A SMART Step Forward:A panel discussion on building vibrant

neighborhoods in Sonoma

Thursday May 17, 2012 Steele Lane Community Center

Panel Participants:

Karen Chapple, Associate Professor of City and Regional Planning at UC Berkeley and faculty director of the Center for Community Innovation

Ann Cheng, Director of GreenTRIP at TransForm

Anthony Taylor, a Health Program Manager for the Sonoma County Department of Health Services

Lois Fisher, President and urban designer at Fisher Town Design

04/13/2023

The Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit Line (SMART) will start service in 2014.

The City received funding from MTC to create a vision for the neighborhoods surrounding the two SMART stations.

04/13/2023

The City already completed the process for the Downtown Station located in Railroad Square.

04/13/2023

Now the City is beginning to plan for the North Santa Rosa station.

.

Affordable Housing, Past and Future

Change

in Afford

able Housin

g 2000-2010

2010 Existing A

ffordab

le Housing

2010-40 Affordab

le Housing N

eed-20%-10%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

Santa RosaSF Bay Area

Change in

Housing Prices, 1989-2009

“Improving the social and physical environments in neighborhoods

can be one of the most important contributions to improving the

health of populations.”

Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative

Public Health Potential of Smart Growth

Safe & Healthy Communities Consulting, 2003

2.2 Parking Spaces per Unit vs. 0.9

Change 2.2 0.9

Acres None 8 8

Units +200 801 1,001

Parking Spaces -899 1,800 901

Parking Cost -$16.6 m $33.3 m $16.7m

Traffic Reduction Strategies

+$6 m 1 free pass & 1 free

carshare membership

per unit

Results – First five certified projects:40 year commitment

2,010: FREE Transit Passes

600: FREE Carshare

Memberships

355: 100% Unbundled

Parking Spaces

Site Analysis for NSR SMART Station Options:

Population density comparison of North Santa Rosa vs. Coddingtown Station

Transit StopTransit Stop

Well Connected Street Network is key

Coddingtown Station Community Based Master plan influenced Specific Plan

Transforming Coddingtown Plaza into a “transit district”

Transforming Coddingtown Plaza into a “transit district”

Post Redevelopment Case Study: Roseland Plaza

Land Acquisition:Re-zoning MAY be a tool if combined with• Walkable code• Up-zoning• IncentivesOne case of eminent domain by non-profit – Dudley Street neighborhood, Boston Incentives:Pre-approved CEQA reviewAdditional units or height for desired outcomes (affordable housing, grocery stores, civic space, etc.)Reduced parking requirementsPriority in Development Review

• County removes toxics.• While toxics are being cleaned up, County has a community planning process

(paid for by public health grant, run through local non profit) to clarify community desire (beyond the Urban Vision Plan) for site prior to sale to clarify conditions of sale.

• County tries to find a developer partner without having any financial incentives to sweeten the pot.

• Developer works with community to come up with a plan that fits the Urban Vision Plan and more detailed community planning process.

• Developer finds grants/financing to build project. 

Roseland Plaza stays as a redevelopment project:

• County removes toxics• County creates conditions of sale to go with property (through a community

planning process (paid for by public health grant, run through LandPaths or CAP) to clarify community desire (1 acre square, streets, minimum percent of affordable housing, etc.)

• Local Roseland community non-profit joint venture could be formed to purchase site, this entity does a planning & entitlement process and finds grants to build project: streets and parking laid out, plaza installed by community volunteers and grants site is subdivided into smaller parcels and finally, developers purchase these smaller sites that come with clear expectations, guidelines, build-to lines,

- OR –• Typical developer finds grants/financing to build project.

Property is required to be sold by State:

Thank You!