Sonoma’s Planning Commission to continue General Plan discussion
At a special meeting on August 22, 2024, the City of Sonoma Planning Commission will continue its discussion of the city’s General Plan and future land use.
Specifically, the commission will continue to explore, among other topics,
- Increasing residential densities
- Encouraging new jobs-generating uses in economic sectors beyond retail, wineries, hotels, and tourism
- Assumptions that all parcels designated Park and Hillside should be protected and maintained as-is
- Areas of the City where the land use designations should be modified
- New, or revised, land use designations that should be considered?
- Other thoughts and input
These topics were raised during a joint meeting between the City Council and Planning Commission in June. The General Plan consultant De Novo Planning Group (not to be confused with the housing developer De Nova Homes) will review past steps and outline the remaining work to be completed.
The city’s General Plan provides an outline of the future of the city through the year 2045, and the land uses allowed during that period. It also covers:
- Climate change and resiliency
- Environmental justice
- Wildfire risk
- Urban/wildland interface
- Flooding
- Complete streets
- Transportation impact metrics (vehicle miles traveled)
Given changing economic conditions, climate change, housing conditions, and new State requirements, this General Plan update also provides an opportunity for the City to reaffirm and identify new goals to guide growth in the community through the year 2045.
The meeting begins at 6pm in the City Council meeting room, however the General Plan discussion is last on the agenda, and will probably be taken up closer to 7pm. The public is invited and will have the opportunity to offer comments and ideas during the public comment period when the topic is discussed.
