HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/21/1997, 6 - RAILROAD SQUARE MASTER PLAN.council
j ac En as nepont
C I T Y OF S A N L U I S O B I S P O
FROM: Arnold Jonas o
PREPARED BY: Jeff H
SUBJECT: Railroad Square Master Plan.
CAO RECOMMENDATION: 1) Approve the master plan workscope and authorize staff to
prepare the master plan; and 2) authorize the CAO to use up to $15,000 in Surface
Transportation Program funds to cover master plan costs.
DISCUSSION
Last June, Council members reviewed a draft workscope and voted 5 -0 to direct staff to work
with San Luis Obispo Council of Governments ( SLOCOG) staff to identify potential funding
sources for the Railroad Square Master Plan. Following several meetings with City staff,
SLOCOG agreed to allocate $5,000 in Surface Transportation Act funds for preparation of the
Master Plan, with an additional $10,000 to be made available in the future on a "demonstrated
need" basis.
With this support from SLOCOG, Community Development and Public Works staff are ready
to proceed with the master plan. It is desirable to start the study now, since three large capital
projects are being planned in the railroad district at this time: the Railroad multi-modal
transportation center, the Jennifer Street Bridge, and the Railroad Bikeway. The master plan
would be prepared concurrently, as these. projects proceed, and help integrate these projects
and while providing design guidelines for planned improvements. It is not expected to delay
implementation of these projects.
The General Plan identifies the Santa Barbara Street corridor as a "Special Design Area" and
calls for the City to develop an area plan to guide renovation and improvement of buildings,
streetscape, landscaping and public use areas in this key corridor. The Railroad Master Plan
area overlaps with that of the Special Design Area. The Master Plan would provide useful
information and direction for both of these study areas.
The Railroad Square Master Plan was initially suggested by a citizen who felt that a plan was
needed to address several important issues, 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. Council
members were also concerned that the various activities and improvements planned or
underway in the Railroad Area be properly coordinated.
6 -/
Council Agenda Report - Railroad Square Master Plan
Page 2
As envisioned by staff, the Railroad Square Master 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. Specifically,
the master plan could help guide: 1) reuse of abandoned railroad right -of -way for bicyclists
and pedestrians; 2) locations for new or expanding businesses; 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) 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.
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 visible and sensitive gateway. The timing for such a plan appears good for
severalreasons:
• The City applied to the State of California, via the San Luis Obispo Council of
Governments ( SLOCOG), for $580,000 to purchase abandoned railroad right -of -way
south of the Railroad Square office building and the application was approved. In
addition, Proposition 116 funds totaling $1.1 million are also available for site purchase
and development;
• The Council has chosen the above site as the preferred location for the multi -modal
transit center, and it appears that construction of the new center will be feasible;
• Plans for a new Cafe Roma restaurant on the former "Outside Inn" site have been
approved by 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.
Vo -01--
Council Agenda Report - Railroad Square Master Plan
Page 3
The master plan will be a short-term, narrowly defined project, taking about six months to a
year to draft and adopt. Key Council 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 the activities already in planning and design stages. The
workscope would include the following general topics:
Circulation/parking
Bicyclelpedestrian linkages
Public Transportation Access
Urban design standards
Cultural Resources
Land Use
Recreation /open space
Plan implementation
FISCAL EWPACT
Funding for the Master Plan would come from state and /or federal transportation funds
administered by the SLOCOG. No additional City funding is needed. 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 in consultation with 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 provide graphic or other specialized services, such as urban design standards and cultural
resource mapping. SLOCOG has initially earmarked $5,000 for the plan, with an additional
$10,000 available on a "demonstrated need" basis.
Estimated study costs
printing, photography, other direct costs $ 5,000
consultant expenses, as needed 10,000
Total
PI
The project may require that some Community Development work priorities be deferred or
reassigned. For example, some Cultural Heritage Committee programs may need to be
deferred, although the plan would also tie in with CHC preservation goals in the Railroad area.
These CHC programs can be deferred for six month to a year without adversely affecting CHC
goals. Housing Element implementation and Community Development Block Grant programs
would continue to be high priorities and would not be significantly affected.
ALTERNATIVE
1. Contract for consultants to prepare a master plan for the Railroad Square area. This
G
Council Agenda Report - Railroad Square Master Plan
Page 4
option would recognize the importance of planned development activities in Railroad
Square and the need for a master plan to guide that development. Consultant
preparation for a complete plan would increase the cost significantly, by as much as
$30,000 - 40,000.
2. 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 overall vision to guide public and private
development in Railroad Square.
Attachments
Railroad Area Study Area Map
Letter from Astrid Gallagher
Council Minutes
jh /word:rrsmp4.rpt
V/,//
RAILROAD SQUARE STUDY AREA
^k
SOUTH STREr=
1 I \
Aeten
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 Mill
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
f
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 Gallag ?r
Chairman, Cultural Heritage Committee
6 -7
City Council Meeting Page 3
Tuesday, June 4, 1996 - 4:0v p.m.
location for the Center site, coordinatin in cooperation with SLOCOG; motion carried (5 -0).
Moved by Williams/Romero to develo a viable sub -center within the core of the City downtown
which will provide excellent and conve rvice to transit passengers to the Government
Center and the downtown; motion carried (5 -0).
Moved by Smith/Roalman to discontinue purs a former Toyota property; motion carried (4-
1; Romero voting no).
Moved by Smith /Romero to adopt Resolution No. 8540 authorizing the CAO to execute a transfer
agreement for an allocation of NI funding for additional Amtrak Parking facilities; motion carried
(5 -0).
2. RAILROAD SQUARE MASTER PLAN (File No. 452)
Council considered approving the Master Plan workscope for the Railroad Square area and
authorizing staff to proceed with preparation of the master plan, consultant proposals for
specific workscope tasks, if necessary, and including $15,000 in the 1996 -97 Budget for master
plan costs.
Arnold Jonas. Community Development Director, and Jeff Hook, Associate Planner, outlined the
important developments taking place in the Railroad Square area creating the need for a master
plan.
Mayor Settle asked for comments from the audience.
Steve Devencenzi, SLOCOG, supported a Master Plan for the area.
Mayor Settle returned discussion to Council.
After discussion, moved by Roalman /Romero to direct staff to work with SLOCOG to identify
potential funding sources for a study of land use in connection with two regional projects in the
Railroad Square area; motion carried (5 -0).
L.R.1. Council Member Romero rted that Astrid Gallagher was moving out of the City and
would have to resign from ultural Heritage Committee. He asked if she could serve in an
consultant capacity to the mmittee. Staff responded that she would be welcome to sit in on
CHC meetings.
5:55 p.m. Mayor Settle recessed to 6:00 p.m. Clos sion to be held in Conference Room A
of the Library.
5:55 p.m. President Settle adjourned the Capital Improvgmef5t Board.
/CLOSED SESSION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
TUESDAY, JUNE 4,1996 - 6:00 P.M.
CITY /COUNTY LI RARY.C.44FERENCE ROOM A, 995 PALM STREET
SAN LUIS OBISPO_CALIFORNIA
ROLL CALL:
Council Members
Present:
Council Menters Kathy Smith, Dave Romero, Bill Roalman, Vice Mayor
Dodie Williams, and Mayor Allen Settle
i