Sonoma Planning Commission has full plate even without hotel project

The City of Sonoma received an appeal to the Planning Commission's April 13 certification of the EIR for the Hotel Project Sonoma, forcing a City Council vote.|

Tuesday afternoon, April 25, the City of Sonoma received an appeal to the Planning Commission's April 13 certification of the EIR for the Hotel Project Sonoma, which means the Use Permit for the project will be removed from the Planning Commission agenda until the appeal is resolved, by a vote of the City Council. Additional details to follow.

The Planning Commission's meeting this Thursday, April 27, takes on an ambitious agenda, ranging from the controversial Hotel Project Sonoma, up for final review, to a new bowling alley, microbrewery and bar, up for its first hearing.

The Hotel Project Sonoma took up the entire previous meeting of the Commission, which on April 13 approved its Final EIR by a 5-1 vote, setting the stage for this week's hearing - that is, unless an appeal is filed with the City of Sonoma over the EIR approval before the meeting begins, in which case this item will be pulled from the agenda. But the six-member Commission – still lacking a seventh member and an alternate – is expected to follow staff recommendation and adopt a resolution granting Use Permit and Site Design and Architectural Review approval for the long-pending project.

If they do, or even if they don't, the “losing party” is likely to file an appeal on that as well within the 15-day appeal period. In other words, this project is not as close to a final determination as it appears.

Appeal would bring the matter before the City Council for a vote.

Though some opposition to the hotel project has been persistent throughout the years-long process, the certification of the EIR earlier this month set the stage for final permit approval this week. The project, on the south side of the street at 117, 135 and 153 W. Napa St. – with an entrance at 541 First St. W. – would place a 62-room hotel with 80-seat restaurant, and underground parking lot for 94 cars at the site of a former printing press, parking lot and other businesses.

Objections have been raised over the impact on both vehicular and pedestrian traffic, the impact on water and sewage, hazardous material from a former gas station and printing facility, the lack of a housing component, and the overall scale of the project. But by approving the EIR, these objections become largely moot.

While the Planning Commission could still deny the Use Permit, it would not be for the reasons analyzed and where necessary mitigated by the EIR.

“The certification of the EIR does not commit the Planning Commission in any way to any particular course of action with respect to the project,” said Sonoma Planning Director David Goodison.

At Thursday's meeting the Planning Commission will consider the project's compatibility with the city's “design guidelines,” as set forth in the city development code. These could include preserving and enhancing the historic character of the downtown area, employing a pedestrian-friendly design, shielded or screened parking, limited “scale and massing” to preserve the downtown's pedestrian-friendly character, and other considerations.

Hotel Project Sonoma is a project of Kenwood Investments, whose principal is Darius Anderson. He is also the managing partner in Sonoma Media Investments, which owns the Index-Tribune. Anderson purchased the Index-Tribune and most of the property being redeveloped for the hotel from the Lynch family in 2011.

Other agenda items include an application for a use permit to construct a duplex at 480 Harrington Drive, to update the development code regarding age eligibility thresholds for design review of residential buildings, and a use permit application for a bowling alley and restaurant, microbrewery and bar at 19310 Sonoma Highway. (Note: the bowling alley project has also been removed from the agenda, and will be heard May 11.)

That location, currently occupied by Sonoma Fit, is the former location of Olde Sonoma Bowl, a long-gone and much larger bowling alley. The proposal is for a small bowling facility in the back part of the same building.

The Planning Commission meets at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 27, at the Community Meeting Room, 177 First St. W., Sonoma.

Contact Christian at christian.kallen@sonomanews.com.

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