From: [email protected]
To: CityCouncilListPublic
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Do Not Destroy Downtown Landscape for P.F. Chang"s Parking Date: Sunday, March 8, 2026 4:12:57 PM
City Leaders,
I was saddened to learn of the proposal to reconstruct the area in front of the Santa Rosa Plaza and replace it with a spur road and parking spaces. The current design is of the best landscaping features of the downtown are, providing nice connectivity between the 4th Street corridor of restaurants & shops with the mall.
Destruction of this wonderfully walkable feature of downtown to add yet more parking is unnecessary.
The mall already has abundant parking in the garages. The back of the mall already has a good skywalk from the upper parking into the center of the mall very close to a set of elevators inside the mall for ease of travel to either level. There would also be multiple options around the mall for adding additional for mobility-impaired accessibility to stores without destroying an attractive landscape feature of downtown and a key walkability element of the area. The ADA accessibility argument of the developer could be addressed in much better, lower profile ways than the current proposal without impacting the entire entrance area of the mall.
Please, please, please reject the mall owner and P.F. Chang's unnecessary proposal.
Bet Regards,
Daniel George
Santa Rosa, CA
From: Devii Rao
To: CityCouncilListPublic
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Please do not support the drive lane project Date: Sunday, March 8, 2026 8:58:24 PM
Dear City Council,
This email is to express my opposition to the proposal to add parking for a proposed restaurant within the Santa Rosa Plaza area. The existing layout of the plaza seamlessly connects downtown with the mall, making downtown a more pedestrian friendly and attractive space. If the plaza is redesigned to add parking, it will take away from that pleasant, continuous, easy access to both shopping areas.
Adding parking spaces to the plaza area is unnecessary. There is already abundant parking in the multiple parking garages behind the mall and in parking lots and street parking downtown. I understand that part of the goal for adding the parking spaces in the plaza is to have two spaces for disabled people.
This is an important consideration. As I previously mentioned, there is plenty of parking in the parking garages behind the mall. There is an elevator in the parking garage that can take disabled people to a skywalk that connects the parking garage to the mall. There is also an elevator inside the mall that people with mobility issues can use to get to the bottom floor with access to existing and new proposed restaurants. There is also a parking lot at 5th and B Streets, very near the restaurants that open to the plaza. If someone with mobility issues cannot access the restaurants from the parking garages or downtown parking lot, I wonder if the city might consider adding a loading/unloading zone or even parking for two vehicles, across the street from the UPS Store, near what appears to be garbage bays. A solution like this would leave the plaza at the main entrance intact and meet the needs of community members who need closer access without diminishing the experience of others.
Please do not support the drive lane project in front of the planned PF Chang’s restaurant.
Sincerely,
Devii Rao
Santa Rosa, CA 95404