Planning commission approves optometry clinic at Old Bowl Center with parking exception, requires local site manager and 10AM start

Cheryl Johnson, CEO of Sonoma Valley Community Health Center, told the Planning Commission the clinic will bring optometry services to patients who otherwise must travel outside the valley and that the proposal reflects the center’s mission to serve underserved and Medi-Cal patients.

The commission unanimously approved a use-permit amendment and a six-space parking exception to allow the conversion of vacant space in Building 2 of the Old Bowl Center (19312 Sonoma Highway) to an optometry clinic and related administrative space. Commissioners attached conditions that the clinic’s daily patient hours begin at 10 a.m. (applicant may extend hours later in the day) and that the property owner maintain a local site manager in Sonoma to respond to on-site parking and tenant issues.

Why it matters: Commission staff found that Building 2 and the site generally functioned with the current parking layout, but the proposed new uses trigger the city’s parking standards and require an exception. The clinic’s proponents argued on public-health grounds that providing optometry care locally will increase access for people with diabetes, hypertension and other conditions that affect vision and that those patients often fail to follow through when referred outside Sonoma.

What was proposed and what staff said: Staff’s report said the entire Building 2 is 16,395 square feet and that the site currently provides 16 marked parking spaces; the zoning and parking regulations would require 22 spaces for the mix of uses on the site, producing a 6-space shortfall. Staff performed nine parking surveys and concluded that the existing parking configuration generally functions. The staff report also noted a 2007 parking exception had called for 10 new spaces that were not fully implemented because accessibility requirements changed the lot layout at that time.

Applicant presentation: Cheryl Johnson said the community health center treats largely Medi-Cal and uninsured patients and that optometry was a priority identified in its community needs assessment. Johnson said the optometry clinic would start modestly — about two patients per hour in year one, rising to about three per hour once established — and that it would not be a mass retail eyewear operation. She also said the center and building owner agreed to work with tenants on hours and management concerns.

Owner and counsel: Bruce Wagner, representing the building owner group, confirmed the owners are planning to hire local property management and are willing to include a local contact in leases. Michael Woods, attorney for the health center, clarified a fire-department exhibit and confirmed three parking spaces on the north side of the lot would remain and were not required to be removed by the fire marshal.

Commission and public concerns: Commissioners and several tenants raised detailed concerns about morning congestion (roughly 8–10 a.m.), unmarked use of fire-lane areas, and vehicles associated with other tenants that reduce effective capacity. During public comment a tenant and the building owner discussed the need for on-site management, enforcement of parking rules and removal of long-stored or for-sale cars occupying spaces. In response the applicant agreed to shift clinic hours to begin later in the morning and to require local site management in the lease.

Staff correction on staffing: The staff report stated the optometry clinic would have four employees; the applicant stated the project would include four optometry staff plus six administrative personnel in the converted suite (ten total). The commission and staff noted the discrepancy and the applicant confirmed the higher staff count on the record.

Outcome: Commissioner [Barbos] moved to approve the use permit amendment and parking exception with the staff conditions plus the added conditions requiring the 10 a.m. start time and a Sonoma-based site manager; the motion was seconded and carried unanimously on roll call. The approval included the categorical CEQA exemption cited in the staff report for conversion of existing small structures.

Next steps: Conditions require the applicant and property owner to document the local management arrangement in the lease; staff will implement the conditions and the applicant will return for required reviews if there is any substantive change to the proposed use.

Ending note: Commissioners said they supported the clinic’s public-health benefits but asked staff and the owner to monitor parking and enforcement in the months after opening and to report back if problems persist.