Defend Our Beloved Downtown Petaluma

On Monday 4/21/25, Petaluma City Council voted to move forward with downtown zoning rules changes (the “Overlay”) that would green-light an almost 75-foot hotel despite tremendous opposition from the Petaluma community. The community is alarmed that Petaluma city staff and Petaluma City Council are disregarding public opinion as they rush to make long-term changes to our nationally recognized historic downtown.

Petaluma Historic Advocates is a group of architects, former city council members, local business people and concerned citizens who believe that this process has disregarded public opinion. We cherish our historic downtown and recognize how important it is to maintain its integrity. The look, feel and history of our downtown is why people love to visit Petaluma and want to move here. We believe that protecting the architectural integrity of Downtown Petaluma will actually encourage more growth and vitality. Massive out of scale structures will destroy Downtown Petaluma's charm and value.

As a result of Monday’s vote, Petaluma Historic Advocates believes that the Petaluma City Council has given the community no choice but to challenge this legally. PHA's lawyers have engaged with the city over the past two years on their process but we are now left with no choice but to force this issue to the ballot where the voters can decide on the future of their downtown.

This process is called a “referendum” and it is an important feature of our democracy. To put it in basic terms: PHA now has 30 days to gather enough signatures which, when certifed, will put a pause on this proposal until the next election at which point Petaluma citizens will make the decision.

Petaluma Historic Advocates is in favor of a vibrant and thriving downtown. We are encouraged by the new businesses and life that have bloomed in our downtown in recent years and look forward to more. Ours is not an “anti-change” or “anti-growth” position. We believe city planning must be thoughtful and careful and that the public’s opinion is paramount when it comes to the future of their downtown. We feel that the public’s voice has been disregarded on this issue and hope to be a counterweight to a process that has felt exclusionary.

To that end, we are asking for your help with campaign and legal costs as we mount this challenge. Many community members have felt their voices have not mattered in this process. By donating to our GoFundMe, you will make your voice heard as our community advocates and lawyers work to stop this hotel/overlay and bring balance to the process of planning the future of our downtown.