The Santa Rosa City Council rejected an appeal by neighbors of a veterans housing project in the Roseland area in a 5-2 vote this week, the latest move by the council to override some residents’ concerns about development in the southwestern part of the city in favor of new housing.
The project at 2149 West Hearn Ave. would provide rooms for 32 homeless veterans.
The neighborhood group that filed the appeal contends the project will harm the environment while degrading the rural character of the surrounding community.
The two council members voting in favor of the appeal were Vice Mayor Eddie Alvarez and Councilwoman Natalie Rogers, who represent southwest Santa Rosa. During Tuesday’s council meeting, they voiced support for local veterans but called for new development plans that take into account neighbors’ concerns.
“Our veterans have been to war. They’ve been deployed. They’ve been where people don’t want them,” Rogers said. “I don’t want them to move into a neighborhood where that is the case. I want them to move into a neighborhood where people are welcoming them with open arms.”
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