Bike, pedestrian mecca planned for Lindenville

Located in the city’s southern section, it is home to about 43% of the city’s industrial land but is also strategically near public transit and potential residential uses.

The commission showed a consensus to prioritize more bike and pedestrian infrastructure to promote non-car use and ensure people feel safe to bike and walk along transit corridors. Several commissioners noted going from two street lanes for cars to one could discourage people from using single-occupancy vehicles and help ensure more bike and pedestrian use. Others provided personal experiences about their times riding bikes or desire to but felt unsafe in current traffic conditions.

Commissioner Sarah Funes-Ozturk suggested areas she had visited in Turkey could be a model for Lindenville. She highlighted that Istanbul had clearly designated lanes for bikes, pedestrians, cars and buses, making it easier to travel and navigate. She also suggested creating a designated bus lane in transit-oriented corridors. The South Spruce Avenue and Colma Creek areas will see the biggest pedestrian improvements and also get bike improvements.

“I love that we are going to be able to better walk to forms of public transit,” Funes-Ozturk said. “I think that is really exciting.”

The plan calls for a new Colma Creek neighborhood for residents while maintaining an industrial core and higher-density employment that balances development and land use needs. It also calls for bike, pedestrian and transit improvements to create a more walkable environment that will be focused in and around the Colma Creek mixed-use neighborhood, with the hope of incentivizing non-car options, according to a city staff report. The project area is around 495 acres, with plans for extensive open space and access points to city trails.

As redevelopment occurs, the Planning Commission asked city staff to ensure there were opportunities for neighborhoods to develop a personality based on what residents wanted, citing color and architecture design input. The plan calls for four district areas, the Colma Creek mixed-use neighborhood, the South Spruce Avenue corridor, the employment areas, and the South Linden Avenue Arts and Makers District. Funes-Ozturk called for the city staff to ensure residents were updated on possibilities and had an opportunity to express likes and dislikes.

“I’m always for active participation and voting, so I think having a community poll of some sort [would be good],” Funes-Ozturk said.

The building design standards for Lindenville calls for simple building massing, bold colors and identifiable entryways. Planning Commission Chair Alex Tzang wanted to make sure there was a well-thought-out process for deciding on colors and materials, noting someone could hate or love a certain bold color like pink and have an outsized influence on building design.

“When you go bold material and color, it’s always subjective,” Tzang said.

curtis@smdailyjournal.com

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