Residents packed a Santa Rosa recreation center Monday to voice deep concerns over a proposed 275-unit senior housing development off Highway 12.
Per the Press Democrat, neighbors from the Oakmont and Skyhawk areas told city planners and developer Burbank Housing that adding hundreds of residents could paralyze evacuations on the narrow, two-lane highway during a wildfire.
While the project includes a new emergency access road and preserved open space, critics also raised alarms about the loss of local wetlands and wildlife habitat. Fire officials maintain that improved emergency coordination and modern building standards will mitigate risks, but many residents remains skeptical.
The proposal now faces a lengthy environmental review before any final city approval.
