D OWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLA N
C I T Y O F B R E N T W O O D, C A L I F O R N I A
C OMMUNITY INTENT - DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS - CITY ACTIONS The Vision: “ A Day in the Life of the Future Downtown Brentwood”
Along the main shopping streets - Oak Street, between Brentwood Boulevard and Second Street, and First Street, between Chestnut and Maple Streets, Downtown is
abuzz with activity from the moment the fi rst shopkeepers arrive to open for business. Quickly, the sidewalks are bustling with employees coming to work, city offi cials
and employees heading to the Civic Center, and seniors converging on the Community Center for early morning classes. Walking down Oak Street towards Brentwood
Boulevard, Downtown residents grab a cappuccino and the local paper before heading off to work or catch the commuter rail at the Transit Station. Running in the opposite
direction, school children are hustling to get to school before the bell.
During the day, Downtown streets are full of business, civic and cultural activity. The City’s residents can be seen patronizing a variety of personal and business
services including salons and copy shops, architects, accountants, and attorneys. Unique retail shops, galleries and cafés are brimming with business, as many local and
area residents take advantage of Downtown’s charming physical environment. During the lunch hour, many shops and cafés spill out onto the shaded sidewalks and into
paseos and plazas. Sidewalk menu boards describe the day’s specials, and tables and chairs arranged on the sidewalk invite shoppers to sit down for a bite to eat. Some
folks choose to hold their meetings at a local restaurant. Art studios are hosting gallery exhibits and openings, while dance and theatrical performers are rehearsing in the
Community Playhouse in preparation for opening night. Above the ground fl oor shops, residents visit day spas and physical therapists, or attend midday classes at dance
and yoga studios. In City Park, parents sit and chat as young children have fun in and around the playground and chase each other around the trunks of massive old trees
or head to the Library for story time, while seniors can be seen reading the paper and playing cards in the shade.
At the end of the working day, street life within the Downtown Core feels akin to intermission during a theater performance. Shopkeepers can be seen moving outdoor
display signs and wares off of the sidewalk and back indoors and sweeping up in front of their store; employees stop by the bank or the Post Offi ce to tend to last- minute
business before walking towards the transit center, or to retrieve their cars from nearby parking lots. Activity around the Civic Center reaches a calm frenzy, with many
students and parents returning books to the Library and daytime social events at the Community Center come to an end. Some folks walk up to the Civic Center to pick up
their kids from their ‘ after- school’ activities, then grab a snack and sit in City Park to enjoy the last moments of daylight, the long rays of the sun illuminating the façade
of City Hall. On all streets, residents of Downtown can be seen returning home after the workday. Along Oak Street they stop by a local gourmet shop or bakery to pick
up something to have with dinner, and then turn onto First Street to pick up their dry cleaning before heading home.
After the sun sets and the air cools, Downtown is again transformed into the gathering place for meals, entertainment and cultural activities. The sidewalks are beautifully
lit with the warm glow of street and tree lights. The steady hum of social chatter can be heard at many of the busy restaurants and faint melodies of jazz standards emanate
from within a local brew pub. Friends and families large and small cue in front of the Brentwood Theater to catch an evening showing of a fi rst run fi lm or carry blankets
out to City Park for a free musical concert under the stars. Performers and attendees gather in anticipation of the night’s performance in the Community Playhouse.
Throughout the Downtown Core, families and couples stroll in the evening air taking in the sights and sounds of the community’s most cherished environment. Ice cream
shops, bookstores, and some art galleries stay open late to welcome the community into their doors.
C ity of Brentwood, California
D OWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLA N
A dopted No v ember 16, 2 005
Prepared for the City of Brentwood
By Freedman Tung & Bottomley
In Collaboration with Gruen Gruen + Associates
5
City of Brentwood - Downtown Specific Plan
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 7
i. 1. APPLICABILITY ............................................................................................................................... ..... 7
i. 2. THE DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN AREA ........................................................................................... 7
i. 3. DOCUMENT ORGANIZATION .............................................................................................................. 7
BOOK I: COMMUNITY INTENT ................................................................................... 9
1.1. STARTING POINT: EXISTING CONDITIONS ...................................................................................... 9
1.2. PLAN GOALS AND OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................................... 18
1.3. THE ENVISIONED FUTURE DOWNTOWN ......................................................................................... 20
1.4. DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY ................................................................................................................. 28
BOOK II: DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS .................................................................... 33
2.1. ORIENTATION ............................................................................................................................... ...... 33
2.2. SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS ..................................................................................................... 35
2.3. STREET AND OPEN SPACE STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES .......................................................... 48
2.4. PARKING STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES ......................................................................................... 52
2.5. ARCHITECTURAL STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES ........................................................................ 54
BOOK III: CITY ACTIONS ........................................................................................ 87
3.1. ORIENTATION ............................................................................................................................... ...... 87
3.2. COMMUNITY FACILITIES ................................................................................................................... 87
3.3. STREETS AND PUBLIC SPACES ........................................................................................................... 87
3.4. PUBLIC PARKING FACILITIES ............................................................................................................. 91
3.5. TRAFFIC CIRCULATION ...................................................................................................................... 92
3.6. PUBLIC TRANSIT FACILITIES ............................................................................................................. 92
3.7. UTILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE .................................................................................................... 92
3.8. IMPLEMENTATION .............................................................................................................................. 92
APPENDIX..... ......................................................................................................... 95
BRENTWOOD CHARACTER WORKSHOPS ................................................................................................... 97
BRENTWOOD CITY PARK ............................................................................................................................ 101
BRENTWOOD COMMUNITY FACILITIES ................................................................................................... 103
DOWNTOWN PARKING STRUCTURE ......................................................................................................... 107
DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT AREA ...................................................................................................... 109
PROJECT PARTICIPANTS ............................................................................................................................ 111 7
City of Brentwood - Downtown Specific Plan
Introduction
i. 1. APPLICABILITY
i. 1.1. - The Downtown Specific Plan is established to coordinate public and private investment in the City’s Downtown District to fulfill the community’s intention for the Downtown to remain the heart of the Brentwood community as the City goes through a period of explosive growth and change. It is both a policy document and an implementation tool, in that it contains both a strategy to manage growth and a regulatory policy to guide and govern future development within the Plan area.
i. 1.2. - Under the legal authorization established in Article 8 of the State of California Government Code ( Section 65450- 65457), this Downtown Specific Plan establishes the primary means of regulating land use and development within the Specific Plan Study Area ( see below). It also establishes the primary means of planning City actions and investments in support of the growth of the Downtown District.
i. 1.3 - The Plan represents the detailed implementation of the broad policy directions contained within the City of Brentwood General Plan for the Specific Plan study area. The regulatory provisions contained within the Plan replace land use and development regulations previously contained within the City of Brentwood Zoning Ordinance. In the instance of conflicting regulations with other municipal planning documents containing policies for land use and development in the Downtown Specific Plan Area, this document shall apply. For land use and development regulations not addressed in this Specific Plan, the relevant sections of the Brentwood Municipal Code shall apply. This document does not replace or augment regulations pertaining to issues of building safety codes. All applications for new construction, substantial modifications to existing buildings, and for changes in land use, shall be reviewed for conformance with the policies contained in this Downtown Specific Plan.
i. 1.4 - The General Plan will be amended concurrently with the adoption of the Downtown Specific to ensure the Specific Plan is consistent with the City’s 2001 General Plan Goal 3: Economic Vitality, Policy 3.1 Downtown Focus to maintain the Downtown as the community’s dominant commercial, civic and cultural center through the following:
Action Program
3.1.1. High Activity Uses: Retain and encourage an intensification of retail, office and entertainment uses in the Downtown. Direct the City’s office, civic, and cultural uses to locate Downtown and emphasize the integration of these high activity uses.
3.1.2. Specific Planning Area: Designate Downtown as a Specific Planning Area to strengthen the downtown as a destination point, provide special planning attention to the city core and ensure that development occurs according to design guidelines and land use standards.
3.1.3. Urban Design Framework: Create an urban design framework to strengthen the physical form of Brentwood’s Downtown.
3.1.4. Destination Point: Promote Downtown Brentwood as a destination point for City residents and visitors to the City.
3.1.5. Streetscape, Landscaping and Design: Create streetscape, landscaping and design standards that will help enhance the character and create a sense of identity for the Downtown.
3.1.7. Redevelopment Plan: Implement the Redevelopment Plan in order to achieve its revitalization objectives for the Downtown.
i. 2. THE DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN AREA
The City of Brentwood Downtown Specific Plan Area consists of approximately 205 acres within the City’s historic center, which began near the intersection of Oak Street and the Union Pacific Railway. In general, the Study Area includes all of Downtown Brentwood - defined loosely as the area bound by Brentwood Boulevard to the north and Fir Street to the south, having its eastern edge defined by parcels having frontage along Third Street as well as the entire Public Facilities ( PF) area, and its western edge defined by parcels having frontage along Walnut Boulevard. For a more precise definition of the Specific Plan Area, please see the accompanying “ Downtown Specific Plan Area” map. Finally, the entire Downtown Specific Plan Area falls within a City of Brentwood Redevelopment Plan Area. A map of the Redevelopment Plan Area boundaries is included within the Plan’s Appendix.
i. 3. DOCUMENT ORGANIZATION
The Downtown Specific Plan evolved through a community planning process. It has progressed from a broad community vision for directing future growth to specific strategies and detailed policies for enabling that growth. The organization of the Plan reflects the progression of the planning process that produced it, moving from an explanation of the wide- ranging goals of the Plan to the explicit policies and guidelines that implement those goals. The Downtown Specific Plan is organized into three sections with each section containing information and direction pertaining to one of the three fundamental purposes of the Plan as follows:
Book 1 – Community Intent
This section describes the purpose, context and vision the community has put in place as well as the steps chosen to guide future growth and change in Brentwood’s Downtown. It provides the basis for the policies and programs that follow in subsequent sections of the Plan. It begins with an analysis of existing conditions, describing the context of Brentwood’s Downtown in terms of the prevailing physical, social, and economic conditions at the time of the Plan’s drafting. Subsequently, a series of Plan goals and objectives are presented which form the basis for the ensuing revitalization strategies. Also included is the community’s vision for the future of their Downtown, described in the overall context of growth. This section ends with the City’s development strategy, a series of prioritized strategic actions, which detail the fundamental steps necessary to instigate the transformation of Downtown.
Book 2 – Development Regulations
This section contains the regulatory framework of the Specific Plan. The policies within this section govern future private actions on parcels within the Specific Plan Area. Detailed standards and guidelines for private development direct
INTRODUCTIONthe siting, orientation, massing and frontage conditions for future buildings. Also included are regulations for open spaces and parking, as well as landscape and architectural design guidelines to direct new investment to conform to the community’s preferences as regards the aesthetic quality and character of the evolving Downtown.
Book 3 – City Actions
This section describes the actions that the City intends to take to support and complement the growth of Downtown. A variety of City actions will be necessary at different junctures as Downtown evolves and new development is added to the district. City actions include redevelopment and capital improvements that will ‘ set the stage’ for the types of new development the community envisions. City Actions have the immediate impact of creating amenity in the city’s center and have an added benefit of making visible the community’s economic and political commitment to catalyzing the Plan’s development strategies. City of Brentwood - Downtown Specific Plan
Introduction
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DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN AREA 9
City of Brentwood - Downtown Specific Plan
Book I: Community Intent
BOOK I: COMMUNITY INTENT
1.1. STARTING POINT: EXISTING CONDITIONS
This chapter provides an overview of the forces of growth and change affecting Downtown in 2005. Envisioned change is relative to the physical, social and economic conditions described within. With this starting point in mind, as Downtown undergoes substantial transformation, the strategies and policies of the Plan should be reassessed and updated as necessary.
1.1.1. Regional Context
Forces of Growth and Change in the Region
In 2005, Brentwood is among the most rapidly growing communities in California. Located in Eastern Contra Costa County, Brentwood is equidistant from Sacramento to the northeast and San Francisco to the west. As the rapid growth of the San Francisco Bay Area continues to press east, and Sacramento’s population and development expand to the west, the city of Brentwood, together with the cities of Antioch and Oakley to the north and east, and Livermore and surrounding communities to the south will ultimately form the central area within a greater San Francisco- Sacramento regional metropolis. The beginning signs of this leap in regional development are already beginning to make their way into Eastern Contra Costa County. Today, Brentwood is experiencing growth at a rate far in excess of any time in its history; this rapid growth is led primarily by new residential and commercial development including new regional retail and ‘ power’ centers, and is accompanied by a massive increase in road construction, most notably the recent undertaking of the State Route 4 Bypass.
The continued expansion of the same economic conditions that transformed the cities of Walnut Creek and Danville, is pressing its way at a rapid pace into, and through, the cities of Eastern Contra Costa County. Areas south of the Delta that were until recently considered to be the ‘ hinterlands’ – rolling hills and open plains dominated by agricultural uses - are being transformed by large- scale land developers at head- turning rates. Residents of East County are witnessing first hand the immense power of this growth, driven by what appears to be a virtually limitless pent up demand for new housing in combination with medium- scale and large- scale retail and commercial development to serve the needs of the growing population. As the plume of development pressure makes its way through the Delta plains, it leaves in its wake the barebones of conventional suburban development: single- use residential developments interspersed with strip- commercial and regional retail centers located within a network of high- speed vehicular thoroughfares.
In anticipation of the immense growth currently underway in East County, Caltrans began construction of a new four- lane highway to replace existing State Route 4 ( Brentwood Boulevard). The new State Route 4 Bypass, will run north- south through lands in the western parts of the City, having interchanges at Walnut Boulevard, Marsh Creek Road, Balfour Road, Sand Creek Road, and Lone Tree Way before meeting up with Highway 4, a State Highway which provides connection to Walnut Creek, Concord, and to the San Francisco Bay Area. With the introduction of the Route 4 Bypass, Lone Tree Way has become a prime address for retailers looking to locate where they hope to attract the large percentage of the County’s residents who will be traveling the new roadway. In only the past two to three years, many hundreds of thousands of square feet of new retail development have opened their doors adjacent to the new freeway interchange zone where they are strategically positioned to draw customers from two or three nearby cities. The sheer scale and immensity of commercial shopping centers nearby the intersection of Lone Tree Way and the Route 4 Bypass significantly dwarfs all other forms of retail shopping conditions available within Brentwood by a substantial margin.
According to the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the City of Brentwood General Plan Update June 25th, 2001, “ Construction of the SR 4 Bypass would help slow the growth of traffic in and around Downtown Brentwood and in some cases even reduce traffic compared to existing levels. For example, segments of Central, Walnut, Brentwood Boulevard, and Balfour are expected to experience reductions in traffic.
“ The [ Bypass] would have a generally beneficial impact on traffic levels of service on roadways in the vicinity of the Project. The Project will divert traffic from other parallel routes that would otherwise have significant levels of traffic congestion if land development occurs as projected.”
Following this scenario to its logical conclusion, potential customers who in the past would travel along Brentwood Boulevard to and through Downtown will now be “ diverted” away from Downtown and ushered to the front doors of major retail centers located adjacent to the Bypass. As part of the economic and market analysis findings prepared by Gruen Gruen + Associates in support of the specific plan effort, the economist found that “ The recent and anticipated growth in retail centers within Brentwood, Antioch and Oakley are working rapidly to increase the attraction and magnetism of other centers at the expense of the Downtown. If the Downtown is not to be permanently overshadowed by emerging competitors, we must act now”
Today, the citizens of Brentwood find themselves at a crossroads. Rapid expansion of residential and commercial development in combination with the construction of the State Route 4 Bypass presents a significant threat to the long term financial health of the City’s Downtown. Without any visible means of connection to the City’s historic center, new development in East County threatens to create a landscape of residents dislocated from the very physical, social, and cultural qualities of community buildings, open spaces, and civic life fundamental to a healthy city, namely, the Downtown. Whereas up till now the existence and economic health of the Downtown was a natural extension of the market, from this point forward the continued health of Downtown will require community attention and resources.
The residents of the City of Brentwood find themselves planning their future to preserve the high- quality standard of living, which is nothing new to them. Since it’s incorporation in 1948, the residents of Brentwood have continuously looked to manage their growth and prosperity according to principles rooted in the protection of their agrarian past, and inspired by a vision for a built environment that both sustains and fosters the sense of community spirit to which they are committed. The Brentwood community takes great pride in its heritage as an agrarian community whose lands were once primarily used for the raising of crops, cattle, and orchards. Much of Brentwood’s agrarian past is still evident in areas just a few miles outside of Downtown, a living reminder of the City’s agrarian roots.
Throughout the latter half of the 20th century, the Brentwood community repeatedly updated its General Plan in response to changing economic and social City of Brentwood - Downtown Specific Plan
Book I: Community Intent
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Extent of Development: 1976
Extent of Development: 2004
Approved Development: 2004
demographics. In 1993, with a population of just under 10,000, the City adopted a new General Plan in anticipation of future buildout of 90,000. Up until that time, Brentwood’s residents had successfully managed growth within the City limits in a way that preserved a healthy balance of commercial and residential growth while preserving Downtown’s role as the city center. However, it was around this time that regional growth trends began to exceed even the most liberal projections for residential and commercial growth rates, motivating the City to readdress their growth strategies. In 1999, for the first time in the City’s history, shifting economic trends and more intense development pressure than had been previously anticipated provided the impetus for the City to begin the process of amending their General Plan citing the need to reduce future residential growth, encourage job centers, and preserve Brentwood’s quality of life. The citizens of Brentwood united once again to forge strategies and policies to guide this impending growth. Through a series of workshops and in combination with a General Plan Working Group, the City put forth a vision and a series of goals and policies to guide development in the Planning Areas. Included in this Plan were the following directives:
• Focus on maintaining the Downtown as a central destination point in Brentwood
• Maintain the Downtown as a center of commercial, civic, and recreational uses
Since that time, the City has undertaken numerous visioning processes and strategic planning efforts to address and plan for regional growth including discussing urban growth boundaries in consideration of regional planning efforts. Through these efforts, the City has embraced the idea that planning for Brentwood’s future can no longer be performed in isolation, and that a thorough investigation into regional economic, land use, and transportation planning issues are instrumental to all future City planning.
Though Brentwood’s residents prefer to regard their city as a “ residential/ agrarian” community, there is considerable acknowledgement on the part of the community that regional economic conditions are transforming the City’s lands into something far more urbanized than the community could have anticipated only a few years ago. However intense the current demand for growth may be, the City of Brentwood does not intend to turn its back on its history of managing and planning for their City’s future.
Downtown Brentwood – Existing Setting
Residents and visitors alike are attracted to the small town character of the Downtown. The Downtown’s unique character and scale distinguish it from surrounding areas. The district is characterized by a rich variety of residential, civic and retail structures dating back over one hundred years and complemented by mature street trees and a pedestrian scaled main street and park. Downtown Brentwood is laid out along a grid having its origins at the intersection of what is currently Oak Street and Brentwood Boulevard. In 1878, Louis Gruneaeur erected the first store in Brentwood nearby the railroad and within years, Brentwood had become a thriving center for agriculture and trade. According to the “ Early History of Brentwood” published by the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, by the late 1890’ s, “ Brentwood was the largest shipping point for wheat and barley between New Orleans and San Francisco.” As was typical of traditional towns at that time, Downtown was the community’s center, where residents would live and work, shop for goods and services, and come together for special occasions.
Today, although Downtown remains the town’s centerpiece in the hearts and minds of the community, the current social and economic trends tell a very different story. Almost all new development activity within the City is occurring in areas well north and west of Downtown. Recent residential and commercial developments have little orientation to the City’s historic center, or the civic nature of connectivity and community on which the City was founded. As a result, Downtown’s streets are all but deserted in the early evening, with most shop owners closing their doors before the sun has fully set.
In terms of areas where new development in currently focused, Downtown Brentwood is in many ways “ off the beaten path”. The vast majority of the City’s residents live well outside of the Downtown district. They spend their days working and shopping in nearby towns, neighboring city centers, and in the retail and commercial centers that line the major automobile thoroughfares. And in the evening, the City’s residents again travel to nearby cities or to large- scale commercial centers to enjoy restaurants, cinemas, and other venues. No doubt, this predicament is a far cry from what the citizens of Brentwood had in mind when they stated their goals and visions for the future. As stated in the 1983 General Plan:
• Maintain Downtown as the community’s center. The City will promote an attractive, economically healthy Downtown that will serve as the main community center as the Brentwood community grows.
State Route 4 ( SR- 4) Bypass
The SR- 4 Bypass will replace the existing SR- 4 ( Brentwood Boulevard) within Brentwood. The new roadway is designed to originate at State Route 4 in Antioch and extend south to where it will connect with a relocated Vasco Road. Caltrans is expected to relinquish the existing SR- 4 and accept the SR- 4 Bypass as the new State Route 4 sometime after 2008. When fully constructed, the Bypass will be a four- lane highway with interchanges at the following five locations within the City: Lone Tree Way, Sand Creek Road, Balfour Road, Marsh Creek Road, and Walnut Boulevard. There will also be an additional interchange at Laurel Road in Oakley.
The first phase will include a four- lane divided highway north of Lone Tree Way and a two- lane arterial road between Lone Tree Way and Marsh Creek Road. The section of the SR- 4 Bypass between Lone Tree Way and Balfour Road is currently open. Construction of the four- lane divided highway section ( Segment 1) is anticipated to take place between 2005 and 2007. Depending on funding availability, construction on the segment between Balfour Road and Marsh Creek Road ( Segment 3) may start during the same period. In the meantime, Marsh Creek Road will be improved as a two- lane road, connecting the Bypass to Walnut Boulevard, and eventually to the existing State Route 4 to Stockton.
The SR- 4 Bypass project will significantly influence travel patterns in the Brentwood area. In general, pass- through traffic will be diverted away from Brentwood Boulevard and Downtown, and redirected to the Bypass and areas north, south, and west of Downtown. 11
City of Brentwood - Downtown B o o k I : C o m m u n i t y I n t e n t Specific Plan
Single Family Home, Downtown
Historic Landmark, Downtown
Shop Front, Downtown
Masonic Building, Downtown
1.1.2. Existing Development
The Downtown Core
The Downtown Core, defined as Oak Street between Brentwood Boulevard and Third Street, First Street between Chestnut and Maple Streets, and Second Street between Oak Street and Maple Street comprises the heart of the pedestrian- oriented shopping district. As depicted in the accompanying “ Existing Development” map, development within the core is of a fairly low intensity when compared to nearby cities of Contra Costa County. Predominantly single- story buildings are interspersed among surface parking lots, parcels with low site coverage, and in some cases, vacant lots. Even within the Downtown Core along the City’s most densely developed shopping streets, there are only short ‘ runs’ of continuous shopfronts with the longest occurring on the west side of First Street between Chestnut and Oak Streets. The adjacent “ Existing Development” diagram illustrates the relatively low level of development currently ‘ on the ground’ throughout the Downtown district. North of Oak Street, the block having frontage on both First and Second Streets between Oak and Maple Streets is significantly underdeveloped for a downtown core with large swaths of surface parking lots creating a significant ‘ gap’ within the Downtown fabric. The condition along Second Street creates a noticeably weak frontage along the west side of City Park. Similarly, Brentwood Boulevard, the primary road into and out of the Downtown district is sparsely developed.
Oak Street is Downtown’s primary shopping street. Running east- west across the very center of Downtown, it links Brentwood Boulevard near the historic train depot to City Park. Here, between First and Second Street, it is common to observe residents shopping for goods or enjoying lunch at some of the City’s most popular shops and restaurants interspersed among historic buildings. Centered between the Civic Core and the intersection of Oak Street and Brentwood Boulevard, Downtown’s most vibrant intersection occurs where Oak Street intersects with First Street. Activity- generating shops and services as well as a bank and the Brentwood Press building form the crossroads of the Downtown’s shopping experience. Between First Street and Diablo Way, Oak Street retains much of the fine- grained fabric of continuous shopfronts that reinforce the small town “ main street” character. However, between Diablo Way and the intersection of Oak Street and Brentwood Boulevard, the lack of building frontage hides the presence of Downtown and destroys the pedestrian experience at the very entrance to the Downtown Core. On the north side of Oak Street, a surface parking lot leaves pedestrians exposed to automobile traffic on either side, while on the south side, an existing service station and accompanying curb cuts create an even less appealing and less safe pedestrian realm.
First Street forms the central north- south axis of the Downtown Core. South of Oak Street, shops and services located along First Street in combination with the Delta Theater create a vibrant setting for Downtown shopping and strolling. The run of buildings along the west side of First Street between Oak and Chestnut Streets is perhaps Downtown’s most appealing pedestrian shopping environment. However, north of Oak Street, the vibrancy of First Street peters out near mid- block. Here, shops are set back from the public right- of- way and are occasionally interspersed with ground floor office buildings and parking lots fronting the street resulting in a compromised pedestrian experience. At the intersection of First and Chestnut Streets, a surface parking lot currently occupies the north- east corner parcel, failing to create a strong transition point between the core and the residential neighborhoods to the south.
At the eastern edge of the Core, along Second Street, the City’s Civic Core - including the City Park, City Hall and the Library - provides a civic anchor in the heart of Downtown, and forms a grand terminus for visitors traveling to Downtown via either Second or Oak Streets. The planned construction of a new City Hall on the east side of City Park will result in the further strengthening of the park’s civic role within the structure of Downtown. The City is currently in the early planning stages to develop a new Community Center which may ultimately be located within the Civic Core. The northern edge of the park is defined by facilities contained within the Liberty High School campus that are not oriented toward City Park.
South of City Park, Oak Street between Second and Third Street consists of predominantly single- story buildings, some of which are occupied by municipal offices. On the southeast corner of Oak and Second Streets, Cap’s Grille occupies the former Masonic Temple. East of the Downtown Core, a large percentage of the Downtown district is devoted to institutional and residential land uses. Liberty High School and other public facility uses occupy much of the land east and north of the Civic Core as well as most parcels north of Pine Street.
The intersection of Oak Street and Second Street forms a “ knuckle” linking the two primary access roads into the Downtown Core. Current development along Second Street includes automotive repair with adjacent surface parking lots, single story retail establishments including a travel service, a sandwich shop, and carpet and tile sales. These relatively low intensity uses are surrounded by vast amounts of surface parking lots. The lack of street wall in combination with curb cuts and auto- dominated uses creates an unwelcoming pedestrian environment for the entire length of the block. In consideration of the location of this site serving as the western edge to City Park, these conditions amount to a missed opportunity within the heart of Downtown.
Downtown Neighborhoods
North of the Downtown Core, in the area north of Maple Street between Second Street and Brentwood Boulevard, a mix of residential, office, and civic uses occupy the majority of the parcels. Occupants including a real estate office on the corner of Maple and First Street, the Brentwood Funeral Home, and a few office uses are interspersed among a mix of single and multi- family homes. North of Pine Street, the northernmost block within Downtown contains a mix of office, residential, and institutional uses.
In areas immediately south of the Downtown Core, commercial uses transition into what is predominantly a stable single- family neighborhood intermixed with a few conversions and new multifamily housing developments. Along Birch Street, the middle school is located adjacent to this residential neighborhood and adds to the civic nature of the Downtown district. In areas further east, new residential development breaks with the traditional design of the earlier Downtown neighborhoods. Examples of this type of new suburban development can be found throughout the City of Brentwood, especially in areas north and west. However, when located immediately adjacent to the traditional grid of Downtown, its stark contrast and lack of physical connections to existing town “ fabric” are most evident. City of Brentwood - Downtown B o o k I : C o m m u n i t y I n t e n t Specific Plan
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EXISTING DEVELOPMENT | BUILDING FOOTPRINTS AND GROUND LEVEL USES
0 75 150 300 13
City of Brentwood - Downtown B o o k I : C o m m u n i t y I n t e n t Specific Plan
Opportunity Sites, Downtown
Established Development, Downtown
Brentwood Boulevard within the Downtown district has the look, feel, and function of a typical suburban commercial arterial. Four lanes of traffic with an additional center turn lane, in combination with no on- street parking and very narrow sidewalks create an environment generally unfriendly to pedestrians. Existing development along the Boulevard south of Oak Street is a hodge- podge of building types built right up to the back of the sidewalk, and single- story strip commercial retail and office environments set back behind roadside parking lots.
North of Oak Street, the majority of the parcels on the west side of the Boulevard are either vacant or sparsely developed. With the exception of the building at the northwest intersection of Brentwood Boulevard and Oak Street, there is immense opportunity among these parcels, affording an opportunity to reshape this highly visible edge of the Downtown district. Along the east side of the Boulevard, a number of Brentwood’s historic buildings have been attractively renovated and occupied by office uses. North of Maple Street there is a mix of residential and commercial buildings as well some vacant parcels creating another weak entry edge to the Downtown district.
Opportunity Sites
In consideration of the fact that Downtown is a relatively old and established City district, there exists a surprising number of opportunity sites primed for new investment. The following ‘ Opportunity Sites’ diagram identifies a number of parcels that are potentially key targets for both short and long term redevelopment. One notable opportunity illustrated by this diagram is the significant amount of land adjacent to and having frontage along City Park that is considered to be well- positioned for new development in the near future. City- owned properties on Oak Street east of Second Street as well as underutilized parcels on Second Street west of the park are prime candidates for redevelopment in the heart of the civic core. These parcels are located at the convergence of the two major access roads leading into the core and occupy perhaps the City’s most valuable sites for future redevelopment in terms of their potential impact on the look, feel, and function of the Downtown.
Further examination of the ‘ Downtown District – Opportunity Sites diagram reveals numerous other sites within the Downtown core including underutilized parking lots along First Street between Chestnut and Maple Streets, most notably the City- owned parcel on the northeast corner of First and Chestnut Streets. North of Oak Street, especially along First Street, there exist significant opportunities for redevelopment of vacant and otherwise apparently underutilized parcels. Several remarkable historic buildings offer potential for adaptive reuse in this area including the Veterans building and adjacent structures along the west side of First Street. South of the core along Chestnut Street between First and Second Streets, opportunities for development exist on vacant and underutilized parcels.
Along Brentwood Boulevard and in areas west of the Union Pacific Railroad, there are likewise many parcels of significant size which stand vacant or appear ripe for reinvestment. When the City ultimately relocates the Police Station from the corner of Chestnut Street and Brentwood Boulevard, this parcel will also become an excellent opportunity site.
Public Realm
Originally known as Brentwood Grove, City Park was donated to the City by the Sanford Family in 1888. Today, the park is the centerpiece of the civic core. Situated within the park, the gazebo is perhaps one of the community’s most recognizable and most beloved structures. During the summer months, this delightful structure provides relief from the hot sun and often serves as a stage for small performances during formal events.
Downtown Streetscapes
In addition to parks and open spaces, the residents enjoy the comfort of Downtown’s pedestrian- oriented sidewalks. The City has created amenity through streetscape improvements to both Oak and First Streets within the Downtown Core. Through its efforts, the City has created a well- used outdoor environment for shopping and strolling. Capital improvements in the form of new sidewalks, street trees, street furniture and a limited number of pedestrian- scale street lights were installed along Oak Street from its intersection with Brentwood Boulevard east to Third Street. Improvements were extended along First Street northward from Chestnut Street to mid- block between Oak and Maple Street. Residents have welcomed the street improvements and credit them for helping to improve the overall appeal of the Downtown Core. Downtown Brentwood’s streets contain a large number of mature street trees which provide an almost continuous canopy of shade which is much appreciated during hot summer days.
Downtown Streets and Blocks
Roadways within Downtown Brentwood form a grid pattern paralleling the railroad and Brentwood Boulevard. Oak Street and Second Street form the primary connections linking the Downtown Core to Brentwood Boulevard and by extension to surrounding City districts. A system of north- south alleys bisecting many of the blocks between Pine and Birch Streets allows for a separation of auto and pedestrian street uses. These alleys, in combination with Downtown’s existing finely grained pattern of blocks create a quaint environment that is quite walkable.
Primary Entries to the Downtown Core
Currently, one can easily drive right by the main entries to Downtown along Brentwood Boulevard without having any inkling of the shopping district and civic core which lie just a block away. At the intersection of Second Street and Brentwood Boulevard, the Liberty High School is visible to the south, however a lack of streetscape definition and undistinguished building fabric provide little indication that Downtown’s unique character and the Civic Core lie just beyond. The intersection of Brentwood Boulevard and Oak Street is the other of the two primary gateways into the Downtown Core. Currently, the Brentwood Professional Plaza on the northwest corner provides the best example of ‘ gateway’ architecture to be found anywhere in Downtown. Development on the other three corner parcels is of very low intensity. Along the east side of Brentwood Boulevard, entry to the Downtown on Oak Street is flanked by a gas station and a take- out restaurant’s parking lot, which are both unappealing and ineffective indicators of Downtown’s historic community center. City of Brentwood - Downtown B o o k I : C o m m u n i t y I n t e n t Specific Plan
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OPPORTUNITY SITES
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City of Brentwood - Downtown B o o k I : C o m m u n i t y I n t e n t Specific Plan
Existing Street Network
Existing Retail Shops, Downtown
Regional Retail Centers Threaten Downtown’s Economic Health
1.1.3. Economics
The single biggest threat facing Downtown is the emerging competition from regional retail centers being established along major automobile thoroughfares especially at major access points to regional highways, most notably, the State Route 4 Bypass. These centers not only attract a large customer base from surrounding areas, but also compete for many of the same types of business that might otherwise be attracted to Downtown.
Downtown has a limited time to create the “ critical mass” of activities needed to compete with the newer shopping agglomerations, particularly the big box centers located along the State Route 4 bypass. In recent years, Downtown has experienced only modest sales increases for apparel and other retail and home furnishings stores, as compared with healthy increases in the City as a whole. Downtown retail businesses experienced a 101 percent growth, as compared with a 184 percent growth for the City between 1990 and 2001. This contrasts with the very healthy 419 percent increase in the auto- related businesses, which are still concentrated in Downtown.
For a detailed account of Downtown economics, refer to “ Strategies and Programs for a Vital Town Center” by Gruen Gruen + Associates, bound under separate cover.
1.1.4. Land Use and Development Policy
At the time of the Plan’s drafting, zoning districts in the Downtown include a mixed- use designation of COR ( Commercial/ Office/ Residential) in transition areas to the north and south of Downtown, R- 3 multiple family zoning, R- 2 moderate density residential zoning, and at the edge of Downtown, R- 1- 6 single family residential on 6000 SF lots. Along Brentwood Boulevard, the zoning is primarily geared towards commercial and office development. The zoning provides very limited opportunities for apartment, condominium, live- work, townhouse, or other non single- family housing types on some of Downtown’s best opportunity sites. The entirety of the Downtown district located along Walnut Boulevard west of the Union Pacific Railroad has been zoned PD- 37, “ intended for [ development] that is more conducive to commercial development compatible with the city’s growth”.
Downtown Historic Buildings and Districts
Downtown Brentwood contains a large collection of notable historic buildings including a number of Victorian houses and Craftsman bungalows, as well as historic churches and other buildings generally dating from the town’s early days in the 1880s through the 1930s. While a formal inventory of Downtown buildings has not been completed to identify which might be considered eligible for listing on the California and National Historic Registers, many of the Downtown buildings appear to retain their original integrity and may be eligible for listing. Those properties found eligible for listing on either register receive certain tax and building code incentives for preservation.
Brentwood has not adopted its own local historic inventory and historic preservation ordinance, nor established a Historic Preservation Board to help preserve historic properties and review proposals for their alteration. However the Brentwood Chamber of Commerce has produced a Walking Tour of Downtown Brentwood Historical Sites which Identifies 26 notable properties within the Downtown area ranging in age from the early 1880s to the late 1930s. These buildings reinforce the character and recall the early history of the Downtown.
New Public Buildings
Preliminary design studies are underway for a new City Hall. When completed, this building will become a landmark in the Downtown, while continuing to offer city services and locate city employees near the Downtown shopping district. To plan for the growth in city service that will be necessary to serve the rapidly growing population, the City Council has appointed a Community Facilities Advising Committee to advice council accordingly. The Advisory Committee is preparing recommendations for the types of community facilities that should be preferably located downtown as well as city- wide.
1.1.5. Circulation and Transportation
The City of Brentwood updated its General Plan in November 2001. The General Plan includes transportation- related goals and policies in its Circulation Element. These goals are used as guiding principles for approving new development projects in Brentwood. They include:
Goal 1. Movement of People and Goods - A transportation system that provides safe and efficient movement of people and goods within and through the City of Brentwood and promotes the use of alternatives to the single occupant vehicle.
Goal 2. Transportation Alternatives - A transportation system that encourages walking, bicycling, and public transit use and encourages shorter commute trips for Brentwood residents.
Goal 3. Livability - A transportation system, including safe and adequate streets, trails, signals, sidewalks, pathways, curbs, gutters, streetlights, transit amenities, and signage that maintains and enhances the livability of the City.
The General Plan recognizes future transit needs in Brentwood, both for internal circulation and longer distance commute services. Key elements include:
• Expand fixed route bus service with scheduled stops and times, and bus shelters.
• Expand longer distance commute services to major commute destinations and additional park- and- ride facilities, especially near new freeway interchanges.
• Encourage transit- oriented development with pedestrian walkways and cut- through opportunities between cul- de- sacs.
For each of these goals, the General Plan lists several related policies as well as an Action Program for each policy.
Lack of Alternatives to Auto Travel
As a low density small town on the outer fringe of the Bay Area, Brentwood has plenty of space to develop roads to accommodate most of the land uses needed to serve its rapid residential growth. However, long commutes and limited local job opportunities mean increased congestion on the few roadways linking Brentwood to employment centers. Over the longer term, it will be important for the region to develop alternatives to the automobile, both for access to jobs and in order to avoid sprawl and loss of the town’s picturesque agricultural setting. Projects planned for Downtown area offer the opportunity to develop an alternative to the auto for access between the Downtown and City of Brentwood - Downtown B o o k I : C o m m u n i t y I n t e n t Specific Plan
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LANDMARK BUILDINGS 17
City of Brentwood - Downtown B o o k I : C o m m u n i t y I n t e n t Specific Plan
Existing Bus Service, Downtown
other regional employment centers. The City has begun planning for a future eBART station that could provide the nucleus for Downtown to attract a wider variety of retail, employment and residential development.
Existing Bus Services
There are six fixed- route bus lines ( Route 300, 381, 391, 392, Delta Express, and Dimes- a- Ride) serving Brentwood. Three bus lines start at the Brentwood Park & Ride Lot on the west side of Downtown Brentwood and end at the Pittsburg/ Bay Point BART Station ( Routes 300, 391, and 392). Route 381 also begins at the Brentwood Park & Ride Lot, but ends at Hillcrest Park & Ride Lot. Delta Express has a stop at the Brentwood Park & Ride Lot and ends at the Dublin BART Station. The Dimes- a- Ride route serves the City of Brentwood only. In general, service frequency to BART is adequate ( five buses per hour to the Pittsburg/ Bay Point station and two buses to the Dublin station during peak commute hours). However, travel times are long: the shortest travel time is an hour. Not surprisingly, ridership is low.
Parking Conditions
In February, 2005, Fehr and Peers completed the “ Downtown Brentwood Parking Study”. This study analyzed existing parking demand and parking turnover, and predicted the estimated change in parking demand resulting from future development.
The majority of the blocks within Downtown have on- street parking, with angled parking along most streets within the Downtown Core. Several small off- street parking lots are also located in Downtown with access points along First Street and Second Street north of Oak Street. On- street parking occupancy is high during midday along the commercial sections of Downtown and in the vicinity of City Hall, especially along Oak Street. Off- street parking occupancy near City Hall is generally high. However, occupancy at several other parking lots is moderate. Due to a lack of parking for City employees, several blocks of Downtown streets are reserved for employee parking. On- street parking regulations are difficult to understand. There are 30, 45, 90, and 120- minute parking spaces throughout Downtown.
Should new development in Downtown create parking demand in excess of what is currently available, the City may decide to construct a parking structure within the area of the Downtown Core. Proposed garage locations, their access points, and their management were carefully assessed before and during the Downtown Specific Plan workshop process.
For a detailed account of Downtown parking refer to “ Downtown Brentwood Parking Study 2005” by Fehr & Peers, bound under separate cover.
Brentwood Boulevard Widening Project
The City plans to widen Brentwood Boulevard from Chestnut Street to Fir Street in order to improve traffic flow and provide a smooth progression along Brentwood Boulevard within the Downtown District. The project is a continuation of the in progress widening of the Brentwood Boulevard. Over this stretch of approximately 1,500 linear feet, the right- of- way will increase to 140 feet in order to accommodate two lanes of through traffic in each direction. The project will introduce new bicycle lanes, curbs and gutters, medians, sidewalks, street lights, and landscaping to enhance this portion of the Boulevard.
Walnut Boulevard Widening Project
The City has taken action to acquire right- of- way along Walnut Boulevard between Oak Street and McClaren Road to be incorporated into the public right- of- way as part of a roadway widening project. This project will increase vehicular capacity for traffic traveling between the Downtown District and the surrounding neighborhoods to the west and north while encouraging commute traffic from Vasco Road to travel into Downtown. Widening Walnut Boulevard will also accommodate traffic associated with a future transit station in or adjacent to Downtown. In addition to widening the existing boulevard, the City plans to upgrade the storm drainage system, water and sewer services, curbs, sidewalks, and fiber optic infrastructure. Existing utility lines will be replaced underground in order to provide increased capacity to support future development in the area. City of Brentwood - Downtown B o o k I : C o m m u n i t y I n t e n t Specific Plan
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1.2. PLAN GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
This section sets forth the primary goals and objectives that the Plan is intended to achieve. It forms the basis for the Plan’s strategies, regulatory framework, and City actions which follow.
The intent of the Downtown Specific Plan is to guide growth and change in Downtown to ensure it evolves to embody the community’s vision for a vibrant, active, and beautiful City district that continues to play an essential role in the daily lives of the City’s residents. In recognition of regional growth and Brentwood’s burgeoning population, the Plan is established to preserve Downtown’s role as an indispensable hub for the types of services, conveniences, experiences, and lifestyle choices that are not found elsewhere within the City and are fundamental to the long- term health of the Brentwood community. As growth and change proceed, thePlan is intended to preserve and extend Downtown’s small town character, and its warm and hospitable atmosphere. More specifically:
a) Niche. Fine tune Downtown’s role within the commercial framework of the City and region: selectively guide growth and development in the Downtown district to secure Downtown’s role as Brentwood’s “ main community center ( General Plan) within the changing economic landscape of the region being brought about by the construction of the State Route 4 Bypass.
b) Enhanced Draw & Appeal. Promote the augmentation of existing shopping, eating and entertainment offerings in the district to enable Downtown to effectively coexist with emerging competition at primary access points along the new Route 4 bypass. Identify, and create the conditions to attract the unique retail tenancies critical to Downtown’s survival.
c) Critical Mass. Promote the development of the greater Downtown as the most mixed- use and vibrant district in the City. Increase opportunities to attract people to Downtown, whether it be as their place of residence, place of work, place for shopping and entertainment, or simply as a central place to gather and to enjoy meeting and interacting with fellow members of the Brentwood community.
d) Civic & Cultural Heart. Enable the continued expansion of Downtown’s role as the civic and cultural heart of the City. Identify and protect opportunities for the widest possible range of civic and cultural facilities and public spaces offered in the Downtown. Enhance the performance of the district for festivals, markets, and other significant civic and cultural events.
e) Access & Walkability. Continue to enhance the visibility and accessibility of the Downtown from all approaches and via as many modes of travel as possible. Insure that walking is a pleasure throughout the district.
f) Character and Identity. Ensure that the Downtown is a living example of the aesthetic qualities and characteristics that form the basis of what it means to build in “ the Brentwood Way.” As the Downtown grows, make certain that the character of new buildings and site improvements draw from the social and cultural aesthetic qualities that furnish this evolving suburb with its well- renowned ‘ small town’ identity.
g) Private Actions: Buildings & Site Improvements. Promote investment in the development of well- crafted built forms that are both attractive and appropriately scaled for Brentwood’s Downtown, which draw from and reinforce the best examples of Brentwood’s architectural traditions, and which preserve the City’s small town character.
h) Public Actions: Public Spaces. Guide public investment toward the preservation, enhancement, and increase in variety of public greens, plazas and street spaces to preserve the relaxed setting and pleasing public realm of the Downtown. 19
City of Brentwood - Downtown B o o k I : C o m m u n i t y I n t e n t Specific Plan
CITY OF BRENTWOOD - URBAN DESIGN FRAMEWORK City of Brentwood - Downtown Specific Plan B ook I: C o mmunity Intent
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Images which Express Elements of the Envisioned
Future Downtown
Retail & Entertainment
Anchors
Public Space
Street life in the Core Neighborhood Streets
Pedestrian- Oriented Shopfronts Dense Housing
1.3. THE ENVISIONED FUTURE DOWNTOWN
As the City of Brentwood continues its rapid evolution from what was recently
considered to be the ‘ hinterlands’ of Eastern Contra Costa County to what
is currently envisioned as a small city having a population well in excess of
70,000, the community has developed a clear vision of the primary features and
character of the evolving Downtown to guide it through this period of rapid
growth and change. Since no one can predict every opportunity that might
arise as investors, architects, and engineers propose changes in the district, this
section is provided as an overview of the conceptual direction that forms the
basis of the specifi c strategies and policies contained in subsequent sections. It
is a portrait of the future Downtown, set in the future, but written in present tense as
if one were touring the future city.
1.3.1. The Envisioned Role of the Downtown District in the Pattern
of the City
Brentwood has evolved into a city of recognizable districts; neighborhoods,
commercial centers and workplace districts have distinctive edges and clearly
defi ned centers. The City’s burgeoning population is distributed among many
neighborhoods which are well connected via of network of local streets, gracious
boulevards, parkways and arterials. Hand in hand with the City’s on- going
residential development, new commercial development is similarly planned
and focused to forge a network of healthy and sustainable City districts that
serve to complement rather than compete with one another. The community
envisions two distinct mixed- use districts, the Brentwood Boulevard Corridor
and the Downtown, each having its own distinguishing character, and each
embracing new investment in a way that ensures the well- being of the City as a
whole. The residents of Brentwood have chosen to channel the strong demand
for new investment into these districts according to principles that reinforce
the overall harmony and economic health of their community.
To achieve this goal, the City has chosen to produce two specifi c plans to guide
growth and change within the City’s two primary mixed- use districts. This
Downtown Specifi c Plan establishes the vision and provides the strategies and
regulations for guiding growth throughout the Downtown District. A second
plan, the Brentwood Boulevard Specifi c Plan, will direct market forces to transform
the Brentwood Boulevard Corridor north of Downtown into a successful City
district while preserving the growth and economic viability of the City overall. Taken together these plans will put in place the necessary policies and strategies
to ensure that future development within both of these two City districts will
contribute to the strengths and vibrancy of that district, without introducing
competition that may compromise the economic well- being of another City
district. The regulatory framework will enable new investment in each of
the districts, strategically taking advantage of each district’s strengths while
respecting its role within the City’s commercial framework.
Until the development of the State Route 4 Bypass, Brentwood Boulevard
served as the primary north- south thoroughfare connecting Brentwood to
nearby cities and, via Route 4, to the inner Bay Area. Between Downtown and
Lone Tree Way, the boulevard plays host to a hodge- podge of commercial and
auto- related development interspersed among a number of underutilized and
vacant parcels. In the future, the community envisions a mixed- use boulevard
where residential and residentially compatible workplace development enfront
a gracious tree- lined streetscape that is both comfortable for pedestrians and
easily accommodates automobile traffi c. At intersections along the boulevard,
new clusters of neighborhood serving retail and services provide nearby
residents and employees of nearby workplaces opportunities to grab lunch,
make photo copies, or pick up a few small grocery items before returning home. The future boulevard is a City district unto itself; new residential, mixed- use,
and offi ce buildings create an attractive setting for both visitors and residents. Downtown is the community’s town center. Its unique role in the City’s
overall commercial framework is that of a ‘ main street’ shopping district having
both specialty retail and entertainment establishments. Its agglomeration of
shops, restaurants and entertainment venues creates a distinctive environment
that does not compete with boulevard neighborhood centers, or the malls and
power centers along Lone Tree Way. Rather, Downtown is a one- of- a- kind
City district that is a center for civic life, for community events, for shopping
and entertainment, and a place of residence. Its individual components are
described in greater detail below.
1.3.2. The Future Downtown
This section describes the essential components of the Downtown as it grows
and develops along with the rest of the City, and forms the basis for the
development regulations and supportive public actions contained in subsequent
sections of the Plan.
Overview
Downtown is the Heart of the City; new investment enhances Downtown’s role as
the City’s most vibrant, most civic, and most celebrated City district. Downtown
is the City’s most varied and most urban neighborhood center, containing the
community’s cherished ‘ main street’ shopping district adjacent to the City’s Civic
Center. Surrounding the core, and west of Brentwood Boulevard, new residential,
mixed- use, and residentially compatible commercial development including
civic, offi ce, and lodging extend some of the vibrancy of the Downtown Core
into predominantly residential neighborhoods within the Downtown district. Boasting the widest variety of housing types to be found within the City limits,
the City’s center is home to the full spectrum of its residents. Finally, a transit
center located in or adjacent to the Downtown District puts Downtown ‘ on- line’
providing alternatives to the automobile for residents, visitors, and employees to
travel among City districts and further ties Brentwood to the surrounding region.
The Downtown Core
Oak Street and First Street within the Downtown Core are lined with unique
shops, cafés, restaurants, and venues for entertainment. Strolling is once again
‘ in fashion’ as community members and visitors come to Downtown Brentwood
to leisurely walk along gracious sidewalks and meander among the many shops,
open air cafés, galleries, artists studios, and open spaces. Anchoring Downtown’s
commercial center is an entertainment anchor of the scale and magnitude suffi cient
to ensure that Downtown Brentwood remains vibrant throughout the weekend
and well into the weekday evenings long after the last bookstore or antique shop
has closed its doors for the day.
Buildings within the Downtown Core enfront the public sidewalk with active
uses, maintain a minimum number of curb cuts and avoid blank frontages all
together. Windows and doors opening directly onto public sidewalks and plazas,
in combination with a variety of architectural features including balconies and
terraces blur the line between public and private space, adding to the sense that
Downtown belongs to the community.
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City of Brentwood - Downtown B o o k I : C o m m u n i t y I n t e n t Specific Plan
DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT - RETAIL & ENTERTAINMENT ANCHOR City of Brentwood - Downtown B o o k I : C o m m u n i t y I n t e n t Specific Plan
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DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT - MULTI- FAMILY HOUSING 23
City of Brentwood - Downtown B o o k I : C o m m u n i t y I n t e n t Specific Plan
The Civic Core
City Park, partially ringed with civic buildings, has become the center of Downtown’s civic and cultural core. A new City Hall presides over the Park and serves as the primary anchor for this portion of the Downtown. On either side of the park, civic and cultural buildings having facilities such as a library, community center, and other public facilities stand with their front doors open to the public park, reminding us that the vision for this physical heart of the Brentwood community was put in place by the people, and for the people. Across from City Park, a new entertainment anchor serves to catalyze and attract new businesses and significantly expands Downtown’s customer base, attracting residents from surrounding communities, and increasing Downtown’s role as an economic engine. The Downtown Core is abuzz with new development - buildings are being renovated, and new buildings are underway.
At the terminus of both gateways into the Downtown Core, the City’s Civic Core establishes the eastern edge of the district. The Civic Core serves the daily needs of the City’s residents, provides a place of respite, and creates a recognizable and impressive gathering space that regularly plays host to special events including the CornFest as well as arts and crafts fairs, farmers’ markets, parades, summer concerts, and other significant cultural events while providing City’s denizens a place to come together both formally and informally in their historical City Center.
The Downtown Neighborhood
Downtown is home to an increasing proportion of the City’s growing population. Two major factors contribute to the demand for different types of housing in and around Downtown. First, as the overall availability of land for single- family residential development continues to decrease, it becomes less and less economically feasible for singles, couples, and young families looking to purchase a new home and remain in their beloved community. Downtown provides housing opportunities for singles, young couples, empty nesters, and seniors looking for the convenience of having shops, services, access to nearby transit, and schools within walking distance of their home.
Within the Downtown Core, new opportunities for residential living can be found in the upper stories of mixed- use buildings and in small buildings having access from alleys, courts, and paseos. Live- work spaces, lofts, apartments and condominiums are located above art galleries and even in the upper- stories of buildings having frontage along City Park. Residents walk from their front doors into the heart of Brentwood’s Downtown Core, where they can shop, attend a meeting at City Hall, take in a movie, or just relax in City Park as part of their daily routine.
North of the Core, a mix of new townhouses, apartments, and live- work units provide opportunities for community members to live in a mixed- use residential neighborhood. Within this area buildings are setback just slightly from the sidewalk edge, creating space for flowering trees, low seat walls, and ornamental fences. New buildings are sited with open space on all sides, providing opportunities for side yards to contain small gardens or provide walking paths to rear yards and off- street parking areas. Front doors face the street, and in combination with porches, terraces, and stoops create outdoor environments in which neighbors feel safe knowing that there are plenty of “ eyes on the street” and that street life is a public forum for community members to interact on a daily basis.
Along Chestnut Street, along Second Street between Oak and Chestnut, and along First Street north of Maple Street, new infill residential developments provide the City’s residents with even greater opportunities to live within striking distance of all that Downtown has to offer while preserving the small- scale single- family character of existing neighborhoods to the east and south. As Downtown continues to grow and land values continue to escalate, private and public agencies working together create opportunities to add new townhouse and low- rise multi- family dwellings to Downtown’s unique mix of residential development types.
Brentwood Boulevard as it stretches through the Downtown district is a gracious tree- lined setting where new forms of residential and mixed- use development are on display along the districts primary automobile thoroughfare. Townhouses and low rise multifamily developments ( having a longer horizontal profile than vertical height) are visible behind planting strips and large sidewalks, gracious green lawns planted with large deciduous trees and edged by low seat- walls, ornamental fences and formal entries. Where Brentwood Boulevard intersects with Oak Street, large mixed- use buildings having unique architecture wrap around the corners creating a formal gateway demarcating the entry into the City’s ebullient center.
West of the railroad, near the intersection of Oak Street and Walnut Boulevard, single and multi- family attached dwellings up to three stories in height form Downtown’s newest neighborhood center. Here residential development is located in the enviable position of being within walking distance of the City’s transit hub, while extending the existing single- family residential neighborhood towards the Downtown Core.
Getting to and from the Heart of the City
A conveniently located transit center allows residents to once again have the ability to walk their children to school, and then pick up a cup coffee and a newspaper before catching a ride at the City’s multimodal transit station. From this station, residents of Downtown board buses and trains which quickly transport them to their places of work, or link them with the Bay Area’s major public transportation network.
Located within or adjacent to Downtown, the multimodal transit station is well- integrated within the natural flow of pedestrian and vehicles traveling to and from the City’s center. The station serves as both a Park and Ride lot for locally- serving bus lines including Dimes- a- Ride as well as regional providers including Delta Express and other fixed- route lines. Residents who live and / or work within and nearby the Downtown district rely on public transit systems to move them between Downtown and neighboring City districts and to connect them to the region. Once again, the use of the railway that was instrumental to Brentwood’s earliest days is fundamental to the overall economic viability of the City Center.
The Character of Downtown
Downtown’s unique small- town character is alive and well, even as the district experiences many forms of new growth and development. All new investment is of a scale and style that adds to the pedestrian’s experience providing a walkable sequence of doors and windows where goods are on display. Adaptive reuse of existing buildings provides for growth of new retail, business and personal services, while preserving and perpetuating Brentwood’s City of Brentwood - Downtown Specific Plan B ook I: C o mmunity Intent
24 E NVISIONED TOWN PATTERN - SHORT TERM
0 75 150 300
NOTE – THIS ILLUSTRATION NOT A PART OF SPECIFIC PLAN
REGULATIONS: This illustration is not intended to regulate any aspect of
development Downtown. This drawing is not a formal part of the Specifi c Plan’s
land use and development policies. It is provided solely as an illustration of the
kind of future that the community intends for Downtown as it grows and changes
over time. It illustrates the kind of growth and change that is encouraged by the
policies contained in Section IV of this Plan. Most importantly, this Specifi c Plan
does not regulate the specifi c location of particular businesses within the Plan Area,
and this drawing is not intended to imply that the Plan regulations are meant to
do so.
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City of Brentwood - Downtown Specific Plan B ook I: C o mmunity Intent
E NVISIONED TOWN PATTERN - LONG TERM
0 75 150 300
NOTE – THIS ILLUSTRATION NOT A PART OF SPECIFIC PLAN
REGULATIONS: This illustration is not intended to regulate any aspect of
development Downtown. This drawing is not a formal part of the Specifi c Plan’s
land use and development policies. It is provided solely as an illustration of the
kind of future that the community intends for Downtown as it grows and changes
over time. It illustrates the kind of growth and change that is encouraged by the
policies contained in Section IV of this Plan. Most importantly, this Specifi c
Plan does not regulate the specifi c location of particular businesses within the
Plan Area, and this drawing is not intended to imply that the Plan regulations are
meant to do so.
City of Brentwood - Downtown Specific Plan B ook I: C o mmunity Intent
26 E NVISIONED TOWN PATTERN - END STATE
0 75 150 300
NOTE – THIS ILLUSTRATION NOT A PART OF SPECIFIC PLAN
REGULATIONS: This illustration is not intended to regulate any aspect of
development Downtown. This drawing is not a formal part of the Specifi c Plan’s
land use and development policies. It is provided solely as an illustration of the
kind of future that the community intends for Downtown as it grows and changes
over time. It illustrates the kind of growth and change that is encouraged by the
policies contained in Section IV of this Plan. Most importantly, this Specifi c Plan
does not regulate the specifi c location of particular businesses within the Plan Area,
and this drawing is not intended to imply that the Plan regulations are meant to
do so.
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City of Brentwood - Downtown B o o k I : C o m m u n i t y I n t e n t Specific Plan
unique architectural character. New buildings follow the community’s strict guidelines regarding height, mass, color and material, and define the type of pedestrian- friendly street environments and public open spaces that build on the City’s long standing commitment to taking very good care of their first- rate public realm.
Everywhere in the Downtown Core, visitors and residents alike are taken aback by the high level of quality and craft represented in every aspect of the built environment. New structures use design elements that are based on Brentwood’s architectural past. Buildings are constructed of wood, brick and masonry and are finished with a level of detail and craftsmanship that carries the best of Brentwood’s architectural past into the next century. New development occurs incrementally, and each addition to the cityscape crystallizes and extends the history and quality of the City’s small- town character, putting it on display in the City’s most public district. Buildings masses are articulated using simple and clean lines, colors and materials drawn from Brentwood’s lineage of built forms that reinforce the warm and pleasant ‘ timeless’ feeling of this historic Downtown.
Public Space within Downtown
In addition to City Park, the future Downtown contains a variety of safe and inviting open spaces for informal gatherings, places to sit and eat lunch outdoors or read the paper or a novel beneath the shade of a flowering tree. Along Oak and First Streets, paseos, plazas, courts and patios create a relaxing atmosphere and are designed to be used by individuals and the whole family. Shop owners and local artists can apply for a permit to use public spaces to display their goods and wares.
Hardscaped spaces are composed of elements such as brick and other decorative paving materials, and have ornate railings made of wood or wrought iron that are built in the ‘ Brentwood Way’. An assortment of trees and plants add color and texture to public spaces, while attracting birds and providing shade. Throughout the Downtown Core there are numerous opportunities for casual seating where residents can be overheard chatting about this or that aspect of the daily news or recapping their most memorable moments from a recent sporting event.
1.3.3. Envisioned Stages of Growth and Change
Transformation of the Downtown occurs on a parcel by parcel basis. To generate net new value, new investment is located and designed to build upon Downtown’s existing strengths.
a) Short Term Envisioned Change: Entertainment, shopping, civic life, and expanded neighborhoods. See adjacent “ Short- term Envisioned Town Pattern Scenario”
Building on Downtown’s assets, change begins within the Downtown Core. A significant new entertainment or retail anchor is located on parcels along Second Street adjacent to City Park. New retail and commercial development transform vacant or underutilized parcels having frontage along Oak and First Streets as depicted in red on the “ Short- term Envisioned Town Pattern Scenario” masterplan. To accommodate the increased demand for Downtown parking, and in anticipation of future infill development, the City locates a new parking structure along Brentwood Boulevard between Maple and Oak or Oak and Chestnut Streets.
North of Maple Street along First, Second Street and Pine Streets, new residential and mixed- use buildings advance the growth of Downtown neighborhoods. South of the Core along Chestnut Street, townhouses and small- lot single- family houses seamlessly transition between the Downtown Core and existing single- family development to the south.
In addition to breaking ground on City Hall and the new entertainment or retail anchor, plans for new cultural centers including a library, community center, and the redesign of City Park further emphasize the great value the community places in their Civic Center, and set the stage for future investment.
b) Long- Term Envisioned Change: Transit, Redevelopment of Brentwood Boulevard, continued Residential and Office infill development. See adjacent “ Long- term Envisioned Town Pattern Scenario” masterplan.
New rail service links Downtown to regional transportation systems, taking a major step to tie Downtown’s future to the growing economic and social structure of the Bay Area. Brentwood Boulevard between Second Street and Fir Street receives significant infill residential development of a scale and character appropriate to the size of the street. The Boulevard becomes an extension of Downtown neighborhoods; what was once a hodge- podge of spotty commercial and otherwise underutilized land is revitalized as a ‘ Grand Boulevard’, where residential and residentially compatible uses including office and lodging are on display for visitors and residents making their way into the heart of the City.
At the western terminus of Oak Street and along Walnut Boulevard, infill residential development is centered around a neighborhood- serving mixed- use cluster and public open space. City of Brentwood - Downtown B o o k I : C o m m u n i t y I n t e n t Specific Plan
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1.4. DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
This section sets forth the specific strategies that will realize the plan objectives and achieve the kind of future Downtown described in the previous section. These strategies form the basis of the development framework and City actions contained in the remainder of the Specific Plan. Listed in order of priority, the strategies direct a series of efforts to instigate and sustain beneficial change in the Downtown.
The Plan:
1.4.1. Anchor the Downtown. Catalyze new development in the Downtown Core and increase its viability as an economic engine by enabling the development of a large- scale retail and entertainment anchor.
Perspective:
The current image of Downtown Brentwood is that of a charming, though sleepy small town ‘ main street’ anchored by a shady park. The City must change the perception of Downtown from a place where most shops are closed by 5: 00 to that of a vibrant, lively heart of the City where there is always something to do, somewhere to eat, and something new to see. The City’s greatest chance to initiate and sustain the envisioned transformation is to utilize all of its powers to target and recruit a significant entertainment or retail anchor.
A new entertainment or retail anchor in a Downtown Core location will be an excellent catalyst for Downtown transformation. The ideal location for this type of new development is on parcels currently occupied by automotive and retail uses at the corner of Oak and Second Streets, where it would have frontage along City Park. The City should focus its energies to bring this type of development into Downtown, and to put it at the intersection of the two primary access roads into the Core, where it will stand opposite the new City Hall, catalyzing the transformation of the heart of the City and instigating future growth.
Facilitating the development of an anchor of this type serves many purposes including:
• Expand Downtown’s regional draw for customers on weekends and evenings
• Grow the retail core by attracting smaller business including restaurants and retail establishments who will wish to locate nearby.
• Achieve the maximum short- term impact on Downtown’s image, infusing the Downtown core with a blast of new energy and impressing upon the development community the City’s commitment to growth.
Specialty retail shops are the heart and soul of a successful downtown yet on their own do not provide the necessary ‘ critical mass’ of development to draw a sufficient customer base to Downtown on a regular basis. The City should locate within the Core a retail anchor that attracts a significant daytime customer base. The benefits of a retail anchor such as a full- services drug store, small grocery store, or medium- sized retail shop are considerable. A daytime anchor will substantially increase the number of shoppers visiting the Downtown core on a regular basis, further increasing prospects for future growth.
Strategies:
a) Enable an Entertainment Anchor
1) Use the City’s powers to identify, target, recruit, and enable a significant weekend & evening entertainment anchor.
2) Use City resources to make every effort to locate the new anchor on Second Street between Oak and Maple Streets such that it forms the western edge to City Park.
b) Facilitate the development of a Retail Anchor
1) Locate a retail anchor within the Downtown core. Pursue large single- use tenants that can bring increased patronage to the Downtown core and function as a catalyst for new development throughout the district.
1.4.2. Direct new commercial investment into the Downtown Core to create a “ critical mass” of retail, restaurant, service and entertainment uses in a compact, walkable, and unique setting that only Downtown can offer. Create a well- defined retail core with ground- floor activity generating uses throughout.
Perspective:
Unlike a shopping mall or regional retail center, Downtown has the unique capacity to offer shoppers an authentic outdoor, pedestrian- scaled, fine- grained environment that is simply delightful to be in. Many community members would prefer to shop in their own Downtown for goods and services they currently purchase elsewhere. This strategy will capitalize on Downtown’s strengths, bringing residents back to the heart of their city. If Downtown is to remain economically viable it must add new retail development in the order of 40,000 square feet by 2010.
Increasing Downtown’s role as a vital center for shopping and entertainment requires that it become an “ anti- mall agglomeration” of specialty shops, business and professional services, dining and entertainment. The key to unlocking Downtown’s success is to enable the types of investment that differentiate it from nearby retail centers. This has both the immediate benefit of new sales tax revenue, as well as the long term benefit of strengthening its unique forms of amenity. A healthy Downtown increases demand for not only future commercial development, but new forms of residential and workplace development as well. For further detail, refer to Gruen Gruen + Associates April 2003 report entitled “ Strategies and Programs for a Vital Town Center” bound under separate cover.
Strategies:
a) Specifically focus efforts to cultivate the development of restaurants and cafes. Where possible, cluster a variety of different restaurants to create a ‘ restaurant row’. Along Oak and First Streets, as well as along Second Street adjacent to City Park, promote the continued development of and re- use of buildings to add a strong supply of dining establishments to the Downtown core. New restaurants in Downtown will help to instigate new life in Downtown by inspiring visitors and residents to ‘ give Downtown another look’, and to keep them coming back.
b) Promote significant new development of specialty retail shops, and personal services within the Downtown Core. Encourage gift shops, books and music stores, as well as vendors selling local wares, foods, wines and similar ‘ specialty retail’. Target services including hair salons, beauty salons and other personal services, as well as dance and yoga studios, education centers, art galleries, and antique shops that 29
City of Brentwood - Downtown B o o k I : C o m m u n i t y I n t e n t Specific Plan
reinforce the distinctive charm of Brentwood’s small- town character. Create an active ground floor street frontage along the entirety of Oak and First Streets within the Downtown Core.
c) Maximize opportunities to re- use existing structures within the Downtown to accommodate new uses to help grow the Downtown. Promote the redevelopment of under- performing structures as well as the re- use of historic and otherwise significant buildings within and around the Downtown Core.
In addition to encouraging new development on opportunity sites within the Downtown district, the City will work to maximize the utilization of existing buildings and infrastructure to quickly offer entrepreneurs the opportunity to ‘ get things going’ in Downtown. The City has identified a number of existing opportunities to creatively re- use existing structures including the fire station on First Street and other structures, so that they may house a future restaurant, or play home to a new gallery or retail shop. One of Downtown’s greatest assets is its existing stock of some of the community’s most beloved and recognizable structure that gives it its small- town charm. Adaptive reuse of these buildings is an important ingredient to continuing Downtown’s growth.
1.4.3. Promote Downtown’s role as a Neighborhood Center by enabling the development of new housing throughout the Downtown district. Maximize every opportunity to add to the housing stock in and around the Core as well as along Brentwood and Walnut Boulevards. Ensure that Downtown will be comprised of a variety of housing types at different scales and different densities such that it shall be home to a full cross section of Brentwood’s population.
Perspective:
Brentwood’s Downtown truly was the heart of the City to its earliest residents. Zoning policies that precede this Plan in combination with recent trends in residential development removed much of the vitality of the historic Downtown from its present day counterpart. This strategy will reverse that trend. Today, Brentwood is one of the state’s fastest growing cities. The community’s demographic is more varied than ever, and the demand for new residential development is stronger than ever before. The City will maximize opportunities to add new residential development throughout the Downtown District. The community will see to it that Downtown regains its position as the most varied, most charming, most accessible, and most desirable neighborhood in the City. New residential development within the Downtown district will help to make Downtown strong, and keep it strong.
Strategies:
a) Expand and refine policies that predate this Plan to take advantage of the current market for residential development. Promote new residential construction throughout Downtown neighborhoods through implementation of the Plan’s polices. Encourage a variety of new single- family attached and detached housing, as well as multifamily, live work units and apartments. Present Brentwood’s community with lifestyle choices and economic freedoms well in excess of what was available prior to the adoption of this Plan.
b) Protect and preserve the integrity of existing neighborhoods. Implement development standards and design guidelines to ensure that Downtown’s residents do not feel threatened by new development. Rather, new development will graciously transition to, and complement existing housing, strengthening neighborhoods and creating new opportunities.
c) Transform Downtown’s corridors into Neighborhood Boulevards.
The current state of development along Downtown’s primary corridors offers opportunity to add significant new development in support of the community’s visions and goals. The land use policies contained herein will make the most of these valuable assets and provide the City’s residents with new choices and new opportunities to live within the City’s most celebrated district while increasing the captive audience nearby the Downtown Core. The community wishes to see Downtown transformed into a vibrant center of community life enabling residential development along these corridors presents an opportunity to do exactly that.
d) Transform Walnut Boulevard into a piece of Downtown fabric. Increase the number of residents living within walking distance of the City’s transit station, local schools, the civic core, and all of the retail and entertainment venues within the Downtown Core. At the center of new development, locate a small cluster of locally- serving retail shops and services to provide nearby residents with access to goods and services while providing a public space that visually ties this area to the Downtown Core.
e) Renovate Brentwood Boulevard – create a neighborhood spine. Support private redevelopment of underutilized parcels with new buildings and landscaping built in ‘ the Brentwood Way’
1.4.4. Reinforce Downtown’s role as the center for civic life in Brentwood by concentrate all future civic or quasi- civic investment either adjacent to or as near to City Park and the new City Hall as possible.
Perspective:
In accordance with the redevelopment of City Hall and the improvements being made to City Park, continue to advance the quality and intensity of the civic core by encouraging the development of new civic and cultural buildings. In recognition of regional growth and Brentwood’s burgeoning population, put in place the necessary strategies to protect, preserve, and expand the civic core. In the short run, encourage new development along parcels having frontage along City Park for land uses that include arts and cultural centers, cinemas, performing arts centers, community centers and libraries. Other quasi- civic uses that may be appropriate include swim/ gyms and other health and exercise clubs, and centers for education.
Strategies:
a) The City will reserve parcels within the Civic Core for development of civic and quasi civic uses, and allow new public buildings to locate anywhere in the Downtown district while maintaining a balance of civic and non- civic uses for an economically viable Downtown district.
b) Re- use existing structures within the Civic Core for new pedestrian activity generating civic and cultural uses. This may require the relocation of non- public uses currently inhabiting buildings along Oak Street, Second Street or within the Public Facilities District to new locations within Downtown or to a location where they can better serve their respective clientele.
c) Enhance the public environment of the Civic Core. Focus capital investments to ensure that Second Street and Oak Street adjacent to the City Park are safe, well lit, and provide a beautiful and congenial setting for the City’s grandest space. City Park shall provide spaces for large- scale public gatherings and special events, as well as more intimate secondary spaces for family gatherings and strolling within an environment that feels open, welcoming, and above all else, public.
d) As funding becomes available, the City shall consider purchasing parcels within the Civic Core to preserve indefinitely the City’s primary center of civic life for future generations. City of Brentwood - Downtown B o o k I : C o m m u n i t y I n t e n t Specific Plan
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1.4.5. Guide future private actions within the Downtown district to create built forms that are based in the community’s preferred design aesthetic. Make certain that future Downtown development embrace the architectural styles, forms and details that mesh with historic Brentwood, while looking to the future. Build on the aesthetics of Brentwood’s distinctive small- town character. Buildings and open spaces, and the colors and materials out of which they are composed shall be compatible with their surroundings and will add to the warmth and charm of the best elements of Downtown.
Perspective:
The Plan’s public participation process yielded a wealth of information defining the community’s preferences for every aspect of designing Downtown including the character of buildings such as architectural style, massing, and overall scale as well as detail pertaining to colors and materials. The community further defined its preference for the look and feel of outdoor spaces including the levels of formality and informality as well as openness, intimacy and again, colors and materials. To manifest these preferences as new development begins in earnest, the City shall protect the past, enhance the present, and direct the future by building in a way that results in the continuity of the valued character of Downtown Brentwood.
Strategies:
a) Promote well- crafted built forms that are both attractive and appropriately scaled for Brentwood’s Downtown and which draw from and reinforce the best examples of Brentwood’s historic architecture.
b) Enforce the Plan’s design guidelines. Continue to participate in design review for proposed buildings within Downtown, paying special attention to carry out the community’s vision for a future downtown.
c) Create a variety of open spaces to preserve the relaxed setting and pleasing public realm for which residents truly value their Downtown.
1.4.6. Invest in the public realm. The City shall improve access to, and visibility of the Downtown Core by defining the ‘ gateway entrances’ and making improvements to streetscapes, plazas and paseos wherever possible throughout the Downtown core.
Perspective:
Advancing the evolution of Downtown occurs through both development on the part of private parties, and through capital improvements made to the public realm by public agencies. While these two forms of investment often occur at different times and in different areas, the combination of private and public actions will advance Downtown’s physical appearance and economic vitality. Similarly, the development community will locate new investment where amenity is already ‘ on the ground’, evidencing the City’s long- term commitment to investing in Downtown’s future. The City will play its part and focus its efforts on streetscape improvement, enhancement to signage and wayfinding, and increasing the marketing and appeal of Downtown. For a description of specific actions, the City intends to take, refer to “ City Actions” in Book III.
In order to draw customers traveling the new State Route 4 Bypass, the City will put in place a plan to promote Downtown through advertising along the Route 4 Bypass as well as on signage along primary routes leading to and from the new roadway.
Strategies:
a) Capital Improvements:
1) Improve streetscape conditions to set the stage for new investment, to increase visibility to the Downtown Core, and to create a gracious environment for pedestrians.
2) Promote Downtown Brentwood using new signage at gateway intersections to Downtown, at entry points to the City, and at strategic locations along the State Route 4 Bypass including the intersections of Lone Tree Way, Sand Creek Road, Balfour Road, Marsh Creek Road, and Walnut Boulevard.
3) Move forward with plans to improve City Park. Enhance visibility between Second Street and City Hall. Define the edge of the Park along Second Street and Oak Street with pedestrian- scaled amenity including ornamental streetlights, benches, and other street furniture to create a unified style and civic beauty.
4) Make Downtown more visible to motorists traveling along Brentwood Boulevard where it intersects with Oak Street and Second Street. Use architectural guidelines to create ‘ gateway’ buildings at entry points to the Downtown Core.
5) Invest in the development of new civic and cultural buildings in the Civic Core.
6) The City will look into public/ private ventures, as well as investigate opportunities to provide incentives to developers who will assist in the growth of the Civic Core through the establishment of new cultural buildings adjacent to City Park.
b) Assist with improvements to privately held assets as funds are available.
1) Provide assistance to business owners to facilitate improvements to shopfronts, as well as improvements to signage and landscaping.
Within mixed- use and residential districts, improvements to the appearance of a given shop or property is often transformative, starting with a single private investor and leading to a flood of investment that can result in the improvement of an entire city block. The City will catalyze re- investment in privately held assets by providing financial assistance to interested parties as funding is available.
2) Provide incentives for new development including public improvements, as well as marketing and promotion in association with city signage programs in return for privately funded architectural and landscape architectural improvements to existing settings.
The City will spend money to make money. To encourage new development in Downtown, the City will invest in improving conditions on public lands adjacent to opportunity sites. Furthermore, the City will broker deals with private investors to bring the types of retail and services to Downtown that will help to generate attention on the part of the development community.
1.4.7. Manage the Downtown parking supply to maximize efficiencies, accommodate growth, and reduce congestion.
Perspective:
Parking demand varies depending on land use type and customer type: convenience retail shops such as copy shops and delicatessens require quick 31
City of Brentwood - Downtown B o o k I : C o m m u n i t y I n t e n t Specific Plan
‘ in and out’ on- street parking; sit- down restaurants, movie theaters, and some personal services including beauty salons and day spas, require short- term parking that can be accommodated on- street or within nearby surface lots; employees of Downtown establishments require long- term parking that can be accommodated in nearby long- term surface lots, and special events parking demand can often be accommodated in perimeter lots.
The City will implement a program to ensure an adequate supply of parking to serve the needs of residents, employees, and customers who visit Downtown. Customers will feel that parking is readily available and conveniently located; employers will know that there will be no apparent lack of convenient parking that might deter their customers; employees will have access to parking within a short distance of their place of work, and residents of Downtown will have adequate parking for themselves and their guests.
Strategies:
a) Plan parking supply strategically to accommodate different types of parking demand. Implement parking management strategies in consideration of Downtown’s multiple land- uses and their respective parking demands.
b) Devise strategies to increase parking supply in coordination with increased parking demand.
c) The City will expand parking supply, including investing in the development of a parking structure, to accommodate demand for parking in excess of what can be accommodated on- street and in surface lots.
d) Ensure that on- street parking spaces within the Downtown Core are not being occupied during business hours by any of the following long term users:
1) Liberty High School Students or Staff
2) Employees of Downtown shops and businesses
3) Residents
4) Commuters
5) City employees
Demand for Downtown’s valuable on- street parking spaces is at a premium. These spaces are the lifeline of Downtown businesses. As parking becomes scarce, it becomes more difficult for businesses to attract and sustain a loyal customer base. It is crucial that these spaces be kept free of vehicles parked for a prolonged period of time during regular business hours. For a detailed analysis of Downtown Core parking conditions as well as short and long term recommendations, refer to “ Downtown Brentwood Parking Study” Fehr & Peers 2005 bound under separate cover.
1.4.8. Leverage the growth in local, state and regional investment in transit infrastructure to enhance the accessibility of Downtown and its attractiveness to investors.
Perspective:
Most if not all of California’s successful downtowns grew up around the central access points to the region’s dominant transportation infrastructure of the times. The first downtowns grew up around the stations on the stagecoach lines, and moved to the locations of the first train stations. More recently, the arterial and later freeway systems destabilized the majority of downtowns by providing regions with a “ center- less” transportation infrastructure based on private passenger vehicles. In the next phase of development, extremely large investments in statewide transit infrastructure – particularly regional commuter rail infrastructure ( provided in response to the limitations in the capacity of the single- passenger system for major metropolitan regions) – will likely result in the increasing influence of rail infrastructure on the economic fortunes of cities and city districts. Communities interested in preserving or enhancing the success of their city centers will need to plan for those centers to once again become the primary access points to that increasingly significant regional transportation system.
The evolution of Contra Costa County is rapid and relentless. New neighborhoods, commercial centers and the infrastructure to support them are coming on line rapidly, and the population growth here continues to be among the fastest in the state. The recent construction of the State Route 4 Bypass has all but isolated Downtown Brentwood from the region’s newest commercial destinations, and by drawing traffic away from Brentwood Boulevard has effectively shifted Downtown further outside of the dominant flows of the County’s population as they travel between their places of living and places of work. As the City’s population continues to grow and diversify, the City’s transit stations will become more and more integral to the daily lives of the City’s residents, visitors and employees.
As a single geographical point through which large numbers of people pass on a regular basis, transit stations by their very nature inevitably become powerful places within the City’s fabric. As points of arrival and departure, transit stations are by nature places of gathering, interaction and high visibility. Properties adjacent to a transit station are enviably positioned and highly valued throughout the Bay Area, particularly for dense housing development. The concentration of activity also tend to provide substantial support for goods and services, especially those that appeal to commuters such as convenience foods, dry cleaners, video rental, and sales of coffees, flowers, and baked goods.
If Downtown is to remain integral to the region’s economic and social infrastructure, it is essential that it be well connected to the regional transit system. The City of Brentwood is committed to working closely with other municipalities and transit agencies to efficiently link Downtown to the region’s Bart system. As part of planning for the growth and development of the Downtown, the City will explore a variety of possible ways to achieve this goal, and will ultimately select a configuration that best serves the community’s needs.
Though Downtown is linked to regional transit via bus routes originating at the Brentwood Park and Ride system, as noted in “ existing development”, ridership is generally low and in no way constitutes a significant alternative to automobile transit especially as regards commuter ridership. Current regional planning for E- Bart presents a series of complex issues as regards funding, station planning, and implementation. The community intends that Downtown should ultimately be tied to the region with a form of transit that provides an alternative to the commuter rush conditions associated with the region’s major automobile thoroughfares. Transit is considered integral to the County’s long term growth plan, and is valued by the Brentwood community as a key component to keeping Downtown Brentwood “ on- line”.
By implementing improved transit connections between Downtown and the surrounding region, the City will strengthen the Downtown district in the following ways: City of Brentwood - Downtown B o o k I : C o m m u n i t y I n t e n t Specific Plan
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• Provide a convenient and desirable alternative to the automobile for travel to and from Downtown and adjacent City districts thereby increasing Downtown’s appeal to residents as well as to existing and future employees, developers, and business owners.
• Establish the Downtown district as a significant “ node” within the region: Increased short and long run development of future transit- oriented residential and commercial development will establish a vital center having the transit station at its core.
• Add value and create demand for Downtown properties: As Brentwood’s population continues to increase, the City’s residents and employers will desire an increasing variety of housing and retail choices. As a result, land values throughout the Downtown district will continue to grow, especially for those properties nearby, and en- route to and from the new transit station.
• Reduce traffic congestion leading to and from the Downtown Core, making it more appealing to the regional customer base.
Strategies:
a) Make the most of the existing transit infrastructure.
1) Continue to focus access to all local and regional bus lines at the Downtown Park & Ride facility.
2) Improve visual and pedestrian linkages from the Park & Ride facility to the Downtown Core.
3) Improve the experience of waiting for the bus, and the availability of information regarding existing transit offerings, especially at waiting and transfer locations.
b) Plan Downtown in a way that will benefit from planned investment in new and enhanced regional transit infrastructure. Begin planning now to integrate connections to the regional transit infrastructure to better link Downtown as it continues to grow.
1) Enhance Downtown’s connection to surrounding city districts and to the larger region via a multimodal transit station located within or nearby the Downtown district.
2) Locate a transit facility that is convenient to residents, employees, shoppers, and all other members of the Brentwood community traveling to and from the Downtown district.
E- Bart Action Plan:
Step 1a – Site Selection. Select a site for Brentwood’s future multimodal transit station that helps to achieve the community’s stated goal of “ maintaining the Downtown as a central destination point in Brentwood.” The proposed transit station site will ensure that transit is safe, convenient, and easily accessible, while being strategically located to play an integral role in the community’s long term envisioned future.
To ensure that the City’s transit station is located in the most desirable location, the City shall conduct a study to evaluate potential transit station locations. Each potential location will be evaluated in full consideration of possible impacts associated with planning, implementing and operating a future multimodal station. Site evaluation criteria will include considerations of the following issues:
• The City’s ability to plan for and provide appropriate supply of nearby parking spaces to meet the various demands of envisioned transit users.
• The City’s capacity to plan for and manage any traffic and circulation impacts related to all modes of transit including automobiles, autobuses, and pedestrians that will regularly frequent the station.
• The City’s goals to use the transit station to catalyze new investment in accordance with the envisioned patterns of development and land use for areas adjacent to and nearby their future transit station.
• The relative short- and long- term impacts of any necessary site acquisition and site preparation costs on City finances.
Step 1b - System Planning. The City will continue to be an active participant in the region’s effort to define the configuration of the planned E- Bart system, and use its role in the regional transit planning effort to emphasize the importance of linking the regional transit infrastructure to the most intensively developed town centers, both to promote ridership and to capture the value of transit stations in appropriately located station areas.
Step 11 - Integration. The City will integrate the future transit station in accordance with the community’s vision for the future of Downtown. The City will ensure that public transportation shall become a legitimate alternative to the automobile for commuters living and working within or nearby the Downtown district, as well as to shoppers, employees of Downtown businesses, and to all who might visit the City’s entertainment, civic, and cultural heart.
• Link all modes of transit. The City will coordinate with all transit and related agencies to cluster all transit facilities intended to serve the Downtown district into the vicinity of a single multimodal transit center.
• Ensure connection to the Downtown Core: The City will take the necessary steps to ‘ tie’ the transit station to the Downtown Core so that all who enter or exit the transit system via the multimodal station will be inclined to frequent the Core and take advantage of all it has to offer.
• Create a walkable center: Building on the community’s vision for their City’s heart, the transit station shall be easily accessible by pedestrians living and working within and nearby the Downtown district. 33
City of Brentwood - Downtown Specific Plan
Book II: Development Regulations
BOOK II: DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS
This section contains the Development Regulations that govern all future private development actions in the Downtown Specific Plan Area. These design standards and guidelines will be used to evaluate private development projects or improvement plans proposed for properties within the Downtown District. The Development Regulations are presented in the following four sections: 2.2 Site Development Standards, 2.3. Street and Open Space Standards and Guidelines, 2.4. Parking Standards and Guidelines, and 2.5 Architectural Standards and Guidelines.
2.1. ORIENTATION
2.1.1. Applicability
a) The policies contained within this section shall apply only to new construction and/ or significant additions or renovations to existing structures as long as no changes to the existing land uses or structures are made. Nothing contained in this section shall require any change in any existing building or structure for which a building permit has been previously issued.
b) The approving body of the entitlement being requested may permit minor deviations from the Specific Plan provisions as part of its approval of a particular development application without requiring an amendment to the Specific Plan, provided that the project is consistent with the stated intent of the Specific Plan and the City’s General Plan. More substantive amendments to Specific Plan provisions may be requested by an applicant or property owner or may be initiated by the City. Substantive Specific Plan amendments shall be processed in accordance with City ordinances, and all such amendments will be presented for City Council review at a public hearing. The process for amending the Specific Plan is similar to that of a General Plan amendment. The Community Development Director shall make the determination whether a proposed change is a minor deviation or a substantive Specific Plan amendment.
c) Development regulations established in this Plan are of two types: Development Standards and Design Guidelines.
1) Development Standards address those aspects of development that are essential to achieve the goals of the Specific Plan. They include specifications for site development and building design, such as permitted land uses, building height, and setbacks. Conformance with Development Standards is mandatory. Such provisions are indicated by use of the words “ shall,” “ must,” or “ is/ is not permitted.”
2) Design Guidelines provide guidance for new development in terms of aesthetics and other considerations such as district character or design details. They are intended to direct building and site design in a way that results in the continuity of the valued character of Downtown Brentwood. Whereas conformance with the Development Standards is mandatory, conformance with Design Guidelines is preferred. Provisions that fall into this category are indicated by the words “ should,” “ may” or “ are encouraged to.” In various cases, Design Guidelines provide a choice of treatments that will achieve the desired effect. Although direct conformance with the Design Guidelines is the surest route to swift approval, developers are permitted to propose alternative design details if they are able to show that such details implement the overall Plan objectives with respect to the desired character of the Downtown district.
d) Existing Legal Nonconforming Buildings and Structures as of the date of Specific Plan Adoption.
1) Normal and routine maintenance of any existing building and structure for the purpose of preserving its existing condition, retarding or eliminating wear and tear or physical depreciation, or complying with the requirements of law, shall be permitted.
2) Exterior improvements and renovations and/ or structural additions to existing buildings that increase non- conformities are not permitted, except as specified below:
i) Building additions greater than 5% of the gross floor area of an existing building shall only be permitted for a conforming use and shall be designed to bring the building into compliance with the policies of the Specific Plan.
ii) Significant exterior alterations or change in exterior façade or architectural design shall be permitted only if the proposed change brings the building into compliance with the intent of the Specific Plan.
iii) Building additions less than 5% of the gross floor area of an existing building and minor exterior changes using materials similar to the existing building materials shall be permitted but shall be designed so as to not increase the nonconformity to the intent of the Specific Plan.
iv) A residential structure used for a residential land use shall be permitted to add non- conditioned accessory structures and outdoor amenities consistent with the setbacks for the current District Zone.
e) Existing Legal Nonconforming Land Uses as of the date of Specific Plan Adoption
1) A nonconforming use is a use which existed legally under the provisions of its zoning classification prior to the effective date of the Downtown Specific Plan which rendered such use not in conformance. A nonconforming land use existing as of the effective date of the Downtown Specific Plan may be continued.
2) Change. Except as provided herein, a nonconforming use shall not be changed to or replaced by any use except a conforming use. A City of Brentwood - Downtown Specific Plan
Book II: Development Regulations
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nonconforming land use may be changed to or replaced by another nonconforming use when all of the following criteria are met:
i) The change or replacement does not increase the extent or intensity of the nonconformity or the site area or floor area 8 occupied by the nonconforming use on the site, except as may be provided by Section 2.1.1.4.
ii) The change or replacement is consistent with the intent of the Specific Plan.
iii) The use is permitted in the Main Street Retail use category.
iv) The change or replacement of nonconforming use to or by another nonconforming use shall be permitted only if the building or portion of a building, presently occupied by the nonconforming use is not reasonably capable of conversion to accommodate use and occupancy by a conforming use, without substantial reconstruction or remodeling as determined by the Chief Building Official.
v) A nonconforming use which is changed to or replaced by a conforming use shall not be reestablished, and any portion of a site or any portion of a building, the use of which changes from a nonconforming to conforming use, shall not thereafter be used except to accommodate a conforming use.
f) Discontinuance. Any site that experiences a period of temporary vacancy for a period of six months or longer, or a use that is discontinued or otherwise ceases operations and use of the site for a period of six months or longer, shall not be resumed, reestablished or continued and all subsequent use of such site shall conform to the Development Regulations in this Plan. Additionally, all signage associated with the discontinued, nonconforming use shall be removed after one year of cessation of the use.
g) Expansion. A nonconforming land use which occupies a portion of a building, may be expanded to include additional floor area within the same building provided that:
1) Without substantial remodeling or reconstruction, the portion of the building into which expansion is proposed is not reasonably susceptible to use or occupancy by a conforming use, which determination shall be made by the Chief Building Official who shall take into consideration whether any required remodeling or reconstruction would involve structural alterations.
2) Office uses shall not be permitted to expand into the Retail Required Zone.
h) All new residential units in the Downtown Specific Plan District are exempt from the City’s Residential Growth Management Program. However, these units shall be subtracted from the annual allocations.
2.1.2. Overview of the Development Regulations
The Development Regulations in this document are applied to those properties within the Downtown Specific Plan Area as indicated on the Downtown District Zones map ( 2.2.1.). The Development Regulations are divided into four sections: Site Development Standards ( 2.2.), Street and Open Space Standards and Guidelines ( 2.3.), Parking Standards and Guidelines ( 2.4.), and Architectural Standards and Guidelines ( 2.5.). Projects must meet all development standards in order to achieve approval in the developmental review process. Projects are encouraged to adhere to the recommendations contained within the sections’ Guidelines, and projects that conform to those recommendations will meet with quick approval through the design review process.
2.2. Site Development Standards are organized by District Zones and govern the disposition and development of each property or lot. These Standards set forth permitted and conditionally permitted use categories for each District Zone. They contain the majority of the provisions that regulate the scale of the “ building envelope,” e. g. minimum and maximum building height, setback, and frontage coverage policies.
2.3. Street and Open Space Standards and Guidelines are organized by use categories, and set forth minimum requirements for provision of publicly accessible open space within each development.
2.4. Parking Standards and Guidelines are also organized by use categories, and set forth minimum parking requirements to ensure that new development provides convenient parking, as well as specifying design requirements for parking facilities to ensure that new development contributes to an enhanced pedestrian environment.
2.5. Architectural Standards and Guidelines are organized by building type and are provided to ensure that new development will reinforce and extend the essential character of the historic downtown district.
2.1.3. How to use the Development Regulations
Any actions proposing new construction or substantial modifications to existing buildings are subject to the Development Regulations contained in the Specific Plan. In order to locate and review the Development Regulations for a specific property:
2.2. For Site Development Standards governing land use and building envelope: locate the property in question on the Downtown District Zones Map located in section 2.2.1. Note which District Zone the property falls within. Turn to the Site Development Standards Chart in section 2.2. and review the requirements for that District Zone. Reference the definitions and specifications for each regulated element listed in the Development Standards Chart on the pages that follow.
2.3. For Street and Open Space Standards and Guidelines, locate the proposed use category on the Open Space Requirement Chart located in section 2.3. and review the applicable requirements for the provision of Open Space. Then, review the standards ( 2.3.1.) and guidelines ( 2.3.2.) governing the design of open space. Also reference this section for regulations governing landscaping of front, side, rear yards as well as other on- site improvements.
2.4. For Parking Standards and Guidelines, locate the proposed use category on the Parking Requirement Chart located in section 2.4. and review the applicable requirements for the provision of parking. Then, review the standards ( 2.4.2.) and guidelines ( 2.4.3.) governing the design of parking and site access.
2.5. For Architectural Standards and Guidelines covering the design of new and improved structures, first locate the proposed use category on the Building Types Chart located in section 2.5., review the applicable Building Types, and select a type that is desirable. Review the architectural styles recommended for commercial and residential development in section 2.5.2. Then refer to the standards and guidelines for architectural elements in section 2.5.3. Finally, refer to section 2.5.4. for architectural massing and composition standards and guidelines organized by building type.
2.1.4. How to obtain Project Approval
All new construction and substantial modifications to existing buildings shall be reviewed for conformance with these Development Regulations of the Specific Plan. To obtain project approval, proposals must conform to the Site Dev