Petaluma Municipal Code Ch. 13.45 Preservation and Public Access to Lafferty Ranch

LaOerty Ranch, a mountain and watershed property owned by the city of Petaluma (the "city"), shall remain in

public ownership for passive public recreational use in perpetuity, subject to the provisions contained herein. The

LaOerty Ranch, located on Sonoma Mountain, in the unincorporated area of Sonoma County, California, is more

particularly described as:

Being a part of the Petaluma Rancho, and which is known, designated and described upon Rowe’s Map of said

Rancho, as Lot Number 361, containing 269.75 acres, and being the same premises which were formerly known as

the LaOerty Ranch, and which were deeded by William Hill to the Sonoma County Water Company, a corporation,

by deed dated the 25th day of May 1888, and recorded in Vol. 113 of Deeds, as page 282, Sonoma County Records.

A.P. No. 136-17-001 (Ord. 2022 NCS §l, 1996.)

The city shall not sell, trade or otherwise dispose of any interest in or right associated with LaOerty Ranch,

including any and all water rights to any party without prior approval by the voters of the city. (Ord. 2022 NCS §l,

1996.)

The LaOerty Ranch shall be made available for passive recreational use by the public in accord with the provisions

of this section.

Use of LaOerty Ranch by the public shall be pursuant to a public use management plan to be prepared and

implemented by the city (the "plan"), in accordance with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations. The

plan shall be consistent with the protection, restoration and enhancement of the natural wildlands of LaOerty

Ranch and shall be based on best management practices for public open space and recreational lands in the San

Francisco Bay Area. Preparation of the plan shall commence no later than sixty days following the adoption of this

chapter.

Pending adoption of the plan, LaOerty Ranch shall be made available for passive recreational use by the public

pursuant to an interim plan which shall be adopted by the city council in accordance with all applicable state and

federal laws and regulations.

The city shall not enter into any contract or agreement with any private party or public agency if the contract or

agreement would restrict or limit public use of LaOerty Ranch as permitted by this section, unless the restrictions

or limitations are consistent with the plan. (Ord. 2022 NCS §l, 1996.)

If any sentence, clause, section, or part of this chapter is found to be unconstitutional, illegal, or invalid, then such

unconstitutionality, illegality, or invalidity shall aOect only that sentence, clause, section, or part, and shall not

eOect or impair any of the remaining sentences, clauses, sections, or parts of this chapter. It is hereby declared to

be the intention of the people of the city that this chapter would have been adopted had such unconstitutional,

illegal, or otherwise invalid sentence, clause, section, or part of this chapter not been included herein. To this end,

the provisions of this chapter are severable. (Ord. 2022 NCS §l, 1996.)

The Petaluma Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 2916 NCS, passed December 1, 2025.

Disclaimer: The city clerk’s oNce has the oNcial version of the Petaluma Municipal Code. Users should contact the

city clerk’s oNce for ordinances passed subsequent to the ordinance cited above.

City Website: cityofpetaluma.net

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