Greenery, High Density Housing Can Coexist at Downtown Train Station

I had lunch last week with a friend. During the meal, she asked about the Petaluma Station Area Plan. In particular, she noted her admiration for Sonoma Plaza and wondered if something similar could be provided next to the Petaluma SMART Station. 

I love Sonoma Plaza. A favorite meal for my wife and I is buying sandwiches from the Basque Boulangerie Café and finding a quiet corner of the plaza for lunch.

But Sonoma Plaza is a historic anomaly, a land use that was set aside when land was cheap. It then burrowed a hole so deeply into the civic sensibility such that no one would propose yielding even the smallest part.

I wish we had a Sonoma Plaza equivalent in Petaluma, but it’s nearly impossible with a 21st century economy and land use philosophy. Nor do I think it would be the right decision at the SMART station. Here are some of the impediments:

First, the Petaluma Station Area Plan is being prepared under a grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). Under the MTC’s Transit-Oriented Development Policy, SMART stations must provide an average of 2,200 residential units within a half-mile of the station. And MTC is allowed to impose their standard because they’re providing funds to SMART.

Today, Petaluma falls below the required level, so not building residential development in that area would harm the average. Therefore, MTC was willing to provide grant funds to help Petaluma plan for more homes. The grant wasn’t intended to encourage large urban parks.

Second, SMART itself owns the parcel nearest to the station. SMART’s finances have been difficult because of the economy. Their dual incentive is to have potential train riders live in close proximity to the station and to maximize the value of the parcel. Both incentives argue for residential development.

Third, I’m not sure that a park would even be the best land use. It’s easy to dream about stepping off a train after a successful day of work and ambling toward downtown through a park of singing birds and budding trees, but the frequent reality is stumbling off a train after another day of office drudgery and dragging through a drippy and leafless park. (I think many home purchase decisions are driven by similarly unreasonable fantasies, but that’s a subject for another time.)

I looked around Theatre Square where my friend and I were eating. There were perhaps 200 people dining in the restaurants and shopping at the stores. At the same time, there were perhaps 20 people in nearby Walnut Park, mostly children and chaperones. The ratio was indicative. We like eating, drinking, and shopping. It doesn’t mean that we’re anti-nature, only that we enjoy conviviality and good food. Most people would find more enjoyment in a pub near the train station than a park.

For all these reasons, the project team reached the conclusion that the best use for the Petaluma Station Area was largely residential, with retail and public spaces to complement the residential. Train riders disembarking from the train would encounter a boulevard of mid-rise residential with streetfront retail and dining options. (see conceptual illustrations on the right)

But all is not lost for park-lovers. It was also decided that the area deserved a place for outdoor enjoyment and civic festivals. So the block nearest the station would be wide, allowing a greenbelt for casual picnics and providing enough room, with the street barricaded at both ends, for a celebration. I support both the street width and detailing.

But to illustrate the complicated land development issues, SMART is dubious about the extra street width, thinking that it may overly impact the residential unit count. The City is working to convince SMART that the additional width will add richness to the project which will support higher prices for the homes and increase the likelihood of attracting development capital.

It’s a complicated dance that won’t end soon.

As always, your questions or comments will be appreciated. Please comment below or email me. And thanks for reading. - Dave Alden (davealden53@comcast.net)

Dave Alden is a Registered Civil Engineer. He has worked on energy and land use projects in California, Oregon, and Washington. He also was the president of a minor league baseball team for two seasons. He lives on the west side of Petaluma with his wife and four dogs. The blog that he writes can be found at http://northbaydesignkit.blogspot.com. He can also be followed on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.