New Year, New Projects

The Target and Friedman’s shopping centers are approved and on their way to being built, but five new projects will soon be considered by the Petaluma City Council.

They include:

-a 100-unit apartment complex and single home development along Hopper Street next to the Petaluma River. A project of Basin Street Properties, one of Petaluma’s largest developers, it will also have a 120-room hotel and 60,000 square feet of office space, along with some space for retail.

(For comparison, the Golden Eagle Shopping Center is about 70,000 sq. feet.)

-114 apartment units, assisted living facility and 22,000 square feet north of East Washington Street, known as North River Landing project,

-a new Walgreen’s in the Friedman’s shopping center on North McDowell,

-a 100-plus apartment complex at end of Graylawn Avenue (between Petaluma Boulevard North and Petaluma River), known as Sid Commons,

-a 93-home development near the corner of D and Windsor streets, known as the Davidon project. If built, the 53-acre project will tear down the historic red barn on the property,

Critics have raised concerns over some of these developments, especially the densely-packed Basin Street Properties development because of how much traffic it would bring to the area. There are also access issues, since the only street residents and shoppers would be able to enter and exit from is Caulfield Lane, which could be a problem in an event of a fire, earthquake or other natural disaster.

But Paul Andronico, a spokesman for Basin Street, told the Argus Courier that the company has “worked extensively with an outside fire consultant and city staff to create solutions.” He added that the project should not require environmental review because it’s consistent with the city’s General Plan requirements.

Poor access and concerns over traffic are also an issue with the Sid Commons development, which would sit at the end of a street and only have one point of entry and exit. (The city requires two entry points for approval.)

Another complicating factor is the railroad tracks that pass through the property as well as environmental considerations, since the parcel is on the banks of the Petaluma River and surrounded by oaks and other native species.

Click here to read the Argus Courier article about these projects.

Then tell us: Are you concerned about the new development? Excited for the changes to come? Share your thoughts in the comments below.