Planning Commission sends massive housing project back to drawing board

Petaluma’s Planning Commission took another look last week at the Scannell Mixed-Use Development, a massive project proposed for the 500 block of Hopper Street, and again found it wanting.

The proposal by Scannell Properties – which calls for 475 residential units and 4,200 square feet of commercial space on nearly 40 acres just east of Steamer Landing – was considered during a late-night Jan. 24 Planning Commission meeting, the second time the project has been before commissioners in less than a year.

But like last time, the study session ended with commissioners saying the project isn’t ready.

“There are just too many unanswered questions,” said Janice Cader Thompson, who is now the City Council’s liaison to the Planning Commission.

One major change since last year is the absence of organic food maker Amy’s Kitchen, which withdrew its plan for a 10-acre headquarters on the site in January 2022, leaving the developer scrambling to reconfigure its proposal. Amy’s has since set its sights on a downtown location.

“We’ve thought a lot about this in the last 11 months,” said Walker Williams, development manager for Scannell Properties, which purchased the industrial-zoned land – along with two existing industrial buildings between Highway 101 and North McDowell Boulevard – for $46.5 million in 2019.

Hundreds more units

Once the site of a wastewater treatment plant, the property is located along the Petaluma River south of Hopper Street and west of the Riverfront mixed-use development project, where work is finishing up on a hotel, office, commercial and residential space on a 35-acre parcel.

Under the current proposal, about 29 acres of the project would be used for its market-rate residential component, including 90 detached, single-family homes and 68 attached units at market rate. Out of those, 31 of the single-family homes would have the option of an additional unit above the garage.

There would also be 72 affordable housing units designated for residents earning 30% to 60% of the Area Median Income. The affordable housing component would be provided by Eden Housing, which already operates three affordable housing complexes in Petaluma totaling 200 units.

Altogether, the Scannell project’s affordable housing units, apartment units and single-family homes would increase Petaluma’s inventory by 475 units.

The project also proposes a 3,000-foot-long multi-use trail along the Petaluma River, and would call for 69 native oak trees to be planted between the trail and the edge of the river – features newly added since the original plans were put forward a year ago.

Another new aspect of the project plans is a 3.5-acre open space area along the riverfront, which would incorporate a dog park, volleyball courts and fitness circuit stations.

Along with that, Scannell Properties said it plans to work with state agencies to ”remove existing concrete, steel, and timber retaining walls and restore the bank’s natural habitat,” according to a letter from Williams to city planner Emmanuel Ursu.

Major concerns

But commissioners worried that such changes to the riverbank could increase erosion – and more generally, that the overall project could create environmental issues.

“I think the setbacks from the river need to be farther,” said Cader Thompson. “I think we need to evaluate and get data on our mapping, and I don’t think we have that information to really even make any decisions until we have that data.”

Several residents had their own environmental concerns, including that the project does not address climate change impacts and that it would do harm to the surrounding habitat.

Commissioner Roger McErlane also questioned how the project would bring about a “sense of place” to meet Petalumans’ needs as a community, as the residential community would be constructed in a part of the city that has not been well-established visually or socially and doesn’t have easy connection to nearby attractions.

The original proposal had included 30,000 square feet of commercial and retail space. But based on public input, that was downsized to 4,200 square feet of commercial space.

“If it were up to us, there would be zero retail,” Williams said in answer to comments from commissioners about the decrease. “It’s just an awful location for retail.” He added that a corner store, restaurant and coffee shop would fit well in the proposed location.

The number of proposed parking spaces for the overall project was also decreased by 15% to 134 spaces. But some commissioners said the amount of parking in the project was still excessive.

Commissioner Blake Hooper called for more opportunity for a community garden in the space, and for less of it to be taken up by concrete elements like parking.

“Having greenways, access to gardens, access to not having a heat trap in the middle of apartments. That’s not an option, it’s a necessity,” Hooper said. “Wasting density the way this does is inexcusable.”

In response to concerns that the design elements of the project may not fit Petaluma’s culture and history, Williams noted that it is still in its conceptual stage and has not yet reached the environmental review stage, so a specific design has not yet been determined.

Cader Thompson’s and Commissioner Rick Whisman also expressed hesitation toward the project without knowing if the city will soon go through with promises of completing a crosstown connector on Caulfield Lane, which could help alleviate traffic congestion in the area.

Amelia Parreira is a staff writer for the Argus-Courier. She can be reached at amelia.parreira@arguscourier.com or 707-521-5208.