July 17, 2023
Greetings & Thoughts
Looks back at last week and ahead to more Overlay and Mixer #2
Thanks again to Sharon for writing this email while I was traveling. As always, Urban Chat is a team effort.
Last week was a hectic time to return to Petaluma.
Wednesday evening was the best-attended Know Before You Grow forum in our seven-year history. With standing room only in the Petaluma Woman’s Club, 150 of us heard further information from City staff regarding the proposed Downtown Building Form Overlay District, with multiple opportunities to question the direction and to offer comments.
While there was enough content that we could have continued past midnight, the two-plus hours allowed a broad airing of concerns and points of concurrence, all of which will be considered by Planning as they prepare for the Tuesday, June 25 joint workshop of the Planning Commission and Historical and Cultural Preservation Committee.
From my perspective, I was disappointed that there was insufficient progress toward consensus. However, it’s a complex topic that will require diligent study, earnest conversations about preparing Petaluma for the future, and further thinking about the implications.
KBYG has been broadly congratulated for organizing last week’s forum. We were happy to play a role in the community’s consideration of this important subject. The link to the forum recording is on the Past Events page of the Urban Chat website.
Two days later, we had the first Urban Chat Mixer, a dozen Urban Chat participants who gathered in my backyard to discuss many local land-use topics. Yes, including the Overlay. It was also a successful event, although with less excitement.
The second Mixer will be held, again in my backyard, on Friday, July 28 at 5pm. As before, RSVPs are requested to ensure the gathering isn’t too big for comfortable conversation. Anyone who receives this email or is otherwise interested in the best land-use practices for the future of Petaluma is welcome to attend, with those who have been less involved in Urban Chat particularly encouraged.
To RSVP, reply to this email.
Everyone who comes is asked to bring an appetizer to share. The food brought last week was thoughtful and enjoyable.
Looking at the calendar, this coming week is mostly quiet, but action will pick up in a big way the following week. The big event will be Tuesday’s combined Planning Commission/Historical and Cultural Preservation Committee workshop on the increasingly infamous Overlay. The following day, KBYG will continue its forum series on 15-minute neighborhoods. The day after that will be the monthly Urban Chat lunch. And then the week will conclude with the Urban Chat Mixer. That will be a week.
I previously mentioned a podcast I recorded with Sean Payne of LivXplore Realty. The YouTube link for the podcast arrived while I was traveling. I haven’t watched it myself but have been told I didn’t embarrass myself too badly. Your feedback would be appreciated.
Meanwhile, preparations for the September Better Cities Film Festival are also continuing. Much more Film Festival information will be forthcoming in the next few weeks.
Lots of activities around the Urban Chat offices.
Questions or comments? Feel free to reach out. And please RSVP for Urban Chat Mixer #2. I look forward to chatting with more of you. – Dave Alden c: 707-338-8388
P.S. New folks can sign up for this email through the Urban Chat website.
Upcoming Meetings
All events are open to the public. Everyone is encouraged to participate in person or on-line. The link to the Urban Chat calendar, as frequently referenced below, is here.
Thursday, July 20 – Petaluma General Plan Advisory Committee
As noted last week, this month’s GPAC meeting has been canceled. City staff are working on a calendar to address the following topics in a series of strategic (potentially ad hoc) meetings with the full GPAC or targeted working groups.
Flood/SLR Resilience Strategies
Land Use Alternatives Concepts
Public Draft Climate Action Plan
Policy Framework Review (may include a GPAC recommendation to City Council)
Land Use Alternatives Analysis
Preferred Land Use Alternative (may include a GPAC recommendation to City Council)
Draft General Plan Review (may include a GPAC recommendation to City Council)
Information will be provided on future meetings and topics as soon as Planning makes the information available.
Tuesday, July 25 – Planning Commission/Historical and Cultural Preservation Committee
The Planning Commission and HCPC will conduct a joint workshop to continue assessing the proposed Downtown Building Form Overlay District.
The workshop is expected to convene at 6:00pm. Further information, including the agenda, will be provided when published by the City. This information will be posted on the Urban Chat calendar, link above.
Wednesday, July 26 – Know Before You Grow
KBYG will continue to explore the 15-minute neighborhood concept that was the subject of the June 14 forum. During that forum, we noted that 15-minute neighborhoods have multiple aspects that can be examined in future forums. We have two possible directions to pursue for the July 26 meeting. We are awaiting confirmation from our proposed speaker(s) and will provide updates as soon as possible.
The forum will convene at 7:00pm. More information, including venue, will be provided on the Urban Chat calendar, link above, as soon as available.
Thursday, July 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 exchange of ideas will commence at noon. Other information including location is provided on the Urban Chat calendar, link above.
Monday, August 7 – Petaluma City Council
Among other agenda items, the Council will receive a report from staff on the intended response to the recently issued Civil Grand Jury report on the City’s contract with the M-Group for planning services, including most of the staffing of the Planning Department.
For those who haven’t read the Grand Jury report, there are no allegations of misconduct by either the City or the M-Group, only questions about whether the City contracting practices were adequate to ensure that the services received were sufficiently beneficial to the City.
The meeting will convene at 6:30pm. More information will be provided on the Urban Chat calendar, link above, as soon as available.
