Deer Creek 1 – SPAR Application for 559 Dwellings

*The site does not have an address as the site is undeveloped grassland. The project site is bordered by the 101 Freeway to the northeast, Lynch Creek to the southeast, the Petaluma River to the southwest, and beyond the site, the alignment of the SMART train to the west.*

The Deer Creek 1 Apartments project would include 559 apartments within 23 two- and three-story buildings on approximately 42 acres of undeveloped land. Automobile, pedestrian, bike, and emergency access would be provided via an extension of Rainer Avenue from the current terminus approximately 800 feet northeast of the project site (under Highway 101), and via a new road and bridge over Lynch Creek to be constructed on Sonoma Water Land (parcel #136-100-028) to connect to Burlington Drive to the southeast. Project details include:

• 84 below-market-rate units, or 15% of the total units (42 to be provided to Very-Low Income Households and 42 to be provided to Low Income Households);
• 963 automobile parking spaces (172 within garages, 253 within carports, and 538 uncovered surface parking spaces);
• 393 parking spaces to be EV ready or to be provided with EV chargers; and
• 20,201 Square Feet of Leasing, Clubhouse, or indoor amenity space.

 Environmental Review Status

The Deer Creek 1 Apartments project is subject to discretionary review and is thus subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). No prior environmental review has been conducted that considered project-level or site-level impacts. However, the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) prepared for the City’s General Plan assessed impacts citywide at the programmatic level, including the subject project site. To comply with CEQA, an EIR will be needed. When the project details are confirmed, the City will release a Request for Proposal (RFP) to obtain a scope of work and cost estimate to prepare an EIR, and related technical studies to support the EIR.

Project Status

The City reviewed the initial SPAR application submitted on April 2, 2024, to deem the submittal incomplete and unready for processing on May 2, 2024. The May 2 letter may be viewed below:

• 1^st Notice of Incomplete Application – May 2024