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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013 09 17 AIS CCI Main St. VisionAGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: September 17, 2013 Meeting Type: CCI Staff Contact/Dept.: Linda Pauly/DPW Staff Phone No: 541-726-4608 COMMITTEE FOR CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT (CCI) Estimated Time: 20 Minutes ITEM TITLE: MAIN STREET CORRIDOR VISION PLAN PROJECT: PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PLAN (TYP413-00006) ACTION REQUESTED: Review, provide input, and approve/not approve draft Public Involvement Plan (ATT 1). ISSUE STATEMENT: Over the next 15 months, the Main Street Corridor Vision Plan project will seek input from the community to prepare an integrated land use and transportation vision for lands along Springfield’s Main Street/Highway 126. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Draft Public Involvement Plan 2. Project Area Map 3. “Vision to Action” Workshop Description DISCUSSION: The City and ODOT have selected a consultant team led by OTAK to design and conduct the Citizen Involvement component of this project and to prepare a Vision Plan that will be adopted by the City Council. Members of the consultant team will present the proposed Citizen Involvement Plan at the 9/17/2013 meeting. Land use plans and zoning in Springfield’s Main Street Corridor east of Main Street have not been comprehensively updated since the 1980’s. This project is the first phase of a focused comprehensive planning process that will identify opportunities, constraints, desired outcomes and implementation strategies that integrate and are responsive to multiple visions and diverse perspectives. The adopted Vision Plan will inform the Springfield 2030 Refinement Plan Land Use and Urban Design Element and the preparation of updated land use designations and zoning in Phase Two proposals necessary to support the implementation of the vision. To strengthen the role the corridor plays in Springfield’s community and economic development — now and in the future — while addressing existing and emerging local and regional transportation and public safety needs, coordinated land use and transportation systems planning are required. The City received funding from the ODOT Transportation and Growth Management Program to conduct this work. The Vision Plan project is part of a larger, coordinated City of Springfield multi-element Main Street Project (ATT 2) that also includes implementation of new pedestrian crossings in the shorter term, plans for new pedestrian level lighting in the Downtown area, public and business outreach for the Point 2 Point Smart Trips program and a study to consider future transit options in the Main–McVay Corridor. The City also received funding from EPA to conduct a “Vision to Action” workshop (ATT3) that will be used as a kick-off event for the public outreach. The workshop is scheduled for November 6th, 5:30-8:30 at City Hall Library Meeting Room and the planning commissioners are invited to participate. Draft Public Involvement Plan (revised) MAIN STREET CORRIDOR VISION PLAN August 2013 to December 2014 INTRODUCTION The City of Springfield’s Main Street Corridor Vision Plan project seeks to engage citizens in a visioning process for desired future conditions in the Main Street/Oregon Highway 126B corridor and identify strategies for implementing that vision. The Main Street Corridor Vision Plan will guide future planning and development in the area. The Project Study Area includes the corridor and adjacent lands of: T he one way couplet of Main Street and South A from 10th Street east to 20th Street, and Main Street from 20th Street east to 69th Street. (see attached map) PROJECT OBJECTIVES The Main Street Corridor Vision Plan will: Identify the community’s preferred future for the Main Street Corridor. Establish a vision for mutually supportive land uses and transportation systems that provide enhanced opportunities for successful commerce and corridor redevelopment. Identify a land use pattern that acknowledges, supports and enhances Main Street commerce through growth and redevelopment. Improve safety and balance mobility for motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users. Help the community envision how successful integration of transportation and land use can improve corridor conditions and livability. Incorporate community input to identify and build practical, integrated strategies, courses of action, and partnerships for successful implementation. Increase corridor accessibility to jobs, workforce, education, services, and the ability to accommodate future growth in travel. Coordinate with locations of existing and planned safe pedestrian crossings to address issues identified in the OR Hwy 126 Main Street Safety Study. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT GOALS The Main Street Corridor Vision Plan will inform future amendments to Springfield’s comprehensive plan and zoning for land in the corridor. Oregon Statewide Planning Goal 1 Citizen Involvement requires the City to conduct its planning activities in ways that ensure opportunities for citizens to be involved in all phases of the planning process. Connecting with a wide variety of Springfield residents to hear their concerns about and vision for Main Street is the primary goal of the public outreach for this project. Maximizing public resources is very important, and this project will collaborate with related studies on public meetings and outreach. Building on past public involvement efforts, the project will conduct interviews, focus groups, and community forums to share project goals and ask: What are your primary concerns about Main Street? What is your vision for the future of Main Street? The project team is committed to a public engagement process that is: Meaningful: provide timely information Accountable: respond to input Inclusive: communicate outside of structured meetings Transparent: make decisions public; post materials on the website Realistic: inform about constraints and objectives Outcome-oriented: engage the public to maximize success The project will pro-actively gather input from a wide variety of Springfield residents and connect with area businesses, local neighborhoods, and property owners along the corridor. We will reach low-income residents, youth, people with disabilities, and seniors in the corridor by conducting outreach at supermarkets, churches, schools, recreation facilities, and social service agencies. Our goals also include incorporating a growing sector of our population: Latino first time meeting-goers. We will work with local organizations and individuals to personally invite people to events and provide refreshments and Spanish translation. KEY PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT TASKS Project website and online survey Interested parties list and email updates Presentations to public committees and boards Direct outreach to people who don’t attend meetings Stakeholder meetings Visioning workshop Large Community Forums Media and Public Comments The Project Website will be interesting, visually pleasing, and easy to navigate and understand. It will have a unique project masthead and include key project information, including a brief overview, meeting dates, other public involvement opportunities, and a library of technical memos and public involvement summaries. The website will provide an online survey, if appropriate, and the opportunity to submit public comments and questions. Interested Parties List: The project will be pro-active in developing a comprehensive list of individuals and organizations with an interest in the outcome of the plan. All interested parties will receive regular email updates with project information, online survey links, and invitations to the Community Forums. Presentations to Public Committees and Boards: The project team will keep key elected and appointed public bodies informed, and will meet to review ideas with them prior to the formal process of plan adoption. The Planning Commission, City Council, and the Springfield Committee for Citizen Involvement (CCI) have all expressed interest in regular updates. Direct Outreach: As a method of outreach prior to each Community Forum, the project will staff display boards where there is high-volume foot traffic. This expands the base of who attends the meeting, shares accurate information with those who do not attend, provides the project with a broader view of public concerns and sentiments, and ensures that the public involvement results are representative. Display board graphics are also used at the Community Forums, speaking engagements, and provide the high quality images required for media. Stakeholder Meetings identify creative solutions to core challenges and provide a venue for sharing hopes and vision in a small setting. The four Stakeholder Meetings will provide key information at critical points in the project. See table below for meeting topics. Visioning Workshop The City will conduct a “Vision to Action” Workshop as the kick-off community event for this project. This is an innovative interview and visualizing technique geared to capturing individual and community visions. Participants will be asked to draw their personal visions, share and connect with others, and contribute to “multi-vision integration” posters and artwork that will used throughout the life of the project to inspire individual actions and community collaboration. Community Forums build on the knowledge gained from Stakeholder Meetings. They differ from the standard public meeting because they are advertised as “community events” with an engaging agenda, pleasant atmosphere, and amenities designed to maximize attendance and variety, such as refreshments and Spanish translation. See below for meeting topics. Media: The city will use media to advertise public events and seek to gain media coverage of public events to reach a broader audience. To the degree the project generates discussion in the media, the project will monitor and respond with accurate information. Public Comments: Calls and emails about the project will be received by the City and website and routed to the appropriate person to answer the question or respond to the comment. This is critical, as thoughtful and timely responses will increase trust and credibility. The city will catalogue all comments and responses, and share with the project team in a timely manner for consideration. PROJECT TIMELINE START UP FALL 2013 Refine Public Involvement Plan, develop project website, build interested parties list, develop e-update schedule. Meet with Springfield Committee for Citizen Involvement Stakeholder Meetings #1:Interview community leaders and elected officials to share project goals, vision, opportunities and constraints, and gather input to draft Public Involvement Plan. Stakeholder Meetings #2: Conduct small “focus groups” that are community based, with active recruitment and strong representation from a wide variety of residents in Springfield. Goal is to share project goals, vision, and opportunities and constraints and develop community connections. Visioning Workshop: Produces ideas, graphics, visions to share and gather input for the Main Street projects. Draft Document: Existing Conditions, Opportunities and Constraints VISIONING, OPPORTUNITIES, AND CONSTRAINTS WINTER 2014 Publicity for Community Forum #1: Speaking engagements with local organizations, street-corner outreach, and other methods to provide robust and representative attendance at public meetings. Includes input mechanisms such as an online survey. Community Forum #1: Big Brainstorm Share existing conditions, opportunities and constraints. Identify future vision as well as key problems to integrate into existing conditions. Revised Document: Existing Conditions, Opportunities and Constraints DEVELOP VISION AND GOALS SPRING 2014 Draft Document: Preliminary Vision and Goals Stakeholder Meetings #3: Check in with community leaders and elected officials regarding Preliminary Vision, Goals, and Framework Publicity for Community Forum #2: Speaking engagements with local organizations, street-corner outreach, and other methods to provide robust and representative attendance at meetings. Outreach will involve public input as well as publicity. Community Forum #2: Draft Vision and Goals Gather public input on draft vision/goals/framework DEVELOP STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS SUMMER 2014 Draft Document: Preliminary Strategies and Actions (Framework Plans) Stakeholder Meetings #4: Property owners impacted by potential changes as well as individuals knowledgeable about implementation strategies. Community Forum #3: Open House on Vision, Goals, Framework and Input on Strategies Revised Document: Draft Strategies and Actions (Framework Plans) MAIN STREET CORRIDOR VISION PLAN FALL 2014 Preliminary Document: Draft Main Street Corridor Vision Plan Stakeholder Meetings #5: Check in with community leaders Revised Document: Main Street Corridor Vision Plan (followed by Planning Commission and City Council Work Sessions) CONCLUSION This document is an overview of the major public involvement goals and tasks. Coordinating with related projects and input from the interviews and focus groups will help refine and provide detail to this broad plan. Details such as topics for the email updates, organizations to connect with through speaking engagements, and recruitment efforts for the public meetings will be developed through the course of the project.