Planning commission approves permit for 70‑bed care facility at 7025 Coraline Court, 3–1 vote

The Sebastopol Planning Commission on Sept. 24 approved a conditional use permit that clears the way for a large community care facility at 7025 Coraline Court, voting 3 in favor and 1 opposed. The permit authorizes a redevelopment and reuse of the long‑vacant building as a licensed community care facility described in the staff report as a 70‑bed large community care facility, subject to conditions and delegation of some details to planning staff.

Planning staff told commissioners the property had been vacant for about eight years and had generated frequent police responses—81 calls recorded in a recent three‑month span—because of trespass and vandalism. Staff recommended approval to restore a former care use, reduce safety incidents at the site and add health services and jobs to the city. The applicant said he has cleared out debris (five dumpsters of material), secured the building and expects operators to fit the site to whatever bed count and license the state permits.

Why it matters: The parcel has been a recurring neighborhood problem, officials said, and converting it back to a licensed care use would remove an active source of calls for service, provide local employment and restore an existing institutional use in a building that was built for that purpose decades ago.

Commissioners debated how much detail to include now versus delegating specific operational approvals to staff. Several commissioners said they were comfortable approving the site as a community care facility under the zoning definition but wanted explicit, enforceable conditions to control neighborhood impacts such as visitor hours, smoking locations, fencing and a definitive maximum bed count. Planning staff recommended listing the proposed 70‑bed description in the conditions of approval so any later request for more beds would require returning to the commission. Staff also said some conditions (for example, the number of employees) may be governed by state licensing and are not appropriate for local conditioning.

After discussion, a motion to approve the conditional use permit as described in the staff report, with an amendment clarifying parking and bike‑rack language and specifying the approved 70‑bed description, was moved and seconded and passed on a voice vote that produced the following roll call: Commissioner Hunter — Yes; Commissioner Burns — Yes; Commissioner Fernandez — No; Chair Fritz — Yes. Planning staff then noted a seven‑day appeal period; any appeal must be filed with the planning department before Oct. 1 at 5 p.m.

What was added to the record: Staff will incorporate a clear statement of the approved bed count (70) into the conditions of approval and will list site‑specific items (parking/bike‑rack requirements, visitor‑hour recommendations and no‑smoking buffer from property lines) in the conditions. Staff has compiled a page‑and‑a‑half of draft conditions and said it can return the matter to the commission if an operator proposes something substantially different from what was approved.

Neighbors' concerns: Public commenters and some commissioners pressed for specifics on traffic, fencing and security because the facility could generate multiple staff shifts and deliveries. The applicant said operators typically staff three shifts for the level of care proposed and that the final number of beds and staffing will follow state licensing; staff and commissioners agreed to use site conditions where legally permissible to protect neighborhood compatibility.

Next steps: The decision is final unless an appeal is filed within the seven‑day window. If an operator later seeks a higher bed count or materially different operation, planning staff said the operator would need to apply for a modification and return to the commission if the request exceeded the conditions approved tonight.