AgdaPkt 2016-09-12 Closed and Joint SA PFA

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ANALYSIS Expand Active Ground Floor Uses Requirement to Main Street The DTPP identified streets within the Downtown Core and Entertainment districts as places to focus retail uses given their high pedestrian activity and active frontages. These include portions of El Camino Real, Hamilton, Jefferson, Middlefield, and Broadway. The DTPP requires active ground floor uses on these priority streets, as indicated by a solid black line (see below). Main Street was once the City’s Downtown center, before the first Courthouse was constructed and Broadway had any shops large number of historical buildings Broadway and Middlefield are historic historic district. To help preserve its historic character and vitality pedestrian district, staff recommends extending the active ground floor use to include both sides of Main Street, between Broadway and Middlefield (see dashed area above). Incentivize Active Ground Floor Uses 1. Use Permit and Criteria for Inactive Ground Floor Uses There are circumstances where inactive uses on the appropriate. For example, there are existing buildings which were designed and built specifically for ground floor office use. These buildings would not easily translate to retail uses without substantial improvements existing structure and rebuilding The DTPP currently exempts all historic buildings from the active ground floor use requirement; however this provision would defeat the goal of activating Main Street since 50% of the existing developments on Main addition, most of these historic buildings are already developed with active 1 Redwood City Downtown Precise Plan, July 22, 2013, Page 18. Expand Active Ground Floor Uses Requirement to Main Street The DTPP identified streets within the Downtown Core and Entertainment districts as places to focus retail uses given their high pedestrian activity and active frontages. These include of El Camino Real, Hamilton, Jefferson, Middlefield, and Broadway. The DTPP requires active ground floor uses on these priority streets, as indicated by a solid black line (see Main Street was once the City’s Downtown center, before the first Courthouse was constructed and Broadway had any shops1. Today, Main Street is characterized by a large number of historical buildings. In fact, about half of the existing buildings are historic, and it is the only area in Downtow To help preserve its historic character and vitality staff recommends extending the active ground floor use to include both sides of Main Street, between Broadway and Middlefield (see dashed Incentivize Active Ground Floor Uses Use Permit and Criteria for Inactive Ground Floor Uses There are circumstances where inactive uses on the ground floor may be appropriate. For example, there are existing buildings which were designed and built specifically for ground floor office use. These buildings would not easily translate to retail uses without substantial improvements or demolishing t existing structure and rebuilding. The DTPP currently exempts all historic buildings from the active ground floor use requirement; however this provision would defeat the goal of activating Main Street since 50% of the existing developments on Main Street are historic. In addition, most of these historic buildings are already developed with active Redwood City Downtown Precise Plan, July 22, 2013, Page 18. Proposed expansion to the Active Ground Floor Use requirement The DTPP identified streets within the Downtown Core and Entertainment districts as places to focus retail uses given their high pedestrian activity and active frontages. These include of El Camino Real, Hamilton, Jefferson, Middlefield, and Broadway. The DTPP requires active ground floor uses on these priority streets, as indicated by a solid black line (see Main Street was once the City’s Downtown center, before the first Courthouse was . Today, Main Street is characterized by a buildings between the only area in Downtown to have a as a walkable staff recommends extending the active ground floor use requirement to include both sides of Main Street, between Broadway and Middlefield (see dashed ground floor may be appropriate. For example, there are existing buildings which were designed and built specifically for ground floor office use. These buildings would not easily or demolishing the The DTPP currently exempts all historic buildings from the active ground floor use requirement; however this provision would defeat the goal of activating Main Street are historic. In addition, most of these historic buildings are already developed with active Proposed expansion to the ve Ground Floor Use requirement 7.A. - Page 3