Deer Creek workshop scheduled

<p>A broad-based public workshop to gain input for improving the Deer Creek/McDowell Boulevard area has been organized for Saturday, Aug. 6 at the Petaluma Community Center in Lucchesi Park.</p><p>Greenbelt Alliance, California Infill Builders Council and Sonoma County Conservation Action, which has opposed the current plans to establish the Deer Creek Village shopping center in the area, are sponsoring the event, which will take place from 9:30 a.m. to noon.</p><p>The meeting is not a part of the public approval process for the Deer Creek project. Merlone Geier, the development company handling the project, purchased the land for it in 2008 from Downey Savings & Loan, which was planning to build a larger shopping center. Since then, several public hearings have been held and an environmental impact report has been released.</p><p>Merlone Geier plans to create a shopping center anchored by Lowe's and possibly another large store, as well as smaller boutique and home improvement stores, restaurants, a fitness center and exercise stations and trails.</p><p> “While the Deer Creek project is well along, it has not been finally approved,” said Terry Watt, a volunteer for Greenbelt Alliance and California Infill Builders Council. “It became apparent to our sponsoring organizations that there has been a lot of recent discussion about alternatives to the planned use of the area.</p><p>“Our purpose is for residents of the neighborhood and the greater community to come up with a plan that improves the neighborhood.”</p><p>She said that the Greenbelt Alliance and California Infill Builders Council have not opposed Merlone Geier's plans for Deer Creek, and that the meeting is not being held to generate opposition to them. Watt described the meeting as an open-ended effort to elicit suggestions from community members. She said that participants first will be invited to write down on a large sheet of paper their ideas to improve the neighborhood, and that there will be a PowerPoint presentation on the city's General Plan.</p><p>Watt said that a major focus of the meeting will be on obtaining suggestions that would improve walking to shops, offices and residences in the community, and that some ideas might be presented to Merlone Geier.</p><p>“We don't know what the result of the workshop will be. We might be able to help the developer by coming up with ideas that change current plans,” Watt said. </p><p>“But no one will give any suggestions to the developer other than to define what would make the neighborhood more walkable and other policy concepts in the city's General Plan,” she added.</p><p>“We always welcome community input to assure that the project will be the best it can be for the community,” said Marko Mlikotin, a public relations spokesperson for Merlone Geier.</p><p>Watt said that all of the City Council members and commissioners, as well as the developer, are being invited to the meeting, which is open to the general public. Five council members and four planning commissioners had agreed to attend, as of Tuesday afternoon. Councilmember Teresa Barrett said that attendance by several of the council members does not constitute a Brown Act violation, because it is a public meeting and the members will not be conversing with each other about issues. </p><p>(Contact Dan Johnson at dan.johnson@arguscourier.com)</p>