Renaissance Petaluma

Blog

◼︎ Click here to join Renaissance Petaluma and help shape Petaluma's future.

◼︎ Click here to join Renaissance Petaluma and help shape Petaluma's future.

Blog Index

Welcome to the Renaissance Petaluma Community Blog — your window into thoughtful civic dialogue and community action in downtown Petaluma. Our blog will offer timely updates, insights, and perspectives on the initiatives, policy discussions and public‑education efforts that shape Petaluma’s next chapter. Join us as we explore how smart growth, historic preservation and community benefit can work hand in hand for a vibrant, authentic downtown.


Review & Summary of John Burns’ Opinion:
Community Matters: Will Petaluma nurture or stifle its downtown?

Summary & Review Author: Elisa Weber
Opinion Author:
John Burns, former publisher of the Argus-Courier
Originally Published: Argus-Courier
Date: November 29, 2025
Argus-Courier URL: https://www.petalumanews.com/2025/11/21/community-matters-will-petaluma-nurture-or-stifle-its-downtown/


Reconsidering the Building of the Hotel Petaluma: Visionary, Not Gullible

Author: Stuart A. Sutton, Professor Emeritus, University of Washington
Date: November 10, 2025


Commentary: Opponents of New Petaluma Hotel Forget the City’s Once Bold Spirit

Authors: Elisa Weber, Nancy Leoni, & Naomi Crawford
Originally Published: Argus Courier
Date: July 10, 2025


Matt Sharkey: Letter to the Editor

Author: Matt Sharkey
Originally Published: Argus Courier
Date: TBD


Appellation Petaluma Hotel: An Investment in Out Future

Authors: Elisa Weber, Nancy Leoni, & Naomi Crawford
Originally Published: Argus Courier
Date: May 26, 2025


Neglecting Downtown Petaluma is Not Protecting It

Author: Brian Barnackle
Originally Published: Argus Courier
Date: May 12, 2025