DON BAKERS Top List for Future Improvements in OT

Old Town Auburn Redevelopment and Renovation

Dec 2, 2010 Dear Old Town Members,

This document contains a summary of all the ideas we received from our members for OTBA repair, renovation and redevelopment, as was requested several weeks ago. We have summarized and sorted them by category for your review. Please help us prioritize these suggestions found in this document by rating each item, based on your best guess for its priority. When the questionnaires are returned, we will further filter and prioritize them. Then we will draft the list into a 5-year plan for the City to implement. But we will first remove the items marked “int”, which indicates the item is to be done by OTBA internally. So we will in essence have our own plan separate from what the City will do. It is only necessary to circle a rating number from 1 to 5, so it should not take more than 10 minutes to complete. So PLEASE DO IT ASAP, AND RETURN THIS DOCUMENT BY Saturday, Dec 11th. (See RETURN INSTRUCTIONS below) FYI: The number in brackets after each item is the suggested timeframe for the City to complete, i.e. 3mos to 5yrs. And as mentioned, the “int” designator means OTBA will complete the task ourselves internally, instead of putting it in the City’s planning.

Thank You,

Linda Robinson, President, OTBA

Instructions for rating: After each item there is a 1 to 5 scale to indicate the level of importance for the item. Simply circle the number.

The Scale is as follows:

1=Very Important 2=Important 3=Needed at some point 4=Yes, but low priority 5=Very low priority or Never

RETURN INSTRUCTIONS: (3 options) 1. Drop the completed document off at Sun River Clothing, next to the Post Office. 2. Mail to OTBA, Box 9145, Auburn, CA 95604. 3. Go to website www.oldtownauburnca.com , click on bottom of page link “Questionnaire”, and download this same document in Microsoft Word format, fill it out (in Word), save it, and email it to [email protected]. SIGNAGE/LIGHTING A. Review signage requirement, make it uniform and reinforce compliance (Banners, neon signs, etc.) [6mo] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

B. Add clear signage indicating how to walk from jury lot to Old Town. [3mo] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

C. Renovate or cleanup Lawyers Row Building. At the top of Commercial Street, there is a dilapidated empty old brick building that sits between the Med Museum and the Native Sons Building just across the alley. This is a strategic place since its one of the first buildings seen when visitors come over the freeway bridge. Add a large vintage “Welcome to Old Town Sign”, or “Old Town This Way ” on the side. Building should be strategically lit at night, with landscape bushes on the small piece of dirt in front. [6mo] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

D. Replace all OT corner street signs with historic/“vintage” signs. [1yr] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

E. Archway/sign across the street at the end of the Cafe D that says “Old Town Auburn” or “Welcome to Old Town Auburn” [1yr] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

F. More Signage for parking. [1yr] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

G. Better Accent lighting in a few places in OT. Consult with lighting specialist. [1yr] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

H. Get new bunting (the red/white/blue pleated banners) on buildings. [6mo] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

I. Add another Billboard on I-80 [2yr] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

J. Informational Web-based Kiosk. The OT Board was recently shown a presentation of an option to purchase large (42”) touch screen Kiosks that will be placed at strategic places in Downtown and OT. They will contain shopping info, with graphics, videos, maps, road conditions, restaurant menus, pictures of store products, or anything that can be put on a website. These will be initially pricey but could be completely funded by ads from OT merchants, other Auburn businesses, or even outside corporate or government ads (eg See Placer Wine Country, Drink Coca-Cola, Join the Navy, Visit Yosemite Natl Park, etc) It is even projected these could generate substantial ad revenue over the course of a year for OT. (Formal presentation to be given at General Meeting in January) [1yr] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5 FIREHOUSE AREA incl. PARK and BATHROOMS: A. Re-landscape park next to bathrooms - make it inviting [1yr] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

B. Trim Giant Pine tree so firehouse is more visible from freeway [6mo] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

C. Fire House painting and renovation [6mo] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

D. Have lights INSIDE the Fire House on timer to turn on at dusk so vintage fire engine is highlighted and attractive as people come down Commercial Street. [6mo] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

E. Get Firehouse Clock Chime working again [3mo] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

F. Design new and better outside lighting for Firehouse, maybe consult with lighting specialist. [6mo] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

G. Add lighting to windows and dormers so its lit at night. [6mo] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

HAYES PARKING LOT/ TOWN SQUARE A. OT and City should buy Hayes parking lot and develop it into a center of town concept (like Downtown) which would be open to all events and public seating. [2yr] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

BREWERY LANE PARKING A. Continue to fight for employee parking on Brewery Street and develop that strip into a nice park and walking path. [2yr] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

PROCISSI PARKING LOT AND TIN SHED A. Shed by Tio Pepes: Add a mural or landscaping or art or anything to camouflage it or transform it into looking like a vintage building. [6mo] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

B. Get rid of the tin shack on Procissi’s parking lot. More parking spaces. [6mo] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

C. Reseal/Repave Parking Lot by Tin Building [6mo] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5 D. Beautify Procissi Lot to blend more with Chana miners park and statue. Things such as trees, shrubs, landscaping, lighting, re-pave, retaining wall, etc [6mo] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

OTHER PARKING A. Consider ways to make OT “RV Friendly”. And how to attract RV’rs, and possibly allow RV's to park in Jury parking lot [3yr] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

B. Enlarge the upper lot behind Bootleggers by purchasing the small strip of land (below the Norm Hill lot), along the entrance road that goes from white cottages to the lot. [3yr] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

POST OFFICE AREA and CAFÉ D BUILDING A. Increase Post Office service to include "visitors center" services [1yr] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

B. Town Square on the end of the post office building, not just temporary stanchions. [2yr] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

C. Renovate/redo façade on Post Office (and Café D building) to make it truly look like the oldest Post Office in the West. With maybe weathered looking old barn wood? Or used brick? or at least tongue and groove boards like Ale House and OT Art Gallery.[1yr] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

D. Do some retro interior design work inside Post Office. Maybe add vintage Wanted Posters and other old photos or antique artifacts on the walls [int] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

E. Add spotlight(s) to outside shadowbox of 3x4 ft map guide of OT [3mo] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

F. Fix PA system and music system at Post Office end of building [3mo] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

MISCELLANEOUS A. Purchase white cottages and bungalows on Park Street (by Claude Chana Statue) [5yr] Three separate uses for cottages were suggested: a. Turn into quaint “retro” motel/bungalows. OT and Auburn in general is in dire need of lodging. This could be pursued as a private venture, by seeking businessperson to invest in and develop it that way. b. Create artisan/craftsman workshops with items for sale as suggested elsewhere c. More retail stores ** Currently most residents of cottages are workers in OT. Consideration must be given to relocate them to equitable housing. This possibly could be part of the Victorian Hill Redevelopment Plan mentioned later in this document, so that new cottages could be provided for relocating anyone displaced but maybe100-200 feet farther up Park St hill. Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

B. Pursue getting artisans and hand craftsman to set up their workshops and studios in OT. We should try to attract “working” artisans like glass blowers, wood workers, metal workers, ceramic potters, leather workers, vintage sign makers. Suggest maybe a “Craftsman Row” or “Craftsman Alley”. Several areas possible: Sacramento Street has an empty 3000 sf Retail Space, also there’s an “alley” behind OT Art Gallery, where maybe tiny booths or shops could be built fairly inexpensively, then rented out fairly inexpensively. Also behind Serendipity/Als Place/Gypsy Wind/Back Country, there’s some areas that maybe we could secure and develop with small shops or booths also. The entrance would be a walkway thru the alley, between these buildings. Hence “Craftsman Row or Artisan’s Alley”. And a final location possibility is the white cottages and bungalows next to the Procissi lot and next to the Chana statue. These possibly could be turned into working Artisan Shops. (This is also mentioned in Victorian Hill Redevelopment section) (4yr) Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

C. Pedestrian-friendly Cobblestone walkways/crosswalks: Have this done at key places eg Post Office to Tsudas, Mary Belles to Café D, Post Office to Carpe Vino, Firehouse to Bootleggers, etc . (All OT streets if possible.) [2yr] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

D. Redo boardwalk of Café D building. Keep old wood look. (It needs to be determined if the wooden sidewalks are private or public) [6mo] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

E. Add a few faded, vintage murals on sides of brick building in OT similar to one the Phenomenon crew did on the Gypsy Winds wall. There are 5 or 6 large blank walls in OT that could use a splash of quaintness. Give visitors the feeling they stepped back in time. [int] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

F. Add flower baskets to OT. Recent vote on this got nixed, mostly for cost, but this should eventually be done. Colorful flowers add a wonderful appeal to tourists.[int] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

G. Consider having our own OT shuttle of some kind. Nothing super expensive. Something like an open sided electric “golf cart type” vehicle, say that seats 8, that could get patrons around town when the streets are closed, and other times. Electric or hybrid if possible. [int] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

H. Cleanup and re-paint white Map kiosk at Law Library lot. Get lights replaced and working. [int] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

I. Visitors Center – either have our own OT Visitors Info Center, or seek having a satellite office of the Placer County Visitor Center somewhere in OT. [int] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

J. Analyze need for owners to paint their buildings and repair signs that are falling apart.[int] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

K. Expand music at some point to add outdoor music throughout other areas of town. Probably will have to be wireless. Maybe consider interspersing occasional marketing blurbs with music. (e.g. ”Did you know Amgen is coming to OT?”, “Don’t miss next week’s Taste of Chocolate”, “Don’t forget tomorrow is $5 pizza day at OT Pizza”, etc) [int] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

L. Sidewalk work. Clean-up, add railings, (to prevent falls). Work with landlords and city.[int] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

M. Add more benches and or tables for “weary” shoppers, especially HY Park. [int] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

N. Increase amount of landscaping in town [int] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

O. Establish a regular power washing schedule for sidewalks [int] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

P. Retain design consultant to do one-time review of exterior of each OT building and make recommendations on how to spruce up, fix, improve, create ambience, especially building fronts to see if they could better represent appropriate historical architecture [int] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Q. Need handicap access to Shaw building area (discuss possibilities with Bob Richardson) [2yr] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

R. Determine if a walk way / bridge could be constructed between (lower) Centennial Park near Law Library Parking Lot and Sacramento Street, maybe connecting to Tea Thyme’s alley.[3yr] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5 LONG-TERM MAJOR REDEVELOPMENT A.Victorian Hill Redevelopment and Expansion: These items below refer to a proposed development on the Victorian Hill behind Bootleggers/Tio Pepe’s that will greatly expand Old Town itself, sweeping up and even over the hill, and complement Old Town circa late 1800’s Pioneer architecture.[5yr] a. Two story parking lot with an outside glass elevator for view. b. Event/Convention Center c. Hotel/Restaurant d. Outdoor Beer Garden. Maybe with gazebo/pavilion/tent for colder months. e. Village concept retail/café shops bottom floor (living quarters upstairs) winding up the hill on new roadway. ** Note: Bob Snyder has fairly detailed plot plans covering most of these above details. This Victorian Hill Redevelopment Plan was created by private businessmen and city personnel years ago before the economy slipped. Many items on this list are addressed in those plans. Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

B. Expand OT up Sacramento St. and up Brewery Lane. [int] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

C. Create OTAPS miniature village as described by Ross Carpenter [4yr] Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

PLEASE PRINT YOUR BUSINESS NAME HERE SO WE CAN ENSURE EACH MEMBER ONLY VOTES ONCE:

BUSINESS NAME: ______

COMMENTS Please use the rest of this page to add any suggestions that are not found in this document or to clarify your rating of an item. Be sure to indicate which item you wish to comment on, e.g. “SIGNAGE- C”. If you add a new suggestion, indicate the 1-5 rating after it.