First of two planning commission meetings
The Mill District, a plan to redevelop a 10-acre parcel at the southern edge of downtown Healdsburg, will be the topic of two public workshops in June.
The first workshop is this Tuesday, June 12 and the second is Tuesday, June 26. The June 12 meeting begins at 4 p.m. at Healdsburg City Hall, 401 Grove Street.
The Mill District is proposed by Replay Resorts, based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Replay purchased the former NuForest Products lumber mill when NuForest relocated to Cloverdale.
The plan includes 140 units of what Replay calls “multi-family living,” market-rate condominium-type units in a series of multi-story buildings.
Replay also proposes a 53-room hotel, 15,000 square feet of commercial space and a one-acre park around an existing stand of large redwood trees.
At an April 24 Healdsburg Planning Commission meeting, the commission disliked the park idea and suggested that Replay build more retail space along Healdsburg Avenue instead. The commission also criticized the traffic pattern and parking plans.
A significant bone of contention at the April 24 meeting was Replay’s proposal to build 48 studio apartments that would be restricted to low income tenants. The city only requires 24 units, but Replay commissioned a study of local housing needs and proposed the studios, believing that they would fill a niche in the housing market and provide housing for people who work in the Mill District.
Critics said that studios are too limiting in size and that there should be a mix of unit size and bedroom number. Replay has since stated that it will modify the plans, offering fewer units with more variety in size.
No decisions will be made Tuesday night. The two workshops are designed to give Replay detailed feedback on its proposal, so it can tailor it more to the city’s liking.
The staff report for Tuesday’s workshop is at: http://www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us/AgendaCenter/Search/?term=&CIDs=3,&startDate=&endDate=&dateRange=1&dateSelector=
