The city of Sonoma appears on the verge of acquiring a 98-acre hillside parcel that promises to open up sweeping vistas of the city to the public. But dog owners, long concerned with the transfer of the Montini Preserve to the city, say the latest terms of the deal still exclude them from bringing their pets on the property.

In a first test of Sonoma’s new rules governing so-called formula stores, the city planning commission has narrowly rejected a use permit for Berkeley-based Peet’s Coffee and Tea to open an outlet near the historic city plaza.