2020/08/27 Planning Commission Minutes
Minutes of the Planning Commission Meeting
of the City of Rohnert Park
Thursday, August 27, 2020
6:00 P.M.
130 Avram Avenue, Rohnert Park
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chairperson Blanquie called the regular meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Led by Chairperson Blanquie.
3. ROLL CALL
Present: Daniel A. Blanquie, Chairperson
John E. Borba, Commissioner
Gerard Giudice, Commissioner
Susan Haydon, Vice Chair
Marc Orloff, Commissioner
Absent: None.
Staff attending via Zoom Video Communications: Deputy City Attorney, Denise
Bazanno, Director of Development Services, Mary Grace Pawson, Planning Manager,
Jeff Beiswenger, Building Official, Jay Bradford, Sr. Code Compliance Officer, Louis
Kirk, and Recording Secretary, Jennifer Sedna.
Staff present: IS Analyst, Mike Son.
4. PUBLIC COMMENT
None.
5. CONSENT CALENDAR - ADOPTION OF MINUTES
5.1 Approval of the Draft Minutes of the Planning Commission Meeting of July 23,
2020.
ACTION: Moved/seconded (Orloff/Borba) to approve the Draft Minutes of the
Planning Commission Meeting of July 23, 2020.
Motion carried by the following unanimous (5-0-0) roll call vote: AYES:
Blanquie, Borba, Giudice, Haydon, and Orloff; NOES: None; ABSTAIN: None;
ABSENT: None.
6. AGENDA ITEMS
6. 1 PUBLIC HEARING –ADMINISTRATIVE USE PERMIT – File No.
PLAP20-0007 – Lili Shan – Consideration of Resolution No. 2020-0019 denying an
Administrative Use Permit for the conversion of the garage for purposes of workout
space located at 1530 Marcel Place (APN 047-600-048).
Planning Manager, Jeff Beiswenger, presented the item, and answered questions from the
Commission including: if a replacement space is required; construction details of the wall; if
the room contains a closet; the presence and installation of utilities; details about the garage
door; the City’s policy on the number of occupants permitted; if any violations have been
issued for this address; if the owners are also the applicants; and if the item can be continued
to gather more information. Recommended Action(s): adopt Resolution No. 2020-0019 to
deny an Administrative Use Permit for the conversion of the garage for purposes of workout
space located at 1530 Marcel Place (APN 047-600-048).
Sr. Code Compliance Office Kirk joined the meeting to answer questions from the
Commission including: if the use of the garage as a gym is a violation of the code; the number
of garage doors; consideration of the electrical load during building inspections; and if
complaints had occurred from the owners’ other rental home(s).
Building Official Bradford joined the meeting to answer questions from the Commission
including: building violations of other properties and details on the construction of the wall.
Applicant Representative Kristin Schaal, read a comment on behalf of applicant Lili Shan, and
answered questions from the Commission including: what additions have been made to the
garage, including if any windows or electrical have been added; if the garage door is
operative; the tenancy of the current occupants; actions the applicant has made regarding the
noise complaints; if the applicants are residents of Sonoma County; and, the reason building
permits weren’t applied for prior to construction.
Deputy City Attorney Bazzano joined the meeting to answer questions from the Commission,
including a legal perspective on the application.
Public Hearing Opened.
An anonymous commenter expressed concern that approval of the permit would exacerbate
the current issues with parties and noise.
Henry Clark, Michael Giacomini, Andrew Walters, Matthew Stuber, Kristin Schaal, JC
Zhang, Larry Rawson, Kara Baer, Keith Schaal, Connor Schaal, Xie Lei, and Hayden Dall
expressed support of the garage conversion into an office/gym to allow the tenants to manage
their health under the conditions of a pandemic and a housing shortage. A few commenters
also expressed actions had been taken to work with surrounding neighbors on noise
complaints.
Public Hearing Closed.
A C T IO N : M oved/seconded (H aydon/G uidice) to adopt Resolution No. 2020-
0019 to deny an A dm inistra tive Use Perm it fo r the conversion of the garage fo r
purposes of w orkout space located at 1530 M arcel Place (APN 047-600-048).
M otion carried by the fo llow ing unanimous (5-0-0) ro ll call vote: A YES:
Blanquie, Borba, Giudice, H aydon, and Orloff; N O ES: None; ABSTAIN: None;
ABSEN T : N one.
6.2 INFORMATIONAL ITEM: Ol d Caz Beer Ongoing Com pliance Issues.
Planning M anager, Jeff Beisw enger, presented the item. Recommended Action(s): receive
the Info rm ational Item: Old Caz Beer Ongoing Com pliance Issues.
Recessed: 7:37 pm
Reconvened: 7:42 pm
Applicants Tom Edw ards and Bryan Rengel joined the meeting to speak with the
C om m ission.
Richard Rengel, representative fo r Old Caz, joined the meeting to speak with the
C om m ission.
ACTION: The Com m ission received the info rm ational item, expressed the
im portance of the City prioritizing health and safety, and asked questions
including: what levera ge the City has to ensure com pliance; the timeline to
becom e opera tional; if beer production and sales are cur rently happening; and, if
Old Caz is going to make it thro ugh the pandem ic.
7. ITEMS FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION
Com m issioner H aydon requested a calendar review of the upcoming Commission
m eetings.
8. ITEMS FROM THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICE STAFF
Staffperson Beisw enger notified the Com mission of the General Plan agenda items
fo rthcom ing.
9. ADJOURNMENT
C hairperson Blanquie adjourn ed the regular m eeting at 7:59 p.m.
Jennifer