Cotati planners recommend council approve 8150 La Plaza mixed‑use project after conditions to save oak

The Cotati Planning Commission on Tuesday recommended that the City Council approve preliminary and final design review, variances and a tree‑removal permit for a five‑unit mixed‑use project at 8150 La Plaza, provided the applicant adopt conditions the commission said would preserve a mature oak and reduce impacts on rear neighbors.

JP Harris, senior planner for the City of Cotati, presented staff’s report and said the proposal includes two new buildings with ground floor commercial space and five residential units, and requests variances to allow front access from La Plaza, exceed the 35‑foot height limit by roughly one to two feet to accommodate roof pitch, and reduce rear setbacks required under the Downtown Specific Plan (DSP). Harris told commissioners the project qualifies to tier from the city’s general plan analysis and likely meets the CEQA infill exemption commonly cited as CEQA Guideline 15332.

Neighbors raised repeated concerns about the…