1 Noah Housh
From: Rachel Russell <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, November 3, 2025 10:50 AM
To: Noah Housh
Subject: Santero Way and TOC Rezoning Ordinance
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Good Morning Noah,
I received the notice of a public hearing regarding Santero Way and TOC Rezoning ordinance.
I'll be on vacation when the meeting takes place so I wanted to provide my stance / comments below:
• I do not support this ordinance. I purchased my home on Santero Way four years ago and would like to enjoy it for years to come. Just because I can't afford to live in a standalone home in a neighborhood with a driveway and street parking for guests, doesn't mean I should be stuffed into a high density neighborhood.
1. If I wanted to live in a dense city like San Francisco or New York, I'd live in those cities. The neighborhoods surrounding the SMART Train are already dense enough, with barely enough parking for the renters or owners that live there.
2. I lived in a 2-bedroom apartment with a roommate at the Willow Creek apartment complex in Rohnert Park for years. It doesn't have any street parking, based on the location of the complex.
When new ownership decided that they wanted all of the units filled, my roommate sometimes struggled to find parking and she was paying to live there. There isn't a parking garage or 24 hour parking anywhere in Rohnert Park or Cotati, so there isn't even an option for people to stay over when parking is full. Now, that same roommate and I pay a mortgage on Santero Way. Luckily, we can fit both of our vehicles in the garage and when we have visitors, they can currently find a place to park.
3. I know that there are plans in the future to build an apartment complex across the street, which will increase the density of the area to the MAX. Hardly anybody can afford living on their own, so there will likely be multiple vehicles per apartment. This will impact parking for the residents of Santero Way. There are multiple undeveloped parcels of land at both ends of Santero Way, which is extremely concerning, because we don't have control over what gets developed there. If they are developed into apartments, then the traffic on Santero and the lack of parking will mirror that of my Willow Creek apartment; except this time I can't just decide to move.
4. Increasing density makes the area more dangerous during emergencies. The physical street of Santero Way is too narrow; it barely allows for cars to pass by each other. This has been a safety concern of mine, having lived through the major fire emergencies in Sonoma County. People won't be running to the SMART train station if there is a fire or earthquake; they'll try to leave by car and the way that development is happening around Santero Way, it makes getting out of the area much more challenging.
Thank you for allowing residents to voice their concerns. 2 Appreciatively,
Rachel Russell
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