Barbs fly at Petaluma city council meeting over hotly contested hotel
Contentious Petaluma meeting over downtown
A Petaluma council meeting over a downtown plan revealed a personal jabs between council members Alex DeCarli and Janice Cader Thompson.
PETALUMA, Calif. - A Petaluma City Council meeting on Monday night became contentious over a new high-end hotel in the city's downtown area.
The heated debate started after Councilmember Janice Cader Thompson criticized a local group known as the Petaluma Historic Advocates, first reported by the Petaluma Argus-Courier.
She said the group has spread hateful messages online about supporters of the project.
An audience member then started shouting at Cader Thompson calling her a liar before being ejected from the chambers.
What they're saying:
Cader Thompson described that audience member as the girlfriend of Councilman Alex DeCarli, and said she was speaking for him. But DeCarli later said she was not.
At the end of the meeting, DeCarli could be heard saying, his finger wagging to Cader Thompson: "You are a disgusting vile person. Nobody speaks for me. You have been stabbing my back for a long time, and you did it again. You are unfit for public office. You have no business representing Petaluma."
Petaluma police officers removed members of the public, including an Argus-Courier reporter.
The city council ultimately voted and passed new zoning rules to allow construction of the hotel.
6-story hotel
Dig deeper:
The hotel is slated to have six stories with guest rooms, event space, a restaurant and parking. The hotel would be part of the city's downtown commercial district.
The hotel's construction is part of a wider housing and economic overlay project proposed by the city that would allow for housing and further development in downtown.
The Petaluma Historic Advocates oppose both the hotel and the overlay project, saying they cherish the history of downtown.
"This ‘overlay’ not only goes against our General Plan, but also contradicts current zoning laws designed to preserve and protect Petaluma's historic character," the organization says on its website. "If passed, it will set a dangerous precedent for future developers to build mid-rise buildings in other parts of town.
The overlay would change zoning codes to "encourage development," the city said.
The proposed hotel would be 72 feet, surpassing the current downtown maximum of 45.