Deer Creek Plaza Community Meeting
Thurs Nov 20 6-8pm Luchessi Community Center

Deer Creek Plaza-A new 412,000 square foot mixed-use retail development to be constructed in 2009 Petaluma, CA SWC McDowell Boulevard and Rainer Avenue
Link

Backround: Large lots eyed for shopping October 2, 2008 C Young Argus-Courier
Most recently, a revised site plan for a 36-acre site on North McDowell Boulevard, across from Petaluma Valley Hospital, was the subject of a preliminary review by the Site Plan and Architectural Review Committee. Deer Creek Plaza The project: Formerly known as “the DSL site” under owner Downey Savings and Loan, the hay field between McDowell and Highway 101 was purchased about a month ago by Merlone Geier Partners of San Francisco. MGP specializes in commercial retail shopping centers and acquired all of Downey’s real estate portfolio, said Greg Geertsen, managing director. Geertsen and his colleagues presented the city’s Site Plan and Architectural review Committee with a plan showing a large home improvement and garden store — possibly Lowe’s, which was previously announced for the site — along with other unnamed retailers, a health club, a pharmacy and medical offices. The owners would restore Deer Creek through the site and create public plazas and open space along the waterway, MGP officials said.

The latest: SPARC and members of the public who attended the Sept. 25 meeting weren’t sold on the plan.

“I don’t see anything but a bunch of boxes scattered on this site,” said SPARC member Jack Rittenhouse.

“I don’t think it fits here in Petaluma,” SPARC member Dennis Elias said. “It’s still an automobile-centric site.”

Critics said the site plan lacked imagination and was disappointing, noting that the medical offices were shown in the northeast corner instead of closer to the hospital, where patients and doctors could walk back and forth. Several speakers said the wide-open parcel could give the east side of Petaluma a downtown-like urban center instead of a traditional shopping center.

“There’s an opportunity here for a significant and important community-serving center for the east side,” former council member David Keller said.

“I think you have an unbelievable opportunity to take this 40-acre site and make it spctacular,” SPARC Chair John Mills said.

What’s next: MGP officials said they will hold a community meeting with neighbors before making revisions to their plan. Whatever comes out of that process will likely be the subject of a second preliminary SPARC review, not yet scheduled. “We certainly will go through a community-input process,” MGP Managing Director David Geiser said. “We know we’re going to make revisions to our plan.”............

another 2-story 40,000 s.f health club...really??

either Petaluma will be the most fit City in the country, or there will be a pretty empty gym.

I agree with you 123GO, with 24 hour club, the old Gold's Gym, the Redwood Club, 24 fitness, Club One, and a few other small fitness centers. Another one is a mistake. I want an electronic store such as Best Buy, or a furniture store such as IKEA. The places that most Petaluman's currently leave town for.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Regency needs to be put in and examined BEFORE Deer Creek is even thought of. We have a brand new Jr. High School that was paid for from the proceeds of that land. Regency has been sitting patiently on the side trying to get the plan even looked at by the Planning Commission and City Council. It think its unfair for another entity to come in and try to blast ahead. If our town can sustain another shopping center, fine but lets see if that works FIRST.

Target stores are discounting some really nice items and are in heavy competition with some other retailers....that's a win win for consumers.

Deer Creek seems to be a little smarter than Regency. They know that trying to please the anti-business no growth whackos on the Council majority will get them nowhere.

Regency made one mistake; they trusted the Council. They trusted Mayor Glass when he welcomed them here years ago. They trusted Mayor Torliatt when she said the project would get fair consideration. All the while both monkeyed with the process and backdoored approvals to delay the project.

Deer Creek seems to have watched this and is willing to try the process, then take it to court when the Council try to do the same thing to them. It might not be fair if they get approval prior to Regency, but I wouldn't blame Deer Creek. I would blame this Council majority for creating such an unfair situation.

Michael: You are right that it is not fair, but Regency should have learned by now that they cannot trust this city or this process.

I will start by saying I do not know all the specifics about the Regency deal and whether they actually paid to rebuild the new Kenilworth Junior High or contributed to some degree. The group associated with Deer Creek project offered the council one million dollars in advance of the project. How are the two different?

quote:

Originally posted by ptownpete:
I will start by saying I do not know all the specifics about the Regency deal and whether they actually paid to rebuild the new Kenilworth Junior High or contributed to some degree. The group associated with Deer Creek project offered the council one million dollars in advance of the project. How are the two different?

Here's a link that pretty much answers all your questions, when you click on community,more links like community art etc... will pop up, sounds very exciting. Have fun exploring the entire site, I personally can't wait for the beutification and re-opening of the catwalk to the new pedestrian plaza. Still things like access around the skate park and pool do need to be fixed. I was excited years ago when Torliatt and Glass did the ribbon cutting and told Petalumans they will have much new retail to not leave town for soon, and since Regency paid cash, a brand new state of the art junior high is right around the corner. On the fourth of July I drove around the back to where Kenilworth used to be all I saw was homeless camping behind the lumps of earth.

Link

Anyone taking bets on the outcome of tomorrow night's Planning meeting about the Regency project? Let's see... break the rules to eliminate any opposing viewpoints on the Commission (then change the rules to achieve the same stacked deck)... announce a "Strategic Planning" process just before decision time...

I'm seeing a recommendation to "delay the decision until the Strategic Planning process is complete" in the tea leaves. It would be another classic move from the Council majority (representing the Petaluma minority). If that happens, I can't imagine that people are going to take it sitting down. Torliatt is going to see some fierce opposition to her Supervisor campaign.

No bet from me Mark. I know some people that are going to voice their opinion and I told them that their words will fall on deaf ears.

Lets hope Torliatt is going to get some nasty opposition....I hope this race does get nasty with finger pointing, speculations and assertions. It has the potential for great drama and better than all the day time soap opras. Bring out the boxing gloves! What fun!

quote:

Originally posted by 4th gen Petaluma

Michael: You are right that it is not fair, but Regency should have learned by now that they cannot trust this city or this process.

I think your assessment is in line with mine, yet better stated.

Where did the curve in the road start to bend for Regency? Was it the anti-anti people getting to Torliatt? Was it when the Fab Four got elected to the Council? Something else, or "D" all the above..... ????

And, as we all know King01, hindsight is 20/20