The proposed rezoning of a property eyed for a Sprouts Farmers Market heads to the Santa Rosa City Council for a decision Tuesday in a public hearing likely to spark debate over the merits of local versus out-of-area businesses.
"We're saying prioritize local businesses," said Nica Poznanovich, a spokeswoman for Community Market, which opposes competition from the fast-growing Phoenix-based chain.
City planners are recommending changing the General Plan designation and the zoning for a 4.2-acre property at the corner of Bicentennial Way and Mendocino Avenue. That could allow the landowner to strike a deal to bring a 30,000-square-foot Sprouts or other grocery to that location.
The property owner, retired butcher Ubaldo Tambellini of Healdsburg, has said he has not signed any deal for a Sprouts and is considering other options.
But the possible arrival of a Sprouts, outlined in an application by Arizona-based developer AVB Development Partners, has sparked opposition from local grocers, who argue new entrants could take some of their customers.
The proposal narrowly passed the Planning Commission on a 4-3 vote. Those supporting it cited the appropriateness of the location, while those in opposition said the need for the change had not been shown. A report by the city's Economic Development Department showed there is a demand for food markets in that section of town.
Poznanovich said she's hoping to appeal to council members like John Sawyer, who owned Sawyer's News in downtown Santa Rosa for years until it was put out of business in part by competition from big box book and music retailers like Barnes and Noble and Borders.
You can reach Staff Writer Kevin McCallum at 521-5207 or kevin.mccallum@pressdemocrat.com.
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