Cotati planning commission backs proposed Transit‑Oriented Communities zoning changes

The Cotati Planning Commission voted to advance staff’s proposed zoning changes intended to implement Transit‑Oriented Communities (TOC) requirements from the Association of Bay Area Governments and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. The commission approved the recommendation with suggested edits and will forward an ordinance to the City Council for adoption.

Staff told the commission the package would apply TOC standards to properties within a half‑mile of the SMART station and, in some instances, citywide. Major elements described by staff included residential densities of roughly 25–35 units per acre in the TOC area, a commercial floor‑area‑ratio (FAR) range of roughly 1.0–3.0, and new parking rules that set maximums (about 1–1.5 spaces per residential unit and roughly 1 space per 250 sq. ft. of commercial space) while proposing no parking minimums in the TOC area. Staff said the package also proposes two new zoning districts — a Santero Way district intended to preserve the character of an existing cul‑de‑sac neighborhood and a separate Transit‑Oriented Communities district to concentrate more intense commercial frontage on East Cotati Avenue.

Why this matters: ABAG/MTC’s TOC framework ties jurisdictions’ competitiveness for 1 Bay Area grant funds to TOC compliance. Staff said jurisdictions that are not judged compliant risk losing competitive points for that grant program; Cotati has relied on that grant money for street and sidewalk projects…