Readers responding to an Argus-Courier
online survey March 7, 2007 said that streets and potholes, the Rainier connector and a new
fire station should be top priorities for public works projects, but there was
a wide diversity of opinions.

Of those responding to the survey,
38 percent said streets and potholes should be the No. 1 priority. The Rainier
connector was No. 1 on the list of 28 percent of the respondents, while a new
fire station was favored by 17 percent.

Asked what should be the No. 2
priority, 21 percent said a new fire station and a like percentage had “other”
ideas. Streets and potholes were the No. 2 priority by 17 percent of those
responding to the survey, while 14 percent listed the Rainier connector and 10
percent listed the Caulfield crossing or a new police station.

Streets and potholes were the No.
3 priority by 28 percent of the respondents, while 24 percent listed “other”
projects as a third priority. Of the respondents, 14 percent said a new police
station should be the third priority.

Here are some of the comments by
those who participated in the survey:

” “

“People need to get around. The
city has this great need to infill (a word I hate), but doesn’t really care how
people are going to get around. We have a police station, and, may I add, in a
great location. The Rainier connection would get people to the other side of
town faster. The fire stations we have are great and located on both sides of
town. The D Street station is wonderful. The City Council is the one who ruined
it by ‘infilling.’ Put the money into ways to get people around this town in
comfort. In the works are more homes. How are we all going to get around?”

” “

“Priority 2 should be the ball
fields at East Washington. Please fix our roads first without raising our
taxes. Let’s get our local politicians to work with Caltrans to get Measure B
bond money to help pay for these projects. Other cities are getting
state/federal money; why can’t Petaluma? What is Lynn Woolsey doing to help
us?”

” “

“The police station was built
where it is, with the general plan stating the Rainier overcrossing. Where
would you build a new station? Besides, what good are new stations, fire or
police, if they can’t get anywhere due to poor roads and traffic jams?”

” “

“Add more garbage cans so the
streets aren’t so littered.”

” “

“Fix the Washington overpass
first. Synchronize the signals. Remove the parking spots in downtown Petaluma
on Petaluma Boulevard. I am going to sideswipe a car or person one of these
days. It is dangerously narrow. Fix all these things first, then review the
traffic flow again to find out what is needed.”

” “

“Caulfield is on the other side of
my rear fence. The city won’t put up a sound wall on our side of Caulfield.
Traffic starts moving at about 5 a.m.”

” “

“We need the Rainier overcrossing
badly. It is a mess to get across
town.”

” “

“Rainier can never work and should
die. Just look at an aerial map of it, and you can see that a roadway in the
floodplain would have to snake around existing businesses, circle Cinnabar
Hill, go over an impossible-to-obtain at-grade railroad crossing and reach
Petaluma Boulevard. It would take less time to go around via Corona Road. The
need for a new fire station was not known during the forming of the Central
Petaluma Specific Plan or it would have been incorporated into it. The old Casa
Grande motel site is maybe half the size needed for a proper station. The
ladder truck is simply too big to safely turn in to the site from Second
Street. Almost all of the on-street parking in that entire block would have to
be eliminated to provide clearance. There would be room for less than 10
on-site parking places in a facility with 30 or more people there during the
day. This is a travesty.”

” “

“I’d like to see a free wireless
Internet zone downtown. With new shops going in at the old junior high site, it
is best to spend the money fixing the Washington overpass and surrounding area.
Can we model the new shops after the Irvine Spectrum? That is a really
beautiful shopping center ” carousel, palm trees, overhead awnings, fountains,
lighting, ambiance. Check out:
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=irvine+spec
trum&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2 to see some of the images. It is really
nice.”

” “

“No money should be spent on the
Petaluma Police Department. If they actually did something, I would pull for
them.”