Comments to City Council April 15, 2024

April 15, 2024

To Petaluma City Council

We are opposed to awarding Kelly Creek Protection Project (KCPP) Open Space Acquisition funds totaling $250,000 for Phase I of the development of the park.

The public first had an opportunity to review Kelly Creek Protection Project (KCPP) plans for the extension of Helen Putnam Park in 2021. The public was presented with a beautifully designed park. (Attachment 2 of the Agenda item.) The park plan had numerous amenities including barn center, playground, parking lots, bridges, Class 1 trail, nature center, etc.

The estimated cost for acquisition and Phase 1 park improvements as communicated by Earth Island Institute (EII) and KCPP is $9.5 million. To date EII/KCPP has raised approximately $4.1 million.

The $4.1 million is the same amount raised by 2021 when the project was presented to the public.

In every meeting and communication leading up to the City's approval of the development, KCPP was confident that they could secure the funds to build out Phase 1 of the Park Extension plan. KCPP repeatedly stated the park would have “no cost to the city.” (On the last page of this letter is the research of various city meetings with video reference points to the comments about “no cost to the city.”)

At the City Council meeting on February 27, 2023, KCPP stated that it had “assembled over $5.5 million.” (See attached reference).

What does this request for $250,000 from City coffers tell the citizens of Petaluma?

If KCPP hasn’t raised even 1 penny more than they had when the project was approved, how did they actually plan to pay for Phase I? Was the plan all along to ask for Open Space funds from the City?
If KCPP hasn't raised more money by now, why are we throwing good money after bad? Did KCPP actually have $5.1 million in the City Council presentation (2023) or were they exaggerating the amount to get the project approved?
The staff report states that by approving this money, it shows local support for the project. If the City’s project approval vote doesn’t convey that support, how will $250,000 make a difference toward the KCPP $5 million shortfall?
This housing development was approved in good faith and that KCPP WOULD be able to fund at least Phase 1 of the park. If KCPP cannot fund it, what happens to the approved housing development?
If KCPP doesn’t have the funds to support Phase 1 of their grand plan, do what the rest of us do – scale back the project. Spend only what you have in hand.

We think that this land should be a simple park preserving the environment

We support this land as a park. The elaborate, detailed park plan was made public in 2021. No public input was provided prior to the park presentation. All subsequent public meetings were devoted to evaluating the original park plan. The public questioned why the plan needed to be so elaborate (and ultimately so expensive). The public advocated for a scaled back plan. The public encouraged protecting the environment and still allowing people access to the park.

City Transparency

This request for City Open Space money was added to the agenda without an announcement to other groups that the Open Space funds are available. If the City wanted a fair and equitable disbursement of these funds, why not make a public announcement of availability of funds and ask for applications? Why award a quarter million dollars under the assumption that the public would agree these were a good use of open space funds?

If this request for $250,000 is approved, the actions of this City Council are communicating to the public that this park project takes precedence over the other open space projects in the community.

Our organization and our hundreds of supporters have always advocated for open, transparent, honest, and a public approach to the development plans of this special land at Windsor and D.

References

In reviewing the public comments of the past, we belatedly realize that the $4.1 million raised was to be transferred to Davidon for cost of the land. None of the $4.1 million was available for Phase I of the park before transferring to Sonoma County Parks.

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Earth Island Institute Winter 2019

“Those funds raised that were raised above the $4.1 million level, however, will go toward the effort to convert this land into a public park.”

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Quote from letter dated 4-16-18, John Brown, City Manager to Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District:

“KCPP has raised three million dollars in nonprofit philanthropic funding to assist with the acquisition and to be used as matching funds in the event of a grant award. KCPP project has not requested nor required any City Funding.”

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Quote from editorial written by Diana Gomez and Richard Marzo published in the Argus Courier, June 9, 2022.

“KCPP has committed to significantly improving the parkland area before transferring it to Sonoma County Regional Parks, at no cost to the Regional Parks.”

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Letter to City Council January 31, 2023

From Peter Galvin Director of Programs Center for Biological Diversity

“In addition, upon taking title to the 47 acres of the site that will be protected as public open space, the Kelly Creek Protection Project will conduct a $900,000 program of habitat restoration and improvements that will promote the recovery of CRLF. These improvements include fencing the stock pond to exclude cows, fencing the two riparian creek beds, repairing deep gully damage to protect water quality, and planting both native trees and undergrowth for refugia.”

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Email sent from Greg Colvin to the City on March 15, 2021

“Regarding the costs, funding, and intentions of KCPP and Sonoma County Regional Parks to build out the public amenities described in the three phases of work set forth in the EIR Project Description, we offer the following assurances, as best we can anticipate the future: * Phase 1 is expected to cost $1 million to $2 million. As we have said, after the close of escrow and receipt of the $1 million matching grant from Ag + Open Space District for the $4.1 million purchase of 44 acres, we will have over $1 million on hand, in private nonprofit donations held by Earth Island Institute, for Phase 1 construction.”

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City Council meeting Monday, March 15, 2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECObqSBUp1s&ab_channel=CityofPetaluma

2:14: 00 - 2:14:30 – Gregg Colvin

“Able to add this land at no cost to the city.

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Planning Commission

August 9, 2022

https://petaluma.granicus.com/player/clip/3711?view_id=31&redirect=true&h=287f9ca77d6c0e5f6551766e1d3cf8a3

1:26:26

Greg Colvin

“At no cost to the city”