Petaluma Natural Homes

An SPN field trip generated this citizens' group, which is interested in promoting ecological principles in Petaluma developments. The focus is on energy and water efficiency, community and green building techniques.

The group outlined many wonderful principles (below) for a sustainable neighborhood, but was not able to find a piece of suitable land to create the project. However, the idea does live on!

If you can help locate a piece of suitable land to develop into a community with the following ecological principles, or know of a possible interested landowner, contact: Anita Dimondstein at 765-0259 or anita707@earthlink.net or Scott Hess at 765-0580 or bluespin@earthlink.net

See the following for information about what Petaluma Natural Homes has developed so far.

A group of citizens, (Petaluma Natural Homes or PNH), met for nine months isolating land parcels and refining their ideas with the goal of bringing a "green" housing development to Petaluma.

This sustainable neighborhood would demonstrate green development principles that can be used as guides for future development in the region and beyond. Petaluma Natural Homes spoke with Michael Corbett, the developer and designer of Village Homes in Davis, California, with the goal of bringing him on to design and build the project. Village Homes, built in 1982, incorporates many non-traditional architectural and planning principles that make it an energy-efficient, environmentally sensitive community. Today it is one of the most sought after neigborhoods in the Sacramento area.

What is a Green Neighborhood?
A green neighborhood is similar to a standard development in that the developer buys the land and builds the project which is sold to the public in the usual manner. However, a green neighborhood also includes the following: stewardship of the land; resource conservation and energy self-sufficiency; a people-centered design; integrated agriculture; open space and green space; affordable housing; and streets and paths friendly to multiple forms of transportation.

PNH believes that Petaluma is an ideal location to build a green neighborhood. Petaluma has pioneered controlled growth and affordable-housing solutions and now has the chance to integrate these with ecological solutions. We believe that there will be excellent support from the city planning staff, the planning commission and the city council. A suitable piece of land within the urban growth boundary is needed for PNH to get off the ground in Petaluma. Although much of the underutilized land is already slated for standard development, PNH hopes to find a landowner who is willing to sell to this unique type of neighborhood with the knowledge that the land will be cared for and that the project will put an emphasis on the growth of healthy and beautiful neighborhoods.

What are the Principles?
Petaluma Natural Homes is in search of 15 to 50 acres of land to build a development with the following core values and principles of design:

STEWARDSHIP OF THE LAND
Stewardship
PNH is committed to development that honors the land, keeps a large portion of it as open space, commits to habitat protection, and allows the land and the natural habitat to lead the site planning. Green site planning works with the land's natural processes and features and adapts the buildings, utilities, and infrastructure to it.

Integrated Agriculture
Green development is committed to use of the land for agriculture. In honoring Petaluma's agricultural roots, a green development here will devote land, time, resources, and efforts to building and running a sustainable organic farm to produce quality food for the homeowners as well as for the larger Petaluma community.

Open Space and Green Space
No fences will separate neighbors. Unlike conventional developments, there will not be solid fences between yards. Privacy is created with landscaping and the building layouts. Open space within the neighborhood is woven together with gardens, streets, pedestrian paths, bicycle paths, and park-like areas for rest, reading, and recreational activities.

RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND ENERGY SUFFICIENCY
Energy Conservation, Renewable Sources and Self Sufficiency
Green neighborhoods encourage high-efficiency. Petaluma Natural Homes will make maximum effort to decrease its energy usage and to install solar heating, high efÞciency insulation, natural ventilation designs, shading, lighting, and siting of the homes. Wind and solar energy can be produced right at the development. The goal is to generate a good portion of the community¹s energy needs.

Wise Water Use
The project will maximize water conservation, including greywater systems, natural swails, rainwater catchment basins, and storage facilities to minimize water usage without compromising quality of life.

Wastewater Treatment
Use of new technology will enable the project to minimize its wastewater flow as well as to treat the wastewater with biological methods such as purifying plants and ponds. The goal would be to treat all wastewater within the community.

Healthy and Least Toxic Building Materials
Care and attention will be paid to the evaluation of building materials for their environmental impact as well as if they are healthy for those living in the homes.

Whole System Design
By looking at the planning for the entire piece of land and all the living units as a whole, the project is committed to remaining cost effective, aesthetically pleasing and integrated.

PEOPLE/PEDESTRIAN CENTERED
Affordable Housing/Diversity
Because of the high cost of housing in the Bay Area, Petaluma Natural Homes has decided to include a signiÞcant affordable housing component. Rather than being isolated in an affordable housing project, a green neighborhood integrates houses of varying costs. By including rental apartments, townhouses, live-work spaces and single family homes, PNH will be able to incorporate people with a wide range of incomes and lifestyles into the community. For example: students, singles, seniors, and families.

Connections
The project will strive to create natural connections between neighbors with an extensive network of walking and biking paths. Privacy between homes will be created by native plants and the siting of the buildings rather than with fences.

Decreased Automobile Focus
We do use cars to get around town but don't want them featured in the front yard. PNH will create as much emphasis on walking and biking as possible. Cars will be tucked away in the back.

Mixed Use
By building some office space and live-work units, the neighborhood will encourage people to work closer to home and mitigate traffic impact, auto usage and fragmentation of living patterns.

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