City of Petaluma, General Plan 2004 - 2025

Chronological Progress to Date

Mission Statement: To ensure that the General Plan embodies the community’s vision of a Petaluma that will endure for the following generations as a great place to be, live and/or work; and, that our natural surroundings and quality of life are sustained as a defining aspect of our community through implementation of the adopted goals and priorities of the City Council.

Note: This chronological list does not include additional meetings or discussions held specifically on General Plan related topics such as cross-town connectors or River projects.

2006

September and October – Public hearings scheduled for Planning Commission and City Council; workshops at Airport Commission; Recreation, Music & Parks Commission; and numerous advisory Committees (see Schedule).

September – Published Draft Environmental Impact Report, distributed to regulatory agencies, adjacent cities and affected counties.

August – Published Draft General Plan 2025 document, began introductory workshops with various appointed Commissions and Committees, hosted introductory public workshop (August 19th).

July – Completed Draft Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, will be presented as an General Plan Appendix document and will be adopted concurrently with the General Plan.

January through June – Additional work concluded on the XP-SWMM surface water management model to calibrate and update the model; and to complete the Water Demand and Supply Analysis Work, Water Distribution Master Plan.

January – Direction from Council to recalibrate the XP-SWMM model to reflect the data collected from the December 31, 2005 flood event. Additional work authorized for consultant.

2005

July through December – General Plan Admin team works with contract teams to complete the draft General Plan and Environmental Impact Report documents and related Water Resource background research.

March through June – Council consideration of Draft Land Use Plan, Draft General Plan Outline, Land Use Classifications and Guiding Principles for GP 2025 ( total 6 meetings). Completion of Draft General Plan and Draft EIR documents will follow their input.

January and February – Planning Commission workshops; concludes preliminary review of Draft Land Use Plan (total of eleven workshops).

2004

September through January 2005 - Planning Commission workshops for continued review of the Draft Preferred Land Use Plan.

August – Preparation of the Draft Preferred Land Use Plan, Outline of General Plan and Definitions of Land Uses completed for presentation to Planning Commission in September and City Council in October.

June & July – Six workshops held with Planning Commission to discuss the contents of the Land Use and Mobility Alternatives Report. Summaries of workshop notes prepared.

May – Work continues on the Discussion and Position Papers. Planning Commission schedule prepared for workshops.

March & April – Seven Workshops hosted with appointed Commissions and Committees, outreach to citizens, property owners. Met with Jessie Lane, Paula Lane, and “F” Street neighborhoods; future meeting with Rainier neighborhood. Preparing Position Papers to allow General Plan topic and neighborhood discussions with the Planning Commission, to be conducted through a series of meetings/workshops. Final outcome of workshop discussions will be Commission recommendations on a variety of topics and specifics for forwarding to the City Council for consideration as a Preferred Land Use Plan.

February – Land Use & Mobility Alternatives Report finalized and redistributed to elected and appointed officials, notices sent of availability to approximately 1,100 citizens on interested list. Workshop scheduled completed to host a minimum of seven public workshops, starting March 17 th to introduce the Alternatives Report. Scheduling public speaking opportunities with neighborhood groups. Continuing coordination of traffic model efforts with Sonoma County and identifying regional transportation improvement needs.

January – Presentation of General Plan 2025 - Draft Land Use & Mobility Report to City Council. Extensive review of the administrative draft Report begun. Participating in Sonoma County General Plan update discussions regarding traffic in the Penngrove area.

2003

December – Draft Land Use & Mobility Report completed (no review done due to time constraints); draft document printed for distribution to Council, appointed officials, and public.

November – Modeling work continued.

October – Reviewed Technical Memos for Surface Water Master Plan and Groundwater Feasibility Study. Modeling work now underway on the three Land Use and Mobility Alternatives.

September – Additional work with Sonoma County GP Committee; work on Recycled Water Master Plan and Groundwater Assessment research; finalized work on identifying imperviousness formulas for projected development and land development absorption figures.

August – Participated in Sonoma County General Plan Advisory Committee discussions on Petaluma Watershed flood hazards – compatibility of development standards between City and County. Met with local Farm Watch group to discuss related issues to the City General Plan. Work continues on alternative circulation options and traffic model evaluation work.

July – Began work on Groundwater Assessment and Recycled Water Master Plan, completed review of second draft land use/circulation alternatives.

June – Continuing work on traffic model management procedures, fiscal model development, reviewed second draft of land use and circulation alternatives; selected groundwater assessment team.

May – Reviewed administrative draft of three Land Use Alternatives maps; calibration of surface water management model completed; reviewed Groundwater Assessment team proposals; completed review of Final Technical Memorandum #1 on Surface Water Management (existing conditions).

April – Prepared core data and assumptions for fiscal model construction; surface water model building continues with input of current CORPS dredging soundings; concluded work with Bicycle, Pedestrian Advisory Committee to summarize comments on ECOC Report.

March – Council discussion of fiscal analysis model on 3/17/03; extensive work begun on alternative land use scenarios; met with Citizens Street Advisory Committee on GP relationship to their work efforts; participated in Recreation, Music & Parks Commission – Park Master Plan workshop. Public comments on Existing Conditions Report received through March 30 th, 2003.

February – Work progresses on Surface Water Management Model; coordinating compatibility between TransCAD traffic model and County traffic model; working on fiscal analysis model and sales tax leakage info with economic team. Progress reported to local AAUW chapter and local MLS realtors group.

January – Summary report drafted to identify all comments received on Existing Conditions Report – appended to report for future use and reference (ECOC Addendum). Public workshop held January 11 th. Senior Forum on General Plan related issues held January 17 th. Non-profit agency General Plan workshop hosted. Work continues on preparation of alternatives. Council discussion of ECOC held on 1/27/03. General Plan interested citizen list contains approximately 1,100 citizens.

2002

December – Public outreach continues but work begins on identifying alternatives for public consideration. Workshop hosted with SPARC 12/12/02.

November – Public outreach through distribution of Report, workshops and Committee/Commission meetings. Planning Commission workshop held November 12 th, Council workshop on November 18 th, Airport Commission 11/07, Pedestrian, Bicycle Advisory Committee 11/19, Recreation, Music and Parks Commission 11/20/02).

October – Outreach begun with Existing Conditions, Opportunities ad Challenges Report ECOC). Distribution of 78 copies completed by October 18 th, additional copies now being printed for distribution to regulatory and advisory agencies. Public outreach schedule to receive public comment is being drafted and public workshops and agendized for discussion with appointed Commissions and Committees being requested through various departments.

January – Workshop summary reports presented to public and City Council. Preparation of the Existing Conditions, Opportunities and Constraints is underway.

September – Second administrative draft completed, reviewed by City staff and final edits were undertaken to prepare the document for public distribution. Executive Summary Report prepared for easy reading and reference by elected and appointed officials and interested citizens (now totaling 938 citizens).

August – Final Report on Community Survey was distributed. Work concluding on the completion of Technical Memoranda for the Water Resources three Master Plans. Second administrative draft of Existing Conditions, Opportunities & Challenges Report being prepared.

July – Surface Water Model software purchased and building of Petaluma model begun with Black & Veatch through the completion of the baseline field survey work. Downtown Parking Survey completed and distributed. Draft community survey report was reviewed. Administrative Draft of Existing Conditions Report completed, extensive edits suggested by City team; revised chapter to be submitted by mid-August, re-write of document to follow City review of rewritten chapter.

June – Work continued on Parking Survey, Water Resources Technical Memoranda, Land Use Projections. Extensive work on Existing Conditions Report. Community Survey conducted (600 residents participated).

May – River Access and Enhancement Plan implementation exhibit and list prepared. Water Resources Element Technical Memorandum review continued. Downtown Parking Survey work continued with review of draft document. Reviewed and edited final draft of Community Survey.

April – Youth Forum workshop hosted with Youth Commission. Work on community survey begun with Godbe Research & Associates. Completed collection of community asset information. Continued work on 20-year land use absorption projections.

February - Technical memos for the Water Resources Element Master Plans (Recycled Water, Water Supply and Surface Water Management) are prepared and reviewed by City management. Continued work on the land use assumptions for inventory work.

March – Planning efforts are completed for the Youth Forum to be held in April. Final work effort completed on the creation of the Traffic Model with Fehr & Peers; agenda bill prepared for presentation to City Council. Public facilities inventory forms created and distributed (City departments, schools, health care, State, etc.). Completed land use assumption work; began work on land use absorption projections. Public notification on riverfront field survey work completed. Budget allocations for 2002-03 completed.

2001

September - November - community visioning, data gathering and outreach continues with economic, environmental and sustainable health weighing in on topics brought before the community for consideration through a series of eight workshops.

August - General Plan 2000 – 2020 work begins with coordinated efforts between Dyett & Bhatia, Black and Veatch and the City General Plan Executive Team.

July - General Plan management begins work on preparation of General Plan accomplishments to date evaluation and report; gathering of information for historical perspective section; initiates data gathering effort with Housing Division for Housing Element. General Plan Executive Team begins compiling inventory information on public facilities. Outreach strategy is discussed with community service organizations (i.e.: COTS, HC2, PPSC, Hospice, Latino Advisory Committee, Chamber of Commerce, Sustainable Petaluma, Sustainable North Bay, etc.).

June – Council reauthorizes revised contract with Dyett and Bhatia.

March – May – City management renegotiates contract and scope of work to provide three options for reducing budget.

March – Council suspends work on the Dyett & Bhatia contract, directs City management to return with revised scope of work to reduce budget. Council authorizes contract with Black & Veatch for preparation of the Water Resources Element of the General Plan.

Note: Work completed in 1999 and 2000 regarding preparation of Scope of Work, Consultant Selection, review of General Plan 1987-2005, Photo Collage preparation, etc. are not included in this list.

Updated 9-13-06