Weekly Updates
Welcome to our new Weekly Updates page with information about land-use and urban planning activities underway or upcoming in Petaluma!
You can receive these updates via email by subscribing to Petaluma Urban Chat here.
If you like to share these updates with a friend, simply point them to this page at urbanchat.org/weekly-updates.
January 29, 2024
Calendar notes for the week of January 29, 2024.
Finally, nearly twelve years after the first meeting at the Aqus Café, after about 75 Know Before You Grow forums, after our first Better Cities Film Festival, after building a reputation for insightful comments on local land-use matters, and much more, Petaluma Urban Chat will have its first official annual meeting.
As further noted below under Upcoming Meetings, we’ll meet Wednesday evening at the LivXplore Realty office, next door to the Petaluma Historical Library & Museum. As of now, the anticipated agenda will have a review of where we’ve been, a summary of who we are today, thoughts about where we go next, election of a board of directors, and initial actions by the newly elected board…
January 22, 2024
Calendar notes for the week of January 22, 2024.
I have much to share this week.
First, with the first Urban Chat annual meeting only nine days away, this is a reminder that to participate in the meeting, perhaps to be nominated for the board, to have your voice heard, and much more, you must be an Urban Chat member. Annual membership comes with a $50 donation or $5 per month. You can sign up on our website or bring a check to the January 31 meeting.
Second, we have a growing nucleus of a book club to read “9 Ways to Make Housing for People” by David Baker Architects. The goal is to have two or three meetings prior to the March 13 Know Before You Grow forum at which David Baker and two other members of the firm will speak about the lessons in the book. I received my copy late last week and have now read more than half of it…
January 15, 2024
Calendar notes for the week of January 15, 2024.
I have two big themes to touch upon this week. The first is the draft Blueprint for Carbon Neutrality, a document being developed as part of the General Plan update. The Tree Advisory Committee and Recreation, Music, and Parks Commission will both have meetings this week to offer comments on the draft document. Also, the Transit Advisory Committee will have a similar meeting in early February.
I’m both intrigued and confounded by this document, unsure when it will be finalized, puzzled whether Petaluma has the wherewithal to implement the long list of tasks, and unconvinced if complete implementation would be sufficient to achieve the goal. I had a short chat this past week with someone who should have known more on these questions than me. He was equally unsure…
January 8, 2024
Calendar notes for the week of January 8, 2024.
With the holidays vanishing into the rearview mirror, urban planning activities at City Hall and elsewhere are ramping up.
Starting with City Hall, this evening the Council, among other agenda items, will conduct a workshop on the flooding risks from sea level rise and increased riverine flooding.
Thursday afternoon and evening, the Transit Committee and Climate Commission will hold back-to-back meetings. Transit will talk about the upcoming Free-Fare and Micro-Transit programs, both of which were included in the 2023-24 City budget for the first time. Following that meeting, the Climate Commission will receive comments on the Blueprint for Carbon Neutrality.
I’ll spend much of my week at City Hall…
January 1, 2024
Calendar notes for the week of January 1, 2024.
We’ve begun a new year. Let’s make 2024 a year of great advancement for Petaluma and for walkable urbanism.
Obviously, last week was mostly quiet for public meeting information. The only new content is the agenda for the PBAC meeting this coming Wednesday, which is further described below.
However, I should correct an omission from last week’s email. I failed to mention Friends of SMART (FoS) as a possible local participation opportunity. FoS promotes SMART and SMART’s goal to provide affordable, reliable rail transit between North Bay cities. I’ve been involved with FoS for several years and put a check in the mail to them earlier today…
December 25, 2023
Calendar notes for the week of December 25, 2023.
The calendar email is a day early this week. It didn’t seem appropriate to email it on Christmas Day. Also, I had suggestions for Christmas gifting to yourself and to others. Lastly, I failed to include a Happy Holidays wish last week, an omission I correct below.
But first, I’ll introduce two Urban Chat events now scheduled for early 2024. On January 10, KBYG will talk about the possibility of youth-driven tactical urbanism. On January 18, we’ll listen to author Henry Grabar talk about his recent book on parking, about which more information is provided immediately below. Details on these events and more are in Upcoming Meetings further below.
For last-minute gifting to others, I propose the Grabar book “Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World”. After a comprehensive history of how parking regulation came to be, followed by a digression into parking lot corruption, Grabar finishes strongly with a review of parking reform ideas, including the theory and the real-world application. Parking guru Donald Shoup recommends the book highly.
December 18, 2023
Calendar notes for the week of December 18, 2023.
As the holidays draw closer, we’re beginning a largely quiet two to three weeks. But there are still meetings of interest.
I’ll specifically note the Planning Commission meeting Tuesday evening. The Commission will conduct a hearing on the Spirit Living project, 106 units of senior living, on Caulfield Lane inside the River Front project.
When Spirit Lake was first brought forth, I was skeptical. I was uncertain that senior living would be sufficient to activate the Caulfield Lane roundabout that was planned as the River Front community core. Activating those community cores is an essential element of 15-minute neighborhoods, which is an Urban Chat focus.
December 11, 2023
Calendar notes for the week of December 11, 2023.
After a decade of providing effective education and advocacy on the land-use practices of Petaluma, last Wednesday, Petaluma Urban Chat moved beyond its casual organization and adopted bylaws. Following that step, Wednesday, January 31 was picked as the date of the first annual meeting. More information about this meeting will be provided as soon as possible.
Also after bylaw adoption, the attendees had a spirited conversation about the many creative and important directions that Urban Chat might go. Anyone who wants to be part of this new momentum should put January 31 on their calendar now.
Turning toward City Hall, this will be a busy pre-holiday week with discussions about a proposed Fairgrounds Overlay, Objective Design Standards, transit bus acquisition, the Blueprint for Carbon Neutrality, and more. See Upcoming Meetings below for more details.
December 4, 2023
Calendar notes for the week of December 4, 2023.
The big event of this week was going to be the first hearing by the City Council on the ordinance to implement the proposed Downtown Overlay. However, that hearing has been postponed to an unknown date. Obviously, Urban Chat will share all new information as soon as it becomes known.
Otherwise, the Urban Chat event of the week will be consideration of proposed bylaws. Adding an organizational structure will better position Urban Chat to continue our role of helping to lead Petaluma into the best possible future. As noted last week, draft bylaws are available for advance review by anyone on this email list. If you’d like to receive a copy, please email me.
Lastly, I’ll again note that Petaluma Planning is rebooting the Working Groups organized under the General Plan Advisory Committee. The cores of the Working Groups are GPAC members, but all Petalumans are invited to offer their expertise and effort to help the Working Groups provide effective input into the General Plan update.
November 27, 2023
Calendar notes for the week of November 27, 2023.
I hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving. Although you’re receiving this email on the Monday after Thanksgiving, I’m writing it on Thanksgiving morning, about the time turkeys are going into the oven. I’m freeing up my schedule to be out of town for several days. (If a local urbanism story breaks over the weekend, I’ll pick it up next week.)
I expect to return refreshed and ready for the organizational tasks that will make for a productive 2024.
November 20, 2023
Calendar notes for the week of November 20, 2023.
After an unusually full calendar last week, a three-day week will be a welcome relief. The City Council will have a meeting this evening that will include consideration of a long-term Fire/Police/Emergency Operations Center master plan. After tonight, we can all coast toward Thanksgiving.
Last week featured the more than seven-hour hearing in front of the combined Planning Commission and Historical and Cultural Preservation Committee on the proposed Downtown Overlay. Although the HCPC voted against recommending City Council approval, the Planning Commission voted 7-0 in favor of the Overlay. As further noted below under Upcoming Meetings, the City Council will take up the matter at their December 4 meeting.
November 13, 2023
Calendar notes for the week of November 13, 2023.
The big event of the week will be the Tuesday joint meeting of the Planning Commission and Historical and Cultural Preservation Committee to consider the proposed Downtown Overlay. This won’t be the culminating meeting, with the Overlay likely proceeding to the December 4 City Council agenda, but it will move us closer to a conclusion. Further information is provided below under Upcoming Meetings.
Late yesterday, Urban Chat finalized its recommendations regarding the proposed Overlay. While we endorsed the Overlay, we also raised concerns about the Overlay public process and the further steps that should be followed if the Overlay is adopted. You can access the Urban Chat Downtown Overlay recommendations here…
November 6, 2023
Calendar notes for the week of November 6, 2023.
The contentious downtown decisions are soon to be decided. This evening, the City Council will consider imposing a story pole requirement on the Appellation Petaluma hotel applicant.
A week from tomorrow, the combined Planning Commission and Historical and Cultural Preservation Committee will consider their recommendation on the Downtown Overlay. And then, at a date not yet scheduled, the City Council will make their decision on the Overlay. After all those steps, the hotel applicant may be positioned for their project to move forward into the entitlement steps. It could be a busy end of 2023 and beginning of 2024 at City Hall…
October 30, 2023
Calendar notes for the week of October 30, 2023.
In response to my request of last week, several folks have raised their hands to be part of an Urban Chat team to establish a position on the Overlay. I expect us to work toward a nuanced stance with thoughts on the proposal itself, how the process has been handled, and what the next steps might be.
There’s still time to add another person or two to the policy group. Reach out to me today if you’d like to be included.
October 23, 2023
Calendar notes for the week of October 23, 2023.
As always, expanded information on upcoming events of urbanist interest is provided below under Upcoming Meetings. However, I’ll highlight this coming week.
On Wednesday, the topic of fifteen-minute neighborhoods will return to Know Before You Grow with a presentation by Arkansas architect Alli Quinlan. She has a national reputation for her creative use of traditional architecture on smaller lots, an approach that can be key to successful fifteen-minute neighborhoods…
October 16, 2023
Calendar notes for the week of October 16, 2023.
As someone who helps direct Know Before You Grow, I should try to remain dispassionate regarding the KBYG forums. However, last Wednesday’s forum was great! The speaker, an urban planner who lives in Fresno and who formerly served as Fresno’s Assistant Planning Director, went above and beyond in preparing his presentation and in his willingness to engage in the following Q&A. The link to the recording of the forum is here.
As a reminder, this presentation was a follow-on to “The Fresno Miracle” which was shown during the recent Better Cities Film Festival. If you missed the Film Festival and haven’t otherwise watched the film, you might benefit from watching it before the forum recording. A link is here.
Otherwise, there are several interesting meetings in the upcoming week. To pick one, this evening the City Council will select a Planning Commissioner to replace the recently-deceased Kevin Kelly. The Council has pushed an aggressive schedule to make this appointment given the items of broad community concern that will be coming before the Planning Commission in the near future. It should be an interesting vote.
October 9, 2023
Calendar notes for the week of October 9, 2023.
The big events of the coming week are fully described in the full calendar, so I needn’t repeat myself here. But please be sure to read about the extended Wednesday evening planned for Know Before You Grow, including a chance for those who missed the recent Film Festival to see “The Fresno Miracle”, and also about pickleball in a downtown street on Friday.
Also, the micro-grant program that will be the final effort of the Film Festival is now open for applications. Visit here to learn how to apply for the funds to bring to life your small but important idea. And if you’re trying to refine a thought but could use some constructive feedback, several of us are available to chat.
October 2, 2023
Calendar notes for the week of October 2, 2023.
Petaluma’s 2023 Better Cities Film Festival, as organized by Urban Chat, concluded last week. By any measure, it was a success. Between the two showings at the Boulevard 14 Cinemas and the SRJC Petaluma campus, 275 people viewed the 90-minute reel of short films on the best practices for contemporary urbanism. Even better, many attendees emerged from the theaters excited about putting new ideas into practice.
This coming Friday, there will be an early example of where the Film Festival may take us. Starting at 3:00pm, drop by 4th Street between B Street and the McNear Building for an example of tactical urbanism. It’ll be a fun event. It’ll also be a chance to exchange further insights from the films and to continue exploring the ideas that are arising. I hope to see you there…
September 25, 2023
Calendar notes for the week of September 25, 2023.
The first showing of the Better Cities Film Festival, organized by Petaluma Urban Chat, was a success. I could base that claim on the 175 attendees who nearly filled two theaters at the Boulevard 14 Cinemas, on the enthusiasm expressed by many of the attendees or by the nearly two hours that nearly half of the attendees spent at a nearby restaurant eating pizza, drinking beer, and talking about possibilities.
But I’ll instead point to a specific story. A woman who planned to attend both Film Festival showings asked whether I thought she should bring her 16-year-old son to the second showing. I of course told her it was a fine idea. We then happened to sit next to each other at the first showing. Halfway through, she whispered to me, “I’m not just bringing my son, I’m asking him to bring three or four of his friends. This is their future.” Nothing could have made me feel better about the Film Festival effort…
September 18, 2023
Calendar notes for the week of September 18, 2023.
I've been advised there were two misunderstandings regarding the GPAC meetings this week and next. Changes are noted below in Upcoming Meetings.
While there are other meetings this week on topics of great importance to Petaluma, including a Tuesday Blue Zones open house on the built environment and a Thursday General Plan Advisory Committee meeting on sea level rise, the only possible topic for this email is the Better Cities Film Festival. After months of planning, the first showing will be Wednesday, with the second and final showing a week from Thursday…