The Petaluma Woman’s Club (PWC) met with the City of Petaluma Public Works & Utilities Department on December 12th, 2024 to review progress on the Trestle Rehabilitation Project’s design phase and to take a look at criteria for recommended grant money to determine if our Trestle is eligible.
Design Phase: The City hired Foth Consultants last July to complete the design phase and to assist in the many facets of this project such as permitting, material analysis, cost estimates, the environmental liability for the City-SMART MOU, and to vision adaptability due to sea level rise. Foth is to provide the City with a high level overview on 12/13/2024 for internal review and further direction. Trestle Rehabilitation design alternatives will be then developed with cost estimates and provided to the Petaluma City Council in February 2025 for their direction on moving forward.
Grant Money: The design phase of the Trestle Rehabilitation Project is expected to be completed in Fall of 2025. The design phase was completed previously in 2013, and construction never commenced. We are all working to make sure that does not happen again. The Department of Public Works has hired a Management Analyst, Delana Bradford who is now working to find suitable grant money to assist with construction. Delana, with the Trestle Rehabilitation Project Engineer, Steve Worrell are working towards a fully completed project and the construction is scheduled to begin 6-12 months after the design has been completed and funds secured.
The Trestle previously had qualified for California State Coastal Conservancy (SCC) grant money, but their funds have been frozen due to California budget issues. SCC has been awarded a new set of funds in 2025 with the passing of Proposition 4, however the fund criteria targets the causes and effects of climate change and sea level rise, which we are hoping the Trestle design will adapt. Our representative at SCC sent over a few other grant opportunities from the US Department of Transportation – RAISE and from the Rails to Trails Conservancy – PROTECT. Delana is in review of these two grant opportunities and searching for more. The City will have Foth consultants also review these two grants to obtain their professional opinion if the Trestle is eligible. PWC has offered to assist with the review and applications if we move forward on these grants.
The Petaluma Woman’s Club has also offered to provide the community with our event space to hold community visioning meetings. The City expects those to happen in the Spring of 2025.