Attachment No. 4 (Part No. 1) - Downtown Area Plan — Fontana City Council, July 25, 2023

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.1

Downtown Area Plan

SECTION PAGE
Introduction - Downtown Area Plan Rationale 2
A. Downtown Area Plan Guiding Principles 4
B. Findings, Challenges And Opportunities 6
C. What the Community Said 12
D. Goals And Policies 14
E. Downtown Area Plan Intent And Authority 16
F. Placemaking Strategy for the Downtown 18
G. Downtown Core 20
Goal 1: A Livable Public Realm 24
Goal 2: Buildings Shape the Public Realm 32
Goal 3: An Activity-Rich Downtown 40
Goal 4: Park-Once District 49
Goal 5: Clear Branding And Wayfinding 51
Getting Started 53
H. Gateway Corridors 55
Goal 1: Foothill Boulevard Gateway 57
Goal 2: South Sierra Avenue Gateway 59
Goal 3: Corridor Infill 61
Getting Started 65
I. In-Town Neighborhoods 67
Goal 1: Shady Streets And Open Spaces 69
Goal 2: Neighborhood-Scaled Blocks 71
Goal 3: Neighborhood-Scaled Buildings 73
Getting Started 77
CHAPTER 14
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.2 Downtown Area Plan Rationale
Through the Fontana Forward public process for Fontana’s new General Plan, a central element of the vision for Fontana’s future was to broaden and diversify the community’s offerings of housing, retail and lifestyle choices beyond its recent and current “bedroom suburb” emphasis. The following represent the primary goals identified with support from the Community.

1. Develop more walkable, transit-servable neighborhoods (i3 Neighborhoods) that provide a broader range of housing types for a wider range of household sizes, ages, income levels and lifestyles.

2. Develop “Livable Corridors” that include a mix of commercial amenities, job-generating businesses and a range of housing types along some of Fontana’s major street corridors in order to bring more amenities within walking or biking distance of existing neighborhoods and to provide new housing and employment near planned transit stops.

3. Make Downtown Fontana a destination - a lively mixed-use district and cultural hub - that more people want to visit more often and spend more time, and money. This goal was overwhelmingly embraced by Fontana Forward participants.

The above ideas are presented in more detail
in Sections 14 and 15 of this General Plan.

As the conversation turned to the question
of where in Fontana such districts,
neighborhoods and corridors might be most
appropriate and practical to implement
in Fontana, it quickly became clear that
Central Fontana (generally between Foothill
Boulevard and I-10, as shown on the facing
page) was particularly suitable based on:
• The availability of sizable quantities of vacant and underutilized land; • The fact that the street network in this area could easily be adapted to such interconnected development patterns;
• A broad community consensus that such places could “fit in” well in Central Fontana, and less so farther to the north or south; and;
• Reinvestment in this part of town could also be valuable in supporting the revitalization of the Downtown.

For more information on how these conclusions were reached, please see the “Findings and Challenges” and “What the Community Said” sections of the Downtown Area Plan, Sections C and D, respectively.

As further evidence of the suitability of Central Fontana as a priority area for implementing the new General Plan, the General Plan Guiding Principles all prove highly relevant and applicable to the areas surrounding the Downtown. Those principles are listed on the following pages, with subtext keying them specifically to the Downtown Are (a.k.a.

Central Fontana).

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.3

Map not to scale

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.4 A

Downtown Area Plan Guiding Principles

1. Pursue high quality development.

Downtown Fontana is a real place with its
own unique identity and character. The
quality of new development should build on
the qualities of it historic commercial and
civic buildings to help conserve its heritage
and character.

2. Connect people and places. Make human
scale connections wherever possible -
the success of downtown businesses is
directly related to the ability of customers

Green brings life to a street
to easily find and access them.

3. Be business-friendly. To take maximum
advantage of Downtown's central location,
existing amenities, and opportunities
for growth it will be important that
the business community and the City
of Fontana actively recruit and
enthusiastically welcome and support new and
growing businesses.

4. Support education, careers and job- related
growth. Downtown already includes a mix of
educational institutions, cultural amenities,
and underutilized properties. This is an ideal
mix to support additional educational
opportunities, new businesses, and
entrepreneurial activities to generate good
new local jobs.

5. Make healthy lifestyles easy and
fun. Create reasons and places for the
community to gather and join together in
shared activities; make streets memorable
spaces where it's comfortable to be a
pedestrian and cyclist.

Invite people to walk and bike

Historic Fontana as inspiration for the future
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.5

6. Pursue a greener and more comfortable
public realm. California’s best downtowns
have strong street tree canopies that help to
define the streets and other public spaces as
outdoor rooms and provide shelter from the
sun and wind.

7. Ensure fairness and opportunity for all
parts of the city. The Downtown is the part
of town most intended to be shared by
everyone. Make it attractive and easy for
local business to locate and grow in the
Downtown, and encourage a variety of
housing types located within a comfortable
walk to Downtown.

8. Be cost effective and flexible. Needs and
wants evolve over time, and Downtown
buildings more than most are easily
adaptable to changing businesses and
activities. Maintain flexibility to take
advantage of future opportunities, without
compromising other principles.

9. Act transparently. Reviving Downtown is a
big job and without the strong support of
the Fontana community and City
government, it won’t happen. Trust,
consensus, enthusiasm and commitment will
need to be built, before building streets and
buildings.

10. Pursue goals through partnerships.

Attracting business and development in the
downtown will require collaboration with the
business community.

Gathering places can be found in unexpected places

Make room for the creative and the entrepreneurial

Downtown will be plentiful if we make it happen

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.6 B

Findings And Challenges

FINDINGS
Overview
The Downtown Area Plan encompasses approximately one square mile around the historic Downtown, centered on the intersection of Sierra Avenue and Arrow Boulevard. The following findings were made based on a review of the existing built environment in this area and a review of applicable policies and regulations in Fontana's current planning and zoning documents.

Land Use Patterns And
Zoning Findings
• Downtown Urban Patterns:

Fontana’s central area has a low
scale urban form and semi-
connective road network that
reflects its history as an
agricultural community and small
factory town.
• Historic Resources and
Patterns: The Downtown Area
includes the highest concentration
of historic buildings in town,
including the Fontana Women’s
Packing House, Art Depot
(formerly the Red Car station),
and several historic homes. In
many cases inappropriate
improvements have degraded
their quality.
• Vacant and Underutilized
Land: Many parcels very close
to Downtown are substantially
vacant, previously used as
farmland, storage yards, or car
dealerships.
• Existing Zoning/Regulations:

Current zoning and development
standards are single use zones,
including low density housing,
commercial of various types, light
industrial, and public/civic facilities.

Findings were previously gathered at multiple
community workshops, analyzed, and presented
back to the community in order to identify key
challenges and opportunities facing Downtown.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.7

Key characteristics of these zones include: 1) residential intensities of 12 dwelling units per acre and less; and, 2) commercial and industrial zones in which housing or mixed-use development are not allowed.

Housing—Findings
• Single-Family: Housing in the Downtown area
primarily consists of single-family homes, most
built from the 1920s and 1980s. In most cases
garages face the street, while some are accessed
by rear alley.
• Multifamily Housing: Most multifamily
housing in Downtown is focused on below-
market-rate affordable units and/or senior
living. Community input confirmed that the
tall security fences surrounding many of these
properties are a response to the perception that
such housing is associated with high crime
rates.
• Senior Housing: Most of the multi-family
housing in the Downtown Area is senior
housing, many below- market-rate. In the
mid-2000s, the City built several hundred
senior units adjacent to the Metrolink Station.
• Affordable Family Housing: According to
SCAG’s 2021-2029 Regional Housing Needs
Assessment (RHNA), the City of Fontana is
projected to need 17,519 additional units –
46% of which (8,059) are to be for extremely
low income, very low income and low income
households.
1 • Student Housing: Currently there are no
housing options well suited to college
students in the Downtown area. Chaffey and
Westech College are commuter campuses.

Chaffey College Master Vision Plan
anticipates an approximately 40% growth in
enrollment from 3,270 to over 4,600 by 2025.

"The Fountains at Sierra" at the
intersection of Sierra and Ceres is one of
five senior multifamily buildings built in
the mid-2000s.

Example of existing single-family homes
and neighborhoods near Downtown -
Upland Avenue.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.8 Access, Circulation and Mobility —Findings
• Vehicular Circulation and Parking: Additional parking will be needed to support the higher level of activities associated with the revitalized downtown.
• Pedestrian Circulation: Pedestrian circulation is
enabled but has not been prioritized in Downtown.

Infrastructure trends in recent decades have resulted
in relatively wide, fast vehicular travel lanes, and
narrow sidewalks with infrequent crosswalks and
few mid-block crossings. In some cases, pedestrian
crossings are 1/4 mile apart or more.
• Bicycle Circulation: Current bicycle facilities in the On-street parking is often full, while public
lots are often unmarked and underutilized.

Wide streets with few crossings contribute
to lower levels of pedestrian and bicycle
use.

Downtown include:
> Class I (dedicated, buffered): The regional Pacific
Electric Trail (PET) travels 6.4 miles across the City
east to west. The PET is the only fully dedicated
and buffered bicycle route in the City of Fontana
and allows for multi-use, but is not heavily used
due to perceived public safety concerns.
> Class II (dedicated, unbuffered lanes): There are
two Class II lanes in the Downtown, along Ceres
and Juniper Avenues.
> Class III "Sharrows" (shared with vehicular
lanes): The majority of these lanes are found in
Downtown along on Sierra, Foothill, Arrow and
Cypress. However in most cases the prevailing
vehicular speeds are higher than the 25 m.p.h. ideal
speed or 35 m.p.h. top recommended speed for
shared lanes.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.9 • Metrolink: Metrolink is generally perceived as a
valuable regional asset in Fontana, although train
timing and stopping locations often conflict with
traffic.
• Public Transit: Omnitrans currently provides eight
bus routes with local and regional access to
Downtown (Route 10, 14, 15, 19, 20, 61, 66 and 67).

The primary transit hub is adjacent to the Fontana
Metrolink Station.
• Sierra Avenue: Sierra Avenue is the primary spine
through Fontana's historic core and extends to the
north and south connecting of Fontana's newer
neighborhoods, and major commercial and industrial
centers to Downtown. It also provides direct access to
the I-10, I-15 and 210 freeways. Currently, the
Downtown segment of Sierra (from Merrill to
Foothill) carries between 30,000 and 40,000 average
daily traffic (ADT) along four lanes - this segment is
not a designated Truck Route.
• Foothill Boulevard: Foothill Boulevard is the
primary east-west corridor for the City of Fontana
and the north gateway to the Downtown Plan Area.

Historically part of Route 66, Foothill Boulevard
accommodates over 40,000 ADT travel lanes. Some
Route 66-era buildings and uses remain, but most of
this corridor is characterized by a mix of commercial
uses and vacant parcels.
• Arrow Boulevard: Arrow Boulevard is a second
cross-valley highway, mostly four lanes but two to
the west, and carries less than half the traffic of
Foothill Boulevard, approximately 20,000 ADT.
• Merrill Avenue: On the south edge of the
Downtown Area, Merrill Avenue runs east to west,
carrying approximately 15,000 ADT in four lanes.

Merrill Avenue primarily serves local commuters
and provides direct access to Chaffey College and
local bus routes.

Fontana Metrolink Station — a regional
asset for the City

Sierra Avenue — the primary north-south
corridor through the City and Downtown

Classic Route 66 era buildings along
Foothill Boulevard

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.10

Fontana Memorial Rose Gardens
along Spring Street

Open Space and Recreation—Findings
The Downtown Area Plan is home to the following
parks and open spaces:
• Miller Park (5.6 ac.) and Amphitheater (planned):

Located immediately behind Lewis Library, this park
currently hosts a number of community events
including Concerts at the Park. There are current
plans for the park to be developed into an
amphitheater as a central event venue and community
gathering place.
• Seville Park (3.8 ac.): Seville Park is located on the western edge of the Downtown Area Plan.
• Santa Fe Park (1.0 ac.): This centrally located
park, at the corner of Orange Way and Sierra
Avenue, is considered to be largely underutilized,
with great potential for community events.
• Memorial Rose Gardens (0.6 ac.): The rose
gardens, located on the north side of Spring Street,
are loved by many residents,
• Citrus Berms (PET adjacent): The citrus berms,
currently run parallel to the PET between Juniper
and Emerald Avenue. The berm configuration is
not well liked or used by the community.

Citrus berms parallel to the PET
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.11

CHALLENGES
The following challenges were identified through an analysis of the findings:

Pedestrian-Oriented Design
• Existing corridors prioritize vehicular speed and convenience over pedestrian safety and comfort.
• Downtown lacks a complete, safe, comfortable pedestrian network - in particular crosswalks are long and mid-block crossings are few. • There is an absence of shade and wind protection throughout the Downtown area.
• There is a perceived lack of safety along streets, and in open spaces.

Traffic and Parking
• The primary street corridors connect Fontana, but their current design makes Downtown a "pass-through district", rather than a destination.
• Wide travel lanes in the Downtown are associated with vehicular speeds that are higher than desirable for a walkable mixed-use district.
• There is a perceived lack of parking throughout the Downtown — many public on- and off-street spaces go underutilized.

Zoning Regulations
• Existing zoning, parking requirements and permit processes deter many businesses from locating Downtown.
• Existing commercial zoning regulations for the Downtown Core were written for suburban strip malls and do not allow construction of simple downtown building types without variances.
• Current zoning regulations, combined with low land values, result in prime Downtown locations being used for warehousing, surface parking or remain vacant.
• Current zoning regulations limit residential densities to 12 dwelling units per acre (DU/A) and limit mixed-use, providing little ability or incentive for new investment to unlock latent land values and uses.

Economic Development
• The absence of a clear vision for or management of Downtown Fontana has resulted in a limited variety of retail and commercial uses, and a lack of housing. This lack of vision or focus has led to a gradual decline the economic activity that typically drives the success of a downtown.

Downtown Character and Urban Design
• Out-of-date building safety and seismic standards limit the reuse of many older buildings in the Downtown.
• Certain facade improvements and inconsistent street improvements have led to a disjointed, generally low quality urban design image.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.12 C

What The Community Said
This section summarizes public comments gathered through a series of community workshops and interviews for the Downtown Area Plan. Interviewees included residents, property owners, business owners and local employers, real estate professionals and developers, City Staff, and members of the local Chamber of Commerce and General Plan Advisory Committee. Many
Fontanans would like their Downtown to:

Downtown Character
• Be a local and regional destination for
retail, employment, culture, and housing,
building upon Fontana's historic character.
• Be a comfortable gathering place for future
generations, with a wide range of amenities
for families and visitors of all ages.

Economic Development
• Have regulations and incentives that
support a variety of retail and commercial
businesses, small and locally-owned
businesses in particular.
• Offer a wide variety of everyday
conveniences such as bakeries,
coffee shops, service businesses,
boutiques and restaurants.
• Offer overnight lodging for visitors.

Streetscape and Public Realm Improvements
• Have tree-lined streets that provide shade and wind protection, with landscaping and lighting that contribute to a safe, comfortable atmosphere.
• Provide wide sidewalks and frequent crossings on corridors to strengthen connections between shopping areas, neighborhoods and open spaces.
• Transform Foothill Boulevard and reflect its Route 66 heritage. • Design beautiful streets and open spaces to accommodate special events.

Transportation and Circulation
• Construct street improvements that calm traffic to improve pedestrian safety and mobility.
• Maintain adequate traffic flow through the Downtown.
• Accommodate future transit options.
• Increase the number and quality of bicycle routes and facilities.

The consultant team engaged community members at Sunset on Sierra, July 30, 2016. The consultant team attended both formal and informal events in order to reach a wide range of local residents and stakeholders.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.13 Infill and Development
• Restore or redevelop older properties.
• Creatively adapt historic buildings to
accommodate new uses.
• Attract infill development and re-investment in
the Downtown with catalytic streetscape
improvements.
• Update zoning and development standards to
help ensure high-quality architecture and
construction.
• Allow higher-intensity residential and mixed-use
development to attract a mix of housing options
for a range of household sizes, ages, incomes and
lifestyles.
• Update zoning to allow neighborhood scale multi-
family and attached single-family infill housing
types.

Open Space
• Reimagine and improve the Pacific Electric Trail
(PET) as a civic park linking the Civic Center to the
Downtown Core.
• Replace berms and most citrus trees along Seville
with more useful and attractive open space
amenities.

Parking Organization and Management
• Provide convenient parking throughout the
Downtown.
• Enhance pedestrian connections to parking facilities. • Add parallel, diagonal and perpendicular parking
along selected street edges and in medians.
• Identify and reserve key locations for shared
parking facilities.

Planning Process and Regulation
• Simplify entitlement processes and conflicts
between zoning requirements and the General Plan.
• Allow for Conditional Use Permits (CUP's) that
enable longer operating hours, reduced parking
ratios, and additional alcohol licenses, where
warranted, to help attract new businesses.
• Adopt building standards that enable historic and
older buildings to be feasibly adapted to new uses.
• Create a Downtown Management District to
coordinate programming, management, maintenance
and parking.

In addition to map markups and
surveys, community members
shared comments and ideas in
public forums at the end of each
workshop or public gathering.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.14 D

Goals And Policies

GOALS POLICIES
Fontana Becomes a Local and Regional Destination
Make Downtown Fontana an important
regional destination for dining,
shopping, entertainment, special
events, culture and education.
• Encourage a mix of uses in the downtown
core, appealing to a wide range of customer
types, with a focus on families.
• Prioritize the Downtown Area for available
street and park improvement funding.
• Support regional transit initiatives that provide
enhanced access to the Downtown Area.
• Take specific actions that facilitate development
including process streamlining, review of fees
and staff dedication.

Economic Growth And Development
Make the Downtown Area a preferred
location for new businesses and jobs in
Fontana and the greater region.
• The City will actively recruit and provide
incentives for businesses of many types to
relocate to or expand in the Downtown area.
• The City will pursue “pink zone” strategies to
reduce the time and cost to establish or
expand a business, thereby "lightening the red
tape”.
• The City will provide incentives for businesses to
employ local workers.

A Range of New Housing
Provide housing for a broad range of
household sizes, types and incomes
within the Downtown Area to help
support the health and growth of the
downtown economy.
• Encourage mixed-use development within the
Downtown and along major corridors.
• Encourage new medium and high density
housing on vacant and underutilized parcels
within the neighborhoods of the Downtown
Area.
• Ensure that new infill development is
compatible in scale and character with the
existing neighborhoods.
• Ensure that transportation and utility
infrastructure keeps pace with infill
development so that the neighborhood
character and quality steadily improves over
time.
• Encourage new “in-town” housing types
targeted to young people and young families to
help attract and retain the next generation of
Fontanans.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.15

GOALS POLICIES
Strengthened Connections Between Downtown Core And Major Corridors Reinvigorate the Foothill and Sierra Corridors
with a mix of retail, employment, mixed-use
and housing development as an economic
engine for the Downtown Area, and as
gateways to Downtown.
• Ensure that future street improvements to Foothill
and Arrow Boulevards and Sierra Avenue improve
the appearance and pedestrian environment while
accommodating traffic flows.
• In addition to high quality commercial
development, encourage housing in
appropriate forms along these corridors.
• Concentrate higher development intensities within
a 1/4 mile of planned transit stops, with shared
parking arrangements when feasible.

Pedestrian-Oriented Design
Ensure that a beautiful, comfortable,
pedestrian-oriented public realm seamlessly
connects the Downtown district,
neighborhoods and major corridors of the
Downtown Area.
• Require that new development systematically
contribute to an interconnected network of
complete streets and pedestrian connections.
• Encourage new development to provide
amenities for passive and active recreation, in
scale with the size and type of development.
• Prioritize available public improvement funds and
developer contributions to systematically
generate a strong urban tree canopy for shelter
from summer sun and strong winds.
• Incorporate a pedestrian plaza within the
Downtown Core.

Center for Education
The area along Sierra Avenue and Merrill
Street will become a College District, with a
mix of housing
and employment surrounding and supporting
the growing Chaffey College campus.
• The City will work collaboratively with the
College to attain this goal.
• Encourage higher density housing on appropriate
sites that is targeted to student, faculty and staff.
• Encourage the formation and growth of
start-up and spin-off businesses related to or
supported by the College on appropriate sites.

Public Art
Embrace the arts as a public benefit.

Establish an environment that
encourages participation and
patronization of the arts in the
Downtown area.
• Support temporary and permanent artwork
installations in the Downtown area through
promotion of an Art in Public Places program.
• Explore and invest in programs to encourage
art and arts-related events and businesses in
the Downtown.

Historic Preservation
The Downtown Area will respect and
reflect the heritage and unique character of
Fontana.

• The City will encourage and provide incentives for
the preservation, rehabilitation, and adaptive
reuse of historic buildings.
• The City will provide incentives for the
adaptive reuse of existing buildings and
facade and other improvements that
contribute to the vision of the Downtown.
• New zoning standards and design guidelines will
focus on ensuring that new infill development
respects the scale and character of Fontana’s
historic building fabric.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.16 E

Downtown Area Plan Intent and
Authority
Intent
The intent of this Plan is to provide a comprehensive vision for the Downtown Area, organized into specific goals, strategies and actions to direct and coordinate the implementation of that vision over time.

Because successful downtowns are cohesive, immersive, human scale environments in which private buildings , commercial activity, public spaces, civic institutions, and community life seamless meld together, it is critical that such a Plan address and coordinate the design and management of the public realm with existing and new private development and business activities. For this reason, this Plan and the parallel Downtown Development Code are focused on encouraging, shaping and coordinating each new public improvement and each new private development project to generate the sort of beautiful, unique, lively, comfortable Downtown that Fontanans envision as the historic and future heart of their community.

The Downtown Area Plan area is within the Walkable Mixed Use - 1 land use category. The Downtown Form Based Code provided all development standards and authorized land uses for all parcels within the boundary of the Downtown Area Plan.

The new Downtown Core provides updated zoning regulations for the Core focus area within a new Walkable Mixed Use-3 land use category.

This land use category will accommodate higher residential densities and mixed uses supportive of a more walkable and vibrant downtown.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.17

Downtown is a place for shopping, living, working, recreation and community life - Ventura, California.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.18 F

Placemaking Strategy for the Downtown
As a framework for systematically improving the urban character, function and value of Downtown Fontana, the Downtown area is divided into three primary districts or "Place Types," the Downtown Core, Gateway Corridors and In-Town Neighborhoods. The vision for and defining characteristics of each of these Place Types—along with prioritized strategies and actions—are described in this Plan. Following adoption of the Downtown Area Plan, new zoning will provide design standards that will be the regulatory tool that guides the implementation of the concepts described in this plan.

Downtown Core
The Downtown Core is made up of the six distinct but complementary subdistricts below:

Civic Core
The Civic Core district would involve a mix of existing and new public uses, including the existing City Hall, Library, and Park spaces.

Gateway Core
The Gateway Core district would develop strong gateways along Sierra Avenue and serve as a primary gateway to Downtown Fontana from the north and south. This area would contain a mix of existing and new buildings and would support Downtown commercial uses by encouraging the development of residential units near transit and along major corridors.

Multi-Family Core
The Multi-Family Core district would strengthen the opportunity for higher density multi- family development within the Downtown Core. It would support Downtown commercial uses by encouraging the development of residential units within walking distance.

Mixed-Use Core
The Mixed-Use Core district would involve a mix of existing and new commercial and residential uses. Buildings built along major corridors are intended be built to the sidewalk to reinforce the street as a pedestrian-friendly area.

Neighborhood Core
The Neighborhood Core district would be largely composed of single-family homes and would allow the development of extra units. This area would provide a transition between the Downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods.

Sierra Core
The Sierra Core district would reinforce Sierra Avenue between Arrow Boulevard and Orange Way as the core of Downtown Fontana. This area would be enhanced with a pedestrian promenade and public plazas, and provide a variety of entertainment, retail, service, and residential uses within existing and new buildings.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.19 EXHIBIT X.3 PROPOSED DOWNTOWN CORE

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.20 G
Downtown Core
Goals for Creating Updated Downtown Core
Districts
The overarching goal for Fontana's Downtown Core is that it become the center of Fontana's community life: the place to take the family for dinner, the place to bring visitors to show them your town, the place for community events, the place for arts and culture, the place for young people to meet each other, the place you go when you just want to find something interesting to do.

Building on the historic Sierra Avenue Downtown core and nearby historic buildings and streetscapes, the plan is to systematically regrow a bigger and better Downtown reinvigorated with new land uses, activities, new businesses, new public landscape, and new private development. The following pages set forth the main goals and key strategies for remaking the Downtown Core, with ideas drawn from Fontana's history, and from lessons learned from other successful downtowns throughout California.

Downtown as the heart of community life - example from Ventura, California

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.21

Goal 1: Livable Public Realm
The public realm is consists of the street network,
parks, and other publicly accessible open spaces along
with public and civic buildings and facilities. The
streets in the Downtown Core Area streets are
intended to become a unified, interconnected network
of safe, comfortable places for people to move about,
run errands, play with children, walk to dinner, and
spend time in the company of their friends and
neighbors. The jewels of the public realm will be the
parks, plazas and other public open spaces, which
along with the streets will be comfortable spaces for
daily life and flexible venues for special community
events.

Goal 2: Buildings that Accommodate a Lively Mix of
Uses
Each existing building and all future buildings should
contribute to Downtown's envisioned character, with
beautiful facades, pedestrian-oriented frontages, warm
lighting, and artistic signage. Architectural design will balance the uniqueness of each building with the
common purpose of defining the outdoor rooms in
which the civic life of Fontana can thrive.

Goal 3: Activity-Rich Downtown
A thriving, growing Downtown must offer a wide range
of commercial and civic amenities that attract more
people, more often, to spend more time in Downtown.

Downtown must be the best place in town to start and
grow a new local business, undertake a new creative
enterprise, or build new and innovative housing that
offers the in-town lifestyle that many existing and future residents are looking for.

Goal 4: User-Friendly District Parking
Parking in the Downtown must be conveniently
located, clearly marked, easy to find, and adequate for Downtown businesses and special events. A "park-
once" system will be implemented, to allow visitors to
arrive by automobile, use a single parking space, and
then pursue a variety of activities on foot.

Goal 5: Clear Branding And Wayfinding
An integrated branding, wayfinding and signage
system for the Downtown will help this growing multi-
use district successfully compete with suburban
shopping centers and entertainment districts.

Public realm includes streets and sidewalks

Mix of uses in a retail core

Beautiful downtown buildings

Finding your way around

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.22 Top Priorities

The big ideas and top priorities of the Downtown
Area Plan include:
• Generate a concentration of commercial,
recreational, educational, and cultural activities
in the Downtown Core – whether in existing
refurbished buildings, existing refurbished
public open spaces, or new buildings – to make
it a compelling destination for Fontana
residents and out of town visitors.
• Systematically improve the existing
streets of the Downtown Core to provide
a more comfortable, walkable, shaded,
wind-buffered environment with
convenient, adequate parking to help
attract customers, visitors, and businesses
to visit more often and spend more time.
• Provide wayfinding signage to make it easy for
visitors to park and explore the Downtown on
foot.
• Provide updated development standards and
design guidelines to help attract and encourage
new investment, and ensure that each
increment of new investment – whether in just
a new awning or sign and coat of paint or a
whole new building – contributes to a unique
and high quality “Downtown Fontana” design
character.

The Conceptual Illustrative Plan, below, highlights
some of the development priorities and
improvements recommended for transformational
change in Downtown Fontana.

New Gateways, wayfinding and signage will
welcome visitors into the Downtown Core.

Downtown will host a lively mix of uses,
beautiful buildings and architectural forms.

Streets with ample trees and pedestrian
amenities will provide shade and wind
protection, and enhance the visibility of retail.

Conceptual improvements on portions of Sierra Ave include adding parking lane planters and canopy trees, mid-block crossings, and street furnishings to calm traffic, support businesses, and provide a comfortable pedestrian environment.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.23

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.24 Goal 1: A Livable Public Realm

STRATEGIES
The Public Realm of a successful downtown is the "outdoor rooms" in which the civic and commercial life of the town occurs, providing valuable addresses for the activities that attract customers. The following strategies are intended to systematically transform the current ragged streetscapes of Downtown Fontana from a "through place" to a "to place" - a destination that will attract new investment and give passers-by a reason to stop, get out, and look around.

Complete streets make all users comfortable people and cars.

Encourage walking around:
> Widen sidewalks as appropriate;
> Buffer pedestrians from moving traffic with
curbside parking, street trees, street lights and
other street furnishings;
> Provide wide but short well-marked crosswalks; and,
> Create walking shortcuts, including new passages
(streets, alleys, paseos) through existing large
blocks.

Calm Traffic:
> Reduce selected travel lane widths to a practical
and safe minimum width to moderate driving
speeds to improve pedestrian safety and reduce
noise levels;
> Set the number of vehicular lanes at a practical
and safe minimum;
> Reduce traffic congestion and manage speeds by
synchronizing traffic signals to allow vehicles
driving at the posted speed to flow smoothly
through the area;
Clearly marked class II bike lanes along a
tree-lined street create more comfortable
environments for cyclists and motorists.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.25

> Provide more complete street tree canopies and
encourage development of taller mixed-use
buildings to clearly define the public realm - a
proven strategy for increasing driver awareness
and pedestrian safety.

Create a safe, comfortable bicycling environment:
> Provide new bike lanes on selected streets
> Moderated vehicular speeds on Downtown streets
will enable bicycle and vehicular traffic to safely
share lanes.
• Manage on-street parking:
> Provide curbside parking on all streets to provide
convenient customer parking, provide a safety-
buffer for pedestrians, and help calm traffic;
> Where the number and/or width of travel lanes can
be reduced without creating new congestion,
reconfigure on-street parking to expand the supply
of customer parking.

Clearly visible crosswalks with shortened
crossing distances enhance pedestrian
safety and calm traffic.

On-street parking, lighting and street trees
create a safe, comfortable pedestrian
environment.

A street is intentionally designed to slow cars down
with reduced travel lane widths, added bike lanes, on-
street parking, landscaping and street trees, clearly-
marked crosswalks and intersections.

Above, buildings frame the street to encourage
slower traffic speeds and allow for safer pedestrian
movement.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.26

Drought resistant plants and trees
contribute to local design and conservation.

Pervious parking pavement and canopy
trees enable stormwater infiltration.

Street trees with tall canopies provide
shade and wind protection for pedestrians,
and maintain visibility of retail frontages.

Downtown Landscape
• Build the urban tree canopy
Large canopy trees do more than any other single
strategy to make a comfortable outdoor environment
in a windy desert climate. Harsh sun and wind
conditions much of the year, discourage walking and
outdoor dining or recreation. The early settlers of
Fontana understood this challenge and responded by
planting steady rows of large trees to cut the wind, and large canopy trees in parks around civic buildings to
provide shade for community activities.

Although most of that original landscape is gone, a few Downtown neighborhood streets have retained their
historic canopy of large shade trees (Nuevo Street north of Seville is a good example). Recent tree plantings in the Downtown have been primarily "ornamental" and/ or
"low maintenance" in nature and do not contribute to the comfort and livability of the public realm to make it a place where many people would choose to spend their
time. Key elements of the new tree canopy strategy
include:
> Plant canopy trees between the sidewalk and traffic
on all streets, to add shade and spatial enclosure,
provide a buffer from wind and traffic.
> In the retail core to select and maintain trees
to provide good visibility for shopfronts and
signage.
> Large canopy trees in the public open spaces of
Downtown should provide shade and wind
protection to make them comfortable for a wide
range of outdoor activities.
> Employ native and adaptive plant species to
reduce irrigation and maintenance without
sacrificing appearance.
• A Climate Calibrated Landscape
A drought tolerant and resilient urban landscape
that encourages and supports outdoor activity.
> Shade trees are worth the water required to establish and maintain them. Other landscape and hardscape
should emphasize simple concrete sidewalks,
pervious accent pavement, and drought tolerant
native and adaptive plants rather than shrubs, turn
or thirsty groundcovers.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.27

> Regionally adaptive accent plantings include aloes,
succulents, tall grasses and other plants that
require little water and no pruning.
> Stormwater infiltration should be incorporated
into on-street parking areas and off-street lots,
parkway strips and planters. This will provide
stormwater infiltration in support of
groundwater recharge and the growth and
health of street trees.

Street Furnishings
• A Well-Furnished Public Realm
Complete the Downtown landscape with the
"hardware" of comfortable, livable places: street
furniture, street lighting, bicycle parking, and bus
stops. Specific elements include:
> Street lights that provide a safe and pleasant quantity and quality of light appropriate to each district,
street, and space:
 LED lamps in the warm white spectrum,
with down-directed luminaries reduce
energy consumption, operating cost, and
glare.
 Street lights should be calibrated to the size and
function of the street, emphasizing human scale
and the pedestrian rather than just floodlighting
the roadway.
 Light poles and light levels along
neighborhood streets should be lower than
along the commercial corridors, with pools of
light at each fixture and at street intersections
and darker areas between.
> Seating areas should distributed throughout
Downtown to provide comfortable places for
visitors to catch their breath and extend their visit;
> Parklets can "widen the sidewalk" and to
provide additional space for outdoor dining.
> Movable tables and chairs in the retail/restaurant
core, provide a high level of flexibility to the use
of public spaces.
> Secure bike parking in convenient location along
retail streets, at corner plazas and paseos, and at
public parking lots will help bring customers who
do not add to traffic congestion and vehicle parking
demand.

Coordinated street lights and frontages
create a comfortable and safe setting

Street furniture

Parklets with flexible seating

Organized bike parking incorporated into
sidewalks within a downtown retail district

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.28

Plaza with seating and event space

Temporary street festival and regular events may
be held on underutilized lots.

Open Space Network
• An Interconnected Network of
"Outdoor Rooms"
Evolve Downtown's streets, alleys, paseos,
parks, plazas, and other open spaces into an
interconnected network of "outdoor rooms"
lined with beautiful buildings with active
frontages to:
> Enhance the appearance and economic
value of the Downtown;
> Support a healthy in-town lifestyle
downtown the emphasizes active
transportation;
> Enhance public safety by providing
more “eyes on the street;" and,
> Emphasize the connection between the
Downtown and Fontana's beautiful natural
setting, mountain views and natural
resources.
• Use vacant and underutilized
spaces as temporary event or
open spaces.

Downtown has many vacant or
underutilized parcels and "left-over"
spaces that with thoughtful design
improvements, could become attractive
and useful spaces for commercial, civic
and recreational activities. The following
strategies are recommended:
> In the retail core, mid-block alleys
can be enhanced as paseos and
passages to
improve connectivity, and as dining courts
for restaurants.
> Vacant parcels in neighborhoods can
be good locations for temporary
pocket parks, community gardens or
public art installations.
> In commercial areas vacant parcels may
be ideal locations for pop-up shops,
outdoor movie or performance spaces,
art festivals and farmer's markets, and
dining and food truck plazas.

Example of a side dining court created from an
open lot adjacent to mixed-use retail
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.29

• Enhance streets to double as venues for
street festivals and community events. The
connected network of Downtown streets enables
segments to be closed for special community
events, and their design should anticipate and
support such flexible use:
> Side streets and cross streets in particular may
be simpler to close on a regular basis than
Sierra;

A weekend farmers market along a city
street

A passageway between retail buildings
connects pedestrians to convenient parking.

Conceptual illustration for activating alleys, paseos, and mid- block crossings in the Downtown Core.

Alleys and paseos in Pasadena, California
show how mid-block passageways can be
become active places with potential for new
addresses and businesses.

NUEVO
SIERRA

WHEELER
Mid-block pedestrian
connection
NOTE: The spaces indicated above
are for conceptual purposed only.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.30 Sierra Pedestrian Plaza
Proposed Improvements (Sierra Ave, Nuevo Ave & Wheeler Ave) Context & Strategy
Reconfigure Sierra Ave, Nuevo Ave
and Wheeler Ave north of Orange Ave
and south of Arrow Blvd: One goal of
the Downtown is to create an attractive
destination for Fontana. To facilitate
this, a pedestrian plaza on Sierra Ave
north of Orange Way and south of
Arrow Blvd is planned. The plaza will
act as a centerpiece of the Downtown
with attractive architecture and
attractive pedestrian amenities:

An overhead look at a pedestrian plaza on Sierra Ave
Specific recommendations include
• Creating a pedestrian plaza north of Orange
Way and south of Arrow Blvd and redirect
automobile traffic to Wheeler Ave and
Nuevo Ave.
• Include pedestrian amenities such as
outdoor furniture, ample landscaping,
shade and vast walking paths.
• Create multi-modal access to the plaza by
implementing bike lanes, pedestrian
connections and encouraging “alternative”
transportation modes that may include,
shared vehicle options, rollerblading electric
bikes and scooters.
• Create attractive and active spaces through
emphasis of arts. This includes using land
markers such as monuments and gateway
signs. Active public spaces include modern
and interactive art.
• Create a local and regional destination by
creating an active public space as described
above with attractive commercial
development such as restaurants,
amusement spaces (arcades and gaming),
antique shops and art studios.

A pedestrian plaza with amenities.

Residents taking photos with the monuments.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.31 Transformation
The following actions are recommended to transform
and improve the appearance and performance of
Sierra Avenue within the Downtown Core:
• Add broad-canopy street trees: Adding
broad- canopy trees within the curb-side
parking lanes to visually narrow the street,
and help shelter pedestrians from the sun,
wind and traffic. Specific recommendations
include:
i. Replace existing palms and shrubs in
center median with broad canopy trees
and low water use native and adaptive
plantings.
ii. Remove the Queen Palms from sidewalk
planters - maintaining the taller Mexican
Fan Palms - and fill in the sidewalk to
provide additional sidewalk space for
furniture and café dining.
iii. Add new parking-lane planters with
broad- canopy trees every two parking
spaces to visually narrow the street, calm
traffic, and provide shade for the
sidewalk and parked cars.
• Provide comfortable street furniture:

Including benches, trash receptacles and
bicycle parking:
• Provide improved street lighting: Whether
through replacement of fixtures or installing
new lights of LEDs, improve the quantity and
quality of nighttime lighting.
• Allow parklets: Because the sidewalks on
Sierra are not very wide for a downtown,
businesses may elect to give up a curbside
parking space in front of their shop in
exchange for a new parklet that expands
sidewalk space for outdoor dining.

Parking-lane-planters provide shade and
wind protection for the sidewalk and parked
cars, and free up additional sidewalk space
for sidewalk dining and street furnishings.

Parklets provide new "temporary" space to
the sidewalk for outdoor dining, or street
furnishings.

Street Furniture - including benches,
bicycle parking, trash receptacles, bus
shelters - contribute to a safe, comfortable
pedestrian (and retail) environment.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.32 A live-work building with ground-floor retail
creates transitional frontage between a
downtown and traditional neighborhood
Goal 2: Buildings Shape the Public Realm

STRATEGIES FOR PLACE-MAKING
The "outdoor rooms" of the Downtown are defined and lined by the active, attractive facades of its buildings, full of retail shops, restaurants, art galleries, and civic uses. This section focuses on strategies and techniques for shaping new investment in Downtown properties to make Downtown a great, unique place to do business, invest money, and spend time.

Building Patterns
• Buildings engage the street. All new
buildings in the Downtown, including
commercial and mixed-use buildings, should
face the street with main entrances, shopfronts,
and windows overlooking the street.
• Buildings form a steady street wall. Most
downtown streets should be defined by a
consistent street wall of buildings built at
Downtown buildings engaging and framing the street or near the frontage line, one to five stories in height, with commercial
shopfronts or other active uses lining the
ground floor.
• Varied massing. While built in a steady
row in plan, buildings are expected to
vary in height and profile, with varied
architecture and restrained, town-scale
massing.
• Varied architecture. Creativity
should be encouraged; mixing
traditional and contemporary
architectural styles that complement
Fontana's historic building stock.

Varied massing and architecture in a downtown

A consistent street wall created by adjacent buildings

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.33 Building Frontages
• Human scale frontages. The design
of building frontages is critical to
shaping the public realm, welcoming
pedestrians to each building, and
providing an attractive and comfortable
"pedestrian seam" stitching private
buildings to public streets. Downtown
Frontages include:
> Commercial frontages provide clear
entrances with large, transparent,
shaded shopfront windows, ample
lighting, and convenient parking to
display merchandise and welcome
customers.
> Residential frontages include stoops,
porches, terraces, yards, dooryards and
entry courts that welcome visitors while
also providing a degree of frontages
provide additional privacy to ground-
floor residential units without blocking
the "eyes on the street" that each
dwelling provides to keep the street a
safe and comfortable environment.
> Transitional/flexible frontages —
such as dooryards within shallow
frontage setbacks — can provide "user
adaptable" spaces in which landscape
can provide enough privacy ground
floor housing or hardscape can support
a small ground floor business.
> Non-street frontages — such as
garden courts, forecourts, side courts —
provide additional internal frontage
and semi- private spaces. Such non-
street frontages may be valuable space
for dining, gathering or other uses
related to a given site.

Commercial frontages with floor-to-ceiling windows,
awnings, and comfortable landscaping welcome customers.

Raised stoops create welcoming frontages and maintain
privacy for downtown residents.

A sidecourt provides additional non-street frontage on a site, allowing for new uses.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.34 Facade Improvements and Signage
Outdated buildings and shopfronts can be transformed
with relatively simple facade improvements, including:
• Windows that are transparent to give
pedestrians a view into the shop, restaurant or
art gallery;
• Awnings, canopies, galleries or arcades that
provide shade and rain protection, and cut the
glare on shopfront windows so customers can
see in;
• Signage expressing the personality of the business
and scaled for the pedestrian visibility.
• Lighting that highlights merchandise and signage,
and casts light onto adjacent sidewalks;
• New smooth stucco and new paint - or
other appropriate refinishing - to refresh
the facade.

Adaptive reuse
Many Downtown buildings which are underutilized or
their original use is obsolete. Such buildings are ideal opportunities for adaptive reuse, warehouses can
become retail and restaurant buildings with
modifications.

Transparent, well-lit commercial facade

Commercial shopfronts that engage the
street.

Sample restoration, Santa Barbara, CA
Existing condition
Original building and facade
Focus on Facades - Downtown Fontana was originally home to a rich collection of buildings with engaging facades. Below is an example of how such facades may be simply redesigned and restored.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.35

Example of sidewalk signs that engage the pedestrian
in a walkable downtown core setting.

Projecting signs area scaled and often use high
contrast to be legible from the sidewalk and from afar.

Wall and window signs may be integrated into
downtown shopfronts on display windows, doors or
within the transom area (as shown).

Example of projecting letters mounted on a shopfront
to enhance architectural archway and arcade.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.36

Downtown infill can come in a variety of forms and intensities, based on market demand
Infill Development
As Downtown begins to evolve
into an activity and amenity rich
destination, demand for quality
office, retail, and residential
space will begin to overtake the
existing building stock. There
are numerous vacant and
underutilized parcels
downtown that could be
opportunity sites for infill
development, which can come
in a variety of forms:

Corner mixed-use buildings with open pedestrian-
oriented frontages
Infill: Within the Downtown, there are
several locations—especially west of
Sierra—with a number of adjacent parcels
that are largely underutilized. Many of
these lots consists of older commercial
buildings or unused parking lots. In
these instances—and as properties
turnover— the City will explore
opportunities for property owners to
consider new infill building types that
contribute to the community's vision for a
revitalized Downtown.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.37

Example of block consolidation with an infill
development of a new hotel, including the adaptive
re-use of an existing warehouse.

• Mixed-use buildings that bring
residents into Downtown. Traditional
mixed-use buildings, with
commercial/retail ground floors and
housing on upper floors, will provide
housing options not yet available in
Fontana can attract new residents who
want a downtown urban lifestyle.
• New housing options to expand the
market. New housing options can be
offered to property owners and
developers, allowing them to provide a
range of for-sale, rental,
market-rate, higher density, affordable and
live-work units that appeal to a broad range
of household sizes, ages, income levels and
life stages to respond to and expand current
and future market demand.

Larger-scale infill such as a new hotel could
potentially infill the corner of Juniper and Arrow and provide a new hospitality sector to Downtown.

A live-work building with ground-floor retail creates
transitional frontage between a downtown and
traditional neighborhood

Sample infill rowhouses provide attached single-
family housing

JUNIPER

Attached single-family housing on a
shared courtyard

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.38

Coordinating Improvements
At the outset of the ambitious enterprise of rebuilding Downtown Fontana, it will be critically important that each new private sector investment of time and money be aimed at improvements that are consistent with the vision for Downtown and that provide good value for the investment. The following strategies are recommended.

Simple facade, landscaping and lighting
improvements to existing buildings can
greatly help catalyze redevelopment.

Generating activity, not just buildings, is one
key to rejuvenating a downtown - activities
can include art walks, food truck courts, and
regular public events.

1. Activity First
Many downtown revitalization efforts focus first on
attracting developers to construct new buildings. That
will be an important aspect of the overall improvement
of Downtown Fontana, but buildings are just
containers for interesting activities. New downtown
zoning will reduce the regulatory hurdles to starting or expanding a business in and existing building or
constructing a new building. If businesses and the
customer base succeeds and grows, the financing
required for more ambitious capital improvements will
follow. Additionally, efforts to revitalize the
Downtown include the renovation of Center Stage to
the new Stage Red, which will create a major attraction that will activate the Civic Core.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.39

2. Prioritize Frontages
Frontages are the interface between the Downtown’s
public realm and its businesses, the “seam” between the street and the building where people walk, window
shop, and decide where to spend their time and money.

Accordingly, building frontages – including the building facade, display windows, signage, lighting, and in some cases sidewalk dining furniture – are a top priority for reinvestment. The City will provide incentives and
assistance to the extent possible to help business owners and property owners develop and implement sharp new
frontage designs.

3. Focus
Clustering near-term improvements in one area will
clearly signal a transformation of the place.

4. Be Opportunistic and Flexible
Notwithstanding the recommendation for focusing
near- term efforts, if a proposal to start a great new
business or construct a beautiful building that
matches the vision for the Downtown shows up
suddenly in an unexpected location, the City should
consider it.

5. Work Together
Perhaps the most important piece, is that Downtown
businesses and property owners, the City of Fontana,
and all others with a love for Downtown, work
together creatively, resourcefully and proactively to
kick-start the desired transformation.

Prioritize pedestrian-scaled frontages that
engage the sidewalk and public realm.

Focus development and investment in
strategic locations to create synergistic
uses and redevelopment.

Be flexible to property owners and
developers whose vision matches that of
the Downtown Area Plan.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.40 Goal 3: An Activity-Rich Downtown

STRATEGIES
The overarching goal for Downtown Fontana is that over time it become a place filled with a broad spectrum of engaging commercial, civic, cultural and recreational activities that appeal to Residents and visitors of all ages, incomes and ethnic backgrounds, throughout the day and into the evening, throughout the week and on weekends and holidays. All of the important urban design, transportation and management recommendations in this plan are simply aimed at that result.

1. All types of activities: Downtown
has historically been Fontana’s primary
center for civic life, family recreation,
education, employment, cultural activities,
and local commerce, and through the
Fontana Forward process the strong desire
for Downtown to regain that status
emerged over and over. By offering
activities of many types the Downtown
will attract new visitors and regular
customers more often, and sustain their
interest longer.

2. All types of customers: A central strategy of
any successful destination - whether a shopping mall,
resort, or downtown - is to broaden the customer base
by offering a diverse array of choices targeted to
different customer types. Specific customer types that
were mentioned repeatedly in Fontana Forward
workshops included families, young people, senior
citizens, and visitors to the Auto Club Speedway and
Kaiser Medical Center and other nearby destinations.

The recommended mix of indoor and outdoor dining
choices, unique local retail shops, indoor and outdoor
family entertainment, arts and cultural offerings, and
regularly scheduled special events are intended to
appeal to all these customer types.

3. All times of day and evening
The cliche for less than successful downtowns is that they, “roll up the sidewalks before dinner time,” and the vision for Downtown Fontana is that things are just getting going at dinner time. While the daytime is expected to be busy, with breakfast and lunch restaurants, a range of retail shops, art galleries and service businesses, Fontana’s long, warm evenings much of the year are ideal for indoor/
outdoor dining, entertainment and window shopping late
Enable a variety of activities to attract new visitors
Activities and spaces should appear to a
diverse range of ages and interests.

Activities should be available throughout
the day and night.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.41

into the evening. A growing residential population
in surrounding neighborhoods and within the
downtown will be an important factor in giving
Downtown a “live- in” feel that feels safer and more
comfortable that a commercial-only district.

4. Indoor & Outdoor Many great downtowns
thrive in spite of inclement weather much of the
year, by generating enclosure and shelter for
their inhabitants through the design of public
streetscapes and private buildings. Although
Fontana’s climate can be quite hot in the
summer, at times chilly in the winter, and windy
much of the year, these are factors quite easily
mitigated by the types of spatial enclosure,
shading and wind-breaking envisioned and
recommended by this Plan. The general lack of
rainfall and long warm evenings can be
leveraged to make the sort of comfortable
indoor/outdoor environment that has made
many of California’s desert cities (Palm Springs
and Palm Desert in particular) into regional and
even international visitor destinations. Fontana
can do this in its own, unique way.

Sidewalks should support outdoor dining
and other activities where appropriate.

5. Constantly evolving: The most
successful downtowns offer a changing
menu of choices for visitors, to keep regulars
coming back and new customers showing
up. The natural evolution of local businesses
responding to market forces provides such
variety, as do changing shows in the visual
and performing arts and menu rotations by
local restaurants. Special events provide a
great opportunity for bringing new activities
to the Downtown, some of which may spin
off permanent businesses while others draw
weekly, monthly or seasonal visitors who
are then exposed to the other permanent
offerings. A cooperative management and
promotional organization can provide a key
role in organizing and promoting the
changing and expanding activities of
Downtown Fontana.

Sunset on Sierra 2016 brought residents and visitors
to explore Downtown and experience conceptual
improvements to streetscape and core District.

Indoor/outdoor spaces woven into streetscapes and
buildings provide added value to the Downtown.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.42 "Restaurant Row"
Proposed Steps to Creating a Downtown Restaurant District Restaurants activate the public realm by creating social atmosphere, attracting pedestrian traffic to retail areas.

Context
A number of residents have expressed that having more dining options in the Downtown should be a top priority for attracting more visitors. Out of that suggestion came the vision of creating a "Restaurant Row" - a concentration of local restaurants located in one location downtown that could create a significant new dining destination, for the area.

This food hub could start out informally as specific food "events" which could be combined with other events such as outdoor cinema, a car show, or a street festival like Sunset on Sierra or Night Market, to begin to create energy and establish this area as a food & entertainment district. Over time, this area could evolve to attract permanent restaurants from local entrepreneurs offering a variety of price points and food types, helping transform Downtown into an "18-hour-per-day" destination.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.43

Strategies & Actions
Achieving this vision will require a concentrated and
coordinated effort, including:
• Start Small: The City has reinitiated the
Spring Street Night Market, The City could
time a Market Night in conjunction with other
festivals or events, such as the Sunset on Sierra
Avenue festival, or outdoor cinema nights.
• Public Realm Improvements: Focus near-
term public realm improvements on this area,
including; street trees and other shade elements,
street furniture, attractive landscaping, and clean
lighting. An improved and maintained public
realm will attract private investors to open new
businesses.
• Parking Holiday: As additional parking on city
streets is, consider temporarily waiving or heavily
reducing on site parking requirements for new
food establishments in this area to ease the initial
cost of starting.
• Encourage Outdoor Dining: Allow vacant
lots, paseos, and public sidewalks to be used for
outdoor dining. Allow parklets in public rights-of-
way.
• Farm to Fork: Promote relationships between
farmers and local restaurants. Allow and
supporting urban farming ventures that could
utilize vacant and underutilized downtown
parcels (including the PE Trail Park), for truly
local food experiences.
• Spread the word: Establish a clear brand for
Restaurant Row, and market it regionally to
attract new customers to Downtown.

Food Truck night in a temporarily closed
parking lot

Sidewalk dining is an effective way to
enliven a street.

Restaurants activate the public realm by
creating vibe and attract pedestrian traffic
to retail areas.

Urban agriculture can contribute to “Farm
to Fork” strategies in a downtown setting.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.44 "Sunset Theater"
Strategies for transforming underutilized spaces Downtown Creative design solutions can transform "left-over" / underutilized spaces, such as alleys and parking lots, into extremely valuable multi-functional spaces, such as One Colorado, in Old Town Pasadena.

Context
There are currently a number of largely underutilized
"open-spaces" in the downtown, whether a vacant lot or
parking lot, that with some creativity and minor
improvements, could be transformed into multi-functional spaces that could make positive contributions to the urban fabric and activity of the Downtown.

A good example, and near-term opportunity, is the
largely underutilized City-owned parking lot at the
corner of Nuevo Ave and Arrow Blvd. Recommended
improvements on both streets could see this area change dramatically in the future, with an influx of streetscape improvements and new parking. Additionally, this lot is framed interestingly on two sides by relatively "blank" walls of adjacent buildings, already enclosing this space.

The AT&T building in particular, has a "tall" portion in the middle, that would be an ideal face to project
movies onto, and with some small improvements to
the street fronting perimeter of this parking lot, it could double-function an attractively enclosed parking lot,
and as a great outdoor plaza in the heart of the
downtown, that if programmed well, could become a
regional attraction.

Existing parking lot condition at the
corner of Sierra and Arrow, and back of
AT&T
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.45

Strategies & Actions
Achieving this vision will require a concentrated and
coordinated effort, including:
• Start Small; Start Soon: The City could
partner with a local organization (such as the
Center Theatre) to host a Summer Cinema
series.
• Combine Efforts: Coordinate programming
with other downtown events, such as Food
nights (See "Restaurant Row" on pg. 42),
Farmers Markets, and Sunset On Sierra, to name
a few.
• Spread the Word: Establish a brand (i.e. "Sunset
Theater") for the event, and market it locally and
regionally, to help grow its popularity and
reinforce downtown as an active entertainment
district.
• Improve the Space: Whether immediately or
over time, the City could make simple
improvements to the space (see illustration
below), that could transform this simple
parking lot into a multi- functional public plaza
in the heart of the downtown. In the short term,
the City could work with AT&T to make very
simple improvements to the back of the
building -- as simple as re-painting an
unobstructed white rectangle on the back wall --
to improve the projection quality of the movies.

The City could partner with a local
organization like Center Theater, to host a
summer outdoor cinema series.

Combine efforts with other programmed
activities downtown such as food truck
nights, Sunset on Sierra, etc.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.46 Civic Park District
Strategies for Activating PET Linear Park
Context
Activate and utilize the Pacific Electric Trail
(PET) park: The Pacific Electric Trail Park is
an amazing amenity/opportunity for
downtown Fontana. The Park was previously
landscaped with a series of linear "mounds"
of earth/sod and groves of citrus trees, the
park has been vastly underutilized, save
Public Works maintenance. With a series
of small, but well-coordinate
interventions, (including removing some
or all of the earth mounds and citrus
trees), this linear park could be
transformed into an organized series of
public spaces, that contribute to the
economic and overall success of the
downtown.

Example of public art on a civic green
3 Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.47 Strategies & Actions
Recommendations for kickstarting the evolution of this
important part of the downtown include:
• Re-Align And activate the Pacific Electric
Trail: Presently, as it goes through downtown,
the PE Trail runs along the back walls/fences of
vacant/ underutilized light-industrial uses along
Spring Street, and is perceived to feel unsafe due
to a lack of "eyes on the (trail)". In some cases—
if/when new development comes along Spring
Street it could provide frontage onto the park,
which could be a beneficial location for a trail,
particularly if new development comes in the
form of restaurants that could have outdoor
patios that open out onto the trail. However, in
other stretches, it may be preferable for the
alignment of the trail to shift to along the edge of
Seville—particularly as it comes to
the intersections of Juniper and
Sierra— so that users of the trail can
easily cross those streets via the
existing crosswalks.

PE Trail – Existing Condition

Illustration showing the realignment of the PET to the north edge of the park along the reconfigured "parking edge" of Seville Ave. Improvements to the PET Park proper could accommodate a variety of new activities including outdoor recreation, urban agriculture, etc. (Drawing is conceptual)

SIERRA
Re-aligned PE Trail as it approaches Sierra Ave
(Drawing is conceptual)
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.48

The PE Trail can be activated with a variety of recreation amenities.

Urban Gardens

Temporary Street Tree Nursery
• Active outdoor recreation: One strategy for activating the park would be to provide facilities and amenities
for outdoor recreation. The City could install, (and/or allow another organization to install
/ manage) a variety of facilities, including small soccer fields, sand volleyball or tennis courts, lawn bowling, horseshoe pits, etc. In some cases, these facilities could be installed in conjunction with of new development
along the north side of the PET Park on Seville. For
example, a new bar or restaurant could install a sand
volleyball court or horseshoe pits as an amenity for its patrons.
• Urban agriculture: The City could designate some
portion(s) of the park where a range of urban garden/
agricultural uses could be allowed. Some examples could include:
> Urban gardens to support a localized "Restaurant
Row": garden "plats" could be designated to
individual restaurants to grow produce they could
serve to patrons.
> Temporary street tree nursery: In support of the effort to restore the urban tree canopy on a
number Fontana's downtown Streets, a portion of the
PET Park could be used on a near-term basis to grow
/ mature the trees that could later be transplanted as
street trees, at a fraction of the cost of buying more
mature street trees at the time of streetscape
reconstruction.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.49 Goal 4: Park-Once District

STRATEGIES
An adequate and easy to use supply of customer, visitor and employee parking will be critical to growing existing and new Downtown businesses. The following "park once" strategy is recommended to cost effectively meet parking demand, encourage customers to explore the Downtown on foot, and unburden individual property and business owners from providing their own parking.

A shared, managed parking supply.

In collaboration with Downtown businesses, residents and property owners, the City will take charge of managing the shared parking supply over time, to ensure an adequate
downtown parking supply that balances the needs of
visitors/customers and local residents. This includes:
• Implement a "park-once" strategy. A Park Once
strategy weaves together convenient, attractive, and
easy-to-find parking facilities into the Downtown. It provides the triple -benefit of reducing “internal
traffic” by encouraging motorists to park their cars
once for multiple destinations and organizin g and
managing parking to specific user -groups (residents,
visitors, shoppers, employees, etc.), and getting
customers out of their cares and shopping on foot.
• Provide way finding to parking areas. A perceived
lack of parking downtown, discourages many people
from shopping Downtown, despite the actual large
number of available on- and off-street spaces. A simple, clear, and attractive system of wayfinding is needed to help customers locate available parking.
• Quality, flexible design of parking areas. Parking lots, by nature are designed with efficiently in mind, trying to maximize the amount of spaces they can supply, however, this does not mean that they should be exclusively designed for cars. These large open spaces can be multi-functional, if designed and detailed creatively, and accommodate a flexible range of activities, such as community festivals, markets, and even outdoor movies.
• Improve on-street parking. The wide streets of the
Downtown represent underutilized public property. On many streets, simple restriping of parking, and on specific streets, more elaborate reconfigurations, can add approximately 300 net new parking spaces to the downtown supply, within existing rights of way.

Well-designed streetscapes provide ample
convenient parking, shading and wind
protection for pedestrians
A clearly defined parking and wayfinding
system is a simple way to increase parking
utilization and walkability in the Downtown.

A well-managed public realm that
prioritizes pedestrians with ample parking,
signage, furnishings, and design elements.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.50

User-friendly parking strategies in the Downtown range from improving wayfinding, allowing flexible uses of existing parking areas, restriping and reconfiguring on-street spaces increasing access and usability of existing public lots, identifying shared parking opportunities, and determining future structure locations. (Drawing is conceptual)

• Identify potential shared / multi-use parking
areas. Underutilized and single-use parking lots
should be managed as shared public parking (or for
other uses) after regular hours of use.
• Regulation & Enforcement: Implement time
limitations for prime parking spaces on
downtown streets, and issue overnight permits for
resident parking on neighborhood streets,
ticketing those who do not comply.
• Long-Term Parking Solutions: With the goal
and expectation of continued and long-term
success Downtown, parking demand will grow
over time. In the longer term, this could suggest
the demand for structured parking.

"Ramblas" parking in a center median
allows a City to recycle portions of wide
right-of-ways to be used for two-way
diagonal parking or optional event space,
while contributing to traffic-calming.

JUNIPER
NUEVO
SIERRA

WHEELER

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.51 Goal 5: Clear Branding And Wayfinding

STRATEGIES
Every recommendation in this Plan is related to "branding" the Downtown - positioning it as a one-of-a-kind, authentic destination. The "brand": Downtown Fontana will be its perceived identity to visitors based on its appearance, amenities, and activities. As new improvements, activity and energy starts to transform Downtown, an important unifying programmatic "layer" to help organize, "package", and advertise this success will be a clear branding and wayfinding system.

Establish a Downtown Branding &
Wayfinding System.

Whether individuals arrive in the Downtown by foot,
car, bicycle and public transit, they should: 1) know
that they have arrived to a real place, and 2) be able to navigate themselves around with relative ease. This
requires a clear and coordinated system of branding,
signage, and design elements, including:
• Develop Identity & Branding Graphics. Many great
Historic Route 66 signage directing visitors
to Downtown Fontana, Circa 1929.

Fontana's existing wayfinding program
should evolve as more destinations arrive
downtown.

Example of downtown directory and
wayfinding signage.
downtowns and districts develop specific branding
graphics and logos that can reinforce the
placemaking of a district, and can be used for district marketing. These graphics can be widely used,
incorporated in everything from street furniture to
specific signage elements.
• Market the Downtown Regionally. Creative
Downtown marketing campaigns can allow merchants
and restaurateurs to compete on an equal footing
with shopping centers and other regional attractions.
• District Maintenance. A well-organized program
of public realm maintenance and management will
ensure that Downtown remains a clean, attractive
place to shop, visit, and do business.
• Evolve the Downtown Wayfinding Program. As
new "destinations" arrive Downtown, the Downtown
Wayfinding Program will need to evolve. An
immediate need is to provide clear wayfinding to
shared parking lots. Wherever possible, wayfinding
elements should incorporate Downtown identity
graphics to reinforce the district.
• Encourage Variety, Creativity, and Coordination.

There are numerous tools, strategies, and techniques
for branding, marketing, and wayfinding that can be
utilized in the downtown. What is most important is
that efforts are coordinated reinforce the Downtown
brand.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.52

District branding as banners installed on lightposts,
and as placards installed into the sidewalk.

District logo incorporated into street furnishings to
reinforce the branding of the district.

An information kiosk for downtown Baton Rouge. Downtown Wayfinding printed on the sidewalks in Downtown Scottsdale, AZ

Examples of District Gateway Signage Elements

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.53 Getting Started: Downtown Core
This section is for early action items that can be done or started within a year or two of adoption of the plan and that are not expensive or require major changes to the City's entitlement process.

ACTION WHO DOES IT?

1. Code Update/Pink Zone: The City will prepare, adopt and implement updated zoning and design guidance for the
Downtown. This will include permit process streamlining and near-term reduction in “red tape” required to
establish or expand a business that contributes to the
reanimation of the Downtown Core as a lively
destination.

City

2. Parking/Wayfinding Signage: The City will prepare a
design for a system of branding and wayfinding signage
for the Downtown. The emphasis of this program will be
to help visitors find parking and their destinations, while build a visual identity for the Downtown as a unified
destination. This program will build on the existing Civic Center Branding program.

City

3. Management And Maintenance: The Downtown Manager
will efficiently coordinate and oversee downtown projects and address needs overtime. The Downtown Manager
will maintain a relationship between the business
owners and Chamber of Commerce, as well as residents
and visitors, with the goal of providing seamless upkeep and improvements of the streets and public realm.

City

4. Spring and Seville Street Improvements: The City will fund, design and construct streetscape improvements
to Spring Street and Seville Street between Sierra
Avenue and Juniper Avenue. Improvements will focus on
restriping to add parking and improving sidewalks and
street tree plantings. Phasing may be dictated by
funding constraints, and if so should start at Sierra and move west as funds are available.

City Completed

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.54

ACTION WHO DOES IT?

5. Pacific Electric Trail Improvements: The City will work with San Bernardino Council of Governments (SBCOG) to
redesign the Pacific Electric Trail between Juniper Avenue and the police department roundabout. Recommended
elements include but are not limited to community
gardens, urban agriculture related to new restaurants,
shady park areas for passive recreation, and active
recreation facilities such as beach volleyball, fitness courses, or bocce ball and shuffleboard.

City/County

6. Pedestrian Plaza: The City will create a pedestrian plaza on Sierra Avenue to create a local and regional
destination. Recommended features include outdoor
dining, bike planes, public activities, art and attractive landscaping. Architecture along the plaza should be
attractive and designed to engage with the public space with enhanced entries and amenities.

City

Note: "Owners" refers, collectively, to business owners and property owners.

All actions are anticipated to include collaboration/cooperation between the City, owners, and other interested organizations and individuals.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.55 H
Gateway Corridors
Bringing People Into The Downtown
Foothill Boulevard and Sierra Avenue
are the primary Corridors to
Downtown Fontana, carrying large
volumes of vehicular traffic through
and into the Downtown Core. This
plan adopts the General Plan's "Livable
Corridors Strategy" envisioning future
street improvements and infill
development along Foothill and
Sierra—including new, high-quality
retail and commercial services, offices
and employment, and housing of
various types mixed together—to
provide walkable, human-scale
patterns that further connect the
downtown to adjoining
neighborhoods.

In order for this transformation to
occur, it will be necessary to redesign
and calm segments of Foothill and
Sierra to create attractive streetscapes
that accommodate a variety of uses
and activities, and a mix of
pedestrians, bicycles, cars and public
transit within the Downtown area.

This strategy is organized into the
following high-level goals:

Brand Boulevard in Glendale, California, functions as a Livable Corridor with a diverse mix of uses, intensities and streetscape elements that contribute to an attractive and safe public realm.

JUNIPER
MANGO
EXHIBIT X.6 DOWNTOWN CORRIDORS

FOOTHILL

FOOTHILL / ROUTE 66

CORRIDOR

ARROW

DOWNTOWN
CORE

MERRILL

SOUTH
SIERRA

CORRIDOR
Above shows Foothill Boulevard/Route 66 Corridor, and
Sierra Avenue. Sierra is the spine of Downtown and the
primary corridor for Chaffey College. The design and
function of both Foothill and Sierra are critical to funneling visitors into the heart of Downtown.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.56

Goal 1: Foothill Blvd Gateway Leveraging its
high traffic volume as commercial asset, the
segments of Foothill Boulevard approaching
Sierra Avenue in either direction will be
transformed into highly-visible gateways
designed to "funnel" (or "direct") visitors
and into the Downtown Core. Using skillful
urban design and placemaking strategies, and
harkening back to some of the original Route
66 design characteristics, its outdated
commercial highway design and
development patterns of this important node
can be transformed to create a significant
north gateway to Downtown.

Goal 2: South Sierra Ave Gateway From I-
10 to Metrolink, south Sierra Avenue is the
primary Corridor into Downtown. The
transformation of this corridor over time,
including new mixed-use development,
streetscape improvements, and branding
& wayfinding signage along Sierra—
growing in intensity and formality as one
approaches downtown -- will intuitively
"funnel" visitors into the center of Fontana,
with the potential for formal gateway
elements at Santa Fe Park announcing
arrival to the Downtown proper.

Goal 3: Organized Corridor Infill The main
corridors in and around Downtown,
represent some of the biggest opportunities
for significant infill of commercial, mixed-
use, and housing of various forms and
intensities close to the Downtown Core.

Key to the success of this anticipated infill
in support of the Downtown Core, is that it
be well organized and coordinated, so that
each new "project" contribute to the overall
walkable network of blocks, streets and
open spaces, and that it be attractively
designed to contribute to the look, feel, and
character of the Downtown.

Prominent corner buildings should enhance and
announce the arrival into the Downtown Core.

Corridor streetscape improvements will support new
mixed-use developments, access and wayfinding, and
safety for visitors in the Downtown.

Corridor infill of various types and mixed uses should
contribute to a walkable network of blocks and spaces.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.57 Goal 1: Foothill Blvd Gateway

STRATEGIES

Conceptual Illustration of Foothill Blvd approaching Sierra Ave, including streetscape/landscape improvements, corner gateway buildings, and the idea of future frontage lanes to support corridor -fronting infill development.

Foothill Blvd and Sierra Ave are high-volume, major east/west and north/south cross-town (and regional) corridors that intersect just north of the Downtown Core, with future regional- serving bus transit anticipated along Foothill in near future. With thoughtful planning, quality infill development, attractive public realm improvements, and clear branding and wayfinding signage, this highly-visible node has the potential to transform over time into a significant Gateway into Downtown, a strategy vital to its long-term economic success.

Strategies for catalyzing this transformation include:
• Streetscape improvements, including comfortable sidewalks, enhanced lighting, landscaping and street furnishings that better serve pedestrians, cyclists, bus and public transit users, in addition to existing motorists.
• Quality commercial and residential infill, generally increasing in intensity as it approaches Foothill/Sierra. New buildings should be located close to the street with direct access provided from the sidewalk, and parking typically located behind the buildings to create a more urban environment at this node than typically experienced along the corridor.

• Gateway branding and wayfinding
elements that market and direct
travelers to Downtown.
• New connections across Foothill
(and Sierra) that provide
neighborhoods parallel to and
north of the Foothill corridor with
more, and improved linkages to the
Downtown Core.

The diagram to the left shows the intersection
of Sierra and Foothill. Infill and Improvements
increase in intensity as one approaches the
intersection of Foothill & Sierra, signaling
arrival into an urban place. Added gateway
branding and wayfinding signage will direct
traffic toward the Downtown Core. (Drawing is
conceptual)
NUEVO
SIERRA

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.58 Actions
Specific actions in support of this transformation include:
• Maintain Four lanes on foothill: Design and
implement complete streets improvements that
maintain the historic four lane configuration (two
lanes each way) within approximately one mile east
and west of Sierra Avenue, contributing to the more
urban environment of this gateway node.
• Landscape & Streetscape Improvements: Add
landscaped medians in Sierra and Foothill with large
canopy trees to visually narrow / enclose these wide
streets.
• Improve & complete sidewalks: Ensure a
continuous, comfortably-wide sidewalk, buffered
from traffic with landscaped parkways and planters,
and in some cases parked cars, along the corridors.
• Gateway branding & wayfinding elements:

Provide gateway elements on Foothill Blvd directing
and welcoming visitors to the Downtown area. On
Foothill in particular, these elements are encouraged
to include original Route 66 design characteristics,
including neon lights, and signage.
• Gateway buildings: Allow increased building
height and intensity on the 4 corners of Foothill and
Sierra, to incentive redevelopment with prominent
buildings that define & establish this gateway node.
• Frontages: Encourage/require buildings face to
provide appropriate frontages onto the
street/sidewalk. Specific Frontage Types,
appropriate to specific commercial, residential, and
street type conditions and characteristics, are
provided in full in the Downtown Development
Code.

Add a landscaped and tree lined median
along Foothill, to add shade and enclosure,
and contribute to the urban environment of
this gateway node.

Provide comfortably-wide sidewalks,
buffered from traffic by landscaping and
parked cars, to increase commercial activity
and pedestrian comfort and safety

While most of foothill has seven lanes of traffic,
there are stretches as shown above, where the
corridor reduces to four lanes due to historic
buildings, there is a desire for these buildings
to remain.

Modern re-interpretations of Route 66-era
designs incorporated into a commercial
district—Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.59 Goal 2: South Sierra Ave Gateway

With careful planning, coordinated infill
development and public realm improvements, this
segment can be a valuable gateway for the
Downtown Core, gradually transitioning the design
character and travel speed of the corridor to those
supportive of a walkable, urban mixed-use
environment

Chaffey College is located at the intersection of
Merrill and Sierra, with plans for its expansion
along west side of Sierra, including the possibility
of commercial, housing and mixed-use infill
development in the near to mid-term future—
expansion along west side of Sierra, including the
possibility of commercial, housing and mixed-use
infill development in the near to mid-term
future— that would be within easy walking
distance of Metrolink and Downtown.

As such, this segment of Sierra is envisioned as a hub
for education and job creation, prioritizing new infill and business development that supports the growth of
the college, young professionals and other employment-
related uses. Sample uses include student housing,
mixed-use commercial and retail, R&D, livework, multi-
tenant and start-up business incubator spaces.

Altogether, these uses will coalesce as the south anchor of Downtown, driving new customers and economic
growth into the Downtown Core.

The transformed South Sierra Corridor will be
characterized by wider, more shaded sidewalks, steady
flows of moderate-speed traffic, convenient customer
parking, varied shopfronts and attractive residences in support of the college and Downtown. Sierra and Merrill will serve as the face of the college, with convenient
pedestrian entrances, new bus stops and bicycle routes
that strengthen connections between the college,
Metrolink station, the Downtown Core and surrounding
neighborhoods.

Chaffey College's expanding campus will add valuable
new building frontages with multiple pedestrian
entrances along Sierra and Merrill.

Concept Plan for the South Sierra Gateway
(Drawing is conceptual)
SIERRA
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.60 Actions
Specific actions in support of this transformation include:
• Public Realm Improvements: Add large-canopy
street trees, enhanced landscaping and lighting, and
comfortable street furniture that calm traffic, that
improve pedestrian and bicycle safety and comfort, and
calm traffic as it approaches the Downtown Core.
• Infill Development: Incentivize quality new
corridor- fronting infill development (housing and
commercial) in vacant and underutilized parcels
along Sierra.
• Gateway branding & wayfinding elements: Add
branding and wayfinding elements that signal arrival
to Downtown. Santa Fe Park, highly visible after
traveling over the railroad tracks just south of Orange Way, could be modified with landscape
improvements and branding and gateway elements to
become a formal gateway into the Downtown Core.
• Pedestrian and Bicycle amenities: Prioritize
bicycle parking, car-sharing and bike-sharing
services, sheltered bus stops, widened sidewalks,
and mid-block pedestrian crossings in the segments
from Chaffey College to Downtown, in support of
increased student/ pedestrian activity.
• Market "mode-shift" alternatives in support
of Downtown: Identify strategies, branding,
and incentives that will influence "mode-shift"
away from passenger vehicles and encourage
greater use of Metrolink, Omnitrans, local
public transit, pedestrian and bicycle routes to
bring new customers to Downtown.

A complete streetscape that prioritizes
pedestrians and enhances traffic calming

Strategically placed and clearly marked
pedestrian crossings effectively contribute
to a comfortable, safe public realm.

Modern transit facilities with comfortable
amenities encourage greater use.

Bicycle facilities in the South Sierra Corridor may include shared -lane "sharrows" (left) along segments of Sierra with limited right of way (ROW). Public frontages (right) may also incorporate bicycle parking / sharing.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.61 Goal 3: Corridor Infill

STRATEGIES
Many existing blocks adjacent the
downtown corridors, because of the
original rural/agricultural subdivision
patterns of Fontana, are very large, and
not generally walkable. These blocks
contain a number of large, vacant and
underutilized parcels -- opportunistically
located in and around Downtown -- that
provide significant opportunity-sites
for substantial commercial, residential
and mixed-use infill development, that
will provide new conveniently-located
housing and increased economic
activity in support of Downtown.

Adopting the General Plan's Livable
Corridors Strategy, all new corridor-
infill should be coordinated --
prioritizing intensity and at key
gateway nodes (See Goals 1 & 2) -- and
predominantly street- fronting,
providing pedestrian access from the
street/sidewalk to contribute
to the walkable network of blocks streets, and open
spaces in and around Downtown.

(Drawing is conceptual)

New corridor zoning will allow a full spectrum of
market driven (corridor-appropriate)
development types in a range of scales,
characters, and uses.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.62 Ex
servi
Strategies & Actions
Specific strategies and actions include:
• Zone for Mixed-Use Corridors: Update
zoning along Downtown corridors to allow
a full spectrum of market-driven
development types where building form,
location, and frontage is regulated -- rather
than building use—to generate active and
attractive downtown corridors that
accommodate a range of uses, services, and
activities.
• Subdivide Large Downtown Blocks:

Where possible and practical, subdivide
large blocks to provide additional
connectivity between corridors and adjacent
neighborhoods, as well as unlock new
development potential on underutilized
land in and around the downtown.
• Prioritize Street-Fronting Infill: New
infill development should be located close
to the street/sidewalk, contributing to a
consistent urban pattern along the corridors.

Unlike the Downtown Core, where a
continuous "street wall" is desired,
buildings along the corridors will more
typically have spaces between them, with
parking organized behind and/or beside
them. (See Illustration to the right).

A wide range of styles characters and uses can be
appropriate along the corridors.

Conceptual infill along Foothill, adding new mid-block
connectivity, and locating new buildings close to the
street with parking located at the back and/or side.

Typical corridor commercial block pattern — buildings
separated by drives and surface parking lots
ample of mid-block, neighborhood-
ng commercial infill terminating a jog
in the street as illustrated above.

A JUNIPER

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.63 • Prioritize New Development and
Improvements at Gateways: Prioritize/
concentrate building intensity (taller and
closer to the street) and focused public realm
improvements, on corridor segments
approaching gateway nodes (i.e. the
intersection of Foothill and Sierra). As the
corridor gradually becomes more urban
approaching Downtown, it will signal to
drivers that they are arriving to a significant
"place."
• Require "Corridor-Appropriate"
Housing Types: Balance the goal of street
fronting infill development along the corridors
with the need for additional privacy for
residential units due to the higher traffic
volumes and speeds along the corridors. While
direct visitor access from the street/sidewalk
should be required, residential units can be
arranged around semi-private courts, open
spaces (that could be secured with gates), and
dooryards—or can be accessed internally
via an entry lobby—that open(s) to the
street/ sidewalk.
• Improve the Public Realm: Wherever
possible/ practical, take measures to include
public realm improvements—comfortably -
wide sidewalks, shaded by canopy trees, with
appropriate street furnishings (benches, bike
racks, trash receptacles, etc...) and buffered
from traffic by well-landscaped planters, and
on-street parking (where applicable)—as part
of new development agreements. This should
done carefully, and be balanced with the goal
of streamlining the development process for
potential investors in the Downtown.

FOOTHILL

Prominent new buildings at the intersection of
Foothill & Sierra help define this gateway.

New multi-family residential buildings fronting
the street with paseos and walks providing
visitor access from the street to apartments, and
resident parking at the rear of the complex.

Courtyard buildings along Sierra create a semi
public space and buffer residences from the
main living area apartment

SIERRA

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.64

Gateway corner buildings create a sense of entry. Prominent mixed-use residential building with an active ground-floor that engages the public realm

Example of a multifamily alley-accessed building provides semi-private courtyards and creates a buffer between
residents and the adjacent corridor.

Multifamily housing calibrated to students and young
professionals may be considered near Chaffey College and the Metrolink Station Area.

Townhomes above ground-floor retail along a
major corridor

Corridor buildings should integrate public realm
improvements such as widened sidewalks, canopy
trees, street furnishings and related amenities.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.65 Getting Started: Gateway Corridors
This section is for early action items that can be done or started within a year or two of adoption of the plan and that are not expensive or require major changes to the City's entitlement process.

ACTION WHO DOES IT?

1. Gateway Signage: The City will prepare a comprehensive graphics program for Downtown branding, identity and
wayfinding, including gateway landmarks and directional signage on Foothill Boulevard, Arrow Boulevard and Sierra Avenue, directing and welcoming visitors to Downtown.

Gateway signage will be implemented as funding is
available, in coordination with streetscape improvements.

City

2. Code Update: The City will prepare, adopt and implement updated zoning and design guidance for the Gateway
Corridors to help ensure that infill development
contributes to the new Downtown Gateway character
of these key corridor segments. This will include unique Route 66 Guidelines for Foothill Boulevard, as well as
permit process streamlining and near-term reduction in
“red tape” required for infill development or to establish or expand businesses that contribute to Downtown Gateway
place-making.

City

Improvements will be implemented through catalytic
public investments as funds are available and by
developers as projects occur.

City

4. Transit Stop Improvements: The City will work
collaboratively with Omnitrans and property owners
adjacent to planned bus station locations to design safe, comfortable pedestrian access and waiting areas
surrounded by neighborhood-serving commercial uses
that help provide a secure 18-hour environment.

City/Omnitrans

5. Neighborhood Connectivity: In conjunction with Foothill Boulevard and Transit Stop improvements, the City will
work collaboratively with existing property owners,
developers, and residents of adjoining neighborhoods
to seek opportunities to provide new direct pedestrian, bicycle, and in some cases vehicular connections from
the neighborhoods to businesses along the corridor, to
support the businesses and shorten trips.

City

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.66

Example of a Livable Corridor - Old Town Pasadena, California.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.67 I
"In-Town" Neighborhoods
Enhancing Neighborhoods In and Near Downtown
Concurrent with new activities, infill
and economic investment in
Downtown, an increased demand for
new housing, in a variety of forms,
conveniently located within and near a
walkable and bikable Downtown is
envisioned. While the original
neighborhoods to the east of
Downtown are well established, with
little near-term change anticipated, the
large blocks west of Downtown—in
particular those just west of Juniper
Ave, south of Foothill Blvd—contain
many large, vacant or underutilized
parcels that are prime locations for
well-organized, neighborhood
infill housing, in a variety of intensities, forms, and configurations, based on market-demand and best neighborhood -planning practices, as described more fully in this Section. Further, mixed use developments combining commercial and residential land uses are to be encouraged in the Downtown.

A key opportunity of this plan is to ensure predictable infill development types that contribute to an active, attractive, walkable downtown and surrounding neighborhoods, and inject new residents (and as a result, new customers) into the immediate Downtown area. Without proper guidelines and development standards, the market might otherwise just "fill-up" many of these high-value opportunity sites with low-density, auto-oriented housing types that do little more than add traffic congestion Downtown Area, as opposed to evolving an "in- town" neighborhood fabric catered to residents who value being able to walk or bike to local businesses, restaurants, and transit, in the activity-rich downtown.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.68

The vision for these neighborhoods is very similar to the patterns existing in many of California's best cities,
where single family detached homes are seamlessly
intermixed with a variety of neighborhood-scaled multi- family housing types, in calm, quiet, pedestrian-scaled blocks defined by tree-lined streets and shared open
spaces. Top level goals for pursuing this vision include:

Goal 1: Shady Neighborhood Streets and
Open Spaces
The early founders of many towns throughout
California understood how to design neighborhoods
that sheltered their residents from the often harsh sun and winds, providing streets lined with trees in
parkways, planters, and medians and parks full of big
shade trees. These low-speed street environments are
inherently safe for pedestrians, and add a great deal of value to properties that front them.

Goal 2: Neighborhood-Scale Blocks
Essential to creating neighborhoods that are walkable,
bikable, active and safe, and that accommodate a
range of neighborhood-scale development types, is
starting with a highly connected network of blocks
and streets that are designed for, and appropriately
scaled to pedestrians, while still accommodating
efficient vehicular and transit circulation.

Goal 3: Neighborhood-Scale Buildings
All buildings, large and small, are made up of house-
form and neighborhood scale massing elements, and
all are street-facing, with frontages scaled to the
pedestrian. These frontages provide a degree of
privacy for the residents while providing direct
access for visitors, as well as adding "eyes on the
street" for safety and security.

Existing street trees on Nuevo Avenue
effectively frame the street while providing
privacy to local residents.

Single family homes comprise the majority
of neighborhoods surrounding Downtown.

New housing will complement these
existing neighborhoods in size, scale and
architectural style.

Attached single-family homes in a traditional
neighborhood setting
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.69 Goal 1: Shady Streets And Open Spaces

STRATEGIES

In-town neighborhoods will be defined by an
active network pedestrian-scaled blocks, streets,
and open spaces, comfortably designed with
continuous sidewalks, attractive landscaping, and
sheltered from the sun and wind by large-canopy
shade trees, to encourage walking and biking,
while accommodating traffic at low to moderate
speeds. This interconnected network will
accommodate, and in some cases unlock,
development potential for a variety of new
housing types all within a short walking or biking
distance to the activity-rich Downtown Core.

Ensure neighborhood streets balance the needs
of all modes.

Unique tree species can be planted on individual
neighborhoods streets to define and differentiate
them from each other.

Strategies & Actions
Key elements of this strategy include:
• Calm neighborhood streets: "Right-size"
neighborhood street widths with reduced lane
widths (10ft max), corner bulb-outs and mid-
block crossings, where appropriate, and
implementing other Complete Streets strategies,
as described in the Downtown Core.
• Line streets with shade trees: All
neighborhood streets will be lined with large-
canopy shade trees in parkways or planters to
provide shade/wind protection for pedestrians,
and to visually-narrow the street, further
calming traffic. Select unique tree species on
individual streets to define and differentiate
each neighborhood.
• Make streets comfortable and safe for
bikes and pedestrians: Ensure all streets are
walkable/ bikable with continuous sidewalks,
and appropriate bicycle facilities (such as
sharrows or dedicated lanes) on busier streets.
• Provide a variety of neighborhood-
serving parks & open spaces: Incorporate
pocket parks, neighborhood greens and parks
within short, walkable distances from all new
residential development.

Residential streets should comfortable and safe.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.70

• Make parks and open spaces multi-
functional and safe: Design all parks
and open spaces to accommodate a variety
of uses and activities, including informal
meeting places, children's play areas,
community events, outdoor recreation and
organized sports. These spaces should be
attractive, safe and comfortable—with
trees providing shade and wind protection,
and surrounding development providing
"eyes on the park" for additional safety.
• Orient new development to front
streets and shared open spaces: with
the front door of the residence facing the
streets, and with attractive human scale
frontages that welcome visitors rather than
sound walls or security fences which send
messages of “keep out”.
• Manage on-street parking on
neighborhood streets:

Implement a residential street
permit parking management
system to ensure adequate
resident and visitor parking.

Bike facilities should be provided on busier residential streets and corridors.

Neighborhood-serving park with a shaded playground
and large open space for sports and other outdoor rec

Corner bulb-outs and crosswalks calm traffic and
enhance pedestrian safety.

Continuous sidewalk shaded by large canopy trees,
and buffered from traffic by a landscaped parkway
and parked cars.

Neighborhood-serving park with a shaded playground
and large open space for sports and other outdoor
recreation.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.71

Goal 2: Neighborhood-Scaled Blocks

STRATEGIES

A comfortable, walkable neighborhood street.

The neighborhoods to the east and west of Downtown
have very different urban block patterns, and by result, very different development characteristics. The area
east of Sierra Ave contains many of the original
downtown residential neighborhoods, subdivided into
a series of well-connected, pedestrian-scale blocks and streets, lined with shade trees and sidewalks, and
almost fully developed with single-family homes.

In the area immediately west of Downtown, original
rural subdivision patterns remain largely intact; very
large blocks containing very deep (up to 300ft)
parcels, originally platted with the intent of rural
development patters in mind, (small house with a big
front yard, and a farm in the back of the lot). Many of these rural lots remain vacant or underutilized.

The exhibit to the right illustrates block scale
comparisons between the original downtown
neighborhoods east of downtown, and their rural
counterparts, west of downtown. What is immediately
clear is: 1) the difference in walkability between these two parts of town, and 2) nearly all of the
opportunities for significant neighborhood infill are in the area immediately west of Downtown.

In order to accommodate and attract the greater
mix of housing types in the interconnected,
walkable neighborhood patterns necessary to
support the economic and social revitalization of
Downtown, improved connectivity and
circulation will be necessary in many of these
blocks.

As illustrated in this diagram, the neighborhoods
east and west of downtown have significantly
different urban block and development patterns.

Several large blocks immediately west of
downtown were originally platted with rural
development patterns in mind, and contain
many vacant or underutilized parcels.

The original single-family neighborhood
east of Downtown are made up of walkable
pedestrian-scaled blocks lined with trees
and sidewalks.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.72

Strategies & Actions:

Evolving the neighborhoods in and around
Downtown into comfortable, walkable
places with a range of housing options
organized by an attractive, safe public realm,
will involve the following elements:
• Subdivide large rural blocks to
increase walkability and expand
development potential: The Exhibit to
the right illustrates conceptual
subdivision and infill strategies for one of
the large superblocks west of downtown.

Choose appropriate development types
based on lot size and neighborhood
context.
• Avoid new mistakes: Avoid
approving developments that may
eliminate the potential for future
connectivity, and that do not
contribute to the walkable/bikable
neighborhoods strategy near
Downtown.

EXHIBIT X.8 "SUPERBLOCK" SUBDIVISION

For any given block, identify potential infill sites, look for opportunities to add circulation through the block, and establish connectivity with existing development.

Example infill study with new walkable internal block
structure and public realm highlighted. All new buildings (in a range of neighborhood-scale typologies) front either streets or shared open spaces with direct street access, and visitor parking is provided on-street.

AVOID: Reject proposals that cauterize or "wall-off"
existing or potential points of connection, or rely on
single access points in and out of the development. These development patterns discourage pedestrian and bicycle
circulation, and tend to have a inactive and unsafe public realm.

Indicates Public Realm
Potential Connectivity
*
Potential Point of Connection
Wall
Dead-end
AVOID: This typical suburban street frontage is
undesirable and counterproductive for creating
a walkable public realm.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.73 Goal 3: Neighborhood-Scale Buildings

STRATEGIES
For decades, housing in California has been
delivered almost exclusively in one of two forms:
single-family detached, houses with garages
fronting the street, or large apartment complexes.

Neither type is ideally suited to in-town living; the
former detracting from neighborhood walkability,
and thinly spreading the population where
density and proximity are valuable; the latter not
being compatible with surrounding single-family
neighborhood patterns. Fortunately, there is a
wide range of types in between (often referred to
as "Missing Middle" types) offering for sale and
for rent dwellings in a variety of forms,
intensities, configurations, and price points.

Neighborhood-scale multi-family buildings look
just like a large house, but have multiple units.

This 3-unit rowhouse has the scale and character
of a large house.

The value of these types of buildings is that they can
provide greater housing intensity needed near
Downtown, without disrupting the existing
neighborhood Character.
• Update neighborhood development standards:

Because of the unusually deep lot sizes characteristic of many of the opportunity sites west of downtown, and
because of the largely rural development patterns there, neighborhood development standards must be carefully
crafted to ensure that all new development is
appropriately scaled and massed to its lot and
surrounding context, and contributes the mix of housing types and walkable/bikable neighborhood character
attractive to potential residents wanting to live near
Downtown.

Buildings in a variety of sizes, types, and
configurations can be seamlessly integrated into
the existing neighborhood fabric.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.74

Examples of a range of neighborhood-scaled, multi-family building types (often referred to as "missing middle" types) that can be seamlessly inserted into Downtown Neighborhoods. Development standards for implementing these types are further specified in the Downtown Development Code.

Variety is encouraged: Two different versions of a courtyard building, with very different architectural styles; modern/contemporary on the left, and traditional/Mediterranean on the right.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.75

Porches clearly mark the entry to the house, and
provide a transition from public to private space

In more urban environments, dooryards provide a
more transitional space between the public realm an
private residence, and help delineate the public realm. • Prioritize building frontages first:

Focusing first on how buildings front and
shape the Public Realm will help ensure that
all new neighborhood infill contributes to the
walkable bikable "in-town" neighborhood
character intended for this area. This
includes:
> All buildings front the public realm:

Each new building should have direct
access from a public street/sidewalk, or a
shared, semi-private open space such as a
courtyard, rosewalk, or green by way of
an appropriate neighborhood frontage
patten. (See Exhibit X.X).
> All buildings provide easy access for
residents and visitors: All new
buildings should pass the "visitor test" --
meaning residents and visitors must be
able to easily navigate to/access the front
door of a housing unit (or common entry
lobby) from the street without having to
navigate through a parking lot.
> All buildings have clear entries: All
buildings must provide entry via an
appropriate Frontage Type. Typical
residential frontage types include
porches, stoops, dooryards, and terraces,
which provide a clear transition from the
public to private realm. Specific
standards for these types are provided in
the Downtown Development Code.
> All buildings provide "eyes-on-the-
street": Neighborhoods with buildings
that have main entrances and windows
oriented toward the public realm are
inherently safer than those with buildings
that are primarily oriented inward.

A bungalow court arranges several cottages around a
shared open space that is accessible from the street/
sidewalk.

Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.76

Residential Frontages provide access for residents and visitors to the front-door of a unit (or common entry lobby), either directly from the street/sidewalk, or through a shared open space accessible from the street.

Street Street
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023 City Council Resolution 2023- 14.77 Getting Started: In Town Neighborho ods
This section is for early action items that can be done or started within a year or two of adoption of the plan and that are not expensive or require major changes to the City's entitlement process.

ACTION WHO DOES IT?

1. Streetscape Improvements: The City will work with
residents to identify and prioritize a series of pedestrian improvements within the Downtown Area neighborhoods.

These would include filling in gaps in the sidewalk
network, adding corner bulb-outs to help calm traffic and redirect through traffic, street trees for shade and wind protection, improved crosswalks at key locations, and
adding or updating streetlights for safety and energy
efficiency.

City

2. Code Update: The City will prepare, adopt and implement updated zoning and design guidance for the Gateway
Corridors to help ensure that infill development
contributes to rather than disrupting neighborhood scale and character.

City

3. Parking Management: In consultation with neighborhood residents and property owners, the City will prepare a
Neighborhood Parking Management Program aimed at
ensuring the equitable utilization of on-street parking in the neighborhoods. Measures would likely include the
issuance of limited numbers of parking permits so that
residents of certain properties—or customers of nearby
businesses—to not unreasonably monopolize available
on-street parking.

City/Residents

4. Open Space Improvements: The City will identify
opportunities to introduce new public open spaces—such
as small parks, greens or playgrounds—in conjunction with new infill development projects.

City/Developers/Residents

5. Neighborhood Connectivity: In conjunction with
Foothill Boulevard and Transit Stop on Sierra Avenue
improvements and infill development proposals, the City will work collaboratively with existing property owners, developers, and residents of adjoining neighborhoods
to seek opportunities to provide new direct pedestrian, bicycle, and in some cases vehicular connections from
the neighborhoods to businesses along the corridor, to
support the businesses and shorten trips.

City/Developers/Residents
Note: "Owners" refers, collectively, to business owners and property owners. All actions are anticipated to include collaboration/cooperation between the City, owners, and other interested organizations and individuals.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.1
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Downtown Area Plan

CHAPTER 14
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.2
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Downtown Area Plan Rationale
Through the Fontana Forward public process for Fontana’s new General Plan, a central element of the vision for Fontana’s future was to broaden and diversify the community’s offerings of housing, retail and lifestyle choices beyond its recent and current “bedroom suburb” emphasis. The following represent the primary goals identified with support from the Community.

1. Develop more walkable, transit-servable neighborhoods (i3 Neighborhoods) that provide a broader range of housing types for a wider range of household sizes, ages, income levels and lifestyles.

The above ideas are presented in more
detail in Sections 14 and 15 of this General
Plan.

As the conversation turned to the
question of where in Fontana such
districts, neighborhoods and corridors
might be most appropriate and practical
to implement
in Fontana, it quickly became clear that
Central Fontana (generally between
Foothill Boulevard and I-10, as shown on
the facing page) was particularly suitable
based on:
• The availability of sizable quantities of vacant and underutilized land; • The fact that the street network in this area could easily be adapted to such interconnected development patterns;
• A broad community consensus that such places could “fit in” well in Central Fontana, and less so farther to the north or south; and;
• Reinvestment in this part of town could also be valuable in supporting the revitalization of the Downtown.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.3
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
pages, with subtext keying them specifically to the Downtown Area (a.k.a. Central Fontana).

2 Fontana General Plan
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.4
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
EXHIBIT X.1 FONTANA FORWARD STRATEGIC POLICY MAP AND CONTEXT

Connected Neighborhood i3
Neighborhood
Downtown Arts, Culture and
Entertainment

Livable Corridor

Downtown Area Plan
*For detailed explanation of the
General Plan Districts see page
XX.

Map not to scaleChapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 3

Downtown
Area Plan
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.5
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
A

Downtown Area Plan Guiding Principles

1. Pursue high quality development.

2. Connect people and places. Make human
scale connections wherever possible -
the success of downtown businesses is
directly related to the ability of customers
Historic Fontana as inspiration for the future

Green brings life to a street
to easily find and access them.

Invite people to walk and bike

4 Fontana General Plan

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.6
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

9. Act transparently. Reviving Downtown is a
big job and without the strong support of
the Fontana community and City
government, it won’t happen. Trust,
consensus, enthusiasm and commitment
will need to be built, before building streets
and buildings.

10. Pursue goals through partnerships. Good
things happen when good people make them
happen. If we want good businesses to come
to Fontana, we need to figure out what it will
take to get them there and then do it. If we
want high quality civic spaces in Downtown,
we need to figure out what it should look like,
what it will cost, and how we can pay for it,
and then do it.

Gathering places can be found in unexpected places

Make room for the creative and the entrepreneurial

Downtown will be plentiful if we make it happen

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 5

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.7
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
B

Findings And Challenges

FINDINGS
Overview
The Downtown Area Plan encompasses approximately one square mile around the historic Downtown, centered on the intersection of Sierra Avenue and Arrow Boulevard. The following findings were made base on a review of the existing built environment in this area and a review of applicable policies and regulations in Fontana's current planning and zoning documents.

Land Use Patterns And
Zoning —Findings
• Downtown Urban Patterns:

Fontana’s central area has an
low scale urban form and semi-
connective road network that
reflects its history as an
agricultural community and
small factory town.
• Historic Resources and
Patterns: The Downtown Area
includes the highest concentration
of historic buildings in town,
including the Fontana Women’s
Packing House, Art Depot
(formerly the Red Car station),
and several historic homes. In
many cases inappropriate
improvements have degraded
their quality.
• Vacant and Underutilized
Land: Many parcels very close
to Downtown are substantially
vacant, previously used as
farmland, storage yards, or car
dealerships.
• Existing
Zoning/Regulations: Current
zoning and development
standards are single use zones,
including low density housing,
commercial of various types,
light industrial, and
public/civic facilities.
6 Fontana General Plan
Findings were previously gathered at multiple
community workshops, analyzed, and presented
back to the community in order to identify key
challenges and opportunities facing Downtown.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.8
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Key characteristics of these zones include: 1) residential intensities of 12 dwelling units per acre and less; and, 2) commercial and industrial zones in which housing or mixed-use development are not allowed.

In addition to the exclusive zones above, there are two overlay districts:

Downtown Overlay District: Encourages public realm
improvements oriented to pedestrians.1
Boulevard Overlay District: Designates parcels along the major corridors of Sierra, Foothill and Arrow as appropriate for mixed-use and multi-tenant development.2
Housing—Findings
• Housing Market Trends: City currently has
9,000 new housing units entitled for construction,
and an anticipated demand of 20,000 units total
through 2030, according to [get source info
from Stantec/ Kosmont].
• Single-Family: Housing in the Downtown area
primarily consists of single-family homes, most
built from the 1920s and 1980s. In most cases
garages face the street, while some are accessed
by rear alley.
• Multifamily Housing: Most multifamily housing
in Downtown is focused on below-market-rate
affordable units and/or senior living. Community
input confirmed that the tall security fences
surrounding many of these properties are a
response to the perception that such housing is
associated with high crime rates.
• Senior Housing: Most of the multi-family
housing in the Downtown Area is senior housing,
many below- market-rate. In the mid-2000s, the
City built several hundred senior units adjacent to
the Metrolink Station.
• Affordable Family Housing: According to
SCAG's 2014-2021 2021-2029Regional Housing
Needs Assessment (RHNA), the City of Fontana is
projected to need 5,977 additional units - 52%
17,519 additional units – 46% of which (8,059) are to
be for extremely low income, very low income, and
low income households.31

"The Fountains at Sierra" at the intersection
of Sierra and Ceres is one of five senior
multifamily buildings built in the mid-2000s.
• Student Housing: Currently there are no housing options well suited to college students in the Downtown area. Chaffey is a commuter campus. Chaffey College Master Vision Plan anticipates an approximate 40% growth in enrollment from 3,270 to over 4,600 by 2025.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 7
Example of existing single-family
homes and neighborhoods near
Downtown - Upland Avenue.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.9
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Access, Circulation and Mobility —Findings
• Vehicular Circulation And Parking: The Downtown is perceived to have a number of inconvenient traffic patterns. Many residents noted excessive traffic congestion during peak hours, especially when a Metrolink or BNSF train passes through Downtown.

There is a perceived lack of parking in the Downtown. After a comparative analysis of available parking and observations of parking trends - Downtown is found to have ample quantities of on- and off- street parking spaces and facilities, may of which are underutilized or unknown due to lack of clear signage, street and curb striping, and wayfinding.

Additional parking will be needed to support the higher level of activities associated with the revitalized downtown.
• Pedestrian Circulation: Pedestrian circulation is
enabled but not prioritized in Downtown.

Wide streets with few crossings
contribute to lower levels of pedestrian
and bicycle use.

Downtown include:
> Class I (dedicated, buffered): The regional
Pacific Electric Trail (PET) travels 6.4 miles across
the City east to west. The PET is the only fully
dedicated and buffered bicycle route in the City of
Fontana and allows for multi-use, but is not heavily
used due to perceived public safety concerns.
> Class II (dedicated, unbuffered lanes): There
are two Class II lanes in the Downtown, along
Ceres and Juniper Avenues.
> Class III "Sharrows" (shared with vehicular
lanes): The majority of these lanes are found in
Downtown along on Sierra, Foothill, Arrow and
Cypress. However in most cases the prevailing
vehicular speeds are higher than the 25 m.p.h. ideal
speed or 35 m.p.h. top recommended speed for
shared lanes.
• Traffic Collisions: While the Downtown area
makes up about 3% of the City's total acreage, the
Downtown accounted for 12% of citywide traffic
collisions between July 2010 and July 2016, and 15%
and 16%, respectively, of collisions involving
pedestrians and bicycles.

8 Fontana General Plan

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.10
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
• Metrolink: Metrolink is generally perceived as a
valuable regional asset in Fontana, although train
timing and stopping locations often conflict with
traffic.
• Public Transit: Omnitrans currently provides eight
bus routes with local and regional access to
Downtown (Route 10, 14, 15, 19, 20, 61, 66 and 67).

The primary transit hub is adjacent to the Fontana
Metrolink Station.
• Sierra Avenue: Sierra Avenue is the primary spine
through Fontana's historic core and extends to the
north and south connecting of Fontana's newer
neighborhoods, and major commercial and industrial
centers to Downtown. It also provides direct access to
the I-10, I-15 and 210 freeways. Currently, the
Downtown segment of Sierra (from Merrill to
Foothill) carries an between 30,000 and 40,000 average
daily traffic (ADT) along four lanes - this segment is
not a designated Truck Route.
• Foothill Boulevard: Foothill Boulevard is the
primary east-west corridor for the City of Fontana
and the north gateway to the Downtown Plan Area .

Historically part of Route 66, Foothill accommodates
over 40,000 ADT travel lanes. Some Route 66-era
buildings and uses remain, but most of this corridor
is characterized by a mix of commercial uses and
vacant parcels.
• Arrow Boulevard: Arrow Boulevard is a second
cross-valley highway, mostly four lanes but two to
the west, and carries less than half the traffic of
Foothill, approximately 20,000 ADT.
• Merrill Avenue: On the south edge of the
Downtown Area, Merrill Avenue runs east to west,
carrying approximate,y 15,000 ADT in four lanes.

Merrill primarily serves local commuters and
provides direct access to Chaffey College and local
bus routes.

Fontana Metrolink Station — a
regional asset for the City

Sierra Avenue — the primary north-south
corridor through the City and Downtown

Classic Route 66 era buildings along
Foothill Boulevard

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.11
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 9
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.12
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Fontana Memorial Rose Gardens
along Spring Street

Citrus berms parallel to the PET
Open Space and Recreation—Findings
The Downtown Area Plan is home to the following
parks and open spaces:
• Miller Park (5.6 ac.) and Amphitheater
(planned): Located immediately behind Lewis
Library, this park currently hosts a number of
community events including Concerts at the Park.

There are current plans for the park to be developed
into an amphitheater as a central event venue and
community gathering place.
• Seville Park (3.8 ac.): Seville Park is located
on the western edge of the Downtown Area Plan.
• Santa Fe Park (1.0 ac.): This centrally located
park, at the corner of Orange Way and Sierra
Avenue, is considered to be largely underutilized,
with great potential for community events.
• Memorial Rose Gardens (0.6 ac.): The rose
gardens, located on the north side of Spring Street,
are loved by many residents,
• Citrus Berms (PET adjacent): The citrus
berms, currently run parallel to the PET between
Juniper and Emerald Avenue. The berm
configuration is not well liked or used by the
community.

Jobs and Economic Makeup—Findings
• Need five bullet points from Stantec's Economic Analysis focused on downtown. Useful points would be:
• How many Independent vs national chains makeup of businesses • Information about shopfronts being used as warehouses ie: Out of the existing space that is zoned for commercial (office/retail) XX percent is leased to warehouse uses. (If this info is available
• How many acres of commercially zoned land there is in the DT area plan and how much is currently viable retail and office space. • Provide a Metric - within the area of DT core, a successful downtown of the amount of many acres, X number of square feet of commercial space, there is currently Y. And Expected gross revenue dollars of square foot of retail.
• Current Rents and what should be for a successful downtown.

10 Fontana General Plan

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.13
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

CHALLENGES
The following challenges came out of an analysis of the findings:

Zoning Regulations
• Existing zoning, parking requirements and permit processes deter many businesses from locating Downtown.
• Existing commercial zoning regulations for the Downtown Core were written for suburban strip malls and do not allow construction of simple downtown building types without variances.
• Current zoning regulations, combined with low land values, result in prime Downtown locations being used for warehousing, surface parking or remain vacant.
• Current zoning regulations limit residential densities to 12 dwelling units per acre (DUA) and limit mixed-use, providing little ability or incentive for new investment to unlock latent land values and uses.

Downtown Character and Urban Design
• Out-of-date building safety and seismic standards limit the reuse of many fine old buildings in the Downtown.
• Ill advised Certain facade improvements and inconsistent street improvements have led to a disjointed, generally low quality urban design image.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 11
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.14
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
C

Downtown Character
• Be a local and regional destination for retail,
employment, culture, and housing, building
upon Fontana's historic character.
• Be a comfortable gathering place for future
generations, with a wide range of amenities for
families and visitors of all ages.

Economic Development
• Have regulations and incentives that support
a variety of retail and commercial businesses,
small and locally-owned businesses in
particular.
• Offer a wide variety of everyday conveniences such as bakeries, coffee shops, service businesses, boutiques and restaurants.
• Offer overnight lodging for visitors.

12 Fontana General Plan
The consultant team engaged community members at Sunset on Sierra, July 30, 2016. The consultant team attended both formal and informal events in order to reach a wide range of local residents and stakeholders.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.15
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Infill and Development
• Restore or redevelop older properties.
• Creatively adapt historic buildings to accommodate
new uses.
• Attract infill development and re-investment in the
Downtown with catalytic streetscape improvements.
• Update zoning and development standards to
help ensure high-quality architecture and
construction.
• Allow higher-intensity residential and mixed-use
development to attract a mix of housing options
for a range of household sizes, ages, incomes and
lifestyles.
• Update zoning to allow neighborhood scale multi-
family and attached single-family infill housing types.

Open Space
• Reimagine and improve the Pacific Electric Trail (PET) as a civic park linking the Civic Center to the
Downtown Core.
• Replace berms and most citrus trees along Seville
with more useful and attractive open space amenities.

Parking Organization and
Management
• Provide convenient parking throughout the
Downtown.
• Enhance pedestrian connections to parking facilities. • Add parallel, diagonal and perpendicular parking
along selected street edges and in medians.
• Identify and reserve key locations for shared
parking facilities.

Planning Process and Regulation
• Simplify entitlement processes and conflicts
between zoning requirements and the General
Plan.
• Allow for Conditional Use Permits (CUP's) that
enable longer operating hours, reduced parking
ratios, and additional alcohol licenses, where
warranted, to help attract new businesses.
• Adopt building standards that enable historic and
older buildings to be feasibly adapted to new uses.
• Create a Downtown Management District to
coordinate programming, management,
maintenance and parking.

In addition to map markups and surveys,
community members shared comments and
ideas in public forums at the end of each
workshop or public gathering.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.16
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 13
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.17
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
D

Goals And Policies

GOALS POLICIES
Fontana Becomes a Local and Regional Destination
Make Downtown Fontana an important
regional destination for dining, shopping,
entertainment, special events, culture
and education.
• Encourage a mix of uses in the downtown core,
appealing to a wide range of customer types,
with a focus on families.
• Prioritize the Downtown Area for available
street and park improvement funding.
• Support regional transit initiatives that provide
enhanced access to the Downtown Area.

A Range of New Housing
Provide housing for a broad range of
household sizes, types and incomes
within the Downtown Area to help
support the health and growth of the
downtown economy.
• Encourage mixed-use development within the
Downtown and along major corridors.
• Encourage new medium-density housing on
vacant and underutilized parcels within the
neighborhoods of the Downtown Area.
• Ensure that new infill development is
compatible in scale and character with the
existing neighborhoods.
• Ensure that transportation and utility
infrastructure keeps pace with infill
development so that the neighborhood
character and quality steadily improves over
time.
• Encourage new “in-town” housing types
targeted to young people and young families to
help attract and retain the next generation of
Fontanans.
14 Fontana General Plan
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.18
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

GOALS POLICIES
Strengthened Connections Between Downtown Core And Major Corridors Reinvigorate the Foothill and Sierra
Corridors with a mix of retail,
employment, mixed-use and housing
development as an economic engine for
the Downtown Area, and as gateways to
Downtown.
• Ensure that future street improvements to
Foothill and Arrow Boulevards and Sierra Avenue
improve the appearance and pedestrian
environment while accommodating traffic flows.
• In addition to high quality commercial
development, encourage housing in
appropriate forms along these corridors.
• Concentrate higher development intensities
within a 1/4 mile of planned transit stops, with
shared parking arrangements when feasible.

Pedestrian-Oriented Design
Ensure that a beautiful, comfortable,
pedestrian-oriented public realm
seamlessly connects the Downtown
district, neighborhoods and major
corridors of the Downtown Area.
• Require that new development systematically
contribute to an interconnected network of
complete streets and pedestrian connections.
• Encourage new development to provide
beautiful, usable public and shared open
spaces for passive and active recreation, in
scale with the size and type of development.
• Prioritize available public improvement funds
and developer contributions to systematically
generate a strong urban tree canopy for shelter
from summer sun and strong winds.

Center for Education
The area along Sierra Avenue and
Merrill Street will become a College
District, with a mix of housing
and employment surrounding and
supporting the growing Chaffey College
campus.
• The City will work collaboratively with the
College to attain this goal.
• Encourage higher density housing on
appropriate sites that is targeted to student,
faculty and staff.
• Encourage the formation and growth of
start-up and spin-off businesses related to or
supported by the College on appropriate sites.

Historic Preservation
The Downtown Area will respect and
reflect the heritage and unique
character of Fontana.
• The City will encourage and provide incentives
for the preservation, rehabilitation, and adaptive
reuse of historic buildings.
• The City will provide incentives for the
adaptive reuse of existing buildings and
facade and other improvements that
contribute to the vision of the Downtown.
• New zoning standards and design guidelines will
focus on ensuring that new infill development
respects the scale and character of Fontana’s
historic building fabric.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 15
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.19
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
E

Relationship to General Plan
An "Area Plan" is authorized by the State of California as a tool that refines the vision, policies and regulations of a general plan as they apply to smaller geographic areas within the larger general plan area. As part of a general plan, Area Plans are fully-approved and enforceable documents, implemented by local ordinances such as those regulating land use and subdivision.1
Relationship to Municipal Code
In conjunction with this the 2015-2035 General Plan Update and Downtown Area Plan, new updated zoning for Downtown has been was prepared. This will be was incorporated into the Fontana Municipal Code (FMC) as the "Downtown Code." part of the “Form Based Code”, or “FBC.” The whole Downtown Area Plan area is within the Walkable Mixed Use - 1 land use category. The Downtown Form Based Code will provided all development standards and authorized land uses for all parcels within the boundary of the Downtown Area Plan identified in Exhibit X.1. The FMC developments and requirements in place prior to the adoption of the Downtown Code will be replaced by Chapter XX, Article XX upon adoption by the City of Fontana. Standards and topics within the Downtown Area Plan boundary not covered by this Area Plan will default to the standards of the greater General Plan and Municipal Code.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.20
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
The new Downtown Core provides updated zoning regulations for the Core focus area within a new Walkable Mixed Use-3 land use category. This land use category will accommodate higher residential densities and mixed uses supportive of a more walkable and vibrant downtown. 16 Fontana General Plan
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.21
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Downtown is a place for shopping, living, working, recreation and community life - Ventura, California.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 17

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.22
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
F

Downtown Core
The Downtown Core is made up of the three distinct but complementary subdistricts below:

Retail Core District
The Retail Core is Fontana's historic commercial district. Spanning two blocks of Sierra Avenue between Orange Way and Arrow Boulevard, it served as the City's "main street" through the 1960s, with wide sidewalks and open shopfronts. Following construction of the
I-10 and I-210 Freeways, this pedestrian-oriented main street gradually evolved into an auto- oriented corridor for through traffic. However, a strong majority of residents still view the Retail Core as the center for locally-owned business activity and hope to see it revitalized.

Civic Park District
Centered on Sierra Avenue and extending from Juniper to Mango Avenue, the Civic Park District will connect most of the civic functions in Fontana including City Hall, Lewis Library, Center Theater, Miller Park, the Pacific Electric Trail, and serve as the north gateway into the Downtown Core. Properties in this area include older commercial structures—some historic— and a number of underutilized parcels, offering great opportunity for new business activity.

Metrolink/Chaffey College District
Located immediately south of the Retail Core, the Metrolink Station Area includes senior apartments, the Fontana Senior Center, Santa Fe Park, commercial and industrial properties along the railroad tracks and Chaffey College. As the Downtown becomes revitalized, this area is anticipated to become a center for education and job creation, with improved connections Metrolink, serving as the southern gateway to the Downtown.

Gateway Corridors*
The Foothill Boulevard and Sierra Avenue Corridors have the potential to act as "funnels" bringing local and regional visitors to the Downtown. Both corridors currently include many vacant and low value commercial properties, providing great opportunity for implementation of the Livable Corridors concept, bringing new commercial amenities and housing options to the Downtown Area.

In-Town Neighborhoods*
Within the Downtown area, the neighborhoods east of Sierra Avenue are characterized by single- family homes, interconnected blocks, and well-coordinated streetscapes, while to the west of Sierra neighborhoods are more fragmented, with large open parcels of former farmland . These blocks offer significant infill development opportunities to generate the i3 Neighborhoods envisioned by the General Plan, providing a mix of new housing types within a comfortable walk or bike ride of the Downtown Core.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.23
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
*Recommendations for the sections of Gateway Corridors and Downtown Neighborhoods are applicable throughout the Livable Corridors and the i3 Neighborhood General Plan designation. For further information on these sections see Chapter 15.

18 Fontana General Plan

Civic Core
The Civic Core district would involve a mix of existing and new public uses, including the existing City Hall, Library, and Park spaces.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.24
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
SIERRA
EXHIBIT X.3 DOWNTOWN AREA PLAN DISTRICTS AND ORGANIZATION

FOOTHILL
FOOTH ILL / ROUTE 66 GATEWAY

DOWNTOWN
CORE

CIVIC
PARK

ARROW

WESTSIDE

NEIGHBORHOODS

RETAIL
CORE

EASTSIDE NEIGHBORHOODS

STATION AREA

MERRILL SOUTH
SIERRA

GATEWAY

Downtown Area Plan
Boundary
Major Downtown Corridor
Pacific Electric Trail
Metrolink (U.P.R.R.)
Planned Transit
Station
Metrolink Station
Regional Keymap 0 1,000 2,000
Feet

JUNIPER
MANGO
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.25
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 19

EXHIBIT X.3 PROPOSED DOWNTOWN CORE

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.26
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
G
Downtown Core
Goals for Creating an Integrated Retail Core,
Civic Park and Station Area
The overarching goal for Fontana's Downtown Core is
that it become the center of Fontana's community life:
the place to take the family for dinner, the place to
bring visitors to show them your town, the place for
community events, the place for arts and culture, the
place for young people to meet each other, the place
you go when you just want to find something
interesting to do.

Building on the historic Sierra Avenue Downtown
core and nearby historic buildings and streetscapes,
the plan is to systematically regrow a bigger and
better Downtown reinvigorated with new land uses,
activities, new businesses, new public landscape, and
new private development. The following pages set
forth the main goals and key strategies for remaking
the Downtown Core, with ideas drawn from
Fontana's history, from engaging public workshops,
and from lessons learned from other successful
downtowns throughout California.

The Downtown Core will seamlessly
integrate the Civic Park, Retail Core and
Metrolink Station Area.

Downtown as the heart of community life - example from Ventura, California20 Fontana General Plan

DOWNTOWN

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.27
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Goal 3: Activity-Rich Downtown
A thriving, growing downtown must offer a wide range
of commercial and civic amenities that attract more
people, more often, to spend more time in Downtown.

Public realm includes streets and sidewalks

Mix of uses in a retail core

Beautiful downtown buildings

Finding your way around

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.28
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 21
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.29
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Top Priorities

The big ideas and top priorities of the Downtown
Area Plan include:
• Generate a concentration of commercial,
recreational, educational, and cultural activities
in the Downtown Core – whether in existing
refurbished buildings, existing refurbished
public open spaces, or new buildings – to make
it a compelling destination for Fontana
residents and out of town visitors.
• Systematically improve the existing
streets of the Downtown Core to provide
a more comfortable, walkable, shaded,
wind-buffered environment with
convenient customer parking, to help
attract customers, visitors, businesses to
visit more often and spend more time.
• Organize existing available parking and
provide wayfinding signage to make it easy for
visitors to park and explore the Downtown on
foot.
• Provide wayfinding signage to make it easy for
visitors to park and explore the Downtown on
foot.
• Re-imagine the Pacific Electric Trail right of
way as a “Civic Park District” connecting the
existing Civic Center to the historic Downtown
retail core with attractive, useful, comfortable
spaces for active and passive recreation, for
outdoor dining, and as flexible venue for
special community events.
• Provide updated development standards and
design guidelines to help attract and encourage
new investment, and ensure that each
increment of new investment – whether in just
a new awning or sign and coat of paint or a
whole new building – contributes to a unique
and high quality “Downtown Fontana” design
character.

The Conceptual Illustrative Plan, to the right,
highlights some of the development priorities and
improvements recommended for transformational
change in Downtown Fontana.

New Gateways, wayfinding and signage will
welcome visitors into the Downtown Core.

Downtown will host a lively mix of uses,
beautiful buildings and architectural forms.

Streets with ample trees and pedestrian
amenities will provide shade and wind
protection, and enhance the visibility of retail.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.30
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Proposed improvements on Sierra Ave include adding parking lane planters and canopy trees, mid-block crossings, and street furnishings to calm traffic, support businesses, and provide a comfortable pedestrian environment.

22 Fontana General Plan

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.31
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 23
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.32
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Goal 1: A Livable Public Realm

Complete streets make all users comfortable people and cars.

Complete Streets
Complete Streets balance the safety
and comfort of pedestrians and
bicyclists with the convenience of
drivers. The great majority of the
Downtown Core's public realm
consists of public streets, which can
be systematically improved to create
an inviting pedestrian environment
that includes new, convenient
customer parking.
• Encourage walking around:
> Widen sidewalks as appropriate;
> Buffer pedestrians from moving traffic with
curbside parking, street trees, street lights and
other street furnishings;
> Provide wide but short well-marked crosswalks; and,
> Create walking shortcuts, including new passages
(streets, alleys, paseos) through existing large
blocks.

Clearly marked class II bike lanes along a
tree-lined street create more comfortable
environments for cyclists and motorists.
• Calm Traffic:
> Reduce selected travel lane widths to a practical
and safe minimum width to moderate driving
speeds to improve pedestrian safety and reduce
noise levels;
> Set the number of vehicular lanes at a practical
and safe minimum;
> Reduce traffic congestion and manage speeds by
synchronizing traffic signals to allow vehicles
driving at the posted speed to flow smoothly
through the area;
24 Fontana General Plan

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.33
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Create a safe, comfortable bicycling
environment:
> Provide new bike lanes on selected streets,
including Arrow Boulevard;
> Moderated vehicular speeds on Downtown streets
will enable bicycle and vehicular traffic to safely
share lanes.
• Manage on-street parking:
> Provide curbside parking on all streets to provide
convenient customer parking, provide a safety-
buffer for pedestrians, and help calm traffic;
> Where the number and/or width of travel lanes can
be reduced without creating new congestion,
reconfigure on-street parking to expand the supply
of customer parking.

Clearly visible crosswalks with shortened
crossing distances enhance pedestrian
safety and calm traffic.

On-street parking, lighting and street trees
create a safe, comfortable pedestrian
environment.

A street is intentionally designed to slow cars down
with reduced travel lane widths, added bike lanes,
on- street parking, landscaping and street trees,
clearly- marked crosswalks and intersections.

Above, buildings frame the street to encourage
slower traffic speeds and allow for safer pedestrian
movement.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.34
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 25
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.35
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Drought resistant plants and trees
contribute to local design and conservation.

Pervious parking pavement and canopy
trees enable stormwater infiltration.

Street trees with tall canopies provide
shade and wind protection for pedestrians,
and maintain visibility of retail frontages.

Downtown Landscape
• Build the urban tree canopy
Large canopy trees do more than any other single
strategy to make a comfortable outdoor environment
in a windy desert climate. Harsh sun and wind
conditions much
of the year, discourage walking and outdoor dining
or recreation. The early settlers of Fontana
understood this challenge and responded by
planting steady rows of
large trees to cut the wind, and large canopy trees in
parks around civic buildings to provide shade for
community activities.

Although most of that original landscape is gone, a
few Downtown neighborhood streets have retain ed
their historic canopy of large shade trees (Nuevo
Street north of Seville is a good example). Recent tree plantings in the Downtown have been primarily
"ornamental" and/ or "low maintenance" in nature
and do not contribute to the comfort and livability of
the public realm to make it a place where many
people would choose to spend their time. Key
elements of the new tree canopy strategy include:
> Plant canopy trees between the sidewalk and traffic
on all streets, to add shade and spatial enclosure,
provide a buffer from wind and traffic.
> In the retail core to select and maintain trees to
provide good visibility for shopfronts and
signage.
> Large canopy trees in the public open spaces of
Downtown should provide shade and wind
protection to make them comfortable for a wide
range of outdoor activities.
> Employ native and adaptive plant species to
reduce irrigation and maintenance without
sacrificing appearance.
• A Climate Calibrated Landscape
A drought tolerant and resilient urban landscape
that encourages and supports outdoor activity.
> Shade trees are worth the water required to establish and maintain them. Other landscape and hardscape
should emphasize simple concrete sidewalks,
pervious accent pavement, and drought tolerant
native and adaptive plants rather than shrubs, turn
or thirsty groundcovers.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.36
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

26 Fontana General Plan
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.37
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Street Furnishings
• A Well-Furnished Public Realm
Complete the Downtown landscape with the
"hardware" of comfortable, livable places: street
furniture, street lighting, bicycle parking, and bus
stops. Specific elements include:
> Street lights that provide a safe and pleasant quantity and quality of light appropriate to each district,
street, and space:
 LED lamps in the warm white spectrum,
with down-directed luminaries reduce
energy consumption, operating cost, and
glare.
 Street lights should be calibrated to the size and
function of the street, emphasizing human scale
and the pedestrian rather than just floodlighting
the roadway.
 Light poles and light levels along
neighborhood streets should be lower than
along the commercial corridors, with pools of
light at each fixture and at street intersections
and darker areas between.
> Seating areas should distributed throughout
Downtown to provide comfortable places for
visitors to catch their breath and extend their visit;
> Parklets can "widen the sidewalk" and to
provide additional space for outdoor dining.
>Movable tables and chairs in the retail/restaurant
core, provide a high level of flexibility to the use
of public spaces.
> Secure bike parking in convenient location along
retail streets, at corner plazas and paseos, and at
public parking lots will help bring customers who
do not add to traffic congestion and vehicle parking
demand.

Coordinated street lights and frontages
create a comfortable and safe setting

Street furniture

Parklets with flexible seating

Organized bike parking incorporated into
sidewalks within a downtown retail district

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.38
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 27
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.39
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Plaza with seating and event space

Example of a side dining court created from an open
lot adjacent to mixed-use retail

Temporary street festival and regular events may
be held on underutilized lots.

Open Space Network
• An Interconnected Network of
"Outdoor Rooms"
Evolve Downtown's streets, alleys, paseos,
parks, plazas, and other open spaces into an
interconnected network of "outdoor rooms"
lined with beautiful buildings with active
frontages to:
> Enhance the appearance and economic
value of the Downtown;
> Support a healthy in-town
lifestyle downtown the
emphasizes active
transportation;
> Enhance public safety by providing
more “eyes on the street;" and,
> Emphasize the connection between the
Downtown and Fontana's beautiful natural
setting, mountain views and natural
resources..
• Use vacant and underutilized
spaces as temporary event or
open spaces.

28 Fontana General Plan

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.40
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

A weekend farmers market along a city
street

A passageway between retail buildings
connects pedestrians to convenient parking.

Conceptual illustration for activating alleys, paseos, and mid- block crossings in the Downtown Core.

Alleys and paseos in Pasadena, California
show how mid-block passageways can be
become active places with potential for new
addresses and businesses.

NUEVO
SIERRA

WHEELER
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.41
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 29
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.42
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Sierra Avenue Transformation
Proposed Improvements (Orange Way to Seville St)

Proposed improvements on Sierra Ave include adding parking lane planters and canopy trees, mid-block crossings, and street furnishings calm traffic, support businesses, and provide a comfortable pedestrian environment.

Context
Sierra Avenue is the primary north/south artery of Fontana and the historic main street of the Downtown. Despite its relatively high traffic volume—a valuable asset for any commercial district—the Downtown has struggled to attract and retain the types of businesses that could help make downtown a significant regional— or even local— destination. Key strategies for success include refreshing its appearance, improving pedestrian safety and comfort, and reducing vehicular speeds—and hence levels of noise and hazard—without decreasing vehicular capacity.

Sierra Ave - Proposed Transformation Sierra Ave - Existing Condition

30 Fontana General Plan

SIERRA
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.43
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Sierra Pedestrian Plaza
Proposed Improvements (Sierra Ave, Nuevo Ave & Wheeler Ave) Context & Strategy
Reconfigure Sierra Ave, Nuevo Ave
and Wheeler Ave north of Orange Ave
and south of Arrow Blvd: One goal of
the Downtown is to create an attractive
destination for Fontana. To facilitate
this, a pedestrian plaza on Sierra Ave
north of Orange Way and south of
Arrow Blvd is planned. The plaza will
act as a centerpiece of the Downtown
with attractive architecture and
attractive pedestrian amenities:

Specific recommendations include
• Creating a pedestrian plaza north of
Orange Way and south of Arrow
Blvd and redirect automobile traffic
to Wheeler Ave and Nuevo Ave.
• Include pedestrian amenities such
as outdoor furniture, ample
landscaping, shade and vast
walking paths.
• Create multi-modal access to the plaza by
implementing bike lanes, pedestrian
connections and encouraging
“alternative” transportation modes that
may include , shared vehicle options,
rollerblading electric bikes and scooters.
• Create attractive and active spaces
through emphasis of arts. This includes
using land markers such as monuments
and gateway signs. Active public spaces
include modern and interactive art.
• Create a local and regional destination
by creating an active public space as
described above with attractive
commercial development such as
restaurants, amusement spaces
(arcades and gaming), antique shops
and art studios.

An overhead look at a pedestrian plaza on Sierra Ave.

A pedestrian plaza with amenities.

Residents taking photos with the monuments.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.44
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Transformation
The following actions are recommended to transform and
improve the appearance and performance of Sierra Avenue within the Downtown Core:
• Add broad-canopy street trees: Adding broad-
canopy trees within the curb-side parking lanes to
visually narrow the street, and help shelter
pedestrians from the sun, wind and traffic.

Specific recommendations include:
i. Replace existing palms and shrubs in center
median with broad canopy trees and low
water use native and adaptive plantings.
ii. Remove the Queen Palms from sidewalk
planters - maintaining the taller Mexican Fan
Palms - and fill in the sidewalk to provide
additional sidewalk space for furniture and
café dining.
iii. Add new parking-lane planters with broad-
canopy trees every two parking spaces to
visually narrow the street, calm traffic, and
provide shade for the sidewalk and parked
cars.
• Provide comfortable street furniture: Including
benches, trash receptacles and bicycle parking:
• Provide improved street lighting: Whether through
replacement of fixtures or installing new lights of
LEDs, improve the quantity and quality of nighttime
lighting.
• Allow parklets: Because the sidewalks on Sierra
are not very wide for a downtown, businesses may
elect to give up a curbside parking space in front of
their shop in exchange for a new parklet that
expands sidewalk space for outdoor dining.
• Provide mid-block crossings: On blocks longer than
300'—at or near mid-block, add paseos and alleys—
to encourage visitors to "shop both sides."

Parking-lane-planters provide shade and
wind protection for the sidewalk and parked
cars, and free up additional sidewalk space
for sidewalk dining and street furnishings.

Parklets provide new "temporary" space to
the sidewalk for outdoor dining, or street
furnishings.

Street Furniture - including benches,
bicycle parking, trash receptacles, bus
shelters - contribute to a safe, comfortable
pedestrian (and retail) environment.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.45
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 31
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.46
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Arrow Blvd Transformation
Proposed Improvements (Juniper Ave to Wheeler Ave)

Proposed improvements on Arrow Blvd include a "parking median" for everyday angled parking street fair tents and booths, Class II buffered bike lanes, parking lane tree planters, and corner curb extensions and crosswalks.

Context
Arrow Boulevard was historically Fontana's "second main street", but has suffered from significant loss of buildings and businesses.

Unlike Sierra Avenue, Arrow Boulevard requires only a single vehicular lane in each direction, since it no longer carries the traffic volumes for which it was designed. This frees up a significant amount of the existing right of way for more parking and better pedestrian and bike facilities. This will make Arrow a calmer, shadier environment to help attract new
Arrow Blvd - Existing Condition

Sierra Ave - Proposed Transformation
businesses and infill development and customers to the Downtown Core, adjacent to and visible from but not right on the busier Sierra Avenue Corridor.

JUNIPER
ROSENA

BENNETT
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.47
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

32 Fontana General Plan
NUEVO
SIERRA

WHEELER
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.48
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Transformation
The following actions are recommended to transform and
improve the appearance and performance of Arrow Boulevard within the Downtown Core:
• "Ramblas" median parking: A wide enlarged
hardscaped median—paved with pervious
pavement—provides diagonal parking in both
directions, shaded by regularly spaced canopy trees.
• Add tall palms: Similar to those on Sierra to help
define the space of the very wide street and provide it with a visible presence.
• Add parking lane tree planters: These will visually
narrow the wide space of the street and generate a
double row of trees that provide shade for pedestrians
and parked cars.
• Add buffered bike lanes: Class II bicycle lanes are to be provide along Arrow Boulevard and Juniper Avenue
to contribute to the City's bicycle network. Sierra is too narrow and too busy for good bike lanes, so other
parallel streets may be further prioritized for bike
traffic.
• Provide improved street lighting: Along the
sidewalks and within the new central "ramblas" area,
provide pedestrian-scale street lights providing bright, clear light for a safe and comfortable pedestrian
environment.

A new, flexible median "ramblas" provides
convenient customer parking most of the
time, and a central area for staging street
fairs and special events.

New bike lanes on Arrow can be extended
to through the Eastside and Westside
neighborhoods, potentially all the way to
Rancho Cucamonga and downtown Rialto.

Near-term change could include adding trees, bike lanes and street lighting.

Street Furniture—including benches,
bicycle parking, trash receptacles, bus
shelters—contribute to a safe, comfortable
pedestrian (and retail) environment.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.49
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 33
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.50
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Nuevo Avenue Transformation
Proposed Improvements (Spring St to Valencia Ave)

Proposed improvements on Nuevo Ave include restriping the angled parking, adding parking lane planters and canopy trees, and adding parklets, street furnishing And lighting to transform the street into a comfortable "space" for future "Restaurant Row"

Context
Like Arrow Boulevard, Nuevo Street offers retail and restaurant addresses in the Downtown Core without the high traffic volumes that characterize Sierra Avenue. By extending a high quality pedestrian environment "around the corner" from those two major streets, Nuevo has significant potential to provide the "restaurant row" that the community identified as a top priority for enlivening the Downtown (See also pg.50) . Additionally, Nuevo Street connects to the Metrolink Station to the south, to the new Civic Park at the north and potentially on through to Foothill Boulevard.

Sierra Ave - Proposed Transformation Nuevo Ave - Existing Condition

34 Fontana General Plan

NUEVO
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.51
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Transformation
The following actions are recommended to transform and
improve the appearance and performance of Nuevo Street
within the Downtown Core:
• Restripe parking: Nuevo Street is already striped with angled parking from Valencia Street to Spring Street,
and is wide enough to allow the sidewalks to be
widened by about five feet. To avoid the cost of that, a near-term strategy
of adding curb stops and planting trees and inserting
parklets between the parking and the existing curb is
recommended.
• Provide comfortable street furniture: Including
benches, trash receptacles and bicycle parking;
• Allow parklets: Parklets—whether part of a near—
term City-sponsored street scape improvement, or
constructed by property owners over time - have the
potential to provide widened sidewalk areas with or
without losing parking spaces.
• Provide improved street lighting: Within the
existing sidewalks and/or within the space between the
parking and the sidewalk, provide pedestrian-scale
street lights providing bright, clear light for a safe and comfortable pedestrian environment.

Parking-lane-planters provide shade and
wind protection for the sidewalk and parked
cars, and free up additional sidewalk space
for sidewalk dining and street furnishings.

Parklets provide new "temporary" space to
the sidewalk for outdoor dining, or street
furnishings.

Near-term change could include new street trees, planters and/or parklets

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 35

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.52
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Seville Street Transformation
Proposed Improvements (Nuevo to Wheeler)

With relatively minor reconstruction, the south side of Seville Street (PET Park) could be reconfigured to add head - in parking along the length of the park. The existing gutter of the street could remain intact, with decomposed granite or pervious paving finishing the new parking spaces, and shade trees added in planters every 4 -5 spaces.

Context & Strategy
Just as the transformations on Arrow Blvd (see also pg. 46) could provide new on -street parking at the south of Fontana's retail core, Seville could be reconfigured along the PET Park as a low-cost way to contribute
a significant amount of new parking (up to 120 new spaces) to the north end of the retail core.

Existing Condition along Seville St with
landscape berms and rows of citrus trees.

Seville reconfigured as a Downtown parking street with pervious parking stalls "cut into" the PET Park, bookended roundabouts at Wheeler (existing) and Nuevo (new).

36 Fontana General Plan

NUEVO
SIERRA

WHEELER
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.53
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Transformation
Specific recommendations for transforming Seville Ave into a Downtown parking street and attractive edge to the PE Trail Park include:
• Parking edge: One relatively inexpensive way for the City to gain additional parking in the downtown, could be to "cut" new head-in parking stalls into the north edge of PET Park along Seville St, providing upwards of 100 new spaces
between Juniper Ave and Wheeler Ave. This could be
designed as a beautiful, soft "edge" to the park - with shade trees inserted between parking spaces at regular intervals to create parking "bays" of three to five spaces each. These new parking bays could be finished with a pervious material such as decomposed granite (DG) or pervious pavement.

Roundabout at
Nuevo to "bookend" the downtown portion of Seville from the "neighborhood portion."
• New Roundabout at Nuevo And Seville: Mirroring the
roundabout at the corner of Wheeler And Seville, a new
roundabout at Nuevo And Seville would "bookend" this
transformed "parking street", and provide a natural
transition along Seville from a Neighborhood Street west of Nuevo to this more formal civic space in the downtown.

Broad-canopy trees will provide shade
for parked cars, and a variety of pervious
materials can be used for parking spaces.

Soft parking edge could be finished with
decomposed granite.

Additional improvements are anticipated for the PET Park itself, activating it with a variety of new uses and activities in support of downtown (See Goal #3 - An Activity-Rich Downtown).

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 37

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.54
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Spring Street Improvements
Proposed Improvements (Juniper to Sierra)

Spring Street reconfigured to increase on-street parking with diagonal parking added along one side (alternating sides).

Spring Street could be restriped to include
angled parking on one side to increase the
overall parking supply downtown.

Diagonal parking on a retail street
Context & Strategy
Reconfigure Spring Street to increase parking and
calm traffic: Spring St is an oversized, underutilized street spanning two-blocks in the center of the downtown. With relatively minor interventions, its wide curb-to-curb (50ft) dimension could be reconfigured
to accommodate diagonal parking on one side—which could alternate from one side of the street to the other based on adjacent uses—and parallel on the other, to calm traffic, increase the downtown parking supply, and transform Spring into a valuable address downtown.

Specific recommendations include:
• Orient the diagonal parking to the side of the street that would benefit the most from it. This would in effect, create a "meandering" street which would further calm traffic. • Add street trees in parking lane planters to provide shade and wind protection to the sidewalk and parked cars, calm traffic by visually narrowing
the street, and maintain a wide sidewalk for comfortable pedestrian circulation on both sides of the street.

38 Fontana General Plan

JUNIPER
NUEVO
SIERRA
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.55
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
North Downtown Gateway
Proposed Improvements (Sierra & Seville)
Context & Strategy
Reconfigure Create a north
Gateway (Plaza) to the Downtown
Core: As the City begins to accomplish the
sorts of transformative improvements
described for the Pacific Electric Trail Park
above, the intersection of Sierra Ave and
Seville Street will become a natural
northern "gateway" into the downtown. In
its current form, all four corners are already
nicely-landscaped open spaces, three of
which are framed by nice buildings, and the
fourth corner (the southwest corner)
adjacent a City-owned opportunity site for
future development. As such, with relatively
minor improvements,
this space could be formalized slightly to
become a Gateway Plaza— announcing
entry into "downtown".

Specific recommendations include:

The intersection of Seville and Sierra is a natural north gateway to the downtown retail core.

• Add bulb-outs into the corners to reduce pedestrian
crossing distance and enclose the gateway plaza.
• Enclose the existing fountains on the east corners of Sierra And Seville with vertical elements such as trellises and shade trees.
• Add shade trees to provide wind and shade protection, and to better define the plaza space.
• Add branding and signage to the plaza to welcome
visitors to the downtown. This could include signage
elements that span Sierra Avenue.

The intersection of Seville and Sierra

Gateway Signage

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 39

SIERRA
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.56
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Goal 2: Buildings Shape the Public Realm

Most downtown streets should be defined
by a consistent street wall of buildings
built at or near the frontage line one to
four stories in height with commercial
shopfronts or other active uses lining the
ground floor
• Varied massing. While built in a steady
row in plan, buildings are expected to
vary in height and profile, with varied
architecture and restrained, town-scale
massing.
• Varied architecture. Creativity
should be encouraged; mixing
traditional and contemporary
architectural styles that complement
Fontana's historic building stock.

Downtown buildings engaging and framing the
street
A consistent street wall created by adjacent
buildings
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.57
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
•

40 Fontana General Plan
Varied massing and architecture in a downtown A live-work building with ground-floor retail creates transitional frontage between a
downtown and traditional neighborhood.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.58
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Building Frontages
• Human scale frontages. The design
of building frontages is critical to
shaping the public realm, welcoming
pedestrians to each building, and
providing an attractive and comfortable
"pedestrian seam" stitching private
buildings to public streets. Downtown
Frontages include:
> Commercial frontages provide clear
entrances with large, transparent,
shaded shopfront windows, ample
lighting, and convenient parking to
display merchandise and welcome
customers.
> Residential frontages include stoops,
porches, terraces, yards, dooryards and
entry courts that welcome visitors while
also providing a degree of frontages
provide additional privacy to ground-
floor residential units without blocking
the "eyes on the street" that each
dwelling provides to keep the street a
safe and comfortable environment.
> Transitional/flexible frontages —
such as dooryards within shallow
frontage setbacks — can provide "user
adaptable" spaces in which landscape
can provide enough privacy ground
floor housing or hardscape can support
a small ground floor business.
> Non-street frontages — such as
garden courts, forecourts, side courts —
provide additional internal frontage
and semi- private spaces. Such non-
street frontages may be valuable space
for dining, gathering or other uses
related to a given site.

Commercial frontages with floor-to-ceiling windows,
awnings, and comfortable landscaping welcome customers.

Raised stoops create welcoming frontages and maintain
privacy for downtown residents.

A sidecourt provides additional non-street frontage on a site, allowing for new uses.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 41

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.59
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Facade Improvements and Signage
Outdated buildings and shopfronts can be transformed
with relatively simple facade improvements, including:
• Windows that are transparent to give
pedestrians a view into the shop, restaurant or
art gallery;
• Awnings, canopies, galleries or arcades that
provide shade and rain protection, and cut the
glare on shopfront windows so customers can
see in;
• Signage expressing the personality of the business
and scaled for the pedestrian visibility.
• Lighting that highlights merchandise and signage,
and casts light onto adjacent sidewalks;
• New smooth stucco and new paint - or
other appropriate refinishing - to refresh
the facade.

Transparent, well-lit commercial facade

Commercial shopfronts that engage the
street.

A tilt-up warehouse transformed into an open shopfront and dining court - Golden Road Brewery, Los Angeles.

Simple but elegant lighting, landscaping
and window treatments reuse this storefont
into a valuable place - Solana Beach, CA.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.60
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

42 Fontana General Plan

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.61
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Example of sidewalk signs that engage the
pedestrian in a walkable downtown core setting.

Projecting signs area scaled and often use high
contrast to be legible from the sidewalk and from afar.

Wall and window signs may be integrated into
downtown shopfronts on display windows, doors or
within the transom area (as shown).

Example of projecting letters mounted on a shopfront
to enhance architectural archway and arcade.

Example of corridor signage, scaled and designed with
contrasting colors to appeal to passing motorists.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.62
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 43
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.63
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Downtown infill can come in a variety of forms and
intensities, based on market demand
Infill Development
As Downtown begins to evolve
into an activity and amenity rich
destination, demand for quality
office, retail, and residential
space will begin to overtake the
existing building stock. There
are numerous vacant and
underutilized parcels
downtown that could be
opportunity sites for infill
development, which can come
in a variety of forms:

Illustration of how corner infill buildings can
complete the downtown urban pattern.

Corner mixed-use buildings with open pedestrian-
oriented frontages
• Corner Inftll: There are a number of
opportunities to infill corner conditions in
the Downtown. For example, at the
intersection of Sierra and Arrow there are
four lots that are currently used for
parking, infill buildings could be located.
• Small-Scale Inftll: Small scale infill
buildings that fit on available parcels
throughout Downtown can be vital
components to increasing the mix of use in
the Downtown.

Retail, commercial, and office uses can all
fit in such small scale infill buildings as
well as residential opportunities such as
townhomes and rowhouses.
• Large-Scale Infill: Within the
Downtown, there are several locations—
especially west of Sierra—with a number of
adjacent parcels that are largely
underutilized. Many of these lots consists
of older commercial and tilt-up industrial
buildings or unused parking lots. In
these instances—and as properties
turnover— the City will explore
opportunities for property owners to extract
the maximum value for their properties, and
consider new infill building types that
contribute to the community's vision for a
revitalized Downtown.

44 Fontana General Plan

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.64
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Example of block consolidation with a infill
development of a new hotel, including the adaptive
re-use of an existing warehouse.

• Mixed-use buildings that bring
residents into Downtown. Traditional
mixed-use buildings, with
commercial/retail ground floors and
housing on upper floors, will provide
housing options not yet available in
Fontana can attract new residents who
want a downtown urban lifestyle.
• New housing options to expand the
market. New housing options can be
offered to property owners and
developers, allowing them to provide a
range of for-sale, rental,
market-rate, affordable and live-work units
that appeal to a broad range of household
sizes, ages, income levels and life stages to
respond to and expand current and future
market demand.

Larger-scale infill such as a new hotel could potentially infill the corner of Juniper and Arrow and provide a new hospitality sector to Downtown.

A live-work building with ground-floor retail creates
transitional frontage between a downtown and
traditional neighborhood.

Sample infill rowhouses provide attached single-family housing Attached single-family housing on a shared courtyard

JUNIPER
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.65
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 45
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.66
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Coordinating Improvements
At the outset of the ambitious enterprise of rebuilding Downtown Fontana, it will be critically important that each new private sector investment of time and money be aimed at improvements that are consistent with the vision for Downtown, that are coordinated with early public improvements, and that provide good value for the investment. The following strategies are recommended.

Simple facade, landscaping and
lighting improvements to existing
buildings can greatly help catalyze
redevelopment.

Generating activity, not buildings, is the key
to rejuvenating a downtown - activities can
range from art walks, food truck courts, and
regular public events.

1. Start Simply
Small improvements to existing buildings, carefully
done, will do more to convey a change in the
Downtown than larger scale improvements that are
delayed several years or done halfway. A beautiful
new sign or a new paint job on an old building, lovely
new furniture and lights for new dining patios will be
the green shoots of new Downtown.

1.Activity First
Many downtown revitalization efforts focus first on
attracting developers to construct new buildings. That
will be an important aspect of the overall improvement
of Downtown Fontana, but buildings are just
containers for interesting activities. New downtown
zoning will reduce the regulatory hurdles to starting or expanding a business in and existing building, or
constructing a new building. Standards for establishing new businesses on vacant properties using temporary
structures such as trailers, shipping containers or food trucks are included in new downtown development
regulations. If businesses and the customer base
succeeds and grows, the financing required for more
ambitious capital improvements will follow.

Additionally, efforts to revitalize the Downtown
include the renovation of Center Stage to the new Stage Red, which will create a major attraction that will
activate the Civic Core.

46 Fontana General Plan

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.67
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

3. Focus
Between now and when Downtown is “finished”
will be thousands of feet of streetscape and
frontage improvements, and dozens or hundreds
of new businesses. But in the first few years, it is
likely that only handful of new businesses –
likely restaurants – one or two blocks of street
improvements, and possibly one or two new
buildings will show up. If much or most of these
near-term improvements can be clustered in one
area, they will clearly signal a transformation of
the place rather as one-at-a-time “projects”. It is
recommended that City efforts and resources be
targeted in this way – in close consultation with
the Downtown business and property owner
community – rather than spread around.

Clustering near term improvements in one area
will clearly signal a transformation of the place.

Prioritize pedestrian-scaled frontages that
engage the sidewalk and public realm.

Focus development and investment in
strategic locations to create synergistic
uses and redevelopment.

Be flexible to property owners and
developers whose vision matches that of
the Downtown Area Plan.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.68
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 47
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.69
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Enable a variety of activities
to attract new visitors.

Activities should be available throughout
the day and night.

Goal 3: An Activity-Rich Downtown

3. All times of day and evening
The cliche for less than successful downtowns is that
they, “roll up the sidewalks before dinner time,” and the vision for Downtown Fontana is that things are just
getting going at dinner time. Of course the daytime is
expected to be busy too, with breakfast and lunch
restaurants, a range of retail shops, art galleries and service businesses, but Fontana’s long, warm evenings
much of the year are ideal for indoor/ outdoor dining,
entertainment and window shopping late
48 Fontana General Plan
Activities and spaces should appear to a
diverse range of ages and interests.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.70
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

4. Indoor & Outdoor Many great downtowns
thrive in spite of inclement weather much of the year,
by generating enclosure and shelter for their
inhabitants through the design of public streetscapes
and private buildings. Although Fontana’s climate can
be quite hot in the summer, at times chilly in the
winter, and windy much of the year, these are factors
quite easily mitigated by the types of spatial enclosure, shading and wind-breaking envisioned and
recommended by this Plan. The general lack of rainfall
and long warm evenings can be leveraged to make the
sort of comfortable indoor/outdoor environment that
has made many of California’s desert cities (Palm
Springs and Palm Desert in particular) into regional
and even international visitor destinations. Fontana
can do this in its own, unique way.

Sidewalks should support outdoor dining
and other activities where appropriate.

5. Constantly evolving: The most
successful downtowns offer a changing menu
of choices for visitors, to keep regulars
coming back and new customers showing up.

The natural evolution of local businesses
responding to market forces provides such
variety, as do changing shows
in the visual and performing arts and menu
rotations by local restaurants. Special events
provide a great opportunity for bringing
new activities to the Downtown, some of
which may spin off permanent businesses
while others draw weekly, monthly or
seasonal visitors who are then exposed to the
other permanent offerings. A cooperative
management and promotional organization -
as recommended in Section - can provide a
key role in organizing and promoting the
changing and expanding activities of
Downtown Fontana.

Indoor/outdoor spaces woven into streetscapes
and buildings provide added value to the
Downtown.

Sunset on Sierra 2016 brought residents and visitors
to explore Downtown and experience conceptual
improvements to streetscape and core District.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.71
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 49
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.72
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
"Restaurant Row"
Proposed Steps to Creating a Downtown Restaurant District Restaurants activate the public realm by creating social atmosphere, attracting pedestrian traffic to retail areas.

Nuevo Street and the Intersection of
Nuevo and Spring Street, present an
opportunity to develop a food hub of
'Restaurant Row.'
Context
During the stakeholder interviews and Community Workshops, a number of residents expressed that having more dining options in the Downtown should be a top priority for attracting more visitors. Out of that suggestion came the vision of creating a "Restaurant Row" - a concentration of local restaurants located in one location downtown that could create a significant new dining destination, for the area. The hub of Nuevo Ave, and Spring St -- due to a concentration of vacant lots/City- owned lots, a close proximity to Sierra Ave, Lewis Library, and the PE Trail, and an abundance of available nearby parking -- could be an ideal location to pursue this initiative.

This food hub could start out informally as specific
food "events", such as regular food trucks nights,
where local food trucks could gather at a coordinated
location, or a farmers market featuring a concentration of local food vendors. These could be combined with
other events such as outdoor cinema, a car show, or a
street festival like Sunset on Sierra, to begin to create energy and establish this area as a food &
entertainment district. Over time, this area could

50 Fontana General Plan

NUEVO
SIERRA
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.73
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

evolve to attract permanent restaurants from local
entrepreneurs offering a variety of price points and
food types, helping transform Downtown into an "18-
hour-per-day" destination.

Strategies & Actions
Achieving this vision will require a concentrated and
coordinated effort, including:
• Start Small: Start with a monthly food night, and
brand it, to bring local entrepreneurs downtown.

Time the food night in conjunction with other
festivals or events, such as the Sunset on Sierra street festival, or outdoor cinema nights.
• Public Realm Improvements: Focus near-term public
realm improvements on this area, including; street
trees and other shade elements, street furniture,
attractive landscaping, and clean lighting. An
improved and maintained public realm will attract
private investors to open new businesses.
• Parking Holiday: As additional parking on city streets can be added through restriping and reconfiguring
street lanes, temporarily waive or heavily reduce on
site parking requirements for new food establishments
in this area to ease the initial cost of starting.
• Encourage Outdoor Dining: Allow vacant lots, paseos,
and public sidewalks to be used for outdoor dining.

Allow parklets in public rights-of-way.
• Farm to Fork: Promote relationships between local
farmers and local restaurants. Allow and supporting
urban farming ventures that could utilize vacant and
underutilized downtown parcels (including the PE
Trail Park), for truly local food experiences.
• Spread the word: Establish a clear brand for
Restaurant Row, and market it regionally to attract
new customers to Downtown.

Food Truck night in a temporarily closed
parking lot

Sidewalk dining is an effective way to
enliven a street.

Restaurants activate the public realm by
creating vibe and attract pedestrian traffic
to retail areas.

Urban agriculture can contribute to "Farm
to Fork" strategies in a downtown setting.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.74
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 51
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.75
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
"Sunset Theater"
Strategies for transforming underutilized spaces Downtown Creative design solutions can transform "left-over" / underutilized spaces, such as alleys and parking lots, into extremely valuable multi-functional spaces, such as One Colorado, in Old Town Pasadena.

Context
There are currently a number of largely
underutilized "open -spaces" in the downtown,
whether a vacant lot or parking lot, that with some
creativity and minor improvements, could be
transformed into multi-functional spaces that could
make positive contributions to the urban fabric and
activity of the Downtown.

A good example, and near -term opportunity, is the
largely underutilized City owned parking lot at the
corner of Nuevo Ave and Arrow Blvd. Recommended

Key Plan
improvements on both streets (See pages 34-37) could see this area change dramatically in the future, with an influx of streetscape improvements and new parking.

Additionally, this lot is framed interestingly on two sides by relatively "blank" walls of adjacent buildings, already enclosing this space.

NUEVO
SIERRA
Existing parking lot condition at the corner
of the Sierra and Arrow, and back of AT&T

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.76
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Arrow, and landscape improvements to the parking lot
itself would be "icing on the cake," making this a much nicer public space in the long term, the idea/event is
viable with or without them, and could get started and
help activate the downtown right away.

Strategies & Actions
Achieving this vision will require a concentrated and
coordinated effort, including:
• Start Small; Start Soon: The City could partner
with a local organization (such as the Center
Theatre) to host a Summer Cinema series.
• Combine Efforts: Coordinate programming with
other downtown events, such as Food nights
(See "Restaurant Row" on pg. 48 42), Farmers
Markets, and Sunset On Sierra, to name a few.
• Spread the Word: Establish a brand (ie. "Sunset
Theater") for the event, and market it locally and
regionally, to help grow its popularity and
reinforce downtown as an active entertainment
district.
• Improve the Space: Whether immediately or over
time, the City could make simple improvements to
the space (see illustration below), that could
transform this simple parking lot into a multi-
functional public plaza in the heart of the
downtown. In the short term, the City could work
with AT&T to make very simple improvements to
the back of the building -- as simple as re-painting an unobstructed white rectangle on the back wall -- to
improve the projection quality of the movies.

The City could partner with a local
organization like Center Theater, to host a
summer outdoor cinema series.

Combine efforts with other programmed
activities downtown such as food truck
nights, Sunset on Sierra, etc.

Simple improvements made to the City-owned parking lot at the corner of Arrow and Nuevo - such as low landscape walls around the perimeter, improved landscaping, and perhaps some simple lighting, could make this an ideal venue for a summer movie screenings, with movies projected onto the bac k of the AT&T building, and

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.77
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

with food trucks lining the perimeter. Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 53 Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.78
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Civic Park District
Strategies for Activating PET Linear Park
Context
Activate and utilize the Pacific Electric
Trail (PET) park: The Pacific Electric Trail
Park is an amazing amenity/opportunity
for downtown Fontana. The Park was
previously landscaped with a series of
linear "mounds" of earth/sod and groves
of citrus trees, the park has been vastly
underutilized, save Public Works
maintenance. With a series of small, but
well-coordinate interventions, (including
removing some or all of the earth
mounds and citrus trees), this linear park
could be transformed into an organized
series of public spaces, that contribute to
the economic and overall success of the
downtown.

The "Civic Park" District is essentially made up of two streets - Seville Ave And Spring St, a series of public open spaces, and a concentration of civic buildings, including City Hall, the Lewis Library, and the Center Theater.

Activate And Re-utilize PET
Park
Reconfigure Seville And
Spring as Parking Streets (See
Pg XX)
Create a north gateway for the
downtown
Strengthen connection be- tween
Lewis Library and the Downtown

Example of public art on a civic green
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.79
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

54 Fontana General Plan
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.80
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Strategies & Actions
Recommendations for kickstarting the evolution of this
important part of the downtown include:
• Re-Align And activate the Pacific Electric Trail:

Presently, as it goes through downtown, the PE
Trail runs along the back walls/fences of vacant/
underutilized light-industrial uses along Spring
Street, and is perceived to feel unsafe due to a
lack of "eyes on the (trail)". In some cases—
if/when new development comes along Spring
Street and it could provide frontage onto the
park, which could be a beneficial location for a
trail, particularly if new development comes in
the form of restaurants that could have outdoor
patios that open out onto the trail. However, in
other stretches, it may be preferable for the
alignment of the trail to shift to along the edge of
Seville—particularly as it comes to
the intersections of Juniper and
Sierra— so that users of the trail can
easily cross those streets via the
existing crosswalks.

PE Trail - Existing Condition

SIERRA
Re-aligned PE Trail as it approaches Sierra Ave
(Drawing is conceptual)
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.81
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 55
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.82
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

The PE Trail can be activated with a variety of recreation amenities.

Urban Gardens

Temporary Street Tree Nursery
• Active outdoor recreation: One strategy for activating the park would be to provide facilities and amenities
for outdoor recreation. The City could install, (and/or allow another organization to install/ manage) a variety of facilities, including small soccer fields, sand
volleyball or tennis courts, lawn bowling, horseshoe
pits, etc. In some cases, these facilities could be installed in conjunction with of new development along the
north side of the PET Park on Seville. For example, a
new bar or restaurant could install a sand volleyball
court or horseshoe pits as an amenity for its patrons.
• Urban agriculture: The City could designate some
portion(s) of the park where a range of urban garden/
agricultural uses could be allowed. Some examples could include:
> Urban gardens to support a localized "Restaurant
Row": garden "plats" could be designated to
individual restaurants to grow produce they could
serve to patrons.
> Temporary street tree nursery: In support of the effort to restore the urban tree canopy on a number
Fontana's downtown Streets, a portion of the PET
Park could be used on a near-term basis to grow /
mature the trees that could later be transplanted as
street trees, at a fraction of the cost of buying more
mature street trees at the time of streetscape
reconstruction.
56 Fontana General Plan

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.83
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

New Reading Garden
Potential New Library
Entry on Sierra
3 Miller Park
Outdoor Recreation
Facilities

The intersection of Seville and Sierra is a natural north gateway to the Downtown Retail Core.

Lewis Library - main entry fronts Miller Park

Example of a reading garden
• Improve connectivity from Lewis Library to Sierra
Ave and the Pacific Electric Trail: Lewis Library is a
beautiful new civic building that terminates the view east on Spring Street. In its current form, the "Front" of Lewis library is on the east side, oriented toward the
parking between the library and Miller Park, effectively, facing its back and its
side respectively, toward Sierra Ave and the Pacific Electric Trail. With some creative and bold moves, Lewis Library could play a much more significant role in anchoring and activating the Civic Park area, and help stimulate the
growth of the downtown.

Specific recommendations include:
i. Actively pursue a new entry to the Lewis Library from Sierra Avenue.
ii. Install a new reading garden on the north side of
Lewis Library extending into the Pacific Electric Trail Park. This could be a secured, enclosed outdoor
space, protected from the sun and wind by large
shade trees that could be a comfortable outdoor
space for reading, meditation, picnicking etc., and
could even be rented out or reserved for special
events such as weddings, parties, and the like.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 57

SIERRA

WHEELER
4 Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.84
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Centralized Downtown Management
Strategies for Managing an Active Downtown

State Street in Santa Barbara is one of the most successful retail main streets in California.

Its continued success is actively managed by the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization.

Context:

The most successful retail centers and visitor
destinations are centrally managed and actively
promoted. From
the 1960s through the 1980s shopping malls gradually
surpassed downtowns as the place to go, the place to
shop, the place to spend time and money. They did this
in large measure by doing a much better job of collective advertising for their tenants, organizing a convenient
shared parking supply, maintaining high levels of
cleanliness and
Shopping malls are actively managed, with
sophisticated branding, maintenance, and
marketing programs.

Downtown districts incorporate well-
managed branding and marketing
programs.
order, attracting merchants that met local demand,
and programming special events and promotional
activities.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.85
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

58 Fontana General Plan
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.86
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Strategies & Actions
Since the 1990s downtowns throughout California
and around the country have been leveling that
playing field by creating downtown associations of
merchants and
property owners provide comparable levels of
maintenance, management and promotion. Once that
disadvantage is neutralized, their intrinsic advantages – being a real place, with real history, and unique local business rather than
the same old chains – can lift them back up to a
dominant position in the marketplace of places.

• Start and Fund a Downtown Association: A top
level, short term priority for reinvigorating
Downtown Fontana’s economy and revitalizing it as
the place to go will be the creation and funding of
such a Downtown Association. The City of Fontana
has committed to assisting and supporting the
formation of a Downtown Association, but business
owners and property owners who have a vested
interest the Downtown’s success must be active
participants to drive it forward.
> Downtown Manager: The City will assign a staff
member to act as the single point of contact with
downtown property owners, merchants and
potential developers or investors, and to work
with them
in forming an Association. An initial Association
composed of interested volunteers can determine
initial priorities for action, but sustained success
will require a governance structure and funding
stream.
> Business Improvement District (BID): A
Business Improvement District (BID) is probably
the simplest and most common form or
organization for this purpose, and can be funded
by supplemental taxes on businesses and/or
supplemental taxes on
property owners (PBID). This surcharge will fund
the maintenance and operation of the downtown
public realm (streets, alleys, plazas, parking lots) in the same way that Common Area Maintenance
(CAM) fees
do so in shopping malls. That revenue stream then
enables the Association to hire a part or full-time
professional manager, with expertise in cost
effective maintenance procedures, parking
management, stakeholder engagement,
customer satisfaction, and special event
planning and execution.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.87
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

The Downtown Berkeley Association, a non-profit
funded by downtown property owners, manages
all public realm and landscaping improvements
to support welcoming and prosperous city center.

Originally designated as a central parking district,
the Lancaster BLVD Association now functions as a
PBID, attracting thousands of visitors annually for
shopping, dining, employment and special events.

The Downtown Providence
Improvement District works side-by-side
with local businesses to provide
ongoing cleaning maintenance, and
information officers.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 59

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.88
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Goal 4: Park-Once District

STRATEGIES
An adequate and easy to use supply of customer, visitor and employee parking will be critical to growing existing and new Downtown businesses. The following "park once" strategy is recommended cost effectively meet parking demand, encourage customers to explore the Downtown on foot, and unburden individual property and business owners from providing their own parking.

A shared, managed parking supply.

Parking lots, by nature are designed with efficiently in mind, trying to maximize the amount of spaces they
can supply, however, this does not mean that they
should be exclusively designed for cars. These large
open spaces can be multi-functional, if designed and
detailed creatively, and accommodate a flexible range
of activities, such as community festivals, markets and even outdoor movies.
• Improve on-street parking. The wide streets of
the Downtown represent underutilized public
property. On many streets, simple restriping of
parking, and on specific streets, more elaborate
reconfigurations, can add approximately 300 net new
parking spaces to the downtown supply, within
existing rights of way.

Well-designed streetscapes provide
ample convenient parking, shading and
wind protection for pedestrians

A clearly defined parking and
wayfinding system is a simple way to
increase parking utilization and
walkability in the Downtown
A well-managed public realm that
prioritizes pedestrians with ample parking,
signage, furnishings and design elements.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.89
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

60 Fontana General Plan
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.90
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

• Identify potential shared / multi-use parking
areas. Underutilized and single-use parking lots
should be managed as shared public parking (or for
other uses) after regular hours of use.
• Regulation & Enforcement: Implement time
limitations for prime parking spaces on
downtown streets, and issue overnight permits for
resident parking on neighborhood streets,
ticketing those who do not comply.
• Long-Term Parking Solutions: With the
goal and expectation of continued and long-term
success Downtown, parking demand will grow
over time. In the longer term, this could suggest
the demand for structured parking, and Exhibit
X.5 identifies two potential locations, either of
which could serve the downtown area well.

"Ramblas" parking in a center median
allows a City to recycle portions of wide
right-of-ways to be used for two-way
diagonal parking or optional event space,
while contributing to traffic-calming.

JUNIPER
NUEVO
SIERRA

WHEELER

WHEELER
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.91
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 61
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.92
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Goal 5: Clear Branding And Wayfinding

Establish a Downtown Branding &
Wayfinding System.

Fontana's existing wayfinding program
should evolve as more destinations arrive
downtown.

As new "destinations" arrive Downtown, the
Downtown Wayfinding Program will need to evolve.

An immediate need is to provide clear wayfinding to
shared parking lots. Wherever possible, wayfinding
elements should incorporate Downtown identity
graphics to reinforce the district.
• Encourage Variety, Creativity, and
Coordination. There are numerous tools,
strategies, and techniques for branding, marketing,
and wayfinding that can be utilized in the
downtown. What is most important is that efforts are
coordinated reinforce the Downtown brand.
62 Fontana General Plan

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.93
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

District branding as banners installed on lightposts,
and as placards installed into the sidewalk.

District logo incorporated into street furnishings to
reinforce the branding of the district.

An information kiosk for downtown Baton Rouge. Downtown Wayfinding printed on the sidewalks in Downtown Scottsdale, AZ

Examples of District Gateway Signage Elements

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.94
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 63
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.95
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Getting Started: Downtown Core
This section is for early action items that can be done or started within a year or two of adoption of the plan and that are not expensive or require major changes to the City's entitlement process.

ACTION WHO DOES IT?

1. Downtown Business Improvement District: The City
will work with Downtown business and property owners
(collectively “owners”) and other interested parties to for a Business Improvement District (BID) that will
partner with the City in planning and financing the
cooperative management, maintenance and promotion
of the Downtown as a significant regional destination.

City/Owners

2. 1. Code Update/Pink Zone: The City will prepare, adopt and implement updated zoning and design guidance for the
Downtown. This will include permit process streamlining and near-term reduction in “red tape” required to
establish or expand a business that contributes to the
reanimation of the Downtown core as a lively destination.

City

3. Catalytic Restaurant Project: The City will prepare an Request for Proposals (RFP) to select a developer partner for the public/private development of one or more new
restaurants on the vacant lot across Sierra from the Lewis Library and on the existing parking lot to the west. This project might include some portion of the Spring and
Seville Street improvements as well.

City

4. 2. Parking/Wayfinding Signage: The City will prepare a design for a system of branding and wayfinding signage
for the Downtown. The emphasis of this program will be
to help visitors find parking and their destinations,
while build a visual identity for the Downtown as a
unified destination. This program will build on the
existing Civic Center Branding program.

City

3. Management And Maintenance: The Downtown Manager
will efficiently coordinate and oversee downtown projects and address needs overtime. The Downtown Manager
will maintain a relationship between the business owners and Chamber of Commerce, as well as residents and
visitors, with the goal of providing seaml ess upkeep and improvements of the streets and public realm.

City

5. Façade/Frontage Improvement Program: Working
closely with the BID, the City will initiate a program to provide design and/or construction financing assistance to property owners to improve the architecture, signage and lighting of their facades, and to introduce
appropriate outdoor furnishings and accouterments
along street frontages.

City/Owners
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.96
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

6. Management And Maintenance: The Downtown Manager
will efficiently coordinate and oversee downtown projects and address needs overtime. The Downtown Manager
will maintain a relationship between the Downtown
Association, business owners and Chamber of Commerce,
as well as residents and visitors, with the goal of providing seamless upkeep and improvements of the streets and
public realm.

City/Owners

64 Fontana General Plan
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.97
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Note: "Owners" refers, collectively, to business owners and property owners.

All actions are anticipated to include collaboration/cooperation between the City, owners, and other interested organizations and individuals.

ACTION WHO DOES IT?

7. Sunset Theater Plaza Improvements: The City will fund, design and construct improvements to the existing public parking lot at the northwest corner of Arrow Boulevard and Nuevo Avenue. Improvements should include low walls and tree rows around the perimeter, and small corner entry plaza. Permission from AT&T to make the east wall of their building suitable for projecting movies should be included, and ideally new murals on the blank walls of buildings to the north and east (Bank of America) would occur simultaneously.

City/Owners/Local
Businesses

8.5. Spring and Seville Street Improvements: The City will fund, design and construct streetscape improvements to Spring Street and Seville Street between Sierra Avenue and Juniper Avenue. Improvements will focus on restriping to add parking and improving sidewalks and street tree plantings. Phasing may be dictated by funding constraints, and if so should start at Sierra and move west as funds are available.

City Completed

9. Sierra Avenue Street Improvements: The City – potentially with funding support from the BID – design and construct street improvements on Sierra Avenue, from Orange Street to Arrow Boulevard. Improvements will focus on adding new canopy trees in the median and in new parking lane planters, and on upgrading the level and quality of street lighting. An initial phase of parking/ wayfinding signage should be included as part of this project, if not prior to it.

City

10.6. Pacific Electric Trail Improvements: The City will work with San Bernardino Council of Governments (SBCOG) to redesign the Pacific Electric Trail between Juniper Avenue and the police department roundabout. Recommended elements include but are not limited to community gardens, urban agriculture related to new restaurants, shady park areas for passive recreation, and active recreation facilities such as beach volleyball, fitness courses, or bocce ball and shuffleboard.

City/County

11. Library Plaza: Work with the County to explore the possibility of providing a new entry to the library facing Sierra Avenue, and the improvement of the front yard area as a shady forecourt. A potential outdoor reading area within a secure patio/court on the north side of the library, and improved, shaded sidewalks along the east and south edges of the library should also be explored.

County/City

7. Pedestrian Plaza: The City will create a pedestrian plaza on Sierra Avenue to create a local and regional destination. Recommended features include outdoor dining, bike planes, public activities, art and attractive landscaping. Architecture along the plaza should be attractive and designed to engage with the public space with enhanced entries and amenities.

City

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 65
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.98
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
H
Gateway Corridors
Bringing People Into The Downtown
Foothill Boulevard and Sierra Avenue
are the primary Corridors to
Downtown Fontana, carrying large
volumes of vehicular traffic through
and into the Downtown Core. This
plan adopts the General Plan's "Livable
Corridors Strategy" envisioning future
street improvements and infill
development along Foothill and
Sierra—including new, high-quality
retail and commercial services, offices
and employment, and housing of
various types mixed together—to
provide walkable, human-scale
patterns that further connect the
downtown to adjoining
neighborhoods.

In order for this transformation to
occur, it will be necessary to redesign
and calm segments of Foothill and
Sierra to create attractive streetscapes
that accommodate a variety of uses and
activities, and a mix of pedestrians,
bicycles, cars and public transit within
the Downtown area. This strategy is
organized into the following
high-level goals:

Brand Boulevard in Glendale, California, functions as a Livable Corridor with a diverse mix of uses, intensities and streetscape elements that contribute to an attractive and safe public realm.

66 Fontana General Plan

JUNIPER
MANGO
EXHIBIT X.6 DOWNTOWN CORRIDORS

FOOTHILL

FOOTHILL / ROUTE 66

CORRIDOR

ARROW

DOWNTOWN
CORE

MERRILL

SOUTH
SIERRA

CORRIDOR
Above shows Foothill Boulevard/Route 66 Corridor, and Sierra Avenue. Sierra is the spine of Downtown and the primary corridor for Chaffey College. The design and function of both Foothill and Sierra are critical to funneling visitors into the heart of Downtown.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.99
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Prominent corner buildings should enhance and
announce the arrival into the Downtown Core.

Corridor streetscape improvements will support new
mixed-use developments, access and wayfinding, and
safety for visitors in the Downtown.

Corridor infill of various types and mixed uses should
contribute to a walkable network of blocks and spaces.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.100
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 67
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.101
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Goal 1: Foothill Blvd Gateway

STRATEGIES

68 Fontana General Plan

NUEVO
SIERRA
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.102
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
While most of foothill has seven lanes of traffic,
there are stretches as shown above, where the
corridor reduces to four lanes due to historic
buildings, there is a desire for these buildings to
remain.

Actions
Specific actions in support of this transformation
include:
• Maintain Four lanes on foothill: Design and
implement complete streets improvements that
maintain the historic four lane configuration (two
lanes each way) within approximately one mile east
and west of Sierra Avenue, contributing to the more
urban environment of this gateway node.
• Landscape & Streetscape Improvements: Add
landscaped medians in Sierra and Foothill with large
canopy trees to visually narrow / enclose these wide
streets.
• Improve & complete sidewalks: Ensure a
continuous, comfortably-wide sidewalk, buffered
from traffic with landscaped parkways and planters,
and in some cases parked cars, along the corridors.
• Gateway branding & wayfinding elements:

Add a landscaped and tree lined median
along Foothill, to add shade and enclosure,
and contribute to the urban environment of
this gateway node.

Provide comfortably-wide sidewalks,
buffered from traffic by landscaping and
parked cars, to increase commercial activity
and pedestrian comfort and safety.

Modern re-interpretations of Route 66-era
designs incorporated into a commercial district—
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.103
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 69
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.104
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Goal 2: South Sierra Ave Gateway

STRATEGIES
The Sierra Corridor south of Downtown, is a
high-volume, fast-moving four lane road,
fronted by a patchwork of shopfronts, strip
commercial centers, used car dealerships, and
fast food restaurants, and is anticipated to
change significantly over time. With careful
planning, coordinated infill development and
public realm improvements, this segment can be
a valuable gateway for the Downtown Core,
gradually transitioning the design character and
travel speed of the corridor to those supportive
of a walkable, urban mixed-used environment.

Concept Plan for the South Sierra Gateway (Drawing
is Conceptual)

As such, this segment of Sierra is envisioned
as a hub for education and job creation,
prioritizing new infill and business
development that supports the growth of the
college, young professionals and other
employment-related uses. Sample uses
include student housing, mixed-use
commercial and retail, R&D, live- work,
multi-tenant and start-up business incubator
spaces. Altogether, these uses will coalesce as
the south anchor of Downtown, driving new
customers and economic growth into the
Downtown Core.

The transformed South Sierra Corridor will be
characterized by wider, more shaded sidewalks,
steady flows of moderate-speed traffic,
convenient customer parking, varied shopfronts
and attractive residences in support of the
college and Downtown. Sierra and Merrill will
serve as the face of the college, with convenient
pedestrian entrances, new bus stops and bicycle
routes that strengthen connections between the
college, Metrolink station, the Downtown Core
and surrounding neighborhoods.
70 Fontana General Plan

SIERRA
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.105
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Actions
Specific actions in support of this transformation include:
• Public Realm Improvements: Add large-canopy
street trees, enhanced landscaping and lighting, and
comfortable street furniture that calm traffic, that
improve pedestrian and bicycle safety and comfort,
and calm traffic as it approaches the Downtown
Core.
• Infill Development: Incentivize quality new
corridor- fronting infill development (housing and
commercial) in vacant and underutilized parcels
along Sierra.
• Gateway branding & wayfinding elements:

Add branding and wayfinding elements that signal
arrival to Downtown. Santa Fe Park, highly visible
after traveling over the railroad tracks just south of
Orange Way, could be modified with landscape
improvements and branding and gateway elements
to become a formal gateway into the Downtown
Core.
• Pedestrian and Bicycle amenities: Prioritize
bicycle parking, car-sharing and bike-sharing
services, sheltered bus stops, widened sidewalks,
and mid-block pedestrian crossings in the segments
from Chaffey College to Downtown, in support of
increased student/ pedestrian activity.
• Market "mode -shift" alternatives in
support of Downtown: Identify st rategies,
branding, and incentives that will influence
"mode-shift" away from passenger vehicles and
encourage greater use of Metrolink, Omnitrans,
local public transit, pedestrian and bicycle
routes to bring new customers to Downtown.

A complete streetscape that prioritizes
pedestrians and enhances traffic calming

Strategically placed and clearly marked
pedestrian crossings effectively contribute
to a comfortable, safe public realm.

Modern transit facilities with comfortable
amenities encourage greater use.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.106
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Goal 3: Corridor Infill

(Drawing is Conceptual) Example infill development opportunities along Foothill Boulevard and at the Foothill/Sierra Gateway

SIERRA
NUEVO
NUEVO

JUNIPER

CYPRESS
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.107
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

72 Fontana General Plan
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.108
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Ex
servi
Strategies & Actions
Specific strategies and actions include:
• Zone for Mixed-Use Corridors: Update
zoning along Downtown corridors to allow
a full spectrum of market-driven
development types where building form,
location, and frontage is regulated—rather
than building use—to generate active and
attractive downtown corridors that
accommodate a range of uses, services, and
activities.
• Subdivide Large Downtown Blocks:

Where possible and practical, subdivide
large blocks to provide additional
connectivity between corridors and adjacent
neighborhoods, as well as unlock new
development potential on underutilized
land in and around the downtown.
• Prioritize Street-Fronting Inftll: New
infill development should be located close
to the street/sidewalk, contributing to a
consistent urban pattern along the corridors.

A wide range of styles characters and uses can be
appropriate along the corridors.

Conceptual infill along Foothill, adding new mid-block
connectivity, and locating new buildings close to the
street with parking located at the back and/or side.

Typical corridor commercial block pattern —
buildings separated by drives and surface parking
lots
ample of mid-block, neighborhood-
ng commercial infill terminating a jog
in the street as illustrated above

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 73
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018 City Council Resolution 2018-096

A JUNIPER
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.109
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

3 City Council Resolution 2018-097
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.110
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
• Prioritize New Development and
Improvements at Gateways:

Prioritize/ concentrate building intensity
(taller and closer to the street) and focused
public realm improvements, on corridor
segments approaching gateway nodes (i.e.
the intersection of Foothill and Sierra). As
the corridor gradually becomes more
urban approaching Downtown, it will
signal to drivers that they are arriving to a
significant "place."
• Require "Corridor-Appropriate"
Housing Types: Balance the goal of street
fronting infill development along the corridors
with the need for additional privacy for
residential units due to the higher traffic
volumes and speeds along the corridors. While
direct visitor access from the street/sidewalk
should be required, residential units can be
arranged around semi-private courts, open
spaces (that could be secured with gates), and
dooryards—or can be accessed internally
via an entry lobby—that open(s) to the
street/ sidewalk.
• Improve the Public Realm: Wherever
possible/ practical, take measures to include
public realm improvements -- comfortably-
wide sidewalks, shaded by canopy trees, with
appropriate street furnishings (benches, bike
racks, trash receptacles, etc...) and buffered
from traffic by well-landscaped planters, and
on-street parking (where applicable) -- as part
of new development agreements. This should
done carefully, and be balanced with the goal
of streamlining the development process for
potential investors in the Downtown.

FOOTHILL

Prominent new buildings at the intersection of
Foothill & Sierra help define this gateway.

New multi-family residential buildings fronting
the street with paseos and walks providing
visitor access from the street to apartments, and
resident parking at the rear of the complex.

Courtyard buildings along Sierra create a semi
public space and buffer residences from the
main living area apartments.

74 Fontana General Plan
SIERRA
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.111
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Gateway corner buildings create a Prominent mixed-use residential building with an active ground-floor that engages the public
realm

Example of a multifamily alley-accessed building provides semi-private courtyards and creates a buffer between
residents and the adjacent corridor.

Multifamily housing calibrated to students and young
professionals may be considered near Chaffey College and the Metrolink Station Area.

Townhomes above ground-floor retail along a
major corridor

Corridor buildings should integrate public realm
improvements such as widened sidewalks, canopy
trees, street furnishings and related amenities.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.112
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 75
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.113
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Getting Started: Gateway Corridors
This section is for early action items that can be done or started within a year or two of adoption of the plan and that are not expensive or require major changes to the City's entitlement process.

ACTION WHO DOES IT?

1. Gateway Signage: The City will prepare a comprehensive graphics program for Downtown branding, identity and
wayfinding, including gateway landmarks and directional signage on Foothill Boulevard, Arrow Boulevard and
Sierra Avenue, directing and welcoming visitors to
Downtown. Gateway signage will be implemented as
funding is available, in coordination with streetscape
improvements.

City

3. Foothill Boulevard Improvements: The City will
prepare a Foothill Boulevard master plan that
includes a new four-lane Downtown Gateway
segment with enhanced pedestrian facilities and
landscape, extending approximately one mile east
and west of Sierra Avenue. Improvements will be
implemented through catalytic public investments as
funds are available and by developers as projects
occur.

City

City/Omnitrans

City

Note: "Owners" refers, collectively, to business owners and property owners. All actions are anticipated to include collaboration/cooperation between the City, owners, and other interested organizations and individuals.76 Fontana General Plan
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.114
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Example of a Livable Corridor - Old Town Pasadena, California.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 77

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.115
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
I
"In-Town" Neighborhoods
Enhancing Neighborhoods Near Downtown
Concurrent with new activities, infill
and economic investment in
Downtown, will be an increased
demand for new housing, in a variety
of forms, conveniently located within a
walkable and bikable distance to
Downtown. While the original
neighborhoods to the east of
Downtown are well established, with
little near-term change anticipated, the
large blocks west of Downtown -- in
particular those just west of Juniper
Ave, south of Foothill
Blvd—contain many large, vacant or
underutilized parcels that a prime
locations for well-organized,
neighborhood
infill housing, in a variety of intensities, forms, and configurations, based on market-demand and best neighborhood-planning practices, as described more fully in this Section. Further, mixed use developments combining commercial and residential land uses are to be encouraged in the Downtown.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.116
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

78 Fontana General Plan

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.117
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Goal 1: Shady Neighborhood Streets and
Open Spaces
The early founders of many towns throughout
California understood how to design neighborhoods
that sheltered their residents from the often harsh sun and winds, providing streets lined with trees in
parkways, planters, and medians and parks full of
big shade trees. These low-speed street environments
are inherently safe for pedestrians, and add a great
deal of value to properties that front them.

Existing street trees on Nuevo Avenue
effectively frame the street while providing
privacy to local residents.

Single family homes comprise the majority
of neighborhoods surrounding Downtown.

New housing will complement these
existing neighborhoods in size, scale and
architectural style.

Attached single-family homes in a
traditional neighborhood setting

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.118
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 79
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.119
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Residential streets should comfortable
and safe.

Goal 1: Shady Streets And Open Spaces

STRATEGIES

In-town neighborhoods will be defined by an
active network pedestrian-scaled blocks, streets,
and open spaces, comfortably designed with
continuous sidewalks, attractive landscaping,
and sheltered from the sun and wind by large-
canopy shade trees, to encourage walking and
biking, while accommodating traffic at low to
moderate speeds. This interconnected network
will accommodate, and in some cases unlock,
development potential for a variety of new
housing types all within a short walking or
biking distance to the activity-rich Downtown.

Ensure neighborhood streets balance the needs
of all modes.

Unique tree species can be planted on individual
neighborhoods streets to define and differentiate
them from each other.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.120
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

80 Fontana General Plan
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.121
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

• Make parks and open spaces multi-
functional and safe: Design all parks
and open spaces to accommodate a variety
of uses and activities, including informal
meeting places, children's play areas,
community events, outdoor recreation and
organized sports. These spaces should be
attractive, safe and comfortable—with
trees providing shade and wind protection,
and surrounding development providing
"eyes on the park" for additional safety.
• Orient new development to front
streets and shared open spaces: with
the front door of the residence the streets,
with attractive human scale frontages that
welcome visitors rather than sound walls or
security fences which send messages of
keep out.
• Manage on-street parking on
neighborhood streets:

Implement a residential streets
permit parking management
system to ensure adequate
resident and visitor parking.

Bike facilities should be provided on busier residential streets and corridors.

Neighborhood-serving park with a shaded playground
and large open space for sports and other outdoor
recreation.

Corner bulb-outs and crosswalks calm traffic and
enhance pedestrian safety.

Continuous sidewalk shaded by large canopy trees,
and buffered from traffic by a landscaped parkway
and parked cars.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.122
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 81
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.123
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Goal 2: Neighborhood-Scaled Blocks

STRATEGIES

A comfortable, walkable neighborhood street.

The neighborhoods to the east and west of Downtown
have very different urban block patterns, and by
result, very different development characteristics. The area east of Sierra Ave contains many of the original
downtown residential neighborhoods, subdivided
into a series of well-connected, pedestrian-scale
blocks and streets, lined with shade trees and
sidewalks, and almost fully developed with single-
family homes.

In the area immediately west of Downtown,
original rural subdivision patterns remain largely
intact; very large blocks containing very deep (up to
300ft) parcels, originally platted with the intent of
rural development patters in mind, (small house
with a big front yard, and a farm in the back of the
lot). Many of these rural lots remain vacant or
underutilized.

Exhibit X.X to the right illustrates block scale
comparisons between the original downtown
neighborhoods east of downtown, and their rural
counterparts, west of downtown. What is immediately
clear is: 1) the difference in walkability between these two parts of town (with the latter being essentially
"auto-oriented"), and 2) nearly all of the opportunities for significant neighborhood infill are in the area
immediately west of Downtown.

As illustrated in this diagram, the neighborhoods
east and west of downtown have significantly
different urban block and development patterns.

Several large blocks immediately west of
downtown were originally platted with rural
development patterns in mind, and contain
many vacant or underutilized parcels.

The original single-family neighborhood
east of Downtown are made up of walkable
pedestrian-scaled blocks lined with trees
and sidewalks.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.124
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

82 Fontana General Plan
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.125
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Strategies & Actions:

Evolving the neighborhoods in and around
Downtown into comfortable, walkable
places with a range of housing options
organized by an attractive, safe public realm,
will involve the following elements:
• Subdivide large rural blocks to
increase walkability and expand
development potential: The Exhibit
X.X to the right illustrates conceptual
subdivision and infill strategies for one of
the large superblocks west of downtown.

Basic strategies include:
> Where possible/practical, create new
vehicular and pedestrian connections
via new streets, alleys, paseos, and
shared open spaces.
> Where possible/practical, combine
smaller lots to accommodate a
broader range of infill types.
> Ensure all new development is
oriented toward the public realm
• Ensure neighborhood-
compatibility: Choose appropriate
development types based on lot size and
neighborhood context.
• Avoid new mistakes: Avoid
approving developments that may
eliminate the potential for future
connectivity, and that do not contribute
to the walkable/bikable neighborhoods
strategy near Downtown.

EXHIBIT X.8 "SUPERBLOCK" SUBDIVISION

For any given block, identify potential infill sites, look for opportunities to add circulation through the block, and establish connectivity with existing development.

AVOID: This typical suburban street frontage is
undesirable and counterproductive for creating
a walkable public realm.

Indicates Public Realm
Potential Connectivity
*
Potential Point of Connection
Wall
Dead-end

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.126
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 83
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.127
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Buildings in a variety of sizes, types, and
configurations can be seamlessly integrated
into the existing neighborhood fabric.

Goal 3: Neighborhood-Scale Buildings

STRATEGIES
For decades, housing in California has been delivered
almost exclusively in one of two forms: single-family
detached, houses with garages fronting the street, or
large apartment complexes. Neither type is ideally
suited to in-town living; the former detracting from
neighborhood walkability, and thinly spreading the
population where density and proximity are
valuable; the latter not being compatible with
surrounding single-family neighborhood patterns.

Fortunately, there is a wide range of types in between
(often referred to as "Missing Middle" types) offering
for sale and for rent dwellings in a variety of forms,
intensities, configurations, and price points.

Neighborhood-scale multi-family buildings look
just like a large house, but have multiple units.

This 3-unit rowhouse has the scale and character
of a large house.

Strategies & Actions
Key elements of this strategy include:
• Update neighborhood zoning to allow a
range of neighborhood-scale multi-family
housing types: This will unlock new
development potential in and around Downtown,
allowing a range of new housing options to enable
people of all ages and means to live near
Downtown.
• Organized Variety: Variety and creativity are
encouraged in the neighborhoods in and around
Downtown, with a wide range of building types
and architectural styles available. Exhibit X.X
illustrates a range of neighborhood-scale, multi-
family residential building types, and a good
number of variations exist. The value of these
types of buildings is that they can provide greater
housing intensity needed near Downtown,
without disrupting the existing neighborhood
Character.
• Update neighborhood development
standards: Because of the unusually deep lot
sizes characteristic of many of the opportunity
sites west of downtown, and because of the largely
rural development patterns there, neighborhood
development standards must be carefully crafted
to ensure that all new development is
appropriately scaled and massed to its lot and
surrounding context, and contributes the mix of
housing types and walkable/bikable neighborhood
character attractive to potential residents wanting
to live near Downtown.
84 Fontana General Plan

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.128
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Variety is encouraged: Two different versions of a courtyard building, with very different architectural styles; modern/contemporary on the left, and traditional/Mediterranean on the right.

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 85

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.129
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Porches clearly mark the entry to the house, and
provide a transition from public to private space

In more urban environments, dooryards provide a
more transitional space between the public realm an
private residence, and help delineate the public realm. • Prioritize building frontages ftrst:

A bungalow court arranges several cottages around a
shared open space that is accessible from the street/
sidewalk.

86 Fontana General Plan

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.130
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023

Residential Frontages provide access for residents and visitors to the front -door of a unit (or common entry lobby), either directly from the street/sidewalk, or through a shared open space accessible from the street..

Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 87
Street Edge
Building Frontage
Public Realm
Paseos and
Rosewalks function
like pedestrian
streets, providing
pedestrian access
through a block via
a shared open space
that provides direct
access to fronting
buildings.

C
Courtyard buildings
extend the public
realm into the site,
arranging units
around a shared
open-space that is
accessible from the
street/sidewalk.

B
Street-Fronting
Buildings define the
public realm and
provide "eyes on
the street." Access
to units is provided
directly from the
street/sidewalk or
through a common
entry lobby.

Street Street Street
Chapter 14 Downtown Area Plan 1
City Council Resolution 2018-096
City Council Resolution 2018-097
City Council Resolution 2023-___ 14.131
Approved and Adopted by City Council November 13, 2018
Approved and Adopted by City Council July 23, 2023
Getting Started: In Town Neighborhoods
This section is for early action items that can be done or started within a year or two of adoption of the plan and that are not expensive or require major changes to the City's entitlement process.

ACTION WHO DOES IT?

1. Streetscape Improvements: The City will work with
residents to identify and prioritize a series of pedestrian improvements within the Downtown Area
neighborhoods. These would include filling in gaps in the sidewalk network, adding corner bulb-outs to help calm
traffic and redirect through traffic, street trees for shade and wind protection, improved crosswalks at key
locations, and adding or updating streetlights for safety and energy efficiency.

City

City/Residents

City/Developers/Residents

5. Neighborhood Connectivity: In conjunction with
Foothill Boulevard and Transit Stop on Sierra Avenue
improvements and infill development proposals, the
City will work collaboratively with existing property
owners, developers, and residents of adjoining
neighborhoods to seek opportunities to provide new
direct pedestrian, bicycle, and in some cases vehicular connections from the neighborhoods to businesses
along the corridor, to support the businesses and
shorten trips.

88 Fontana General Plan

Fontana City CouncilJuly 25, 2023

Fontana City Council
July 25, 2023