El Camino revamp takes shape

Consisting of 10 citizens appointed by the City Council or serving on the Housing and Human Concerns Committee, the group has been meeting periodically since July of 2016 to shape a vision for the major city thoroughfare. Wednesday’s meeting was the last time the group met to give feedback on the plan before it is reviewed by the Planning Commission in November and heard for adoption by the City Council in December.

Brian Jaffe thought prioritizing transit through the corridor would help planners weigh the other objectives outlined in the plan and decide when different measures are funded and implemented. He suggested that ways to move people through the corridor be even further emphasized as a plan objective.

“I think that efficiency needs to be underlined,” he said. “I think that is the most important single objective.”

Jaffe said he favored a trial and error approach to improving transit for the many modes of transportation accommodated in the plan, among them walking, biking and driving. He used additional crosswalks as an example of an improvement that could be tested before it is made permanent to make sure it increases pedestrian safety and doesn’t slow traffic unnecessarily.

Michael Smith asked planners how owners of businesses along the thoroughfare have reacted to the idea of removing of on-street parking, a plan provision required to make space for protected bike lanes.

City Planner Lindy Chan said planners surveyed and met with many business owners, who offered mixed feedback on the loss of on-street parking depending on whether they owned their own parking lots or require loading zones, among other factors. She said shared parking agreements, which many have arranged informally, and parking on underutilized side streets just off El Camino Real could replace parking spots lost in the change.

Chan and Sophie Martin, a project consultant of the firm Dyett & Bhatia, said activity centers, or building and parking clusters allowing residents to park in one place and visit a number of buildings and services, could also cut down on traffic and the need for parking. Though Martin said center locations could change depending on future input, the plan pegged areas near Whipple Avenue, James Avenue, Roosevelt Avenue and around Charter Street as possibilities.

When Smith asked whether activity centers could cause rents to rise for local businesses, Martin said proposed zoning amendments for districts along the corridor are aimed at fostering existing businesses. Chan added that activity centers have been known to increase foot traffic, which she said many business owners have said would provide a much-needed boost.

Elliott Rivas said he liked the idea of coupling activity centers with housing developments along the corridor to cut down on the number of car trips residents would have to make.

“I think that if we keep these things together we can really have people get out of their cars more,” he said.

Jaffe was supportive of the proposed requirement for new housing on the corridor to provide on-site affordability or pay an in-lieu fee, but encouraged planners to look at lots near transit stations in addition to activity centers when considering changes to the city’s zoning.

“I think we need to be thoughtful,” he said. “We’re now signing up for a whole bunch more cars to be on El Camino all the time.”

Roger Buckhout supported the idea of activity centers, but emphasized the need for them to be spelled out in the city’s zoning and policies.

“I think that there are some specific areas where the properties are underutilized,” he said. “But it’s got to be an interaction between the developers and the city to make that happen.”

Stacy Huisman voiced support for the plan’s inclusion of plazas and public art and suggested green spaces with elements like benches and fountains be included in the activity centers to give visitors a sense of place.

“I think … as they start to be developed, that’s a community benefit that can be enjoyed by everyone,” she said.

Huisman wondered how planners could scope other areas along the corridor that could be transformed into plazas or turned into more aesthetically pleasing places to wait for transit.

Huisman also suggested planners highlight what steps could be taken in the immediate term so those reviewing the plan at future public hearings could more clearly understand how some of the improvements could benefit them. Chan said signal timing adjustments, designs for streetscape improvements on a southern stretch of the corridor and ways to market business districts that could form through activity centers or other changes were among the elements planners could begin on once the plan is adopted.

Chan thanked the volunteer group for their feedback and encouraged members to stay engaged as more sets of eyes review the plan.

“This is really the beginning of the journey for the plan itself,” she said.

anna@smdailyjournal.com

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