Cotati holds workshop on Santero Way rezoning, staff proposes TOC zoning and parking limits

Thank you, Mayor Ford, members of the council. I'm Noah House, community development director for the city. And we are going to be discussing Cotati's transit oriented community and Santero Way rezoning, in a workshop format; no decisions are being made tonight, Noah House said at the start of a lengthy presentation.

The presentation laid out proposed changes intended to bring Cotati into compliance with ABAG/MTC’s draft Transit-Oriented Communities guidance and to implement the Santero Way specific plan update. Staff recommended creating two new zoning districts (a primarily residential Santero Way district and a mixed-use TOC district along East Cotati Avenue), adopting density and floor-area-ratio ranges, and setting parking maximums. The changes are intended to increase the city’s competitiveness for regional grant funds tied to TOC compliance and to guide redevelopment near the SMART station.

The recommendations matter because they would change development rules for parcels within a half-mile of the SMART station and make targeted code changes citywide. Staff told the council the proposed residential densities would generally range from 25 to 35 units per acre, commercial floor-area ratios (FAR) would be 1.0 to 3.0, and residential parking would be capped at 1.5 spaces per unit. Staff also proposed a maximum commercial parking rate of 4 spaces per 1,000 square feet and no minimum parking requirements in TOC areas; bicycle parking requirements would rise to one secured space per unit in TOC areas.

Staff framed the package as partly required by state trends in housing law and partly a chance to capture ABAG/MTC funding. Noah House emphasized that some elements are mandated and others are selectable menu items under the TOC guidance; the city chose a set of options staff believes will put Cotati in a high compliance tier and improve the city’s competitiveness for one-bay-area grant funding tied to TOC metrics.

During council questioning, members sought clarification about whether the proposed parking limits were compulsory in the ABAG/MTC rubric and whether the city’s existing processes already satisfy streamlining requirements such as those in SB 330. House said Cotati’s entitlement process is already broadly aligned with SB 330 requirements but staff would codify those practices so they are explicit. Council members also asked whether unbundled parking (a price difference between renting a unit with or without a parking space) would apply only to multifamily housing; staff said they propose applying it to multifamily and mixed-use developments in the TOC area and that they will confirm whether ABAG/MTC will accept making the policy optional versus required.

Council members and staff discussed community concerns repeatedly raised in outreach: parking availability, the mix of commercial and residential uses, maintaining neighborhood character, emergency access and evacuation routes, and housing affordability. Staff noted outreach included 1,000 mailed notices for a neighborhood meeting and a planning commission workshop; public commenters at the meeting criticized the TOC approach as over-reaching and said Cotati’s transit connections are limited.

On housing production and preservation, staff proposed two main compliance pathways: using the city’s recent acquisition at 120 East Cotati Avenue as a housing-production commitment and codifying streamlined entitlement processes consistent with SB 330. Staff advised caution on some menu options that would require multi-year funding commitments (staff cited a Tier A funding example of a four-year commitment with $1 million for production, $500,000 for preservation and $100,000 for protection) because Cotati’s current budget is two-year and staff judged multi‑year commitments at that scale imprudent now.

Staff recommended several code cleanups and clarifications to accompany the TOC zoning changes. Those included reclassifying tattoo and body-piercing studios from a restricted “personal services — restricted” use to a general “personal services” category to increase available commercial locations; adding an explicit retail tobacco-shop definition to the land-use code while continuing to prohibit new tobacco shops; and adding micro-distilleries and vintage clothing retail as defined uses. Staff said these edits are intended to make the land-use table clearer and to help vacant ground-floor spaces find viable small-business tenants.

The council provided general support for the approach and suggested staff return with an implementing ordinance after staff uploads the draft policy package to ABAG/MTC’s compliance portal and receives early feedback. No ordinance or final vote was taken at the workshop; staff will bring back code language and any ABAG/MTC feedback for future council action.

Staff will use the council’s input to prepare an implementing ordinance, submit the draft compliance package to the ABAG/MTC portal for review, and return with any responses along with proposed ordinance language and specific redline edits.