Windsor Template
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Town of Windsor DOWNTOWN PLAN FINAL PLAN TOWN OF WINDSOR ADOPTED NOVEMBER, 1997 Updated by TC Resolution 1357-03, March 19, 2003 Updated by TC Resolution 1848, January 18, 2006 TOWN OF WINDSOR DOWNTOWN PLAN LIST OF DOWNTOWN PLAN AMENDMENTS 1. Town Council Resolution 1005-01 – March 7, 2001 Amendment to Design District 1 and Design District 2 Amendment to Figure 28-Land Use and Design Districts 2. Town Council Resolution 1357-03 – March 19, 2003 Amendment Page 97- 2. Proposed Land Use Map Changes Map Changes Adopted and Figure 27 deleted 3. Updated by TC Resolution 1848, 18, 2006 Expansion of boundary all figures. Revised July 20, 2005 Page 2 TOWN OF WINDSOR DOWNTOWN PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................6 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE DOWNTOWN PLANNING AREA......................11 3. MARKET RECOMMENDATIONS ...............................................................22 4. THE VISION FOR THE DOWNTOWN ........................................................28 5. FOCUS AREAS...............................................................................................34 6. CIRCULATION AND PARKING ..................................................................60 7. LAND USE AND DESIGN.............................................................................80 8. FINANCING AND IMPLEMENTATION .....................................................93 9. PLAN AUTHORS .........................................................................................107 APPENDIX I: ........................................................................................................108 Commercial-Mixed Use Gateway Commercial Town Green District APPENDIX II: .......................................................................................................116 Street Lighting Traffic Signal & Concrete Tree Grate Trash Receptacle, Benches, And Pre-Cast Planters Telephone, Bus Stop Shelters, Pedestrian Covered Walkways Revised July 20, 2005 Page 3 TOWN OF WINDSOR DOWNTOWN PLAN LIST OF FIGURES 1. Downtown Parcels and Landmarks 2. Existing Land Use 3. Existing Design and Use Districts 4. Opportunity Sites 5. Illustrative Plan of the Downtown 6. Focus Areas 7. Focus Area A: Town Green 8. View of North Street, Huerta Gym and Library from the Town Green 9. Library Alternatives 10. Focus Area B: Intermodal Station 11. Sketch of Intermodal Station 12. Focus Area C: Windsor River Road/Windsor Road 13. Focus Area D: Eastern Gateway 14. Focus Area E: Industrial Zone Residential Area 15. Multi-Family Housing Prototype 16. Focus Area F: Windsor Road North Residential Area 17. Focus Area G: CBM Parcel and Adjacent Lands 18. Focus Area H: Windsor Fuel Site 19. Sketch of Mixed Use Development Looking South on Old Redwood Highway 20. Focus Area I: Creekside Commons 21. Sketch of Internal Roundabout, Community Amenity, and Residential Townhomes 22. Roadway and Trail Improvements 23. West and South Streets 24. North Street 25. Parkway Lane 26. Windsor Road & Parking Drive 27. Library Parking Alternatives 28. Conde Lane 29. Sketch of East Windsor Creek Trail Looking South 30. Creekside Commons Road 31. Proposed Parking Improvements 32. Land Use and Design Districts 33. Transit Oriented Development Mixed Use Opportunity Areas 34. Increased Residential Density Opportunity Sites in Downtown Revised July 20, 2005 Page 4 TOWN OF WINDSOR DOWNTOWN PLAN LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Summary Of Short-Term Market Recommendation For The Downtown Table 2: Summary Of Mid-Term Market Recommendations For The Downtown Table 3: Downtown Development Potential Table 4: Proposed Parking Facilities Table 5: Opportunities for Increased Residential Density in Downtown Table 6: Projected Public Participation In Improvement Costs Table 7: Public Facility Financing Options Revised July 20, 2005 Page 5 TOWN OF WINDSOR DOWNTOWN PLAN 1. INTRODUCTION A. Plan Overview. This document is a plan that describes future market opportunities, land uses, design, circulation, parking, and implementation of improvements in Downtown Windsor, California. The overall objective of the Downtown Plan is to guide and facilitate the continuing development and conservation of the Downtown. The Downtown Plan process was initiated by the Town Council as a result of the General Plan process, which made clear that the Downtown area required special planning consideration. This Downtown Plan is intended to provide a comprehensive assessment of potential development in the Downtown, with particular consideration of market forces and urban design. The Downtown Plan sets forth detailed land use and circulation standards, financing and development strategies, and regulatory changes and supporting policies that will be necessary for implementation. B. Plan Contents. The Plan includes the following sections: Chapter 1: Introduction is this brief introduction to the Windsor Downtown Plan and the planning and implementation process. Chapter 2: Description of the Downtown Planning Area briefly describes the local and regional setting of Downtown Windsor and summarizes site characteristics that present constraints and opportunities to the location and type of development that can be accommodated in the area. Chapter 3: Market Recommendations presents recommendations for the retail, office, and residential sectors in Downtown Windsor based on the market study findings prepared by Bay Area Economics. Chapter 4: The Vision for the Downtown outlines the vision for Downtown Windsor and goals of the Downtown Plan. The vision and goals are depicted in an illustrative drawing of the ultimate development under this Plan. Chapter 5: Focus Areas shows specific design and development concepts for crucial development areas within the Downtown, such as the Intermodal transit station and the Town Green. Chapter 6: Circulation and Parking outlines plans for vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian circulation in the Downtown, and it outlines the plan's approach to automobile parking. Chapter 7: Land Use and Design translates the vision and goals expressed in Chapter 4 into land use designations and policies. This chapter also sets forth design concepts and guidelines, by district, for the Downtown area, as well as outlines Transit Oriented Development opportunities. Revised July 20, 2005 Page 6 TOWN OF WINDSOR DOWNTOWN PLAN Chapter 8: Financing and Implementation outlines the administrative, financing and regulatory approaches that should be followed to effectively implement the Downtown Plan. Chapter 9: Plan Authors lists the staff and consultants that worked on the Downtown Plan. C. The Planning Process. The Downtown Plan was developed over a six-month period, with the active cooperation and participation of the Town Council, Economic Development Commission, Planning Commission, Town staff, landowners and residents in the area. The planning process has included the following steps: 1. Walking Tour of the Downtown and Public Scoping Session. The consultant team led a large group of citizens on a walking tour of the Downtown. Using the Walking Tour Workbook, tour participants were able to become acquainted with all areas of the Downtown and to share their opinions about the area. After the tour, a public scoping session was held, at which the public was invited to share its concerns and ideas about Downtown development. 2. Existing Conditions Analysis. An intensive evaluation and analysis of existing and planned conditions in the planning area was conducted in March and April 1997. The results of the analysis, contained in the Existing Conditions Report, described current and anticipated conditions and related issues and concerns relevant to the future use of the planning area. The report focused on existing land uses, design districts, public policy, circulation and parking. The report identified those factors that represent either opportunities or constraints for development in the planning area, and it set the stage for development of alternative planning concepts. 3. Alternatives Development and Review. The final step before plan preparation was to develop three design alternatives for the Downtown for review by the Planning Commission, Economic Development Commission, Town Council, and public. The three alternatives, which were published in the Alternatives Workbook in May 1997, consisted of the following: Alternative A, in which the Downtown would be centered around a large "town green" connecting Windsor River Road to the Civic Center. New commercial development in the Downtown would be focused around the intersection of Windsor River Road and Windsor Road, which would also become the location of a rail station. Alternative B, in which development on Windsor River Road would intensify, making it the Downtown's main commercial street. New development on Windsor River Road would occur between a new town square at the corner of Bell Road and a rail station located just north of Windsor River Road. Alternative C, which would make the existing Civic Center the heart of the town by focusing new development around it. A main street and town square would be Town of Windsor Downtown Plan 7 developed along a new north-south street running from Revised July 20, 2005 Page 7 TOWN OF WINDSOR DOWNTOWN PLAN Windsor River Road to the Civic Center, while a rail station would be developed west of the Civic Center on Windsor Road. Following the review of these alternatives, a more detailed Revised Alternative was developed for the "Town Green" in Alternative