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The City of San Pablo recently initiated preparation of a Specific Plan to revitalize the San Pablo Avenue corridor. In November of 2007, the San Pablo Avenue corridor was designated a regional FOCUS Priority Development Area (PDA) by the Metropolitan Transportation Agency (MTC) and the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). This program is an effort to encourage the planning of projects that promote housing and smart growth principles along routes of regional significance and properties adjacent to transit.
In July of 2009, the City of San Pablo initiated the process to develop a specific plan for its segment of San Pablo Avenue. The goal of the Specific Plan is to establish a framework for mixed-use and transit-oriented development that results in increased transit ridership, helps accommodate regional growth in an infill transit-accessible setting, and helps the City achieve revitalization of its principal spine. Ultimately, the City envisions the San Pablo Avenue corridor as a highly livable and pedestrian-friendly urban space, with a healthy mix of uses easily accessed by a variety of modes of transit.
The Planning Process
The San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan will be developed over the course of the next 18 months and involves an extensive process of community outreach, research and analysis, and design proposals. It is being carried out in tandem with the City’s General Plan Update, and will help inform the goals and policies of the General Plan.
The key components of the Specific Plan will be frameworks for land use, housing, parking, connectivity, circulation and accessibility. The Plan will include goals, policies, and development standards that will help achieve the quality of development envisioned by the City and community. Its efforts will help bring housing close to job centers; strengthen the economic base of City; encourage smart solutions to parking; and help redevelop underutilized parcels to create livable urban spaces. The Plan will also include recommendations for public investment.
The Specific Plan Area
The San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Planning Area covers 2.25 linear miles along San Pablo Avenue. The total area within the planning boundary is 261 acres, or 15 percent of the total area of the City.
The planning area incorporates a wide range of land uses, including low- to high-density residential uses, some new commercial and residential development, and a number of major institutional uses and regional attractions. Contra Costa College, the San Pablo Lytton Casino, regional shopping centers, and Doctors Medical Center count among the major attractions that draw residents and visitors to the San Pablo Avenue corridor.
Of all the land in the planning area, 58 acres, or 22% of the planning area, have been identified as either vacant or underutilized, and therefore have a high development or redevelopment potential. These “opportunity” areas in particular will be the focus of much discussion throughout the planning process.
Community Participation
Input and feedback from community members is an integral part of the planning process. A public workshop visioning session will be held this fall where community members will be introduced the project and its scope, and will assist the planning team in understanding issues and considerations from a community perspective. Check this site for upcoming meeting dates and locations.
We look forward to hearing your ideas about the future of the San Pablo Avenue corridor!
Monthly update on the process
(Please note that due to the Holidays, there will be no update for the month of December 2009, the next update will be provided at the end of January 2010)
November
The San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan public workshop was held on Thursday, November 19, 2009 to discuss plan alternatives and receive public input. The meeting was held at the Downer Elementary School gymnasium from 6:00 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. The meeting was attended by approximately 40 residents, including 6 GPAC members and 2 City Council members. After the introduction and presentation by the consultant, the participants were divided into smaller groups to evaluate the alternatives and provide direction for the preparation of the preferred plan. Some of the common themes were;
- Revitalize the underutilized parcels at the intersection of San Pablo Avenue and San Pablo Dam Road and attract regional serving businesses—(The concept of outlet mall was very well received).
- Attract offices to increase employment
- Develop Circle S as a recreational/commercial mix use center
- Enhance transit system that will connect BART station(s) to new commercial centers (shuttle service paid by commercial centers)
- New commercial centers should be pedestrian oriented
- Encourage Spanish design standards for all new developments
- Provide residential units for all income ranges—(emphasis was on Middle income Groups)
Next Steps:
- Evaluate comments
- Prepare a feasibility analysis
- Prepare a draft preferred plan
- Present the preferred plans to the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC)
- Present the preferred plans to the Planning Commission and City Council
- Draft policies for the General Plan and Specific Plan
- Circulate draft EIR for comments
- Hold a Community Workshop to review Draft GP/Specific Plan and EIR
- Public Hearing - Planning Commission action
- Public Hearing - City Council certification of EIR and adoption
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