Building What is Right for Petaluma
The decisions Petaluma makes over the next four years will shape our town for the next 40 years. We need a planning process – with real community engagement, and real design standards – so that the projects that shape our downtown fit in with the historic character that makes Petaluma so special.
I’ll advocate for development that’s right for Petaluma:
- Bring back design review for our Historic Downtown
- Enact a community driven process for design standards throughout the city
- Proactive community engagement before every project, led by staff trained in facilitation and conflict resolution
- Focus on affordable housing for working families, and options for seniors who want to downsize
- No hotel unless it’s the right fit for Petaluma
- Build respectful communication between our people and our city so that we can have the tough conversations that will shape the future we need
- Work on the budget to bring our senior planning staff back in-house
Walkable Neighborhoods
We need to focus on bringing sidewalk repair back to city responsibility, so we can start safely walking around our district again. We need to drastically expand our streetlight network for the safety of our residents at night. We need to continue building out our bike path network, but with a focus on real community engagement so we can build what’s right for Petaluma, not just what’s fastest, and we need to fix traffic on D Street so our streets are safer for everyone.
As your councilmember, my priorities are:
- Sidewalk development and repair
- Improve streetlights on our darkest streets
- Build bike lanes that the community wants
- Fix D Street traffic
- Build the Caulfield Connector for real traffic relief
- Meaningful mobility options for our Seniors and individuals with limited mobility
- Complete streets policy for our road designs to enable pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles to cooperate, rather than being at odds with one another
- Support expanding our public transit shuttle fleet to enable more bus routes throughout the district
- Maintain and improve parks and sports fields on Petaluma’s west side, to reduce cross-town car journeys for exercise and recreation
Protect Our Climate and Agricultural Heritage
Growing up on the edge of our urban growth boundary, with a farm on the other side of my back fence, I deeply understand how access to nature is something that makes Petaluma special. I want to protect our
As your councilmember, my priorities are:
- Protect our Urban Growth Boundaries
- Support our local agriculture and small businesses
- Strengthen regional fire resilience so we can continue to thrive in adverse conditions
- Advocate for greater water catchment and drought conservation practices
- Push for climate mitigation policies in our new general plan and updated building code
- Work with Council to finally restore our downtown trestle
- Update and expand our original river access enhancement plan
- Maintain our fairgrounds as a vital link between Petaluma and our neighbors in agriculture – emergency service facilities on the parking lot only, with no reduction of recreation and community space
Build a Circular Economy For Working Families
Petaluma is more than a great place to visit. To continue to be a great place to live, we need access to good jobs in a diverse range of industries, so we can be housed and secured through good times and bad. The pandemic showed us that with the right industries in Petaluma, we don’t need to commute out of Petaluma every day just to earn enough money to stay here. We can work together to bring industries to Petaluma that can sustain all of us.
As your councilmember, my priorities are:
- Expand skilled job opportunities in Petaluma by prioritizing green and medium manufacturing businesses
- Advocate for city contracts that require local skilled and trained labor
- Support mixed-use development where we can live close to where we work
- Support the expansion of maker spaces and other creative industry opportunities
- Advocate for zoning changes to allow small retail businesses – including corner stores – closer to residential areas
Other Priorities
- No on Measure J – We must protect our agricultural community and family owned farms in Sonoma County. I have proudly worked to help build a broader coalition in Petaluma around defeating Measure J.
- Yes on Measure Y – Growing up next to a green belt was an important part of my childhood, and I want future Petalumans to have the same opportunity. I have used every opportunity in my public service, including as Planning Commissioner, to maintain and improve our urban growth boundaries, and I support measure Y.