Petaluma River Park group buys new riverfront property

The Petaluma River Park Foundation, which has already made strides in turning Petaluma’s McNear Peninsula into a park for all, announced this week the purchase of a new 38-acre parcel to extend riverside trails and parkland and support habitat restoration in the center of town.

And because the new parcel sits across the water from the River Park, a footbridge connecting the two sides is one possible new amenity being considered.

The Petaluma-based nonprofit said it closed on the new property Monday, in an $8.1 million deal with Scannell Properties for the large parcel at 500 Hopper St. on the east side of McNear Channel.

“The primary goal here is river access, development of open space and parkland in an equitable way,” said Seair Lorentz, the foundation’s executive director.

“And understanding that given the size and the location of this land, that other purposes might make sense,” she added, noting that there’s “greater opportunity” for a built environment on the industrial property east of the river.

Acquisition of the parcel, previously slated for mixed-use development, means a walking and biking bridge could straddle the body of water known as McNear Channel, which would in turn “provide a critical missing link” for a citywide pedestrian and bike trail system, according to a news release issued by the foundation.

It also creates a “remarkable” opportunity to restore the salt marsh land there to “what it should be” – wetlands, Lorentz said.

The Petaluma River Park Foundation originally formed in 2019 to acquire 24 acres of the McNear Peninsula extending beyond Steamer Landing Park, site of Rivertown Revival and other events and home to the red barn called the David Yearsley River Heritage Center. In effect, nearly all of McNear Peninsula is now public parkland due to the group’s advocacy.

This week’s purchase of 500 Hopper St. brings the total acquired land to 62 acres. The purchase was made possible through an anonymous benefactor and a donation from Ginnie and Peter Haas, according to the news release.

The planned extension of the pedestrian and bike trail system along the Petaluma River fits with the city’s broader 1996 River Enhancement Plan, which seeks to extend riverside trails from Shollenberger Park to the city’s downtown and west side neighborhoods, according to the release.

In addition, Lorentz said, it would add to the existing 400-plus-mile Bay Area Ridge Trail.

Aside from the pathway, definite plans for the new parcel have yet to be determined by the community, Lorentz said. Options range from outdoor recreation to much-needed housing.

“This land has some more complexity to it in terms of safety for folks, as it's a former industrial site, so it'll need to remain closed until we can address that,” Lorentz said. She does, however, expect the trail to be one of the first projects to be completed, though there’s no established timeline for when that will happen.

“Giving the public access to the river and restoring the riparian habitat is our highest and first priority,” she said.

The group was already seeking community input through an online survey on what the future should look like for the 24 acres of McNear Peninsula. This summer, foundation leaders plan to hold a series of public events and workshops to hash out an “equitable” vision for developing areas intended for parklands.

The process of gathering public input on other possible uses for the newly acquired parcel will be slower in order to build the public’s trust, Lorentz said.

The foundation says it has collaborated with more than a dozen nonprofits and agencies since 2021, most notably Petaluma-based Point Blue Conservation Science, Friends of the Petaluma River, Sonoma County Land Trust and the city of Petaluma.

The city supported this acquisition because of its potential for “a vibrant riverfront park, improved connectivity, and potentially affordable housing options, all essential elements in our vision for a thriving Petaluma,” said City Manager Peggy Flynn.

For years the Hopper Street property was home to Pomeroy Corp., a cement manufacturer, which closed in 2006. Scannell Properties bought it in mid-2019 from Bay West Development for $20.1 million with the intention of establishing a mixed-use development there for office, retail and residential space, according to Walker Williams, senior development associate at Scannell.

However, because “development plans for the site didn’t pan out,” this sale was a natural next step for the parcel, Williams said.

There had been plans to build a 147,300-square-foot headquarters for local organic food giant Amy’s Kitchen at the site. However, Amy’s withdrew from the project in January 2022, opting for a new headquarters downtown.

After that, the foundation entered into talks with Scannell about acquiring the property “for about a year,” Lorentz said.

“It’s such a sizable piece of land in the middle of the city, that the vision here is a thriving neighborhood that celebrates the river and provides world-class outdoor recreation and education,” she said.

You can reach Staff Writer Jennifer Sawhney at 707-521-5346 or jennifer.sawhney@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @sawhney_media.