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Politics & Government

Recommended Changes for Downtown

New traffic patterns, building height limits, parking -- here are the recommendations of the Downtown Specific Steering Plan Committee, which holds the last in a series of 10 public meetings tonight from 6 to 9 p.m. at Blue Oak School on Polk Street.

Source:
Recommendations on the Draft Downtown Napa Specific Plan:

CIRCULATION -
• Recommended Two-Way and must take bike circulation into consideration.
• Coombs Street Plaza -
o Short Term – One way couplet with Franklin Street – direction TBD. Some preference for Franklin to be southbound, Coombs northbound.
o Long Term – Two Way circulation.
o Design needs to be refined and it should be designed so that what gets built now will be half of future two-way street. All the components should be aligned properly so that it won’t have to be redone.
o Suggestions to use trees rather than bollards to define space. Include some diagonal parking to activate space. Still need to be able to close off street so that it can function as a plaza for special events.
o Must address Kohl’s loading dock in future design.

PARKING -
• Agree to locations of future parking structures as long as design integrates mixed use, wrapped parking structures that consider the proximity to the Oxbow Bypass and aesthetics into the design.
• Recommend reduced parking requirements proposed in Draft Plan.
• Recommend that parking requirements for hotels be more closely reviewed.

BIKES -
• Recommend Bike Plan proposed in Draft Plan. Must also consider bike parking and coordination with the City Bike Plan and Countywide Bike Plan.

STREETSCAPE -
• Recommend that public art to be used for gateways but this should not preclude other opportunities for gateway treatments (signage, etc.).
• Recommend Flashing Crosswalks at new mid -block trail crossings on Main St. and Pearl St. – concern that other safety measures may be equally or more effective (i.e. better illumination in area of crossing).
• Recommend signs to identify historic neighborhoods – actual sign to be more aesthetic than example.
• Recommend historic information signs to provide context and history of National Register historic districts – provided that such signage does not contribute to sidewalk clutter.
• Recommend National Register and State Landmark historic structures to be identified by signage.

LAND USE -
• Recommend Solomon Grove as location of future Skate Park.
• Recommend that recreational uses be included as a use.
• Recommend that Oxbow area should exclude new, detached, single-family residential.
• Recommend allowing multi-family residential in Downtown Neighborhood with Design Review.
• Recommend that Downtown Neighborhood not allow residential-supporting commercial uses.

ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT -
• Recommend expanding the Entertainment District to include one block of First Street, west of Main Street.
• Recommend changing the allowable time for live performances in the Entertainment District to end at 1:00am.
• Recommend making the allowable noise level in the Entertainment District to be 67 db.

DESIGN GUIDELINES
• Recommend adding a general guideline regarding siting “discretionary” public facilities in a manner that is sensitive to important historic buildings (some signs, trees, etc.), noting that some public works’ locations are not discretionary like traffic light poles, some regulatory signs, etc.
• If a project meets the Secretary of Interior Standards and the Historic Design Guidelines, the project should be approved at the staff level. This process is already the process for projects with designated HRI 3 or its equivalent.
• Use the historic guidelines as a template, these can be applied citywide and incorporated into other historic neighborhood design guidelines. (Not part of Downtown Specific Plan.)
• In Downtown II that is not otherwise identified as Downtown Core Commercial District, revise the first-floor height minimum from 15’ to 12’. This provides more flexibility within the 60’ maximum height limit.
• In the Transition zone, the maximum height should remain 35’ to the ridge line.
• With regard to screening rooftop equipment, remove this from the guidelines if it’s already required; otherwise retain it as a guideline replacing the word “require” with “encourage”.
• Recommend that the guideline for positioning windows and balconies so as to minimize views into neighboring properties only apply to the Transition area.
• Recommend elimination of the guideline “project awnings over doors and windows and not over blank walls” since it doesn’t seem necessary.

FOCUS AREAS
Copia
• Recommend flexibility in retaining the gardens rather than specifying north or south
• Recommend changing the language regarding “will not impact Napa River,” into a positive statement, like “new development will enhance the river.”
CineDome
• Recommend additional language to minimize the impact that new development on the NSD site would have on adjacent residential properties
• Recommend emphasizing active uses along the edge of the future bypass; street-level vitality; eyes on the bypass.
Town Center
• Recommend revision of language regarding Coombs Street that reflects Committee’s prior direction

ISSUES STILL ON THE TABLE – (To be discussed at )
• Concept of first floor height minimum 15’ in Downtown Core Commercial land use district.
• Survey of downtown first floor heights shows 12’ minimum to be sufficient. Staff recommends a range of 12’ – 15’.
• Staff to provide a recommendation regarding where to measure building height on Downtown I and II.
• Recommendation for measuring height to the midpoint of a pitched roof and to the roof deck of a flat roof to allow for flexibility and a range of rooflines.
• Allow 75’ maximum height on the south side of First Street and require stepbacks above the Third Floor.
• Survey of south side of First Street shows:
• Issues regarding shadows
• Limited opportunities for large scale development
• Therefore, staff recommends keeping 60’ height limit on the south side of First Street

Source: Downtown Specific Plan Steering Committee: www.downtownnapaspecificplan.org

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