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Phase 2 <br />Community engagement for the Downtown Parks Site Assessment and Feasibility <br />Study was conducted during Phase 2 of the project. On June 9, 2018, PRCS closed <br />Library Lot A and a portion of Main Street Lot from vehicle access and conducted a <br />fully programmed pop-up park from 11:00AM - 3:OOPM. A survey booth, managed <br />by bilingual city staff (English and Spanish) and a Planning Commissioner, was <br />set up at a centrally situated location at the event where people could look at a <br />map of the proposed locations, view a copy of the Phase 1 report (Downtown Park <br />Feasibility Study), take the City-wide survey, ask questions about the study, and <br />express their concerns or support for the proposed locations for a future park. Two <br />interactive monitors were also set up in the booth where participants could draw <br />their ideas that were then digitally captured and emailed to city staff. <br />During the pop-up park event, PRCS staff and the Planning Commissioner spoke <br />with many participants including some concerned residents regarding the loss <br />of parking, the high cost of building the project, maintenance costs for a new <br />park, and problematic behavior seen at existing parks. In general, however, there <br />was significant support for a park downtown, in particular trading the provision <br />of car storage for the provision of quality open space for people. Most indicated <br />a preference for a large, green linear park that provided a soft visual and tactile <br />respite from the hard surfaces of the streets downtown. <br />Throughout June and July 2018, PRCS released a City-wide Survey, a Business <br />Survey and a Neighbor Survey to collect community input on the preferred <br />amenities, programming, and size of a potential downtown park. Questions <br />focused on parking in the Downtown were included in the Business Survey. The <br />results of these surveys indicated a strong community preference for Trees/ <br />Shade, as well as grassy/planted areas, benches with armrests and covered spots <br />for working (with site furniture like tables and chairs) and drinking fountains. <br />Although a playground for kids rated slightly higher in the City-wide Survey than in <br />the Neighbor Survey, this feature was important to both groups. With regards to <br />the communities preference towards the feeling and use of a potential park, there <br />was more support for amenities that reflect passive programming than those that <br />reflect active programming. The proposed general park configurations detailed in <br />the diagrams in this study reflect the amenity and programming preferences of <br />the community and local businesses. <br />Although the Downtown Parks Site Assessment and Feasibility Study is not a <br />parking study, the proposed park locations are active parking lots so it was <br />inherently significant to understand the use of Downtown parking facilities. Also, <br />concerns about a reduction in parking Downtown were expressed by the public <br />during the pop-up park and during the survey outreach. As an effort to address <br />the concern, the Community Development Department analyzed the difference in <br />the number of stalls if the proposed parks were located at Main Street/City Hall <br />IV COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT <br />CITY WIDE SURVEY <br />Top 5 Amenities: <br />1. Trees/Shade <br />2. Softscape (grassy/planted areas) <br />3. Covered spots for working <br />4. Play equipment for kids <br />5. Drinking fountains <br />Bottom 5 Amenities: <br />1. Plugs for Phones and Laptops <br />2. Swings for Adults <br />3. Retail/Pop-Up <br />4. Morning Yoga/Tai Chi <br />5. Open WiFi <br />IMMEDIATE NEIGHBOR SURVEY <br />Top 5 Amenities: <br />1. Trees/Shade <br />2. Softscape (grassy/planted areas) <br />3. Covered spots for working <br />4. Play equipment for kids <br />5. Drinking fountains <br />Bottom 5 Amenities: <br />1. Plugs for Phones and Laptops <br />2. Swings for Adults <br />3. Retail/Pop-Up <br />4. Morning Yoga/Tai Chi <br />5. Open WiFi <br />24 SEPTEMBER 2018 25 <br />90 <br />D <br />lot, Library Lot A, or both locations (See Parking Memo, Appendix 1). This memo <br />concludes that there is sufficient parking across Downtown to accommodate the <br />park(s) as are configured in the bubble diagrams of the study. Lastly, the memo <br />states that should the park(s) be built as proposed in the study, community <br />CSD <br />members that hold monthly parking permits for the Main Street Lot would likely <br />N <br />use a larger share of the available spaces remaining in that lot. <br />—4 <br />CITY WIDE SURVEY <br />Top 5 Amenities: <br />1. Trees/Shade <br />2. Softscape (grassy/planted areas) <br />3. Covered spots for working <br />4. Play equipment for kids <br />5. Drinking fountains <br />Bottom 5 Amenities: <br />1. Plugs for Phones and Laptops <br />2. Swings for Adults <br />3. Retail/Pop-Up <br />4. Morning Yoga/Tai Chi <br />5. Open WiFi <br />IMMEDIATE NEIGHBOR SURVEY <br />Top 5 Amenities: <br />1. Trees/Shade <br />2. Softscape (grassy/planted areas) <br />3. Covered spots for working <br />4. Play equipment for kids <br />5. Drinking fountains <br />Bottom 5 Amenities: <br />1. Plugs for Phones and Laptops <br />2. Swings for Adults <br />3. Retail/Pop-Up <br />4. Morning Yoga/Tai Chi <br />5. Open WiFi <br />24 SEPTEMBER 2018 25 <br />