Calendar notes for the week of November 4, 2024.

Sliding toward the Holidays, Gift Idea, Final Reminder: Vote!

Light but Not Empty Calendar: With Know Before You Grow most likely done for 2024 and not many City agendas yet published, the Urban Chat calendar continues to be light, as often happens as we slide toward the holidays.

However, for those concerned about climate change, this evening the City Council will consider adoption of the updated “Blueprint for Climate Action”.  Personally, I’m disappointed that we've dropped, at least for now, setting a target date for carbon neutrality and lining out the difficult but necessary steps.

Then, in two weeks, the Council is tentatively scheduled to give feedback to staff on the draft Downtown Overlay.

I expect to attend both meetings.  Please say hello.

Continue reading the weekly update here.

Calendar notes for the week of October 28, 2024.

No more KBYG until 2025, D Street comments, Vote!

KBYG is Done for 2024: After ending on a high note last week with a tag-team presentation by Petaluma Mayor Kevin McDonnell and Generation Housing’s Calum Weeks on the state of housing in the North Bay, Know Before You Grow is almost certainly done for 2024.  (We’ll keep the door slightly open in case a great forum opportunity unexpectedly presents itself.)  Look for KBYG to come back strongly in January.

If you missed the McDonnell/Weeks forum, the link should be here early this week.  Watching it will be worth your time.

Continue reading the weekly update here.

Calendar notes for the week of October 21, 2024.

There is much more I could write this week, but I’ll keep my monologue short, focusing on the Urban Chat activities of the week.  Look for more words next week.  But until then, plan on attending both events below.  They’ll be a great start toward more community engagement in 2025.

After BAHFA: Petaluma Mayor Kevin McDonnell and Generation Housing’s Calum Weeks will talk to Know Before You Grow about the state of housing in Petaluma, particularly after the decision by the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority not to seek voter approval to issue housing bonds.  Learn more about the future of housing and what you can do to make a difference.

If you believe that everyone deserves shelter, the curse of “May you live in interesting times” is coming true for you.

LumaGo Lunch: This week’s Urban Chat lunch…

Continue reading the weekly update here.

Calendar notes for the week of October 14, 2024.

LumaGo Lunch: As previously anticipated in this space, the October 24 Urban Chat lunch will be about LumaGo, the newly launched microtransit service from Petaluma Transit.  Maria Arce will join us for lunch to talk about the service, explain the app for booking trips, and perhaps even facilitate a ride on one of the microtransit vehicles…

For those eager to get a head start on LumaGo, more information on the service is here, the service area is here, and the app can be downloaded here.

Thanks go to Urban Chat board member Barry Bussewitz for organizing the Petaluma Transit participation in this lunch.

Sonoma County Transportation Plan: On October 22, the Sonoma County Transportation Agency will conduct a workshop on a countywide transportation plan.  This is a chance to meld your transportation vision for Petaluma with connections to the bigger world.

Information on the workshop and on a survey to collect public opinion before the workshop is in Upcoming Events below.

Continue reading the weekly update here.

Calendar notes for the week of October 7, 2024.

Overlay DEIR Redux: The Planning Commission recently conducted a spirited review of the draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) on the proposed Downtown Overlay and Appellation Hotel.  This evening, the DEIR will reach the City Council.  Another spirited evening is likely.

KBYG on the UGB Renewal: Wednesday evening, KBYG will hear from the Greenbelt Alliance and Sierra Club on why Petaluma should pass Measure Y, renewing the Urban Growth Boundary.  Join us for a discussion that will dig into the multiple reasons why UGBs matter for our future…

Continue reading the weekly update here.

Calendar notes for the week of September 30, 2024.

I’ll be away this week, taking an extended course on the best approaches to public involvement in land use decisions. Luckily, after a remarkably full calendar last week, the upcoming calendar is now light, so this email can be short. Also, the email is being written earlier than usual.  If there have been dramatic Petaluma urban planning developments in the past few days, they may not be mentioned below.

Overlay DEIR Redux: After last week's spirited consideration by the Planning Commission of the draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) on the proposed Downtown Overlay and Appellation Hotel, we get to do it again next week.  Next Monday, the City Council will consider the DEIR.  I wish I had the popcorn concession in the City Hall foyer.

Is Our Local Democracy Behind the Housing Crisis?: A recent book by Jerusalem Demsas is gaining local attention.  Two folks talked with me about the book and the author.  When I mentioned the book to a third person, he pulled a copy out of his bag and expressed interest in the author’s thesis.  I’ve secured a copy for reading during my upcoming travels.

Continue reading the weekly update here.

Calendar notes for the week of September 23, 2024.

GPAC Surprise: In an unexpected development, the General Plan Advisory Committee will meet a second time in September.  Last week’s GPAC conversations on land-use designations, the broad descriptions of intended land uses in General Plans which are later refined into zones in subsequent documents, ran long last week.  The Committee asked if the conversation could be continued this week.  Planning staff and the General Plan consultant agreed. Details are on the Urban Chat calendar.


Measure Y Yard Signs: As I first wrote last week, Measure Y is the Petaluma ballot measure to renew the local Urban Growth Boundary.  I offered yard signs supporting the measure.  As of now, I have one unclaimed sign.  If you’re interested and live on a relatively busy street with lots of passing eyes, let me know.  If I get more than one request, I may be able to track down another sign or two.

Continue reading the weekly update here.

Calendar notes for the week of September 16, 2024.

I have a longer list of topics this week but promise to keep it short.

Measure Y Yard Signs: Measure Y is the Petaluma ballot measure to renew the local Urban Growth Boundary.  I’m on an advisory committee advocating for passage.  In that role, a small number of Yes on Y yard signs are coming my way.  If you’d like to have one, let me know.  I’ll see what I can do.  And be sure to provide your address.

KBYG on General Plan Land Use: Know Before You Grow will have a forum Tuesday evening on the alignment between the Urban Chat mission statement and the draft Land Use Framework.  The Framework is a major step toward the General Plan update.  At least two members of the General Plan Advisory Committee will take part in the conversation as will Heather Hines of Petaluma Planning/M-Group.  Details are below.

Continue reading the weekly update here.

Calendar notes for the week of September 9, 2024.

KBYG Rescheduled: A Know Before You Grow forum had been scheduled for this coming Wednesday.  However, after several redirections from others during the planning, it has now been postponed to Tuesday, September 17.  Please update your calendars accordingly.  And please join us on September 17 for what should be an insightful conversation about the alignment between the draft land use framework for the General Plan update and the Urban Chat mission statement.

Upcoming Workshops: As a reminder, please remember that both SMART and the Petaluma General Plan team will conduct workshops on September 25.  Both are worthy events.  It's unfortunate they're on the same day.  However, with some creative planning, most people should be able to catch parts of both.  Details on both are below.

Continue reading the weekly update here.

Calendar notes for the week of September 2, 2024.

KBYG Forum Recordings: The small turnout for last week's Know Before You Grow forum on transit financing was unfortunate but perhaps unavoidable in the waning days of summer.  The speaker, Rachel Ede of Santa Rosa City Bus, did a superb job of summarizing how we fund transit in California including the many different models within just the Bay Area.  She made me think about transit financing in ways that were new to me.

Continue reading the weekly update here.

Calendar notes for the week of August 26, 2024.

Who Pays the Bus Drivers: After a very successful session last week on the conversion of existing buildings to housing, for which we again thank Katherine Rinehart and throw the door open for future collaborations, KBYG returns to its normal programming.

• Beyond fares, what covers the cost of Golden Gate Transit service to Sonoma County?

Continue reading the weekly update here.

Calendar notes for the week of August 19, 2024.

Historical Building Reuse : The meeting that Katherine Rinehart created, and then graciously allowed us to share credit, has arrived.  I trust that a large contingent of Urban Chat folks will attend Wednesday evening to justify Rinehart’s civility.  (However, we've already earned some credit with her.  The Argus article on the event was largely based on the meeting description prepared by Urban Chat vice chair Sharon Kirk.)

Continue reading the weekly update here.

Calendar notes for the week of August 12, 2024.

Everyone is Asking What We Think: What is it about this summer?  Why is everyone suddenly seeking public input?  It's not a bad thing but it is a surprising confluence of surveys.  For anyone who wants to spend a half-hour injecting more walkable urbanism into the public dialogue, here are three possibilities:

++ The River Park Foundation is seeking thoughts on their alternative plans for the River Park.  The public can participate either by attending their ongoing exhibition or taking their online survey.  (Those who do either will learn that the two alternative plans have been named Bert and Ernie.  I appreciate the whimsy but not as much as I appreciated a related comment at a recent River Park gathering.  Noting that Bert and Ernie both rely on a bridge across the McNear Inlet for which the permitting is uncertain, the speaker proposed the need for a third alternative without the bridge which he would name Oscar the Grouch.)

Continue reading the weekly update here.

Calendar notes for the week of August 5, 2024.

KBYG on Mobility: On August 14, a week from Wednesday, MidPen Housing will visit Know Before You Grow to discuss their proposed Washington Commons deed-restricted affordable housing project.  While affordable housing is always a good topic, Washington Commons also opens the door to important conversations about mobility.

Continue reading the weekly update here.

Calendar notes for the week of July 29, 2024.

Know Before You Grow: We had another great KBYG forum this past week. I counted 56 heads at the Cavanagh Center and another dozen on Zoom. All learned about how Daniel Castor and his family came to be the proud proprietors of the refurbished Sonoma County National Bank building with its Hall of the Above, concluding with some of their initial visually appealing uses of the spaces. The recording isn't yet on the Urban Chat website but should be there early this week. Thanks again to Daniel for joining us.

Looking ahead, the KBYG calendar is well filled. Details are below on the two August forums and the historic building reuse event that was organized independent of KBYG but is now being sponsored by Urban Chat. Beyond August, we have forums booked through early October. We’ll start rolling out details in the coming weeks.

Continue reading the weekly update here.

Calendar notes for the week of July 22, 2024.

Scheduling Notes: There was an unexpected addition this week to the Urban Chat calendar. Urban Chat member Katherine Rinehart scheduled a pair of historic rehabilitation architects to speak in Petaluma on August 21 and asked if Urban Chat could help facilitate the evening. We were happy to do so. More information is below in Upcoming Events and on the Urban Chat calendar.

There was also an unexpected and disappointing calendar deletion. The Parking Reform Network needed more time to organize their one-day San Francisco conference on equitable parking reform. It has been removed from the calendar. We've advised PRN that we’ll eagerly await the new date.

Continue reading the weekly update here.

Calendar notes for the week of July 15, 2024.

Top of my list: Next week's Know Before You Grow forum should be great. The new tenant at 199 Petaluma Boulevard North, the building still remembered by many as the Seed Bank, will talk about his ongoing improvements and his plans for a community space he calls the “Hall of the Above”. There's already buzz about the forum. Arrive early for light refreshments and the best seats. More information is below and on the Urban Chat calendar.

Next up: We may have found someone to organize the upcoming book club around Strong Town’s “Escaping the Housing Trap”. Signups are already going well.

Continue reading the weekly update here.

Calendar notes for the week of July 8, 2024.

While tomorrow evening’s Planning Commission discussion of the draft Flood Resilience framework is certainly important, it's a topic that has already been well covered in other settings and I doubt the conversation will reach any new water levels. (Pun intended.) Instead, I'll suggest that parklets and pickleball are the better paths toward substantive conversation this week.

On pickleball, I didn't mean to imply that conversations would be about pickleball. Instead, casual in-the-street pickleball will be a reason to gather on Friday afternoon and have sidewalk conversations about our community. Personally, I have no intention of touching a pickleball paddle but will happily converse about the General Plan, parklets, parking reform, etc. Join me for a sidewalk chat accompanied by the thwock of pickleballs.

Continue reading the weekly update here.

Calendar notes for the week of July 1, 2024.

As a preamble, those who didn't attend Know Before You Grow last week missed an enlightening evening. Jim Heid and Ann Edminster were also entertaining on the subjects of pocket neighborhoods, small-scale development and living in communities. As of this writing, the recording isn't yet posted on the Urban Chat website but should be there soon. You can visit here to catch up on the conversation.

Turning toward the coming week, the highlight, if one doesn't count the four-day weekend, will be the City Council's finalization this evening of a ballot measure to extend the Urban Growth Boundary with only minor tweaks. It'll be the last item on this evening's agenda, but hopefully the earlier agenda items will proceed quickly.

Continue reading the weekly update here.