Reso 2001-020 RDA 2001-002 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Chapter I -Introduction Opportunity sites include the Westlake property, adjacent to the BART sta- tion to the west; the BART surface parking lot, on the perimeter of a residen- tial area across San Leandro Boulevard to the east, and properties for sale along the westerly frontage of San Leandro Boulevard between Davis Street and San Leandro Creek. Existing Plans and Policies Policies in the Transportation Element call for improved bus and shuttle ser- vice to the BART Station, and improvements to make transit more inviting and user-friendly. Minimum densities and intensities are proposed near BART to ensure that the City capitalizes on the opportunities the Station presents. Throughout the General Plan, there is an emphasis on improving the linkages between the BART Station and Downtown, mitigating BART parking impacts on nearby neighborhoods, and improving the appearance of the Station area. The Revitalization Strategy is a follow-up to the "Phase I" study of the area, prepared and endorsed by the City in 1999. Phase I explored basic land use and urban design-related issues, included two initial Planning Commission- sponsoredpublic meetings and contained initial recommendations fora num- ber ofRevitalization Strategy projects and implementation efforts. The "Phase I" study also included the following "Design Principles' intended to guide the Revitalization Strategy's recommendations: a. Buildings Shall Face Streets and Provide Attractive Main Building Entrances, Porches, and other Welcoming Architectural Features. b. Streets Shall be Attractive and Promote Pedestrian Llse, with Consistent Walks, Lighting; and Street Trees. r c. Surface Parking Areas and Garages Shall not Dominate Street Frontages. d. New Buildings and Renovations Shall Reflect the Traditional Building Forms and Materials of Attractive Older Residential Buildings in the Vicinity. e. Highlight Historic Buildings along Estudillo Street. f. Infill Housing is Recommended within Walking Distance of Downtown and BART. In addition, the City is updating its General Plan, and various aspects of the Central San Leandro/BART Station Area have received attention in that pro- cess. Because the General Plan and the Revitalization Strategy are being pre- pared concurrently, the major recommendations of the Strategy have been incorporated directly into the General Plan. The General Plan supports the development of the Downtown BART Station area as a mixed-use transit village, promoting land uses which take advan- tage of existing transit infrastructure and further encourage transit use. Poli- cies and actions in the Land Use Element encourage higher density housing, offices, live-work development, and other compatible uses around the BART Station. The General Plan identifies 11 "Focus Areas' within the City where opportu- nities for future land use changes exist. The BART Station area has been identified as one of these areas. For each Focus Area, the General Plan in- cludesnarrative text and strategies to help shape future land use, transporta- tion, and urban design decisions. In the case of the Downtown BART Station Focus Area, the "strategies' correspond to the major initiatives of the Revitalization Strategy. Zoning designations in the Strategy Area are likely to change as a result of the General Plan update, and/or in response to the recommendations of the Revitalization Strategy. Current land use designations are indicated on the map on the following page. In general, neighborhood areas to the east of San Leandro Boulevard are a patchwork of higher density residential (RM-1800), public (PS), and small scale commercial (CC) designations. Along San Leandro Boulevard and to the west are light industrial (IL) desig- nations, most notably for the Westlake Site. Nearby office and R&D develop- ments, such as the World Savings service center and the Gateway Plaza of- fice building are zoned for planned development (PD). In addition, most of the Revitalization Strategy study area is within the Project Area boundaries of the Plaza Redevelopment Plan and is subject to its provi- sions. The Redevelopment Plan's "Land Utilization Plan° incorporates a variety of land use designations, most notable relative to the Revitalization Strategy are "Business Park," "Residential;' and "Public Area' (i.e., BART parking). Revitalization Projects Summary The Revitalization Strategy recommends two kinds of projects that together are intended to create a coherent and attractive district and maximize the value of the area's assets: 1) streetscape-related capital projects to enhance pedestrian mobility, calm traffic, and project a more attractive city image; - 11 -