Rohnert Park, CA Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)

06, Article XIII. D requires Design Review for any permitted, conditionally permitted or administratively permitted use, and specifically requires review by the Downtown Design Review Board (DDRB) for all new buildings or structures and any additions or alterations to existing structures, before an applicant may apply for a building permit, grading permit or other land use entitlement. The DDRB has three to five members appointed by the Planning Commission; the Planning Commission may also choose to serve as the DDRB itself. Applicants submit scaled architectural drawings of all elevations, exterior materials and colors, and drawings of any signage, to the DDRB.

Before approving, conditionally approving or denying an application, the review authority must find, among other things, that the project substantially complies with the city's Design Guidelines for Commercial, Mixed-Use and Multi-Family Buildings and the Central Rohnert Park Priority Development Area (PDA) Plan, with the PDA Plan controlling if the two conflict, and that the architecture is compatible with the surrounding area. A decision becomes final ten calendar days after it is rendered unless appealed to the City Council or Planning Commission. Approval lapses one year after the final decision, twenty-four months for qualifying residential projects, unless a building permit has issued and construction has diligently commenced, a certificate of occupancy has issued, the use is established, or the approval is renewed for one additional year.

C lets the Department Director approve minor deviations, such as up to a ten percent increase in building height or a ten percent change to a required setback, without a full Design Review.