From: lani Sexton
To: [email protected]; Peggy Flynn; -- City Clerk; [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: Beautiful Petaluma Riverfront Promenade - IT"S TIME TO TRESTLE! Date: Friday, May 2, 2025 6:03:56 PM
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I support that the City of Petaluma and SMART commit staff and funds NOW to rehabilitate the dilapidated Petaluma Riverfront Trestle into a beautiful riverfront promenade.
Please share this email with the Petaluma City Council members and the SMART Board Members.
It's Time To Trestle!
Thank you.
Sent from my iPhone
From: Jay
To: [email protected]; Peggy Flynn; -- City Clerk; [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: Beautiful Petaluma Riverfront Promenade - IT"S TIME TO TRESTLE! Date: Friday, May 2, 2025 8:57:42 PM
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I support that the City of Petaluma and SMART commit staff and funds NOW to rehabilitate the dilapidated Petaluma Riverfront Trestle into a beautiful riverfront promenade.
Please share this email with the Petaluma City Council members and the SMART Board Members.
It's Time To Trestle!
Thank you.
Sent from my iPhone
From: Johanna Le Merrer
To: [email protected]; Peggy Flynn; -- City Clerk; [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: Beautiful Petaluma Riverfront Promenade - IT"S TIME TO TRESTLE! Date: Saturday, May 3, 2025 1:53:05 PM
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I support that the City of Petaluma and SMART commit staff and funds NOW to rehabilitate the dilapidated Petaluma Riverfront Trestle into a beautiful riverfront promenade.
Please share this email with the Petaluma City Council members and the SMART Board Members.
It's Time To Trestle!
Thank you.
Sent from my iPhone
From: Loretta Mateik
To: -- City Clerk; -- City Council; [email protected] Subject: Butter and Egg parking nightmare
Date: Sunday, April 27, 2025 1:18:11 PM
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Dear D Street Project and City Council,
The Butter and Egg Day event recently held here in Petaluma, brought forth significant negative and dangerous issues with the D Street modifications due to the addition of bike lanes on this street.
Please find attached, just a few of the many photos I could have sent all day long regarding the difficulty visitors had to find parking spaces for this event.
D Street has
always been heavily used by families parking here to attend the downtown events this city widely promotes.
Yet, parking for these events has now become a nightmare and much more dangerous due to the loss of so much parking on D Street.
The loss of this much needed parking is due to the addition of bike lanes that are rarely used.
One photo shows cars were parking in the 'bike lanes'. Vehicle occupants including children, were then offloaded 'into' traffic, as there is so little of a buffer now because the bike lanes are
narrower than regular parking spaces. It was
frightening to see this happen many, many times for that event.
This scenario went up D Street to 10th and all the side streets were also packed with vehicles (as shown in the attached photos).
Vehicles were also parking in the no
parking 'day lighting' sections at intersections.....causing additional safety issues for the hundreds of people who had parked further up D Street and were now walking downtown to the parade.
And the 'day lighting' no parking restrictions were recently added to make pedestrians 'safer'. It doesn't appear to be working as people were frantically trying to find parking, regardless of where it was.
This clearly proves three very important points:
*D Street is essential for the parking overflow needed for all of the city's publicized events.
This was not taken into consideration with the city's 'parking study' that was used to determine these spaces were being 'underutilized' and therefore bike lanes should be installed.
Lanes that are now vastly underutilized and removed this much needed parking spaces for visitors to our city's events. *Secondly, the city keeps saying they are creating 'safer streets for all', yet this does not seem to be happening.
Our community and visitors to our city deserve more
consideration for their safety than has been given by this 'pilot project'. The lack of acknowledging the unsafe conditions that have been created as a direct result of this 'pilot project' is putting visitors and our own residents at considerable risk.
It should
also be apparent that from a public safety point of view, it can be thought of as knowlingly negligent.
*Lastly, these bike lanes have been in effect for many months now and there has been NO enforcement of them by the city.
None whatsoever....not even during this
huge Butter and Egg Event, where violations were rampant.
So what kind of violation 'data' has the city collected during this phase of the 'pilot project'? And what do you plan to do?
Will you permanently install these lanes and
THEN 'suddenly' start enforcing the rules? Will people then be taken by surprise by this sudden enforcement of the 'rules' when none have been enforced so far to date? This 'pilot study' has been and is based on no credible 'data' at all. 1). Not from what 'data' was used to convince anyone the bike lanes were needed; 2). to the actual installation of them which was frought with nothing but errors/problems, despite how long you had to draft your plan and then execute it; 3). to the 'random' loss of parking for some residents and not others; 4). to the complete favoritism given to a city worker who did not lose her parking; 5). to the non enforcement of this new plan to date and 6). finally to the non transparent method of collecting ANY data from it nor 'what' data would actually be collected and to what are you comparing this data 'to'?
Cyclist usage on D street or any street is rare at best. I drive around this city all the time. I see a rare cyclist and when I do, they are almost always ON the sidewalks, even when 'dedicated bike lanes' are on those same streets. So this makes my ability to park my vehicle ON the street impossible due to those bike lanes resulting in the removal of parking but are NOT used AND has decreased my 'safety' for walking ON the sidewalks because the cyclists refuse to use those street bike lanes provided.
This 'pilot project' is clearly not working nor has it increased 'safety' for the vast majority of people living in and visiting our city.
It is shocking that such a 'pilot project'
has even been attempted that benefits so few and has cost this city so much money, to this point already.
Loretta Mateik
From: Lyn Grosser
To: [email protected]; Peggy Flynn; -- City Clerk; [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: Beautiful Petaluma Riverfront Promenade - IT"S TIME TO TRESTLE! Date: Friday, May 2, 2025 8:54:58 PM
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I support that the City of Petaluma and SMART commit staff and funds NOW to rehabilitate the dilapidated Petaluma Riverfront Trestle into a beautiful riverfront promenade.
Please share this email with the Petaluma City Council members and the SMART Board Members.
It's Time To Trestle!
Thank you.
Sent from my iPhone
From: michael obrien
To: [email protected]; Peggy Flynn; -- City Clerk; [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: Beautiful Petaluma Riverfront Promenade - IT"S TIME TO TRESTLE! Date: Friday, May 2, 2025 7:03:06 PM
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I support that the City of Petaluma and SMART commit staff and funds NOW to rehabilitate the dilapidated Petaluma Riverfront Trestle into a beautiful riverfront promenade.
Please share this email with the Petaluma City Council members and the SMART Board Members.
It's Time To Trestle!
Thank you.
Sent from my iPhone
From: Pro Vocalist
To: [email protected]; Peggy Flynn; -- City Clerk; [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: Beautiful Petaluma Riverfront Promenade - IT"S TIME TO TRESTLE! Date: Sunday, May 4, 2025 11:52:31 AM
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YES … I support that the City of Petaluma and SMART commit staff and funds NOW to rehabilitate the dilapidated Petaluma Riverfront Trestle into a beautiful riverfront promenade.
Please share this email with the Petaluma City Council members and the SMART Board Members.
It's Time To Trestle!
Thank you.
Michael Scott
From: Janis
To: DeCarli, Alex; -- City Clerk; Cindy Chong
Subject: Public Stairway and Trail at Oak Knoll Court Petaluma Date: Saturday, April 26, 2025 12:17:12 PM
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We, the residents of 10 Oak Knoll Court (OKC), Petaluma CA 94952. We are opposed to the development of a public stairway and trail to access open space at the top of this cul de sac along with the proposed signage at the junction with Sunnyslope Road and in front of the home at 22 OKC. These plans were approved in 2010 by the City of Petaluma and Lafferty Construction. Things have changed dramatically since then. Our objections are as follows:
1. In February 2025 the OKC area was designated a moderate fire risk zone by the California State Fire Marshall. Public access to this area will increase the risk of fires and the accompanying traffic and parking on the cul de sac will impede the access for fire and emergency vehicles. 2. The plans do not state who will be responsible for trash removal, enforcement of hours of access and liability for injuries on this steep hillside.
3. This area is the home of a flock of wild turkeys and is frequented by deer. This development will certainly impact their habitat.
4. This small area is surrounded by fenced private property and does not communicate with other open spaces which diminishes its value for recreation.
Thank you for your consideration of this issue.
Michael and Janis Crawford
From: Sammantha Boaz
To: [email protected]; Peggy Flynn; -- City Clerk; Gina Benedetti-Petnic; [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: Beautiful Petaluma Riverfront Promenade - It"s TIME TO TRESTLE! Date: Monday, April 28, 2025 6:37:07 AM
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I support that the City of Petaluma and SMART commit staff and funds NOW to rehabilitate the dilapidated Petaluma Riverfront Trestle into a beautiful riverfront promenade. Please share this email with the City Council members and SMART Board Members.
Thank you. It is Time To Trestle!
Sammantha
From: susan k
To: -- City Clerk
Subject: General Public Comment -
Date: Monday, May 5, 2025 1:37:03 AM
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How much $ was lost by the City on LUMAICE and how has this loss been covered?.
Why hasn't what I understand is a massive financial loss been disclosed and discussed? Susan Kirks
EKN Development Group - www.ekndevelopment.com - 220 Newport Center Dr, Ste 11-262, Newport Beach, CA 92660
May 2, 2025
Via Electronic Mail
Lydia Asselin [email protected]
Jane Hamilton [email protected]
Petaluma Historic Advocates (“PHA”) Petaluma Historic Advocates 821 6th Street P.O. Box 902
Petaluma, CA 94952 Petaluma, CA 94953
c/o Lydia Asselin, Jane Hamilton, c/o Tom Lewis
Tom Lewis, Mike Healy
Lydia A. Asselin Jane Hamilton
2160 Falcon Ridge Drive 110 G St
Petaluma, CA 94954 Petaluma, CA 94952
Tom Lewis Mike Healy
425 Trinity Ct 11 Western Ave
Petaluma CA 94954 Petaluma, CA 94952
Colleen Mahoney David Alan Boyd
2781 Middle Two Rock Rd. 455 Lohrman Lane
Petaluma, CA 94952 Petaluma, CA 94952
EKN Development Group - www.ekndevelopment.com - 220 Newport Center Dr, Ste 11-262, Newport Beach, CA 92660 Petaluma Historic Advocates
Dear Members of the Petaluma Historic Advocates,
In my continued efforts to build a bridge and understand your advocacy, I write to you today because I continue to believe that EKN Development will soon be part of the Petaluma community in a meaningful way. Many of our resources and attention have been focused on the proposed Appellation Hotel—an endeavor we believe holds great promise for the city. We’ve also made it a priority to engage deeply and respectfully with the community to demonstrate our willingness to listen, adapt, and incorporate feedback whenever possible. To that end, it is crucial for us to understand the true purpose and objectives of the Petaluma Historic Advocates. To that end, it’s crucial for us to understand the true purpose, undertakings, and expertise of the Petaluma Historic Advocates. Your website states a mission of "Preserving Petaluma’s Historic Character," a goal we wholeheartedly support. However, if the intent behind the current referendum effort extends beyond preservation—and instead reflects broader opposition to progress—then we believe the community deserves clarity. In the interest of honest civic dialogue, it’s fair to ask: What is the true objective of this referendum, and why should Petalumans place their trust in the direction you propose?
Whether as landowners or hotel operators, we fully intend to play an active role in Petaluma’s future. We bring not only substantial financial and human resources, but also decades of experience in development, construction, and long-term stewardship. We are confident that our presence and partnership will bring a lasting, positive impact to the downtown core.
To that end, I reach out once more—following several one-on-one meetings with members of your advocacy group—with the sincere hope of finding common ground. Harmony, not division, will serve Petaluma best moving forward. The Appellation project is a unique opportunity for collaboration, where different perspectives can shape a future rooted in shared values.
We deeply respect the passion you bring to preserving Petaluma’s historic character. Progress and preservation need not be at odds—and we are committed to continued dialogue and mutual understanding. Now that the overlay has passed the City Council in a 5-to-1 vote. I am suggesting to people that the opportunity to influence this project lies directly ahead through the pending SPAR (HCPC PC) process, which is the best and most effective forum to voice concerns and shape outcomes.
The hotel’s design has been influenced by Petaluma architects and community feedback, always with the goal of honoring the city's historic character—without resorting to imitation. Our team undertook detailed research and field studies, including in-depth consultation with publications such as Images of America: Petaluma – A History in Architecture by Katherine J. Rinehart, Celebrating Petaluma, and The Petaluma River: A Sketch Journal and Brief Historical Overview by Alan Butler with Katherine J. Rinehart. We strived to strike a respectful balance—paying tribute to the past through thoughtful architecture that complements rather than mimics. Frankly, incorporating every comment we received would have resulted in a confused, caricature-like building—something none of us would want for this city. Instead, we’ve crafted something
EKN Development Group - www.ekndevelopment.com - 220 Newport Center Dr, Ste 11-262, Newport Beach, CA 92660 timeless and authentic, a project that fits within the histopric downtown and we hope Petaluma will be proud to call its own.
Yet despite numerous overtures, we have not received any formal collaborative input from some of the most vocal members of your group. This absence of engagement is disheartening, particularly given the stakes and the window of opportunity before us. I want to let you know that the City intends to hold a design workshop the month, in May, ahead of the design approval process. I strongly encourage you to submit your thoughts—in any format you find appropriate—and to participate in that forum with the sincere intent to collaborate.
As for building size and massing, we were required to include detailed imagery within the CEQA package. These renderings show a building in clear visual harmony with its surroundings. To address concerns about seasonal appearance, we’ve also prepared updated images during the green season that more accurately reflect Petaluma’s character for most of the year. From nearly every angle, the building is scarcely visible—underscoring our effort to create something that blends rather than overwhelms. The height, while essential for financial viability, also enables benefits for the entire community, such as the rooftop terrance.
Indeed, the Appellation Hotel is expected to generate upwards of an estimated $750K annually in Transient Occupancy and Sales Taxes—funds that can directly support local preservation, infrastructure, and community programs. Beyond that, the hotel will contribute significantly through job creation, increased business for local merchants, and greater visibility for Petaluma as a destination city.
This project has always been rooted in respect—for the city, its history, and its people. We’re not here to recreate or overshadow what makes Petaluma special. On the contrary, we’ve actively built relationships with local farmers, vintners, ranchers, and artisans, with the intent to showcase this region’s deep agricultural heritage. We see the hotel as a vessel to elevate the community— not just a business, but a long-term partner dedicated to preserving Petaluma’s soul while inviting thoughtful progress.
I recognize that efforts may be underway to secure signatures for a potential referendum, and I respectfully raise a concern that such efforts—if based on statements that misrepresent the true scale or intent of the proposed development—could inadvertently undermine the Petaluma Historic Advocate’s stated mission of protecting the city’s historical integrity. We understand that the PHA has submitted language to the City Attorney with the aim of initiating a petition opposing the Overlay District which our hotel falls directly within its boundaries. In this light, the petition clearly targets our project directly. The Overlay is the mechanism that enables the development of the hotel; thus, opposing the Overlay effectively halts the hotel project. We firmly believe the broader Petaluma community supports our vision, as reflected in the 5-to-1 majority vote by the community’s elected representatives. Even the one no-vote by Vice Mayor Nau was pre-empted by her own comments in favor of the hotel project itself. If the goal of PHA is to simply defeat the project at any cost—by fabricating inaccuracies and fear mongering that lead to signatures gathered under false impressions—that would not only undermine the integrity of the process, but also do a disservice to the very community we all care deeply about. If the
EKN Development Group - www.ekndevelopment.com - 220 Newport Center Dr, Ste 11-262, Newport Beach, CA 92660 latter—misguided information—we stand ready to scrutinize every signature and the information that was used to challenge the outcome of a potential referendum.
Encouraging others to sign the petition may seem like a faithful act of advocacy, but it comes at a considerable cost—to every taxpayer in Petaluma. Should the referendum proceed, it could trigger an election costing an estimated $120,000 to $365,000 in taxpayer funds that could otherwise support preservation projects, public services, or revitalization efforts downtown.
Promoting a signature campaign without a clear solution or alternative plan diverts precious resources from the very community you claim to support. This is not responsible civic leadership—it’s a costly detour driven by a seemingly narrow agenda, one that will undermine real progress in favor of performative opposition. Let’s avoid such a waste of taxpayer dollars.
In closing, I invite you to engage with us meaningfully. This is a pivotal moment—not only for our project but for what it symbolizes: the possibility of collaboration over conflict. Let’s work together to protect what matters most and to shape a future Petaluma that honors its past while building toward something even greater. Any of you may email me in reply to this letter to schedule a conversation. I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Ebbie Nakhjavani
CEO, EKN Development
[email protected]
Good evening, Mayor, City Council and City Staff
We come together tonight from multiple mobile parks in
Petaluma representing really one of the last alternatives to affordable housing. What sets us apart is that we can own our mobile homes, which reflect a sales price that is within our means. However, we must rent the land from what used to be Mom and Pop owners, some who even lived within
these communities.
As you honor affordable housing this month, we call
attention to the attack on mobile park residents by large investment groups who purchase secret deals from these
mom-and-pop owners, pillage, and seek to remove all
protections that cities, counties and states have taken years to put in place. These are sophisticated investors who own up to 100 mobile parks in each of their portfolios, who of course did their due diligence as to what profit they would receive.
Never would investors not understand the market or the
bottom line before handing over millions and millions of dollars to own Petaluma Mobile Parks.
It isn’t just Petaluma it is of course happening in all 50 states and in almost all cities with mobile parks.
We the 2500 residents in 900 addresses in our 7 mobile
parks in Petaluma stand in their way. We stand in their way in park investment groups gouging, intimidating and coercing their way to profits so far exceeding local rent stabilization ordinances.
Standing in their way is not for the faint of heart.
We are attacked in every part of any peaceful living.
We have had to face 5 arbitrations, 4 closure notification (2 illegal), removal of senior park status even with a senior park overlay in effect, removal of parking (a core need) just to function daily, illegal termination of tendencies, massive overcharges. We have been faced with fundraising money
when there is donor fatigue.
We have been faced with eviction for standing up for our rights and we have been faced with eviction from heavy
financial burdens of water heaters, heating, siding, flooring, even weeds that some residents simply cannot afford to
repair.
Our saving grace was and is Rebuilding Together of Petaluma and Petaluma people Services.
They minimize that stress day in and day out.
These investment groups are trying to bleed dry the seniors and vulnerable families living in Youngstown, Capri, and little woods with frivolous litigation that require insurmountable legal fees.
These litigations unanswered would allow these bad actor investment groups receiving exactly what they are seeking- raising ground rents to whatever they want, intimidating, coercing and threatening residents into submission.
If you could imagine your own grandmother or grandfather living in a mobile park like Youngstown having these
business practices stressing them out every day-most who fall prey to submission just to have a little peace before they leave this earth.
If you could imagine a vulnerable family member raising their children, humbly working multiple jobs having to be
frightened that when they pull up to unload their children since their parking space is gone and requires finding
parking a long way away living in fear that the manager’s threats of towing while you are unloading is real. How would they afford the $600 plus dollars to get it out of towing? The affordable housing crisis is real.
These bad actor investment groups lead with false narratives that they are supplying affordable housing.
They are not; residents themselves buy these mobile homes with hard earned money.
These investment groups are supplying land only that
residents pay a lot for. Their intent is not affordability, its gouging and more and more profits.
Their false narratives are simply that False narratives
While our residents live under the stress of appeals now and loss of parking and so much more these bad actor
investment groups continue to reduce even more of the
amenities that we pay for.
Youngstown pool opened May 1st with Duck feces in hot tub and pool, algae and dirt throughout tiles, non-working hot tub, cold water in shower and broken furniture.
Once again, we, the residents of mobile parks here in
Petaluma, thank you for being courageous to stand up for all your citizens’ rights.
We see the due diligence you offer after painstaking
research and understanding of the laws.
In conclusion our residents have been going to the state capitol to offer testimony in support of and in opposition to mobile park bills which can benefit all California mobile park residents.
We ask you as well as our fellow community members to
oppose AB813, a WMA park owners sponsored bill which
would allow management to deem any resident a nuisance
even in advocacy and allow them to be evicted.
We as GSMOL super chapter residents oppose this bill
entirely.
Please help us support our assembly member bills by
Damon Connolly to stop interference with sales and to allow air conditioners and cooling areas at resident homes in this clear climate crisis of staggering summer heats.
These bills are AB456 and AB806, which are vital to our Petaluma residents.
Thank you, City Council and City Staff, for all you do.
Petaluma Mobile residents United