MEMO

The first two meetings for the Downtown Plan update have been held, and some things have become very clear:

When the Downtown Update process was discussed by the City Council in June, 2004, the direction was to use a relatively expedited approach that would agree upon a vision, and update the efforts from the 1988 Plan with proposals in the 2001 Phase II update.

The minutes of the meeting from June 16, 2004 are included as part of this packet, as are the work program update materials presented by ODDA, as well as a meeting summary. One of the key points from the Council was "Consensus to not form a committee, but have Staff continue to work on next steps associated with the project."

The level of response to our first meetings has been excellent, yet somewhat overwhelming given the current workload of the department. Rarely in my experience with the City have we ever had the number of large projects and appeals occurring simultaneously in the City. It is a challenging time for the staff, decision makers, and the public in handling all of this information. The level of involvement from the public regarding the Downtown Plan requires that additional resources, and perhaps a course adjustment in process, be utilized to continue to make this a successful project.

Staff believes that rather than continuing on the previous schedule, now is an opportunity to revise the approach taken for this project with the direction of the Council. Given the workload, it is not possible for only Staff to continue to be solely responsible for this project.

Efforts to Date
A kick-off meeting was held on January 26, 2005 at the Historic Ashland Armory with attendance by over 100 citizens. A short presentation was given by staff on the past efforts of the City regarding downtown planning, and an update on the current issues in downtown. Small group discussions were held with a short visioning exercise on what people wanted to see in downtown Ashland in the next 15-20 years. A list of issues was recorded by the staff facilitators.

A second meeting was held on February 23, 2005 at the Council Chambers, attended by more than 75 citizens. Staff gave a short recap of the comments from the previous meeting, and discussed the major topic areas that would form the basis of the vision statement for the plan. Many people in attendance were not at the first meeting, and the level of involvement was high, the topics discussed were many, and the interaction was lively, to say the least.

The second meeting confirmed that the level of involvement and interest was far greater than originally predicted, and that the concerns of the community went far beyond an "update" process. Councilor Hardesty has also expressed a strong interest in seeing the project expanded beyond that originally envisioned by the City Council.

We currently have an intern from SOU working on an inventory of downtown structures and businesses for utilization in the process.

Issues for direction:

Focus of the Process
Previously, the Council directed staff to build on the efforts already in place. As stated above, there appears to be a greater desire in the community, and on the council, to expand this effort. Staff would recommend that we utilize a consultant team and follow a similar, yet modified, approach as that outlined by ODDA in their previous memo. We have outlined such an approach here:

0	Vision:	Downtowns throughout the country that have sustained themselves over time, or have experienced successful revitalization, have a clear vision of the role and purpose of downtown. It is important for Ashland to articulate this shared vision at the beginning of this process.
	Implementation/Projects:	Create plan components and implementation strategies under the following categories: Transportation/circulation (pedestrian, bicycle, motorized, & deliveries) Streetscape enhancements and upgrades (explore enhanced Pedestrian environment, opportunities for Public Art and Civic Design, and open space/plazas) Lithia Way Workshop (A comprehensive review of the development potential of the "weaker leg" of the downtown core. This area should be examined, from the Fire Station to the viaduct over Ashland Creek.) Parking Land Use regulations, including design standards Other projects, as identified in the public process and vision effort
	Policies:	Review of existing land use policies and codes and recommendations for changes, etc., to ensure they support the updated Downtown Vision and Plan.
	Funding:	Explore funding opportunities and options for downtown projects.

Staff would recommend that the current downtown area be the focus for this effort, and that the boundaries not be expanded significantly to include the Railroad District or the "A" Street area. These are distinctly different planning areas, and the focus of this effort should remain on the existing downtown.

Council Option: How broad of a process does the Council wish to use in this Downtown planning effort? The above outline can be undertaken from the approach of an "update" of previous efforts, or it can be approached more from the perspective of a clean slate. In either instance, a detailed work plan utilizing a consultant team would facilitate the completion of this project.

Staff would recommend, given the current level of interest in the community, that a broader approach than only an "update" be undertaken, and that a consultant team be utilized in the process.

Citizen Involvement
Early involvement in the process to date has indicated a greater level of participation than expected for this process. This is a very positive step for the process, and provides many opportunities for the future. It is also very important that the role of those involved is clearly delineated. The Council indicated previously that they did not necessarily want to have a separate Downtown Plan Advisory Committee, and that the Council wished to have a greater level of involvement in the process.

However, given the level of involvement in the process so far, and the desire for a broader and more comprehensive process, it would seem to be a large burden on the Council to attempt to be the "hands on" review body for this process.

Therefore, it may be beneficial to have a Downtown Plan Advisory Committee to handle the greater level of involvement, and assist the Council in achieving the overall desires of the process.

Council Option: What form of "review body" should be used for this process - "Sounding Board," Downtown Plan Advisory Committee (DPAC), City Council, Planning Commission?

Staff would recommend that given the proposed expanded nature of the Downtown Plan project, that a Downtown Plan Advisory Committee (DPAC) be appointed, and that clear duties and expectations for that committee be outlined by the Council. This committee could include members of the City Council and Planning Commission as well as downtown representatives and citizens from the community.

In the past planning effort, DPAC served as the committee reviewing the drafts and elements of the Plan, assisted in the development of the citizen involvement plan, and helping to provide direction to staff as to the key components raised during the public involvement process. As sections of the plan were developed and reviewed by DPAC, they were then presented to the Planning Commission and City Council for confirmation as to the correct direction of the process.

Staff would recommend a similar committee review structure for this process, with the leadership of the committee perhaps tied to the Council representative on the committee.

The Plan would ultimately be presented to the Planning Commission for recommendation, and to the City Council for adoption.

DPAC would be key, with Staff and the consultant team, in the development of the Citizen Involvement Plan for this process. Many options are available for involvement, including utilization of the City's website, email, newsletters, surveys, etc…

Final Products
There should be a clear expectation as to the final products associated with this effort. This was originally discussed ODDA memo, and these could be the products expected to be prepared by a consultant team:

•	Downtown Vision and Plan (that includes a community based affirmation of what downtown Ashland should be -from the pedestrian realm through the transportation network); preferences for streetscape upgrades and amenities; and includes implementation strategies for projects that have been identified, reviewed and agreed upon)
•	Downtown Parking Plan
•	Lithia Way Redevelopment Strategy
•	Recommended Updates to Codes, Design Standards, & Policies (summarized in Plan)
•	Economic Issues - Promotions, Downtown Organization
•	Funding Opportunities Report (summarized in Plan)
•	Other Products as identified by the Vision and Public Involvement Process and directed to be included by the City.

Timeline
Given direction from the Council, Staff would prepare an RFP for consultant services and distribute it to interested firms. It is estimated that it will take approximately 90 days to complete the RFP process and get a consultant team on board.

April - June, 2005 June, 2005 July, 2005	00	RFP and Consultant Selection Mayor Appointment of DPAC Consultant Contract Begins Workplan Update with Consultant and DPAC Citizen Involvement Plan developed
August - September 2005		Continuation of Vision Development/Public Outreach (2 public meetings - review comments from Jan/Feb meetings, create vision statement)
October - December 2005		Streetscape Enhancements/Pedestrian Environment (2 public meetings)
January - February 2006		Transportation/Circulation (2 public meetings)
March - May 2006		Lithia Way Design Workshop (3 public meetings)
May - June 2006		Parking Management Plan (2 public meetings)
July - August 2006		Land Use Regulations/Design Standards (1 public meeting)
September 2006		Economic Issues (1 public meeting)
October - November 2006		Draft Plan Preparation (1 public meeting)
December 2006		Final Draft Plan

This timeline is based upon an expanded planning effort. It is included here as an estimate, and is subject to modification, expansion, or contraction based upon further discussions with the consultant team, development of the Citizen Involvement Plan, public comments, and Council direction.

Costs
It is estimated that the consultant costs for such a project will be $90,000 - $100,000. Since the preliminary timeline shows the project going through two fiscal years, it may be possible to spread those costs over time. There may also be options for other savings dependent upon the number of meetings desired, reduction in the scope of some portions (such as deferring a parking management plan to a later date). Such changes could result in savings of approximately $25,000.

Conclusion and Recommendations
The following are the key recommendations of Staff:

• It is recommended that the City utilize a consultant team for the completion of the Downtown Planning process.

• It is recommended that the existing downtown boundaries be utilized for the planning area, with some limited modification, but that neither the Railroad District nor the "A" Street area be included.

• It is recommended that a broad involvement process be used, exploring a wide range of issues for the downtown that have been brought forward by the public in the first two meetings, rather than the more limited "update" process originally proposed.

• It is recommended that a Downtown Planning Advisory Committee be appointed to assist in the planning process, and that the Council give clear direction as to the power and duties of the committee.

• It is recommended that the DPAC assist Staff and the consultant team in the development of the Citizen Involvement Program for this effort.

• It is recommended that the tentative work plan, as outlined above, including clear direction for final products, be the basis for the RFP, with modifications as suggested by Council.

Attachments:
Please click on the link below to view the following attachments:
     • Downtown Boundary Map 1
     • Memo - June 16, 2004 2
     • ODDA Program of Work June 2004 3
     • Summary - ODDA prepared 8
     • Minutes - June 15, 2004 study session 9
     • Presentation Slides Feb 2005 meeting 12

Downtown-Plan-Attachments.pdf (5866.1KB)

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