Cotati staff report entitled 234 RENA units in 2023–31 cycle; city shows pipeline but limited building permits in 2025

Planning staff presented the City of Cotati’s 2025 Housing Element Annual Progress Report (APR), summarizing work since the 2023 housing element update and state changes to APR reporting.

Planning technician Pemma Sherpa told the commission the APR uses newly expanded income categories (including an "extremely low" band) and new tables for sites added to historic registers. Sherpa reported Cotati’s 2023–31 Regional Housing Need Allocation (RENA) assignment at 234 units (60 very low, 34 low, 39 moderate, 101 market). For 2024 and 2025 the city recorded a small number of building permits and several entitled projects still awaiting construction; staff highlighted a disparity between entitled approvals and projects that have reached the building‑permit stage.

Staff also reviewed several state laws that affect local processing and timelines: AB 2253 (allows third‑party plan reviewers for projects under 10 units if jurisdictions miss statutory review timelines), SB 358 (reduces certain traffic impact fees for qualifying commercial projects within TOC boundaries), AB 507 (streamlines adaptive reuse by limiting planning‑level review in some cases), AB 308 (inspection timelines), and AB 130/131 (CEQA streamlining for many smaller projects). Staff noted Cotati generally meets state timelines but these laws change how the city must respond and may increase workload or change approvals.

Staff recommended the commission review and accept the APR; staff emphasized Table D, which documents program implementation, and said the commission and council can use the APR to track progress toward housing programs adopted in 2023. No formal motion was required that night; staff will submit the APR to state agencies as mandated.