The Santa Rosa zoning administrator approved a minor conditional use permit on Dec. 18, 2025, allowing a 15‑bed residential care facility at 635 Benjamins Road, subject to conditions including one marked visitor parking space and a requirement that visits be scheduled by appointment.

City project planner Hannah Michaelson told the hearing the proposal is a 0.43‑acre site in Rincon Valley and meets city standards for lot coverage, setbacks and height. "The project proposes a 15 bed community care facility that will care for the elderly and will operate 24 hours a day with a maximum of 4 employees on a shift," Michaelson said during her presentation. She also said transportation staff estimated the project would generate fewer than 110 vehicle trips per day and did not exceed local VMT thresholds that would trigger a further traffic study.

Neighbors and long‑time residents strongly contested the project during an extended public comment period, raising traffic, parking and neighborhood‑character concerns. "I'm terrified... of the traffic increase for my kids," said Emily Silva, who said there are no sidewalks on the road her children use to walk and bike to school. Several speakers argued five on‑site spaces are insufficient and cited a separate interpretation of parking rules that, if applied, would require far more on‑site spaces.

Applicant representatives and the architect said the home is single‑story and designed to blend into the neighborhood. "This project is single story residential it's a residential scale home designed to blend into the neighborhood and operate like a home, not a medical facility," applicant Kim Pham said, adding the owners will live on site and operate the facility as a family‑scale home rather than a large institutional setting.

Planner Michaelson and the applicant also confirmed the property will connect to city water and sewer; the existing well would be used for landscaping only. Staff said the project is required to provide frontage public improvements (half‑width street improvements including curb, gutter, planter strip and a 5‑foot sidewalk) as described in the project resolution's Exhibit A, and those improvements would create two public parking spaces on the street.

Fire Marshal Paul Lomthal spoke to emergency response and evacuation planning, saying the fire department inspects and monitors permitted facilities and works with sites that generate unusually high service calls. He directed residents to the city's wildfire readiness resources and gave the department's main phone line for follow up.

During deliberations the zoning administrator proposed—and the applicant accepted as a condition—a requirement that the project mark one on‑site visitor parking space and limit visits to appointments, with only one visit scheduled at a time. The Zoning Administrator said that condition, combined with the required public improvements and the project's compliance findings, supported approval. "With that, with the condition about visitor parking... I will approve the project," the administrator said, and reminded attendees the decision may be appealed within 10 calendar days.

Opponents may file an appeal with planner Hannah Michaelson within the 10‑day window; staff indicated any operational impacts arising after occupancy could prompt code enforcement or additional conditions if necessary.

The zoning administrator's action grants the minor conditional use permit but does not authorize a building permit; further design‑ and civil‑engineering approvals and public improvement plan reviews are required before construction can begin.