FROM: Larry D. Bussard, Redevelopment Director
BY: Alan Stumpf, Redevelopment Project Manager
SUBJECT: Joint Study Session with Planning Commission and Design Review Board: Progress Update on the Downtown Rebound Planning Program
BACKGROUND
Funding from a "Downtown Rebound Program Grant" awarded by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) has enabled the City to initiate a two-part "Downtown Rebound Planning Program" for future redevelopment of the downtown. In the first part of the program, City staff and consultants Cotton-Bridges Associates and ROMA Design Group have worked with a community advisory committee (see attached member list) to identify potential development sites in the downtown and select three sites for further study that would provide examples, or prototypes of the intense urban and mixed use developments anticipated for the downtown by the City's new General Plan. Along with the conceptual designs for the three properties are general development parameters and strategies to consider for redevelopment of the entire core of the downtown (concentrating on the blocks on both sides of Main Street, stretching south from Market Street to John Street).
This first part of the Downtown Rebound program is culminating with a March 4 community meeting at the Steinbeck Center, hosted by the Oldtown Salinas Association; and with this joint study session with the City Council, Planning Commission and Design Review Board. As a result of these meetings staff and consultants will have direction to refine the design, development, and planning concepts presented, and then move forward into the second part of the Downtown Rebound program, preparing design and development guidelines and regulations for the downtown that will supplement the new Zoning Code. The Zoning Code Update and Downtown Rebound Programs will be completed and adopted simultaneously.
DESIGN CONCEPTS
Attached are the conceptual designs that will be presented in detail at the study session. The advisory committee chose three sites representing three different site and development characteristics, with brief descriptions below:
1. Drawings for the Dick Bruhn Department Store Rehab (at the SW corner of Main and Alisal Streets, owned by Dick Bruhn - (Sheet 1A and Sheet 1B) illustrate an adaptive reuse of an existing historic building. The ground floor remains retail with retention of existing covered parking, while the underutilized second floor offices are converted to 12 apartments, surrounding a second floor courtyard. New third and fourth floors with additional apartments would be added for a total of 27 units. The additional floors step back from the Main Street frontage, so that its scale and historic appearance are not compromised. Like most buildings fronting Main Street, the site is not large enough to provide the additional parking needed, and so this would require off-site parking in a nearby parking structure.
2. The City/County Parking Lot Rehab drawings (Sheet 2A and Sheet 2B) show potential reuse of an underutilized, city-owned site a short distance from the core of downtown. Currently used for Recreation Center parking and temporary County offices, the site is bounded on three sides by City streets - Church, Alisal, and Lincoln. The proposed "townhouse" configuration could offer affordable ownership housing and provide residents highly convenient access to downtown jobs, the recreation center, library, post office, and other services and businesses. "Shophouses" fronting the sidewalks of Alisal and Lincoln would combine work spaces and living spaces in a single unit. Structured parking would need to be a solution to offset the loss of existing parking.
3. In the third set of drawings, the CHISPA Site Rehab (Sheet 3A and Sheet 3B) provides an example of intensified development on a difficult infill site. Difficult because the intent is to use the existing landmark building (the 6-story building at the NE corner of Alisal and Main) as the centerpiece for new development surrounding it. The tower element could remain as office, or converted to residential lofts (the building was originally a hotel). New development surrounding it would have retail facing Main Street, with very intensive residential development, complete with structured parking, on the remainder of the property. The "shophouse" concept can also be a feature for ground floor residential units facing Alisal Street. As with the Dick Bruhn building, development would intensify further away from Main Street, respecting the scale and character of buildings facing Main Street.
2. The City/County Parking Lot Rehab drawings (Sheet 2A and Sheet 2B) show potential reuse of an underutilized, city-owned site a short distance from the core of downtown. Currently used for Recreation Center parking and temporary County offices, the site is bounded on three sides by City streets - Church, Alisal, and Lincoln. The proposed "townhouse" configuration could offer affordable ownership housing and provide residents highly convenient access to downtown jobs, the recreation center, library, post office, and other services and businesses. "Shophouses" fronting the sidewalks of Alisal and Lincoln would combine work spaces and living spaces in a single unit. Structured parking would need to be a solution to offset the loss of existing parking.
3. In the third set of drawings, the CHISPA Site Rehab (Sheet 3A and Sheet 3B) provides an example of intensified development on a difficult infill site. Difficult because the intent is to use the existing landmark building (the 6-story building at the NE corner of Alisal and Main) as the centerpiece for new development surrounding it. The tower element could remain as office, or converted to residential lofts (the building was originally a hotel). New development surrounding it would have retail facing Main Street, with very intensive residential development, complete with structured parking, on the remainder of the property. The "shophouse" concept can also be a feature for ground floor residential units facing Alisal Street. As with the Dick Bruhn building, development would intensify further away from Main Street, respecting the scale and character of buildings facing Main Street.
Redevelopment Strategies
In the two maps showing the downtown core, a broader redevelopment scope, or strategy is presented for the downtown. (Sheet 4A) illustrates a development strategy that emphasizes mixed-use infill developments on many underutilized private and public sites, but also logical locations for convenient, structured parking in each block, and pedestrian access. The additional residential development, of course increases demand for retail and services, as well as for entertainment. With the northern end of the downtown anchored by the Steinbeck Center, hotel, and Cineplex, larger destination retail could anchor the southern end, currently occupied by offices and aging, suburban style banks. The two anchors then would stimulate activity in the blocks between them.
The second map (Sheet 4B), is a first step at setting development guidelines and regulations within the downtown by establishing height limits. It first recognizes and respects the height and scale of existing downtown buildings facing Main Street, especially historically or architecturally significant buildings, with height limits of 35-50 feet. Higher limits are allowed
Click on a sheet number to view the graphic Page 3 facing Salinas and Monterey Streets, and opportunities for taller, "landmark" development are shown at key locations.
Finally, the "Main Street Design Concept" (Sheet 4C) illustrates a future vision for Main Street that would return to two-way traffic, parallel parking, and wide sidewalks that provide opportunities for cafes and seating areas. These are all recommended elements for an enhanced pedestrian-oriented downtown with improved circulation.
At the study session, John Bridges of Cotton-Bridges Associates and Jim Adams of ROMA Design will present the design and development concepts briefly described here, followed by opportunities for the Council, Planning Commission, and Design Review Board to ask questions and provide comments.
FISCAL IMPACT
The State HCD grant of $150,000 provides for the entire cost of the consulting agreement with Cotton-Bridges Associates, which also provides for subconsultant services by ROMA. The Program also requires support from Planning and Redevelopment staffs.
TIMELINES
The City's contract with the State for the grant funding was executed on August 7, 2002, providing a 30-month time period to complete the program products. Completion of the second and final phase of the Program is projected for completion this summer, concurrent with the Zoning Code Update Program.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
By its recent adoption of the new General Plan, the City of Salinas has demonstrated leadership in pursuing mixed-use, new urbanist strategies for directing infill and future growth. The design and development concepts produced thus far under the Downtown Rebound Program offer a clearer picture of how these strategies translate into the future of the downtown. Comments and insights from the City Council, Planning Commission, and Design Review Board at this study session, along with those of the community will be used in preparing downtown development guidelines and regulations that will be presented for formal consideration and approval by all three deliberative bodies later this year.