December 30, 2005
DOWNTOWN (D/T) HAS A FANTASTIC FUTURE IF THE CITY COUINCIL DEVELOPS A LONG-TERM VISION FOR IT'S FUTURE
It's a BUNCH OF BUNK THAT D/T can't compete with the big malls and the strip shopping centers.If the Council insist on spending $100,000 dollars or more on another study, that will not just sit on a shelf, here are some long-term ideas (not necessarily all mine)for D/T survial as well as maintaining D/T as the Central Cultural Center for the Chico Community.
1. The original plan for the Municipal Building site included a 4 story administrative building (and without any City Council long-term vision), it was built as a 3 story building and is already reaching its capacity. In addition, the site that took 20 or more years to acquire (vision of past City Councils), the Master Plan at one time showed 2 additional multistory buildings that could be used for the administrative activities of the Chico Unified School District and Butte County Offices (freeing-up the existing Memorial Way Site for the expansion of the Superior Court Facilities). The Municipal Building Site would also accommodate multistory parking facilites to serve all of the existing buildings and the new additions.
2. Not necessarily my idea, but since the Council is beginning to finance the improvement and updating the Old Municiipal Bullding, it seems appropriate to move the existing Museum (that needs additional space)to this building and lease the old library site to CSUC for the Turner Collection. Another additon to the D/T as a Cultural Center.
3. Enter into negoiations with the owner(s) of the Sentor Theater, and the adjacent property, so that the City and the private sector can build an outstanding THEATER to encourage out-of town musicals, theatrical shows, speaker series, etc. The adjacent vacant property can be used for a multistory parking facility that will be needed to accommodate the users of the Theater and the Museum.
4. Since the City has embarked,unfortunatly,on a new City Plaza, with a bandstand and toilets (oh yes, also authorized $250,000 for a Chess Area and what else--no one seems to know exactly how the money will be spent. The toal project will problably exceed $5,000,000 (yes millions). I'll talk about that in a future BLOG.
5. The City may wish to widen some of the D/T sidewalks(very expensive)and should improve the D/T lighting levels.
6. Eventually reduce the number of bars in the D/T area, develop residential units in the vacant second and third floors of existing buildings, and encourage investors to build multistory residential units in or adjacent to D/T. An idea in the first City General Plan of 1960 suggested opening up the empty centers of many of the D/T block and develop new parking and entrances to the building. This has been done in other communities with excellent success.
There are many suggestion that will come from others interested in the D/T, but the essential concept should be to encourage development that will generate shoppers and users for the D/T businesses as well as serving as the Central Cultural Center for the Chico Community.
STAY TUNED FOR MORE DISCUSSION ABOUT DOWNTOWN CHICO AND THE ADJACENT AREA.
Posted by at 08:45 AM | Comments (0)
December 27, 2005
IT'S BUNK TO THINK THAT THE CITY WILL SOLVE THE CONGESTED TRAFFIC PROBLEMS ON E. 1ST. AVENUE
Although discussed in Chico Enterprise Record Editorials,"letters to the editor", during hearings on the Kentfield Parc Project(now called Serento,located at E. 1st. Ave. and Kentfield Road) and comments by the Chico Chamber of Commerce, the DCBA and others, the City Council has finally allocated approximately $100,000 to restripe E 1st. Avenue between Mangrove Ave. and Longfellow Ave., and presumely undertake other improvements to cope with buses and bicycles. With the walled-off portion of E 1st. Ave. adjacent to the Kentfield Parc development, the opportunity of widening on the north side of E. 1st. Ave. is probably eliminated.
The proposed improvements may provide some relief for a short period of time, but with the continuing increase in traffic from the northeast portion of Chico this is a simplistic solution to a problem that dates back to the 1994 General Plan. The 1960 General Plan provided for E. 1st. Ave. to be a 4 lane arterial and even with the increase in traffic and the plan for increased growth in the northeast portion of Chico, the 1994 Plan established E.1st.Ave. as a 2 lane arterial--obviously a BUNCH OF BUNK.
CalTrans is planning an expensive improvement at the northerly off-ramp at E. 1st. Ave. that will dump the increasing traffic from the Freeway onto the 2 lane roadway that carries in excess of 20,000 average daily traffic. At the present, there are times when a driver has to wait through 4 traffic signal cycles in order to enter the Freeway or proceed to Mangrove Avenue. Without getting into details, the proposed improvements are a stop-gap and I haven't seen anything planned for the long-term traffic increases.
The City recently invested approvemently $5,000.000 for the improvement of W.8th. Ave. that carries about 1/3rd. the average daily traffic that is now using E 1st. Ave. at the Freeway. One wonders, where are the priorities of the City Council?
Almost ever action by the City Council to satisfy a few resident, such as traffic calming devises (rodway bunps, stop signs, traffic round-abouts) inevitablely increases traffic on the City's traffic arterials or other City Streets. The City Council often discusses visions for the future of Chico. I wish they would explain to the residents of Chico what their vision is for the future of the increasing traffic in Chico. They often try to get residents out of their automobiles and recommend using bicycles or walking--it's BUNK to think that these recommendations will substantally reduce auto traffic.
STAY TUNED TO THIS BLOG FOR OTHER COMMMENTS ABOUT CHICO TRAFFIC PROBLEMS.
Posted by at 08:56 PM | Comments (0)
December 24, 2005
DOWNTOWN CHARRETTE-IT'S A BUNCH OF BUNK--IT SHOULD BE CALLED A CHARADE
After holding 12 or more hearings and spending more than $600.000 on studies for the proposed PARKING STRUCTURE, the City Council is now about to expend $100,000 or more on new studies of CHICO'S DOWNTOWN that has been studied previously on too many occasions to even count.
The new study is called a Charrette--but in this case should be called a Charade--since this study simply delays a decision by the majority of the City Council and may well be an attempt to "kill" the PARKING STRUCTURE that has been designed to be located on the surface parking lot bounded by E 2nd St., Flume St., E 3rd St. and Wall St.
If additional study or review of existing plans for CHICO'S DOWNTOWN must be undertaken then the City Council, Planning Commission and the DCBA should meet and draft a new plan or update the existing plans,if necessary. No consultant will be needed and the $100,000 plus can be used towards getting the PARKING STRUCTURE final design underway- immediately.
SATURDAY FARMER'S MARKET friends would like to keep the MARKET at its present location and don't appear to have suggested a better plan than those prepared during the 12 or more previously held hearings. The best plan is to build the PARKING STRUTURE on the existing surface parking lot and the MARKET relocated permanently to the Municipal Building Parking Lot, just a block or so south of the existing MARKET.
It should be understood that the PARKING STRUCTURE site was purchased and improved by DOWNTOWN property owners in the 1950's when the City and property owners recognized the need for parking in order to compete with the beginning of the large shopping centers. I don't recall of any investment by the FARMER'S MARKET in making improvements to CHICO'S DOWNTOWN. Financing for the new PARKING STRUTURE will come from Parking Meter Revenue and, if necessary, a portion may come from Redevelopment Funds.
Unfortunately, the majority of the present City Council has no real vision for the future development of CHICO'S DOWNNTOWN so their best tactic is delay or undertake another study.
Stay tuned for further discussion of this subject.
I WOULD BE PLEASED TO HEAR FROM ANYONE INTERESTED IN THE PARKING STRUCTURE OR THE FARMER'S MARKET.
Posted by at 08:16 AM | Comments (0)
December 22, 2005
IT'S A BUNCH OF BUNK THAT THE FARMER'S MARKET CANNOT BE MOVED TO A BETTER LOCATION.
SATURDAY FARMER'S MARKET NEW LOCATION??
During the multiple hearings held (I believe 12 or more) in connection with the PROPOSED PARKING STRUCTURE, to be constructed on the site of the existing surface parking lot (bounded by E 2nd. St., Flume St., E 3rd St. and Wall St.) there were suggestions that the FARMER"S MARKET should be moved during construction and for a permanent future location to the existing Municipal Building Parking Lot located just a block or so south of it's present location.
It seems that this would be a magnificent permanent location since the site has more space, many developed trees, no parking meters, ample on-street parking in the adjacent area, and a delightful open area (where the artful HANDS are located) that could be used for other actvities (such as music) that would attract many more people to the FARMER'S MARKET.
This suggestion would also simplify the construction of the new PARKING STRUCTURE and substantially reduce the cost of trying to integrate the PARKING STRUCTURE and the FARMER'S MARKET at the same location. And this would also eliminate the need to close the adjacemt Wall St. and loose the existing on-street parkings spaces that are extremelky valuable along this street.
I have heard some "lame" excuses that make no sense at all as to why the FARMER'S MARKET should not be permanently relocated to the new site from some of the supporters of the FARMER'S MARKET.
I WOULD BE PLEASED TO HEAR FROM ANYONE INTERESTED in the PARKING STRUCTURE OR THE FARMER'S MARKET.
STAY TUNED to this Blog for my discussion of the City preparing to spend another $100,000 or more (they have already spent in excess of $600,000 for studies relating to the PARKING STRUCTURE) on a new DOWNTOWN STUDY--that has been "studied to death" over the years --and is doing extremely well under the guidance of the City and the DCBA.
At this time DOWNTOWN just needs more parking to accommondate new businesses and development that will locate DOWNTOWN when there are also assurances to exisiting businesses that there will be ample parking for their present and future needs. Any new PARKING STRUCTURE is at least 2 to 3 years before it could be constructed and occupied.
Posted by at 11:46 AM | Comments (0)