AgdaPkt 2006-08-07 - Laserfiche WebLink

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78 BRUCE LIEDSTRAND Page 12 COMMUNITY DESIGN DIRECTOR Redwood City should explore legal alternatives for using "value capture" to assist in transit funding. Integrating CaItrain into Downtown Aerial views of downtown confirm that the Caltrain railroad tracks run through downtown and cut the downtown Core area off from the shopping at Sequoia Station and the Franklin area residential development (See Aerial, Attachment 3). As a consequence, both Sequoia Station and the Downtown Core area turn their backs on the Caltrain line and a passenger arriving at the Downtown Redwood City station gets an unattractive "back door" view of Sequoia Station and the Core (See Photo, Attachment 4). To fix the problem two things need to be done: 1. The barrier of the Caltrain tracks needs to be eliminated by either raising or lowering the tracks as discussed in other areas of this paper, and 2. The Caltrain Station area needs to change from a "back door" to a "gateway" to downtown. Depot Circle, as presented to the City Council at prior meetings, is the key to creating this gateway (See Depot Circle Concept, Attachment 5). Redwood City should proceed with implementation of Depot Circle which involves several important steps. 1. After completion of the Caltrain "Footprint Study" for the Downtown station area and determination of the long-term Caltrain ROW needs, locate Depot Circle with relationship to the Caltrain ROWand complete the Depot Circle conceptual design. The Depot Circle design will result in some street realignment and adjustments in property boundaries, including the boundaries of Block 2. 2. Proceed with redevelopment of these properties adjacent to Depot Circle and use the new buildings to shape the space around Depot Circle. This shaping of the space by the adjacent buildings will help create Depot Circle as a special place in Downtown. - 9- - ,.-.