The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About10/24/2018 Item 2b, Cooper Sheffield, Alexis From:Allan Cooper <saveourdowntownslo@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, October To:Davidson, Doug; Fowler, Xzandrea; Advisory Bodies Subject:Letter To The Planning Commission Attachments:110_23_18...lettertopc.pdf Dear Doug and Xzandrea - Would you kindly forward the letter attached below to the Planning Commission? This letter is pertaining to tomorrow's discussion of the 2019-2021 Goal-Setting and Financial Plan/Budget Process. Thank you! - Allan Allan Cooper, Secretary - Save Our Downtown, San Luis Obispo, CA Website: www.SaveOurDowntownSLO.com 1 To: SLO Planning Commission, Xzandrea Fowler, Deputy Director Doug Davidson, Deputy Director Re: 2019 – 2021 Planning Commission Goal-Setting and the Financial Plan/ Budget Process. Review 2017 - 2019 Planning Commission goals, take public testimony, and identify Commission goals and work program items for the 2019 – 2021 Financial Plan. Date: October 23, 2018 From: Allan Cooper, Secretary Save Our Downtown Honorable Chair Fowler and Commissioners - I fully concur with Mr. Russell Brown’s letter (see below) which you have presumably received. I wish to add one more budget item for your consideration and that would be the City’s long- standing priority of developing a Downtown Pedestrian Plan. This is referenced as Project 5.1.6 under Program 5 “Walking” of the SLO Circulation Element. 5.1.6. states the following: “The City shall require that pedestrian facilities in the downtown be designed in accordance with the Downtown Pedestrian Plan design guidelines to allow a clear path of travel and include conveniently located rest areas with shade and seating.” In 2012 Save Our Downtown presented to the City a 45-page document outlining key elements to be considered in a SLO Downtown Pedestrian Plan. A summary of this document is included below. In December 2016 Save Our Downtown submitted pedestrian plan enhancement ideas to the Creative Vision Team (also see below). We understand that a consultant was retained to begin the preparations for a Downtown Pedestrian Plan, but this project was unfortunately abandoned. Of course such a Pedestrian Plan will need to be coordinated with the newly completed Downtown Concept Plan, the proposed Masterplan for the San Luis Creek Walk, the Area Plan for Upper Monterey and the City’s 2013 Bicycle Transportation Plan. Thank you for your consideration in this matter! _____________________________________ Subject: Item 2B, 2019-21 Financial Plan Chair Fowler and Commissioners: As chair of Save Our Downtown citizen group, I am requesting that as you consider the 2019-21 Financial Plan you include several items. We ask that the downtown area be returned as one of the top 4 priorities. Within this purview, several elements are included. 1. Implementation of the Downtown Concept Plan 2. Development of a plan for the creek in the downtown area 3. Development of a plan for the upper Monterey area All of these items were included in the LUCE report and previously endorsed. We ask that the ﬁnancial resources be allocated to complete these important items. When complete these plans will provide a framework and direction for future development. We expect as the items move forward there will be signiﬁcant opportunities for citizen input. Thank you for your consideration. Russell Brown, Chair Save Our Downtown _____________________________________________________________________ Key Elements of Save Our Downtown’s Draft Pedestrian Plan Summarize May 7, 2011 walkability workshop (attendance: 40) (a)Need wider sidewalks (b)Eliminate high-volume, loud car trafﬁc (c)Need more mid-block pedestrian crosswalks (d)Incorporate more necessity goods stores (e)Make more dog- and bike- friendly (f)Well-lit streets Summarize April 30, 2011 general public discovery walk (attendance: 30) (a)Eliminate narrow sidewalks (b)Need more mid-block pedestrian crosswalks (c)Incorporate more “nature” (i.e. more pocket parks, trees and planters) into downtownSt Summarize what exists (a)Views of “countryside” which should be preserved and enhanced (b)Historical points of interest which should be honored and maintained (c)Solar access to the pedestrian right-of-way resulting from a downtown comprised primarily of 2-3 story buildings should be maintained at all costs (d)Few places to linger (e)High incidence of assaults and sexual offences (f)High incidence of thefts and vandalism (g)High incidence of pedestrian collisions (h)High incidence of vehicular collisions (i)High trafﬁc-related noise (j)Inadequate night lighting (k)Inadequate number of public toilets (l)Cracked and narrow sidewalks (m)Sidewalk clutter ii)Unattractive trash bins iii)Unattractive newspaper racks (a)Noxious odors (b)Inadequate number of benches (c)Inadequate number of bike racks (preferably centralized) (d)Inadequate number of attractive recycling bins (e)No doggie bag dispensers (f)Inadequate mix of uses (g) Edge of downtown and gateways not well-deﬁned (h) Need more intermediate points of interest (e.g., in the form of public art, water features, etc.) (i)Inadequate tree canopy (j)Inadequate wind buffers (k)Virtually no hanging ﬂower pots and ﬂower planters (l)Very brief lapse time for crosswalks at signalized intersections (and/or provide refuge islands in the middle of wide streets) (m)Gaps in the pedestrian network Summarize what is needed (aa)A phasing plan for sidewalk improvements based on trafﬁc volume and need (i.e., establish priorities for plan implementation) (bb)An implementation plan for funding sidewalk improvements (cc)Clear articulation of developer-funded street, paseo, park and sidewalk improvements (dd)Wider sidewalks (ee)Pave or grate over sidewalk cracks and tree wells (ff)More marked crosswalks (gg)More mid-block crosswalks (hh) More bulb-outs at intersections (ii)More “street calming” features i)Chicanes ii)Trafﬁc circles iii) Trafﬁc diverters iv)Speed humps and tables v)Landscaping to block through views (a)More safe and well-signed public toilets (b) Remove sidewalk clutter (c)More necessity goods stores (d) More art in public places (e)Wayﬁnding program i)Signage ii)Thematic tree planting (f) Bring the “countryside” into downtown i)More pocket parks ii)Preserve and enhance views and vistas iii) More canopy trees and planters iv)Maintain, enhance, restore and expand the urban forest _____________________________________________________________________ To: Creative Vision Team From: Allan Cooper, Secretary Save Our Downtown Re:Pedestrian Plan Enhancements To The Downtown Concept Plan Date: December 12, 2016 Meaningful thematic landscapes Ficus trees on Higuera (means “ﬁg” in Spanish) Bioswales along Marsh with naturalistic planting “clusters Medians planted with rose bushes on Santa Rosa (“rosa” means “rose” in Spanish) Water features along Chorro (Chorro means “jet”, “spurt” or “trickle” in Spanish) Garden St.: “garden”-like plantings (ﬂower planters and hanging pots) Palm St.: native “palms” Nipomo St. (means “the foot of the hills” in Chumash): landscape that “frames” the hills Morro St. (means “small rounded hill” in Spanish) “mound-like” plantings Broad St.: a boulevard is a beautiful, broad street, lined with rows of “stately” trees Osos St. (means “bear” in Spanish): bear murals, mosaics or sculptures Pedestrianize through street calming Widen sidewalks on the sunny, wind protected sides of the streets Identify location of bike boulevards and complete streets Provide more mid-block crosswalks 1.Between Marsh and Higuera Streets 2.In the blocks adjacent to the Government Center Slow down trafﬁc and provide places of refuge 2. Bulb outs 3. Chicanes 4. Trafﬁc circles 5. Trafﬁc diverters 6. Speed humps, road tables 7. Landscaping to block through views 8. Pavement changes Safe streets Identify streets with inadequate night lighting where additional lighting should be introduced 1.High crime corridors including Osos Street (narcotics) 2.Upper Higuera Street (thefts, robberies and vandalism) 3.Mission Plaza (narcotics) Introduce scramble crosswalks to insure bike and pedestrian safety 1.Chorro & Monterey 2.Santa Rosa & Monterey Eyes on territoriality Provide continuous store frontage Increase views and access from neighboring streets into Mission Plaza and creek walk (please consider the Monterey Place land swap proposal!) Public convenience and necessity Easy way-ﬁnding to public toilets, points of interest and garages Locate convenient bench locations Introduce wind buffers Maintain sunny sidewalks through increased building step backs Determine convenient location of parking garages Locate pedestrian pick up and drop off locations More intermediate points of interest through: Locating public art along pedestrian corridors Expanding our history walk plaque program Introducing water features Maintaining views of landmarks and architectural accents Filling gaps in the pedestrian network Introducing color through street planters and hanging ﬂower pots Locating pocket parks that afford views, provide sun and are wind protected Implementation Pedestrian path hierarchy (suggesting phasing priorities for pedestrian enhancements) Create a constraint map showing: 1.pedestrian hazards (including areas where collisions occur, dimly lit or hidden areas susceptible to crime, constricted passageways, poorly maintained sidewalks, etc.) 2.pedestrian arrival points (i.e., garages, bus stops, public elevators, likely paths leading to Downtown from Cal Poly, to Downtown from Railroad Square, and to Downtown from the RR ROW pedestrian/bicycle path and "motel row", etc.) 3.pedestrian points of interest (i.e., public restrooms, ATM's, services, government ofﬁces, popular shopping paseos, cultural institutions, bars, coffee shops, etc.) 4.key vistas (i.e., vistas of the peaks, of Cuesta Grade, of the creek, of landmark buildings, etc.) 5.location of adverse and favorable winds 6.noxious odors and 7.views to be buffered 8.solar constraints Explore funding incentives 1.Similar to the “Memorial Bench” (or “Benefactor Bench) and “Rack with Plaque” Programs, institute: •a "Chicane Name" Program •a "Tree Grate Plate" Program •a "Commemorative Crosswalk" Program •an “Adopt-a-Planter Program” •an “Adopt-a-Water Truck” Program •a “Street Lamp Sponsor” Program •a “Planter Parent” Program 2.Provide restaurants with greater incentives to add sidewalk dining by decreasing the cost of permit fees for sidewalk widening. 3.Introduce variable parking pricing during peak hours