Sonoma’s West Napa hotel project review delayed again

Sonoma will have to wait a bit longer for the long-awaited hearing on the “final revised draft EIR” for the Hotel Project Sonoma.

The hearing before the Sonoma Planning Commission had been scheduled for Dec. 12.

But on Wednesday officials from developer Kenwood Investments, which is proposing the hotel project, requested the commission continue the item to a later date.

Kenwood Investments' Darius Anderson and Bill Hooper are also managing partner and chief operating officer, respectively, of Sonoma Media Investments, which publishes the Index-Tribune.

Sonoma resident David Eichar, who has frequently submitted comments on previous EIR drafts, said he is pleased to have an extended time for public comment and review of report. “There is significant new information added to the EIR,” Eichar told the Index-Tribune, including additional information about pedestrian bulb outs, the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and greenhouse gasses (GHG) studies, and additional topics.

Sonoma resident Tom Conlon, who also has offered comments on previous drafts, said he, too, would like more time to review the draft EIR. “Whenever the scope of an EIR is expanded as significantly as this one was, it is commonplace to recirculate for full public input, so this is the best and proper decision.”

It is not the first time that the Planning Commission has delayed a public hearing on the proposed 62-room hotel and 80-seat restaurant on West Napa Street. It most recently was up for the commission's review in October, 2018, but rescheduled because the “city's environmental consultant needs additional time to complete the draft,” according to the City of Sonoma website.

The latest draft environmental impact report was officially submitted Nov. 8, but Planning Director David Storer said the 45-day recirculation period would be counted from the date a new document is produced, then issued for public comment. That document has not yet been readied.

As a result, a new date for the EIR to come before the Planning Commission has not been set.

NOTE: This corrects information received from the City of Sonoma after press time on Thursday, Dec. 12.