HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/04/1996, 2 - CONSIDERATION OF WORKSCOPE FOR A RAILROAD SQUARE MASTER PLAN. council
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
FROM: Arnold Jonas
Prepared By: Jeff Hoo; J% '
SUBJECT: Consideration of workscope for a Railroad Square Master Plan.
CAO RECOMMENDATION: 1) Approve the master plan workscope and authorize staff to
proceed with preparation of the master plan; 2) authorize staff to solicit consultant proposals for
specific workscope tasks, if necessary; and 3) direct the CAO to include up to $15,000 in the
1996-97 Budget for master plan costs.
DISCUSSION
Council members directed staff to evaluate the benefits of a detailed plan for the Railroad Square
area and to return with a possible workscope. Council was concerned that the various activities
and improvements planned or underway in the area be properly coordinated. In the attached letter
supporting such a plan, Astrid Gallagher cites several important issues which are pending in the
area, including: city and regional transportation issues, open space and historic preservation, the
need for safe pedestrian and bicycle connections, esthetic and public safety concerns, and the need
to provide additional car parking to serve Amtrak customers and travelers.
Since the late 1800s, San Luis Obispo's growth and character has been closely linked to the
railroad and the railroad area, generally bordered by Santa Rosa Street on the North, South Street
on the South, Santa Barbara/Osos Streets on the West, and the Ella Street/Terrace Hill
neighborhood to the East. The City's first street car linked Downtown and the impressive Ramona
Hotel with the railroad area, and the City's economic and geographic importance grew with the
completion of the Cuesta Grade and extension of the Southern Pacific Railroad to town in 1895.
San Luis Obispo's railroad yard became the major maintenance and switching facility on the
Coastal Route between San Francisco and Los Angeles until the 1950s.
In the 1960s, the former railroad yard began an extended period of decline, as Southern Pacific
scaled back its Coastal freight operations and deferred maintenance on or demolished many of its
surplus buildings. In recent years, vandalism and graffiti has increased and several historic
structures, including the Turntable and the Signal Repair Station have been lost through fire or
neglect. Signs of decline are also evident in the small service-commercial area bordering the
railroad, as older, substandard buildings are demolished, damaged or remain vacant or under used
due to code concerns.
Despite economic upsand downs, land uses in the Railroad Square area have continued to evolve,
and in many cases, intensify. Intensified commercial uses and renewed emphasis on passenger
trains have increased parking demand in the area. In the mid 1980s, the City invested in new
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parking and depot facilities,and supported rehabilitation of the Park Hotel with State block grant
loans. The arrival of the San Diegan passenger service marks the District's most recent change.
Other pending changes include a proposed relocation and expansion of Cafe Roma, and the
possible development of an expanded multi-modal transportation facility. The historic district is
"under parked", and additional joint use parking is needed to serve the San Diegan passengers and
the district's businesses. Discussions have begun with Southern Pacific Transportation Company
to purchase excess railroad land for additional public parking.
A Railroad District master plan could help guide: 1) new or expanding businesses; 2) historic
preservation projects, including the Railroad Water Tower and possible restoration of the old
Railroad Warehouse and/or Roundhouse for a railroad heritage museum and related commercial
uses; 3) area-serving parking/transportation facilities; 4) redevelopment of service-commercial
uses and the Santa Barbara Street corridor, including unused street rights-of-way; and 5) reuse of
abandoned railroad right-of-way for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Some of these efforts are already underway, for example, the City's new bikeway and the Jennifer
Street bridge. Circulation, land use, historic preservation, recreation, public safety and other
issues should be considered comprehensively to enable logical, safe and attractive development,
consistent with General Plan policies. A master plan would create a framework to implement
General Plan goals for the area, and,help coordinate capital projects in this relatively small but
critically important district. The timing for such a plan appears good for several reasons:
• San Luis Obispo Council of Governinents (SLOCOG) has applied for $500,000 to
purchase abandoned railroad right-of-way south of the Railroad Square office building to
provide additional parking;
• The possibility of a new transit center in Railroad Square is being conceptually discussed
by City and SLOCOG staff;
• Plans for a new Cafe Roma restaurant on the former "Outside Inn" site have been
submitted to the City;
• Recent completion of platform and maintenance facilities for the San Diegan passenger
service near the railroad depot;
• Engineering design studies are underway to restore the Old Railroad Water Tower, an
historic preservation project funded with State transportation grant funds;
• Plans to install a new bikeway and bridge to link the Ella Street neighborhood with
Downtown are moving forward; and
• Completion of the new City Fire Station #1 at South and Santa Barbara Street may focus
additional public and property owner attention on this area of town for redevelopment.
Staff envisions the master plan as a short-term, narrowly defined project, lasting about six months
to a year. Key decisions have already been made which must be factored into the plan, and to
some degree, the master planning effort would need to move relatively quickly to "catch up" with
Council Agenda Report - Railroad Square Master Plan
Page 3
the activities already in planning and design stages.. The plan's chief purpose would be to help
define the overall vision for the District, similar to the Downtown Physical Plan but with special
standards to maintain the district's historic character. It would also help coordinate activities of
the various City and County staff, including Public Works, Community Development, SLOCOG
and others as they consider projects in the railroad area. The workscope would include the
following general topics:
Circulation/parking,
Bicycle/pedestrian linkages
Public Transportation
Urban design standards
Cultural Resources
Land Use/Zoning
Recreation/open space
Plan implementation
FISCAL IMPACT
As envisioned, the master plan would be prepared "in house" by Community Development
Department staff with assistance from Public Works and other city staff, and with the involvement
of SLOCOG, the County of San Luis Obispo, Amtrak, Southern Pacific Transportation Company,
and area property owners. Depending upon the availability of staff resources, funding might be
needed to complete some specialized parts of the plan, such as urban design standards and cultural
resource mapping. Staff anticipates that contract work would account for less than 25 percent of
the total workscope.
Estimated study costs
(printing, photography, other direct costs) $ 5,000
consultant expenses 10,000
Total $15,000*
* With the adoption of this staff recommendation, an added $15,000.00 will be included in
the 1996-97 Budget to support these costs.
The project would involve a significant commitment of staff time, and to the extent that the work
is completed in house with current staff, it will require that other Community Development work
priorities be deferred or reassigned. Work program items that could be affected include Housing
Element implementation programs, Cultural Heritage Committee goals that require substantial
staff support, or assignments that are not part of the work program that might otherwise be
considered in the future. These programs can be deferred without immediate consequence. Given
the anticipated development activity in the Railroad Square noted above, as well as the
significance of the area to the City's.history and character, it seems of more immediate importance
to insure that the area develop in a well planned and deliberate manner.
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Council Agenda Report - Railroad Square Master Plan
Page 4
ALTERNATIVE
1. Contract for the preparation of a master plan for the Railroad Square area. This option
would recognize the development activity anticipated and the need to have a plan in place
to guide it. Consultant preparation for a complete plan would increase the cost
significantly, by as much as $30,000-40,000.
2. Defer the preparation of a district master plan until there is a greater level of comfort that
important City programs will not be delayed. Given current staff levels and the number
of General Plan implementation programs, other potential work items, and the need to
have a plan in place in the near future, it is doubtful a time will come that is better than
the present.
3. Do not prepare a master plan for Railroad Square. Under this approach, project review
in the Railroad Historic District will continue on a project-by-project basis by Community
Development and Public Works Departments, based on existing General Plan and Zoning
Ordinance standards. Opportunities for project coordination would be more limited, and
there would be no detailed or specific vision for the Railroad District's future.
Attachment
Railroad Area Study Area Map
Letter from Astrid Gallagher
RAILROAD SQUARE STUDY AREA
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37 El Mirador Ct
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
October 31, 1995
The Hon Allan Settle, Mayor
Members of the City Council
990 Palm St.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Dear Mayor Settle and Members of the City Council:
In the 1880s San Luis Opispo County historian and newspaper editor
Myron Angel cajoled and harassed the Southern Pacific to extend the coastal
railroad through San Luis Obispo. He goaded the city fathers and the property
owners to provide the land for the right of way. He did a good deed. The
"Espy" brought the world to our doorstep. However, the tracks cut our city in
half and for a hundred years the city has turned its backside to the tracks.
The entire Historic San Luis Obispo Railroad Corridor within the City
limits needs a comprehensive Master Plan. The city needs to explore now, while
the options are available, all avenues and possibilities for a safe, open space that
preserves the historic character and the alternative transportation parkway.
Walkers, joggers, mothers with strollers, pets on leashes, mopeds,
bicyclists and students of all ages use the entire Railroad Corridor. I urge you
to get a sense of the heavy use of this historic corridor by standing on the No
St. overpass, by driving on San Luis Dr. any school day at noon, where you'll
see high school students enjoying the Railroad Corridor reading, studying and
chatting. With a major city-directed cleanup, and the installation of some street
lighting and minor landscaping, the northern portion from Johnson Ave. to
Calpoly will be attractive and safe for the neighborhood residents.
I urge you also to drive or bike the corridor from the Railroad Station to
Orcutt Rd. at sunset. The spectacular views of our valleys and of our
mountains from this open space need to be preserved for our community. Now
arriving tourists and through Amtrack passengers get their first and sometimes
only impression of San Luis Obispo when they see the filthy, hazardous
transient.encampments around and in the culverts, the piles of trash and tires,
rusty cars, gang graffiti, old sofas, and vandalized historic buildings. An
immediate major city directed cleanup effort from Johnson Ave to Orcutt Rd.
must be made to protect this communty's historic resources, to promote safety
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in the Railroad Historic District, and to prevent further deterioration,
vandalism and theft.
The Master Plan must address the preservation, reconstruction and reuse
of the historic resources. Other competing issues need to be addressed. There
are several unresolved right-of-way issues, including public access to public
resources. The possibility exists for City purchase of open space. Additional
Railroad Depot parking is critical. The Avila Valley Railroad group is looking
at the historic Pacific Coast Railroad connection. The completion of the long
planned Bikeway will reduce cars on city streets. The Bishop St. underpass or
bridge will reduce by hundreds of thousands of dollars the cost of fire
protection. The pedestrian/bike underpass to the Sinsheimer Recreation
complex allows for easy car-free access for area residents. A creative,
comprehensive Master Plan will pull together the many, varied and exciting
opportunities for this historic zone.
The time is right for the City of San Luis Obispo to take control of the
longest section of open space within the city limits. On behalf of the Cultural
Heritage Committee, I ask you to direct your staff to prepare a Priority Master
Plan for the Historic San Luis Obispo Railroad Corridor.
Very Sincerely,
Astrid Gallr
Chairman, Cultural Heritage Committee