Pioneer Bluffs Is That Piece

PioneerThe Final Piece to the Sacramento Bluffs Riverfront

Levi Rynearson UC Davis Department of Landscape Architecutre 2012

Abstract

This project is directed at finding a solution to the development of Sacramento’s riverfront through making a human scale community, ample green space, and community sensitive design. West Sacramento has made vast improvements to its riverfront, one piece is left to finish the River Walk, Pioneer Bluffs is that piece. This project aims to complete a vision for the riverfront and surrounding community. To do so the site has been researched through former planning documents, property value improvements, and contextual analysis. From this process a series of envisioning plans were created including a general plan for the area, a master plan, and a series of specific content visuals. Portions of the Pioneer Bluffs area are ready for immediate development, but with little redevelopment funds left the city must choose locations carefully. This master plan is developed with four main goals, retail, mobility, green space and density. The general plan will create the groundwork for the growth of the area and its form, the master plan will create the structural framework for the overall neighborhood, and the site specific plan will map out and highlight areas and strategies for quick development.

Acknowledgements I would like to take this opportunity to thank the following members of my committee and those who have helped me in the process of organizing, designing and formatting this project.

Patsy Eubanks Owens Faculty Advisor

David Tilley West Sacramento Senior Planner/Professional Advisor

Fedolia “Sparky” Harris Sacramento Senior Planner/Professional Advisor

Heath Shenker Senior Project Advisor Index Section: Page:

Introduction 9

History of Pioneer Bluffs 11

Site analysis: Site Context 13

Propterty Assessment 20

Riverfront Master Plan 21

Case Studies: Jackson Taylor, Aggie Village, Ironworks 24

General Plan 29

Master Plan 40

Conclusion: 47 Future City Growth 49 Bibliography 51 Appendix: List of Illustrations Figure: 1.0 Barge at West Sacramento; History of West Sacramento 4.1 Riverbank access walk and housing 1.1 Ariel of West Sacramento; West Sacramento Historical society 4.2 Street Crossing at Silo Park 1.2 Steam Boats at tower Bridge, W. Sacramento Historical Society 4.3 Plan View of Silo Park 1.3 West Sacramento neighborhoods, CityofWestSacramento.org 4.4 Sections of the bluffs riverbank River walk 1.4 Pioneer Bluffs Project Boundary, Google Earth 4.5 Section of residential street with off street parking 1.5 West Sacramento Neighborhood Context map 4.6 Section of main street along Pioneer Bluffs 1.6 West Sacramento Business context map 4.7 Section of 15th street at Jefferson blvd. 1.7 West Sacramento Landmarks and parks context map 1.8 West Sacramento mobility context 1.9 Pioneer Bluffs Property assessment 2.0 Stone Lock Illustration; Riverfront Master plan 2.1 Preliminary land use plan; Riverfront Master plan 2.2 Proposed Streetcar lines; Sacramento Streetcar Study 2.3 Aggie Village front; Calthorpe assoc. 2.4 Jackson Taylor development; Calthorpe assoc. 2.5 Ironworks typical housing 2.6 Ironworks neighborhood street 2.7 Proposed transit model 2.8 Proposed Green Space model 2.9 Proposed Land use model 3.0 Proposed Land use catagories 3.1 Example of Low density housing 3.2 Example of Medium density housing 3.3 Example of traditional housing 3.4 Low density Suburban retail example 3.5 Traditoinal retail model 3.6 Low density Urban retail 3.7 Pioneer Bluffs Master Plan 3.8 Civic gateway transit stop 3.9 Retail facia of proposed housing types 4.0 View of office buildings in place of Cement silos 7

Introduction

This section investigates what makes Pioneer Bluffs a notable piece in developing an identity and bettering West Sacramento. This section also investigates background information such as: West Sacramento’s growth from Sacramento as an independant city, the growth of Pioneer Bluffs, and how it became the industrial neighborhood it is today.

Figure 1.0 A barge transporting oil fills up along the bluffs

9 Introduction & Background

Pioneer Bluffs has been the subject of development for a few years. Although most projects have only seen the planning stages there has been some advancement of projects such as moving the oil tanks. Should the tanks be removed the land will be available for development. The area then needs an approach for determining appropriate development. Through examining previous planning efforts and making a visual analysis of the existing conditions a general plan for the area was created. An illustrative master plan was created from a neighborhood specific general plan; to which site specific design details have been created. To understand the basis for this project though an understanding of the neighborhood through context and history.

The History of West Sacramento West Sacramento was originally owned by John Schwartz in 1844, later a 600 acre portion was bought by James McDowell. This area would later become the Broderick neighborhood. As the property was sold slowly over the next six years, after the passing of James McDowell, two major industries found themselves profiting from West Sacramento’s location, fishing and farming. From this Mike Bryte a young farmer was able to establish himself in the community. The introduction of the California Steam Navigation company helped his business expand and his reputation grew. The area originally sold as the Town of Washington, where the first settlement occurred, was renamed Broderick. During the 1900’s the three Figure 1.1 Image of West Sacramento in the early 1950’s areas of West Sacramento were known as, Bryte, Broderick and West (West Sacramento HIstorical Society) Sacramento. These areas doubled their population from 1900 to 1920; thus building the foundation for the city of West Sacramento. The Port of Sacramento was developed in 1963 making barge trade more lucrative within West Sacramento. In 1966 the Pioneer Bridge was built in response

10 to connecting the Yolo portions of I-80 and the Sacramento corridor. This bridge did exactly as the West Sacramento Corporation feared, it split areas to the north and south in two (City of West Sacramento.org). The city continued to grow over the years developing the reputation of being an extension to Sacramento. In 1985 the city petitioned to become incorporated and was defeated, but when the motion was put forth once again in 1987 it was unanimously approved and the city of West Sacramento was formed.

History of Pioneer Bluffs Pioneer Bluffs developed as a predominantly heavy commercial and industrial producer from the 1950’s onward. The oil tanks in Pioneer Bluffs were preceded by the cement towers in the north in the 1950’s. The cement towers were critical to the development of the port as it was being built as the cement purchased from these towers was used in the construction of the port. As gasoline and automobiles became available the city moved to have the oil tanks installed and have the fuel moved by barge (see image 1.2). According to Roy Wickland of Wickland Oil the oil tanks were installed in 1951 along the Sacramento River to Figure 1.2 Steamboats lining the Sacramento River to deliver promote barge transport. Unfortunately the Kinder Morgan Pipeline, goods between the Bay and inland cities. originally constructed by Southern Pacific Railroad, was approved and (West sacramento Historical Society). built following the completion of the tanks in 1960 (GMAG 2007). The tanks along the West Sacramento are owned by Ramos oil. The wastewater treatment facility located on the southern tip of Pioneer Bluffs was closed in 1988 with the construction of the Bryte treatment Facility in the Bryte neighborhood. Now the facility sits idle waiting to be sold and developed by the city. Below the Public works facility lies the area known as the Stone Lock, this is a lock used to regulate the amount of water allowed into the Port of Sacramento (Shipley 1987). 11

Site Analysis

Site analysis was broken down into three sections; contextual analysis, existing general plans and case studies. These three areas focus on what exists around the site, what has been previously envisioned for the site and what the content is within the site.

13 West Sacramento Neighborhoods

S AC RIVER CREST DR R A r Fountain Dr M e Y EN 5

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N Bryte Av t

n S Kegle Dr Sacramento Byp A to m ars a M t B t A RYolo St a Anchor Ln

E er St g

V Tab e I R R Solano St IGHTHOU Pierce St L SE DR Water St Bryte Bend Bridge Ferguson Ct Short St N Fourness Dr o n S t Sparkman M ilt Ct state’s capitol, acts as a beacon from Joan St atmosphere. Marina CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY LISBON AVMay St arles St W Wy Ch Bowlen Dr ate Bryte Bend Water Sullivan Ct t rc PATROL ACADEMY s S harian S Senior Center o w S t Ln u Bu rro r

Treatment Plant BRODERICK/BRYTEAnna St s Hobson Av S t Arthur Dr Cummins Wy e Kovr Dr Dre w Rich St Watercolor Ln

r SUNSET AV Ct Morse Hill Ct

D Ct Welland Wy

Stuart RIVERSIDE/CHP Dr REED AV n

a i s l James St Riverpoint which neighboring cities like West S o me r e The view between Sacramento Elliot St Hardy Dr A St

u t

J D Inglewood Dr Elder Dr Andrew St Harbor t Dobros Fairway Dr Windmere r GreenwoodAv Dr Douglas St Pointe Pl C SACRAMENTO AV Simon E Ct Terrace William St M t F.D. Fremont Bl t n B St B C i Mikon St B. Sands C Elizabeth St RIVERSIDE PK A a o A . r Station 44 p Yolo St e Citrus St Casselman Dr Beardsley Dr Reuter Dr

R SierraPl r k Sierra Ct C. F. G C I r D. E . . California St

A e C

D Oak St Sierra

E v Elm St Elkhorn Plz

i 8TH ST C St Sacramento benefit. The visual R and Pioneer Bluffs can best be seen while

R Westwind 2nd St

O TRIANGLE CT

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West St appeal of Sacramento is this benefit,C. Sand Ct 7thWASHINGTON St Waterfront driving along the Pioneer Bridge. From 6th St Shaw Dr Ln Lilac O DULUTH ST Castle D. Sand Pl Ct Pl I-80 Maple St Seabrook MICHIGAN-GLIDE-SUTTER ChaparralWy Ct G St E. Fine Sand Ct Pecan St Glide Ct Michigan Bl Laurel Ln Ironworks F. Glenn St 5th St Lexy 4th St Glide Av v Gar Bridge 3rd St Middle St Rockrose Rd de r G St A e a L City Hall n w te G. Rough Sand Ct Franklin Wy r o w S a

l T a y t R COMMERCE DR First St l Madrone Av

due to neighboring residents Flossie B n there downtown Sacramento can be seen

p L

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St PINE ST Evergreen Av Coke

St Briarwood Dr St Tule Canal Drai Evergreen S. WEST CAP. WA TO 80 St

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d TRIA 10th St A M R on Meadow Rd v Frey Dr US ac Starboard

e D e 11th St Eric Dr r k IN B PORT ST Dr NORTH OF PORT INDUST. a r B Sonora Av

Loki D Park Pioneer Bridge 80 D n PARK BL Soule St YOLO CAUSEWAY !" Odin Dr e l F.D. #$ t L Va

Nari Dr Ct d Clarendon St Danbury

r Station 41 Cr Lake Cr Ct a Bonita 15th

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y Fallbrook St Tradewinds Windmward St community adjacent to views of Washington PARKWAY l agencies. These buildings all have unique Grande Ct PIONEER a Shore St PL Terminal St Circle St OVERLAND H F.D. OLDVista Av WEST SACRAMENTO BLUFF PARKWAY BL ENTERPRISE CT Ala meda Bl Station 43 Del Monte Rd Gardenia Fern wood St PORT NORTH Av Hughes 16th St L a k e w o o d

d Cr R D Fern Sacramento West r r dale Cr Moss 17th St e RALEY wood Cr Pennsylvania Av Deerwood v v Yolo Port wood Cr A i the city. This effect is associated CT t m an Cr architecture and, at night, display a brilliant a A Acorn o v 18th St nt R

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Cebrian St Ct Eucli d St SEAPORT BL STONE BL v 18TH A

B th S ST 19 t Ironworks re t a n w o Turning a Maryland l m with the potential growth of West r array of colors. e Av 1. Argon Ln

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i RIVER

Valley Oak Ln SOUTH RIVER RD G. Carbon Ct

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N E a Rand olph Rd H. Ferrite Ln

Hearst St

CHA N k Lake e Birmingham Av Fathom Pl I. Platinum Ln

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Washington W Crown Av Headslane Rd J. Steel Ln a St Manchester Devon A GearyUnion St Square Rd K. Titanium Ln adjacent to downtown Sacramento. s v the Old West Sacramento area. Within NORTHWEST VILLAGE h ArlingtonRd Essex Av G t L. Ironworks Ave

DiabloSt a S i te n Cable w e

K ay Ct S P 1. Huckleberry St 4. Snowberry Cr Dr M. Sinter Ln

l T m e OR g n H P 2. Huckleberry Cr 5.Coffeeberry St Cypress Rd o Fillmore SOU T t Powell SAN MARCO ST n o s Pl N. Metal Ln 3. Gooseberry Cr n a 6. Snapdragon Cr St Pl a Brisbane n St Snapdragon St Portola v S Milano Dr O. Gold Ln 7. Sausalito Rd G Kinsington St Presidio Rd A Ch T e Stonegate Dr B o B n THOMAS 8. Wildginger St h r o p l c Pine Ct Lone i L a Riva Rd n

i a v e P. Copper Ln a F.D. Mesa a r o

o Ct S h PL S S Atherton B Grande St n Grant J t t Another benefit generated S h a this neighborhood are landmarks such as, THORP RD t o Roaring Creek St Station 45 Pl r Ct B Q. Bronze Ln r o l S C l Ram e N r o e a ona Ct t ry l d Ct d Bear River d Springs R t C Alturas R B S a a re

a 2. 4. n e 3. 6. t i r k R. Boron Ct Columbus Rd t o Kents r n R d Olive o a Gary C Elk Ct C W Ct Ct Quail Rd t e Pl Redding Rd ValleySt S. Brass Ct 5. n t

Ln 7. B o p 8. t S Dolphin St Janet Dr Millbrook Quail Coffeeberry Rd l r s e Summerfield 1. il Coronado i Jacquelyn Town Center Pl e CARLIN DR h Sandypoint CtCt Ct Ct T. Cadmium Ct d c Silverado St H N

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Ct Mandeville WyTriangleDriftwood v D n U. Forge Ct e o Ct A l

LINDEN RD t San Carlos d Ct t Ct Gadwall Malibu n t Ct S from Sacramento is its elevated Claudia Ct Bradford Wy e Redondo Rd Ct Whitey’s Jolly-cone and Sam Combs park. n Ct SAFFLOWER PL Spokane Rd Nautica Betty Wy Betty Greycalls V. Tallium Ct c a Princeton Rd n S l o e MULVANY n t San Remo Roundhill e h y

RAMCO ST p Mandarin Ct d MEADOWLARK CR Ct Ct Dr n m Tyler Wy e g m Ct rr MASSIE PL Denise Ct p Hollow Dr i a Monterey W. Silicon Ct Sawbills e t H e a d b Greenbriar Rd n Crystal Ct n H r Pintail Ct Decker Wy I Rogue c CT Ct a River Ct y

s X. Bainite Ct

OATES DR OATES a Renee Ct ConstitutionAv Lagoon Ln Sandpiper Monte a a Chelan Rd B Perkins Ct Brannan Wy e Ln Vista Duet Dr StonegateRogue DrRiver Cr KLAMATH RD Newberry S Ct h Mallard Rd Y. Zinc Ct

Wy Ct Roven P Starling Ln ORINDA PL Cedarbrook RdSt Angel Ct Bethel Wy Recreation CascadeCHINOOK St RD Baldpate Higgins Rd Paradise Z. Cobalt Ln

t Ct Center Spoonbill 1.Santa Barbara St S Dr Teal Santiam Peppertree Rd RAMOS DR Shirle y Summerfield Egret SWIFT ST population, which can potentially Rd Whitey’s, being the primary attraction for 2.San Miguel St Ct Rd St Roma Ct Peppertree Merced Wy Monte Vi sta St Wigeon St Colleen St Peachtree St 3. Middle Bass Island Ct Mergan sers Ct Wren Glenwo od St Ct Shoveler ALAMO PL LEMONTREECt RD Vine Hill Ct Crested St

Mareca Wy Mareca

4.Mackinac Rd Ln Teresa Muscovy Rd Condor St Ct Leslie Leslie Ln

5. White Fish Bay St Aylesbury Pl Ct R Pl Savannah Ln Diane Dr Carmel Benton Promenade St Promenade Ct Airons Ct Rumsey 6. Bodega Bay Rd Pl Limewood Rd a Yurok Rubicon Wy ALMOND ST Goldeneye Butler Ct Allan Av i d n San Nicolas Rd Ct er L Washoe Trinity Wy Ironwood Wy Hart Av Hart Spruce Wy Bandalin Ct Anacapa Island Ct 1. 2. d Butler Benton St Island R Ct be attracted to West Sacramento alina Ct DONNER RD visitors within the Old West Sacramento Santa Cruz Rd at Brenda Wy Cherokee C Call Shasta Wy Golden Gate Dr Morrow Bay St d Apache St Rumsey St l Bay R Ct Brock Rd Alder Wy Ct Cooper Island Rd rme Blacker Rd Pomo Ct Sierra Rd REDWOOD AV Kellys Island Rd Ca FrenchAv Perkins Rd Birch Bastone Kathy C r Ct d Susan Nunez Ct Modoc Ct Peter Island Rd R Costa Twitchell Av Ln a B North Bass LnNancy Ct Mojave Dr i ig Ct Asante

r Is Ryer Island St a H

I St Saginaw sland Rd la Island Rd Violet Dr Colusa Rd

Lanai Lanai Ct u n and Rd Tortola Rd C l d s Black foot a n I Canvas a Ct l m Lassen St Solomon Island Rd r Andrus

K 4. Sh e Island Ct Rd y 3. back Wy Whitney

R Tamarack Rd f IslandCt

Merrit Merrit d Bali Pl M a 5. Lily Pl Blackfoot Ct Hawaii Ct B Cedar Phelps Pl Stuart Graham Island Rd d

o StVenice Cloverdale

Bowen Pender

Island St Fiji IslandFiji St Island St o n R Ct

Gulf Island St Island Gulf y Arcata Pitzer Cr Island St a d Galian o Java Ct B Rd Wake Maui St t a R with events. Sacramento and West Sumatra St China Hat Island Ct S l en B Bay Rd Iris Pl region, is located directly across Jefferson Oakland Island Rd Mandura Rd d Bal d r Nichols Ct n n o Mare

Island Rd la a Farallont Hoopa Rd Lassik St ward Ct ward s sl he Island Ct Ed King Midway Island St I Kodiak I r Is Dry Creek St n re Rd la Hopland St

Long Island St Island Long u Puerto Molokai Rd ia Island Pl Treas Drakes n Bacon King Edward Rd t BaySt d Barberry Perez Cr u R Rico Rd le Island St

d Poppy St Fraser A Pl CortesIsland St Croix RdRd Pilot 6. Grizzly Bay Rd Island Rd Point Rd Pegler

Rd Antigua Tacoma NarrowsTacoma St Cat Island Cuba St Cook Island Pl Browns Suisun Bay Rd Ct ALLAN AV Rd Bermuda Rd Rd HARMON RD Bees Ct Island Ct Swan Island St Abaco Rd Aruba St St Lucia Tobago Stable Dr Azalea Cayman Island St Pl Ct Haiti Rd

St Ct Pl Lakes

New Malcolm Island St Bridle

Victoria HornbyIsland St Tobago StTobago

Island

Island Ct

Sacramento both benefit from St John Ct Blvd from Pioneer Bluffs. Sam Combs Park Trinidad Martinique St JamaicaSt

GuadelupeSt DominicaSt

San Salvador St Phillip Island Rd Rd Bonaire Rd Seymour Lopez Island Rd St Rivermont FRENCH AV MARSHALL RD Stoneyford Rd NORTHEAST VILLAGE

St F.D. S RIVER Rock Creek R d Alpine d R Bridgeway Lakes Station 42

Black But t e Boathouse HILARY AV DAVIS RD the other through commerce and Hume St is also located adjacent to Pioneer Bluffs

Almanor Rd OTISAV SEYMOURAV

R Gladys Av D

Berryessa Pl St S Bass Foster Miller

Ct Creek Gold

K Folsom Britton Pl Ct Ct Ct

A Dorena Pl L Cherry Pl Tapley Rd TAPLEY RD Elsinore Ct

Y Ct Camanche St

Castaic A Coyote Rd Mendocino

W tourism. West Sacramento benefits Ct on Stone Blvd, and was named after an

Ct Kaweah St Kaweah E Bridgeway Pillsbury Rd

G Spalding

D I Fowler Rd Isabella St

New R Tahoe Tahoe St Hogan

B Bear Big St Lake

Henshaw Rd Rollins Pl Otay St ton R Ct

Hunting d San Vicente Rd PARTRIDGEAV

Ct Jennings Eagle St JEFFERSON BL

Arrowhead St Arrowhead Havasu Lewiston Rd ProsserSt

Millerton Pyramid Southerland Rd St GREGORYAV ANTIOCH AV

from the skyscrapers as a skyline, Pl Pl Rd influential city council member of the 1960’s Collins St Silverwood Squaw Rd StTule New York Rd

Shaver Turlock St Av Ct Ct Boston Rd

Ct Martis St Squaw Walker Rd Dover St Perris Topaz Rd 2. Seymour BEVAN RD SO Plymouth Rd 1. UT 3. HP 1. Liverpool St SOUTHEAST VILLAGE the population as revenue, and O 2.Southhampton St (CityofWestSacramento.org). Along with R 3. Plymouth Rd T

P Oak Hall K W Bend amenities as an attraction. Y Figure 1.3 #$!"5 these landmarks are a series of public parks

Canal Sacramento benefits from West Sacramento’sSOUTHWEST VILLAGE including Circle Park, The Stone Lock, Holmes Park, and the

Raley field, the originality of their skylineBURROWS and AV the riverfront. The Stone Lock and The River Walk, along Pioneer S RIVER RD City of West Sacramento

connectedness of their River Walk. The GOODELLAV growth of Bluffs, are considered open space with little access and amenities. West Sacramento’s neighborhoods willArmfieldAv FISHER greatly AV impact NeighborhoodsThe River Walk is continued to the north of Pioneer Bridge and Sacramento through increased revenues, a stronger 0 past The Tower1 Bridge as well, with increasing amenities and Mile 14 1:30000 intricacies as the walk moves north. ENGINEERING\MAPPING\CITY_DATA\BASEMAP\CURRENT\PROJECTS\COWS_NEIGHBORHOOD_MAPS\COWS_Neighborhoods.pdf City of West Sacramento July 2009 I.T. Division (916) 617-4529

To the north of The Tower Bridge is Raley Field, home to the Sacramento baseball team, the Rivercats, which attracts large numbers of visitors during the summer. Along with Raley Field there are two corporate buildings that mark the skyline for the city; the Carl-strs building and the Ziggurat. Along Pioneer Bluffs is a major thoroughfare, Jefferson Boulevard, which connects northern and southern portions of West Sacramento. West Sacramento’s landmark buildings along with The River Walk set the tone for the riverfront development in West Sacramento.

Sacramento River

Jefferson Blvd.

Figure 1.4 Pioneer Bluffs neighborhood boundary highlighted adjacent.

15 Neighborhood Context

The housing adjacent to Pioneer Bluffs is predominantly R-1 residential. With smaller pockets of higher density housing in the outlying areas, such as Ironworks, this area has a neighborhood community appeal. The bridge district to the north is planned to have more high density housing built. Currently the only housing development in this area is the Ironworks housing complex, which is an average density the city plans on continuing. The housing catagories that exist currently are as follows:

• R1 Residential: Homes are single family homes with secondary residential units. The purpose of these homes is to establish and protect the characteristics of historically smaller lots. Single Fam- ily homes have a lot size minimum area of 5000 square feet. Each home must meet the minimum dimension of 50’ by 50’ with no building exceeding 45’ in height.

• R2 Residential: One Family or Multifamily homes are designed to upkeep a mix of single family and multifamily living spaces. These have a lot minimum of 8,000’ with a minimum depth and width of 60’ for each complex. No building shall exceed 45’ in height and off street parking will be provided.

• R4 Residential: Residential apartments are designed to provide N multiple family living situations, group and public quarters. These 0 500 1000 residential units are to provide high density housing for neighborhoods. The minimum lot size is 20,000 square feet with a minimum lot depth and width of 100’ while no building shall exceed 65’ in height. Legend R-1 A Residental R-2 Residential R-4 Residential (Source: West Sacramento General Plan update 2008) Appartment Figure 1.5 Residential analysis

16 Land use

The Businesses surrounding and located within Pioneer Bluffs consist of the following categories:

• Neighborhood commercial: This retail is intended to provide a convenient shopping and retail center for neighborhoods. Areas surrounding such retail provide enough demand to implement a center.

• C2 Community Commercial: Intended to stabilize regional and local oriented retail services. These areas surround multifamily residences and high density housing. Minimum lot size for C2 is 1000 sq ft. and a height restriction of 65’.

• C3 General Commercial: Designed to provide services to wholesale and heavy commercial uses. This provides land use for extensive retail, such as offices. Frontages of buildings not being used for advertising purposes will be bordered by fencing. One sub catagory to this is Grocery stores. The minimum lot size for C3 areas is 20,000 sq ft. with a maximum height of 55’.

• BP Business Park: These areas provide for professional and administrative, medical, dental, laboratories, financial institutions, industrial and distribution services. One sub-category to this is Government institutions. Minimum size for business park lots is 10,000 sq. ft. with a building height of 65’. N 0 500 1000 • PO Professional offices: Individual office spaces providing similar services as business parks. Minimum lot size is 8,000 sq ft. with a maximum height of 65’. Legend • M1 Mixed commercial Industrial: Accommodates for services which are Neighborhood commercial Grocery Professional o ces unique and require certain manufacturing and production limitations.

C-2 Community commercial Mixed commercial Government o ces industrial • M2 Heavy Industrial: Is implemented only in areas where adverse effects to C-3 General commercial Heavy industrial BP Business Park neighborhood congestion and quality will be impacted. Minimum lot size is Figure 1.6 Business building analysis 1 acre with a maximum height of 75’. (Source: West Sacramento General Plan update 2008) 17 Parks and Landmarks

8 The parks and open space in and around West Sacramento 5 are limited in part to the types of open space and park size. The 6 two parks most adjacent to Pioneer Bluffs are Sam Combs Park 7 and Memorial Park. These large recreational parks serve two 9 4 separate purposes. Memorial Park was originally designed to house baseball games, while Sam Combs Park was designed with 1 the intent to allow for family recreation while providing a dog 2 park for the community. The landmarks within the city, although 3 community places, perform different functions. Landmarks such a Whiteys Jolly Cone and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall are notable community beacons. These areas 10 serve as meeting places for community members and generate public funding to help build the community. Areas such as these 11 should be preserved and enhanced to help bind the community together. Beyond the community landmarks are regional landmarks that clearly define larger areas. Landmarks such as The Stone Lock and Tower Bridge act as markers to spatially define location within the cities. Stone Lock is the marker that separates the Southport neighborhood 12 from the Pioneer Bluffs and Old West Sacramento. The Tower 13 N Bridge separates West Sacramento and Sacramento. The buildings 14 0 500 1000 along the Sacramento River front display the face and celebrate the growth of West Sacramento. Landmarks such as Raley Field and Old Sacramento Legend Quasi- public spaces/ Parks Landmarks house attractions that draw in lager revenue for the area, which open space should be preserved to enhance both of the cities. These 1. City Hall 6. River Walk entrance 12. Memorial Park 2. West Sacramento Community center 7. Zigurat 13. Stone Lock landmarks also serve as personality for their respective cities. These 3. Yolo County Library 8. Old Sacramento 14. Sam Combs park 4. Railey Field 9. Tower Bridge personalities can be enhanced to help make clear distinctions 5. Calstrs 10. Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall between the two cities. Figure 1.7 Contextual map of city landmmarks (CityofWestSacramento.org) 18 Transit

Currently Sacramento and West Sacramento are connected primarily by one highway system and The Tower Bridge. The highway, although a connection, does not allow citizens and visitors between the two cities to interact physically with the cities. The highway provides a scenic view of both cities skylines as it transects the Sacramento River. Connections between north and south West Sacramento though are not as abundant in Pioneer Bluffs as between the two cities. Currently there is only one connection between Old West Sacramento and Southport. These communities are bridged by Jefferson blvd. which is not a pedestrian friendly or scenic connection. Jefferson blvd. runs parallel to Pioneer Bluffs western border and severs it from the other surrounding communities. The only major street in Pioneer Bluffs is South River rd. which does not connect to any other portion of the city. This road was designed for industrial vehicular traffic and is maintained as such. South River road is currently a narrow two lane road with no public interest. This street also has no feeders, aside from 15th street, which connects the triangle district to the north with N Pioneer Bluffs. Due to the businesses that line Jefferson blvd. 0 500 1000 along Pioneer Bluffs there are no other access points to Pioneer Bluffs. Unfortunately directly across the street are multiple entrances to the adjacent neighborhood that lead to a dead end at Legend Jefferson, causing the potential connections to be under utilized by this transecting boundary. Primary Vehicular Routes Fortunately for both of the cities, a plan has been Local Vehicular Routes developed to connect to two cities better. This new connection, Proposed Routes along with other improvements, will make Pioneer Bluffs a core Figure 1.8 Current roadway analysis piece to completing the community. (Source: West Sacramento General Plan update 2008) 19 Property Analysis

To determine how to approach this project a more in- profit from acquiring these properties. depth analysis was needed of the properties within The southern portion of Pioneer Bluffs involved Pioneer Bluffs. This required looking into the city of West many properties that low redevelopment values. To combat Sacramento Geographical Information Systems (GIS) this abundance of poor property pricing, the properties were library (CityofWestSacramento.org). From this the current grouped by assessor parcel number (APN). Then depending property values and improved property values were taken. on the percentage of value below 0% the parcel blocks were The current property value tells what the property would color coded accordingly; therefore not all of the properties be worth if it were sold today, the improvement value states in 05826 may be below 0% improvement value but over 50% what monetary gain would be made should the property be were below that value, grouping them by majority. Focusing sold and modified. The improved property value is based on on the class I properties, the majority of the redevelopment things such as the city’s general plan, existing conditions, and value is located near the exchange for the interstate This class resistance to modification. indicates that this core of businesses would provide the most The parcels on figure 1.9 are grouped by property turnover for the city should they be improved. These cores of value based on the average improvement the property would redevelopment are coincidentally well located by parcels that receive based on redevelopment. This means that the property have durable or established businesses. From this property value was assessed for current market price, done through improvement assessment the city will be able to identify Yolo county appraiser’s office, this value was then subtracted which areas they do not own and need to be consolidated. from the improvement value, given by the City of West Sacramento. These values were then divided by the sum of the property values and improvement values (see appendix A for clarification). This indicates which property which have the greatest return on investment for the city, should the properties be developed immediately. Any negative values mean the city and any developer would lose capital, unchanged values mean they would break even, and positive values indicate gains. Coincidentally certain properties, such as lots 05826, are owned by the city; this explains while the may be negative it merely means that the city would not see a 20 Parcel Redevelopment Classes

HWY 50/80 058014

058015

058033

05829 058034 Jeerson Blvd.

HWY 50/80 05835 Parcel Redevelopmentn Classes

05828

HWY 50/80 058014 Legend

05828 Class I 058015 Parcels Between 50+% and 30% 058033 improvement value

05827 0582905827 058034 Jeerson Blvd. Jeerson Blvd. Class II Parcels Between HWY 50/80 05835 30% and 0%

n improvement value 05826 Parcel Redevelopment Classes 05828 05826

n Class III HWY 50/80 n 058014 Legend Parcels Between 0% and -50% 05828 Class I 058015 improvement value Parcels Between 058033 50+% and 30%

05829 improvement value 058034 Jeerson Blvd. 05827 Figure 1.9 Classes of redevelopment readiness in Pioneer Bluffs 05827 (See appendix A for calculations) Jeerson Blvd. HWY 50/80 05835 Class II n Parcels Between 05828 30% and 0% n improvement value 21 05826 Legend

05828 Class I 05826 Parcels Between 50+% and 30% Class III improvement value n 05827 Parcels Between 05827 Jeerson Blvd. 0% and -50% Class II improvement value Parcels Between 30% and 0% improvement value 05826

05826 Class III n Parcels Between 0% and -50% improvement value

General Plans and Case Studies

The cities of West Sacramento and Sacramento developed The Riverfront Master Plan. This required cooperation from both parties to deliver a unified goal that benefited both communities. The Riverfront Master Plan was the document created by the two cities and it discloses their plan develop three key areas along West Sacramento’s riverfront. The first stage of this document was implemented in 1999 with the building of The River Walk entrance which connects the downtown housing in West Sacramento to The Tower Bridge. The next phase of development broke ground in 2010 with the construction of the Ironworks housing development. This development includes a central business core, a waterfront development, and parkway edge. The proposed development in Pioneer Bluffs places medium and high density housing along the riverfront with a retail core in the northeast corner. These plans and projects will be used in context to create a general plan for the Pioneer Bluffs neighborhood (CityofWestSacramento.org 2010).

2323 Riverfront Master Plan

The Riverfront Master Plan was developed in 2003 as the outline to guide West Sacramento in the development on its waterfront. The plan was created to diclose their plan to develop three key areas; of which Pioneer Bluffs is the last installment. This area is primarily envisioned as suburban housing with access to the riverfront and a retail core. Although these areas were designated for these usages, no tentative plan has been developed for Pioneer Bluffs. Three components of the Riverfront Master Plan can help develop Pioneer Bluffs into community-oriented development. The first component is the creation of Stone Lock Park at the south end of Figure 2.0 Illustrative Stone Lock (Riverfront Master Plan 2003) Pioneer Bluffs (figure 2.0). This park is intended to link the north and south portions of West Sacramento with a recreational community space. This recreational space will serve as a small marina for boats on the river while providing large green-space for active recreation, while preserving natural environments. In another portion of Stone Lock Park a bridge to Southport is planned, this will physically link the two disconnected ends of West Sacramento. This bridge will allow access to the riverfront and lock, along with passage to Southport. There is potential for this bridge to become a symbol for the two portions of West Sacramento to make a personal statement as well. The master plan also includes the addition of access points to the riverfront which do not currently exist in Pioneer Bluffs (figure 2.1). These would allow the neighboring communities to have easier river access. It is the goal of the Riverfront Master Plan to “allow unobstructed views to the riverfront and trail access,” which is interpreted as visual axes directed at the riverfront. These visual axes, though, should allow for pedestrian traffic with limited vehicle traffic. The master plan includes the addition of housing, retail and corporate buildings to Pioneer Bluffs (figure 2.1). This transformation will change Pioneer Bluffs from an Figure 2.1 Land uses of Riverfront master Plan industrial zone to a residential core. These housing developments (Riverfront Master Plan 2003) 24 have not been determined as a format, but a blanket statement of residential housing. This allows for interpretation of density and spacing influencing type of residential structure. The retail and corporate core has been place adjacent to the current vehicular traffic, which allows the businesses to retain their business in the event that traffic remains unchanged. Figure 1. Preferred Initial Alignment and Possible Extensions The cities have also proposed a street car line originating at the Capitol and disseminating different lines from Capitol Mall. This plan was proposed in a separate document Sacramento Streetcar Study (Figure 2.2) which outlined the basic components of the street car system. This street car was incorporated into the Riverfront Master Plan as a people mover, a moderate transit line that does not extend regionally. This would link the two cities together by making commutes for their residents easier and increasing commerce. The transit line was proposed in sections, the first of which would be built as a system around Capitol Mall. This was predicted to create the largest revenue due to its location and its connection to the regional light rail line. From this the street car would connect with West Capitol Avenue and then disperse to the rest of

West Sacramento. Although the streetcar has been planned, location is still a key aspect for businesses should it remain Executive Summary – May 2007 Page 8 Downtown/Riverfront Streetcar Study unbuilt. Figure 2.2 Streetcar proposed routes These portions of the Riverfront Master Plan will be (Sacramento Streetcar Study 2007) used in conjunction with other similar communities to create a plan of development for Pioneer Bluffs. These influences will be represented in the general plan guidelines, the master plan, and specific plans. Communities with similar traits to West Sacramento which have been analyzed will be utilized in the specific plan for key areas in Pioneer Bluffs. 25 Case studies

Aggie Village and the Jackson Taylor revitalization strategy were both produced by Calthorpe Association. These projects approach two unique constraints similar to Pioneer Bluffs, place-making and density. Aggie Village examines the constraint of including density while preserving a community image. Jackson Taylor is a former industrial site that was transformed into a mixed use housing development serviced by the existing rail line. Aggie Village was designed as a community development within the downtown corridor of Davis (Figure 2.3). This community needed to incorporate the following constraints: keeping the down town image, connectivity, and medium density housing. The design accomplished this by consolidating the side and back yards by moving the houses back from the Figure 2.3 Aggie village frontage (Calthorpe.com) walking path. This allowed the property to have more front yard space in exchange for the reduction of private spaces. The village was also designed with two bicycle paths placed on the perimeter of the site while walking pathways within each property make pedestrian traffic easier. Aggie Village also retains the architectural history of the community to keep its uniformity with the rest of the downtown area (Calthorpe.com 2010). Jackson Taylor is a development in San Jose which, was previously an abandoned heavy industrial site. The project was presented in the 1990’s to revitalize the dying urban district (Figure 2.4). The site is designated as a TOD, transit oriented development, similar to Pioneer Bluffs with a light rail line parallel to the property. The housing is designed to look uniform while each home is individualized. The homes are more condensed than Aggie Village with 2.65 units to 1000 sq. ft. This site also sits within previously developed neighborhoods, making its contextual sensitivity an important feature. These ideas of density sizing, transit oriented development, and contextual sensitivity will be incorporated in Pioneer Bluff ’s design (Calthorpe.com 2010). Figure 2.4 Jackson Taylor development (Calthorpe.com) 26 Ironworks

Ironworks is a development in West Sacramento and one of the city’s newest housing complexes. This complex is located in the north of Pioneer Bluffs in the Triangle district. The housing development is densely populated, with every housing unit a minimum of two stories. The housing units do not include a back yard but instead a common green space. This common green includes a space for socializing, a water feature, and barbeque pits. This community demonstrates how a housing development can be densely populated and function with a green space. The housing tries to mimic a classic architectural design, craftsman, with false decorative beams, partially exposed rafters, and low pitched roofs. The housing allows first story parking, with most of the living space in the second story. This community’s design is also pertinent to its success. Each street is designed as a circuit, and connects to another portion of the complex. Although this development is still incomplete, it gives the impression of wholeness through Figure 2.5 Typical Housing in its connections. The streets are narrow to reduce the speed of traffic, with the only large Ironworks (taken by author) street being the main entrance to the complex. The homes are serviced at the end of each arterial street. The entrance to the complex is composed of unique architecture to establish a locational identiy and separate those buildings from the rest. The buildings at the front of the development are comprised of office buildings and tenant services. This buffers the housing from the adjacent major streets; this is also accomplished at the secondary entrance in the north by a planted buffer. The houses are in a unique arrangement, but they are also in a very prominent location. Ironworks sits adjacent to Raley Field and the railroad tracks. Both of these constraints will arise when Pioneer Bluffs is developed and the street car system is put in place. The solution that has been put in place by the Ironworks community is a simple wooden fence, but this solution could be artfully done with a more elaborate wall. The fence within Ironworks is a solid boundary which means access to the site is limited. At Ironworks a formal border is appropriate, but with Pioneer Bluffs allowing access could be more useful Figure 2.6 Typical front door street with than isolating the community entirely. Within Pioneer Bluffs limited walking access points rear Parking (taken by author) could be added such as those that exist in Aggie Village. Ironworks is a primary example for challenges and innovations relevant to West Sacramento riverfront, not all of Ironwork’s solutions allow for community friendliness. 27

General Plan

The following plan focuses on completing the four goals of the community; mobility, retail, density and green space; while preserving and enhancing the Sacramento River. The following proposed plan aims to solve the problems of connection, identity, and scale; while preserving and enhancing the green-space along the Sacramento River. In the following section these problems will be approached through analyzing previous plans and case studies; creating a general plan of development, idenfiying place-making elements to create an identity, and specific plans for key areas.

29 Pioneer Bluffs General Plan

The Pioneer Bluffs general plan is designed around three pillars: Pioneer Bluffs General Plan transit, density, and commerce. The streetcar system is the back bone of Pioneer Bluffs and the first of these pillars. As shown in Figure 2.7 no feature is more than fifteen minutes walking distance from the streetcar system. The streetcar system creates the thuroughfare for the transportation system which is designed to accommodate heavier traffic originating in the Suburban Medium Density Sacramento capitol region. The streetcar line then continues along Capitol Mall to Capitol Avenue in West Sacramento. As it crosses over the Tower 1 Suburban High Density

Bridge it diverges in two directions; one continuing down Capitol Avenue Traditional Medium Density while the other follows Jefferson Boulevard. Key access points along Jefferson will also be determined to allow for maximization of the system. This streetcar Mixed Retail/ Traditional Med. system will serve the majority of the community along Jefferson making it a Commerial critical piece to Pioneer Bluff ’s development. The three stops that are outlined are adjacent to current major Retail 2 intersections. This indicates that these stops will serve critical locations to the Corporate majority of the population. The first and most prominent stop services the proposed retail core and the existing businesses on 15th street. The second Transit stops stop services the majority of the housing cores within both communities. The Transit line third stop within Pioneer Bluffs services multiple areas, including the end 5, 10 & 15 3 Minute Walking Radii of the River Walk, the housing developments, Sam Combs and Stone Lock 0 500 parks. The third stop is meant to act as a parks and recreation stop allowing Major Thoroughfares Arterial Thoroughfares more access to green space. ExistingBike paths Proposed Bike paths In addition to the streetcar system, the city has also planned improved bicycle paths that will make existing pathways such as South River road more Figure 2.7 Location of transit line and transit pedestrian friendly. These bicycle lanes have not been set, but the specific stops with walking radii from each stop. plan in this document will lend recommendations. The streets will also be improved by making a connection between South River road and Southport. Smaller connector streets on Jefferson will allow more permeability to Pioneer Bluffs which will terminate in cul-de-sacs on the west side of South River. 30 Parks

Pioneer Bluffs General Plan The development of Pioneer Bluffs is focused on allowing access to the river while preserving its natural qualities. To accomplish this, the general plan has outlined three key areas for mitigated access. To preserve the natural qualities of Pioneer bluffs a nature trail has also been outlined

Suburban Medium Density to connect with the trail in the Triangle area. 1 The three areas outlined creating mitigated accesses Suburban High Density are located in sections (Figure 2.8) that create nodes of access to the riverfront. The first node in the north allows vital access Traditional Medium Density between commercial core, transit line, and the riverfront. This 2 area will be associated with leisurely recreation, rather than Mixed Retail/ Traditional Med. active recreation, providing a place for shoppers, businessmen,

Commerial and residents to reflect on scenery. The second green space will allow for residential active recreation. This space will Retail house sports fields, and be the main visual draw towards the riverfront. This park, The Main Green, will include a zone of Corporate passive recreation before entering a formal entrance space to the river walk. The third green space is the formerly planned Transit stops 3 Stone Lock Park. This will consist of a passive green space Transit line similar to the north park. This park will also step down in a series of tiers that will act as flood control beds. Each bed will

0 500 consist of river friendly plants which will help ease erosion and absorb flood waters. Major Thoroughfares Arterial Thoroughfares

ExistingBike paths Proposed Bike paths These three parks are set as system to service the Figure 2.8 Three areas of access to the neighboring communities. Although there are parks adjacent Riverfront and green space. to this new development, riverfront access is still necessary. The parks provide two services: a green space and an access point to the River Walk. The new population and commercial attractions will support this necessity for connection to the river. 31 Land Use

The land uses outlined in the Pioneer Bluffs general plan follow Pioneer Bluffs General Plan three simple goals: density, attraction, and mobility. These three land uses can be clearly seen in the adjacent land use chart (Figure 3.0) which illustrates not only the building type and size, but the form. This model for land use categories was taken from the Sacramento General plan by using visual representation to help illustrate a typical block using certain building types. Suburban Medium Density The blocks are arranged in a tiered system of increasing density and land use (Figure 2.9). At the base, the southern-most portion, is medium and Suburban High Density low density residential housing units. This development is closely tied to the historic development of the area, therefore the building design will mimic Traditional Medium Density surrounding developments. The next development is the medium density, Mixed Retail/ Traditional Med. mixed use and traditional medium density housing community. This area serves a higher population while still allowing for the introduction of some Commerial retail. The third portion is devoid of almost any housing, excluding the mixed Retail use developments. This area is defined by the heavy commercial and retail core Corporate adjacent to corporate buildings. This development could resemble something similar to is current density or resemble the Ziggurat and Cal-Strs building Transit stops to the north. This land use plan follows the guideline of feathering density Transit line as it changes from residential to commercial. This guideline helps ease the change from community space to public space and allows residents to have private space while still being connected. The separation of commercial types 0 500 within the commercial core allows the prioritization of uses and needs by each Major Thoroughfares Arterial Thoroughfares ExistingBike paths Proposed Bike paths company based upon space (Condon 2010). Figure 2.9 Land use types and These land uses, outlined in figure 2.9, shows how each area should be zoned general zoning locations. through inclusionary zoning. With these development zones building guidelines and (See appendix B for enlargement) models are provided to aid developers in visualizing this community, these guidelines and models are not restrictive and do allow for creativity; this encourages different development solutions without changing the housing model. Building styles can be referenced through A Field Guide to American Homes as a style basis (McAllester 2009). Variation, combination and originality are encouraged in relation to architectural style. 32 Land Use Types Table Suburban Medium Density Commercial Height: 1-4 Stories Height: 1-4 Stories Density: 3-15 units/ Acre Density: 16-32 units/ Acre FAR: .5- 1.5 FAR: .5- 2.0 Architecture: Architecture: Folk Victorian, Craftsman, Modern, International Prairie

Retail Height: 1-4 Stories Density: 15-36units/ Acre Suburban High Density FAR: 1.0- 2.0 Height: 1-4 Stories Architecture: Density: 8-20 units/ Acre International, Modern, FAR: 1.5 Colonial Revival Architecture: Folk Victorian, Craftsman Corporate Height: 1-12 Stories Density: 15-80 units/ Acre FAR: 2.0+ Architecture: International, Modern Traditional Medium Density Height: 1-4 Stories Density: 8-21 units/ Acre FAR: 1.5-2.0 Architecture: Mixed Retail/ Traditional Core Height: 2-4 Stories Modernistic, International, Density:8-15 units/ Acre Modern, Craftsman FAR: .5- 1.5 Figure 3.0 Land use chart which Architecture: includes visual examples of building Beaux Arts, Italian type, orientation, spacing and Renaissance, Colonial architecture. Revival 33 Land Use Models

Medium Density Suburban High Density Suburban

Acccess alley Figure 3.1 Acccess alley Figure 3.2

Off-street parking spaces Duplex Housing

Behind lot Secondary housing Off-street parking Spaces

Behind lot Secondary housing 34 Medium Density Traditional Housing Development Guidelines • Predominantly single family dwelling units. • Building heights will range from one to four stories • Highly interconnected street system will facilitateflow • System of non vehicle access roads will encourage pedestrian traffic • Neighborhoods will be located within reasonable walking distance to transit, schools, parks and services. • Limited garage front access with rear, side and alley parking access. • architectural forms consistent with the surrounding neighborhoods • Traffic calming measures and planting strips will compose the street system • Heavy street tree canopy will provide shade, encourage slower traffic, and from neighborhood personality.

Figure 3.3

Interior Parking Spaces

Available Green space

Medium density housing complexes

Medium density Suburban housing perimeter 35 Mixed Use Block Medium Density Retail Edge of housing development and trannsit core Housing development core

Figure 3.4 Figure 3.5

Medium density core Mixed use with off-street parking Civic center piece Block allocated parking Block allocated parking Low density retail border Low intensity retail border Medium density retail core Medium density housing adjacent

36 Retail and Housing Center Guidelines Urban Center Low 15th and Jefferson • Retail is designed to service neighborhood scales • Each business shall have a minimum FAR of 1.0 • Adjacent housing will be structured with pockets of green space • Civic spaces, art or symbols are repeated to create community identity • The main thoroughfares will include separated walkways by planted • Any street car stops will be considered as primary candidates for civic spaces • Each retail and housing block will be oriented towards increased pedestrian traffic • Bicycle lanes will be improved to allow for separation of traffic Figure 3.6 • Speed control design elements will be implemented to decrease traffic speed Medium intensity retail nodes • All housing parking will be accessible opposite major thoroughfares to reduce traffic congestion Civic center piece • Intensified street tree canopies to reduce heat island effect and traffic calming practice Secondary civic piece/ Communal space • Tree canopies in retail spaces where available to offset heat island Centralized parking • Civic and green space adjacent to promote walking

Low intensity retail Pockets

Traditional medium density housing 37

Master Plan

This section outlines the master plan for Pioneer Bluffs, how this plan can be implemented, and what it will entail. The designs following highlight three key areas to the development of Pioneer Bluffs: the main promenade and river walk, the retail and transit core, and the street system. These areas will be illustrated through a series of site plans, vignettes, and sections to illuminate the prominent features of each area and how it assists the development of Pioneer Bluffs.

39 Master Plan

The Pioneer Bluffs master plan (figure 3.7) was developed through the previously mentioned general plan. This master plan is an illustrative of the general plan’s focus, which is emphasized in three areas: open space, mobility, and retail. The master plan graduates housing densities to create a more densely populated core, with a retail hub that would revitalize the commerce in this neighborhood. The existing streets were kept in place with small cul-de-sacs extending from the main street. Each cul-de-sac acts as garage access to housing units. The homes are serviced as blocks, based on culs-de-sac, for utilities such as waste and postal. The master plan circulates slow traffic through the residential housing by reducing the size of the streets. The main street, South River road, was extended to include a bridge to Southport and its future housing communities. With the reduced size in streets a separated bike lane has been included on each side of South River road. To increase the unit density of this area the formal back yard has been reduced and in some cases does not exist. To compensate for the loss of a typical back yard at this housing density the houses along Jefferson blvd. have been bordered by dense vegetation to mitigate the sound and sight of the street car. Along with a planted border, a large park, Silo Park, has been placed in the center of the housing development to allow all residents access to open space. Silo Park is, like the gateway to the neighborhood, an homage to the former tanks. This park also connects to the proposed River Walk with a formal entrance, the River Walk is proposed as a levee access road as well to optimize the utility of the River Walk. Stone Lock Park was included in the master plan based upon the Riverfront Master Plan. The transit line proposed by both the city of Sacramento and West Sacramento, as outlined on the general plan (figure 3.7), meets at a key location to service the retail and housing developments. The 0 500' first stop of the street will act as the gateway for this neighborhood and is designed on the basis of transit oriented development (TOD). The streetcar stop will include a civic art piece as the gateway identifier; located within walking distance to this transit stop will be retail, offices with above story housing, a park space, and corporate offices. To aid the master plan in the visualization of the three goals: mobility, open space, and retail, specifications will be given for each aspect in the following section. Figure 3.7 Master Plan (See appendix C for enlargement) 40 Retail Core

Civic Space Pioneer Bluffs has unique opportunity within its development, the addition of a retail core and transit system adjacent to one another. This lends itself to becoming a transit oriented development (TOD). This vision includes three goals of TOD: mobility, mixed commerce, and density (NewJerseyFuture. org). Another goal for this area is to create a gateway for this section of the city. Streetcar stop This vision identifies what the plan of the transit hub will resemble, and how the gateway could look and function. Adjacent Retail The plan (figure 3.8) is an illustration of how the site could function as a transit stop. This plan demonstrates how the transit stop and gateway piece Figure 3.8 The civic space with transit platform plan. would interact. The transit stop allows for passengers to leave and board the train on a platform that is visually separated from other site functions. Adjacent to the platform will be a civic space that commemorates the history of the oil tanks and the industry that built the adjacent neighborhoods. The civic space will be connected to all of the retail through a series of planted walkways that allow a touch of nature within this transit stop. The retail at the core of Pioneer Bluffs will not only change due to the addition of a street car transit system, but the retail building form. Retail will consist of two story buildings with above story housing and standard retail, while imitating local architecture. The image (figure 4.0) demonstrates how Figure 3.9 Example retail facade. building forms will change to imitate the residential building form while allowing walk-ablilty. Retail buildings though are not the only addition to the transit core, commercial and corporate buildings will also encourage white collar jobs and commerce. The corporate buildings in the north of the site are a concern for the residents of Sacramento and West Sacramento. These buildings are a concern for the visual effect they will have on traffic along interstate 80. This simulation visual (figure 3.9) shows how the buildings would look while driving over the overpass at night in their proposed areas. This renewed facade has the potential Figure 4.0 I-80 over Sacramento River where to show the innovative face of West Sacramento to numerous travelers. cement silos stand 41 Silo Park

Silo Park (figure 4.2) is the largest park in the master plan development. This park serves two functions: being the main green space and the connection to the Sacramento River. Silo Park will allow access for all the residents of the community to community space. The park is envisioned as a playfield and a promenade. The playfields are divided by South River road, but allow on-street parking with parking bulges. These bulges also act as traffc calming treatments. The promenade form follows the visual cue to the river’s edge. The location of the park allows outside residents to access the green space and River Walk as well. The entrance to the River Walk includes historical facts about Pioneer Bluffs with a civic space that imitates the gateway feature at the central transit stop. Figure 4.1 River access roads from Silo Park and Housing The civic feature is a traversable center that allows for easy movement and an uninterrupted view of the Sacramento River. Civic spaces can create an image for communities, rather based off an existant image. Green space connects people to nature and can help create a community (Benfield 2001). The trail that leads down the bluff is a separate element to the civic space. From the civic platform a series of pathways slowly meanders down the face of the bluff (figure 4.1). These paths move along the bluffs in two series of trails. The first series of trails is a dirt pathway that is intended to not be heavily maintained. Between this pathway and the next is a series of plantings that are sided by a small wall. This planting area is meant to help absorb the waters from a flooding event. The retaining wall at the edge of the planting is designed to allow a flooding event, while keeping the roadway intact. The pathway connects to Stone Lock Park at the south end of Pioneer Bluffs. This allows easier access to the civic space, parkway and Silo Park to the residents of the Southport community. This trail feathers the slope of the bluff to ease water levels Figure 4.2 Street crossing at the center of Silo Park during flooding events. The pathway and Silo Park will help connect the heavily dense new community to nature and open space. 42 Pedestrian friendly Crossing River Walk access Civic Space

Adjacent Parking

Figure 4.3 Plan of Silo Park

Before After

River Walk with Flood Buffer zone wall Shore Shoreline walk

Figure 4.4 Section of proposed riverwalk and levee break before and after 43 Mobility

The streets of Pioneer Bluffs are not a result of its density Figure 4.5 Section of streets between housing but, a necessary element to assisting community development. These streets allow for human scale walking distances, and community spaces. The streets within the community are scaled to allow for the necessary function of the street. This scaling is tiered into three categories, the first is alleyway access to housing cul-de-sacs. The second in scale is the main thoroughfare along South River road, and third is the main access road on 15th street and Jefferson boulevard. The streets along the cul-de-sacs are designed at 24’ wide (fig. 4.5) which allows for first floor parking only. These culs-de-sac are serviced at their connection to South River road by waste and 20' two lane roads with postage. These streets allow for a small area of planting in front of Planted Planted garage access homes, but lacking the traditional back yard. The next tier of streets walkway walkway is meant to service a low to medium grade of traffic and is the main Figure 4.6 Section of proposedSouth River road thoroughfare for utility services. The main street is approximately 40’ wide, this allows for two directions of traffic, street side parking and a separated pedestrian and bike path. This main street will be the service road for many utility companies and the secondary connection, aside from Jefferson blvd., to Southport. This street is designed to have a walkway that doubles as a bike path as well. This bike-pedestrian path is separated by a vegetated border including street trees. The street trees along the main street are intended to give the community a more relaxed Planted 40' two lane traffic with Planted personality and slow traffic, similar to the walkway merging lane walkway residential streets of downtown Sacramento (Ben-joseph). 44 The third tier to streets in Pioneer Bluffs is the main thoroughfare and location of the street car line, 15th street. This street is designed to accommodate one lane for the street car, which could be shared, and three other lanes for traffic. This portion of Pioneer Bluffs will need to be designed as a much heavier traffic corridor due to the proximity of Raley field. Fifteenth street leads directly to Raley field and with the connection of the street car will be a much more utilized street. The street car is being accounted for in this scenario though as a large component in reducing the number of cars within this intersection as well. Therefore this street is approximately 60’ in width to allow for a smooth traffic flow. This 60’ also accommodates a pedestrian and bike lane on both sides with a planted border separating them from traffic. The bike and pedestrian lanes in Pioneer Bluffs will act as a semi-connected series of trails which will make movement through the community easier for residents. Figure 4.7 Section of 15th street with street car

Planted 50' two lane traffic with merging lane Planted walkway and shared street car lane walkway

Traffic in this community will be designed with a circulatory form. This form allows persons not from this community to maneuver through the area more quickly while residents will arrive at their destination more smoothly. The circulation and traffic flow will help develop this community like others through “street design with community scale access” (Carter 1972). This movement is reflected in the housing development by making difficult maneuvers, such as parking,seperated from heavy traffic flow. This will also allow easier maintenance of the facilities through a single access point for each housing block. Emergency vehicular access will be maintained with a similar model excluding areas that require direct vehicular access. These aspects will make community scale effective while allowing citywide public service and necessary maintenance. 45

Conclusion Putting the future in motion

West Sacramento and Pioneer Bluffs have gone volatile economy and stringent redevelopment the areas through extraordinary changes through their history, but that will be developed are uncertain, but this document what lies ahead is still uncertain. This process of general will help form the processes after development has plan and master plan will enable the city to envision begun. how their new neighborhood will be formed. This vision As a recommendation from the author it is is intended to inspire, accurately account, and plan, to within the city’s best interest to identify focal areas an extent, the city’s potential. What the city will need for redevelopment. These areas should be based on to examine next is the areas that are best suited for two broad categories, readiness for redevelopment and development, which is outlined in the analysis. From impact of development. The readiness for development these core properties the city will need to develop steps would be an incorporation of ownership, foreclosures, to create this envisioned neighborhood. This envisioned the property improvement index, and lot size. The neighborhood is the result of this document, intended as impact development category should be based on the focal direction for the city. general plan ‘s land use categories, locations, and models It is the intention from the plans that have been for development to determine what type of development put in place that the city will have more direction for the would have the greatest impact. By correlating these development of Pioneer Bluffs. This direction is meant two inputs the city should determine what areas deserve guide the city in building form, structure, and phasing. immediate attention. This approach should help the city This document should help the city examine areas that put plans for development into action and help create are available in relation to their intended future use and this new neighborhood. draw on those points as indicators for development. The three areas chosen in specific planning are intended as general models for the three main focuses of the area: mobility, retail and green-space. For example; should the city decide to develop the area at Stone Lock Park, these models of community scale, transit structure, and green space access should assist their decisions. Due to the 47

Works Cited Condon, Patrick M. 2010. Seven Rules for Sustainable Communities. Island Press. Print

Benfield, F. Kaid; Terris, Jukta; and Vorsanger, Nancy. 2001. Solving Sprawl: Models of Smart Growth Communities in America. National Resource Defence Council

Carter, Harold.1972 Study of Urban Geography, The. London. Edward Arnold

Shipely, Walter. 1987. West Sacramento: the roots of a new city. Yolo County Historical Society. Print http://www.cityofwestsacramento.org/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=3472

Mcallester, Virginia. 2009. A Field guide to American houses. Knopf inc.

Community Development Department. 2008. West Sacramento General Plan Policy Document. The City of West Sacramento. Retrieved from: http://www.cityofwestsacramento.org/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=3615

Ben-joseph, Eran. “Residential street standards and traffic control”. MIT Press http://web.mit.edu/ebj/www/Official%20final.pdf

City of Sacramento. 2009. The City of Sacramento General Plan Guidelines: Land use and urban design. http://www.sacgp.org/documents/04_Part2.01_LandUseandUrbanDesign.pdf

GMAG, Goods Movement Advisory Group. June 2007. “Actions Summary Minutes” SACOG. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0 CFUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sacog.org%2Fgoodsmovement%2Fgmag %2F2007%2520Meetings%2FApr10GMAG%2FGMAG%2520Item%25203%2520061907.

NewJersey Future. 2003. “At the heart of your community: a citizens guide to transit oriented development” New Jersey Future. http://www.njfuture.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/TOD-Manual-3-11.pdf

City of West Sacramento Historical Society. “History of West Sacramento” CityofWestSacramento.org http://www.cityofwestsacramento.org/about/history.asp

City of West Sacramento. April 2012 West Sacramento Geographic information systems http://maps.cityofwestsacramento.org/default.cfm?clear=yes

The Hoyt Company, Leland Consulting group, LTK Engineering & URS Corp. 2007. “Phase 1 Draft Report: Downtown/Riverfront streetcar” Riverfrontstreetcar.com. http://www.riverfrontstreetcar.com/images/draft_feasibility_study.pdf 49

Appendix A Property improvment evaluation chart

Improvement APN Land Value ($) Value ($) % change Coverage (ac.) Above 0% 058 990 001 000 058 014 001 000 147014 0 -100% 058 260 016 000 0.00 0.00 0% 0 058 014 002 000 172,960.00 472,762.00 46% 058 260 017 000 0.00 0.00 0% 0 058 014 003 000 53981 314379 71% 0.34 058 260 018 000 0.00 0.00 0% 0 058 014 004 000 60,064.00 487,366.00 78% 0.42 058 260 019 000 0.00 0.00 0% 0 058 014 006 000 72,655.00 0.00 -100% 47.7 058 260 020 000 0.00 0.00 0% 0 058 014 007 000 97,176.00 1,199,666.00 85% 1.24 058 260 021 000 621,197.00 717,030.00 7% 0 058 014 008 000 114,790.00 154,224.00 15% 57% 058 260 025 000 721,427.00 300,326.00 -41% 0 058 015 001 000 29,257.00 28,108.00 -2% 058 260 026 000 433,778.00 375,016.00 -7% 0 058 015 003 000 20,000.00 0.00 -100% 0.06 058 260 027 000 19,660.00 123,081.00 72% 0.74 058 015 004 000 37,000.00 133,000.00 56% 058 260 028 000 39,301.00 234,773.00 71% 1.5 20% 058 015 006 000 34,276.00 76,717.00 38% 0.17 058 270 001 000 917,392.00 318,903.00 -48% 4.47 058 015 007 000 24,244.00 90,954.00 58% 0.12 058 270 006 000 960,988.00 0.00 -100% 3.78 058 015 008 000 24,244.00 62,652.00 44% 0.12 058 270 008 000 705,686.00 352,842.00 -33% 0.01 058 015 009 000 35,000.00 80,000.00 39% 058 270 012 000 670,400.00 82,326.00 -78% 3.28 058 015 010 000 114,237.00 195,838.00 26% 058 270 014 000 376,625.00 882,448.00 40% 8.11 058 015 011 000 80,000.00 100,000.00 11% 058 270 017 000 542,538.00 0.00 -100% 16% 058 015 012 000 74,948.00 27,097.00 -47% 0.29 50% 058 280 003 000 1,115,690.00 875,670.00 -12% 4.73 058 033 001 000 39,152.00 59,573.00 21% 058 280 005 000 1,162,478.00 494,741.00 -40% 8.89 058 033 002 000 266,995.00 690,158.00 44% 0.34 058 280 006 000 177,559.00 105,424.00 -25% 0.47 058 033 003 000 76,552.00 202,730.00 45% 058 280 007 000 253,674.00 1,014,712.00 60% 1.12 25% 058 033 004 000 14,917.00 0.00 -100% 50% 058 290 001 000 71,759.00 0.00 -100% 0.82 058 034 001 000 44,966.00 0.00 -100% 0.09 058 290 002 000 98,440.00 64,172.00 -21% 3.62 058 034 002 000 75,385.00 216,004.00 48% 0.11 058 290 004 000 1,058,530.00 2,913,071.00 47% 7.58 33% 058 034 003 000 30,916.00 203,569.00 74% 058 350 001 000 1,958,395.00 1,262,077.00 -22% 5.37 058 034 007 000 10,616.00 18,047.00 26% 058 350 002 000 1,081,505.00 0.00 -100% 3.23 058 034 008 000 23,518.00 88,206.00 58% 5.74 058 350 003 000 347,311.00 0.00 -100% 0.94 058 034 009 000 43,614.00 109,669.00 43% 0.12 058 350 007 000 191,611.00 0.00 -100% 0.64 058 034 010 000 24,921.00 0.00 -100% 0.06 058 350 008 000 887,804.00 145,790.00 -72% 5.11 0% 058 034 011 000 24,921.00 0.00 -100% 0.06 067 180 001 000 0.00 0.00 0% 0 058 034 012 000 31,714.00 11,113.00 -48% 155.31 058 034 013 000 8,649.00 0.00 -100% 058 034 014 000 15,661.00 111,426.00 75% 058 034 015 000 17,231.00 0.00 -100% 058 034 016 000 35,655.00 75,278.00 36% 058 034 027 000 35,345.00 107,101.00 50% 058 034 028 000 174,639.00 26,143.00 -74% 0.32 058 034 029 000 34,914.00 0.00 -100% 058 034 030 000 22,527.00 8,368.00 -46% 11.48 058 034 031 000 76,270.00 47,204.00 -24% 0.23 36% 058 260 002 000 840,943.00 310,746.00 -46% 9.56 058 260 003 000 690,494.00 974,566.00 17% 9.61 058 260 010 000 374,949.00 0.00 -100% 2.03 058 260 012 000 57,651.00 184,489.00 52% 0 058 260 013 000 479,478.00 87,245.00 -69% 0.69 51 Appendix B Pioneer Bluffs General Plan

Suburban Medium Density

Suburban High Density

Traditional Medium Density

Mixed Retail/ Traditional Med.

Commerial

Retail

Corporate

52 0 500 Appendix C Pioneer Bluffs Master Plan

0 500'