Outlook
Planning Commission 9/21/26, Item 8A: Freeway Oriented Development Zoning Overlay From Jenny Blaker <[email protected]>
Date Mon 9/21/2026 8:30 AM
To Ryan Long <[email protected]>; Kimberlyn Moffet <[email protected]>; Shelley Berman <[email protected]>; Sarah Sparks <[email protected]>; Carla Duncan <[email protected]>; Noah Housh <[email protected]>
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To: Cotati Planning Commissioners
Agenda item 8A: Freeway Oriented Development Zoning Overlay Dear Planning Commissioners
It’s important to support Cotati businesses and I thoroughly support improving wayfinding directional signage as needed within the area under discussion, to enable potential customers to find and locate businesses. Some of the existing signs are clear and visible, others are hard to see – too small, too dark, unclear, poorly located, shaded by vegetation, etc. A sign at entrances to the area could include a map to help people locate particular businesses.
But I question the proposals for more and increased freeway-oriented signage. While the original “auto-oriented business” language has now been dropped from this discussion, the staff report refers to the Santa Rosa “auto-row sign program.” I hope nowhere in Cotati will ever look anything like Santa Rosa’s auto row! Encouraging freeway-oriented business flies in the face of Cotati’s longstanding policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and Vehicle Miles Traveled while encouraging active transportation and transit-oriented development.
By far the most important consideration should be safety and promoting Vision Zero, to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Large, colorful, signs along the freeway are a visual distraction for motorists. Some of the signs are already highly visible and I’m not sure that adding an extra 2 feet in height from 6 feet to 8 feet would make an effective difference for the purpose of attracting customers but they would be more distracting. Pennants, streamers and balloons would only add to the confusing visual clutter and should not be allowed. The largest and most visible sign in that area right now is for River Rock Casino! When and why and by whom was it approved, and can it be removed? It has nothing to do with promoting local business!
What really is the demand from the local businesses in this area? When I asked the Community Development Director how many businesses there are in this area, and what their requests were, he replied: “There are approximately 160 businesses in the industrial district and I sent engagement letters to each and got no responses. I then sent a separate letter to those fronting onto Redwood Drive about the FOD and received calls from about 3. To get a more robust response, I have been visiting each of the businesses personally and have been able to chat with people representing approximately 10-15 of the businesses to-date. The concepts presented at the workshops were based on information and issues that came up in those conversations.” It doesn’t sound as though freeway signage has been a high priority for the businesses in general in this area. In which case, couldn’t this be dealt with on a case-by-case basis? It would be interesting to have more of a detailed breakdown of what specific support the businesses are asking for.
The changing local context has not been considered. There will be substantial new housing on Hwy 116. There will be a new east-west bike bridge over the freeway for the Copeland Creek bike trail, increasing bicycle traffic on the Cotati/Rohnert Park border north of this area. Both these offer opportunities for more locally-oriented rather than freeway-oriented business and there could be a focus on increasing and improving pedestrian and bicycle safety and connectivity.
To what extent do freeway signs actually promote business? Nowadays people are more likely to do their research online first, rather than altering course to find a particular business while driving on the freeway. Years ago, the Chamber of Commerce used to circulate a directory promoting local businesses. Perhaps a directory similar to the well-known Art Trails and Farm Trails brochures could be circulated at Cotati events, from the Farmers’ Market to the Accordion Festival, to bring attention to Cotati businesses, as well as online?
While I welcome some of the suggested new uses such as medical offices and care facilities, I do think careful thought needs to be given to compatibility between these and uses such as paint shops, auto repair, recycling facilities, and others where potentially polluting activities need to be highly controlled and carefully monitored. Wasn’t the original purpose of zoning specifically to separate industrial uses from more sensitive human-centered uses?
Lastly, there are references to 13 parcels and 15 parcels. Which is correct? I hope you will carefully consider these and the other thoughtful public comments that were presented to the City Council on July 28 by several members of the community, both in writing and at the meeting.
Sincerely
Jenny Blaker
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