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Planning Commission reviews 2024 general-plan annual report; members press for stronger action on low-income housing
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Summary
Planning staff reported 39 housing units permitted since the start of the current RHNA cycle and presented code and project updates; commissioners urged stronger action to close the city’s shortfall in low- and very-low-income housing.
Planning staff presented the City of Sonoma’s 2024 General Plan Annual Progress Report and the housing-element implementation update at Thursday’s Planning Commission meeting, and commissioners used the discussion to press for new funding and land strategies to meet the city’s state-assigned housing targets.
Planner Diane (staff) told the commission the city’s housing allotment for the current RHNA cycle is 311 units. Since the beginning of the cycle, staff reported, a total of 39 new units have been permitted — 10 in 2023 and 29 in 2024. The presentation listed several larger projects and code updates in progress, including the Montaldo (50 units, 25% affordable component) environmental review and the Hummingbird subdivision (15 units, presently under construction). Staff also summarized code and procedural changes made to support housing production, including updates for two-unit development, urban lot splits, reduced parking requirements and a longer post-approval extension period for entitlements.
Commissioners and public speakers expressed concern that the city is falling far short on the low- and very-low-income components of the RHNA allocation. Commissioner Barnett proposed that the city consider direct acquisition or optioning of private parcels — citing the McArthur and Broadway site as an example — and use the Affordable Housing Trust Fund or partner with a nonprofit housing developer to enable low-income housing. Barnett noted the parcel’s asking price referenced in the discussion was about $4.6 million and urged the commission and council to pursue an option or acquisition strategy.
Other commissioners urged outreach to nonprofit affordable-housing developers and to explore surplus-government lands and partnership opportunities. Staff noted constraints: many public parcels are held with deed restrictions or were donated for specific public uses, and that state funding formulas prioritize corridors served by major transit investments, which limits certain statewide funding sources in some smaller jurisdictions. Commissioners suggested a focused effort — including ad hoc committees and partnerships with the business community and housing authorities — to identify funding, land-banking options and advocacy strategies. Several commissioners volunteered to serve on new ad hoc groups to explore general plan code changes, an affordable-housing trust fund strategy and demolition-by-neglect/ vacant-structure remedies.
Why it matters: Sonoma faces a sizable state-assigned housing target and several commissioners warned the city’s current pace of permitting is insufficient to meet low- and very-low-income housing goals. The commission’s direction to form ad hoc groups signals an intent to pursue local policy and funding options ahead of upcoming general-plan and zoning amendments.
What’s next: Staff will continue housing-element implementation tasks and bring draft code updates, an updated work plan and proposed ad hoc charters to the commission and City Council for direction. The commission’s ad hoc groups will identify options for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, potential land-acquisition strategies, surplus-site outreach and streamlining measures for production of smaller multifamily units.
