City Ventures presents Doyle property townhome concept; commissioners and neighbors flag traffic, density and design concerns

City Ventures presented a preliminary proposal on July 17 to develop the 2.99-acre Doyle property at 20455 Fifth Street East into for-sale townhomes intended for the “missing middle.” The project team showed two conceptual options — a 51-unit, all two-story plan with 13 inclusionary units, and a 61-unit option that adds three-story units in the interior to increase density.

Michael Brewer of City Ventures said the company focuses on infill townhomes and sustainable construction, and that the Doyle property has been identified in Sonoma’s housing strategy as a logical site to help meet Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) goals. Brewer described the design intent as putting garages to the interior, orienting patios and doors to face the street, creating interior greenways and preserving mature oak trees where feasible.

The presentation was a study session: commissioners emphasized they could only comment on site planning, massing and consistency with general-plan goals and should avoid any statements that could create bias for future hearings. Commissioners and staff discussed that annexation and pre-zoning will be required, that annexation would…