Copyright Santa Rosa Press Democrat
A new citizens group formed to promote a controversial luxury hotel project in downtown Petaluma held its first meeting Monday night, featuring presentations by some of its founders and by the project’s most famous backer, celebrity chef Charlie Palmer. “Tonight is about announcing a new community advocacy movement called Renaissance Petaluma,” said Elisa Weber, speaking at her downtown bakery, Della Fattoria, where the event was held. Weber, a co-founder of the new group, said she wanted to “share with you all how I envision what this hotel could do for our downtown, energetically and monetarily. It would elevate all of us. It’s the best possible project our city could have given us.” The festive gathering — estimated at more than 150 people — featured locally made food and wine, and a large majority of those in attendance, though not all, showed clear enthusiasm for the Appellation Petaluma hotel project. Weber and other locals have been vocal proponents of Palmer’s proposal, which he and EKN Development hope to build on a long-vacant lot at B Street and Petaluma Boulevard. But the project’s future remains in doubt after another citizens group, Petaluma Historic Advocates, gathered enough signatures in July to force a referendum aimed at stopping it. That challenge won’t be resolved until voters weigh in. Weber later told the Argus-Courier that she and other founders — including David Yunker, Nancy Leoni, Robindira Unsworth, Elizabeth Howland and Willie McDevitt — created Renaissance Petaluma “out of shock that such a negative perspective of the hotel project was so rampant.” She said “many” others are involved but some “are hesitant to expose themselves due to loss of business for supporting the hotel.” On Monday, speakers largely ignored the acrimony surrounding the project, focusing instead on why they believe it’s vital for the health of downtown Petaluma. Howland, a longtime leader of Friends of the Petaluma River, called Renaissance Petaluma “a voice for positive change in Petaluma.” Infill projects like the hotel, she said, are crucial to maintaining the city’s urban growth boundary and limiting sprawl. Unsworth, a jeweler with a shop in the McNear Building, told the crowd, “There are so many things we can do if we do them together, to take our sweet town to the next level, very thoughtfully, not doing things without a great deal of care. I think this is our moment.” When Palmer spoke, he praised the group’s enthusiasm. “I had no idea what to expect from this,” he said. “I was told there would be a few people, but this is amazing.” Palmer said plans for the 82-room hotel include underground parking, with construction expected to take up to 16 months and generate about 86 full-time jobs, plus part-time positions. The hotel’s height — six stories including a rooftop bar — has been a major sticking point. Palmer said the scale is necessary to make the project economically feasible. “We can’t build out wider,” he said. “That’s the answer to the question of why it has to be that high. In simple terms, that’s the only way it’s going to get financed.” “There’s all kinds of things that have been said about the hotel project, some true, some not true,” he added. “There have been a lot of false images that are not anywhere near what we are hoping to do.” Parking has also been a concern. “Everybody should be concerned about parking,” Palmer said, citing possible underground and off-site solutions.”If you want to bring tourists to your town, they’re going to have to park somewhere. Every small town struggles with it. But it’s a question of, what do you want? Do you want tourists or do you want a waiting parking space every time you pull up to the curb? We’d love to have it both ways, but sometimes it doesn’t work.” Asked where employees would park, he said, “I don’t know. We’ll figure it out. In Healdsburg we have off-site parking and bring the employees in on short-shuttles.” He said the hotel design remains flexible and can’t move forward until it clears design review. When asked who would lead the hotel restaurant, Palmer said he has selected a Petaluma chef but declined to name the person. “But he’s ready to go,” he said. “We just have to build it.” That dovetailed with Weber’s earlier comment: “We know we can make money with hospitality, food, wine and experiences. That’s what people want. We have all those things. Why don’t we use them? Let’s showcase them in this hotel — and get going.”
