April 17, 2023
Greetings & Thoughts
The Urban Chat calendar remains well-filled
The Urban Chat calendar remains well-filled with subjects from alleys to historic preservation. Please look for an opportunity, of which there are many, to be involved.
For anyone who has thought about joining StrongTowns, this would be a good week to follow through. There will be a Thursday breakfast among the local members, and perhaps one from Napa, to discuss how to disseminate the StrongTowns philosophies of traffic safety and financially sustainable municipal planning. If you’ve recently joined StrongTowns, or do so this week, let me know. I’ll share the breakfast time and place.
Questions or comments? Let me know. – Dave Alden 707-338-8388
P.S. New folks can be added to this conversation here.
Calendar Notes
See our new monthly calendar here!
Upcoming Meetings
All events are open to the public and everyone is encouraged to participate in person or online.
Monday, April 17 (Tonight!) – Petaluma City Council
The agenda includes a Tenants Protection ordinance, changes to water conservation standards after the wet winter, and a contract for an Independent Police Auditor. (The agreement with SMART for the upcoming Corona station that was on the tentative agenda has been moved to May 1.)
The public portion of the meeting will convene at 6:30pm. Other meeting information is on the Urban Chat calendar.
Thursday, April 20 (Not this week) – Petaluma General Plan Advisory Committee
This would have been the monthly GPAC meeting, but the meeting has been postponed as the intended topics, sea level rise and flooding risk, weren’t ready to be shared. The meeting will likely be moved to May, with the possibility of a Saturday meeting.
Information on the rescheduled meeting will be provided on the Urban Chat calendar when published by the City.
Tuesday, April 25 – Petaluma Planning Commission
Among other possible agenda items, the Planning Commission will conduct a hearing on the proposed vacation of an alley near Petaluma High School. It’s also my neighborhood and I often look at the remnants of the alley while walking.
Alleys are a fine element of walkable urban life, creating good settings for ADUs and reducing the driveways that make sidewalks less pedestrian-friendly. However, this alley has been ignored and encroached upon for so many years that there’s no obvious path to resuscitating it. Thus, I can’t argue against the vacation as much as I bemoan it.
The meeting will begin at 7:00pm. Further information will be provided on the Urban Chat calendar as soon as it’s published by the City.
Wednesday, April 26 – Know Before You Grow
The speaker for whom we’d hoped won’t be available, but we’re seeking a new date for him. Also, a replacement forum will soon be determined for this date.
The forum will begin at 7:00pm. Further information will be provided as soon as possible on the Urban Chat calendar.
Thursday, April 27 – Petaluma Urban Chat
The monthly meeting of Urban Chat is almost always agenda-free, allowing an enjoyable and enlightening conversation to wander freely over the urbanist landscape. The most recent meeting was well-attended and full of spirited conversation.
The exchange of ideas will commence at noon. Other information is provided on the Urban Chat calendar.
Saturday, April 29 – Petaluma Age Friendly"
Age Friendly will host a grand opening for the newly installed chess tables near the east end of the Balshaw Bridge. In addition to chess instruction, the organizers are planning several complementary activities.
The event will commence at 11:00am. Further details are provided on the Urban Chat calendar.
Monday, May 1 - Petaluma City Council
The tentative agenda includes an agreement with SMART for the upcoming Corona station and a workshop on City commissions/committees.
The public portion of the meeting will convene at 6:30pm. Other meeting information will be on the Urban Chat calendar when published by the City.
Thursday, May 4 – Petaluma Historic Library and Museum
The Petaluma Museum will host a presentation by local historian and author Katherine J. Rinehart on how the architectural character of Petaluma’s downtown National Register Historic District has evolved over the last 50-plus years.
The relationship between urbanism and historic preservation can be complex. On one hand, urbanists love town cores that retain the forms from before car-dependence and provide a template to which we should return. On the other hand, we fear putting town cores under bell jars that would prevent us from making the changes necessary for post-car-dependent economic vitality.
It's a complex balance. Education is essential to finding the best solution, so I expect to be in attendance on May 4.
More information on the event can be found here. Tickets, which will cost $10, can be purchased here.
Thursday, May 11 – Petaluma Transit Advisory Committee
The Transit Committee is expected to have a workshop on goals for 2023/24 as Petaluma Transit looks to play its role in the move to carbon neutrality.
The meeting is expected to convene at 4:00pm. Other meeting information will be on the Urban Chat calendar when published by the City.
