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Board of Zoning Adjustments Meeting

Date: March 23, 2023

Time: 1:00 p.m.

Address:

Meeting will be conducted in-person at the following location:

Board of Supervisors Chambers
575 Administration Drive, Room 102A
Santa Rosa, CA 95403

Registration Required: No

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Attachments:

Hearing for the Board of Zoning Adjustments, part of the Sonoma County Planning Agency, discussing applications for Use Permits, Zoning Variances, and Coastal Development Permits.

The Board of Zoning Adjustments (BZA) meets the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month (and as needed).

Roll Call for Item 1 & 2
Caitlin Cornwall, District 1
Larry Reed, District 2
Evan Wiig, District 3
Eric Koenigshofer, District 5
Shaun McCaffery, Chair, District 4

Roll Call for Item 3
Gregg Carr, District 1
Larry Reed, District 2
Absent, District 3
Eric Koenigshofer, District 5
Kevin Deas, Chair, District 4

Staff Members
Scott Orr
Jennifer Faso
Peter Kaljian
Georgia McDaniel
Alexandria Sullivan, Administrative Assistant
Jennifer Klein, Chief Deputy County Counsel

Disability Accommodation 
If you have a disability which requires an accommodation or an alternative format to assist you in observing and commenting on this meeting, please call (707) 565-1737 or email PlanningAgency@sonoma-county.org at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting to make arrangements.

Materials
Available digitally through the link in the Agenda and on the Board of Zoning Adjustments website. You can also email PlanningAgency@sonoma-county.org or the project planner to request materials

Agenda

1:00 PM Call to order, Roll Call and Pledge of Allegiance.

Correspondence

Planning Commission/Board of Supervisors Actions

Commissioner Announcements

Public Appearances for Non-Agenda Items

Items scheduled on the Agenda in order to expedite the meeting, please fill out a speaker card located on the back table before speaking.

Board of Zoning Adjustments Regular Calendar

View documents for all items listed digitally>>

Item No.:

1

Time:

1:05 PM

File:

VAR20-0001

Applicant:

Ashleigh Vecchiarelli and Blake Harrison

Owner:

Ashleigh Vecchiarelli

Cont. from:

Not Applicable

Staff:

Jennifer Faso

Env. Doc:

Categorical Exemption

Proposal:

Request for a Variance to allow reduced front setback from centerline of the road to allow for a new single- family residence and parking deck.

Recommended Action:

Recommends the Board of Zoning Adjustments find project exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and approval request for Variance, subject to conditions of approval.

Location:

17955 Old Monte Rio Road, Guerneville

APN:

072-220-023

District:

Fifth

Zoning:

R1(Low Density Residential), B6 4 Dwelling Units Per Acre, SR (Scenic Resources Combining)

Action:

Commissioner Koenigshofer motioned to approve the project as recommended by staff. Seconded by Commissioner Cornwall and approved with a 5-0-0 vote.

Appeal Deadline:

10 days

Resolution No.:

23-04

Vote: 
Commissioner Cornwall: Aye
Commissioner Reed: Aye
Commissioner Wiig: Aye
Commissioner Koenigshofer: Aye
Commissioner McCaffery, Chair: Aye

Ayes: 5
Noes: 0
Absent: 0 
Abstain: 0

Item No.:

2

Time:

1:20 PM

File:

UPE22-0051- Freestanding Monopine Telecom Facility

Applicant:

Melissa C. Keith obo Vertical Bridge, Assurance Reality Inc., T-Mobile

Owner:

Dena and Garth Harding Trust

Cont. from:

Not Applicable

Staff:

Peter Kaljian

Env. Doc:

Categorical Exemption

Proposal:

Intermediate freestanding commercial telecommunications Facility, including a 80-foot tall faux tree monopine, associated ground equipment cabinet and a 48KW generator with 240-gallon diesel fuel tank for the purpose of backup emergency power, located within a 2,500 square foot lease area, enclosed by an 8 foot high fence with slats on a 14.35-acre parcel.

Recommended Action:

Recommends the Board of Zoning Adjustments find this project exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and approve the request for an intermediate freestanding commercial telecommunications facility, subject to the conditions of approval.

Location:

9300 Mill Station Rd., Sebastopol

APN:

061-141-001

District:

Fifth

Zoning:

Diverse Agriculture 20-acre density, Riparian Corridor 100-foot development setback/25-foot agricultural setback

Action:

Commissioner Koenigshofer motioned to continue the item to a date uncertain with direction to the applicant to address BZA concerns. Seconded by Commissioner Reed with a 5-0-0 vote.

Appeal Deadline:

Not Applicable

Resolution No.:

Not Applicable

Vote: 
Commissioner Cornwall: Aye
Commissioner Reed: Aye
Commissioner Wiig: Aye
Commissioner Koenigshofer: Aye
Commissioner McCaffery, Chair: Aye

Ayes: 5
Noes: 0 
Absent: 0
Abstain: 0

Item No.:

3

Time:

1:40 PM

File:

PLP18-0012 The Lodge on Russian River (formerly Guernewood Park Resort)

Applicant:

Lok Guernewood Park Development Co

Owner:

Same

Cont. from:

Not Applicable

Staff:

Georgia McDaniel

Env. Doc:

 Mitigated Negative Declaration

Proposal:

Use Permit and Design Review to construct a 108-room resort, implement a Streamside Conservation Plan to allow for Riparian Corridor encroachment of 4,490 square feet, habitat restoration of 1.26 acres, and to construct improved public river access, parking lot and trail on a 9.61-acre property. The project includes two main hotel buildings with 80 rooms, 28 suites located in four detached buildings, and a maximum building height of 35 feet. A resort lobby and hotel services, guest spa and gym with an outdoor pool, two meeting rooms for special events, and a public restaurant and bar are included, as well as 175 total parking spaces (with 25 spaces dedicated for public use), public restroom facility, and an ADA-compliant public trail to the Russian River. Proposed hours of operation for the resort are 24 hours per day, 7 days per week with up to 37 employees.

Recommended Action:

Recommends that the Board of Zoning Adjustments adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration and approve the Use Permit and Design Review request subject to Conditions of Approval.

Location:

17155 Highway 116, Guerneville

APN:

072-130-005, -007 and -009

District:

Fifth

Zoning:

Recreation and Visitor Serving Commercial and Combining Zones for Local Area Development Guidelines for Russian River Corridor and Highway 116 Scenic Corridor, Floodway, Floodplain, Scenic Resources, Riparian Corridor with 50-foot and 25-foot setbacks, and Valley Oak Habitat.

Action:

Commissioner Koenigshofer motioned to approve the project as recommended by staff with modified conditions. Seconded by Commissioner Carr and approved with a 5-0-0 vote.

Appeal Deadline:

10 days

Resolution No.:

23-05

Vote: 
Commissioner Cornwall: Aye
Commissioner Reed: Aye
Absent, District 3: Absent
Commissioner Koenigshofer: Aye
Commissioner McCaffery, Chair: Aye

Ayes: 4
Noes: 0 
Absent: 1 
Abstain: 0

Permit Sonoma Hearing Waiver Calendar

This calendar serves only to notify the public of hearing waiver projects. The projects listed below are not on the current agenda.

File: UPE22-0064
Project Name: Fence Rebuild

Applicant:

Santo Noce

Staff:

Peter Kaljian

Location:

7900 St. Helena Rd., Santa Rosa

APN:

028-250-027

Project
Description:

Use permit to install a maximum 6-foot-tall wood fence previously burned during the Glass fire, within the front yard setback, along a portion of a 3.19-acre parcel.

Last Day for
Public Comment:

March 27, 2023

File: UPE22-0050
Project Name: Use Permit for an Intermediate Freestanding Commercial Telecommunications Facility

Applicant:

Melissa Keith – Assurance Development / Vertical Bridge

Staff:

Adam Sharron

Location:

12847 Dunbar Rd., Glen Ellen

APN:

053-120-057

Project
Description:

Use Permit for an 80'-0" tall faux tree (mono-elm) for T Mobile with (12) 8' antennas, (6) RRUs, (1) 2' microwave, (1) GPS antenna, (2) ground-mounted radio cabinets and an emergency generator on a raised concrete pad, utility backboard, and multi-meter utility service mounted on H-frame within a 50' x 50' fenced lease area. No water or sewer service will be required.

Last Day for
Public Comment:

March 27, 2023

File: UPE22-0072
Project Name: Existing Fence Legalization

Applicant:

Mindaugas Jakaitis

Staff:

Chris Wendt

Location:

14930 Canyon Six Rd., Guerneville

APN:

070-210-055

Project
Description:

Use Permit for the legalization of an existing 8-foot-tall wood fence measuring 60-feet in length within the required street side yard setback on a .22-acre parcel zoned Low Density Residential (R1).

Last Day for
Public Comment:

March 27, 2023

File: UPE22-0026
Project Name: Use Permit to legalize commercial bin and debris box storage yard.

Applicant:

Christine Borghei – Recology Sonoma Marin

Staff:

Adam Sharron

Location:

3855 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa

APN:

134-181-046; 134-181-047; 134-181-038

Project
Description:

Use Permit for the legalization of a commercial bin and debris box storage yard and installation of landscape screening for Recology Sonoma Marin at 3855 Santa Rosa Avenue. The site consists of three Recology-owned parcels with Limited Commercial (LC) base zoning and Scenic Resource (SR) and Valley Oak Habitat combining districts. The combined area of the three parcels is 2.92 acres.

Last Day for
Public Comment:

March 27, 2023

Public Appearances for Non-Agenda Items: Shortly after the hearing begins, the BZA invites public participation regarding the affairs of the County. Any person desiring to speak on any matter which is not scheduled on this agenda may do so. Comments may be limited to three minutes, or as imposed at the discretion of the Chair. Under State Law, matters presented during public appearances cannot be discussed or acted upon by the BZA commissioners.

Public Appearances for Agenda Items: BZA hearings begin at 1:00 PM and are recorded. Agenda items begin on or after the time stated on the agenda. After a county staff project presentation and commission questions, the public hearing is then opened. The applicant may then give a 10-minute project presentation followed by public comments. The time limit for public comments is at the Chair’s discretion and is typically three minutes per speaker. Please state your name for the record when you are called upon. Questions raised by the public may be answered after all public comments are given. The Commission may request staff or the applicant to answer questions, and the applicant is given the opportunity to respond to any public comments. The public hearing is then closed, and no further public comments are received. The commissioners discuss the project and make a decision by motion and roll call vote.

Hearing Waiver Calendar: The hearing waiver calendar lists projects proposed for public hearing waivers for informational purposes only. The listed items are not scheduled on the current or uncontested calendars. For more information on the hearing waiver item, contact the planner assigned to the project or fill out a ‘Request for Information’ card.

Uncontested Calendar: All items listed on the uncontested calendar are considered to be routine. The Chair will open the public hearing on all items simultaneously. If no one from the public addresses the BZA, the hearing will be closed, and the items may be acted upon with a single majority vote.

Public Comments
Please follow the instructions below to submit a Public Comment in writing, email or in person via the hearing room. The BZA invites interested persons to submit comments which are entered into the permanent record. Written comments received prior to and during the hearing are distributed to the commissioners, staff, and are available to the public via the public copies link in the calendar section of this agenda. Written comments received after the package is made public may be read into the record.

Mail Public Comments: Address letters to: Permit Sonoma, 2550 Ventura Avenue, Attn: Planning Agency Secretary, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 and include the project number. This is not the location of the hearing.

Email Public Comments: Email comments to: PlanningAgency@sonoma-county.org. Please provide your name and the project number. It is advised to email comments (no later than the day before) prior to the hearing date to give commissioners and staff review time.

If you wish to speak on an item which appears on this agenda, please fill out a speaker card and drop it in the box near the staff table. You will be called by the Chair in the order received. Your name, will be announced when it’s your turn to speak (1 public comment is allowed per person). The meetings are recorded and all in person testimony must be given through the microphone. Please state your name upon approaching the microphone. Each person may speak only once and is usually granted 3 minutes. Time limits are at the discretion of the Chair. Questions raised by the public are to be directed to the Commission. At the end of the hearing, the Commission may ask staff or the applicant to respond to any questions raised during the hearing.

If you wish to comment on a hearing waiver item, submit your comment directly to the assigned planner prior to the “last day for public comment” date listed for each item.

Please Be Respectful of others and the varying points of view. No clapping, booing, or speaking out of turn.

Please Be Courteous turn off cell phones and pagers while the meeting is in session.