Developer Submits Plans for 54-Room 'Petaluman Hotel'

A vacant lot in downtown Petaluma could be transformed into a four-story, 54-room hotel.

Architect and developer Ross Jones submitted an application to the city last week for the Petaluman Hotel, an $18 million project Jones hopes to have open for business by December 2015.

"The Petaluman is designed to be the heart and soul of downtown," a press release quotes Jones as saying.

The hotel, which would be built at Petaluma Boulevard South and B Street on the site of a former gas station owned by Jones' grandmother, will include an underground "Warm Cave Bar" and a farm-to-table-themed bistro, according to the press release. The rooftop will include a juice bar, a cocktail lounge, a space for viewing parades and holding private events, and an "urban farm."

Jones previously told Patch he hoped to have small livestock and waterfowl on the roof of the hotel, but now the rooftop farm plans include only vegetables and herbs, Jones and consultant Dave Alden said Tuesday.

Five of the 54 rooms at the hotel will be "Wellness Units," which the press release describes as "rooms that provide a home-from-home environment for guests who might benefit from sleep therapy stays in which the environment is entirely allergen and mold free, clean air contained, offering aromatherapy, chromatherapy bath or shower facilities and some physical therapy."

Art from New York sculptor Carole Eisner and local artists will adorn the hotel and a plaza at the intersection of the two streets.

"The Petaluman will be unique in its value as an amenity within the community," the press release quotes Monica Binsfeld of Petaluma-based Ecco Mi design as saying. "Picture the sort of sophisticated yet casual boutique hotel with public bar and restaurant with a vibe that you'd expect to find in a city like Chicago."

Jones estimates it will be six months before the city holds a public hearing on the hotel.

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