HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem I Community Design & Dublin SP
CITY CLERK
File # D~DJ~-~~
AGENDA STATEMENT
CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION STUDY SESSION
MEETING DATE: August 7,2007
SUBJECT:
STUDY SESSION: P A 07-038 & 07-036: General Plan
Community Design Element and Downtown Dublin Specific Plan
Report prepared by Jeff Baker, Senior Planner
ATTACHMENT: A ~~/Vicinity Map of Downtown Dublin
RECOMMENDATION:I\~ Receive presentation and provide Staff and the Consultant with
^ '" /" input and direction regarding the proposed General Plan Community
~ Design Element and the Downtown Dublin Specific Plan.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT:
Funds have been allocated for this project in the 200712008 budget.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Background
The Fiscal Year 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 City Council Goals and Objectives includes, as high priority
goals, the preparation of a General Plan Community Design Element and the preparation of a Downtown
Dublin Specific Plan (DDSP) (with Design Guidelines) that combines the area of the existing Downtown
Core Specific Plan, Dublin Downtown Specific Plan, West Dublin BART Specific Plan, and San Ramon
Road Specific Plan into one comprehensive specific plan.
The City Council directed Staff to distribute a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the preparation of both the
General Plan Community Design Element and DDSP on December 5, 2006. Staff distributed the RFP and
received proposals from six consulting firms in response to the RFP. Staff reviewed the six proposals and
determined that the proposals from the consulting firms Downtown Solutions and RBF IUDS Consulting
best met the RFP request and the City invited those two consulting firms for interviews. A Proposal
Evaluation Committee, consisting of Mayor Janet Lockhart, Planning Commission Chair Bill Schaub, and
Staff members from the Community Development, Economic Development, and Public Works
Departments and the City Manager's Office, interviewed the two consultant teams whose proposals best
met the RFP request. The Proposal Evaluation Committee felt that both consulting firms were equally
qualified to prepare the Community Design Element and DDSP.
At the City Council meeting on March 20, 2007, the City Council directed Staff to incorporate the existing
Village Parkway Specific Plan area into the future DDSP.
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COPY TO: Consultant
File
ITEM NO.
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G:\PA#\2007\07-036 Downtown Dublin Specific Plan\City Council\ccsr 8.07.07 CC PC Study Session. doc
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On June 19, 2007, the City Council adopted a Resolution approving a Consulting Services Agreement
with RBFIUDS Consulting to prepare the Community Design Element and the DDSP, which included the
Village Parkway Specific Plan area, and authorized the City Manager to sign the Agreement on behalf of
the City.
Project Description
RBFIUDS Consulting is assisting Staff with the preparation of two projects which include a Community
Design Element for the General Plan and a specific plan for Downtown Dublin. The following is a
description for each of these projects.
Community Design Element: The proposed General Plan Community Design Element will provide a
guiding vision for future development/redevelopment throughout the City. The Community Design
Element will be a graphically based document that illustrates design related goals and policies, such as
building form and massing, and site design.
Downtown Dublin Specific Plan: The proposed DDSP will include a review of the existing setting, an
opportunities/constraints analysis, economic analysis, identification of the Specific Plan boundary, and an
evaluation of land uses, densities, and public spaces. The Specific Plan will also include Design
Guidelines that will provide specific criteria for elements such as site planning, building architecture,
materials and finishes. The Design Guidelines will implement those policies of the Community Design
Element (noted above) relevant to the Downtown.
Staff and RBF IUDS Consulting recently initiated the projects to create a Community Design Element and
the DDSP. The purpose of this Study Session is to obtain input and direction from the City Council and
Planning Commission that will be used as a framework for both of these projects.
ANALYSIS:
The team from RBFIUDS Consulting will lead the City Council and Planning Commission in a discussion
of key elements that will be used to form the framework for the Community Design Element .and the
DDSP. The Study Session will include an overview of the principles of community design and downtown
design, and will be followed by a roundtable discussion.
Community Design Principles:
The discussion of community design principles will provide a framework for understanding and
discussing design from the community-wide perspective. This educational presentation will utilize
images and illustrations to communicate the community design principles for districts, neighborhoods and
villages, including paths and corridors that connect the community, community edges, gateways, activity
nodes, landmarks, and wayfinding.
Downtown Design Principles:
The discussion of downtown design principles will compare the physical and economic fabric of a typical
downtown environment to Downtown Dublin. The topics that will be explored include commercial
concentration and mix, district scale, block scale, pedestrian friendly streets, lot patterns, site design,
building mass and height, fa9ade treatments, and green building.
An overview of the Urban Land Use Institute's principles for reinventing suburban business districts will
also be presented to facilitate discussion of the opportunities and constraints within Downtown Dublin.
Other commercial development trends, such as transit-oriented development, town centers, and lifestyle
centers will also be discussed.
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Roundtable Discussion:
The Consultant team will facilitate a roundtable discussion that will focus on the City Council's and
Planning Commission's vision for the community, perceived opportunities and constraints, and
expectations regarding the process to create the final work product for the Community Design Element
and the DDSP. This discussion will capitalize on the City Council's and Planning Commission's
familiarity with the community and will help to create the foundation for both the Community Design
Element and the DDSP.
CONCLUSION:
The purpose of this Study Session is to obtain input and direction from the City Council and Planning
Commission regarding the future Community Design Element and DDSP. The team from RBFIUDS
Consulting will lead the City Council and Planning Commission in a discussion of key elements that will
be used to form the framework for both of these projects. The Study Session will include an overview of
the principles of community design and downtown design, and will be followed by a roundtable
discussion.
The following questions demonstrate the global concepts that will be discussed during the Study Session.
The consultant team will explore these questions in more detail throughout the Study Session.
Community Design Element:
1. What is one of your favorite residential development projects in Dublin and why?
2. What is one of your favorite commercial development projects in Dublin and why?
3. If you could do one thing, what would you do to improve the overall image and character of Dublin?
4. What design issues should be prioritized in the Community Design Element (site planning, building
mass and bulk, facade articulation, building materials, sustainable and green building principles,
streetscape design, gateway treatments, etc.)?
Downtown Dublin Specific Plan:
1. What do you think are important attributes in a downtown and why?
2. What are the assets or strengths of Downtown Dublin (i.e. location, freeway access, BART, stores,
economic health, etc.)?
3. What changes would you like to see in the Downtown?
4. What are your concerns related to future changes in the Downtown?
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council and the Planning Commission receive presentation and provide
Staff and the Consultant with input and direction regarding the proposed General Plan Community Design
Element and the Downtown Dublin Specific Plan.
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