Petaluma Neighborhood Association

Please download and print up copies of this postcard in support of the CIR
ordinance!

They can be mailed to the Petaluma City Council

11 English St. Petaluma, Ca. 94952

CIR Postcard

April 3, 2008
Petaluma Argus Courier
Guest Commentary

CIR will steer us in right direction
By Paul Francis

There has been much talk centered on community impact reports these days. Some of it has been accurate, but much of it has been misreported. In most part, the opinions regarding the intentions behind the inception and implementation of this new policy/ordinance have been distorted.

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North Bay Bohemian
News and Features
March 5, 2008

Big-Box Bingo: Petaluma Grapples with Deciding
the Entire Impact-both Fiscal and Communal-of
Construction.

True Cost

Petaluma Considers Evaluating Economic Impacts

By Patricia Lynn Henley

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Support the Proposed Community Impact Report for Retail Development in
Petaluma!
Date: June 16th, 2008 7:00 PM
Location: Petaluma City Council 11 English St., Petaluma

The Living Wage Coalition, Petaluma Neighborhood Association,
Petaluma Community Coalition, Petaluma Independent Business
Association, Sonoma County Conservation Action and Petaluma Tomorrow
have introduced a proposed Community Impact Report (CIR) requirement
for new large retail developments to the City of Petaluma. The City
Council will consider our CIR ordinance and discuss a staff report at
this meeting. The CIR is an innovative policy tool that can help
policy-makers and staff to make informed decisions about proposed
large commercial retail. The CIR complements the Environmental Impact
Report (EIR) by considering the potential impacts of proposed large
retail projects on small businesses, public health and social
services, job quality, and affordable housing. Our legislation is
similar to CIR requirements adopted in other California cities such
as San Diego and Los Angeles, and a recent state law passed in Maine,
the Informed Growth Act. A CIR will encourage more sustainable and
equitable development in the City of Petaluma, and can serve as a
model for other cities in the county.
Please come to the City Council meeting on Monday, June 16th to
demonstrate your support for Community Impact Reports!
For more information on the CIR proposal and to view the language
proposed, please go to: www.livingwagesonoma.org

 Please support the adoption of  a CIR in Petaluma by showing your support to the Petaluma City Council on Monday, January 28  at 7:00pm at City Hall, 11 English St. Please view the following flyer and share it with your concerned friends and neighbors!
cir_council_flyer.pdfcir_council_flyer.pdf

What is a Community Impact Report?
* Excerpted from the report the “Limits of Prosperity: Growth, Inequality, and Poverty in the North Bay” by Nari Rhee and Dan Acland and published by New Economy, Working Solutions (NEWS). For more information please go to:
http://www.neweconomynorthbay.org/news_room.php?id=95

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“INVASION OF THE BIGBOX CHAINS”
A chilling analysis of how proposed Bigbox retail development
would bankrupt Petaluma economically and socially…

Copies of “Invasion of the Big Box Chains!” will soon be available
at independently owned businesses throughout Petaluma!
If you are interested in hosting a viewing party for your friends
and neighbors please contact Melissa at: oldeastpetaluma@yahoo.com
Included in the viewing kit is a DVD of “Invasion of the Big Box Chains!”,
a DVD of Oct. 2nd’s “Should Petaluma Think Outside the Box? Doing the Math
on Proposed Big Box Retail: A Community Forum” and all the information
you need to become an informed and active member of the PNA!

The reviews are in:
“A terrifying film of action-packed economic violence
and soul-sucking social mayhem. A tip of the Royal
Top Hat to H.R. Downs and Paul Francis for creating a
film that should be seen by everyone in Petaluma who
cares about their town.”
–His Majesty Norton II, Emperor of Petaluma
(Petaluma 360)

In a nutshell, Green building is the use of design and construction practices that produce buildings that are generally higher quality, healthier for people and the environment, less costly to maintain, consume fewer natural resources and generate less waste than conventional buildings. More specifically, green building practices:

*Increase a building’s durability and ease of maintenance
*Reduce energy and water consumption
*Improve efficient use and recycling of materials, which
means that much less solid waste is generated during construction
*Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants associated
with building materials and energy required for heating and cooling
*Improve indoor air quality and health for building occupants
*Better integrate buildings and developments with existing and
planned local and regional infrastructures, such as transportation,
schools, parks, natural features, and so forth.
*Increase long-term property values.

There are many different ways to design and construct green buildings. New research data, understandings, strategies and technologies are appearing almost daily in the green building field. For these reasons, applying an integrated design process that involves many of the key players (owners/occupants, architect, builder, and key subcontractors) early on in the design process is the best way to ensure optimal results.

Information from Petaluma Build It Green, http://www.petalumabuilditgreen.org/

California Coastal Cleanup Day Program adds Lynch Creek including Lucchesi Park as Cleanup Sites!
Join your neighbors on Saturday, September 15, from 9am-12pm for the 23rd Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day. Petaluma volunteers working cooperatively with the City of Petaluma Department of Parks & Recreation will clean Lynch Creek along Lucchesi, including the Lake and Park, and East Washington Creek behind Safeway.

Community Cleanup Day — Lynch Creek & Lucchesi Park
Saturday September 15 Registration 8:30 Cleanup 9-12pm
Volunteer Celebration Lunch 12-2pm

Be part of the Solution!!!