Deer Creek apartments approved in east Petaluma

The developer proposing a residential add-on to the Deer Creek Village shopping center made enough improvements to win over the Petaluma Planning Commission Tuesday night after the body turned down the first draft of the project earlier this year.

The commission levied a 4-1 vote this week that opens up nearly five acres of land on the northwestern end of the North McDowell Boulevard shopping center for the construction of 134 apartments spread across five buildings. Commissioners Richard Marzo and Diana Gomez were absent.

In May, the planning commission approved a permit but were unsatisfied with the size, architectural form and absence of solar readiness that will be required in the 2020 building code when the project, pursued by West Coast developer Merlone Geier, will likely begin construction.

After making a series of changes, adding five more units, solar panels, additional landscaping and stone and wood siding to the facade, the commission OK’d a project that will change the atmosphere around the Rainier Avenue intersection.

Commission member Heidi Bauer said the project was a good example of when a solid project became better after the commission asked for adjustments and the developer was willing to cooperate.

“You came back and addressed all the things we needed,” she said to the representatives from Merlone Geier. “You increased the density like we asked for, you addressed our solar issues, you even put more EV charging stations in and - closest to my heart - you changed the facade facing North McDowell. I’m really happy with this and think it’ll be a nice project.”

Commission Chair Scott Alonso, who lives near the project site, cast the lone dissenting vote.

He said his comments in May about the color scheme and lack of chemistry with the residential styles nearby were neglected. He also appeared dissatisfied with a comment from Merlone Geier vice president Glenn Goodman that adding any affordable units would make the project unfeasible.

The project application was deemed complete before Dec. 31, the deadline for housing developments to avoid the city’s new inclusionary policy, which requires 15% of the units at an affordable rate, or an in-lieu fee equal to 20%.

“Ultimately, this isn’t the right fit for this part of town,” Alonso said. “I want this part to succeed with the shopping center there. It should succeed, but ultimately I think it just falls short.”

The five new buildings, which will be three stories high and have underground parking, are the final piece to a shopping center approved in 2012 that houses Friedman’s Home Improvement and City Sports Club, and will be located at the eastern entrance to the long-awaited Rainier crosstown connector.

Since the project was built, however, the shopping center has been beset with commercial vacancies. Merlone Geier representatives said at an outreach meeting earlier this year that they’re hopeful that more foot traffic will create more interest from prospective business owners looking for a new home.

Some in Petaluma feel those vacancies could have been filled sooner if the developer had considered requests to create a more cohesive model with housing above retail when the project was first proposed.

“There was huge community involvement to draw up a plan that would include more mixed-use, but they weren’t at all interested in that,” Mayor Teresa Barrett said in May. “Now they’re looking at housing, but it won’t be the integrated mixed-use that the community wanted.”

The revised version of the project includes 201 parking spaces and 12 electric vehicle charging stations. Out of the 134 units, 93 will be one bedroom ranging between 564 and 1,070 square feet. The remaining 41 units are two bedroom.

With solar arrays on top of the covered, above-ground parking spaces and building rooftops, the project is expected to be 100% net zero energy, officials said.

One of the biggest concerns from nearby residents was the potential loss of the dog park, which has become a popular destination for Petaluma pet owners. The park was created by the developer as a temporary use of the space when Deer Creek was initially built since it’s where the proposed Rainier interchange will be located.

Planning officials said it will remain until that part of Rainier is constructed, and the developer agreed to build a new parking lot to accompany the park until that day arrives.

Representatives from Merlone Geier did not immediately return calls Wednesday seeking an update on the projected timeline for construction.

(Contact News Editor Yousef Baig at yousef.baig@arguscourier.com or 776-8461, and on Twitter @YousefBaig.)