Title
Receive Status Update related to progress in developing the Salinas Downtown Vibrancy Plan.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the Board of Supervisors receive Status Update related to progress in developing the Salinas Downtown Vibrancy Plan.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
Gary Peterson, Public Works Director for the City of Salinas will provide a short presentation of the Vibrancy Plan at the Board of Supervisors meeting of July 1, 2014. This Board report provides some background information in preparation for the presentation by Mr. Peterson.
The Vibrancy Plan is a partnership between the City of Salinas, the County and downtown stakeholders to identify ways to integrate the downtown core of Salinas into a community with adequate parking and circulation and is friendly to pedestrians and bicyclists. The County's interest is rooted in the County Government Center including restoration of the East and West wings. The County's participation in this partnership recognizes the opportunity to integrate the County campus as an important component of downtown Salinas.
In August of 2013 the County entered into a cost sharing agreement with the City to fund the Vibrancy Plan. At that time Kimley Horn was contracted by the City to provide the technical expertise in preparation of the Vibrancy Plan. The agreement called for the County to contribute up to one-third of the cost of the consultant contract, not to exceed $110,000.
Work on the Vibrancy Plan has been ongoing since that date. A critical component of the Vibrancy Plan work is the Downtown Stakeholders Team (DST) which consists of up to 24 members including representation of the County. Since September 25, 2013 the DST has met 19 times in a design studio set up for this purpose at 307 Main Street. These meetings have been supplemented by three sets of community meetings held in December, March, and April.
The portions of The Vibrancy Plan of most interest to the County include:
a. A parking model designed to illustrate when and where parking issues occur. Development of this model has involved interaction of the DST. The model shows parking impacts and walking distances within the existing conditions and in 5-year increments as projected growth occurs. This may point to the potential for a shared parking garage used by the County, City and downtown merchants.
b. Redesign of City streets to include two way traffic on some of the one way streets, and the inclusion of improved bicycle lanes on the streets.
c. Reconfiguration of W. Alisal to create a more pedestrian friendly environment, especially for County employees and customers crossing the street.
The work program for the Vibrancy Plan included seven steps. The process has entered step five and a total of $180,000 has been spent of the $312,000 consultant contract. The work to date is on budget. Draft chapters of the plan are being prepared and reviewed by the DST.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Resource Management Agency has participated in the Downtown Stakeholder Team meetings.
FINANCING:
There is no impact on the General Fund to receive this report.
Prepared by: John Ford, RMA Services Manager, ext. 5158
Approved by: Mike Novo, Director, Resource Management Agency - Planning
Benny Young, Director Resource Management Agency
cc: Benny Young, Director RMA; Carl Holm, Deputy Director RMA; Shawne Ellerbe Finance Manager RMA, Don Reynolds, City of Salinas; John Ford, RMA Services Manager