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Home My WebLink About01-13-2015 BW1 ThyneCOUNCIL MEETING: 13 15 ITEM NO.: Subject: FW: San Luis Obispo January 13, 2015 Goal Setting Workshop RECEIVED Attachments: 011015 ... sodpriorities.pdf JAN 12 2015 .111_0 CT F -------- Original message -------- From: Allan Cooper Date:01/10/2015 4:16 PM (GMT -08:00) To: "Marx, Jan" , "Carpenter, Dan" , "Rivoire, Dan" , "Ashbaugh, John" , "Christianson, Carlyn" Subject: Re: San Luis Obispo January 13, 2015 Goal Setting Workshop I just realized I sent you a first draft of S.O.D.'s priorities. Please refer to the attachment below which is our final draft. Thanks! On Sat, Jan 10, 2015 at 4:11 PM, Allan Cooper <acooper@calpoly.edu> wrote: Honorable Mayor & Council Members: Save Our Downtown endorses a number of New Programs recommended by members of the Land Use & Circulation Element (LUCE) Citizen's Task Force. These include LUCE Programs #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9 and #10 which are listed below. We are also recommending a number of other new programs which may or may not require significant funding. Needless to say, these programs are too numerous to fund in one budget cycle. Therefore, we have endeavored to prioritize them. That prioritized list is attached below. Thank you for your due diligence in this matter. Elizabeth Thyne, Chair Save Our Downtown Save Our Downtown Seeking to protect and promote the historical character, design, livability, and economic success of downtown San Luis Obispo. Visit us at: saveourdowntownslo.com Save Our Downtown's Priority List for Funding Programs - in Rank Order (1-25) Enhancing Downtown's Vibrancy Save Our Downtown has long advocated that the City - specifically the Economic Development Manager - needs to "target" business support to achieve a desirable mix of uses in the Downtown. The following programs would implement this concept: 1) New Program #4: The City shall prepare an inventory of uses in the Downtown Core, particularly to identify uses at the street level which directly impact the pedestrian experience and vibrancy of the Downtown. This information shall be used to target business support and attraction to achieve a desirable mix of uses in the Downtown. 2) New Program: The City shall implement the Economic Development Strategic Plan and other appropriate strategies for business retention and expansion with a focus on those providing head -of - household jobs Downtown. Enhancing the Downtown Pedestrian Experience Save Our Downtown wishes to see that the programs below are incorporated for Downtown into the City's new Citywide Pedestrian Plan: 3) New Program #3: The City shall develop a master plan and a landscape implementation schedule for San Luis Obispo Creek in the Downtown area. 4) Visual Resource Study: The City shall undertake a study of visual resources within the Downtown core area to identify potential locations for new publicly -owned open places with access to views of important scenic resources. The City will consider acquisition of one or more of these open places as resources permit. A range of options for property acquisition, including development agreements, will be considered, consistent with the City's fiscal policies and objectives. 5) Way Finding Study: Incorporate way finding signs to better direct pedestrians and motorists in non- residential areas Alcohol Outlets Save Our Downtown expresses continued concern that solutions need to happen sooner rather than later to the bad behavior which results from the large number and location of alcohol outlets within Downtown: 6) New Program #5: The City shall incorporate into its zoning regulations specific criteria for evaluating use permits for bars/taverns, nightclubs and late-night drinking establishments. 7) New Program #2: The City shall work with the Downtown businesses and residents, the BID, and Chamber of Commerce to manage impacts from downtown drinking establishments, and if necessary, enact additional regulations to ensure that the late night environment in and near Downtown is safe and pleasant. Adherence to Community Design Guidelines & Historic Preservation Program Guidelines Save Our Downtown wishes to increase certainty and adherence to the Community Design Guidelines, and to broaden them to address basic and sophisticated urban design concepts and practices: 8) New Program: The City shall change the Community Design Guidelines from advisory, optional statements to mandatory discretionary standards, such as is the practice of the County of San Luis Obispo and other jurisdictions. The City shall also give the Cultural Heritage Committee increased authority by promoting it to Commission status thereby insuring greater adherence to the Historic Preservation Program Guidelines. 9) New Program: The City shall incorporate aspects of an Urban Design Element into the Community Design Guidelines, working with Save Our Downtown. 10) New Program: The City shall develop a zoning section of a "Form -Based Code" for the Downtown Core and other non-residential areas. 11) New Program #6: The City will modify its Community Design Guidelines to enhance Safety and Crime Prevention through Environmental Design 12) New Program: The City shall amend the Community Design Guidelines to address transitions between neighborhood commercial development and adjacent residential neighborhoods. Updates to Zoning Regulations 13) New Program: The City will investigate emerging technologies and trends to evaluate whether updates to zoning regulations are needed in particular within Downtown. 14) New Program: The City shall modify zoning regulations to allow efficiency units and variable density in the Downtown Core 15) New Program: The City shall review zoning regulations to consider allowing visitor -service uses in office zones adjacent to community commercial zones in the Downtown and adjacent to Monterey Street between Johnson and Santa Rosa Updates to the Downtown Concept Plan 16) New Program: The City shall update the Downtown Concept Plan by 2016 and shall regularly update the plan as required to address significant changes in or affecting the Downtown area including the opportunity for meaningful public input. 17) New Program: Expansion of Downtown Plaza: The City shall explore the full or partial closure and re -design of the following street segments to effectively extend, either permanently or for special events, Mission Plaza on: Broad Street between Palm and Monterey Streets, and Monterey Street between the two connections with Broad Street. Public Safety Save Our Downtown's draft Pedestrian Plan has already recommended programs 16 and 18. 18) New Program #10: The City shall conduct a nighttime safety audit of key areas of the City to see where deficiencies in environmental design may exist and should be improved. Key Areas should be defined as areas experiencing higher crime than City average by SLOPD. 19) New Program #8: The City working with the Downtown Association, Downtown businesses and residents shall develop a program to encourage enhanced lighting of building alcoves, lighted storefronts and street frontages throughout the night. 20) New Program #9: All specific plans shall identify design features utilized to enhance public safety, 21) New Program #7: The City, working with the Downtown Association, businesses, landlords, and residents will consider emergency call boxes at strategic locations in the Downtown. 22) New Program: Safety and Crime Prevention through Environmental Design: The City shall ensure that new development is designed and constructed to address public safety and welfare. The following issues should be pursued: 1) Design solutions that minimize the potential for graffiti; 2) Visibility into entry and access points on non-residential buildings. Downtown Parking Save Our Downtown has recommended increasing the in -lieu parking fees to cover a larger share of the construction cost of parking garages - our in lieu parking fee requirement is less than in most other cities. 23) New Program: The City shall evaluate the potential to use portions of City -owned parking lots and structures for residents' parking. 24) New Program: The City shall evaluate the potential for development fees to fund new parking spaces in an additional parking structure for residents of new housing projects in the Downtown core. 25) New Program: The City shall require new housing projects in the Downtown area to provide residents with information and services to off -set vehicle needs, such as providing transit passes, providing space for hourly car rental services, and providing on-site bicycle storage facilities.