New rules are on the drafting table in the city of Sonoma to limit the number of hotel rooms allowed citywide, a reaction to a recent surge in hotel construction.

Sonoma doubled its hotel rooms in the past year, adding about 250 new rooms to the previous total of 250, according to the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau. The result has been growing concern about water consumption, traffic congestion, and a gradual tilting of the town’s character too far toward tourism for many residents.

“I think it’s just prudent to see how much of our new product we sell before we build more of them,” said Mayor Ken Brown, who first proposed the restrictions in March.

Already, Sonoma has another 25 new hotel rooms under construction this year which would not be affected by any new rules. Another 14-unit project has been approved by the city but has not yet begun construction. The city also recently received a conceptual proposal for a new 40-unit hotel, said city planner David Goodison.

At a study session this week, the City Council agreed to move ahead with rules to limit the number of hotel rooms, but it rejected Councilman Joe Costello’s proposal for a general building moratorium. Costello proposed a temporary moratorium while the city revises its general plan and evaluates water demand, but the rest of the council felt a ban on all new construction was too severe.

Instead, the council asked city staff to draft a proposal capping the total number of hotel rooms allowed in the city — modeled on a similar ordinance adopted by the town of St. Helena in Napa County.

The new rules would not involve a moratorium on hotels per se, but would prevent new hotels from being built if the cap has been reached. The council has not decided yet what the total number of new hotel rooms should be, and it wants to consider a provision allowing the cap to be raised or removed if necessary.

The new rules, if adopted, would apply to any hotel projects that have not already obtained a city building permit.

Matt Weiser
mweiser@pressdemocrat.com

Press Democrat 4-18-01 4pm edition