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Planning Commission Meeting

Date: August 03, 2023

Time: 1:00 p.m.

Registration Required: No

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The Planning Commission conducts public hearings and makes decisions on applications for subdivisions, mining permits, and legislative policy matters such the General Plan, Specific Plans, and Zoning changes.

The Planning Commission meets the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month (and as needed).

Roll Call
Commissioner Carr, District 1
Commissioner Reed, District 2
Commissioner Ocaña, District 3
Commissioner Koenigshofer, District 5
Commissioner McCaffery, Chair, District 4

Staff Members
Scott Orr, Deputy Director
Levan King Cranston, Project Planner
Doug Bush, Project Planner
Robert Aguero, Project Planner
Tasha Levitt, 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) 565-1935 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 Planning Commission 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.

Approval of Minutes Planning Commission: March 2, 2023

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.

Planning Commission Regular Calendar

View documents for all items listed digitally>> 

Item No.: 1
Time: 1:05 PM
File: ZCE22-0014
Applicant: Peter Valtin
Owner: Thomas R. Morse III, Kristin Carol Moore, Trustees of the Moore Morse Trust
Cont. from: N/A
Staff: Levan King Cranston
Env. Doc: Statutory Exemption Public Resources Code Section 21080.17 and CEQA Guidelines 15282(h) (ordinances implementing Government Code Section 65852.2); Categorical Exemption: CEQA Guidelines Section 15305, Minor Alterations in Land Use Limitations)
Proposal: Request for a zone change to remove the Z (Accessory Dwelling Unit Exclusion) Combining District from a 6.22-acre parcel
Recommended Action: The Permit and Resource Management Department (Permit Sonoma) recommends that the Planning Commission adopt a resolution recommending that the Board of Supervisors approve a Zone Change to remove the Z (Accessory Unit Exclusion) Combining District from the subject parcel to allow for the potential development of an accessory dwelling unit, and find the project exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under Public Resources Code Section 21080.17 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15282(h); and, CEQA Guidelines Section 15305.
Location: 1524 Dry Creek Rd., Healdsburg
APN: 089-040-001
District: Fourth
Zoning: LIA (Land Intensive Agriculture District) B6 20 (20 acres per dwelling unit density) and Combining Districts for Z (Accessory Dwelling Unit Exclusion), F1 (Flood Way), RC 50/25 (Riparian Corridor with 50-foot setbacks for development, 25-foot setback for agriculture), RC 100/50 (Riparian Corridor with 100-foot setback for development, 50-foot setback for agriculture), SR (Scenic Resources), and VOH (Valley Oak Habitat)
Action: Commissioner Carr motioned to recommend approval to the Board of Supervisors as recommended by staff. Seconded by Commissioner Reed and approved with a 5-0-0 vote.

Appeal Deadline:

N/A

Resolution No.:

23-36

Vote:

Commissioner Carr: Aye
Commissioner Reed: Aye
Commissioner Ocaña: Aye
Commissioner Koenigshofer: Aye
Commissioner McCaffery: Aye
Ayes: 5
Noes: 0
Absent: 0
Abstain: 0
Item No.: 2
Time: 1:20 PM
File: ORD21-0001
Env. Doc: Categorical Exemptions Section 15307 for actions by regulatory agencies for protection of natural resources, 15308 Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of the Environment
Proposal: Amendments to Sonoma County Code Chapter 26 (Sonoma County Zoning Code Regulations) and Chapter 25 (Subdivisions) including technical changes and updates to the Tree Protection Ordinance, Riparian Corridor Ordinance, and the Minor and Major Timberland Conversion Ordinances.
Recommended Action: The Permit Resource and Management Department (Permit Sonoma) recommends that the Planning Commission find the proposed action exempt from CEQA and adopt a resolution recommending that the Board of Supervisors adopt the attached ordinance (Attachment 2).
Location: All unincorporated parcels outside coastal zone
APN: Various
District: All
Zoning: Various
Action: Commissioner Koenigshofer motioned to continue the item to August 31st, 2023 at 1:05 PM. Seconded by Commissioner Ocaña and approved with a 5-0-0 vote.
Appeal Deadline: Not applicable
Resolution No.: Not applicable

Vote:

Commissioner Carr: Aye
Commissioner Reed: Aye
Commissioner Ocaña: Aye
Commissioner Koenigshofer: Aye
Commissioner McCaffery: Aye
Ayes: 5
Noes: 0
Absent: 0
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: UPE23-0008
Project Name: Fence Use Permit
Applicant: Thomas Merrihew
Staff: Levan King Cranston
Location: 766 Dry Creek, Healdsburg CA, 95448
APN: 089-090-044
Project Description: A Use Permit to allow a 41-foot long, 6-foot high solid-wood fence in the front yard setback, approximately 31-feet from the road centerline of Dry Creek Road on a 0.44-acre residential parcel.
Last Day for Public Comment: August 7, 2023

File: UPE22-0070
Project Name: Lakeville Creek Restoration Project
Applicant: Julian Meisler, Sonoma Land Trust
Staff: Deborah Waller
Location: 7701, 7713, 7717 Lakeville Hwy., Sonoma
APN: 068-150-014
Project Description:

The Project includes restoration of 4.240 linear feet (LF) of Lakeville Creek and its associated riparian and grassland habitat within the 50-foot Riparian Corridor setback, consistent with Section 26-65-030(B) and 26-65-040(Q) of the County of Sonoma Zoning Code. The project is located on multiple parcels (068-150-027; 068-150-014; 068-150-035; 068-150-034; 068-100-042; 068 100-040) on Sonoma Land Trust’s Sears Point Ranch Preserve and adjacent Sonoma Raceway property.

The project will bring the current creek channel back to its original grade by grading and filling the channel to provide conditions for natural establishment of interconnected channels and wetland meadows . A complex mosaic of channels, wetlands and uplands is expected to provide more diverse plant and wildlife habitat, allow for greater infiltration and storage of water, and result in a greater likelihood of sustaining wetlands into the future. The overall project goal is to create a functioning coastal alluvial fan ecosystem that provides high levels of habitat and ecosystem functions, more closely resembles historic conditions, is self-sustaining, and is more resilient to climate change.

Last Day for Public Comment: August 7, 2023

File: UPC18-0050
Project Name: UPC18-0050 / Cannabis Cultivation Operation (Distribution/Transportation only)
Applicant: Peter Buffington
Staff: Haleigh Frye
Location: 41707 Sleepy Hollow Road, Annapolis
APN: 121-280-006
Project Description: Use Permit modification (UPC18-0050) for a revision to an approved limited term cannabis cultivation operation to allow for self-distribution with no changes to the existing facilities, and minor increase in trip generation involving an increase of 16 truck trips per year (currently the operation uses a third-party distributor). The approved operation includes 10,000 square feet of mixed light cultivation in six (6) new greenhouses and 25,000 square feet of outdoor cultivation, in addition to accessory processing of site grown cannabis in an existing structure on a 40.11-acre parcel zoned RRD. The cannabis operation has been issued Phase 1 Approval and is currently operating, consisting of 6,250 square feet of outdoor cannabis canopy within an approximately 1-acre fenced licensed premises.
Last Day for Public Comment: August 7, 2023

Public Appearances for Non-Agenda Items

Shortly after the hearing begins, the PC 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 PC commissioners.

Public Appearances for Agenda Items

PC 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.

Contributions

Pursuant to Government Code section 84308, members of the Planning Agency, Planning Commission, or Board of Zoning Adjustments (collectively “Planning Agency”) are disqualified and not able to participate in any agenda item involving contracts (other than competitively bid, labor, or personal employment contracts), franchises, discretionary land use permits and other entitlements if the member of the Planning Agency received more than $250 in campaign contributions from the applicant or contractor, an agent of the applicant or contractor, or any financially interested participant who actively supports or opposes the County’s decision on the agenda item since January 1, 2023. Members of the Planning Agency who have received, and applicants, contractors or their agents who have made, campaign contributions totaling more than $250 to a member of the Planning Agency since January 1, 2023, are required to disclose that fact for the official record of the subject proceeding. Disclosures must include the amount of the campaign contribution and identify the recipient Planning Agency member and may be made either in writing to the Clerk for the Planning Agency, Planning Commission, or Board of Zoning Adjustments, as the case may be, prior to the subject hearing or by verbal disclosure at the time of the hearing.

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.

Public Comments

Please follow the instructions below to submit a Public Comment in writing, email or in person via the hearing room. The PC 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.

Speaking In-Person on an Agenda Item

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. 

Comment on a Hearing Waiver Item

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.

Be Respectful and Courteous

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.