A long‑running fight over who gets to use Lafferty Ranch tilted sharply toward the City of Petaluma on Thursday, when a Sonoma County judge tossed a lawsuit brought by six Sonoma Mountain neighbors who were trying to block public access to the historic property. The ruling wipes out a major legal obstacle to the city’s plan to keep running docent‑led hikes on the 270‑acre Petaluma preserve.
Judge's Ruling
Judge John Tomberlin sustained the City of Petaluma’s demurrer to the verified second amended complaint, concluding the neighbors had not set out any viable legal claims. He dismissed the case without leave to amend, effectively ending this particular lawsuit. The reasoning is detailed in a tentative ruling posted by the Sonoma County Superior Court.
The Case
The suit, Pfendler v. City of Petaluma, was filed on December 23, 2024, by six Sonoma Mountain Road landowners: Nicholas Pfendler, Donald McKinney, James Heppelmann, Mary Hable, Richard Tavernetti and Randall Smith. They alleged that the city’s activities at the ranch, including work at the entrance gate, amounted to trespass and caused other harms. Those names and the filing date are listed in federal and state court records cited in filings available on Justia.
Statements From Both Sides
According to reporting by The Press Democrat, City Attorney Dylan Brady framed the demurrer as a basic test of whether the complaint stated any valid legal claim at all, and said the ruling rebuffed the neighbors’ effort to attack the city’s claimed access rights. Plaintiff Nicholas Pfendler countered that, in his view, the decision leaves core access issues unresolved and that an evidentiary hearing would still be needed to settle any dispute over the driveway.
Lafferty Ranch Background
The 270‑acre parcel atop Sonoma Mountain has belonged to the City of Petaluma since 1959 and has long been slated for public recreation, with sweeping views of the Bay and the ocean on clear days. The City of Petaluma says the site has recently hosted limited public access through pilot guided visits run in partnership with the nonprofit LandPaths.
Permit Fight And Local Drama
The lawsuit zeroed in on Encroachment Permit No. ENC23‑0369, which the city secured in February 2024 to place rock at the ranch entrance. The neighbors appealed, arguing that the work went beyond the county road right‑of‑way and effectively encouraged trespass, according to the court’s tentative ruling. The same court documents note that the administrative appeal of the permit was denied on March 11, 2024.
The Press Democrat also reported that in December 2024, the city agreed to indemnify longtime Lafferty supporters Larry Modell and Matt Maguire, and that Maguire later stepped down as a docent in spring 2025 after a video appeared to show him tampering with a surveillance camera.
What Comes Next
With the demurrer sustained and the complaint dismissed, this round of the legal battle is over, and the city and its partners are free to continue guided visits at Lafferty Ranch even as larger access questions hang in the air. The plaintiffs still have the option to look for other legal avenues, but for now the ruling removes the immediate roadblock to expanding public programs at the 270‑acre preserve.
