Man with a plan

Corte Madera’s senior planner Phil Boyle and his wife Jodi relocated from Marin County to Petaluma in 1994.

“We went north because that’s where price tags took us,” Boyle says. “We already knew about Petaluma, because Jodi was teaching up here and had friends who lived here when I went to Sonoma State. Just after we got the house, I got a planning job in Petaluma and then our two kids Phoebe and Griffin came along. I was fortunate enough to be a planner during the revitalization of downtown and the theater district.”

An active community volunteer, and bicyclist, Boyle has spent his time advocating for bike access and safety in Marin, Petaluma and the Bay Area. He once spent two years traveling across the United States, and western and eastern Europe on his bicycle.

He sometimes volunteers with Rebuilding Together Petaluma, a local nonprofit that performs critical home repairs and revitalization projects for low-income neighbors in need throughout Petaluma. Since the coronovirus pandemic began, Boyle has worked one day a week at the Salvation Army putting together food boxes.

“It’s fabulous!” he says. “I love it! I think its great!”

As an experienced planner, and local resident for 25 years, Boyle definitely has thoughts on Petaluma’s future as it works to move through and beyond the impacts of the pandemic.

“I look at three elements,” he says. “Residential, commercial and employment. Since people are even more interested in relocating from San Francisco and Silicon Valley, to a vibrant, small town, the housing market should stay strong, and Petaluma does a pretty good job of supporting and subsidizing lower income housing.”

That covers the residential aspect, but what about the immediate and long-term effects on commercial markets locally?

“It will take some time, but commercial will eventually bounce back,” he predicts, noting, “It has certainly been devastating to restaurants.”

As for local employment, that’s where Boyle anticipates the most significant shifts in the future.

“Employment is where we will probably see the biggest changes,” he says. “I have enjoyed working from home during COVID, but the gig economy — which was very strong in Petaluma — will be going through some tremendous changes.”

Like many Aevolutions, there will be positive shifts along with painful ones.

“It should be an exciting time,” Boyle says.

At the very least, such periods allow for a time of reflection and examination, and Boyle has been thinking quite a bit about the things he is grateful for.

“I'm very grateful for our two beautiful children, Phoebe and Griffin,” he says. “I’m grateful to have lived in Petaluma for 25 years and to have worked for the city for close to 10 years. And I’m grateful to have shared almost 30 years of my life with my beautiful wife and best friend Jodi.”

(Contact Gil Mansergh at 45gilmansergh@gmail.com)