Petaluma city staffers will be preparing a final environmental impact report for a controversial downtown hotel project. The Petaluma City Council recently directed staff to prepare the report, in a split, four-to-three vote. The report is expected to be completed and presented to the council early next year. The proposed six-story, 93-room hotel would be called the Appellation Petaluma. EKN Development Group and celebrity chef Charlie Palmer want to build it on a currently vacant lot on the corner of Petaluma Boulevard South and B Street. The hotel proposal also includes a zoning overlay that would alter zoning regulations within three zones in Downtown Petaluma.
