HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 06/11/1996Planning Commission Minutes - June 11, 1996
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CITY OF PETALUMA
PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
CITY HALL - PETALUMA, CA
NNE 11, 1996
7:00 PM
Commissioners. Present: Feibusch, Read, Thompson, Torliatt*, vonRaesfeld, Wick;
Absent. Chairperson Rahman
Staff. Warren Salmons, Assistant City Manager
Pamela Tuft, Planning Director
• Acting Chair
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Minutes of May 28, 1996 . were approved as printed.
PUBLIC COMMENT: None.
DIRECTOR'S REPORT: Update on proposed Telecommunications Legislation,
Distributed minutes of March 15, 1994 Planning Commission meeting discussing
Economy Chapter of General Plan and staff report on status of Economy Chapter of
General Plan prepared in 1993.
COMMISSIONER'S REPORT: None.
CORRESPONDENCE: None.
APPEAL STATEMENT: Was read.
LEGAL RECOURSE STATEMENT: Was noted on the agenda.
COMMISSION BUSINESS
L PETALUMA HIGH SCHOOL DRAFTING CLASS.
Presentation of Downtown Plan.
PRESENTERS:
Tom Richards - Instructor, Petaluma High School Architectural Drafting
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Planning ;Commission Minutes - June 11, 1996
1 Wayne Miller - Architect, Lieb and Miller (recipient of Chamber of Commerce
2 award for Business/Education partnership).
3 Carol Eber - Vice Principal - Petaluma High School
4 Jed Saunders - Student
5 Ian Carlson - Student
6 Alex Geyer -Student
7 John Van Straalen - Student
8 Beth Street - Student
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10 Tom Richards - Team has put together dream design of this area of river area/downtown
11 area; hope to challenge community for input/discussion; involve people in planning for this
12 area; river basin is the heart of downtown; needs revitalization; students involved in
13 community.
14 Wayne Miller - Change/growth will come to Petaluma; attractive visual character, qualities
15 here worth preserving; pedestrian access emphasized; adequate parking; garden areas.
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17 Concepts/Ideas Included river is a neglected resource; adaptation of river access goals
.18 into plan; performing arts center /amphitheater at Turning Basin; removal of Golden Eagle
= 19 Shopping Center (relocate shops); circular building oriented toward river; light rail station;
20 2 -story five/work buildings; downtown parking garages; retain Dairyman's Mill; relocate
21 train tracks away from Lakeville to center of block.
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23 Commission Comments
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25 Commissioner Read - Congratulations - well thought -out, creative plan; can we display
26 color copies at Petaluma City Hall or Lucchesi over the summer? (Answer -Plan is on the
27 way to the Fair - will loan to City when returned.)
28 Commissioner Feibusch - Impressive - students treated parking as a critical issue.
29 Commissioner Torliatt - Exciting to have a dream without restrictions/politics; well done.
30 Commissioner Wick - All students deserve "A's "!
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32 Public Comment
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34 Carol Eber - Consider student member to SPARC (non - voting)?
35 Meg Lucatti - Liked incorporation of five/work buildings; light rail/commute concepts
36 very good.
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38 Photo taken with Students/Commission/Advisors.
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43 II. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISCUSSION.
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Planning Co mmissi on Minutes - June 11, 1996
i Workshop /discussion on the background and future of Economic Planning for
2 Petaluma.
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4 Planning Director Tuft - Distributed: Economic Development Market Outlook (1991);
5 Business Park Survey, Redevelopment Plans; 92 -93 5 -year background review; Planning
6 Commission Minutes -1993 Economic General Plan.
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8 Commissioner Torliatt - Bring ideas together to City Council; looking for specific
9 direction from City Council.
to Commissioner Feibusch - Uncomfortable - Economic Plan passed on to Council two years
11 ago - what do we hope to accomplish here tonight? This should be done in front of
12 Council instead of Commission.
13 Commissioner Read - Sonoma County economic update?
14 Assistant City Manager Salmons - Sonoma County Economic Development Board
15 member - Sonoma County Vitality Project - County -wide interests brought together to
16 identify best economic development targets; Firm retained to look at critical areas of
17 economy; data development process to conclude later this summer, information analysis
18 will take place thereafter, What should Petaluma focus on?
19 Commissioner Read - Will there be a preliminary report this summer?
20 Assistant Ci1y Manager Salmons - Analysis to determine policy thrusts; will probably
21 move away from manufacturing into "green businesses" - information,
22 environmental/lifestyle choices.
23 Commissioner Read - Sonoma County outlook reported in regional paper recently.
24 Commissioner Wick - Will data to be presented be detailed?
25 Assistant City Manager Salmons - Information will identify where focus should be - very
26 broad terms; analysis will turn into policy choices.
27 Commissioner Torliatt - (to Mr. Salmons) - What is your role in Sonoma County process?
28 Assistant City Manager Salmons - Looking at data - giving input to consultant -one of
29 about 10 people on subcommittee; budget not large; will give Board of Supervisors good
30 policy direction.
31 Commissioner Read - Would like a copy of the study as soon as it is made public.
32 Jack Balshaw Not sure of why this is being discussed, but too important not to attend;
33 employment density increase an objective; how do these things fit into Petaluma General
34 Plan; Why should we wait for Sonoma County to tell us what is in Petaluma's future ?;
35 concerned with "big box" development; maybe Yardbirds was a traffic mistake on
36 Lakeville; Petaluma wants the type of jobs that pay well - allow people to be able to
37 purchase homes in Petaluma; preserve downtown corridor, follow existing objectives;
38 focus on Petaluma Community; tourism should be encouraged; don't just let the "market"
39 decide.
40 Commissioner Torliatt - Focus on Petaluma (on what we do best).
41 Don Bennett - 1717 Pine - Involved with original economic proposal before Council; get
42 City back on business -like basis; should be self - sufficient; not waiting for County to decide
43 what is happening; assumptions - problem with decisions made based on assumptions; this
44 process is getting out of context - this should be discussed at Council level - research
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Planning Commission Minutes - June 11, 1996
1 should be done - why are we doing this tonight? Council has not approved going ahead on
2 this.
3 Meg Lticatti - Very important to keep downtown viable; shops in Petaluma - educate
4 public to advantages of shopping in Petaluma; look at whole picture before making
5 shopping decisions; how can Petaluma attract viable types of businesses? Should have
6 goals of community needs; take advantage of whole picture; Factory Outlets very ugly
7 place; excited about River Plan; keep our uniqueness; need publicity; stay committed to
s vision.
9 Elizabeth Meredith - Agrees with last speaker, small business owner - encourage small
.10 businesses; Petaluma should encourage Sonoma County agriculture; create business
11 opportunities unique to Sonoma County; no reason to duplicate Novato or Rohnert Park.
12 Don Weisenfluh - Agrees with last speakers; what do we really want for this town? Get
13 away from Costco architecture; look at what attracts people to this area; look at other
14 successful towns to analyze what has been done right; retirees could bring economic
.15 stability';into towns; goal statement needs to be put together with measurable standards.
16 David Keller - Council has decision - making authority on how economic planning is being
17 done - try to get a feel for what all would like to see; staff needs to know what Planning
is Commission wants to see; regarding downtown - follow -up (in near term) take broad look
19 at what we want in downtown; need mix/locally based business; jobs need to be located
20 within walking distance to residences/customer base; opportunity - Howard Street to
21 existing shopping centers - perfect target areas for redevelopment; infrastructure there -
22 opportunity - one large central city area; ask Council to look at projects as a
23 redevelopment agency; don't focus just on certain areas - get overall picture; Petaluma has
24 a mix, not sterile; mixed use work/live situations needed; educational opportunities
25 needed; important to have this type of discussion.
26 Karen Newmann - Commercial Real Estate Broker - agrees with many of other speakers -
27 prefers not to bring in "big boxes "; higher density (smaller) housing units necessary.
28 Commissioner Thompson - Is retail how we want to go? Where will we be in 25 -30 years;
29 need economic development information - can we support all the housing we are creating?
30 Commissioner vonRaesfeld - Land use issues are our pervue; from Planning Commission
31 perspective - look at State -wide development fees; growth has to be put into perspective;
32 City needs to look at alternative forms for revenue (other than new development); in -fill
33 should be a focus; look at community - surrounded by agriculture - agri- business industry
34 very important.
35 Commissioner Wick - Agrees with Don Bennett - need a business plan; prepare policy
36 plan - 1991 plan outdated in some respects; City Council consider funding update of
. 37 existing information.
38 Commissioner Read - Council goal - economic development; positive note -
39 telecommunications industry very important - Can City /Chamber /existing
40 telecommunications industry bring information super - highway into Petaluma - call
41 ourselves "Telecom Valley" - do a "Telecom Valley" project - will be pursuing this idea.
42 Commissioner Feibusch - Good input tonight - Planning Commission/Council should look
43 at any new project with all aspects in mind.
.44 Commissioner Torliatt - Petaluma start focusing on overall economic plan/study; goal
45 orient selves within Urban Limit Line; sales tax revenues are rising; reinvest in our
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Planning Commission Minutes - June 11, 1996
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community; land use issues/economics tied together; proactive stance regarding land use
development; what types of businesses do we want to see in City, farming important to
self - sufficiency; main concern - don't over - develop (housing); decide whether retail square
footage is sufficient - make sure economic base provided to support business; go to City
Council to show support for their goals.
Commissioner Wick - (to Commissioner Torliatt) What is your hope for results of
tonight's meeting?
Commissioner Torliatt - Minutes reviewed at next meeting with topics listed - pass on to
City Council; incorporate with more detail.
III. LIAISON REPORTS.
Commissioner Torliatt - Bike Committee - Continuing with effort to formulate
bike plan for City.
IV. PROJECT STATUS:
1. Westview Estates Subdivision - Approved by City Council.
2. Woodside Village - Continued
3. Graystone Place - Continued
4. Central Petaluma. Specific Plan Workplan Continued
5. Petaluma Queen - Floating commissary removed from Turning Basin.
ADJOURNMENT: 9:50 PM.
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