 874 N.  
Wright Road.  
Continued to a date uncertain.  
11.2  
PUBLIC HEARING - SANTA ROSA GENERAL PLAN 2050 DRAFT  
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT  
BACKGROUND: The Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR)  
evaluates the potential impacts of the proposed General Plan 2050, the  
“Proposed Plan.” An EIR is intended to inform decision-makers and the  
general public of the potential significant environmental impacts of a  
proposed plan. The EIR also considers the availability of mitigation  
measures to minimize significant impacts and evaluates reasonable  
alternatives to the Proposed Plan.  
The General Plan 2050 Draft EIR is available for review to the public  
and interested agencies for a period of 45 days, which closes on  
November 20, 2024. The purpose of the review and this public hearing  
is to obtain comments “on the sufficiency of the document in identifying  
and analyzing the possible impacts on the environment and ways in  
which the significant effects of the project might be avoided and  
mitigated”.  
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by the Planning and  
Economic Development Department that the Planning Commission hold  
a public hearing on the General Plan 2050 Draft Environmental Impact  
Report (EIR) and provide comments on the Draft EIR.  
Supervising Planner Amy Nicholson and Senior Planner Nancy  
Woltering presented.  
Consultant representatives made a presentation.  
Chair Weeks opened the Public Hearing at 5:08 p.m.  
Alexa Forester spoke in opposition of the project. - traffic , roads  
discouraging cycling/pedestrians  
Ken McNabb spoke in opposition of the project.  
Chair Weeks closed the Public Hearing at 5:14 p.m.  
Staff and the Consultant representatives responded to  
Commissioner inquiries.  
The meeting went into Recess at 5:39 p.m. and Reconvened at  
5:43 p.m.  
7 -  
Present  
Chair Karen Weeks, Vice Chair Vicki Duggan, Commissioner Charles  
Carter, Commissioner Patti Cisco, Commissioner Aaron Pardo,  
Commissioner Julian Peterson, and Commissioner Terrence Sanders  
11.3*  
PUBLIC HEARING - LANCE DRIVE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT  
BACKGROUND: The Lance Drive Housing Development Project  
proposes construction of a 672-unit apartment complex, 98 single-family  
homes (Small Lot Subdivision), and 4,800 square feet of  
community-serving retail and outdoor plaza on approximately 34.93  
acres (“Project”). The Project includes a mix of one-, two-, and  
three-bedroom units. Clubhouses and other resident amenities would  
be dispersed throughout the Project. 1,414 parking spaces would serve  
the residential and retail uses, with each single-family home providing a  
direct access garage. The parking ratio would be 1.79 spaces per unit  
for the apartments, 1.5 spaces per unit for the small lot subdivision, and  
1.85 spaces per unit overall. The Project is planned to be developed in  
three phases, from east to west. The Project will provide interconnected  
pedestrian paseos, courtyards, and vehicular circulation routes, and  
each project phase incorporates communal, landscaped amenity areas.  
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by the Planning and  
Economic Development Department that the Planning Commission, by  
two resolutions: (1) approve a Minor Conditional Use Permit for a Small  
Lot Subdivision, and (2) adopt a Tentative Map for the Lance Drive  
Housing Development, a 98-lot small lot subdivision (8.5 acres total),  
two lots for multifamily residential development (14.09 acres and 10.8  
acres) and one lot for general retail (0.91 acres).  
Ex Parte Disclosures: None.  
Project Planner McKay presented.  
Staff representatives responded to Commissioner inquiries.  
Applicant representatives made a presentation.  
Consultant representatives responded to Commissioner inquiries.  
Chair Weeks opened the Public Hearing at 6:18 p.m.  
Paula Souffle spoke in opposition of the project.  
Susan Hicks spoke in opposition of the project.  
Adrian Covert spoke in support of the project.  
Azita DeVinci spoke in opposition of the project.  
Calum Weeks spoke in support of this project.  
Cassandra Boyd spoke in opposition of the project.  
Abby Arnold spoke in support of the project.  
Alexa Forester spoke in support of the project.  
Jane Doe spoke in opposition of the project.  
Chair Weeks closed the Public Hearing at 6:40 p.m.  
Staff and the Applicant representatives responded to Commissioner  
inquiries.  
A motion was made by Commissioner Sanders, seconded by  
Commissioner Pardo, to waive reading of the text and adopt:  
RESOLUTION NO. PC-2024-024 ENTITLED: RESOLUTION OF THE  
PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SANTA ROSA MAKING  
FINDINGS AND DETERMINATIONS AND APPROVING A CONDITIONAL USE  
PERMIT FOR PHASE TWO OF THE LANCE DRIVE HOUSING  
DEVELOPMENT, A 98-UNIT RESIDENTIAL SMALL LOT SUBDIVISION -  
LOCATED AT 0 AND 1696 LANCE DRIVE - FILE NUMBER PRJ24-005  
The motion carried by the following vote:  
7 -  
Yes:  
Chair Weeks, Vice Chair Duggan, Commissioner Carter,  
Commissioner Cisco, Commissioner Pardo, Commissioner  
Peterson and Commissioner Sanders  
A motion was made by Commissioner Sanders, seconded by  
Commissioner Pardo, to waive reading of the text and adopt:  
RESOLUTION NO. PC-2024-025 ENTITLED: RESOLUTION OF THE  
PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SANTA ROSA APPROVING THE  
LANCE DRIVE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT TENTATIVE MAP LOCATED AT  
0, 1601, 1680, 1696, AND 1705 LANCE DRIVE - FILE NUMBER PRJ24-005  
The motion carried by the following vote:. The motion carried by the  
following vote:  
7 -  
Yes:  
Chair Weeks, Vice Chair Duggan, Commissioner Carter,  
Commissioner Cisco, Commissioner Pardo, Commissioner  
Peterson and Commissioner Sanders  
12. ADJOURNMENT  
Chair Weeks adjourned the meeting at 7:08 p.m.  
Approved on: December 12, 2024  
s/ Madeline Brown, Recording Secretary