Santa Rosa planners delayed the decision to allow a Planet Fitness task to take over the Summerfield Theatres site.
Zoning Administrator Kristinae Toomians, at a hearing Thursday, asked the allocation team to revise its design to make it more compatible with the surrounding area.
“Just by looking at it, it looks bulky and large and if there are tactics to make it even more compatible with the surrounding buildings. . . would be the overall design,” Toomians said.
The case continued until July 18.
Thursday’s ruling gave the theater a brief reprieve, but the use permit for the conversion will most likely be approved.
Community members may appeal the administrator’s final resolution to the Planning Commission.
The proposal alarmed neighbors and moviegoers, about a dozen of whom attended the hearing. They said the theater is a cultural establishment and an important gathering place and that it would ultimately have a devastating effect on the community.
They expressed fear that the city is displacing small businesses in favor of national chains.
“Allowing this gym is a mistake,” said Trinity Winslow, a local business owner who joined other neighbors in urging the city to deny the permit.
Dan Tocchini, whose company owns and operates Summerfield Cinemas, and other representatives of the theater did not appear to be present at the meeting. Tocchini previously declined to comment on the gymnasium proposal.
A representative for the owner, George Arce Jr. , said that while he understood the community’s preference for the theater to remain, his goal was to ensure the mall’s profitability.
His team reached out to other cinema operators, but none were interested in expanding into this area, which brought up the small market and the smaller space in the building. Shopping is struggling and gyms are a viable anchor in today’s market, he said.
Toomians said he had no considerations about the proposed use because it is allowed through the city’s zoning and land use regulations, but had questions about the design, which he described as “bulky and cumbersome. “
He questioned whether the company’s signage and colors are compatible with surrounding businesses and recommended that adjustments be made.
He also asked the assignment team to submit more comprehensive plans that included the building’s elevations, proposed upgrades for all three sides of the building, external lighting, and a list of the proposed fabrics to be used.
Editor Paulina Pineda can be reached at 707-521-5268 or paulina. pineda@pressdemocrat. com. On X (Twitter) @paulinapineda22.