Update:
April 2025 Community Meeting

Speak up! Give your input! Contact the County planner, Azine Spalding, at Azine.Spalding@sonoma-county.org to express your concerns. Also, call or email Supervisor David Rabbitt, David.Rabbitt@sonoma-county.org, or (707) 565-2241.

On April 24, 2025, there was a community meeting in Penngrove at the Penngrove Social Firemen Clubhouse to discuss a proposed 12-unit apartment project on a .17-acre lot in the middle of the popular Penngrove Station and Penngrove Market shopping area near the intersection of Old Redwood Highway and Main Street in Penngrove. The proposed plan includes three units of affordable housing and 1,384 square feet of retail space. Over 100 community members attended, along with project developer Martin Sessi and numerous members of his family. 

Based on the commentary of community members who spoke at the meeting, the two primary objections to the project are 

1 – A lack of parking, and 

2 – Concerns over the availability of adequate sewage hookups for the project. 

Parking – The project offers 7 parking spots (includes one ADA parking spot) for 12 total apartments, employees, and customers of the proposed retail space. Sonoma County guidelines normally require a minimum of 27 parking spaces for 12 housing units and the retail space. In addition, a concern is that this won’t be enough because tenants will have service people, guests, and family visiting.
More than one speaker during the meeting recalled hearing the developer say publicly that if the community opposed the project, he would shut it down. Then, during this community meeting, a show of raised hands demonstrated that those in attendance were overwhelmingly opposed to the project. 

Builder’s Remedy – However, the proposed project takes advantage of a complicated wrinkle in California State housing law called “Builder’s Remedy,” which allows developers to bypass many typical and strict zoning requirements in exchange for providing affordable housing. It was frequently acknowledged during the meeting that because of “Builder’s Remedy,” there was probably nothing the Penngrove Community could do or say to prevent approval of the project other than to appeal to the conscience of the developer. 

CEQA is required – The developer is still required to do a CEQA review by Permit Sonoma. A CEQA review is the process used in California to assess the environmental impacts of proposed projects. It is a state law established in 1970 that aims to inform decision-makers and the public about the potential environmental consequences of proposed activities.  

Penngrove Sanitation Zone report is coming 

Also, until the Penngrove Sanitation Zone (PSZ) completes its assessment (later in 2025) it is unclear if there is capacity for this project. 

As of June 10, 2025, the developer has not submitted updated designs. (Note: At a follow-up meeting with commercial property owners, the developer said he would eliminate the retail unit, add an ADA apartment, and add a bedroom to an upper-story unit. )

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