CHAPTER 13.45
PRESERVATION AND PUBLIC ACCESS TO LAFFERTY RANCH

13.45.010 Public ownership.

Lafferty 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 Lafferty 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 Lafferty 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 (part), 1996.)

13.45.020 Restriction on disposition.

The city shall not sell, trade or otherwise dispose of any interest in or right associated with Lafferty Ranch, including any and all water rights to any party without prior approval by the voters of the city. (Ord. 2022 NCS §l (part), 1996.)

13.45.030 Public use.

The Lafferty Ranch shall be made available for passive recreational use by the public in accord with the provisions of this section.

Use of Lafferty 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 Lafferty 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, Lafferty 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 Lafferty Ranch as permitted by this section, unless the restrictions or limitations are consistent with the plan.

(Ord. 2022 NCS §l (part), 1996.)

13.45.040 Severability.

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 affect only that sentence, clause, section, or part, and shall not effect 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 (part), 1996.)