Rohnert Park eyes changes to developments in the University District

The Rohnert Park City Council will take up a pair of items Tuesday that will shape the future of two major housing projects in its University District as it decides what type of housing to allow in Sonoma County’s third-largest city.

In the first item, Brookfield Residential will present its plan to satisfy a requirement to build more than 200 affordable rental units in its development north of Sonoma State University.

Brookfield, which owns the property along Rohnert Park Expressway, is proposing to concentrate the rental units in a 218-unit apartment complex near the corner of Keiser Avenue and Petaluma Hill Road. The proposal for the high-density lot includes 443 parking spaces and imagines a mix of one- , two- and three-bedroom units.

“Putting all the units in one apartment complex is a great way to do it,” said Jeff Beiswenger, the city’s planning manager. “You end up with a big, quality project that’s well managed, and keeps it affordable for a very long time - perpetually basically.”

Brookfield previously pledged to build affordable rental units as part of its plan to construct more than 1,450 single-family homes across 300 acres along Hinebaugh Creek. Under terms of its agreement with the city, the developer must provide 15 affordable units somewhere on the property for every 100 market-rate homes that are built.

Half of the apartments must offer rents attainable by very low-income tenants, who earn less than 50 percent of the area’s median income. The other half must be affordable to tenants who earn up to 80 percent of the area’s median income.

The affordable units must come online before the developer completes 850 single-family homes. Homebuilders developing the larger property have built nearly ?400 homes, according to Beiswenger.

To provide adequate parking for tenants, Brookfield is seeking permission from the City Council to reduce the size of a park it is required to build on the property. Its plan would trim the size of the future Griffin’s Grove Park, located to the east of the would-be apartment complex, by approximately 5,000 feet.

The development agreement requires Brookfield to create two 7-acre parks on its property. Griffin’s Grove is intended to be the “passive,” more relaxed public space, with a natural setting that maintains existing oak trees and gears toward peaceful pathway walks, green space and picnicking. On the west side of the property, Twin Creeks Park would be the “active” compliment, providing sports fields and playground equipment.

In exchange for the parking allowance, Brookfield is offering to build additional amenities at Griffin’s Grove, including outdoor bocce ball courts and a picnic shelter.

In the second significant housing item on the agenda, Signature Homes is seeking to amend a prior agreement with the city for its development on the east side of the University District.

The developer wants permission to add two-story floor plans that feature second-floor bedrooms, with increased square-footage, that it says appeal to buyers seeking conventional home designs.

In July 2017, the council voted 5-0 to approve floor designs that emphasize first-floor bedrooms, which concentrates day-to-day activity on the lower floor. The design for the 428 lots between the Sycamore and Live Oak neighborhoods is considered “age targeted,” geared toward occupants who are either aging or prefer living arrangements without stairs.

The developer’s request to change the design surprised Mayor Pam Stafford, who said the council already approved what it wanted to see built in the area. The city does not view the age target as “senior living,” but rather what many in Rohnert Park have requested in the way of new housing floor plans, she said.

“We’ve had a lot of people in the community ask for single-story homes,” said Stafford, who has lived in a one-floor Rohnert Park home for four decades. “We approved what we wanted to see. Plus, we want a lot size that puts appropriate-sized homes on them to not have people on top of each other.”

The City Council meets at 5 p.m. Tuesday at 130 Avram Ave. The two housing items on the agenda will not begin before 6 p.m.

You can reach Staff Writer Kevin Fixler at 707-521-5336 or at kevin.fixler@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @kfixler.