City Council June 19 Details

Show up!

Our involvement in the Davidon development for the last 13 years has made it very obvious to us that the public MUST pay attention to and participate in the public process. If we truly want to extend Putnam Park, we must step forward and take an active role in our local community.

This is our first opportunity to speak to the City Council and respond to the DEIR, and we must take advantage of it. If you don't plan to speak, we hope that you will come and lend moral support to those who are speaking.

We cannot stress enough the importance of your presence. We MUST show the City that we care about this land and its future!

The City Council meeting is:

Monday, June 19

6:45 p.m.

City Hall

11 English St., Petaluma

Arrive early

Seating in the Council chambers is limited so arrive early if you want a seat in the chambers. Chairs will also be in the lobby, and you will be able to hear because of speakers broadcasting the session.

Plan to stay late

The Davidon public hearing will be the last item on the agenda, so you may have to sit through other agenda items before the Davidon public discussion.

The decisions by the Council occur after the public comments. The Council comments are very informative and will happen late (the April Planning Commission meeting did not end until 11:30 p.m.).

During the Council comments, the public will get a sense of the future of this development. We don't want the Council members discussing this special land with one another without a public audience!

Process

1. We will be in the lobby in front of the Council doors at 6 p.m. We will wear name tags with our logo and our names.
2. Look for us in the lobby and pick up your sticker to identify yourself as a supporter of Petalumans for Responsible Planning.
3. Request a comment card from one of us. The card will be filled out and all you will need to do is add your name.
4. Give the comment card to Sue Davy or Sharon Risedorph, who will organize the comments and take them to the City Clerk. If you think that you will need more than 3 minutes, tell Sue or Sharon.
5. If you don't see Sue or Sharon, take your comment card to the City Clerk (sitting on the right side in front).

Ceding (giving up) your time

1. Pick up a comment card and fill it out even if you do not plan to make comments. You may cede (give) your three minutes to another speaker.
2. When you fill out your comment card, ceding can be indicated.
3. Give the comment card to Sue Davy or Sharon Risedorph, who will organize the cards and take them to the City Clerk.
4. You may wish to keep your comment card if you think that you might leave early. If ceding, you must be present when the other person makes his/her comments.

Note: Right now we know that we need at least 16 people to cede time. By ceding your time, you can help speakers deliver their messages.

Formal presentations

The city planner will make a presentation. We assume a representative from Impact Sciences, the DEIR firm, will make a presentation. We do not know whether Steve Abbs of Davidon will make a presentation, but it is likely that he will.

Greg Colvin of the Kelly Creek Protection Project will be making a PowerPoint presentation and presenting his comments. Tamara Galanter, attorney from Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger, will present the results from analyzing the DEIR.

A few other leaders from Petalumans for Responsible Planning and the Kelly Creek Protection Project will be making presentations.

Your presentation

Please do not feel that you need to have a speech prepared or that you need to be a polished public speaker. You will have a total of 3 minutes, but you may just get up and say a few sentences and then sit down.

If you do decide to speak, please remember that the application and DEIR are based upon 63 homes (keeping the red barn in place) or 66 homes (moving the red barn). Your presentation should be about the environmental impacts found in the DEIR or that should be in the DEIR. If you plan to make comments, it is a good idea (but not required) to search the DEIR in advance to find the section that applies to your comments. Ask us if you need help locating the section by emailing: PetRP@comcast.net

Introduce yourself and say something about who you are: a nurse, a teacher, a business owner, a retired judge, worked for the U.S. Forest Service, leader of an organization, an artist, a writer, an engineer, a high school student, a resident of Petaluma for ___ years. Don’t hide your light under a bushel! We want the council to see that we come from all walks of life and have something meaningful to say.

Possible topics are the following. Please give examples from your personal life about how this project will affect you by personalizing your remarks. If you have photos or other documentation, bring 7 copies and distribute them to the Council right before speaking.

• Describe your problems with the current traffic. Traffic studies were done in 2014 and do not reflect the current increased traffic on D Street, B Street, Sunnyslope, San Antonio Road, and other routes.
• Encourage the Council to consider the unanimous recommendation by the Planning Commission that no houses be built south of Kelly Creek because of the environmental problems.
• Discuss the damage to the scenic gateway at the edge of Petaluma and what it represents to you when walking, biking, or hiking in Helen Putnam Park.
• Describe the importance of open space to you, your children, and future generations.
• Request adherence to the 2025 General Plan that many of you worked on. Give examples of how the development does not adhere to the General Plan.
• Give examples of increased run-off into your downstream neighborhood right now from Kelly Creek. Discuss drainage on the B Street side.
• Talk about the need for controlled growth to preserve the rural character of this land and the loss of the Western Hills to development.
• Discuss the destruction of native trees and the resulting loss of habitat by developing this land, which will eliminate an important wildlife corridor.
• Show concern for the harm to endangered species on the property such as the red-legged frog. The biology studies were completed in 2003, which are very outdated.
• Request alternative uses such as expansion of Helen Putnam County Park down to D Street.
• Talk about the construction noise and vibration for at least three years. Describe what it will be like for your life when the new sewer line is constructed on D Street.

Many of you wrote emails to the Council. You were fortunate if one or two members responded to your email. You could take your three minutes to read your letter to the Council.

Another idea is to put your planned comments in writing. If you attend the meeting but feel as if your comments would be a repeat of what someone has said or need to leave early, you can submit your comments for the Council to review. Print out seven copies.

Decorum

We have been before the Planning Commission and Council several times in the past about the Davidon development. We have learned from these past experiences that the Council does not like the audience to boo, wave signs, or even clap. You will hear things said that you will want to respond to but restraint is important.

This is not a protest meeting. Conduct yourself as if you are in a courtroom. Nothing should be done that would intimidate someone from expressing his or her opinions.

This council meeting is a professional opportunity for community members to express concerns about the Davidon DEIR and to discuss the environmental impacts that this project will have on our community and our lives.

Other ways that you can help

Read our email arriving within the next several days describing a practical, workable alternative to the proposed development: Helen Putnam County Park Extension 23-to-Zero Lot Alternative

Continue to write letters to City Council:

E-mail Addresses for City Council

"Tip Sheet" for reviewing and commenting on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR).

Review the Eight Official Actions that the Council should consider as relevant to this development.

You have until end of business day on June 19 to comment on the DEIR. Please send us a copy at PetRP@comcast.net

BOTTOM LINE

We are fortunate to live in an amazing community filled with caring and talented people. As a community, we must step forward to help preserve this property as open space and parkland and a public asset to Petaluma.

If we don't let our elected officials know how we feel, we will have bulldozers destroying the hills, watershed, and wildlife. The red barn could be moved, and more than 63+ large homes will line Windsor Drive and D Street.

We know that this is not your vision for our future. Please show up on June 19!