Visual Analysis Services for EKN Hotel + Downtown Housing and Economic Overlay Project Focused EIR

FCS prepared the EIR and supporting technical studies for the EKN Hotel and Downtown Housing and Economic Opportunity Overlay Project in Petaluma, including analysis of a proposed 93-room, six-story hotel in Historic Downtown. As part of the project, FCS assisted stakeholders in understanding potential impacts to views and shade and shadows from the hotel project. 

First, FCS prepared a series of visual simulations to help the community and decision makers understand the potential aesthetic impacts views of, within, and from Historic Downtown Petaluma. The highly visible proposal was a point of community concern; the  downtown is nearly built out with a mix of historic resources and new buildings at various heights. 

FCS worked carefully with stakeholders to identify representative vantage points of concern, which embodied a range of visual conditions one may experience in or near downtown Petaluma, including from popular locations such as the Great Petaluma Mill, the Free Public Library, and Walnut Park. 

Existing structures and topography were carefully considered and digitally verified to ensure highly accurate visual representations of the development, including an exercise to determine the project’s visibility from across Petaluma River. The exercise demonstrated that the project was obstructed from view due to existing development. 

FCS also prepared a shade and shadow study which demonstrated the extent of net new shadows that would be cast from the proposed hotel onto neighboring publicly accessible open spaces, particularly Center Park. 

The greater Overlay Project involved amending the General Plan and Zoning regulations to increase the maximum floor area ratio (FAR) for the Mixed-use designation from 2.5 to 6 within the Overlay area, encouraging growth in retail, office, and commercial uses. Residential density remained capped at 30 dwelling units per acre, ensuring no increase in population beyond projections already analyzed in the General Plan Final EIR. No changes were proposed to the Public/Semi-Public land use designation within the Overlay. 

FCS prepared the technical studies for Aesthetics, Cultural Resources and Tribal Cultural Resources, and Land Use and Planning. The City Council approved the project and certified EIR on February 24, 2025.