Preferred Alternative Summary
Santa Rosa General Plan Update
Public Review Draft | September 2022
ATTACHMENT 1
PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE SANTA ROSA FORWARDPREFERRED ALTERNATIVE SANTA ROSA FORWARD 2 3
Introduction
Santa Rosa has undergone significant
transformation in recent years and conditions
are continuing to change quickly, along with the
needs of the community. In response, the City
of Santa Rosa is currently updating its General
Plan to enable the community to become even
more sustainable, resilient, healthy, and inclusive.
This three-year process, known as Santa Rosa
Forward, includes many opportunities for
community discussions about the most pressing
challenges and opportunities facing Santa Rosa.
What is a General Plan?
A General Plan is a legally-required policy
document that establishes a community’s
long-term vision for the future and contains
goals and policies that will shape future housing
development, support job growth, foster healthy
and resilient neighborhoods, protect and manage
natural resources, ensure community safety, and
promote social and economic equity. All future City
decisions related to land use are required to be
consistent with the adopted General Plan, and all
other City documents and reports (like the recently
adopted Downtown Station Area Specific Plan)
are required to be consistent with the adopted
General Plan. Additional information about the
Santa Rosa Forward project can be found at:
www.santarosaforward.com/about.
How Was the Draft Preferred
Alternative Developed?
This summary presents the draft Preferred
Alternative that will guide Santa Rosa’s future
growth, investment, and change over the next
20+ years. The Preferred Alternative is the
culmination of a nearly two-year analysis and
community engagement process that included
the following major milestones (all documents
and engagement summaries are available at:
www.santarosaforward.com):
EXISTING CONDITIONS REPORT
This Existing Conditions Report was the
first major step in the General Plan Update
process. This report analyzed and summarized
demographic, economic, land use, community
character, mobility, natural resources,
infrastructure, environmental justice, community
health, and other conditions in Santa Rosa,
with the goal of helping the community and
City planning team understand the issues and
opportunities facing the community. This analysis
has been used to support the planning and
community engagement process conducted during
development of the updated General Plan.
COMMUNITY VISION STATEMENT
The 2050 General Plan Vision Statement (see
diagram on page 5) is based on a wealth of
community comments and ideas gathered during
the community vision workshops, meetings with
community-based organizations, discussions
with individuals, meetings with City Boards and
Commissions, and discussions with the City Council
conducted between May and July 2021. The Vision
Statement is an aspirational expression that frames
community needs and desires and serves as a
foundation for all the remaining General Plan work.
It helped frame the land use and transportation
alternatives; informed new and updated General
Plan goals, policies, and programs; and will ensure
that the General Plan fully addresses the needs
and desires of the community.
LAND USE AND CIRCULATION
ALTERNATIVES
The three Alternatives provided different options
for how the community could grow and change
in the future to address identified challenges and
opportunities. Each alternative aimed to implement
the Community Vision, but offered a unique approach
and choices for how we distribute future housing and
improve circulation. The alternatives started with the
potential for 36,000 new housing units (over the next
20+ years), equal to the number accommodated in
the current General Plan, but differed in where new
housing and other uses would go:
• Alternative 1: Central Corridors concentrated
housing near Downtown and along central
corridors.
• Alternative 2: Neighborhood Main Streets
envisioned a city of neighborhoods with new
housing near small neighborhood centers.
• Alternative 3: Distributed Housing built on what
is already here, with future growth occurring
across the city in proportion to what is on the
ground today.
PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE SANTA ROSA FORWARDPREFERRED ALTERNATIVE SANTA ROSA FORWARD 4 5
Project Timeline
Community
Involvement Strategy
(Summer 2020 - Fall 2020)
Existing Conditions
Analysis and Vision
(Fall 2020 - Summer 2021)
Land Use and
Circulation Alternatives
(Summer 2021 - Spring
2022)
Preferred Alternative
(Spring 2022 -
Fall 2022)
Draft General Plan
(Summer 2022 - Fall 2022)
Environmental Analysis
(Summer 2022 - Fall 2022)
Public Review and
Adoption
(Fall 2022 - Spring 2023)
Additional Zoning
Amendments
(Spring - Summer 2023)
START
END
current phase
Phase Milestones
Preferred Alternative
Summary
(September 2022)
Community Discussions:
Preferred Alternative
(September - October
2022)
Online Community
Survey: Preferred
Alternative
(September - October
2022)
Planning Commission
and City Council
Study Session
(Fall 2022)
The summary pages are followed by a presentation
of the draft Preferred Alternative diagram on
pages 14-15, which identifies major mobility
enhancements and 19 Areas of Change. In the
Visioning phase, many community members
expressed their love for the city’s unique, inclusive,
and vibrant neighborhoods. But not all areas of
Santa Rosa have access to essential amenities
and services, some need special attention to
better serve their residents. The Areas of Change
identified in the draft Preferred Alternative
are areas where the City will focus efforts on
addressing housing, services, connectivity, and/
or infrastructure needs to make these complete
neighborhoods.
After you have reviewed the summary pages
and the draft Preferred Alternative, please think
about what comments or ideas you would like to
share with the Project Team about the proposed
new goals and the draft Preferred Alternative.
This phase of the project includes an interactive
survey, community open houses, meetings, and
discussions (see the last page of this workbook for
more details). The survey and events will provide
you an opportunity to share your comments and
ideas.
How Should Y ou Use this Preferred
Alternative Workbook?
As of October 2022, the Project Team has held over
90 community meetings, workshops, and events
on the Santa Rosa Forward project. More than
3,400 people have participated in the process and
provided over 19,000 individual comments and
ideas. Building on the Existing Conditions Analysis,
2050 Vision Statement, Alternatives Report, and the
extensive community comments and ideas received
to-date, the Project Team created a draft Preferred
Alternative that presents the emerging desired
growth pattern for Santa Rosa over the next 20+
years.
This Preferred Alternative Summary identifies the
key features of the draft Preferred Alternative and
major new goals for the city by topic:
• Housing and Economic Development (pages 6-7)
• Efficient and Sustainable Development (pages 8-9)
• Resilience and Safety (pages 10-11)
• Equity and Community Health (pages 12-13)
R SA
SANTA
VISION
JUST
HEALTHY
INCLUSIVE
PREPARED
EQUITABLE
RESILIENTCONNECTED
SAFE
EDUCATED
CULTURAL SUSTAINABLE
SUCCESSFUL
SHELTERED
2050 General Plan
Vision Statement Summary
“Santa Rosa is a diverse, equitable, and sustainable
community built on civic engagement that empowers
everyone to provide and support equal and affordable
opportunities to obtain high quality housing, education, and jobs; enjoy vibrant cultural events and arts; and live healthy lives in resilient neighborhoods that adapt to
social and environmental change.”
How will Community Feedback
on the Draft Preferred Alternative
be Used?
This phase will include robust community
conversations on the draft Preferred Alternative
(summarized in this workbook), ultimately
leading to City Council and Planning Commission
direction on the Preferred Alternative in Fall 2022.
Community comments and feedback gathered
during the Preferred Alternative phase will
help refine the final “Preferred Alternative”
that will serve as the foundation of the updated
General Plan. The diagram to the right shows
the overall project timeline and specific detail
on the current Preferred Alternatives phase. For
more information about the project, please visit:
www.santarosaforward.com.
PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE SANTA ROSA FORWARDPREFERRED ALTERNATIVE SANTA ROSA FORWARD 6 7
KEY FEATURES
OF THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE
NEW GOALS
VISUALIZING
THE CONCEPTS
Continue to distribute housing
accessible to low- and very low-
income households across the city.
Ensure new growth and
development is resilient to
economic cycles and forces.
GALVIN
COMMUNITY
PARK
TAYLOR
MOUNTAIN
REGIONAL PARK
SPRING LAKE
COUNTY PARK
ANNADEL
STATE PARK
1 2
3 4
5 6
7 9
10 11
12 13
14 15
16 17
18 19
8 S
S
S
T
P
P
P
M
T
T
T
T
Sebastopol Road
Hearn Avenue
Bellevue Avenue
Stony Point Road Dutton AvenueBurbank Avenue
W College Avenue
W 9th Street
Pacific Avenue
Chanate Road
Badger Road
Piner Road
Guerneville Road
Marlow Road
Coffey Lane
Range Avenue
W 3rd Street
Me
ndocino A
venue
Santa Rosa Avenue
Fountai
ngrove Parkw
ay
Mon
tecito Boulevard
Calistog
a Road
Montgomery
Drive
Sonoma Avenue
Oakmont Drive
Bennett Valley Road
Hoen Avenue
Bethards Drive
Parker Hill Road Mi
dd
le Rincon Ro
ad
Stone Bridge Ro
ad
Los Alamos Road
G
Bru
sh Cree
k Roa
d
Northpoint Parkway
Ludwig Avenue
101
12 12
Areas of Change
#
1 10
11 12
13 14
15 16
17 18
19 9
8 7
6 5
4 3
2 Fountain Grove/Mendocino Interchange
Francisco Avenue
Rosewood Village
Marlow Center and Lance Drive Annexation
Coddingtown
West College Neighborhood Center
Montgomery Village
Howarth Commercial
Bennett Valley
Santa Rosa Marketplace
Hearn Corridor
Roseland
Stony Point Circle
Downtown Station Area
Mendocino Corridor
4th Street Corridor
Flamingo Center
Montecito
St. Francis Shopping Center
Key Features
Urban Growth Boundary
Lakes/Creeks
Highways
Major Roads
SMART Transit Center
SMART Rail Line
Transit Hub
Transit Mall
Transit Park-and-Ride
Legend
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S
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SUPERMARKET
Downtown Area Areas of Change Residential NeighborhoodsSanta Rosa is a city of neighborhoods, each with its own unique character and hub for goods and services,
complemented by a full-service Downtown.
New housing is focused in Downtown, around
neighborhood shopping centers, and along key corridors.
Most residents have safe access to places that meet their daily needs, including grocery stores, parks, and small office and retail services. These businesses offer more jobs throughout the city.
Downtown Santa Rosa is enhanced and bolstered as a
vibrant urban core with amenities that attract visitors and serve residents through implementation of the
Downtown Station Area Specific Plan.
Downtown development supports local businesses
and attracts well-established companies that serve
as economic anchors and cluster knowledge-based
businesses and job.
Job and business growth is concentrated in locations
with convenient multi-modal access for the local and
regional labor force, and industrial districts continue to provide convenient goods movement options for
businesses.
As many as 24,000 new homes are built in Santa Rosa
by 2050, supporting approximately 650,000 square feet
of new community-serving retail, in addition to new
dining and personal service businesses.
Regional demand supports up to 2 million square feet of new office and 1 million square feet of new industrial
development, primarily in south Santa Rosa, Downtown,
and along Highway 101.
Commercial growth potential could support 8,500 new
jobs: 1,500 new jobs in both retail and industrial and
5,500 office jobs.
Increased residential density drives resident-serving
business growth, including retail, dining, and personal services, in neighborhood centers and along key
corridors in all corners of the city.
Mixed Use Downtown
Neighborhood
Mixed Use Corridor
Street Dining/Retail/
Activities
1 New Industrial
Development
3 5
2 4
Economics and Housing1
Infill Housing
New Office Development
4 6
1 3
5 2
4 6
Facilitate future annexations
with a thoughtfully designed and
transparent strategy.
Areas of Change are areas where the City will focus efforts on addressing housing, services, connectivity, and/or infrastructure needs to make these complete neighborhoods.
PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE SANTA ROSA FORWARDPREFERRED ALTERNATIVE SANTA ROSA FORWARD 8 9
Farme
rs Ln Extension
GALVIN
COMMUNITY
PARK
TAYLOR
MOUNTAIN
REGIONAL PARK
SPRING LAKE
COUNTY PARK
ANNADEL
STATE PARK
Stony Point Road
Ac�ve Transporta�on
Roadway Widening
Highway 12
Safety Roaday Widening
S
S
S
T
T
M
T
T
P
P
P
T
Sebastopol Road
Northpoint Parkway
Ludwig Avenue
Hearn Avenue
Bellevue Avenue
Stony Point Road Du�on AvenueBurbank Avenue
W College Avenue
W 9th Street
Pacific Avenue
Chanate Road
Badger Road
Piner Road
Guerneville Road
Marlow Road
Coffey Lane
Range Avenue
W 3rd Street
Me
ndocino A
venue
Santa Rosa Avenue
Fountai
ngrove Par
kway
Mon
tecito Boulevard
Ca
listoga
Road
Montgomery
Drive
Sonoma A
venue
Oakmont Drive
Benne� Valley Road
Hoen Avenue
Bethards Drive
Parker Hill Road
Bru
sh Cree
k Road
Mi
dd
le Rincon Ro
ad
Stone Bridge Ro
ad
Los Alamos Road
101
12 12
Roadway Widening
Vehicle Lane Reduc�on
New Major Roads
New Minor Roads
Improved Pedestrian and Bicycle Connec�ons
New or Widened Auto Overpass (including
pedestrian and bicycle enhancements)
New Pedestrian and Bicycle Rail Crossing
High Frequency Bus Route (10-15 minute headways)
Urban Growth Boundary
Lakes/Creeks
Highways
Major Roads
SMART Transit Center
SMART Rail Line
Transit Hub
Transit Mall
Transit Park-and-Ride
Legend
Key Features
T
M
S
T
M
P
KEY FEATURES
OF THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE
NEW GOALS
VISUALIZING
THE CONCEPTS
Achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 .
Improve infrastructure, linkages, and
access to transit and active modes
of transportation to better meet daily
commuting needs and limit greenhouse
gas emissions.
Provide the highest-quality City services—
including transit, utilities, infrastructure,
parks and recreation, and more—and
ensure accessibility to everyone in Santa
Rosa.
SUPERMARKET Pharmacy
RESTAURANT
The updated General Plan will include enhancements to
the transportation network to manage transportation
demand and reduce vehicle miles traveled by
improving connectivity and reducing dependence on
single-occupant private vehicles, including to access the city’s priority development areas (PDAs)—Mendocino
Avenue/Santa Rosa Avenue Corridor, North Santa Rosa
Station, Downtown Station Area, Sebastopol Road
Corridor, Roseland, and Santa Rosa Avenue—SMART
stations, and neighborhood shopping centers.
East-west connections for walking and biking and
transit are improved, and first/last mile links to SMART Corridor are emphasized.
The transit system expands and operates longer hours,
more frequently, and serves more destinations and
communities to support travel alternatives for everyone in Santa Rosa.
Evacuation is a priority consideration in all
transportation network-related planning (wildfire,
earthquake, flood, and other related hazards).
Growth potential accommodated in the land use diagram
does not exceed the City’s capacity to meet the
community’s water needs through the General Plan
horizon.
Vehicle Lane Reduction
Pedestrian and Bicycle
Connections
Transit Routes and Stop
Improvements
Protected Bicycle Lanes
Cycle Track
Improved Pedestrian
Crosswalks
1 3
5 6
2 4
Efficient and Sustainable Development 2
1 3
5 2
4 6
CO2
What does “sustainable” mean for
Santa Rosa? Practices and behaviors
that meet the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own
needs.
PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE SANTA ROSA FORWARDPREFERRED ALTERNATIVE SANTA ROSA FORWARD 10 11
Santa Rosa is the urban heart of the wine
country. It’s the hub for all there is to explore in
Sonoma County. With a focus on family and cultural
diversity, Santa Rosa is a place with something for
everyone. Have breakfast at a funky downtown coffee
shop, take a bike ride through a vineyard or explore
the majestic redwoods as you head out to the coast.
Enjoy fresh, Sonoma-grown food and world-famous
local beer and wine; then catch a music show, an art
opening and so much more.
Come be apart of a vibrant city with endless
possibilities!
ABOUT THE CITY
Santa Rosa is the seat of Sonoma County and the
center of trade, government commerce, and medical
facilities for the North Bay. With 181,000 residents,
Santa Rosa is the fifth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area. It boasts many attractions usually found in
larger cities – including a symphony, performing
arts center, theater and internationally recognized
restaurants. Despite the big city amenities, Santa Rosa still retains the warmth of a small town.
The surrounding area is home to over a hundred
wineries and vineyards, 16 golf courses, beautiful
parks and the spectacular Northern California
coastline. The City has an excellent school system,
a community college and a state university located
nearby. Santa Rosa has been named one of the
50 greenest cities in the United States and was
recognized for having one of the top five mid-sized
downtowns in California.
WHAT’S NEARBY:
Heart of the Wine Country
55 Miles North of San Francisco
30 Miles East of the Pacific Ocean
209 Miles West of Lake Tahoe
CITY GOVERNMENT
Santa Rosa was incorporated as a City by the
State Legislature on March 16, 1868. Santa Rosa
has operated under the Council-Manager form
of government since its adoption in 1923. Policy
making and legislative authority is provided under
the authority of the City Council, consisting of
seven members, all of whom are elected on a non-
partisan basis. The City Council transitioned to direct elections and established seven Council districts.
Three Council members were elected to represent
even-numbered Council districts on November 6,
2018. Council members from the remaining odd-
numbered Council districts will be elected this year,
in 2020. Following the biennial Council election, the
Council selects one of its members as Mayor, serving
as the executive head of the City for a two-year term.
The Council appoints the City Manager and the City
Attorney. The City Manager is the administrative
head of the City, who in turn appoints the heads of
the various departments, including the Fire Chief.
Recipient of the “All American
City Award”
~National Civic League (2007)
KEY FEATURES
OF THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE
PROPOSED NEW GOALS
VISUALIZING
THE CONCEPTS
Fortify the community, especially equity
priority communities, against wildfires,
earthquakes, floods, and other hazards
and facilitate recovery from future
hazard events through comprehensive
planning in advance.
Support the potential managed retreat
from the highest fire risk areas.
Institute new building standards in areas
highly vulnerable to hazards, such as
wildfire and earthquake, to minimize the
impact of a hazard event.
Development in the wildland urban interface (WUI) is limited to what is currently allowed and resilience in the WUI
improves with time.
East Highway 12 expansion improves evacuation capacity
during wildfire and other hazard events. Enhancements to other key roadways in the evacuation network, including enabling wrong-way travel, support increased capacity in emergency scenarios.
Transit system enhancements support the evacuation needs of zero vehicle households.
Optimize Evacuation Routes
Firesafe Home/Property
Creek Restoration
Earthquake Safe Buildings
Resilience Hub
1 3
5 6
2 4
Resilience and Safety3
EMERGENCY
EV ACUA TION
ROUTE
EMERGENCY
EV ACUA TION
ROUTE
Microgrid System
1 3
5 2
4 6
GALVIN
COMMUNITY
PARK
TAYLOR
MOUNTAIN
REGIONAL PARK
SPRING LAKE
COUNTY PARK
ANNADEL
STATE PARK
Sebastopol Road
Hearn Avenue
Bellevue Avenue
Stony Point Road Dutton AvenueBurbank Avenue
W College Avenue
W 9th Street
Pacific Avenue
Chanate Road
Badger Road
Piner Road
Guerneville Road
Marlow Road
Coffey Lane
Range Avenue
W 3rd Street
Me
ndocino A
venue
Santa Rosa Avenue
Fountai
ngrove Parkw
ay
Mon
tecito Boulevard
Calistog
a Road
Montgomery
Drive
Sonoma Avenue
Oakmont Drive
Bennett Valley Road
Hoen Avenue
Bethards Drive
Parker Hill Road Mi
dd
le Rincon Ro
ad
Stone Bridge Ro
ad
Los Alamos Road
Bru
sh Cree
k Roa
d
Northpoint Parkway
Ludwig Avenue
101
12 12
Urban Growth Boundary
Lakes/Creeks
Highways
Major Roads
Flooding Hazards
Wildfire Hazards
Earthquake Hazards
Key Features
Violent Shaking Zone
Wildlife-Urban Interface (WUI)
100-Year Flood Zone
500-Year Flood Zone
Legend
PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE SANTA ROSA FORWARDPREFERRED ALTERNATIVE SANTA ROSA FORWARD 12 13
KEY FEATURES
OF THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE
NEW GOALS
VISUALIZING
THE CONCEPTS
Make lifelong learning
opportunities and safe spaces
to gather and recreate equitably
accessible to everyone.
Remove barriers to and incentivize
small-scale, urban agriculture to
expand economic opportunity to
community members and access
to healthy foods.
Prioritize funding for services,
amenities, and infrastructure in
equity priority communities.
Equity priority communities have safe, comfortable, and convenient walking or wheeling (including bike, stroller, and wheelchair) access to full-service markets and fresh foods, outdoor active and passive recreation, and a
robust active transportation network.
New housing for equity priority communities is
thoughtfully designed, emphasizes visitability (easy
access for seniors and people with disabilities), and is located to avoid exposure to environmental threats.
Residential growth is set back a minimum of 500
feet from Highways 101 and 12 to avoid exposure to
particulate matter from these roadways.
Gaps in the sidewalks and pedestrian network are
eliminated in equity priority communities.
People of all ages and abilities have barrier-
free access to essential goods and services, and
neighborhoods support aging in place.
Park Amenities
Community Garden
Community Center/
Event Space
Affordable Housing
Fresh Food Access
Complete Sidewalk
Network
1 3
5 6
2 4
Equity and Health4
Pharmacy
SUPERMARKET
Mi Cocina
farmer’s
market
farmer’s
market
fresh fruit & veggies 当地屠夫
Recognize and reconcile historic and
existing land-use patterns that perpetuate
racial and socioeconomic segregation.
Engage a diverse and wide range of
opinions, representative of Santa Rosa
residents, in city decision-making.
Celebrate and showcase the community’ s
diversity and promote it as a strength.
Bring art, cultural resources and activities,
historic assets, and live music to all
neighborhoods, accessible to everyone.
1 3
5 2
4 6
GALVIN
COMMUNITY
PARK
TAYLOR
MOUNTAIN
REGIONAL PARK
SPRING LAKE
COUNTY PARK
ANNADEL
STATE PARK
S
S
S
T
M
T
T
T
P
P
P
T
Sebastopol Road
Hearn Avenue
Bellevue Avenue
Stony Point Road Du�on AvenueBurbank Avenue
W College Avenue
W 9th Street
Pacific Avenue
Chanate Road
Badger Road
Piner Road
Guerneville Road
Marlow Road
Coffey Lane
Range Avenue
W 3rd Street
Me
ndocino A
ven
ue
Santa Rosa Avenue
Fountai
ngrove Parkw
ay
Mon
tecito Boulevard
Calistoga
Road
Montgomery
Drive
Sonoma Avenue
Oakmont Drive
Benne� Valley Road
Hoen Avenue
Bethards Drive
Parker Hill Road Mi
dd
le Rincon Ro
ad
Stone Bridge Ro
ad
Los Alamos Road
Bru
sh Cree
k Road
Northpoint Parkway
Ludwig Avenue
101
12 12
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
C
C
C
Equity Priority Areas
Top 25% Below Poverty Level
Top 25% People of Color
Schools
Community Centers
Key Features
S
C
Urban Growth Boundary
Lakes/Creeks
Highways
Major Roads
SMART Transit Center
SMART Rail Line
Transit Hub
Transit Mall
Transit Park-and-Ride
Legend
T
M
S
T
M
P
Sources: American Community Survey 2015–2019 (5-year estimates), showing Census groups on the 75th percentile and above (countywide) from the aggregate of % non-white populations (Hispanic or Latino + Black or African American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander and Some Other Race) and % low income (Federal Poverty Level).
Equity Priority Areas are the areas with the intersection of the lowest income households and the highest percentage of people of color.
PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE SANTA ROSA FORWARDPREFERRED ALTERNATIVE SANTA ROSA FORWARD 14 15
GALVIN
COMMUNITY
PARK
TAYLOR
MOUNTAIN
REGIONAL PARK
SPRING LAKE
COUNTY PARK
ANNADEL
STATE PARK
1 2
3 4
5 6
7 9
10 11
12 13
14 15
16 17
18 19
8 S
S
T
P
P
P
M
T
T
T
S
T
Sebastopol Road
Hearn Avenue
Bellevue Avenue
Stony Point Road Dutton AvenueBurbank Avenue
W College Avenue
W 9th Street
Pacific Avenue
Chanate Road
Badger Road
Piner Road
Guerneville Road
Marlow Road
Coffey Lane
Range Avenue
W 3rd Street
Me
ndocino A
venue
Santa Rosa Avenue
Fountai
ngrove Par
kw
ay
Mon
tecito Boulevard
Ca
listoga Road
Montgomery
Drive
Sonoma Avenue
Oakmont Drive
Bennett Valley Road
Hoen Avenue
Bethards Drive
Parker Hill Road Middle Rincon
Ro
ad
Stone Bridge Road
Los Alamos Road
G
Br
ush Creek Roa
d
Northpoint Parkway
Ludwig Avenue
101
12 12
Downtown Area
Areas of Change
#
1 10
11 12
13 14
15 16
17 18
19 9
8 7
6 5
4 3
2 Fountain Grove/Mendocino Interchange
Francisco Avenue
Rosewood Village
Marlow Center and Lance Drive Annexation
Coddingtown
West College Neighborhood Center
Downtown Station Area
Mendocino Corridor
4th Street Corridor
Flamingo Center
Montecito
St. Francis Shopping Center
Montgomery Village
Howarth Commercial
Bennett Valley
Santa Rosa Marketplace
Hearn Corridor
Roseland
Stony Point Circle
Roadway Widening
Proposed Road Diets
New Major Roads
New Minor Roads
Improved Pedestrian/Bicycle Connections
New or Widened Auto Overpass including
Pedestrian/Bicycle Enhancements
New Pedestrian/Bicycle Rail Crossing
High Frequency Bus Route
(10-15 min. headways)
Areas of Change
Key Features
Urban Growth Boundary
Lakes/Creeks
Highways
Major Roads
SMART Transit Center
SMART Rail Line
Transit Hub
Transit Mall
Transit Park-and-Ride
Legend
T
M
S
T
M
P
Preferred
Alternative
Diagram
The diagram to the right includes the major
components of the draft Preferred Alternative.
The Preferred Alternative is largely focused on
identifying the location of major new housing,
employment, and shopping areas and mobility
enhancements. It is based on a wealth of
community feedback on how Santa Rosa can and
should grow over the next 20+ years to meet the
needs of current and future generations. And as
noted on the previous topical summary pages, the
location of this new growth considers key factors
like access to mobility options, natural hazards,
and equity priority communities.
Areas of Change are areas where the City will focus efforts on addressing housing, services, connectivity, and/or infrastructure needs to make these complete neighborhoods.
PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE SANTA ROSA FORWARDPREFERRED ALTERNATIVE SANTA ROSA FORWARD 16 17
Carbon Neutrality: Balancing carbon dioxide
emissions with carbon offsets—the process of
reducing or avoiding greenhouse gas emissions
or removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
to make up for emissions elsewhere.
Density: The average number of homes on one
acre of land in a given area.
Environmental Justice: The fair treatment
and meaningful involvement of all people
regardless of race, color, national origin, sexual
orientation, or income, with respect to the
development, implementation, and enforcement
of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
Equity: The just and fair inclusion into a society in
which all can participate, prosper, and reach their
full potential.
Equity Priority Community: The City identified
areas in Santa Rosa that have the highest
concentration of under-served populations based
on current Census and demographic information.
The Santa Rosa Forward process is focusing
tailored engagement and policy solutions to
these communities to help improve equity,
address environmental justice issues, and provide
everyone with the opportunity to attain their
full potential. More information on this effort is
available at: www.santarosaforward.com/equity
Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA):
An estimate based on State of California
projections of population growth and housing unit
demand and assigns a share of the region’s future
housing need to each jurisdiction in the State.
These housing need numbers serve as the basis
for the update of the housing element in each
California city and county.
Resilience: The capacity to recover quickly from
difficulties or hardships, typically associated with
natural or human-made disasters, droughts, economic
recessions, social unrest, or housing uncertainty.
Retail: The sale of goods to the public in
relatively small quantities for use or consumption
rather than for resale.
Sustainable: Practices and behaviors that meet
the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs.
Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT): The total distance
traveled in miles by all motor vehicles of a specific
group within a given area at a given time.
Zoning: A method in which a municipality divides
land into areas called zones, each of which has
a set of regulations for new development that
differs from other zones.
Alternatives Workbook
The Alternatives Workbook presented and analyzed three land use and circulation scenarios for Santa Rosa that provide different options for how the community can grow and change in the future. Each alternative aimed to implement the Community Vision, but offered a unique approach and choices for how we distribute future housing and improve circulation. The alternatives start with the potential for 36,000 new housing units (over the next 20+ years), equal to the number accommodated in the current General Plan, but differ in where new housing and other uses would go. The full report is available at: www.santarosaforward.com/Alts Community Vision Statement
The Vision Statement is based on a wealth of community comments and ideas gathered during the community vision workshops, meetings with community-based organizations, discussions with individuals, meetings with City Boards and Commissions, and discussions with the City Council conducted between May and July 2021. The Vision Statement is an aspirational expression that frames community needs and desires and serves as a foundation for all the remaining General Plan work. It will help frame the land use and transportation alternatives; inform new and updated General Plan goals, policies, and programs; and ensure that the General Plan fully addresses the needs and desires of the community. The full Vision Statement is available at: www. santarosaforward.com/VS
Briefing Book on the Existing Conditions
This document is a high level summary of the major findings and take-aways from the detailed Existing Conditions Report (see below). This summary includes important background information and emerging opportunities, organized into six key topical areas. The full summary is available at: www.santarosaforward.com/BB Existing Conditions Report
This report analyzes and summarizes demographic, economic, land use, community character, mobility, natural resources, infrastructure, environmental justice, community health, and other conditions in Santa Rosa, with the goal of helping the community and City understand the issues and opportunities facing Santa Rosa. This analysis will be used to support the planning and community engagement process conducted during development of the updated General Plan. The full report is available at:
www.santarosaforward.com/ECR
Moving Towards a
Preferred Alternative
The goal of this round of discussions is to hear
feedback from the community on the draft
Preferred Alternative presented in this workbook.
The Project Team will capture and present community
feedback, ideas, concerns or suggestions and
present them to the City Council and Planning
Commission in Fall 2022.
Community Discussion
Opportunities
The Community Discussions on the Preferred
Alternative process, which will be held between
September and October 2022, will include community
open houses, an online survey, meetings, youth
engagement activities, and other interactions that
offer a variety of ways for the community to be
involved. This round of engagement is focused
on gathering community feedback on the draft
Preferred Alternative and includes the following key
engagement opportunities:
X Online Survey
X Community Open Houses
X Community Advisory Committee Meeting
X Equity Priority Community Focus Groups
X Community Organization Meetings
X Youth Activities
X City Board and Commission Meetings
X Planning Commission and City Council
Study Sessions
Please visit www.santarosaforward.com for more
information on the project and upcoming community
discussions and events.
Additional Info
Other Project Reports and Summaries
Key Terms
JANUARY 2022
AlternativesWorkbookAlternativesWorkbook
THE SANTA ROSA
GENERAL PLAN UPDATE
R SA
SANTA
FORWARD
Plan Our Future Together