Charting New Waters

Imagine a boardwalk stretching along the Petaluma river where residents can stroll and ride bikes while enjoying a view of the water. How about a refurbished Water Street, with restaurants that offer riverfront seating and cool public art?

A boater or a kayaker looking for a convenient place to put in? Not a problem, with several landings within walking distance of downtown as well as a watercraft storage and rental center. 

These are just some of the ideas presented Tuesday night at a community open house hosted by Petaluma Water Ways, a coalition of local nonprofit groups that are seeking not only to revive the river, but also the city's relationship to it.

"I always felt the Petaluma River had wonderful potential as an urban river--with a boardwalk and restaurants-- and as a natural marsh," said Susan Starbird, a project coordinator for Petaluma Water Ways and an avid kayaker. 

Many of the ideas laid out in the group's "blueprint for action" Tuesday at the Lucchesi Center are not new and are gleaned from the city's general plan, the River Access Plan and Bike and Pedestrian Coalition reports.

But this is the first time all of them have been integrated and laid out on a color coded map, presenting a stunning visual of a town where the river is a thoroughfare, a natural setting, an educational tool as well as a great tourist attraction.

"This is about putting it all together and figuring out what we have and what needs to be built and then putting it into fundable packages," Starbird said.

The open house was divided into sections, with volunteers describing different components of the plan to residents as well as potential funders. 

"The city was founded on the river and all the commerce grew around it," said David Hansen, a member of Friends of the Petaluma River. "But we neglected it for a long time and only in the last 20 years, we've discovered that it's a wonderful asset for people to fish, to boat and to swim." (Yes, he says, it might look mucky, but the water is safe to swim in.)

If you are interested in finding out more about the project, contact Scott brodhun at the City Manager's Office (707) 778-4345 or sbrodhun@ci.petaluma.ca.us or Susan Starbird at (707) 778-7277 or rtca@starbirdcreative.com.