Cotati Village 2
7515 Alder Ave/8145 Gravenstein Hwy (SR 116)
PA# 23-19
Cotati City Council Community
Development
Department
August 27, 2024
Project Location
Northwest corner of Alder Ave. & SR-116
Site
Project Site
5.62 acres; Zoning—Commercial, Gravenstein Corridor (CG); Mixed-use Background
2019--Proposal for commercial development and
residential care facility for elderly
Commercial space completed and occupied (Jane
Dispensary, Acre Pizza); frontage improvements on 116
and Alder completed
February 2023—SB 330 application for Cotati Village 2 November 2023—Neighborhood meeting for project
March 2024—Design Review and Tree Removal Permit
applications submitted
Planning Commission recommended approval at its
August 5, 2024 public hearing
Project Description
State Density Bonus
126 apartments
13 BMR/Inclusionary units
5 – 1BR, 5 – 2BR, 3 – 3BR
2,250 sf commercial (café)
Open space & woonerf
153 off-street parking
spaces
Public improvements:
Bike/Ped paths, Alder Ave.
Land dedications for future road projects
Access to/from SR 116
Two primary options:
Option 1: Alder Avenue
Install traffic signal at
Alder and 116
Add left turn lane to
Alder southbound
Add left turn lane to SR
116 eastbound
LOS B
Option 2: W. Cotati Avenue
Complete W. Cotati Ave realignment/traffic
signal
Build Batchelor Lane (thru CV1); public access
Extend median on 116 to make Alder right
in/right out only (no traffic signal)
LOS C
Cotati Cotati Village 1
Village 2
W. Cotati Ave
Realignment
Renderings
Building B from west side of courtyard
Renderings
Buildings A and B from east side of courtyard
Renderings
Commercial building
Renderings
View from Alder Avenue
Required Entitlements & Approvals
City Council
Preliminary Design Review
Tree Removal Permit
Future approvals
Final Design Review (staff)
Affordable Housing/Inclusionary
housing agreement (Council)
Improvement plans (staff)
Construction permits (staff)
State Density Bonus Law
Density Bonus—50% bonus for providing 15%
BMR/inclusionary units
Calculation:
Base density per CG zoning: Maximum 15
units/acre x 5.62 acres = 84 units
15% of 84 units to be BMR (very low
income) = 13
Bonus: 84 x 50% = 42 units
84 + 42 = 126 units allowed with DB
State Density Bonus Law
Reduced parking minimums for residential
166 off-street spaces required per State DB law for
residential
332 required per City Code (pre-Plex housing
ordinance)
Project proposes 153 off-street for residential, plus
Shared parking with commercial (4 “surplus”
spaces out of 44 total in commercial lot)
Use of new on-street spaces on Alder (9)
Total of 206 potential parking spaces (conforms
to SDBL residential, plus City standard for
commercial)
State Density Bonus Law
Concessions/waivers of City standards:
Building height 4 stories
Reduced commercial floor area
Residential buildings do not meet front build-to lines Reduced woonerf standards
Structures and parking placed in side setbacks
Reduced land dedication for future N-S street to west
Residential buildings not oriented to street
Apply on-street parking to off-street parking
requirement
Allow shared parking between commercial and
residential
Planning Considerations
Design Review
Zoning & Development Standards
Multifamily Objective Design
Standards
Architecture
Site layout
Open space and amenities
Landscaping
City Services
Planning Considerations
Tree Removal
41 existing trees on site, primarily Valley Oaks
5 trees to be removed: 3 heritage Valley Oaks,
1 Redwood, 1 Mexican Fan Palm
Retaining 36 trees on site, including a Valley Oak for common space oak grove
Mitigation trees required
On-site: 24 Valley Oaks on site; 16 other
Payment to tree in-lieu fund: 31 oaks x $300 each
Total new trees on site: 138
CEQA
Project is consistent with the General Plan and
zoning
No unidentified or project-specific impacts
peculiar to the project or site
CEQA Guidelines §15183
Environmental analysis tiers from the Cotati
General Plan EIR (2015)
Mitigation measures from the Cotati General Plan
EIR apply to project
Conditions of Approval
Planning Commission Recommendation
Public hearing August 5—voted to recommend
Council approval of entitlements
Comments
Building design—more color, texture, material
variation
Pedestrian safety—speed limit, traffic calming
on-site and on Batchelor Lane in CV1
Play structure location and design
Manage commercial business event parking
impacts
Recommendation
The Planning Commission and City staff recommend
that the City Council conduct a Public Hearing and
adopt the accompanying resolution finding the
project consistent with the General Plan EIR under
CEQA Guidelines Section 15183, and approving
Preliminary Design Review and a Tree Removal Permit
to allow construction of a multifamily mixed-use
development of 126 apartments and 2,250 square
feet of commercial space on a 5.62 acre property
located at 7515 Alder Avenue and 8145 Gravenstein
Highway (SR-116).
Questions?