Friedman’s and Lowe’s home improvement stores both got a thumbs-up by nearly three-fourths of those who responded to the Nov. 25, 2010 Pulse of Petaluma
online poll, and more than half say the south county can support both stores.
Here are some of the comments by those who participated in the survey:
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“Friedman’s caters to a somewhat different clientele than Lowe’s does. Both stores are needed.”
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“Absolutely! We have zero options now. We used to have several, from Wickes, to Yardbirds, and now none! No lumber. Minimal electrical and hardware. They should be here already.”
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“Anything is better than nothing. The whole process has taken way too long! I go out of town for everything except groceries.”
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“I think Petaluma would do better with a Lowe’s store then a Friedman’s.”
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“I think we need one or the other, not both.”
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“We have no place in Petaluma to buy lumber! You have to go to Santa Rosa or Cotati. we need to spend our money in Petaluma to support our town.”
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“Bring the tax dollars back to Petaluma.”
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“Competition keeps quality up and prices in check!”
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“I am not sure if both stores could be supported, but I know that we need more shopping in Petaluma. I am eager for the chance to shop in my own town and eager to find a way to stay off the freeway. I believe in individual enterprise, but I can not see that supporting this community any more.”
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“I am very in favor of having a Friedman’s here in Petaluma. We need the tax base desperately and also the jobs. We cannot go on keeping out businesses that contribute the much-needed monies to our tax base. Lowe’s or Friedman’s but probably not both.”
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“I just spent over $6,000 at Lowe’s in Cotati. It would have sure been nice to spend that money in town.”
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“I believe the community can support both. We have only Orchard, which I would also still continue to use. This is a fairly large community and could support both large stores. My plumber had to drive to Santa Rosa to secure a part for my sink!”
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“I can hardly wait to have a choice here in Petaluma and not having to go out of town for every item that I need. As far as Petaluma being able to support both stores, I am not sure; they are both great stores.”
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“If we had to choose one or the other, my vote definitely goes with Lowe’s.”
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“It would be extremely nice to have a home improvement store in Petaluma and we’ll take whatever we can get.”
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“I would like to have a Friedman’s store in town since I am in favor of supporting a store that is owned locally. I do not know if it can survive in Petaluma after seeing other home improvement stores come and go.”
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“It pains me to drive past the city limits to make my weekly hardware/lumber store run (OSH is fine, but only to a point, and only limited lumber). I’m indifferent which outfit prevails, but we need at least one in this city. Let’s do something different for a change and actually get something done!”
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“Don’t like the Regency project with Friedman’s. The project should remain as approved. The Lowe’s project has been crushed with delay by the city. Streamlined planning? How does a piecemeal approach to the environmental analysis streamline anything? It’s transparent intentional delay by the city.”
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“Friedman’s has backed out from the Target Center. So maybe the council should get off their butts and approve the Lowe’s Center and get a tax base because there’s nothing coming in from either the factory outlets or the auto mall. Deer Creek came for approval in 2007, and here it’s 2010.”
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“Friedman’s is a perfect fit. I’d like to see the city manager collaborate with Regency and Friedman’s to work something out. We do not need a big clunky Lowe’s here. Let’s be proactive, city, get something going! If we have to have a Target now, at least help us also have Friedman’s.”
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“Go local! Besides, Lowe’s service and products have gone the way of Home Despot (and no, that’s not a typo).”
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“I am sick of shopping in Cotati, Novato and Rohnert Park. Put a Costco off Lakeville tucked back in the empty business parks!”
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“I bought cinder blocks from Lowes and they fell apart. Cheap quality. Made a lasting first impression on me. Rex Hardware is terrific. You can go to the Ace website and order anything and it will arrive soon. Customer service there is incomparable!”
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“I go to both stores in Cotati and Santa Rosa. I am tired of my tax dollars going out of town.”
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“I have been driving to Rohnert Park for 24 years from Petaluma for all my home improvement supplies. Even when we had Yardbirds I would still need to go to Home Depot for stuff. So yes, we can use two good stores but one will be great also.”
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“I have lived in Petaluma or had proprerty here for over 20 years and the only thing I and my family buy here are groceries, and even that does into take into account our monthly trips to Costco to stock up. Oh, we do buy a Christmas ornament once a year. Are you listening, City Hall?”
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“I live just a few hundred yards from the proposed Lowe’s site.”
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“Big boxes are about capturing and hoarding market share. Lowe’s is already in Cotati. They want all south county. So, they’ll undercut Friedman’s using national sales to subsidize a losing store in Petaluma, until Friedman’s closes. Then Lowe’s will raise prices again, and close the Cotati Lowe’s too.”
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“I shop at both stores. They are not the same.”
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“I supported Friedman’s until they started giving money to anti-business activists in Sonoma County. Friedman’s can’t have it both ways- seeking development rights while sabotaging other businesses by funding anti-business groups. Friedman’s is just like Lowes, except Friedman’s has far fewer locations.”
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“If they want to invest money into this community let them. They should have already made the determination to invest. If one or both do not make it, that is their problem. Let them enter.”
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“It’s absolutely nuts that a project that’s outlined in the General Plan (Deer Creek) cant’ get done faster! We’re in favor in our house, our block, our neighborhood!”
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“It’s a shame Petaluma doesn’t even have a lumber yard. Yet I can’t support Lowe’s going onto McDowell until the overcrossing at Rainer is built. Lowes in the Deer Creek location without the overcrossing will make the traffic on McDowell unbearable for the neighbors.”
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“It would be nice to actually be able to buy something home-improvement related and competition is good and so are the jobs this would create.”
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“I would like a Lowes because it is more suited to my shopping needs.”
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“I would prefer a Lowe’s over a Friedman’s store. They are a better fit and will be able to offer more choices and match my buying needs better. We need a home improvement store suited to a homeowner not a contractor.”
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“I would prefer Friedman’s, but it looks like that is never going to happen. Thanks for that city council. You say to shop local, but give us nowhere to shop. Who is more local than Friedman’s? You say no big box but as usual the City Council will blow it with their studies. Thanks for nothing.”
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“Let the businesses decide for themselves if the south county shoppers can support both.”
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“Lowe’s does not have anything over Friedman’s. Lowe’s has a store 7 miles away. Two stores so close can’t work. But Friedman’s will work. Besides, a greater percentage of money spent at Friedman’s would stay in Sonoma County. We have to keep our money local in these difficult economic times.”
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“Lowe’s serves the homeowner much better than Friedman’s. Friedman’s is more for the contractor and these people can drive to Rohnert Park. I do not want to drive that far. We need Lowe’s.”
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“Need more info.”
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“OSH needs some competition. Their nursery section is mediocre and so is their selection of faucets, lighting, cabinet hardware, etc. Driving up to Rohnert Park whenever I need to replace plants, porch lights, drawer pulls or the kitchen faucet is a waste of time and gas!”
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“Petaluma better stop dragging its feet or they’ll just leapfrog us to Novato. Novato has nothing right now and OSH is locked in to a horrible location. OSH is too smart to stay there forever. Petaluma should be encouraging new business instead of stonewalling everyone.”
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“Petaluma can’t support two home improvement stores, we couldn’t even support Home Depot Yardbirds. Let’s choose local over corporate ‘big box.’ I’ve lived here for over 35 years, I can wait a few more to get it right!! Most Petalumans prefer Friedman’s.”
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“Petaluma cannot support two large Home Improvement Stores. Since Friedman’s will not be part of the Target complex, a push should be made to have Friedman’s included in the Deer Creek project rather than Lowe’s. Having two Lowe’s located within a few miles of each other does not make sense.”
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“Petaluma could use either a Lowe’s or Friedman’s store. I currently do most of my shopping in Rohnert Park and Santa Rosa because they have more to offer.”
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“Petaluma had three lumber yards. Now none. Thank you, City Hall.”
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“Petaluma needs the Deer Creek Plaza project with a home improvement store as an anchor. Friedman’s had a look at the project years ago and declined to participate. Lowe’s will do just fine there.”
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“Petaluma needs to give its citizens what they need. We are tired of driving to San Rafael or Santa Rosa for our home improvement needs. We need to revenue and this town needs to grow and expand.”
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“Put the big hardware store out on Lakeville Highway where Yardbirds/Home Depot was. Use the open land along McDowell Boulevard for a town garden. There’s hardly any open views left in town, and we are looking like the metropolitan Bay Area, not a country town.”
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“The Cotati Lowe’s is seven minutes up 101. Building a Lowe’s here will be bad for Cotati. Please bring Friedman’s back to Petaluma!”
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“The Deer Creek Village Project should be completed ASAP to bring needed jobs and tax revenues to Petaluma. I am tired of having to spend extra time and money traveling to Rohnert Park to go to Lowes, and having the tax revenue go there as well.”
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“They are both great stores and will serve our community well.”
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“They both offer different options. I currently drive to both of them in Rohnert Park based on what I’m looking for.”
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“Two home improvement stores would certainly give the citizens of Petaluma a local source of home improvements that is not available now. It would also bring in sorely needed tax dollars. Don’t forget the poor planning that will certainly create gridlock at East Washington and the 101 Freeway.”
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“Unfortunately, we won’t have a Friedman’s because Matt Maguire and Paul Frances won’t allow it without another lawsuit to pad their pockets ($100,000 in their last ‘settlement’ approved by the city). Maybe we should all send ‘thank you’ notes to Matt and Paul for making Lowe’s financially feasible.”
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“We cannot buy lumber in Petaluma! Why is the City Council not passing these tax generating businesses to be built in our city. It is just crazy.”
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“We cannot thrive without substantial and sustainable sources of revenue.”
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“We do all of our home improvement shopping at Lowe’s or Home Depot, not Friedman’s.”
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“We need these stores in Petaluma!! We are business owners who have been without the selection of products we need! Why is this taking so long to approve?”
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“We prefer Friedman’s. Our main concern, however, is the traffic congestion created by two additional shopping centers on E. Washington and N. McDowell. With passenger/freight trains holding up emergency vehicles en route to PV Hospital, etc.”
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“We were practically promised a Friedman Bros. – and now? Talk about “bait and switch” – throw the bums out!(That is, the developer bums and anyone who knew about this in our local government yet told us otherwise!”
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“When, if ever, will this project be started? Petaluma is still living in the 19th Century.”
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“Why can’t Friedmans Bros. put a store in at the old YardBirds site? That site was YardBirds’ only money maker before they closed.”
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“Why would Lowe’s want to put a store in Petaluma when there is one in Cotati? Friedman’s is local like Rex Hardware, we support local businesses, not ‘boxes.’”
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“With the financial problems that the City of Petaluma is experiencing, it makes sense to have both retailers who will generate more tax revenue, and of course, jobs.”
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“Would rather have a Friedman’s than a Lowe’s, but I’d take which ever got here first. I doubt there would be room for both.”
