Commentary: Opponents of New Petaluma Hotel Forget the City’s Once Bold Spirit
Authors: Elisa Weber, Nancy Leoni, & Naomi Crawford
Petaluma stands at a crossroads. A recent citizen-initiated ballot referendum in Petaluma that seeks to overturn carefully considered changes approved by our City Council has made it onto the next ballot. The initiative rejects changes that would selectively allow, under rigorous review, the construction of buildings up to six stories tall in certain parts of our historic downtown.
Changes to building height limits from the current four to six floors in select developments do not open the door to reckless development. They open the door to thoughtful, impactful projects that reflect the evolving needs of our community. Opponents have framed these height limit adjustments for select properties as a threat to our heritage. But in reality, they are an invitation to strengthen our city—culturally, architecturally, and economically. The City Council approved zoning changes that are accompanied by strict review requirements.
The first project to move forward under the revisions—one of high quality and vision—demonstrated the scale of positive impact such projects can have. The fiscal contributions include over $2.5 million in one-time development impact fees for the Appellation Petaluma Hotel, money that would flow directly into our City coffers. This would provide new funding for traffic improvements, parks, open space, and civic infrastructure. That’s before a single hotel guest checks in. Over the next quarter century, Petaluma stood to gain more than $41 million in new tax revenue from this single hospitality investment. Transient occupancy taxes alone could generate $37 million in funding for essential city services like parks, public safety, and local programming. And that’s just the public revenue.
The total economic activity from construction and operations is projected at more than half a billion dollars over 25 years. Roughly 328 construction jobs would be supported in the short term, with 150 permanent local jobs created year over year. Petaluma businesses, particularly those downtown, could see over $250 million in local guest spending, directly strengthening our independent shops, restaurants, and cultural venues.
In sum, a total of over $809,000,000 in public and private revenue would flow into the Petaluma community over the next 25 years. These numbers aren’t hypothetical—they’re backed by detailed city findings and economic impact studies.
Too much of the opposition to these updates is rooted not in facts, but in fear that anything new under the revisions must threaten the old. In truth, these revisions were designed to protect Petaluma’s heritage while allowing it to grow. They were crafted to ensure that new buildings contribute meaningfully to our urban fabric—economically, architecturally, and socially.
However, this conversation is about far more than one hotel. It’s about how the citizens of Petaluma choose to define “preservation.” Do we see it as a living practice—one that embraces continuity across generations? Or do we reduce it to a defensive stance, wielded to halt change rather than shape it?
True preservation is not the act of freezing time. It is the commitment to steward our shared legacy while building a future worth inheriting. It asks each generation to leave behind something of value—not just memories, but markers of relevance and vitality.
Right now, our city’s future is being shaped by a small but vocal few looking backward. But what about the rising generation of Petaluman citizens—the ones who will inherit the long-term consequences of stagnation disguised as stewardship? Their voices, too often left out, must be brought into the conversation through new leadership and vigorous public outreach through the rising generations' digital communication channels of choice.
This is not just Petaluma’s story. Across the country, cities and towns struggle with efforts to repackage nostalgia as policy, sidelining the concerns of younger residents, renters, workers, and small business owners who experience towns and cities not as static postcards but as dynamic ecosystems. Preservation, when used as a blunt instrument, can become a barrier to progress and, unfortunately, a mask for exclusion.
Petaluma deserves better. We deserve leaders who can hold our heritage with care, without mistaking it for a cage. We need a Mayor and City Council who understand that honoring our past means investing in our future. We need a Mayor and City Council who can vigorously carry the progressive measures Petaluma needs to the citizens of Petaluma. We need future-facing leaders who recognize that thoughtful change is not the enemy of character, but its next chapter. We need leaders who are willing to vigorously oppose candidates who see a progressive Petaluma as unacceptable. We, as citizens of Petaluma, need to make our voices heard loud and clear at the ballot box.
Let’s ask ourselves honestly: Will we define “historic” as an end point, or a point of departure? Will we build a city where future generations can contribute, create, and be seen? Or will we allow decisions to be shaped by those clinging to a version of Petaluma that no longer reflects the whole of who we are?
This is not just about height limits. It’s about limits on vision, inclusivity, and courage.
We, as citizens of Petaluma, need to make our voices heard by rejecting fear-based nostalgia at the ballot box. Let’s choose future-facing leaders who are willing to look forward with clarity, with care, and with confidence. Petaluma’s legacy isn’t something to entomb—it’s something to grow into. And that growth starts by electing progressive candidates vigorously committed to both preservation and progress.
Published: Argus Courier
Date: July 10, 2025
