Draft General Plan

Economic Development

Petaluma wants its economy to provide opportunities for all community members to support themselves and reach their financial goals. Our city is also prioritizing having the funds needed to provide the services and infrastructure our community desires. This element helps fulfill these aims by finding ways to make space for a variety of industries, attracting visitors, and providing transportation options. Read the Draft Economic Development Element.

Flood ResiliencY

Located along the Petaluma River, the city experiences the tidal flows that come from the Pacific Ocean via San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. As the climate continues to change, the sea level is expected to rise. Between 2022 and 2023, the City undertook an in-depth study of the future flooding considerations related to flooding from future storms and from sea level rise. The project generated maps showing the potential flooding that might occur as a result of future sea level rise and reflect updated knowledge about areas where the city may experience flooding. The Flood Resilience element includes goals, policies, and actions that will address the preservation of existing infrastructure and development and that will create a pathway to ensure Petaluma is prepared for the future. Read the Draft Flood Resiliency Element.

GOVERNANCE & IMPLEMENTATION

A plan to implement the final General Plan 2045 document and ensure that its policies and plans inform our actions over the next 20 years. This framework looks at how we continue to inform and engage the community in the work of our city government by encouraging direct participation in our decision-making processes and making our work more accessible across language barriers. We will strengthen our approach by finding new ways to improve communications, transparency, and accountability. Additionally, it outlines ways to strengthen our collaborations with local community groups, improve our technologies, and expand digital access to city resources.

Read the Draft Governance and Implementation Policy Framework.

Health, Equity & Environmental Justice

This Framework is designed to ensure that all Petaluma’s community members can live healthy lives. It does so by aiming to meet state requirements on six specific topic areas, like reducing pollution exposure, increasing food access, and promoting physical activity, safe and sanitary homes, and public/community engagement.

Across all six topic areas, the Framework prioritizes improvements and programs that help some of our most vulnerable community members in particular access these fundamental needs. This framework also works to highlight public health in policy making.

Read the Draft Health, Equity, & Environmental Justice Element.

HISTORIC RESOURCES

Petaluma is a community that acknowledges and values its history. This element seeks to encourage the preservation and investment in our historic buildings, districts, and natural environments (like our Petaluma River) that create a distinct sense of place for residents and visitors to Petaluma. At the same time, the framework looks at sustainable ways to promote economic development for Petaluma’s future. The framework also advances collaboration with local Tribal Nations and public education to protect cultural resources and celebrate Petaluma’s heritage with residents and visitors. Read the Draft Historic Resources Element.

Infrastructure & Utilities

This Element creates policies for our city infrastructure systems including water, waste, energy, decarbonization, and communications. These topics are critical to Petaluma residents’ quality of life and will require improvements as the city grows and adapts to climate change. Additionally, State and regional mandates for water conservation, waste diversion, and decarbonization are addressed in this element.

Read the Draft Infrastructure & Utilities Element.

Natural Features, Systems, and Resources

Like the Parks Framework above, the Natural Features, Systems, & Resources Element creates policies to preserve our land and waterways and create long-term climate resilience. But where the Parks Framework is rooted in our community’s ability to enjoy our landscape and outdoor spaces, the Natural Features, Systems, & Resources Framework creates policies to protect them. From flood management to soil erosion, stormwater runoff to watershed conservation, this Framework aims to ensure that Petaluma maintains open spaces and remains climate resilient into the future through careful stewardship of our natural resources. Read the Draft Natural Features, Systems, & Resources Element.

NOISE

Petaluma is a vibrant community, busy with activity. This element, which is required by the State of California, evaluates our city’s current noise conditions and presents a plan to keep our noise exposure to safe and acceptable levels. We review car, airport, public transportation, industrial, and business noise, and then review the tools in our city's toolbox to help us reduce it. Tools include updates to our Municipal code and zoning rules, thoughtful design practices, nature-based strategies, and sound mitigation. Smart practices will help us decrease noise exposure and vibrations. Read the Draft Noise Element.

Parks & Recreation

The Parks & Recreation Element is rooted in our community’s connection to the land: from our agricultural heritage to the river at the heart of our city, from our historic downtown to our open space preserves. It creates a foundation for an expanded, well-maintained, and amenity-rich system of parks, open spaces, and recreational facilities for the benefit of existing and future residents. The element also identifies strategies that will create a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient parks, open space, urban forest, and recreational facilities network that will result in a healthier, more socially connected population. Read the Draft Parks and Recreation Element.

PUBLIC FACILITIES

A plan to guide maintaining and enhancing Petaluma’s community-serving public facilities, including police and fire stations, the Petaluma Municipal Airport, the Petaluma Marina, the Petaluma fairgrounds property, and other City-owned properties used for City operations and community programming. This element looks at ways to make our city’s facilities more accessible to the public and more adaptable for a range of needs. It also proposes a plan to ensure our facilities are well-maintained and energy efficient to help us reach our climate goals and reduce costs over time.   Read the Draft Public Facilities Element.

Safety

An Element with policies and actions aimed at keeping Petalumans safe by preparing for emergencies, planning for the impacts of climate change, and improving or maintaining our infrastructure. The policies include long-range plans for a variety of common local hazards. They also include plans to improve our public safety facilities and increase our emergency response staff to ensure we can meet our community’s needs now and into the future. By viewing these policies through an Environmental Justice lens, we look to ensure that everyone in Petaluma has an equal opportunity to protect themselves and their families from hazards and climate change. Read the Draft Safety Element.

Transportation

An element that offers policies and activities to make getting around the city better and safer for everyone, whether they are walking, biking, using public transit, or driving a car. We do this by planning for road improvements like pavement restoration and bike lane enhancements. Petaluma is looking at how residential areas connect to businesses and whether those connections can be improved. This plan links to the Blueprint for Climate Action by looking at ways to reduce emissions from travel throughout Petaluma. Read the Draft Transportation Element.

Housing Element

Adopted in March 2023 and certified in May 2023, the City’s 6th Cycle Housing Element is an important component of the City’s General Plan. As mandated by the State, the Housing Element is required to be updated every seven(?) five(?) years to create a pathway for the City to achieve the Regional Housing Needs Allocation. You can read the adopted Housing Element here.