From: Kristyn Byrne
To: CityCouncilListPublic
Subject: [EXTERNAL] 03/24 Meeting Agenda Item 16.1 – Pura Vida Appeal Date: Monday, March 23, 2026 11:10:36 PM
Mayor Stapp, Vice Mayor Okrepkie, and Members of the Council, We were asked to share our perspective given our direct proximity to one of Pura Vida’s residential programs.
We live immediately next door to their Townview 6-bed home on Ronne Drive, which has been operating since 2018. Based on our day-to-day experience over the past seven years, living next to the home has not been disruptive. We have not experienced ongoing noise, nuisance activity, or negative interactions with staff or residents.
We recognize there may be concerns about how this type of use functions in a residential setting, so we wanted to offer our firsthand experience as adjacent neighbors.
Kristyn & Matt Byrne
1508 Ronne Drive
From: Skyhawk United
To: CityCouncilListPublic
Cc: Skyhawk United
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Formal Statement of Deep Disappointment regarding the Denial of the Skyhawk Appeal Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 1:27:15 PM
Dear Mayor Stapp and Members of the Santa Rosa City Council, On behalf of Skyhawk United and the 1,000+ Santa Rosa residents who signed our petition, I am writing to express our profound disappointment and disillusionment following last night’s 6-0 vote to deny our appeal.
Our coalition provided substantial evidence that this project fails the legal requirements for Finding C (Compatibility) and Finding D (Suitability). We demonstrated that a 300% increase in patient volume converts a local-serving neighborhood center into a regional institutional hub. We highlighted the physical unsuitability of housing 24 high-needs patients in a second-floor retail suite within a High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. We even provided evidence of existing operational failures and the loss of 7 affordable housing units.
By voting to deny this appeal, the Council has effectively:
Ignored Technical Dissent: You disregarded the professional findings of Planning Commissioners Carter and Sanders, who correctly identified that the evidence for compatibility and suitability simply did not exist.
Eroded Zoning Integrity: You have set a city-wide precedent that "Neighborhood Commercial" zones are now open for high-intensity institutional consolidation, regardless of the impact on local retail or resident safety.
Dismissed 1,000+ Voters: You chose to favor the business interests of a single for- profit applicant over the unified mandate of over 500 unique households across all seven districts.
While we support the vital need for recovery services in Sonoma County, we maintain that this specific site is a clinical and safety mismatch for a facility of this scale.
The residents of Skyhawk, and the thousands of voters who stood with us, will remember this decision. We will continue to monitor the operations at 5761 Mountain Hawk Drive closely and will hold the City fully accountable for any future safety or code violations that arise from this unsuitable land-use approval.
Regards,
David Chen
Skyhawk United | Better Santa Rosa