2022/10/27 Planning Commission Agenda Packet
City of Rohnert Park
Planning Commission
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A MEETING
will be held on Thursday, October 27, 2022 6:00 P.M.
CITY HALL - COUNCIL CHAMBER
130 Avram Avenue, Rohnert Park, California
To any member of the audience desiring to address the Planning Commission:
For public comment on items listed or not listed on the agenda, or on agenda items if unable to
speak at the scheduled time, you may do so upon recognition from the Chairperson.
Please fill out a speaker card prior to speaking.
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
3. ROLL CALL
(Austin-Dillon_____ Blanquie____ Lam____ Orloff____ Striplen____)
4. PUBLIC COMMENT – Persons who wish to speak to the Commission regarding an
item that is not on the agenda may do so at this time. Please see above for details on how
to submit public comments.
5. CONSENT CALENDAR - ADOPTION OF MINUTES
5.1 Approval of the Draft Minutes of the Planning Commission Meeting of October
13, 2022
Commissioner Motion/Roll Call Vote:
(Austin-Dillon_____ Blanquie ____ Orloff ____ Striplen _____ Lam _____)
6. AGENDA ITEMS
6.1 STUDY SESSION: Municipal Code Amendments regarding Outdoor Dining
Areas – Discussion and Direction
6.2 Development Activity Update
7. ITEMS FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION
8. ITEMS FROM THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES STAFF
9. ADJOURNMENT
NOTE: If you challenge the nature of the proposed action in court, you may be limited to
raising only those issues you or someone else raised at public hearing(s) described in this agenda,
or in written correspondence delivered to the City of Rohnert Park at, or prior to the public
hearing(s).
AMERICAN DISABILITY ACT ACCOMMODATIONS: Any member of the public who
needs accommodations should email the ADA Coordinator at jcannon@rpcity.org or by calling
707-588-2221. The ADA Coordinator will use their best efforts to provide reasonable
accommodations to provide as much accessibility as possible while also maintaining public
safety in accordance with the City procedure for resolving reasonable accommodation requests.
Information about reasonable accommodations is available on the City website at
https://www.rpcity.org/city_hall/departments/human_resources/a_d_a_and_accessibility_resources
CERTIFICATION OF POSTING OF AGENDA
I, Suzie Azevedo, Assistant Planner, for the City of Rohnert Park, declare that the foregoing
notice and agenda for the October 27, 2022 Planning Commission Meeting of the City of
Rohnert Park was posted and available for review on October 21 2022 at Rohnert Park City Hall,
130 Avram Avenue, Rohnert Park, California 94928. The agenda is available on the City of
Rohnert Park’s website at www.rpcity.org.
Signed this 21st day of October, 2022 at Rohnert Park, California.
Suzie Azevedo
Appeals of any decisions made tonight must be received by the Planning Division within 10
days and no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 7, 2022.
Minutes of the Planning Commission Meeting
of the City of Rohnert Park
Thursday, October 13, 2022
6:00 P.M.
130 Avram Avenue, Rohnert Park
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chairperson Lam called the regular meeting to order at 6:05 p.m.
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Led by Chairperson Lam.
3. ROLL CALL
Present: Daniel A. Blanquie, Commissioner
Fanny Lam, Chairperson
Marc Orloff, Commissioner
Absent: Tramaine Austin-Dillon, Commissioner
Charles Striplen, Vice Chairperson
4. PUBLIC COMMENT
None.
5. CONSENT CALENDAR - ADOPTION OF MINUTES
5.1 Approval of the Draft Minutes of the Planning Commission Meeting of August 11, 2022
ACTION: Moved/seconded (Orloff/Blanquie) to adopt Minutes of the Planning Commission
Meeting of August 11, 2022.
Motion carried by the following (3-0-2) roll call vote: AYES: Blanquie, Orloff, and Lam;
NOES: None; ABSENT: Austin-Dillion and Striplen; ABSTAIN: None.
6. AGENDA ITEMS
6.1 STUDY SESSION – Municipal Code Amendment – Outdoor Dining Areas – Discussion and
Direction
Jeffrey Beiswenger, Planning Manager, reported that staff would like to continue this item to the
October 27, 2022 meeting.
ACTION: Moved/seconded (Blanquie/Orloff) to continue this item to the October 27, 2022
meeting.
Motion carried by the following unanimous (3-0-2) roll call vote: AYES: Blanqie, Orloff, and
Lam; NOES: None; ABSTAIN: None; ABSENT: Austin-Dillon and Striplen
6.2 STUDY SESSION – Municipal Code Amendment – Signs – Discussion and Direction
Jeffrey Beiswenger, Planning Manager provided a power point presentation on proposed
amendments to the sign code. Mr. Beiswenger indicated that the current sign code is serving the
city well; however strategic updates are needed to address recent supreme court cases and the
desire of the Council to look into more flexibility for businesses as a post COVID response.
Key topics of discussion included: prohibited signs, exempt signs, temporary signs, building
signs, freestanding signs.
The Commission participated in the discussion and offered the following comments:
• Support limited changes to temporary sign regulations to support businesses, while avoid
visual clutter.
• Look at directional signage as a way to provide more visibility.
• Carefully consider banner regulations to comply with Supreme Court decision on content
neutrally. Avoid rules that allow too many banners with commercial messages.
• Support changes that allow for more creative signs.
ACTION: Staff received comments and direction from the Planning Commission.
6.3 Appointment of Planning Commission Member to City Subdivision Review Committee
Jeffrey Beiswenger, Planning Manager, presented the item. Section 16.04.460 of the Rohnert
Park Municipal Code establishes the City’s Subdivision Review Committee as “a committee of
the city consisting of the director [of the development services department] or his/her designee,
the city engineer or his/her designee and one planning commissioner designated by the planning
commission.” Staff is requesting that the Commission designate a member to sit on the
Subdivision Review Committee at this time.
ACTION: Moved/seconded (Blanquie/Lam) nominating Mark Orloff as the Planning
Commission representative to the Subdivision Review Committee.
Motion carried by the following unanimous (3-0-2) roll call vote: AYES: Blanqie, Orloff, and
Lam; NOES: None; ABSTAIN: None; ABSENT: Austin-Dillon and Striplen
7. ITEMS FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION
8. ITEMS FROM THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICE STAFF
9. ADJOURNMENT
Chairperson Lam adjourned the regular meeting at 7:06.
____________________________________ ___________________________________
Fanny Lam, Chairperson Clotile Blanks, Recording Secretary
Page 1
City of Rohnert Park
Planning Commission Report
Meeting Date: October 27, 2022
Item No: 6.1
Prepared by: Suzie Azevedo, Assistant Planner
Agenda Title: Discussion and Direction – Municipal Code Amendments - Outdoor and
Sidewalk Cafe
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Receive a presentation and provide direction on proposed amendments
to Chapter 17.07, LAND USE FOOTNOTES, (S) Outdoor and Sidewalk Café of the Rohnert Park
Municipal Code.
BACKGROUND: Outdoor seating became an important feature of many local restaurants during the
COVID 19 pandemic. Many indoor seating areas were closed and outdoor seating was the only option to
continue service. As the COVID 19 pandemic is winding down, many businesses have expressed an
interest in establishing outdoor seating as a permanent feature. The Muncipal Code has regulations that
apply to outdoor seating but these are limited and don’t consider certain popular components like weather
protection and food trucks.
Existing regulations for outdoor seating areas are included in Chapter 17.07 of the Rohnert Park
Municipal Code (Land Use Footnotes). This chapter establishes standards to ensure that the uses are
designed, located, and operated compatibly with uses on adjoining properties and in the surrounding area.
Footnote (S), Outdoor and Sidewalk Café, attached, provides standards for establishing outdoor dining
areas and requires that a permit be obtained subject to provisions outlined in Chapter 17.07. Responding
to Covid-19, the City developed a temporary program to expand these provisions to allow more flexibility
and creativity to enable restaurants and business owners to have another revenue option given the
constraints of state and county health orders. The expansion program included:
• Outdoor dining within public right of way sidewalk/street and private parking areas
• The use of tents, awnings, canopies and similar coverings
• A streamlined permitting process to ensure that mobility and safety remained a top priority
In June, 2021, the State of California ended the emergency provisions of the Blueprint for a Safer
Economy. While the pandemic was not completely over, the action signaled the beginning of a return to
normal business operations. The City, at that time, provided notice that tents, awnings, canopies and
similar coverings and parking lot conversions permitted under the temporary use program were no longer
permissible and a sunset date for removal was established. The City Council encouraged businesses to
explore their options for converting these temporary oudoor areas to permanent spaces, if desireable, and
for staff to initiate a project to consider amendments to the municipal code to facilitate this endeavor. The
Council also discussed allowing food truck on a limited basis and only if affiliated with a brew pub
operation where it was difficult to provide for dining on site as part of the permanent use.
Page 2
ANALYSIS: Nationwide trends are embracing the al fresco dining experience and public spaces are
being reimagined with a pedestrian focus in mind. With this study session, staff would like to explore
and imagine ways to reprioritize the public realm towards the pedestrian and adapt to modern
trends.
Staff will be looking for input on topics such as:
Sidewalk Café
• Continuation of previously existing code requirements, establishing standards for inclement
weather to include weather tight/shelter options (tents, awnings, canopies and similar coverings)
• Current code requires minimum of 6 feet clear pedestrian sidewalk area; can this number be
adjusted?
• Amenities: heating apparatus, amplified sound, permanent furniture and fixtures, receptacles
Parklets
• Use of parking lots on private property. What are our thoughts on reducing, or eliminating surface
parking to establish these outdoor spaces?
Food Trucks
• City Council Study Session June 2, 2020 – Consensus: Food trucks are allowed with the issuance
of a temporary use permit; and for local businesses other than restaurants to locate food trucks
adjacent to established businesses that have limited on-site food options (e.g. brew pubs).
According the strict application of current regulations, food trucks are not allowed to serve
business parks for expanded periods during lunch hours, are not allowed for local businesses to
complement on-site commercial activities that are not food related (e.g. hardware store, big box
store), and are not allowed on vacant and underutilized properties.
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Planning Manager Approval Date: 10/21/22