Item to move on to May 20 city council meeting
The North Entry Area Plan (NEAP) will now move into the Healdsburg City Council’s hands as the Healdsburg Planning Commission unanimously passed a motion that approves the addition of the NEAP to the Healdsburg 2030 General Plan.
The final draft of the plan along with the final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) were approved in a 6-0 vote. Commissioner Dan Petrik was absent.
The NEAP is a proposed plan for a 130-unit hotel and a maximum 290-residential-unit development on 18 acres of the old Quaker Hill Property now owned by Comstock Healdsburg LLC.
Key issues identified and resolved throughout the span of several months of public hearings and workshops included concerns with housing and hotel development.
“A lot of discussion was had about housing including the number of units, a cap on the units, having a minimum threshold for the number of units to be developed, looking at the potential for some substantial senior housing development on the site …,” said Linda Ruffing, a planner with the city of Healdsburg. “In the end the plan provides a cap of 290 units on the site but makes it very clear that additional units can be provided through the density bonus procedure, and has a minimum development of 250 dwelling units.”
Despite grumblings over the thought of a new hotel, Ruffing said the plan does allow for visitor lodging since it is a use allowed in the mixed-use district.
Regarding the 130 hotel room cap concept, Ruffing said, “The commission considered reducing that cap, there was discussion about prohibiting hotel use and in the end the direction from the commission was to keep the hotel in as it may end up being a profitable use that could help a developer underwrite the affordable housing that would be required. There was a provision added … to require a minimum of 280 dwelling units on the site in order for a hotel use to be considered and that will all be worked out at the master conditional use permit stage and at that point the limitation on the size of the hotel will be established.”
EIR final draft
Kelsey Bennett of FirstCarbon Solutions, the group that led the EIR report for the NEAP, gave a brief overview of the final EIR.
Topics addressed in the draft EIR focus on aesthetics, transportation, traffic, air quality, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and noise.
“In terms of the new buildings, they will be built according to current latest green building and energy use standards,” Bennett said.
She added operational noise increase, traffic and transit were found to be consistent with the general plan and “was less than a significant impact as well.”
Cumulative impacts related to aesthetics and noise was also found to be less than a significant impact.
Topics in the EIR that needed to have mitigation measure plans include air quality and GHG emissions.
Significant and unavoidable impacts include vehicle traffic. Additional lane and restriping work would be one way to mitigate concerns about traffic and safety, specifically regarding cars queuing up at the Dry Creek Highway 101 south off ramp. (To view the full EIR click here).
Following the report Commissioner Phil Luks asked if the EIR included traffic generated from hotel employees, to which Bennett replied that it indeed does.
Most comments received about the EIR were related to traffic and GHG emission concerns.
Healdsburg resident Gail Jonas mentioned she was worried that an increase in tourism from the project could lead to more GHG emissions, adding that ultimately climate change will be the issue affecting her grandchildren and children all over the world.
“Clearly we are heading in the wrong direction,” she said.
Another resident, Debbie Mason, opined that she was looking forward to the project being forwarded as it could be good housing for workers.
Several of the other residents who spoke shared Jonas’ concern.
Most commissioners seemed to be satisfied with the EIR, however, Commissioner Vesna Breznikar said she felt that traffic and GHG emission concerns weren’t addressed enough.
While Commissioner Richard Tracy said his biggest issues with the project were the traffic and environmental risks, he supported the project.
Commission chairperson Jeff Civian said of the project, “I think the commission has looked at things comprehensively.”
The NEAP will be discussed at the Monday, May 20 Healdsburg City Council meeting.
