Cotati City Council
Agenda Staff Report
Item type: PUBLIC HEARINGS (ACTION)
To: City Council
Subject: CONSIDERATION OF A 12-MONTH TIME EXTENSION TO
THE COTATI VILLAGE I PROJECT
Date: August 25, 2026
Written by: JP Harries, Senior Planner
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution granting a 12-month time extension to the Cotati Village I mixed-use project, inclusive of all previously adopted plans and Conditions of Approval, resulting in a new expiration date of November 15, 2027.
Background
On February 27, 2024, the Cotati City Council approved Preliminary Design Review and a Tree Removal Permit for the Cotati Village I project, located at the northeast corner of State Route 116 (SR-116) and Alder Avenue.
The project, which received a favorable recommendation from the Planning Commission on February 5, 2024, is a proposed mixed-use development with 117 apartment units, 4,752 square feet of commercial space, a central clubhouse, and a swimming pool. Eighteen of the units are designated as very low-income housing, which qualified the project for a 50% density bonus as well as concessions and waivers from development standards (such as providing a certain minimum amount of commercial floor area).
Following the City Council’s hearing, Final Design Review was approved by the Design Review Administration on May 15, 2024, which also established a November 15, 2026, expiration date (30 months) for the project entitlements.
In late 2024, the property (including the entitlements for the Cotati Village I project) was sold to Diamond Boulevard LLC and Advanced Building Solutions (“Applicant”) became the project proponent. Since the acquisition, the Applicant and their civil engineer have worked closely with City staff to integrate their project and associated frontage improvements into the City’s developing design for the realignment and control of the SR-116 and West Cotati Avenue intersection.
Additionally, on September 9, 2025, the Cotati City Council approved the affordability agreement for the project restricting eighteen of the units to very low-income households. The agreement was recorded in the Official Records of Sonoma County on May 4, 2026.
Analysis/Discussion
Cotati Municipal Code Sections 17.64.080(B)(1) and (2) establish the process and requirements for reviewing requests to extend use permits, variances, and design review approvals. The Review Authority (in this case, the City Council) must make one specific finding before granting an extension: that there have been no changes in the conditions or circumstances of the site or project that would have constituted grounds for denial of the original application. If this finding can be made, the Review Authority then has discretion to determine whether the requested extension is warranted.
Since the project’s approval in 2016, there have been no changes in the conditions or circumstances of the site or the project that would warrant denial of the extension. The most significant recent changes in the area are the entitlements granted for the adjacent proposed 126- unit Cotati Village II project and the adjacent proposed 178-unit mixed-use Redwood Row project. Additionally, there have been no amendments to the 2015 General Plan since the project’s approval, nor have there been changes to community infrastructure or resources that would reduce the capacity of City facilities.
In addition, based on the developer/owner’s continued efforts to complete the Final Design Review, record the Affordability Agreement, and collaborate with staff on the design of the frontage improvements, staff recommend that the City Council approve the requested extension.
Under the Cotati Municipal Code, design review and use permit approvals are limited to two one-year extensions. If additional time is needed beyond that period, the project must be resubmitted and re-approved through the full public hearing process. This limitation ensures that older projects do not continue indefinitely if they are no longer consistent with current City goals or regulations. Should the project fail to obtain building permits by the new expiration date of November 15, 2027, the City Council will have another opportunity to evaluate the project’s progress considering the City’s interests and objectives.
Financial Considerations
Granting the extension will have no adverse financial impact on the City. All staff time required to review the applicant’s extension request and prepare this staff report and resolution is fully covered by the application fee paid by the applicant. No additional costs have been incurred by the City in association with this review.
Environmental Issues
As documented in the 2024 approvals of the Design Review and Tree Removal Permit, the project complies with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15183.
This section provides for streamlined environmental review by allowing the project to tier from the program-level analysis contained in the Cotati General Plan and its certified Environmental Impact Report (EIR). All applicable General Plan policies and mitigation measures identified in the 2013 General Plan EIR were incorporated into the project’s environmental analysis and imposed as conditions of approval. Therefore, no further environmental analysis is required.