Important Points in Trestle History
Trestle Extravaganza stage, circa 1990
1990 For six years in the 1990s Chris Sampson and Chris Stevick organized Trestle Extravaganza with 50 different artists, including various bands performing in the trolley museum yellow barn.
1991 Argus Courier article
1992 Video of last freight train to use the trestle.
1/2/02 Letter listing advantages of saving the trestle by Chris Stevick
1/28/02 archaeological services established the trestle's historic significance
1/29/02 CSW st2 Engineering assumes that the trestle's piles are too far gone to repair
2003 The Petaluma Specific plan designates $500,000 to saving the trestle
3/21/03 Archaeological Services determines the trestle is within the Downtown Historic District
3/9/04 CSW writes to Paul Marangella confirming his request that all designs for rehabilitating the trestle will include the demolition of the existing structure.
8/4/04 Argus Courier article quotes Marangella "the trestle is too far gone to restore"
12/17/04 Marangella meets with Chris Stevick to show him plans for replacing the trestle
1/11/05 Katherine Rinehart protests, the planned demolition of the trestle
1/26/05 in his presentation to SPARC Chris Stevick explains that the report by CSW ignores the historic and cultural significance of the trestle as well as actual wood condition
2/9/05 Marangella presses the board of Heritage Homes to endorse the demolition of the trestle
9/12/05 Chris Stevick disproves Marella's claim that "no civil engineer would put their stamp on a wooden trestle"
10/12/05 Argus Courier article discloses that Paul Marangella has resigned after $4.8 million in redevelopment overruns were revealed
5/31/06 Chris Stevick advocates for an Historic Structural Report (HSR) for the trestle. The City Council unanimously resolves to begin the HSR process.
11/22/06 Marianne Hurley reviews the RFP for the HSR and urges consideration of the trestle as an historic resource by CEQA standards
1/10/08 Paul Siri of State Coastal Conservancy (SCC) proposes possible grant for trestle renovation
1/30/08 Argo Courier publishes poll showing 90% of respondents approve of trestle renovation
Early 2009 Pam Torliatt reveals that executives of the SCC were pleased by the way that Petaluma's Specific Plan led to the development of the Theater District
4/20/09 Presenting to City Council, Chris Stevick says the SCC is interested in funding the engineering and design necessary for renovating the trestle
12/6/10 City accepts SCC Grant for trestle rehabilitation
12/16/10 Presenting to the Recreation, Music And Parks Commission, Chris Stevick advocates for saving the trestle
2/27/11 Diane Ramirez (Capital Improvements Project Manager) shares the schedule listing milestones required by the SCC with Chris Stevick
October 2011 Winzler & Kelly (chosen by City to execute the Trestle Design and Plan are bought out by GHD engineering.
11/1/11 Chris Stevick protests to council members Barrett and Healy that stakeholders were never invited to participate in planning the trestle rehab rehabilitation as required by SCC
12/14/11 Stakeholders get first look at the three alternative plans prepared by W&K for trestle rehabilitation
2/6/12 At City Council meeting, Chris Stevick convinces Council to reject Alt 3 (trestle demolition and replacement, preferred by staff) and resolves to support Alt 1 (trestle rehabilitation preserving intact existing materials)
8/16/12 Staff comes up with version E of Alt 1 that includes use of steel Helical Torcpiles (screw piles) without mentioning it will require removing the entire super-structure for access
TRESTLE HISTORY
A complete timeline of the attempts to rehabilitate the Petaluma Railroad Trestle
including openable relevant documents, videos, and pictures from 1992 to the present.