Poll: Don’t sell Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds

An overwhelming majority of respondents in an online Argus-Courier poll said Petaluma should not sell the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds for development. More than 95 percent of nearly 2,000 respondents said the city should keep the fairgrounds as they are, while less than five percent said the city should sell the property.

Here are some comments:

--

“Absolutely not. Having a fair in this egg basket historical town is a massive part of its soul. To sell out to developers would leave an everlasting black eye on Petaluma and drain the enthusiasm and charm from thousands of young FFA and 4H enthusiasts. It would be devastating. Please don’t sell out to more development. Don’t trade the heart of our heritage and connection to the future for greed.”

--

“The fair is a great draw for Petaluma, a wonderful way for the kids to show their animals. The ugly dog contest is known worldwide. Family time is the most important reason. Petaluma doesn’t need another development with buildings sitting empty. We need our fairgrounds.”

--

“Agriculture is so important for young people to have the opportunity to be apart of, even if they aren’t showing. People come to the fair to learn about what makes Petaluma and Sonoma County so special and what our history is about. Keep the fair alive for kids now and for future generations to come.”

--

“Developers are only concerned about their profits not about a community’s history. Many generations of families have built and shared memories at the fairgrounds. If it goes, so do many family traditions.”

--

“Every part of Petaluma doesn’t need to be developed. Let’s leave some of the old town charm in Petaluma.”

--

“Let’s keep one spot in the center of town for the community. I will be so mad if city leaders choose money and more development over community and the spirit of our town. We have enough developments going on and they are nice. Please keep the fairgrounds for Petaluma.”

--

“Having the Fairgrounds gone would be just as horrible as cutting down all of our beautiful redwoods. We cannot allow this to happen to our town because some people don’t care about our history and the things that really matter to longtime Petalumans.”

--

“Yes, it’s a complete waste of land that’s really only used several days out of the year. Same goes for the racetrack, just a noisy race car venue that has almost no ties to Petaluma residents or of any real financial value to the city. The days of a fun family outing at the town fair has been taken away by undesirables.”

--

“Only if the development is a park. Anything that gets rid of raceway blight.”

--

“Why sell out Petaluma’s rich history? Once it’s gone it’s gone forever.”

--

“While every square inch of land fronting East Washington Street is likely worth a fortune, preserving our community agricultural heritage is priceless. As much as I’d like to see us have more money for infrastructure improvements, selling the fairgrounds is not the solution.”