The City of San Luis Obispo is holding a public workshop on the Downtown Concept Plan project on Saturday, February 4, from 1 – 4 p.m. at the City/County Library Meeting Room, 995 Palm St.
The purpose of the workshop is to give the public an opportunity to review key components of the Draft Downtown Concept Plan, and provide input to staff that will inform the final plan. There will be presentations by the project team at 1:15 p.m. and 2:45 p.m., and information on the Draft Plan will be displayed around the room.
Downtown Concept Plan Background:
The primary objectives of the project are to assess and update the present development, vision, goals and concepts related to downtown, in order to provide a road map for future public projects and guidance for private development in the downtown.
Originally adopted in 1993 as “A Conceptual Physical Plan for the City’s Center,” the hand-rendered poster-sized vision for downtown San Luis Obispo has been referred to over the years as guidance for development projects and for acquisition of public space. The Resolution adopted by Council in 1993 indicated that the Plan remain a flexible and responsive guide that should be revisited every five years or so. Other than a minor adjustment, however, the plan remained unchanged.
The recent update to the General Plan Land Use Element in 2014 included an implementation objective to update the Downtown Concept Plan and the Mission Plaza Master Plan. As part of the 2015-2017 Financial Plan, the City Council allocated funding for both efforts. The Community Development Department took the lead on the update of the Downtown Concept Plan, while the Public Works Department took the lead on the Mission Plaza Master Plan effort.
On August 18, 2015, the City Council approved the scope of work and request for proposal for consultant services associated with updating the Downtown Concept Plan. In addition, the City Council adopted a resolution creating the Creative Vision Team (CVT) for the Downtown Concept Plan Update and defining its term and charge.
On November 11, 2015, the City Council appointed nine members to the CVT. Michael Baker International was hired as the lead consultant, with Jim Duffy from Ten Over Studio as the local architect in charge of illustrating the Concept Plan. In July, two CVT members resigned, and on September 6, 2016, the City Council appointed three additional CVT members. The CVT now includes ten community members: Chuck Crotser, Keith Gurnee, Jaime Hill, Eric Meyer, Melanie Mills, Matt Quaglino, Pierre Rademaker, Annie Rendler, Vicente del Rio, and Chuck Stevenson.
The project was split into four phases. The first two phases, Project Initiation and Public Engagement took place in Winter and Spring 2016. Public engagement activities included stakeholder interviews, an open house in Mission Plaza (with the Mission Plaza Master Plan project), a follow-up public workshop, neighborhood meetings, and an online survey. Plan Development is currently underway with the publication of the Draft Plan and the Public Workshop on February 4. A joint City Council and Planning Commission Work Session was held on October 4, 2016 with the Mission Plaza Master Plan project, and input from the work session helped inform the Draft Plan.
Plan Refinement and Adoption will take place through Summer 2017, with a series of Advisory Body meetings and input opportunities to help refine the vision.
Draft Downtown Concept Plan and Workshop:
The Draft Plan includes a poster-size illustrative plan and a supplement containing plan details, such as: project planning principles and goals; a block-by-block description of the ideas envisioned for the downtown; a street types diagram and bicycle facilities diagram illustrating ideas for mobility the downtown; and an action list for public projects.
The Draft Downtown Concept Plan will be available to review on the project website (www.slocity.org/downtowwn) prior to the February 4 workshop. Key components of the Draft Plan will be discussed and displayed at the workshop. Presentations from the project team will take place at 1:15 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. An opportunity to provide input online will be available following the workshop, for those unable to attend, or for those interested in providing additional input.
More information on the Downtown Concept Plan is available at www.slocity.org/downtowwn, or contact Associate Planner Rebecca Gershow at [email protected], or 805-781-7011.