Celebrity chef Charlie Palmer’s new ‘Appellation Petaluma’ hotel proposal garners mixed reactions

The proposal to build a new hotel at the corner of Petaluma Boulevard and B Street now comes paired with a second proposal: upping the height limits in Petaluma’s historic downtown district so that the six-story structure can be built there.

But both proposals were met with mixed reactions, including uncertainty and strong push-back, during a public study session last week.

No action was taken during the joint study session on Tuesday, June 13 between the Petaluma Planning Commission and Historic and Cultural Preservation Committee, where multiple commissioners and committee members came prepared to support the hotel but questioned whether a zoning change was appropriate.

“I like the idea of the hotel, I like the idea of the financial impact, I like the idea of the quality of what we bring to the town, I just think it has to be the right fit,” said Planning Commissioner Roger McErlane. “And I’m not sure we found it yet.”

McErlane addressed the paired proposals by suggesting a possible scaling down of either of them – the size of the hotel, or the affected area of the zoning amendment.

The proposed hotel – named Appellation Petaluma ever since celebrity chef Charlie Palmer’s Appellation joined forces with original applicant EKN Development – would be a six-story structure with 93 guest bedrooms, a ground-floor hotel lobby and restaurant, rooftop lounge and event space and a below-grade, 58-space valet parking garage.

That proposal was not new. What was new during the June 13 meeting was a proposed “Building Form Overlay,” a kind of zoning amendment that superimposes new regulations over an existing zoning district.

In this case, the overlay, proposed by EKN Development, would increase the maximum allowable building height from 45 feet to 70 feet, and the maximum lot coverage from 80% to 100% – giving Appellation Petaluma the extra space it needs without being scaled down.

But dozens of residents who commented on the item before and during the Tuesday evening discussion were far from pleased.

“We want to maintain our unique sense of place,” one commenter said in a letter posted to the city’s website. “A re-zoning overlay of our historic and downtown district that would allow for higher than normal buildings, and buildings that cover more of a lot, would be a terrible thing to have come to pass for our beautiful town.”

The proposed changes to the zoning “will be the end of charming Petaluma as we know it,” another commenter said.

The study area for the Building Form Overlay includes about a dozen blocks of the Petaluma Historic Commercial District and the A Street Historic District, bounded by Washington Street to the north, Petaluma Boulevard to the east, D Street to the south and Howard and Liberty streets to the west, according to a staff report.

The report says the intention of the overlay is to “spur economic growth by creating attractive development opportunities” in the downtown area where multiple abandoned buildings and underutilized parking structures are apparent, while also making way for more density and mixed-use developments that “prioritize additional housing in the downtown core.”

“I would like to see more hotels downtown because I think it’s good for the economy,” said council member Janice Cader Thompson, who serves as liaison to the Planning Commission. But she added she was unsure if increasing the height standards for the entire study area was appropriate.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Sandra Potter questioned the projected economic value of the hotel, and how those numbers could be affected by other recently opened hotels in the city, such as the 140-room Hilton Home2Suites that just opened on the northeast end of town.

“I am not opposed to densification or increasing height limits, but we have to have very strong protections for historic buildings that are existing,” she said.

Hotel backers said they expect Appellation Petaluma to create about 150 jobs and generate $18.6 million of economic activity annually. In its first 25 years of activity, the hotel is also expected to bring in about $37 million in transient occupancy tax revenue to the city, $3.8 million in city sales tax, and about $25 million in property tax.

McErlane called for city staff to conduct their own study to make sure the projections are accurate, “city-backed economics.”

Some suggested that such a drastic zoning change is better suited for the General Plan update process, which is currently underway for 2025.

“Ideally I would have liked to see this be part of our General Plan update,” Potter said.

According to Hotel Appellation’s updated plans, the hotel would be set back at the ground floor to create a widened sidewalk along the boulevard, and an outdoor seating area would be placed at the corner of Petaluma Boulevard and B Street, “creating an active and transparent ground floor use which enhances the pedestrian experience along these streets.”

The building steps back 10 feet at the 5th floor along Petaluma Boulevard South to emphasize the continuation of a well established street wall, and would step back further at the corner of Petaluma Boulevard South and B Street on the 5th floor “to reduce the visual impact of height at this intersection.”

“I think this proposal has positive architectural ideas,” said committee member Bill Rinehart. “I think the most critical thing in this proposal is having an active street frontage.”

Since the project was last discussed in a January meeting of the Historic and Cultural Preservation Committee meeting, hotel leaders said renderings were revised to reflect more of Petaluma’s historic features, such as wrought-iron balconies.

But during the meeting, commissioners, committee members and community members called on the developer to rethink how parking will be handled at the hotel, noting that parking is already difficult for nearby businesses.

“I expect many hotel and restaurant guests will forgo valet parking and choose free street parking, either downtown or on nearby residential streets,” said one local resident. “More cars parked on the streets will negatively impact businesses, residents, and traffic and will likely increase the cost of city parking enforcement.”

Rinehart said, “If this site had to park all of its capacity on site, I think that would be the worst thing we could have. We need to figure out how to get the parking we need.”

EKN Development said the group will continue to work with the city and community members on parking and other issues.

“While the proposed hotel project meets the requirements for on-site parking spaces, we are also collaborating on opportunities for additional parking spaces,” the developer said in an emailed statement. “In addition, we are considering other initiatives that are more environmentally friendly such as providing incentives for shuttles, biking and rail ridership in conjunction with existing transportation programs.”

They added, “We look forward to meeting with the community again next month, where we will be showcasing new renderings and continuing our collaborations.”

More information is available online under the project’s original name at cityofpetaluma.org/hotel-weaver.

Amelia Richardson (formerly Parreira) is a staff writer for the Argus-Courier. She can be reached at amelia.parreira@arguscourier.com or 707-521-5208.