Appeal of Minor Conditional Use Permit:
5761 Mountain Hawk Dr.
Overturn the Planning Commission’s 4-2-1 approval
REQUEST
Appellant
Former member, City of Santa Rosa Community Advisory
Board (CAB)
Board Member, Asian American Pacific Island Coalition Board member, Redwood Empire Chinese Association
Deacon, Santa Rosa Chinese Christian Church
Organizer, Better Santa Rosa Coalition
President, Skyhawk United
Licensed Real Estate Professional (daytime job)
2 Summary of Appellant’s Position
We support recovery services
The proposal is not compatible or suitable
Patients’ needs are ignored
Findings C &D cannot be made
Elimination of affordable housing units
City-wide mandate:
Uphold our appeal and Deny the permit
3 Patients’ Needs Are Ignored
Patients need peace and space to relax, reflect and
find themselves
This proposal has ignored patients’ needs
Limited space for 24 patients within 7 condo units
No solution for smoking
Fire evacuation liability
Consolidation: Closing recovery facilities in other
communities
4 Austin Creek
Elementary SchoolWalkin/Biking Routes
To Parks and School
~1000 Homes in
½ Mile Radius
The Conflict
“Institutional Island” in a
residential sea
Directly on student
walking route
1,478 ft to Austin Creek
Elementary
Between two wildfire
evacuation exits.
422 ft from another
community care facility
5 Finding C – Compatibility Cannot Be Made
We agree with Commissioners Carter and Sanders:
Council cannot make Finding C
Shift from neighborhood-serving to regional (Carter,
03:00:04)
Lack of data for demonstrated need (Sanders, 03:03:44) Inconsistent with the General Plan (Sanders, 03:07:43). (Timestamps from 11/13/2025 Public Hearing video)
6 Finding D – Suitability Cannot Be Made
We agree with Commissioners Carter and Sanders:
Council cannot make Finding D
Physically unsuitable for the type, density, and intensity (Carter, 03:01:03)
Insufficient evidence/data to show 24-bed operation safely and compatibly (Carter, 03:01:30)
Intensity and density not suitable (Sanders, 03:08:06) (Timestamps from 11/13/2025 Public Hearing video)
7 Impact on Neighborhood
1506 Ronne Drive
“Neighbors very unhappy about noise and the amount
parking” (Page 5, Package 2)
Patients smoking on porch and yard (Page 3, Package 2) Neighboring house (1508 Ronne Dr, 4 beds, 3 baths, 2803 sqft) cannot sell since 6/21/2024 after multiple price
reductions (Pages 9-12, Package 2)
68 Royal Gorge
“The number of cars is really a problem and has caused accidents” (Page 6, Package 2)
8 Impact on Neighborhood (continued)
Facility at 5761 Mountain Hawk Dr.
Cigarette buts (fire risk)
Accidents at Hwy 12 traffic light
Littering and graffiti
Parking already challenging today
Question: Can the applicant operate a 24-bed facility without negatively affecting the neighborhood?
9 Discrediting "Independent" Support
Planning Commission’s 4-2-1 vote was misguided by Planner (00:24:32) and Applicant (00:28:45) about support letters.
The Truth: The applicant is the landlord for the Anytime Fitness, Massage Envy, and Edward Jones who submitted support letters.
Tenant support is a financial byproduct, not a community consensus. (Timestamps from 11/13/2025 Public Hearing video)
10 Collective Community Voice
500+ wet petition signatures
600+ electronic petition signatures
300+ written objections
(Package 1)
Opposition across all 7 Districts.
City-wide mandate:
Protect Neighborhood Commercial
zoning,
Protect our neighborhood
11 Conclusion
Patients’ needs are ignored
Incompatible – cannot make Finding C
Unsuitable - cannot make Finding D
Impact to neighborhood
Council has the discretion and ability to say no
Request: Uphold the Appeal. Deny the Permit.
12