Renovation & Construction News for UUP’s Historic Building

In 2021, UU Petaluma was fortunate to receive a very generous gift from one of our members, Fatima Lassar, allowing us to purchase the 1901 church building on the corner of 5th and B St. in downtown Petaluma. The gift included sufficient funds to do some immediate work to make the building usable while we strategized a long-term approach to renovation. We put on a new roof, fixed decaying woodwork on the exterior, and painted the building.

Over the course of the past four years since we began holding services in the building in November 2021, we have engaged in a process of discernment regarding the path forward: what values do we wish to see expressed in our new home? A series of structured conversations involving UUP’s committees, staff, and board took place, with the architect we engaged to see us through the process, Mary Dooley of MAD Architects in Petaluma.

Our primary values of inclusion and of intergenerational involvement found their way into an initial set of plans.

A capital campaign by the entire congregation allowed us to proceed with some of the further needed work, which has been taking place over the past years, including the installation of new lighting in the sanctuary, upgrades for accessibility to our restrooms and to the building, the purchase of a new stove, the installation of solar panels, and more.

In 2025 an additional gift from Fatima lead to the creation of the Design and Aesthetics Advisory Committee (DAAC) to take over the work of shepherding the process of renovation, and as of December 2025, the DAAC and the Board are ready to present the path forward to the congregation, first at an all-congregation meeting on December 14, 2025, and subsequently through less formal gatherings scheduled for December 21 and January 11, 2026. Quarterly update meetings will be scheduled thereafter by the DAAC to keep the congregation informed, along with regular newsletter articles.

Please email OurNewHome@uupetaluma.org with questions or comments.