Petaluma group to host first meeting about General Plan process Wednesday

A local land-use group is launching a series of virtual forums this week designed to demystify the city’s multi-million dollar effort to update its General Plan and articulate a vision for the future.

The first of 32 forums to be held over the next two years kicks off at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24, and is described by organizers as an opportunity to learn about the city’s planning process. Anyone can tune in by following the link, here.

This week’s first meeting will introduce the forthcoming meeting schedule and offer up explanations of key words, government bodies and acronyms commonly used by planners and land use aficionados.

The Zoom meeting is the latest series held by Know Before You Grow, a group born out of a 2017 push to encourage Petalumans to take a more active role in development and land use decisions.

Over the last year, Know Before You Grow has held discussions about various proposed housing projects and city planning efforts, often inviting developers to speak directly with residents.

The series falls under the umbrella of the Urban Chat group, established in 2012 and led by civil engineer Dave Alden to serve as a springboard for discussions about land use, development and sustainability.

Alden has served on a number of city commissions and is one of 21 Petalumans chosen to served as citizen advisers to the General Plan update.

(Contact Kathryn Palmer at kathryn.palmer@arguscourier.com, on Twitter @KathrynPlmr.)