Planning Commission approves 62-unit Meadow Creek Townhomes tentative map at 533 Bellevue Avenue

The Santa Rosa City Planning Commission on July 24 approved a tentative map for the Meadow Creek Townhomes subdivision, a proposed 62-unit attached-housing development at 533 Bellevue Avenue in the Roseland area.

Noor, a planner with the Planning and Economic Development Department, told the commission the project proposes subdividing a 4.78-acre site into 62 residential lots in 12 buildings — 10 five-plexes and two six-plexes — and two open-space parcels. The general plan land-use designation is medium-density residential (8–18 units per acre); staff said the proposal’s density is 12.79 units per acre, near the midpoint of the allowable range. Noor said the project includes two common open-space areas, a bioretention area along Colgan Creek, and design changes recommended by the Waterways Advisory Committee so no structures sit inside the creek setback.

Developer Jay Reider, president of Reider Homes, said the homes would be 3-bedroom, 2-bath, two-story townhomes of about 1,500 to 1,700 square feet, with six moderate-income below-market-rate units. Reider said parking would include 124 garage spaces and 50 uncovered spaces and that private open spaces, a homeowners association and a detention area would provide a buffer from Colgan Creek.

Public commenters raised concerns about project density, privacy impacts for adjacent single-story homes, parking spillover during school events and environmental protections. Erin Gomez, a nearby homeowner, said buyers had been told the land behind existing homes would be reserved for single-family houses and complained the townhomes would be “10 feet behind our fences with no buffer whatsoever.” Ross Hawes, another homeowner, commended the builder’s work but asked the commission to reconsider unit count and emphasized parking and school-traffic impacts. Janice Carmen spoke separately to raise unrelated property-violation concerns.

City traffic engineer Rob Sprinkle and Cleve Gurney, deputy director of engineering development services, answered commissioners’ questions on trip generation, access and sewer connections. Sprinkle said the project would generate about 30 peak-hour trips and that, while school arrival times coincide with morning peak traffic, the study found the increase would not meet city warrants for a new traffic signal. Gurney clarified the subdivision would connect to the city sewer system and explained that a violation would only occur if prohibited discharges (hazardous waste) entered the sewer.

Commissioners discussed setbacks, CEQA compliance, and the zoning exceptions requested for reduced lot areas and setbacks typical for attached-housing projects. Noor said the project is conditioned to comply with mitigation measures from an earlier environmental impact report for the Roseland Area/Sebastopol Road Specific Plan, and with any requirements from outside agencies such as California Fish and Wildlife to minimize impacts to California tiger salamander habitat. The Planning and Economic Development Department recommended that the commission adopt the tentative map with the conditions outlined in the staff report.

Commissioner Sisco moved to adopt the resolution approving the tentative map (file MAJ23-002); Commissioner Pardo seconded. The commission voted unanimously: Commissioners Carter, Sisco, Horton, Pardo, Sanders, Vice Chair Duggan and Chair Weeks all voted yes. Noor said the approval will stand unless appealed within 10 calendar days under Zoning Code §20-62.

The project will return to city staff for streamlined design review and final engineering approvals; the commission’s action was on the tentative map only. Conditions attached at approval address creek setbacks, stormwater and landscaping, compliance with the certified environmental review for the specific plan, mitigation for protected-species habitat and requirements to complete pre-construction surveys during nesting season.