Cotati City Council
Agenda Staff Report
Item type: CONSENT CALENDAR (ACTION)
To: City Council
Subject: DECLARATION OF PARCEL ON SANTERO WAY TO BE
EXEMPT SURPLUS PROPERTY
Date: July 8, 2025
Written by: Damien O'Bid, City Manager
Recommendation
It is recommended the City Council approve a resolution declaring Assessor Parcel Number 144- 320-033 on Santero Way as “exempt surplus property“ under the Surplus Land Act.
Background
The City of Cotati owns a small property on Santero Way (APN 144-320-033) without an address, for which there is no planned public purpose. The location of this property is indicated on the attached map.
The City recently completed an update to the Santero Way Specific Plan (SWSP) for the area (February 2025), which included extensive input from our community and was unanimously supported by our Planning Commission and City Council.
The subject property was included in the previous Cotati Station entitlement to facilitate development, extend Depot Way for the required secondary emergency access and generally further community goals for the SWSP area and staff continue to anticipate the parcel being used in any future developments.
With the strong community desire to see the goals of this SWSP achieved, the most beneficial use of the City property is to be incorporated into the planned uses of the adjacent parcels, for a cohesive development that best implements the community vision.
Analysis/Discussion
In most cases, disposition of any City property is subject to the Surplus Land Act (Act). Under the Act, certain steps must be completed before the local agency can enter into discussions or negotiations regarding the sale or transfer of City property. Most specifically, land must be declared either surplus land or exempt surplus land.
The City currently owns a property on Santero Way (APN 144-320-033) without an address that has an area of approximately 0.56 acres. After extensive community input, in February 2025, the City Council unanimously approved an updated Santero Way Specific Plan (SSP), incorporating much higher residential densities as a Transit Oriented Community. As incorporated in the approved SSP, part of the City-owned property is required for a secondary fire access road by extending Depot Way, a public roadway. The required area is approximately 0.10 acres, leaving a resulting parcel of approximately 0.46 acres.
The Act defines “exempt surplus land” as parcels under 0.5 acres in area that are “not contiguous to land owned by a state or local agency that is used for open-space or low- and moderateincome housing purposes,” which the property meets with the required extension of Depot Way.
Under the Act, to begin discussions on the future use of the property to best implement the vision of the SWSP, the City Council must first declare the property surplus. As the resulting property is less than 0.5 acres and not contiguous to public agency lands that is used for open-space or housing purposes, it can be declared surplus.
Financial Considerations
At this time, there are no financial considerations. If or when the City were to sell, exchange or transfer the property, it is subject to further City Council action. However, to begin discussions with interested parties, the first step is to declare the property as exempt surplus land pursuant to the attached resolution.
Environmental Issues
In conformance with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the City Council finds that the proposed Surplus Lands Act Exemption determination is consistent with and implement the goals, policies, and objectives of the 2015 General Plan, the 2023 Housing Element and the 2025 Santero Way Specific Plan (SWSP), and conforms to the development assumptions identified and analyzed in the SWSP Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR). Specifically, consistent with CEQA Guidelines Section 15168(a) this PEIR was prepared to evaluate the environmental impacts associated with development consistent with the SWSP, and the development outcomes that may occur, including development of the identified parcel consistent with the SWSP. This determination is one step in supporting and implementing the SWSP as anticipated. In accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15094(d), proposed projects that are consistent with the Specific Plan undergo a streamlined CEQA review process. The Council further finds that all adopted mitigating General Plan policies combined with mitigation measures identified in the SWSP PEIR and the Housing Element Mitigated Negative Declaration will address any potential environmental impacts of the proposed exemption determination.
Further, future project-specific environmental analysis of any development proposed using the identified parcel will be required and will allow project-specific impacts not previously identified or anticipated to be addressed.