From the Downtown Penngrove Merchants Association & Penngrove Cares

We, the undersigned, believe that if Permit Sonoma and the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors allow Project DRH24-005 to move forward under the benefits of the “Builder’s Remedy*”—despite the public having identified critical errors in the application, including an incorrect project address and parcel number (APN)—they will:

  1. Contradict public statements made by Permit Sonoma leadership, including the quote from Director Wick in the November 2023 KRCB News interview. “The application did not work and furthermore since we now have a certified housing element, builder’s remedies that weren’t perfected can no longer be processed.”

  2. Set a dangerous precedent, encouraging other applicants to revisit and revise previously rejected Builder’s Remedy submissions, such as the Sonoma Developmental Center proposal; and

  3. Undermine the credibility of Permit Sonoma and Sonoma County by creating the appearance of favoritism toward a specific developer—at the expense of lawful process and public trust.

Accurate identification of the project site is a foundational legal requirement under both SB 330 and Government Code § 65589.5(d). An application that misidentifies the project parcel is not a minor oversight, it is a fatal defect that renders the submission incomplete and invalid.

This error directly compromises the County’s ability to:

  • Evaluate the site’s eligibility for residential development.

  • Assess impacts to infrastructure, surrounding land uses, and community character.

  • Conduct necessary CEQA and General Plan consistency reviews; and

  • Provide proper public notice and outreach to affected neighbors.

For these reasons, we respectfully call on the County to:

  1. Declare the preliminary application invalid for failure to meet statutory requirements.

  2. Reject any effort to retroactively amend or “clarify” the application now that the Housing Element has been certified; and

  3. Confirm that any future application for this parcel must comply with current zoning, the General Plan, the Penngrove Specific Plan, and CEQA.

This is not about paperwork but about protecting the integrity of the planning process and ensuring the rules apply to everyone equally.

We invite the community to stand with us for responsible development. Sign the petition and help preserve Penngrove’s charm, safety, and character for generations to come.

—

Downtown Penngrove Merchants Association

*Builder's Remedy" is a complicated wrinkle in California State housing law which allows developers to bypass many typical and strict zoning requirements in exchange for providing affordable housing.