Item B: Walnut Station Mixed-Use Center

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? Comparison of a No Build Alternative and a Multiway Concept for Franklin Boulevard; April 2007. Between January and April of 2007, there were a number of issues that the Planning Commission considered with regards to the multiway boulevard, and staff developed a three-stage decision-making process to assist the Planning Commission in forming recommendations. The Planning Commission met January 22, January 29, and February 12, 2007 to review the information related to the future redesign of Franklin Boulevard and at the February 12, 2007 meeting, the Planning Commission endorsed moving forward with operational modeling for the multiway boulevard concept. The Agenda Item Summary with the Franklin Boulevard Modeling Results (April 16, 2007) is attached as Exhibit A to this memorandum. 10.What is the impact of the multiway boulevard on existing businesses? The amendments under consideration include establishment of a special setback to preclude construction of buildings within the area needed for the future construction of the multiway boulevard. The special setback is applied at the time new development is proposed; establishment of the special setback does not impact current business uses or building footprints. Once funding has been secured for the multiway boulevard, the City will go through the process of acquiring the property within the special setback area, and developing detailed design plans for the boulevard. One of the concerns raised is access to those existing business once the multiway boulevard has been constructed. Because access to properties may be limited to one location, drivers will need to know where to gain access to specific businesses along the local access lane. Design considerations for the entrance to the local access lanes and good signage are examples of potential solutions that can be implemented at the time of design. The following policy is proposed to be adopted in the Walnut Station Specific Area Plan to ensure this issue is addressed at the time of construction: The City should develop strategies to address the need to provide clear and easy access to businesses along the multiway boulevard and address any loss of off-street parking spaces resulting from construction of the multiway boulevard. A proposal to phase the construction of the local access lane on the south side of the street has been developed to address the impacts on large development sites such as the loss of parking that would occur on the Hirons/Market of Choice property. During the design phase of the multiway boulevard, consideration will be given to phasing the project to allow property owners who own entire blocks of frontage along the south side of Franklin Boulevard the option to “opt out” of construction of the local access lane. While this would delay the benefits associated with creation of the local access lane, it would allow property owners to maintain their existing parking spaces, deferring the boulevard improvements until the property redevelops. This option works on the south side of the street where the entire block is under single ownership control, and the local access lane can be constructed in block segments. On the north side of the street, each block is divided into separate properties with multiple owners which precludes opting out of the local access lane. 11.Will commercial development in Walnut Station Mixed Use Center draw away from downtown or other commercial areas? The majority of the property within Walnut Station is currently zoned for C-2 Community Commercial which permits commercial development (and residential development, with some limitations) outright. The changes proposed in the new form based code do not fundamentally change the uses permitted within the area. Staff Response to April 20, 2010 Public Hearing Page 6 of 7