Planning Commission approves site plan that would shutter Cattlemens restaurant

Cattlemens restaurant and its longtime building may soon be gone from Petaluma.

The city’s Planning Commission last month approved a site plan that moves a Los Angeles-based developer one step closer to replacing the existing Cattlemens steakhouse with a Chick-fil-A and adding more retail shops at the northern end of Petaluma.

The commission approved 5-0 the site plan and architectural reviews for the development in one vote at its Aug. 22 meeting, and approved in a second vote signage at the 5000 block of Petaluma Boulevard North. Vice Mayor Janice Cader Thompson, who serves as the liaison member of the commission, was absent.

The property in question is nestled on three acres between Highway 101 and Petaluma Boulevard North, where the Cattlemens sits, alongside two other buildings that house Jay Palm’s Saddle Shop and Pleasures Unlimited Too.

The land is owned by Dynamic Real Estate Partners, which bought the acreage from longtime owners, the Ferolito family, within the past year.

Damon Porter, CEO of Dynamic Real Estate Partners, said he and his team are considering a “good, blended revitalization” of the property.

He said he’d also like to include an unnamed cannabis tenant on the property, who was recommended by the city and is “waiting in the wings of Petaluma to serve you.”

As part of the plan, the existing 9,040-square-foot Cattlemens restaurant would be demolished and replaced by a new 5,100-square-foot Chick-fil-A, the fast food chain that specializes in chicken sandwiches.

The Cattlemens chain, founded in 1968, added its Petaluma location in 1970. Cattlemens operates a restaurant in Rohnert Park after closing its longtime site in Santa Rosa’s Montgomery Village last year. The chain has eight locations in all across Northern California.

Attempts to reach a spokesperson for Cattlemens were unsuccessful.

Prior to the property sale by the Ferolito family, Cattlemens had been operating on a month-to-month lease after the chain allowed its lease to expire in December 2021, Anthony Ferolito told the Argus-Courier last year.

Other plans for the Petaluma Boulevard North property call for 4,500 square feet of retail space, said Mike Janusek, associate planner for the city of Petaluma, who gave the staff presentation.

Two remaining buildings on the lot — those housing Jay Palm’s Saddle Shop and Pleasures Unlimited Too — are slated for “an exterior refresh,” meaning they’d retain their Western character and be renovated with fresh white paint, new windows and one of the buildings’ staircases would be moved, according to the project description.

Other changes to the area include 31 electric vehicle parking spots, outdoor and patio dining, contrasting pedestrian crossings, secured bike parking, pedestrian pathways and 92 added trees, of which at least 60% must be native varieties.

The Planning Commission asked the developer to consider adding solar panels on rooftops or carports. An existing Cattlemens sign along Petaluma Boulevard North that the developers hoped to replace with a Chick-fil-A sign will be removed.

The commissioners allowed two freeway-facing signs, though such signs are not explicitly allowed in city code. However, modifications are allowed if a sign doesn’t detract from the city’s appearance and doesn’t lead to costly and uncontrolled competition through sign usage, said Dylan Brady, assistant city attorney.

The city’s zoning for the area does not allow for a drive-through, Janusek said. However, there are plans for a pedestrian pick-up window.

“We want to refresh the property as you can see. We want to keep the existing people, processes, the site intact,” said Porter. He added that he intends to work with new tenants who his team believes are “best in class” and will bring a “massive economic boost to the property.”

According to Petaluma Director of Community Development Brian Oh, the city’s Planning Commission “is the deciding authority for a permitted use such as this one,” so a City Council vote on the project will not be required.

Editor’s note: The last paragraph of this story was updated online to reflect more accurate information.

You can reach Staff Writer Jennifer Sawhney at 707-521-5346 or jennifer.sawhney@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @sawhney_media.