Cotati reviews design, traffic and labor plans for 44‑unit affordable housing at 120 East Cotati Ave.

City of Cotati staff and the developer Freebird Development presented detailed designs and a traffic study on the proposed 44‑unit affordable housing project at 120 East Cotati Avenue during the city council’s Aug. 26 meeting, and council members offered direction on vehicle access, sidewalk design and labor protections. No final approvals were taken; staff said the project will return to council as part of a disposition and development agreement.

The project would place 44 residential units and about 3,850 square feet of ground‑floor commercial space on the downtown lot the city bought using money from its affordable housing fund. Freebird Development’s proposal calls for three stories with a parking garage on the ground floor, a landscaped podium courtyard on the second level with play areas, and the housing units on the second and third floors. Twelve units (about 25 percent of the total) are proposed as supportive housing dedicated to residents who need services to retain housing and access healthcare.

Senior planner JP Harris told the council the development is a ministerial project under state rules referenced in the meeting (cited by staff as AB 2162/AB 21 62 in the transcript), and therefore the city’s role on approvals is limited. Because the city owns the land, however, council can set conditions in the disposition and development agreement that will return to council for approval. “Although it's a ministerial project, the council can impose conditions on the project and the disposition of the property to the developer,” Harris said.

Developer presentation and design

Robin Zimbler, founder and manager of Freebird Development, and the project’s architect, Paul, walked the council through the design goals and changes since earlier community meetings. The current design calls for a mix of studios, one, two and three‑bedroom units, roughly distributed evenly across sizes, and aims to balance scale with context: the building steps down to two stories at the ends where it meets neighboring properties, and commercial space is oriented toward La Plaza to “activate the public streets,” Zimbler said.

Zimbler and the architect described adjustments the team has made in response to community input: additional color in façade materials, stepped‑down massing toward La Plaza and Charles Street, and a podium courtyard with seating and two children’s play areas. The developer said the project seeks to be “a good neighbor” through design and continued outreach.

Project numbers and concessions

Key project elements discussed during the meeting: - Units: 44 total. - Commercial: about 3,850 sq. ft. of ground‑floor commercial along La Plaza. - Supportive housing: 12 units (described by staff as the 25% set‑aside that qualifies the project for ministerial review under the state supportive‑housing streamlined approval standard). - Intended affordability: units targeted to households at or below roughly 80 percent of area median income (AMI) as stated by the developer. - Parking shown on plans: 54 vehicle spaces (developer stated), while staff noted state density‑bonus law limits the maximum parking a city may require in certain circumstances (staff said the statute would limit the city to a maximum of 42 spaces under one calculation; the project includes additional spaces). - Height and setbacks: building roof proposed at about 37 feet with decorative tower elements around 47 feet 6 inches; staff identified a concession request to reduce the rear setback from the 20 feet in the Downtown Specific Plan to 10 feet on portions of the site.

Harris explained that because…