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 size and proximity of the rear three‑story building, the proposed removal of oak trees that provide screening, and the footprint and interior sizes of units. Arthur Street resident Jenny Blaker told the commission that the oaks provide “screening, visual buffer, privacy and habitat” and said the trees are likely decades old; Lynelle Hardy said a 37‑foot rear wall 10 feet from the property line would “overshadow my yard” and asked the commission to deny the reduced setback and the third‑story encroachment. Several commenters urged alternative designs that would retain the trees and still meet density requirements.

Architect Brent Russell apologized for plan drawing inconsistencies about tree locations and explained the design choices: putting buildings around the perimeter concentrates vehicle circulation in the center and orients living spaces inward to reduce impacts on neighbors. Russell also said the accessible unit is at ground level to avoid elevator requirements and that parking and circulation needs strongly influence the building footprints.

During deliberations commissioners pressed staff and the architect on tradeoffs. Commissioners discussed flipping the three‑story massing toward La Plaza and shifting the rear building east to save the oak, and weighing that against the parking count and the location of an accessible unit that must remain at ground level. Staff said removing two on‑site parking spaces would allow the rear building to shift and increase the setback, and suggested mitigation measures for tree loss including additional plantings or in‑lieu fees adjusted for multi‑trunk specimens.

The commission adopted three recommendations it asked staff to forward to City Council: (1) flip and move the rear building east to save the oak tree; (2) move the rear building forward 10 feet, reduce on‑site parking by two spaces (from 14 to 12) to allow a 20‑foot rear setback, and allow a parking variance accordingly; and (3) study window opacity/privacy measures on elevations facing neighboring yards. The commission then moved to approve the project recommendation packet to the City Council with those conditions; the motion passed on a voice vote.

Harris noted the applicant was not present and that any final design changes or conditions would ultimately be resolved with the applicant and by the City Council. The commission’s recommendation will be placed on the City Council agenda for final action.

The commission also heard questions about affordability: staff said none of the proposed units would be deed‑restricted affordable housing and that projects with nine units or fewer in Cotati may pay an in‑lieu fee to the city’s affordable housing fund rather than provide on‑site restricted units.

The commission closed the item and instructed staff to forward the recommendation packet and conditions to the City Council for its consideration.