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Planning commission recommends city council approve change to public‑hearing notice rules
Summary
Commissioners voted unanimously to recommend a city‑council ordinance amending notice procedures for hearings affecting zoning and land‑use; staff told the commission the changes will align local code with AB 2904 requirements for zoning amendments and reduce undeliverable tenant mailings.
The Sonoma Planning Commission voted to recommend that the city council adopt an ordinance amending the Sonoma Municipal Code's notice procedures for land‑use hearings. Commissioners voted unanimously to forward a resolution recommending the ordinance and a finding the amendment is exempt from CEQA.
Staff summarized the proposed changes: reduce the newspaper publication requirement from two consecutive Fridays to one Friday, maintain mailed notices to property owners within 500 feet (the city currently mails to a 500‑foot radius; state law requires 300 feet), narrow tenant mailing to tenants at the site and those within 100 feet, and formalize on‑site posting with an affidavit to document placement. Staff said the change aims to reduce undeliverable tenant mail and to make posted notice practice consistent (the city council now posts agendas only at city hall, staff said).
Jennifer Gates, Community Development Director, told the commission that AB 2904 introduced a separate 20‑day notice requirement for zoning amendments that affect real property; staff proposed keeping the standard 10‑day notice for other municipal‑code actions but accounting for AB 2904 where applicable. "This section, AB 2904, is specific to zoning amendments ... It's located in that section," Gates said, noting staff's intention to ensure local practice complies with the new state requirement.
Motion, vote and next steps
A commissioner moved and the commission approved the resolution recommending adoption of the ordinance; the roll call vote was unanimous. Commissioners asked staff to clarify implementation timing and to return amended code sections in final form for city council consideration. Staff said typical notice timing requires calculating backwards from the hearing date on a predictable commission calendar; changing notice rules will help clarify application completeness and scheduling.
Why it matters
The ordinance amendment will change who receives mailed notice, shorten the newspaper posting requirement and create a formal affidavit trail for on‑site posting. Staff said the changes are intended to improve the reliability of tenant notice and to align local practice with the state's newer AB 2904 requirement for zoning amendments. Because AB 2904 requires a longer (20‑day) notice window for amending zones that affect real property, staff said they will use the ordinance language to make those timelines clear for applicants and residents.
