To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Permit Sonoma
Staff Name and Phone Number: Tennis Wick, (707) 565-1925
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Fifth
Title:
Title
2:00 P.M. Adopt a Resolution to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration and Approve a General Plan Amendment, Use Permit, and Design Review for a New Hardware Store at 1794 Highway 116 South and 26 Bloomfield Road, Sebastopol, CA, APN 063-040-034 and APN 063-040-035; (Permit Sonoma File Number PLP23-0011).
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Hold a public hearing and adopt a Resolution to 1) adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring Program, 2) approve a General Plan Amendment to change the Rural Residential (RR) land use to Limited Commercial (LC) to match the zoning designation and parcel use history, and 3) approve the Use Permit and Design Review request for a new hardware store located at 1794 Highway 116 South and 26 Bloomfield Road, Sebastopol, CA, APN 063-040-034 and APN 063-040-035 (Fifth District).
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Executive Summary:
On April 4, 2022, the applicant, Ken Cohan, applied for a Use Permit and Design Review for a new hardware store consisting of a 12,260 square foot retail building with an adjacent 2,984 square foot open air roofed garden supply/nursery structure, and a separate 4,000 square foot warehouse building, located on two parcels 1.26 acres in size and 1.50 acres in size, and proposed to merge to a single parcel totaling 2.76 acres. The project site has a Limited Commercial (LC) zoning designation and a Rural Residential (RR) General Plan land use designation. The project is located at 1794 Highway 116 South and 26 Bloomfield Road, Sebastopol, CA, APN 063-040-034 and APN 063-040-035, in the Fifth District.
The project includes a proposal for a General Plan Amendment to change the land use designation for the subject property from Rural Residential (RR) to Limited Commercial (LC) to align with the zoning designation and historic use of the site, as discussed in the Zoning and Land Use History section below. The General Plan Amendment to change the RR Land Use designation to LC would match existing conditions and the pattern of Land Use along the Highway 116 corridor in the immediate area, as shown in Attachment 9, which consists of commercial and industrial designations along Highway 116, located on corners near intersections.
An Initial Study was prepared for the project pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and the project’s potential environmental impacts have been analyzed. A Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) is proposed which finds that potential environmental impacts have been fully mitigated to less-than-significant levels. The MND was circulated through the State Clearinghouse and noticed for public review and comment from November 22, 2023, through December 22, 2023. All mitigation measures have been incorporated into the project’s conditions of approval.
On June 20, 2024, the project was presented to the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission recommended that the Board of Supervisors adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring Program set forth in the Conditions of Approval and approve the General Plan Amendment, Use Permit, and Design Review subject to the conditions of approval.
Discussion:
Project Description
Request for 1) General Plan Amendment to change the Land Use from Rural Residential (RR) to Limited Commercial (LC); and 2) Use Permit and Design Review for a new hardware store consisting of a retail building of 12,260 gross square feet with an adjacent open air roofed garden supply/nursery structure of 2,984 square feet, and a separate warehouse building of 4,000 gross square feet. The project site includes two parcels, 1.26 acres in size and 1.50 acres in size, which are proposed to be merged to a single parcel 2.76 acres in size. Accessory improvements include a trash enclosure and two fire suppression water tanks located above ground. The proposed hours of operation would be 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, with a maximum of 10 employees. Access to the project site will be provided along Bloomfield Road and Highway 116 South. Access along Highway 116 will be limited to right-turn movements in and out. The project site will be fully landscaped with hedges, shrubs, and accent plants along the frontage of the property to screen the site from Highway 116 South.
Site Characteristics
The project site involves two parcels, Parcel 1 (APN 063-040-034) approximately 1.50 acres in size, and Parcel 2 (APN 063-040-035) approximately 1.26 acres in size. The project site is located at the intersection of Highway 116 South and Bloomfield Road, approximately 0.60 miles south of City of Sebastopol limits. Parcel 1 is currently vacant. Parcel 2 is occupied with an existing single-family residence and accessory structures that are proposed to be demolished.
Project History
On July 20, 2022, the Design Review Committee (DRC) reviewed preliminary plans for the proposed project and provided recommendations related to architecture, parking and circulation, landscaping, colors/materials, lighting, and signage. The applicant incorporated these recommendations and returned to the DRC on January 17, 2024, for Final Design Review. The DRC provided Final Design Review and delegated final approval and adoption of the MND to staff.
On January 26, 2024, Permit Sonoma staff posted a public request to waive a public hearing and approve the project. The Hearing Waiver was posted from January 26, 2024, to February 5, 2024. One letter of opposition was received during the public comment period.
On June 20, 2024, the Planning Commission held a public meeting, considered the application and voted (4-0-1) to recommend that the Board of Supervisors adopt the MND, approve the hardware store project, and approve the General Plan Amendment.
Zoning and Land Use History
Since 1956 the subject parcels have a history of being zoned and rezoned to allow a variety of commercial and residential uses. For example, the site has been used as an apple processing facility, a service station, a produce stand, a bar, and a coffee shop. As a part of the 1989 General Plan update efforts, the County rezoned parcels to match their General Plan land use designation. During this update, the project site was rezoned to Limited Commercial (LC), while maintaining the Rural Residential (RR) General Plan Land Use designation, resulting in an inconsistent Land Use and zoning designation for the subject parcels since that time. This proposed update would implement consistency between the Zoning and General Plan maps.
Planning Commission Review
On June 20, 2024, Permit Sonoma staff provided a memo (Attachment 3) to the Planning Commission with additional information regarding the project site and previous analysis conducted under the 2020 General Plan update and Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The EIR analyzed proposed Land Use amendments for one of the project parcels, formerly APN 063-040-013 (now portions of APN 063-040-034 and -035) to change the Land Use and Zoning from Rural Residential (RR) to Limited Commercial (LC) based on a technical correction and non-conforming uses on site. However, no record of denial, approval, or further direction was found regarding the subject parcels.
On June 20, 2024, the Planning Commission held a public meeting, considered the application and memo, and voted (4-0-1) to recommend that the Board of Supervisors adopt the MND, approve the hardware store project, and approve the General Plan Amendment provided that the Resolution (Attachment 2) be modified to add the following language to Finding #2:
“Further supporting this finding and the willingness of the Planning Commission to support the request is the unique circumstance involving long standing limited commercial zoning and use of the site, despite the Land Use designation of rural residential, and a desire to align the zoning, use, and designation.”
The General Plan Amendment would allow the Land Use designation to align with the historic zoning and use of the site. Historically, the project site has been designated with commercial zoning, with a small portion of the site located on APN 063-040-035 designated as rural residential. Since 1956 the site has been used as an apple processing facility, a grocery store, a service station, a bar, a produce stand, and a coffee shop.
Public Comment
Permit Sonoma received several letters of public comment (Attachment 10) regarding concerns with parking, traffic, hazards, tree removal, noise impacts, flooding impacts, and the septic system on a neighboring property. No members of the public commented on the item during the June 20, 2024 Planning Commission public hearing. However, the written comments were considered by the Commission and addressed through recommended project modifications, mitigation measures, and conditions of approval.
Environmental Analysis
An Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) were prepared for the project pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The applicant has agreed to the mitigation measures to avoid or reduce to a less-than-significant level, potentially significant adverse impacts on the environment. The mitigations have been incorporated into the project conditions of approval. Potential environmental impacts have been identified in the following topic areas: Aesthetics, Air Quality, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Geology and Soils, Noise, Transportation, and Tribal Cultural Resources. The MND (Attachment 5) was circulated for public review and comment from November 22, 2023, to December 22, 2023. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) provided a comment letter dated December 22, 2023, which did not require a recirculation of the MND and are incorporated into the project as conditions of approval and will be reviewed through the Caltrans Encroachment Permit process.
The MND was revised for technical clarity on June 10, 2024, to clarify that the project includes a General Plan Amendment to align the land use designation with the parcel’s zoning. CEQA Guidelines Section 15073.5(c) specifies that recirculation of a negative declaration, including mitigated negative declaration, is not required when “new information is added to the negative declaration which merely clarifies, amplifies, or makes insignificant modifications to the negative declaration.”
Staff Recommendation
Hold a public hearing and adopt a resolution to 1) adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring Program, 2) approve a General Plan Amendment to change the Rural Residential (RR) land use to Limited Commercial (LC) to match the zoning designation and parcel use history, and 3) approve the Use Permit and Design Review request for a new hardware store.
Strategic Plan:
Not Applicable.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
None
Fiscal Summary
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The project is an at-cost planning project with costs paid by the applicant. Approval of the project will not require additional resources or staffing.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
Approval of the project will not result in an increased demand for additional resources or staff.
Attachments:
Att 1: PLP23-0011 Board of Supervisors Resolution
Att 1a: Conditions of Approval and Mitigation Monitoring Plan
Att 2: PLP23-0011 Planning Commission Resolution
Att 2a: Draft Conditions of Approval and Mitigation Monitoring Plan
Att 3: PLP23-0011 Planning Commission Staff Report
Att 4: PLP23-0011 Planning Commission Memo dated June 20, 2024
Att 4a: Planning Area 6 - Analysis of Land Use Map Amendment Requests
Att 4b: Resolution 08-0808 GP 2020 Adoption
Att 4c: Ord 5801 Approved Zone Changes and Land Use Maps
Att 5: PLP23-0011 Proposed Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND)
Att 6: PLP23-0011 Proposal Statement
Att 7: PLP23-0011 Project Plans
Att 8: PLP23-0011 Parcel History Tables
Att 9: PLP23-0011 Project Area Maps and Photos
Att 10: PLP23-0011 Public Comment
Att 11: PLP23-0011 Staff PowerPoint Presentation
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None