Planning commission continues hearing on 92‑acre Orchards plan after questions on parks, traffic and affordable housing

Santa Rosa — The Santa Rosa Planning Commission continued a public hearing on Jan. 20 on the Orchards development, a proposed 92‑acre, multi‑phased project from Sunset Development that would build about 2,452 homes and roughly 125,000 square feet of retail over approximately 20 years.

The commission heard a staff framing and a presentation from the applicant, who outlined a phasing plan that calls for demolition and backbone infrastructure work in the first two years, delivery of the neighborhood district by roughly year seven and later construction of multifamily buildings. "We anticipate Orchards will be built in multiple phases over approximately 20 years," Stephanie Hill of Sunset Development said during the presentation.

The plan describes a connected open‑space network anchored by a 2.5‑acre Standard Park, four Heritage Oak parks and a perimeter greenway intended to link neighborhoods and provide seating, play features and public art. Hill said the project would meet the city’s inclusionary housing ordinance by providing 15% affordable housing — about 368 affordable units — through a mix of on‑site units in multifamily and mixed‑use buildings and a standalone affordable community proposed with Eden Housing.

Traffic and pedestrian connections drew extended questioning. Andy Kosinski, the project’s traffic consultant, described three mitigation measures: restriping the northbound approach on Sunset Drive to Bollinger Canyon Road to add a dedicated left turn, integrating two ramp intersections into the corridor’s adaptive signal timing program (which may require Caltrans coordination), and improving detection on the I‑680 southbound off‑ramp. "Adaptive signal technology basically allows for the signals along the corridor to continually be talking with each other," Kosinski said, explaining the operational benefit.

Commissioners asked for clearer exhibits showing lane changes, ramp integrations and where pedestrian improvements would occur. Staff agreed to provide additional diagrams and to incorporate clearer mitigation language in the conditions of approval rather than just citing the traffic study.

Public commenters pressed the commission on park ownership, interim site appearance and school impacts. Resident Greg Carr warned against locating stormwater percolation ponds inside park areas and urged the development agreement require phase‑level construction plans showing fencing and haul routes. "You don't put a percolation pond for stormwater drainage into a park," Carr said. The applicant said stormwater facilities have been located and will be refined during later site development and that some parks in the area would be privately owned and maintained but publicly accessible, consistent with the CityWalk precedent.

Staff described enforcement tools and next steps: site‑development permits will require construction safety measures, haul‑route designation, neighborhood notification and a designated noise‑disturbance coordinator; applicants must show coordination with the school district and satisfy district conditions before building permits are issued. Staff also confirmed stormwater control locations are shown in the vesting map and will be recalculated before final map approval.

Commissioners directed staff and the applicant to return with more detailed traffic diagrams, clearer timing for greenway and park improvements, and explicit language on which mitigation measures will be required and when. The commission voted 5–0 to continue the public hearing to Feb. 3, 2026.

Votes at a glance: The consent calendar minutes (12/16/2025) were approved earlier in the meeting (motion/second; passed 5–0). The motion to continue the Orchards public hearing to Feb. 3, 2026, passed on a recorded vote of 5–0.

What’s next: Staff will update the conditions of approval and provide additional exhibits and clarifications in the staff report before the Feb. 3 continuation. The commission indicated it may consider a resolution together with the conditions at that meeting.