Title
Isthmus Urban Design Workshop Process
Recommendation
City Manager Recommendation:
Consider Isthmus Urban Design Workshop Process and Provide Feedback and Direction to the Consultant Team
Report
Issue:
ECONorthwest and Fregonese and Associates have developed a preliminary agenda and outline for the Urban Design Workshop scheduled for April 5, 2014. Review these materials and provide feedback and direction to the consultant team to finalize preparation for the workshop.
Staff Contact:
Keith Stahley, Director Community Planning and Development Department 360.753.8227
Presenter(s):
Keith Stahley, Director Community Planning and Development Department
Lorelei Juntunen, Senior Planner ECONorthwest
John Fregonese, Principal Fregonese and Associates
Background and Analysis:
Staff and the consultant team have continued to refine the agenda for the April 5, 2014 Urban Design Workshop and will be prepared to respond to questions and receive feedback about the proposed process. See Ms. Juntunen's February 12, 2014 Memorandum to the Community and Economic Revitalization Committee (Attachment 1) for the complete memorandum. Regarding the April 5, 2014 workshop the memo provides the following:
CAC Design Workshop (April 5, 2014)
The Consultant and the City will host a workshop with CAC members (including key property owners) to address issues raised in previous CAC meetings. The workshop will focus on the Isthmus, and be organized as a half-day workshop, facilitated by John Fregonese from Fregonese Associates. ECO will work with Fregonese Associates and City staff to design the details of the workshop, but in general, it will follow this format:
· ECO will present the work completed to date, including the market analysis for downtown Olympia. This is important context for understanding the challenges to redevelopment, but also the imperative for action for downtown.
· The purpose of the workshop will be to work toward agreement on potential uses, public improvements, and design characteristics for the Isthmus properties.
· Fregonese Associates effectively uses instant polling technology to anonymously "take the temperature" of participants, and would use this technology for this workshop to move participants toward consensus by providing value statements about area redevelopment and determining the degree of agreement with those statements.
After the workshop, Fregonese Associates will design one or two (depending on the degree of agreement) conceptual diagrams and site plans, which may be augmented with more detailed photo illustrations at a later date (see "optional visualizations" later in the scope).
On the evening of March 6, 2014 following the CERC Meeting, the CERC, staff and the consultant team will meet with the Citizens Advisory Committee to prepare for the April 5, 2014 work shop. A preliminary agenda for the meeting is also provided as Attachment 2. Staff has also prepared the Isthmus Planning Process Frequently Asked Questions document included as Attachment 3 to provide an overview of the process and includes 14 design principles that have been discussed thus far in the CRA process.
Options:
1. Provide feedback and direction regarding the Urban Design Workshop and direct staff and the consultant team to move forward with final preparations for the April 5, 2014 workshop.
2. Provide feedback and direction regarding the Urban Design Workshop and direct staff and the consultant team to return to the CERC on the March 17, 2014 for additional feedback and direction.
Financial Impact:
This project is within existing budget and resources.