Planning commission certifies Santerra Way EIR, recommends updated specific plan to City Council

The Cotati Planning Commission voted on Jan. 13, 2025, to certify the draft environmental impact report (EIR) for the Santerra Way specific plan update and to adopt the updated specific plan for recommendation to the City Council. The commission’s approval clears the plan for a City Council hearing scheduled for Feb. 11, 2025, when the council will take final action.

Luke Lindenbusch, senior planner with consultant firm 4Leaf, described the project as "the culmination of close to a year and a half of effort" and walked commissioners and the public through the draft specific plan and the EIR analysis. The update focuses on roughly 25 acres centered on the Cotati SMART station depot and adjacent parcels, most of which remain vacant, and aims to modernize the 2001 plan with flexible mixed-use zoning and implementation measures.

Staff said the update was timed to align with regional Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC) requirements and recent state rules. The EIR covers additional parcels within a half-mile radius of the station so the city can evaluate potential TOC-driven rezoning without needing a separate environmental review in the near…