A few years
back, I met several friends in New York City for a week of baseball and beer. We stayed in a mid-town hotel and rode
Amtrak, the Long Island Rail Road, and the subway to thirteen ballgames in
eight days. We used rubber-tired
vehicles for only five short trips, four cab rides and a jaunt in a police
cruiser. (The last is a story for
another time.) It was a week of being committed
urbanists and loving it.
But a key
part of an urbanist vacation is rubbing shoulders with people who live there. On our baseball trip, it was essential that
we ate in restaurants, drank in bars, and cheered at ballgames with people who
were living their lives in the cities we visited. The trip wouldn’t have been the same without
the conversation with the group of women baseball fans in a Philadelphia bar or
being surrounded by observant Jews in New York’s Citifield.
There can be
tourist settings where all the other people in the shops and restaurants are
also tourists. Disneyland is a good example. But Disneyland isn’t where I choose to spend
my vacation time. I prefer authenticity. And I’m not alone in that preference.
However,
authentic walkable urbanism, if too attractive, can be drowned by a flood of tourists. There can be a fine line between a place that
is a marvelous spot to live and a place that is overrun by outsiders.
This issue
is currently causing controversy in Sonoma.
A ballot measure has been proposed that would limit the size of new
hotels and modify the approval standards.
The Press Democrat recently offered a report on a town forum about Ballot Measure
B and an in-depth look at the how the debate is roiling the community.
In general,
I’m sympathetic to the attempt. I love
downtown Sonoma and want it to remain the place where Sonomans go to enjoy
their community. And, even though I
might be considered a tourist, I love hanging out in Sonoma Plaza.
But I have
concerns with how Measure B is written.
For one, it limits new hotels to 25 units or fewer. But 25 units is below the economic threshold
for most hotel models. Perhaps the only
lodging formats that work at or below 25 units are bed and breakfast establishments
and lodges for the uber-rich. That seems
an odd pair of exclusions.
Also, most
of the Measure B standards apply until the average occupancy for a year reaches
80 percent. For a town place with many
weekend visitors, 80 percent seems unlikely.
Given a
blank slate, what rules might I propose to protect a walkable urbanist
setting? I suggest three.
First, I’d
bump the room count restriction to 75.
That number would allow more formats while still excluding stultifying
mega-hotels.
Second, no
hotel would be permitted if, in an average week, the people who pass along the
sidewalks of a walkable urbanist core are more than 25 percent hotel guests or
more than 40 percent hotel guests plus day visitors. This standard would allow the locals to continue
to feel as if the community is theirs.
Also, this
standard would continue to allow hotels that serve people who are only looking
for a place to sleep with no intention of sampling the community and hotels
that serve people who are in the town for work and go directly to an office.
Lastly, recognizing
that hotel entries can be pedestrian dead zones, no hotel would be allowed to
occupy more than 100 feet of street frontage unless it provides amenities, such
as restaurants, pubs, or shops, that can be reasonably expected to also serve the
local community.
I’ll admit
that only the first standard is fully objective. The latter two are subject to interpretation
and alternative judgments. But both get
to the core of the concern about community preservation more than Measure B.
I’m not a
Sonoma resident. But if I were, I’d
probably vote against Ballot Measure B.
And then I’d encourage the proponents to try again with a better crafted
measure. What they’re trying to preserve
is worth saving, but the effort must be more skillful than the current attempt.
Tourism and
urbanism can coexist, but the relationship must be managed with care.
Other Hotel News
This topic of
tourism versus urbanism has been on my schedule for several weeks. But it’s coincidental that its time rolled
around today. Several months ago, I wrote
that I had secured a consulting role on a proposed hotel in downtown Petaluma. That hotel, which is now called The
Petaluman, has taken major steps forward in the past few weeks.
The
developer submitted the application to the City of Petaluma yesterday
afternoon. There are still issues to be
resolved, but yesterday was is an important step.
The current
proposal for room count is 54, with the both hotel guests and local residents
able to enjoy a lobby bistro, a rooftop bar overlooking Petaluma Boulevard
(prime seating for Butter and Eggs Days), and an underground bar for late night
music.
As those who
follow California land-use planning know, application submittal is a milestone,
but it doesn’t mean that shovels will be turning dirt any time soon. One observer of the city process estimated
that securing entitlements would take eleven months. We’re hoping to do better, but understand the
possible timeframe.
As much as I
can without divulging strategy points or undermining important negotiations, I’ll
keep you informed on the progress of the application.
By the way,
The Petaluman will comply with all of the tourism versus urbanism restrictions
that I suggest above.
As always,
your questions or comments will be appreciated.
Please comment below or email me.
And thanks for reading. - Dave Alden (davealden53@comcast.net)
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ReplyDeleteThanks to the Petaluma Urban Chat, I have gotten additional information about the design features of the proposed Petaluman at Western & the Boulevard, and I have learned that it would offer even more community benefits than I had learned from earlier press reports. It appears to me that not only will it complement the streetscape of our historic downtown, it will provide a community focal point for meet-ups and dining. I am especially keen on the wind-protected rooftop greenery and gathering potential. I hope the planning department, Planning Commission, and City Council will recognize that value of a well-styled downtown hotel for visitors, locals and our economic vitality.
ReplyDeleteI will look forward to your followup comments about the town of Sonoma. Thirty years ago, when my family and I were scouting out a good location for a lifelong residence in Sonoma County, the high proportion of cars and tourists to locals in the very appealing plaza and downtown crossed that location right off our list, despite the lovely reconnaissance visits we had there. (I also perceived a troubling level of wealth/income disparity underscored by flooding of cars and tourists.)
Barry, thanks for the comments. I suspect that The Petaluman enjoys broad support from a number of places. But entitlement will still be a long and complex process.
DeleteI understand your concern about Sonoma. However, from my casual observations, I don't think the income disparity occurs as much within Sonoma as between Sonoma and communities immediately adjoining it, particularly to the north.