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1995/02/06 City Council MinutesCALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL Acknowledge Posting of Agenda Unscheduled Appearances ROHNERT PARK CITY COUNCIL MINUTES General Plan Update Work Session February 6, 1995 The Council of the City of Rohnert Park met this date in special session commencing at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 6750 Commerce Blvd., Rohnert Park, with Mayor Eck presiding. Mayor Eck called the General Plan Update Work Session to order at approximately 6:02 p.m. PRESENT: (5) Councilmembers Flores, Gallagher, Reilly, Spiro and Mayor Eck Staff present for all or part of the meeting: City Manager Netter and Assistant City Manager Leivo. The City Manager /Clerk reported that the meeting agenda was properly posted. Dennis Pittman stated that Rohnert Park should look again at the Sports Complex proposal. Adult leagues could be moved to the complex which would free up fields in residential areas for use by children. The Sports Complex will bring in money to the community. Some of the land could be used for a swim center. Brian Thomas, 980 Hawthorne Circle, stated that the "G" park improvements will be a big help in the short term. There is a long term need for the Sports Complex. The current demand for ball fields is incredible and the field usage schedule is very tight. Time limits have to be placed on games. Leagues continue to grow and they may have to limit sign -ups. The Sports Complex will maintain the green space while putting the field to good use. Greg Nordin, 1502 Golf Course Drive, read a prepared text and asked that it be included in the record (copy attached to the original set of these minutes). Tim Coxen, spoke in favor of the Sport Complex project and discussed Santa Rosa's efforts to undertake a similar project. He asked the Council to investigate the Sport Complex proposal and stated that it will increase sales tax revenues. Margaret Emmerick, 1327 Middlebrook Way, supported the Sports Complex proposal. As a member of Leadership Rohnert Park, she has learned much about current City policy. The City's boundaries should not be sealed. Rohnert Park will need to grow. The public does not know of the "curve ball" that is being given to the community. We need to reconsider our planning directions. Rohnert Park City Council Minutes February 6, 1995 Page 2 Linda Branscomb, 21 Anne, stated that the issue is tieing a specific development to a gift which is being offered in exchange for annexation. If the City accepts the offer, it will just open itself up to offers from other developers. Any annexation request should be on the ballot. Discussion The Council discussed the public comments, whether there should be growth, voting on annexations, the community interest, LAFCO procedures, community separators, economic conditions, the efforts of the City of Santa Rosa, a new golf course, the Sports Complex, the ia-a.�a vi �.uiaua�.if, t.t1,y i111CL11VA�is CL11U Jo'l'trceJ Vi lGVenUG, L110 i—U1IU10LLI proposal, a 20 year General Plan, special interests, the history of the current General Plan Update, the General Principles on page 1:3 and 1 :4, a scoping session and vision statement, employing a citizens committee, if developers are being left out of the process, and the general plan amendment process. Open Space Mayor Eck announced that he would schedule a General Plan Update session that would focus on the Open Space Element. Financing, p. 4:53 It was a Council consensus to amend the first sentence as follows: "...several major financial institutions with offices in Rohnert Park and a partial list will include the Bank of America, National Bank of the Redwoods, Exchange Bank.... " Land Prices, p. 4:54 It was a Council consensus to amend the first sentence, third paragraph, third column as follows: "...a serious problem in developing housing that low and moderate income households can afford. " Inclusionary Zoning The Council discussed the inclusionary zoning method which would require that a certain proportion of new housing be affordable housing. Construction Costs, p. 4:55 It was a Council consensus to revise and update the discussion regarding an annexation fee in the second sentence, second paragraph, second column. Section 4.14, Opportunities for Energy Conservation The Council discussed wood burning and the need to encourage fully enclosed, efficient burning. It was a Council consensus to ask staff to review this section and add corresponding language regarding wood burning. Mobile Homes, p. 4:62 It was a Council consensus to ask staff to update the discussion of mobile home rent control issues including the status of the mobile home park purchase program. Objectives, pp. 4:66, 67 It was a Council consensus to change the dates in Objectives 1, 2, 3, and 6 from 1995 to 1997. General Action lc p. 4:69, It was a Council consensus to delete the word absolute in the third sentence. Rohnert Park City Council Minutes February 6, 1995 Page 3 General Action 3, p. 4:69 -70, It was a Council consensus to update the description of the Article 34 election to reflect the election results and express the Council's desire to attempt a second voter approval. General Action 4, p. 4:70 It was a Council consensus to change Golf Course Square to Crossbrook Apartments where it may appear in the action item. It was a Council consensus to add a discussion of the City's efforts to preserve mobile homes as affordable housing. Meeting with SSU President's Cabinet The Council discussed holding a joint meeting with the SSU President's Cabinet. Actions Related to Rental Housing 20, p. 4:73, The Council discussed the sites that may be subject to the affordable housing overlay zone. The Council discussed touring the sites by bicycle on February 14, 1995 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Actions Relating to Housing for Special Populations 31, p. 4:75 It was a Council consensus to delete the last sentence in this action. Actions Relating to Housing for Special Populations 34, p. 4:75 It was a Council consensus to list the year as 1995. Actions Relating to Housing for Special Populations 39, p. 4:76 It was a Council consensus to delete this action. Actions Relating to Housing for Special Populations 42, p. 4:76 It was a Council consensus to change the year to 1995. Recess Mayor Eck recessed the meeting at 7:51 p.m. Reconvene Mayor Eck reconvened the meeting at 8:00 p.m. Unscheduled Appearances Kitty Collins, 828 Lilac Way, opposed the overlay zone as it applied to the Southwest Shopping Center. She recently signed a 15 year lease, two of the landlords are opposed, and the center can be viable. The Council should look at an economic development strategy for the center. Linda Branscomb, 21 Anne, stated that residential uses could be mixed with commercial uses in the Southwest Shopping Center, a mixed use concept. Conservation Element Mayor Eck proposed that the Council consider the Conservation Element. Kitty Collins, 828 Lilac Way, stated that commercial businesses inappropriately subsidize residential trash pick -up but do not get the same level of service. Rohnert Park City Council Minutes February 6, 1995 Page 4 Solid Waste, p. 5:5 It was a Council consensus to provide new information on the participation of Rohnert Park residents in curbside sorting and recycling programs. Water Supply and Conservation, p. 5:8 It was a Council consensus to update the Annual Water Use by Source table and associated description to indicate recent changes in the proportion of water used from wells versus the aqueduct. Wastewater Treatment Capacity, p. 5:19 It was a Council consensus to leave in the lined out sentence at the end of the section. Use of Treated Wastewater, p. 5:20 It was a Council consensus to add a description of the recently completed agreement to install a treated wastewater irrigation main line along Copeland Creek and to add a map showing the irrigation line. Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion, p. 5:20 It was a Council consensus to change the year at the end of the first paragraph, first column to 1999. Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion, p. 5:20 It was a Council consensus to add a description of the City of Cotati's decision to install a wastewater pipeline to the treatment plan and discontinue transporting wastewater through the Rohnert Park system. Figure 5.15, p. 5:23 It was a Council consensus to change the capacity year to 1999. ,.,_ Objective U, p. 5:28 it was a Council consensus to change the year to 1999. Implementation Measures, p. 5:31 It was a Council consensus to add implementation measure 22 which discusses continuing the plumbing facilities retrofit program to reduce wastewater flows and implementation measure 23 which discusses the promotion of xeriscaping. Unscheduled Appearances Mayor Eck asked if any members of the public wanted to make comments. No individuals appeared. Continue Hearing There being no one else wanting to be heard, Mayor Eck continued the review to February 27, 1995 at 6:00 p.m. Adjournment Mayor Eck adjourned the meeting at approximately 8:45 p.m. Mayor Secretary February 0• 1995 Honorable Mayor Eck and Members of the City Council: While I was involved with the Golis Park lighting issue for the past five months, I became aware of a plan to develop a sports field complex in the open space area west of the city limits. In order to pursue this idea, the land allocated for this project must be annexed. From what I understand, this issue is not included in the General Plan the Council is presently working on. As a member of the Leadership Rohnert Park program, I have become aware of LAFCO's idea of open space between Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park by making the open space area directly on our northern and western city boundaries. The affects of this restricts our ability to expand Rohnert Parks boundaries. I have three serious concerns to bring to the Councils attention regarding the topics mentioned. First, as a baseball coach for the past four (4) years and again this year, I am concerned about the future for the children regarding all sports in Rohnert Park. The City Council and I learned through the Golis lights issue that many athletic organizations in town are turning children away because the-'J�ack of facilities to play. A sports field complex would provide much needed fields for older kids and adult soccer, softball and baseball programs. This in turn would free our existing parks for the younger children. With new fields, the youth of our community will continue to be involved in worthwhile and positive activities. Second, the Council has allowed LAFCO to close our city boundaries business and residential expansion. However to our north, the city of Santa Rosa is planning to build a residential area larger than the city of Rohnert Park. Furthermore, they plan to build a sports complex on 100 acres. One great idea about their planning of the sports complex is they plan to do it on open space land. This idea is supported by Supervisor Ernie Carpenter and the Press Democrat. I am President of the Education Foundation of Cotati / Rohnert Park and I am involved in the Leadership Rohnert Park program. I consider myself a future leader of Rohnert Park. This brings me to my third concern. I am concerned about the idea of putting off important issues regarding the future of Rohnert Park. We see Santa Rosa moving in a progressive manner and using creative ideas to accomplish their goals. I would like to encourage the Rohnert Park City Council to do the same. The following recommendations to the Rohnert Park City Council are shared by those involved with sports programs, Rohnert Park citizens and myself: - Put on this Open Space General Plan consideration for annexation of land. If Santa Rosa is able to annex 7 square miles, the City of Rohnert Park needs to be able to annex to Stony Point Road and Petaluma Hill Road. The change of our community separators is necessary to provide for future revenue and future jobs. We must have land available for major employers, major commercial developers and residential community development. - Put on this Open Space General Plan the Sports Complex proposal. Santa Rosa projects major tournaments which will generate sales tax revenues and hotel occupancy tax monies. These funds would not only maintain fields, but would also provide revenue for additional public safety personnel, library expansion, and a swim complex. For these reasons, I believe the City Council should begin the process that would enable the city to acquire from 60 to 100 acres west of the existing city boundaries. - The City Council support a petition to LAFCO to change the community separators. The desirability of this plan should be discussed as I feel the Press Democrat was correct when they stated in their editorial of August 3, 1994 that a sales tax war exists. They further stated that without new tax revenues, cities can't pay the bills for city services. This war will continue until there is a reform in taxation. This could take a long, long time. In closing, let me thank you for your consideration. There are many of us that are involved in the city sports programs that have great enthusiasm for a sports complex and are willing to work with you. Also, there are many of us who are looking to a healthy and progressive future for Rohnert Park by supporting necessary growth. Please specifically address these issues in the development of your General Plan Update. Thank You Sincerely yours, Greg A. Nordin O P E N S P A C E ICau,vey G 1.Ee�9� DMA, P?oO7 The General Plan 6:3 INo �� ?" 3wo i 100macre-,-.. SR SPOOS compki� .. By MIKE McCOY Staff Writlr Mike Martini looks at West Coun- ty farmlands and sees fields of- dreams for thousands of, soccer. :+i,u baps , lub pfay►em; wile must now share increasingly over crowded sports facilities in Santa. Rosa. A coalition of sports enthusiasts that makes up the Santa Rosa Youth Athletic Field Trust is push- ing a plan for a 100-acre regional. sports complex that was the brain- child of Martini, a city planning commissioner. They want the City Council to endorse a "West Community Fields" sports complex and have identified four preliminary sites. i for it. The council is scheduled to review the proposal at its Tuesday meeting. ;f; ' Three of the sites are located t within a mile of downto xnSebasto- pol and five miles from downtown. Santa Rosa. The fourth is Me city's 75 -acre wastewater storage pond on West College Avenue, well with- in the city's boundaries but it fronts a residential neighborhood. The project has considerable support among Santa Rosa's sport- ing interests but it's also likely to generate substantial controversy wherever it is located. Proponents say the complex will provide a badly needed addition to the city's growing athletic commu- nity and could draw lucrative soc- cer, softball and baseball tourna- ments that have bypassed Santa Rosa due to its lack of a major facility. The specter of a 23 -fleid complex t. — equipped with bleachers, back- stops, goal posts. concession stands. storage buildings, parking lots and drawing hundreds of contestants and spectators daily — already is benerating opposition from people who object to developing open space that is supposed to separate Sonoma County's cities. But :Martini says the real pitch tQ= the council at Tuesday's 3 p.m.. study session won't be where the complex should be iocated. It will be to persuade the council of the overwhelming need for a multifield sports facility and convince it to begin developing plans to finance the project, studying potential loca- tions and seeking public support. "We're so far behind in providing what our kids need." Martini said. � "We needed all this a month a�40." Sports Continned from Page Bl found a privately -owned site withia the city's existing boundaries that could accommodate what they want to build. "The cost of land is the killer in all of this," he said. "They're not making any more dirt. We're talking $125,000 to $150,000 an acre within the ritv'S itrhon hnt,ns8ern „ a cost that would put the price tag at up to $15 million for 100 acres. "Thatla a not Inad of hako RAiPa he said."` Martini said there isn't a major obstacle to their proposal "but there are a series of small hurdles that become a large one when put together." Among them are land costs, the potential for traffic and noise and the anticipated debate over devel- oping farm land for recreation. :Martini and others, however, say the need for new fields is undis- puted. Santa Rosa grew by 33,000 resi- dents in the last 10 years, participa- tion in its little league baseball program doubled and the ranks of youth soccer nearly doubled. But the city has 14 baseball /soft- ball fields, just one more than Rohnert Park, which has a third of Santa Rosa's populauvn. Santa Ru- sa has 42 soccer fields compared to Rohnert Park's nine. "The fields are scarcer than hen's teeth," =aid Chuck Rust. Santa Rosa's director of parks and recreation. "There. are scheduling conflicts and requests to use diem are backing up. We're forced to play more games per day on fields. Our fields are getting beat to hell." The West County proposal out- lines a complex of 12 baseball/soft- ball fields, eight soccer, two rugby and one football field with an estimated construction cost of $3.1 million. The four sites identified as large enough to house the complex in- clude three ranches — the 350 -acre Kelly Ranch, the 300 -acre Brown Ranch and the 250 -acre Alpha Ranch, ail located along the Lagu. na de Santa Rosa. All are publicly owned. Assistant City :Manager Ed Brau- ner -,aid the ranches be long to the subregional sewage treatment sys- tem — the cities of Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park. Cotatt and Sebasto- pol — which purchased them years ago to irrigate with treated waste. water. Irrigation could continue with the athletic fields. All three ranches currently are leased back to farmers who use the land to raise silage. The fourth site is the 75- million - -- - -- - - - -- year 2000. Martini said using publicly owned land would cut the cost of the project, making it necessary to raise only the_ 53.1 million needed to build the complex. Sonoma County Supervisor Ernie Carpenter, whose districts include he three ranches, isn't snld nn the idea of locating a massive sports complex in the middle of open space and along the environmental. ly sensitive Laguna de Santa Rosa, 'It's a stretch to allow playing fields in that area but in recogni- tion of (Santa Rasa's) needs, it might be OK." he said. Carpenter said if the complex is too big, or includes much more than playing fields — concession stands, parking lots, bleachers — "they would lose my support." Carpenter said some environ. mentalists and open space advo- cates already are lining up to oppose any West County location that would violate the community separator concept or potentially despoil the Laguna. Glenda Humiston, who runs AGvocate, an agricultural and nat- ural resources issues firm, called the proposal "an attempt to cure urban ills with che.3p agricultural :and." "It's not the appropriate place `or youth activities," Humiston said. "They belong inside the urban boundary. The question is are we oing to honor our county's general ,Ian or not. If it's constantly being nibbled at it's worthless." Santa Rosa City Councilwoman anet Condron, who ; also is a member of the field trust, doesn't As a conflict between open space Condron, Martini and others say a regional sports complex would draw much - needed business to Sonoma County motels and restau- rants. "People talk about how we lost the Scottish Games," Condron said. "If we had a large athletic field complex for tournament use we would establish a strong visitor base." Jack Barrett, a local soccer coach: is organizing a 72 -team field for the Santa Rosa Invitational tournament next month. So far, he's a few fields short to handle the 2,400 players and parents likely to attend. -We're trying to scrounge up enough fields to have that many teams," Barrett said, noting that he's received feelers for the tour. nament from as far away as Neva. da and Colorado. One single, large complex — like those found in Pleasanton or Sacra- mento — would make'` his life easier and Santa Rosa richer, he said. "It would make hosting a tourna- ment much easier and it would help generate revenues," Barrett paid. "When we go overnight to a tournament, we spend $50 to $60 on a motel room. Besides that. we buy breakfast, lunch and dinner too." Martini said the next step, de- pending on what direction the council takes, will be to talk to residerds and politicians in the areas that would be most affected to gain a consensus on the best course of action to take. "It may be 10 years before this happens but we need to get going" he said. "Every day we lose is another day we fail behind." .. 84 - THE i *OW vd2a MOW >1 3 L-1 DEMOCRAT _ Santa Rosa, California :Michael J. Parman, Publisher Bruce W. Kyse, Executive Editor Robert L. Swofford, Managing Editor Peter Golis, Editorial Director THE PRESS DEMOCRAT, TUESDAY, JANUAAY 10, 1995 Fields and open space The proposal for a 100 -acre complex of sports fields in open space west of Santa Rosa is easy to criticize. It's far tougher, however, to come up with a better alternative. This community needs more sports fields. Sites for new fields within city limits are scarce and costly. So, sponsors of the West Community Fields plan are looking at four sites, three of which are closer to Sebastopol than Santa Rosa. Those sites are on land designated as open space. Throw in potential traffic and parking problems, and possible objections by neighbors and you have a daunting political obstacle course facing the plan. Meanwhile, kids need places to play, And, as project sponsor, and Santa Rosa planning com- mission member, dike Martini says: "They're not making any more dirt." Backers of West Community Fields must be sensitive to the fact that the project likely would be located in open space. Development of support structures on the site should be kept to an absolute minimum. No plan would defuse all opposition. The debate comes down to a question of how much, if any, development should be allowed in commu- nity separators. In this case, it makes sense to put the needs of k1d3 over the strictest definition of what can be allowed in open space. When the Santa Rosa City Council looks at %fartini's proposal at a 3 p.m. study session today, it should focus not only on the problems, but the possibilities. There is no perfect solution out there. Bat the problem is real, and this may be as ;ood an ans�,tier as there is.