DIRECTORY
March 23 Community Workshop:
Focus Groups:
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Site 13 Focus Groups
March 29, 2000
Local and State Government Staff
On March 29, a group of eight local and state government staff members participated in a discussion group to talk about the future of Site 13.
CADA brought together individuals to provide their personal perspectives on Site 13. These perspectives are portrayed in the following summary. The perspectives do not reflect any formal position on Site 13 or for the potential future development of the Site. The comments are personal opinions made by informed individuals who participated in the discussion group.
Summary of Findings
City Restrictions on Open Spaces
Any open spaces including community gardens, which would be owned and managed by the City, would have to be available to all City residents and would have to be well maintained.
Demand for Grocery Store and /or Drug Store
The profile of the future buyers/renters of central city housing needs to be studied to determine if there really is need for another Grocery Store and/ Drug Store. Housing developers don't seem to be saying such stores are necessary to attract new buyers/renters.
The following issues and perspectives were offered:
1. The amenities needed in the Central City are those that come to mind when selecting a neighborhood in which to live. Such amenities include grocery stores, schools, parks, and recreation facilities, etc.
2. Locating Mandella Gardens on Site 13 was done on a temporary basis approximately 25 years ago and that Site 13 has always been a housing site.
3. Alternative sites should be explored for the Gardens since Site 13 is a desirable location for housing.
4. Explore multi-story retail to accommodate housing and needed retail uses.
5. Locate the Gardens at smaller scattered sites to reach more areas/people. Are Quimby Fees available to acquire such sites? Some developers don't pay Quimby Fees.
6. City Parks Department staff indicated that available sites for new open space needs such as skateboard parks, community gardens, etc. are very difficult to obtain. In any event, a community garden created by the Parks Department would need to provide open access to all segments of the community.
7. Council Member Fargo has suggested that a requirement to provide community gardens should be included in the Parks Master Plan currently under review by the City Council.
8. Should the limited number of people renting the garden plots, supposedly only 23, be getting the benefit of a $400,000 asset rather than a larger group of people? However, it was suggested that there is a wider audience of people who walk and drive by the Gardens who benefit.
9. Make the Gardens available to larger group of users to provide a greater public benefit.
Why are there only supposedly 23 gardeners? Is it because management of the Gardens is in the control of an exclusive group or because there is a lack of demand for the undeveloped/unused plots?
10. Is there really a need for another grocery store and/or drugstore in the central city? There seems to be sufficient interest by housing developers to continue to provide new housing in the central city without adding a new grocery store and/or drugstore or other retail services.
11. What is the profile of the buyer of central city housing and what retail services do they or can they expect? How far are they willing to travel? Are they willing to have basic food and drug store items within walking distance and are then drive a distance for their remaining needs?
12. What would a typical chain grocery store do to the livability, accessibility and ambiance of the Central City?