October 3, 2023
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
City of Long Beach
California
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation to a dopt the North Pine Avenue Community Vision and Action Plan . (District 1)
DISCUSSION
The North Pine Avenue Community Vision and Action Plan (Plan) was launched by the City of Long Beach (City) in July of 2021. This planning process was initiated to build on the momentum gained through previous meetings between the City and the North Pine Avenue community, complement the strategic planning and retail strategies recently developed for the Downtown Long Beach Alliance (DLBA), and support the corridor’s economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Plan is intended to create a comprehensive vision, priorities, and actions that will guide activation efforts, improvements, and investments along the historic North Pine Avenue corridor through ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and over the next 10 years. The Plan establishes specific actions that City departments and other civic partners may take to assist the community in achieving the outlined vision and metrics for measuring the success of the Plan recommendations.
In response to the COVID -19 pandemic, the City initiated the Long Beach Open Streets Initiative in June of 2020, which had a significant positive impact on the North Pine Avenue corridor. This program allowed businesses to have temporary parklets, outdoor dining spaces, and Outdoor Activity Permits (OAP) to support pandemic recovery for resi dents and businesses. This program concluded in summer 2022. The Plan is intended build on the momentum generated by the organization and collaboration of business owners and residents along the corridor, to capitalize on the successes realized during the Long Beach Open Streets Initiative, and to support the corridor’s ongoing economic recovery. The Plan also identifies and provides strategies to implement key community priorities, including providing support for existing and prospective businesses located in storefronts along North Pine Avenue, adding more landscaping and exploring opportunities for additional green public space, and ensuring the corridor is safe, clean, and welcoming to all.
This matter was reviewed by Principal Deputy City Attorney Richard F. Anthony on August 30, 2023 and by Budget Management Officer Nader Kaamoush on September 13, 2023.
Economic Development Department
411 West Ocean Boulevard, 10th Floor Long Beach, CA 90802 (562) 570-6099
C-13
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
October 3, 2023
APPROVED:
THOMAS B. MODICA
CITY MANAGER
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action is requested on October 3, 2023.
FISCAL IMPACT
This item has no fiscal impact. If adopted, the North Pine Community Vision and Action Plan (Plan) is intended to identify priorities and actions that will guide activation efforts, improvements, and investments along the historic North Pine Avenue corridor over the next 10 years. Funding for implementation has not been identified and projects listed will need to be developed with specific cost estimates. New funding for these initiatives will need to balanced with other needs in the City and on other corridors, who also have specific needs. Upon adoption, it is recommended that partner organizations identified in the Plan work together to pursue funding sources and define lead and support roles for implementation of the Plan actions. This recommendation has no staffing impact beyond the normal budgeted scope of duties and is consistent with existing City Council priorities. There is no local job impact associated with this recommendation.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully submitted,
BO MARTINEZ
DIRECTOR
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ATTACHMENT - North Pine Avenue Community Vision and Action Plan
1 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA
2 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................... 3 NORTH PINE AVENUE EXISTING CONDITIONS .............................................................................................................. 6 COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION ...................................................................................................................................... 8 ASSETS, CHALLENGES, AND OPPORTUNITIES ............................................................................................................. 12 VISION & ACTION PLAN STRUCTURE .......................................................................................................................... 13 ACTION PLAN ............................................................................................................................................................. 18 APPENDIX A: RETAIL MEMORANDUM ....................................................................................................................... 25 APPENDIX B: NORTH PINE ONLINE SURVEY SUMMARY.............................................................................................. 32
3 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA
INTRODUCTION
WHY NOW?
The North Pine Avenue Community Vision and Action Plan was launched by the City of Long Beach in July of 2021. This planning process was initiated to build on the momentum gained through previous meetings between the City and the North Pine Avenue community, complement the strategic planning and retail strategies recently developed for the Downtown Long Beach Alliance (DLBA), and support the corridor’s economic recovery. To assist in the planning process, the City of Long Beach contracted Progressive Urban Management Associates (P.U.M.A.), Denver-based real estate economics and planning consultancy, along with retail specialist, MJB Consulting.
The North Pine Community Vision and Action Plan (Plan) is intended to create a comprehensive vision, priorities, and actions that will guide activation efforts, improvements, and investments along the historic North Pine Avenue corridor through ongoing recovery from the COVID- 19 pandemic, and over the next 10 years. This Plan establishes specific actions that City of Long Beach (City) departments and other civic partners may take to assist the community in achieving the outlined vision and metrics for measuring the success of Plan recommendations.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Long Beach initiated the Long Beach Open Streets Initiative in June of 2020, which had a significant positive impact on the North Pine Avenue corridor. This program allowed businesses to have temporary parklets, outdoor dining spaces, and Outdoor Activity Permits (OAP) in an effort to support pandemic recovery for residents and businesses. This program concluded in summer 2022.
The North Pine Avenue Community Vision and Action Plan is intended build on the momentum generated by the organization and collaboration of business owners and residents along the corridor, to capitalize on the successes realized during the Long Beach Open Streets Initiative, and to support the corridor’s ongoing economic recovery. This plan also identifies and provides strategies to implement key community priorities, including providing support for existing and prospective businesses located in storefronts along North Pine Avenue, adding more landscaping and exploring opportunities for additional green public space, and ensuring the corridor is safe, clean, and welcoming to all.
North Pine Avenue
4 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA
CONSISTENCY WITH OTHER PLANS
DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH STRATEGIC PLAN
The North Pine Avenue Community Vision and Action Plan was timed to complement the strategic planning and retail strategies that were recently completed for Downtown Long Beach by the DLBA. This strategic plan refreshed the DLBA work program, organizational culture, and operations to ensure it continues to provide an enhanced value proposition to all Downtown stakeholders over the next five years and beyond. Undertaken in 2021 during the latter stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, this strategic plan provides direction for both near-term economic recovery and longer-term improvements over a five-year planning horizon, and informs a new management plan for the PBID in advance of the district’s renewal. Within the Downtown Long Beach Strategic Plan, there is an objective within ‘Goal 4: Showcase the beauty, creativity, and unique sense of place in Downtown for all to enjoy’ to ‘Differentiate North Pine.’ Specific tactics aimed at achieving this objective include:
1. Work with the City to study temporary street closures on certain blocks of Pine Avenue, including access zones on nearby intersecting side streets for curbside pickup and delivery drivers
2. If portions of the street are closed, help to identify funding sources for on-going programming and marketing of such closed stretches
3. Support the City and community in implementing ideas from the North Pine Avenue Community Vision and Action Plan
4. Consider orienting individual blocks or series of blocks towards specific psychographic targets (such as 1st Street between Elm and Linden); involve landlords and brokers in the area with existing merchants to see the opportunity of clustering along such lines
5. As Pine Avenue evolves (vision plan elements are implemented), work with the DLBA marketing and communications team to showcase the unique, one-of-a-kind nature of the street
These tactics synergize with the priorities and recommended actions found in this North Pine Avenue Community Vision and Action Plan.
LONG BEACH ECONOMIC BLUEPRINT 2.0
This plan is in alignment with the objectives of the Blueprint 2.0 and supports implementation of the Mayor's Grow Long Beach Initiative and the Everyone In Initiative to create an equitable and inclusive economy in Long Beach.
5 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA
STUDY AREA MAP
The North Pine Avenue Community Vision and Action Plan study area is focused on the North Pine Avenue corridor from 3rd Street to the south to 10th Street to the north. The study area is bounded on the east by Long Beach Boulevard and on the west by Pacific Avenue, as can be seen in the map below. While the study area encompasses the entire area shown below, the recommendations provided in this Plan are Pine Avenue-focused and intended to benefit both the corridor and the adjacent residential areas in the study area.
6 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA
NORTH PINE AVENUE EXISTING CONDITIONS
DEMOGRAPHIC AND RETAIL MARKET SNAPSHOT
DEMOGRAPHIC OVERVIEW
The North Pine Avenue ‘trade area,’ located in the broader context of Downtown Long Beach, is comprised of four U.S. Census block groups, as can be seen in the map to the right. According to the 2017-2019 American Community Survey Estimates, the total population in the North Pine Avenue trade area is 5,241.
The trade area as a whole is racially and ethnically diverse, much like the overall composition of Los Angeles County. The North Pine Avenue trade area has a population that is 40% Hispanic or Latinx, 30% White, 14% Asian, 11% Black or African American, and 6% two or more races. The largest age group in the North Pine Avenue trade area is 22 to 39 (42%), followed by 40 to 64 (30%), and under 18 (16%).
Median household income for the trade area is $53,565. However, the North Pine Avenue trade area varies widely across its footprint, with the eastern half much wealthier than the western, and with the southeastern quadrant boasting a median household income ($81,000) more than three times higher than the northwestern one ($25,000).
Retail Market Overview
The following are observations from MJB, a national urban retail expert, that evaluated retail prospects along the North Pine Avenue corridor during the fall of 2021. A summary of MJB’s observations and recommendations is provided below, and the full North Pine Avenue retail analysis and tenanting strategy can be found in Appendix A of this report.
The COVID-19 pandemic was exceptionally hard on businesses throughout Downtown Long Beach, and along the North Pine Avenue corridor. Beginning in Q1 of 2020, visitor traffic and associated retail sales declined sharply along North Pine Avenue, and while both visitor traffic and retail sales have started to climb back to Q4 2019 levels, the lasting impact of the pandemic on businesses along the North Pine Avenue corridor remains a significant challenge. Businesses continue to confront ongoing labor shortages and rising inflation amidst on-going pandemic recovery efforts.
Block groups comprising North Pine’s “trade area” | Source: DLBA 7 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA That being said, North Pine’s inability to establish a cohesive and sustainable retail mix predates COVID-19, suggesting that the forces constraining its advance are more structural in nature and unlikely to disappear even after today’s headwinds start to dissipate. North Pine Avenue must compete for patronage in the weekly/daily goods and services category with Long Beach Boulevard, which casts quite a shadow with its panoply of grocery and drug store anchors that can accommodate motorists as well as transit riders. At the same time, its appeal to consumers looking for somewhat more elevated offerings is limited by the presence of the East Village Arts District (e.g. Wabi Sabi Village Market, Hops & Vines Market, Ground Hideout Coffee) or East 3rd Street (e.g. Natural Cultures, Recreational Coffee). These competitive and spatial dynamics might at least partly explain why North Pine Avenue has had challenges retaining day-to-day, convenience retailers.
Feasible business models that can conceivably overcome the aforementioned challenges of a North Pine Avenue location would include concepts, formats, and operators characterized by the following:
• A track record of pulling beyond the immediate vicinity and establishing destination appeal,
• An ability to generate revenue from a diversified range of sources beyond just walk- in traffic, and
• An attraction to the density of and proximity to the Downtown Long Beach core without the need for high visibility.
Examples of realistic tenanting categories that would work well to meet the aforementioned characteristics along North Pine Avenue include:
• Food or beverage establishments that can draw patrons from a larger trade area either through quality, or some sort of distinctive ‘hook,’ possibly including locally- owned emerging chain-lets or businesses with well-diversified approaches to generating revenue, through different dayparts (i.e. lunch, coffee/co-working space, dinner, alcohol, etc.), takeout/delivery, catering/events, virtual kitchen, wholesale, accessory food market, etc.
• Comparison good establishments (e.g. apparel, footwear, furniture, home décor), with a fashion component versus basics and commodities, particularly modestly- capitalized vintage, thrift, and consignment concepts that are broadly merchandised, priced and marketed so as to appeal across demographics • Weekly and daily needs establishments in certain categories that have not met maturation or saturation in surrounding, competing trade areas like pet supply or cannabis
North Pine Avenue Storefront
8 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
An important component of the planning process was to engage a variety of stakeholders to understand the current strengths, challenges, and future opportunities for North Pine Avenue. This community participation was used to develop North Pine Avenue’s vision, priorities, and action plan.
The North Pine Avenue Community Vision and Action Plan process engaged nearly 100 business and property owners, residents, civic leaders, and other stakeholders to generate ideas, hone a vision for the corridor, and create buy-in for the implementation of improvements and strategies. Community outreach included 13 individual interviews with corridor stakeholders, a resident roundtable discussion, a business and property owner roundtable discussion, drop-in meetings with neighborhood groups, an online survey with 54 responses, and a community open house to vet Plan priorities and actions. Because this process was initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of community engagement was conducted virtually, with the exception of the in-person community open house in December 2021.
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION SNAPSHOT
9 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA WHAT WE HEARD: KEY THEMES
During one-on-one interviews and roundtable discussions, North Pine Avenue stakeholders were asked about what the most pressing challenges facing the North Pine Avenue corridor are. Key themes vocalized by participants include:
• Vacant storefronts, exacerbated by the pandemic
• Lack of cohesion along the entirety of the corridor, primarily beginning north of 6th Street • Unhoused population
• Very low parks and green space access
• Safety perception and reality
• Lack of certain types of community-serving commercial, like grocery stores, daycare • Maintenance and upkeep of streetscape, communication about which entity is responsible for maintaining what • Lack of events and amenities for seniors and youth
• Perception of a lack of parking
• One-way streets crossing North Pine Avenue serve as physical barriers (mentions of 6th Street and 7th Street specifically) • Noise pollution
• Maintaining affordability moving forward (commercial and residential) North Pine Avenue stakeholders were also asked about the strengths of the North Pine Avenue corridor. Key themes highlighted by participants were:
• Diversity and inclusive atmosphere
• Historic district and architecture
• Sense of community and collaboration, organization of residents and businesses • Proximity to transit
• Small, non-chain business mix
• Neighborhood scale and feel
• Well-positioned, proximity to Downtown, residential housing density • There is a huge opportunity to make this corridor really unique and special
10 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA
ONLINE SURVEY RESULTS OVERVIEW
As part of the North Pine Avenue Community Vision and Action Plan, an online survey was available September to October 2021 to collect broad stakeholder and community input about their experience and desires for North Pine Avenue as well as priorities and improvements over the next 10 years. A total of 54 responses were recorded. Full results from the online survey can be found in Appendix B.
NORTH PINE AVENUE TODAY
Respondents were asked to rank a number of North Pine Avenue features on a scale from very good to very bad. The features that had the most good or very good rankings were public art (52%), parking (46%), and pedestrian lighting (36%). The features that had the highest number of bad or very bad ratings were access to parks and green space (67%), the overall aesthetic and vibe (55%), and safety (52%).
NORTH PINE AVENUE TOMORROW
The five most common words used to describe respondents’ vision for North Pine Avenue in 10 years were safe, community, clean, pedestrian-friendly, vibrant, and diverse. The word cloud represents the words respondents most frequently used to describe their vision.
Survey respondents were also asked to rank a series of actions and improvements needed to achieve their vision for North Pine Avenue from very important to not important. The top ‘very important’ improvements were:
• Encourage locally-owned businesses to fill vacant storefronts (70%) • Ensure North Pine Avenue is diverse and welcoming to all (63%) • Add more greenery (e.g. trees, landscaping, mini-parks) (63%) • More retail and services for daily needs (e.g. - groceries, pharmacy, daycare, pet store) (60%)
• Maintain affordability of commercial and residential spaces (58%) When asked to choose the one action from the list of 14 that will be most important to achieve their vision for North Pine Avenue, a clear top three stood out significantly from the rest, as the following graph shows:
11 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA
Respondents were also given the chance to provide additional ideas for improvements to North Pine Avenue in an open-ended format. Ideas and common themes that emerged through these comments include:
• Close more of the North Pine Avenue corridor to cars to create a more pedestrian-oriented environment, and to allow for more community- focused events
• Provide additional services for the unhoused population • Continue to address overall safety and cleanliness of the corridor • Improve wayfinding and signage
• Retain the existing historic architecture
• Improve ADA accessibility along the North Pine Avenue corridor • Consider innovative retail models to fill vacant storefronts, such as micro-storefronts, business incubators, commercial kitchens, etc. 0%
0%
2%
2%
2%
2%
2%
2%
6%
9%
9%
13%
23%
28%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Add more public art
More kid-friendly amenities (play structures, interactive arts/music) Identify and promote existing parking in the area
Develop a cohesive look and feel for the corridor
More events and festivals
Festive, unique forms of lighting
Improve pedestrian accessibility (colorful painted crosswalks, curb extensions to lengthen the sidewalk at key corners)
Other (please specify)
Add more greenery (e.g. trees, landscaping, mini-parks) Ensure North Pine stays diverse and welcoming to all
More parklets and places for seating
Maintain affordability of commercial and residential spaces More retail and services for daily needs (e.g. - groceries, pharmacy, daycare, pet store) Encourage locally-owned businesses to fill vacant storefronts 12 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA
ASSETS,
CHALLENGES, AND
OPPORTUNITIES
A summary of existing assets, challenges, and future opportunities for the North Pine Avenue corridor is provided in the map to the right. This map was generated using feedback from North Pine Avenue stakeholders, a scan of the physical environment in the study area, and the brief review of existing conditions in the North Pine neighborhood completed as part of this planning process.
Recommendations on how to highlight existing assets, address key challenges, and capitalize on future opportunities are provided in the Action Plan that follows.
13 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA
VISION & ACTION PLAN STRUCTURE
OVERVIEW
The North Pine Avenue Community Vision and Action Plan is organized into five topic areas that emerged during the community engagement process; Economic and Community Vitality, Neighborhood Character, Activation and Programming, Mobility and Connectivity, and Quality of Life. The North Pine Avenue Community Vision and Action Plan outlines a vision for the study area organized by these five topic areas, identifies top community priorities within each of the topic areas, and provides short-, mid-, and long-term actions to implement the vision and priorities. The graphic below illustrates this Plan structure.
14 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA
COMMUNITY VISION
All the community input from individual interviews, roundtable discussions, and the online survey was collected and synthesized into the community’s vision for North Pine Avenue. This vision forms the basis for the priorities and Action Plan recommendations that make up the remainder of this document. The vision is organized by the five themed topic areas that emerged through the planning process.
Economic and Community Vitality
North Pine Avenue will strengthen its role as a prosperous, community-serving corridor, while also drawing local and regional visitors to patronize businesses along the street. The corridor should feature a variety of local retail shops, dining options, and other active ground-floor uses, with amenities that meet the needs of current and future North Pine Avenue residents. The strong local business community will continue to play a key role in shaping the future of North Pine Avenue, working alongside resident groups, the City, DLBA, and other local organizations to achieve this vision. North Pine Avenue will continue to celebrate and reflect its diversity, building upon this strength to create a place the is welcoming to everyone.
Neighborhood Character
North Pine Avenue will have an inviting physical environment and public realm that is welcoming to residents, employees, business patrons, and visitors. North Pine Avenue’s status as a historic district with a neighborhood feel will be celebrated and retained, while allowing for new development or redevelopment where warranted. The North Pine Avenue corridor will be a visually cohesive environment from 3rd Street to 10th Street, integrating physical improvements that define the area as uniquely North Pine Avenue and integrating public art into the corridor wherever possible.
15 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA Activation and Programming
North Pine Avenue will be vibrant and activated, with regular events and programming that appeal to all ages and a variety of interests. North Pine Avenue will build upon the 400 block’s existing role as a “Festival Street,” possibly expanding temporary or flexible closure options throughout the corridor for special events and programming.
Mobility and Connectivity
North Pine Avenue will be a corridor that is easy for people of all ages to move around whether by foot or mobility device, bicycle, transit, or car. North Pine Avenue should be connected to other destinations within Downtown Long Beach as well as to the adjacent neighborhoods. Convenient parking options should exist so patrons, employees and residents can park once, and walk to their destination.
Quality of Life
North Pine Avenue will serve as the community’s front yard, integrating green space into the streetscape where possible, and providing neighborhood-serving amenities like shade trees, additional seating, and improved landscaping for residents, employees, patrons, and visitors. The North Pine Avenue corridor will be clean, safe, and well-maintained, creating an inviting atmosphere for all.
16 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA
PRIORITIES
Within each of the topic areas that were developed through the North Pine Avenue Community Vision and Action Plan process, a number of key community priorities were identified. Those priorities are captured below, and are carried through to each initiative found within the Action Plan.
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY VITALITY
Priority 1: Fill vacant storefronts.
Priority 2: Retain existing small and locally-owned businesses along North Pine Avenue.
Priority 3: Work to balance the interests of keeping the storefront economy along North Pine Avenue neighborhood-centric while also drawing patrons to North Pine Avenue as a destination.
Priority 4: Ensure that North Pine Avenue remains diverse and welcoming to all.
Priority 5: Support policies that retain existing and create new affordable housing and commercial spaces.
NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER
Priority 1: Develop a more cohesive look and feel along the entirety of the North Pine corridor to create a sense of arrival and direction.
Priority 2: Capitalize on North Pine’s appeal as an historic district.
Priority 3: Integrate locally-focused public art into the urban landscape that celebrates the history and diversity of the North Pine neighborhood.
Priority 4: Enhance the public realm along the North Pine corridor.
ACTIVATION AND PROGRAMMING
Priority 1: Build upon the temporary street closures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic to transform North Pine into an activated festival street.
Priority 2: Offer diverse activities and events for all ages, including youth and seniors.
Priority 3: Identify underutilized areas appropriate for temporary tactical activations to enliven the space.
Priority 4: Improve marketing and promotional efforts to attract people to North Pine.
Priority 5: Cultivate local arts and culture as foundational to the North Pine corridor. 17 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA
MOBILITY AND CONNECTIVITY
Priority 1: Improve non-vehicular connectivity along the North Pine corridor for pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers, and transit riders.
Priority 2: Implement the improvements for North Pine and adjacent roadways laid out in the Safe Streets Long Beach Action Plan and Long Beach Bicycle Master Plan.
Priority 3: Improve the parking experience within the North Pine Study Area.
Priority 4: Improve connections between the North Pine study area and other parts of Downtown Long Beach and adjacent neighborhoods.
QUALITY OF LIFE
Priority 1: Add more green space along the corridor to position North Pine as the neighborhood’s front yard.
Priority 2: Ensure the North Pine corridor is clean and safe.
Priority 3: Provide additional services for the unhoused population Priority 4: Build upon the North Pine neighborhood’s sense of local identity as a community-serving corridor.
18 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA
ACTION PLAN
The North Pine Community Vision and Action Plan identifies nearly 40 tactical projects, policies, and public investments to meet its vision and priorities.
Each project, policy, or public investment included in the table below has a distinct number and is intended to meet one or more of the priorities identified in the previous section of the Plan. The Action Plan also identifies a timeline and responsible parties for implementation of each initiative. Ten of these projects are considered “transformative” with the potential to positively advance North Pine in the initial implementation phase (i.e. next five years) of the Plan. These projects are in bold in the following table.
Action
No. Action Priorities
Timeline:
Short-Term (next 18 months),
Mid-Term (18 months to 5 years),
Long-Term (5-10 years)
Responsibility
Economic and Community Vitality
E1
Continue providing businesses with information and access to local, state, and federal assistance related to COVID-19 recovery.
2 Short-Term City (Economic
Development), DLBA
E2
Develop a business retention and attraction strategy for the North Pine corridor that includes tenant prospecting and vetting assistance.
1, 2, 5 Mid-Term DLBA
E3
Consider immediate creative and flexible ideas to fill vacant storefronts, like public art installations, pop-up retail, or signage advertising.
1 Short-Term DLBA
E4
Provide assistance to help new and existing businesses
navigate various City services and processes and highlight the availability of the City’s BizCare platform
1, 2 Short-Term City (Economic
Development), DLBA
E5
Attract (and recruit as needed) a diverse mix of businesses to vacant storefronts along the entirety of the North Pine Avenue corridor, particularly businesses that reflect the cultural diversity of the North Pine neighborhood, retail and services that meet the daily needs of residents (grocery, pharmacy, pet store, daycare, etc.), and businesses that serve as destinations for both residents of and visitors to the study area.
4, 5 Short-Term DLBA
19 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA Action
No. Action Priorities
Timeline:
Short-Term (next 18 months),
Mid-Term (18 months to 5 years),
Long-Term (5-10 years)
Responsibility
E6
Explore opportunities for micro-grants or low-interest loans to assist new businesses in covering licensing and permitting fees, or to help businesses with the build-out of storefronts for food or beverage uses.
1, 2
Short-Term City (Economic
Development)
E7
Consider technical refinements to PD-30 zoning to allow creative retail formats to provide affordable spaces for prospective new locally-owned and neighborhood-serving
businesses to fill vacant storefronts like incubator spaces, micro-retail, commercial kitchen, shared retail and office spaces, temporary pop-ups, and allowing split uses within the same building footprint.
1, 3 Mid-Term
City (Economic
Development), City
(Planning)
E8 Support policies encouraging development of new affordable housing. 3, 4 Long-Term
City (Economic
Development,
Development Services)
Community Character
C1
Help new and existing businesses navigate the permitting process for adaptive reuse of historic structures along the corridor where possible.
2 Short-Term
City (Economic
Development), City
(Development Services)
C2
Provide and promote funding mechanisms for adaptive reuse through available local, state, and national sources to retain the historic architecture where possible.
2 Mid-Term
City (Economic
Development), City
(Development Services)
C3 Add wayfinding signage drawing people north along the North Pine corridor to businesses past 5th Street. 1, 4 Mid-Term City (Public Works), City
(Development Services),
DLBA
C4
Add North Pine-branded beautification improvements to the public realm such as banners, festive lighting, street
furniture, shade structures, unique crosswalks and
intersection stamps, a gateway at the north end of the
corridor, and wayfinding signage within district (so that all signage references North Pine, not necessarily Downtown). 1, 3, 4 Mid-Term
City (Public Works), City
(Development Services),
DLBA
20 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA Action
No. Action Priorities
Timeline:
Short-Term (next 18 months),
Mid-Term (18 months to 5 years),
Long-Term (5-10 years)
Responsibility
C5 Consider different visual themes for different blocks to create micro-destinations along the corridor. 1, 3, 4 Long-Term City (Public Works), City
Development Services),
DLBA
C6
Identify responsible parties for maintenance requests like tree trimming, watering planters, etc. and coordinate with those entities to create a maintenance schedule.
1, 4 Short-Term City (Public Works),
DLBA
C7 Improve pedestrian-scale lighting along the entire North Pine corridor. 1, 4 Mid-Term
City (Public Works), City
(Development Services),
DLBA
C8
Integrate more art into the public realm along the North Pine corridor and ensure that new public art is reflective of the history and culture of the North Pine corridor and prioritize local artists.
1, 3, 4 Mid-Term
City (Public Works), City
(Economic
Development), DLBA,
Arts Council for Long
Beach
C9
Work with property owners to identify opportunities for murals and other public art pieces on privately-owned
property.
1, 4 Mid-Term
City (Public Works), City
(Economic
Development), DLBA,
Arts Council for Long
Beach, Long Beach Walls
Activation and Programming
A1
Explore possibilities for temporary closures and parklets on North Pine Avenue north of 5th Street to activate the street and generate more foot traffic for businesses along the corridor.
1, 2 Mid-Term
City (Special Events and
Filming) City (Public
Works), City
(Development Services),
DLBA
A2
Collaborate with local event, media, and arts groups to activate unused alleyways along the corridor as opportunities for events, activations, and community gathering spaces. 3 Short-Term
City (Public Works), City
(Special Events and
Filming), DLBA, Arts
Council for Long Beach
A3 Consider adding a seasonal “pop up” pavilion or picnic tables to the 400 block of North Pine that residents, employees, and 1, 2, 3 Short-Term City (Public Works), City (Planning), DLBA
21 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA Action
No. Action Priorities
Timeline:
Short-Term (next 18 months),
Mid-Term (18 months to 5 years),
Long-Term (5-10 years)
Responsibility
visitors can utilize without being required to make a
purchase.
A4 Plan and implement a quarterly or yearly event showcasing businesses along North Pine Avenue. 4 Short-Term City (Special Events and Filming), DLBA
A5
Develop a North Pine brand that can be used on banners, streetscape amenities, and to market and promote the
corridor as a whole.
4 Short-Term
City (Economic
Development), DLBA,
NPNA, 3FP
A6
Continue supporting events, programming, and activations on North Pine organized by residents, business owners, property owners, and local organizations.
1, 2, 3, 5 Short-Term DLBA, NPNA, 3FP, City
Council District 1
A7
Ensure that programming and activation of the North Pine corridor reflects the areas unique culture, identity, and diversity.
1, 2, 5 Short-Term DLBA, City Council
District 1
A8 Integrate public art into events, activations, and programming along North Pine. 1, 2, 5 Short-Term DLBA, Arts Council for Long Beach
Mobility and Connectivity
M1 Explore options for permanent or temporary partial closure to vehicular traffic on the 400 block of North Pine 1 Short-Term City (Public Works) M2 Improve wayfinding to existing underutilized parking structures in the area. 1, 3, 4 Short-Term
City (Public Works), City
(Development Services),
DLBA
M3
Add pedestrian improvements, such as longer crossing signal times and creative crosswalk stamps, along the North Pine corridor, particularly north of 5th Street, to encourage people to walk, roll, and bicycle along the entirety of the street. 1, 2, 4 Mid-Term City (Public Works), City
(Planning)
M4
Improve wayfinding from North Pine to rail stations and bus transit stops on Pacific Avenue and Long Beach Boulevard, and vice versa.
1, 4 Mid-Term City (Public Works), City
(Development Services)
M5
Leverage planned traffic calming measures on 5th Street, 6th Street, and 7th Street to improve pedestrian and bicycle connectivity along the North Pine corridor.
1, 2 Mid-Term City (Public Works)
22 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA Action
No. Action Priorities
Timeline:
Short-Term (next 18 months),
Mid-Term (18 months to 5 years),
Long-Term (5-10 years)
Responsibility
M6
Incorporate sustainability improvements into planned
streetscape improvements, like cool pavement and green
infrastructure.
1, 2 Mid-Term
City (Office of Climate
Action and
Sustainability), City
(Public Works), City
(Development Services)
M7
Leverage planned transit improvements for Long Beach
Boulevard and Pacific Avenue to draw more pedestrian and bicycle traffic to North Pine.
1, 2, 4 Mid-Term City (Public Works), City
(Planning)
M8
Add additional bicycle facilities into the streetscape, such as North Pine-branded bicycle parking racks or wayfinding
signage geared toward cyclists
1, 4 Short-Term City (Public Works),
Pedal Movement, DLBA
Quality of Life
Q1
Explore opportunities to create permanent, functional
outdoor, activated greenspace on North Pine to serve
residents and businesses along the corridor. Possibilities include a pocket park, neighborhood dog park, and/or
children’s playground with seating or dining areas that do not require a purchase.
1 Mid-Term
City (Public Works), City
(Parks, Recreation, and
Marine)
Q2
Leverage the existing grassroots organization among North Pine Avenue residents and businesses and continue to
engage this community to support the City of Long Beach in implementing the vision laid out in this Plan.
4 Short-Term NPNA, 3FP, City of Long
Beach
Q3
Address vehicular noise pollution along the corridor by enforcing speed limits and implementing traffic calming measures.
2 Short-Term
Long Beach Police
Department, City (Public
Works)
Q4
Work with property owners and the appropriate City
departments to address nuisance activity in the public realm along North Pine.
2 Short-Term DLBA, Long Beach Police
Department
Q5
Partner with local organizations to connect people
experiencing homelessness with services and housing
opportunities.
3 Short-Term DLBA, City (Health
Department)
23 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA Action
No. Action Priorities
Timeline:
Short-Term (next 18 months),
Mid-Term (18 months to 5 years),
Long-Term (5-10 years)
Responsibility
Q6 Continue outreach to the unhoused population to better understand the supportive services that are needed. 3 Short-Term DLBA, City (Health Department)
Q7
Work with the DLBA to identify a cleaning and maintenance schedule for North Pine and communicate this information to business owners, property owners, and residents.
2 Short-Term DLBA
IMPLEMENTATION
Implementation of this Vision and Action Plan will be led and supported by the partner organizations identified in the ‘Responsibility’ column of the above Action Plan. In order to implement the projects, policies, and public investments found in this Plan, these partner organizations will work together to identify and pursue funding sources, delineate lead and support roles depending on capacity and expertise, and find additional community stakeholders and partner organizations to aid in implementation as needed.
METRICS FOR TRACKING PROGRESS
In order to track progress on the initiatives identified in this Vision and Action Plan, a series of metrics for tracking progress are provided by Plan topic area below. These metrics can be used by the partner organizations identified in this Plan to showcase progress on Plan implementation over time. • Economic and Community Vitality
o Number of area businesses
o Number of area residents
o Number of area employees
o Percent of businesses that are local/independent
o Percent of vacant properties/square footage
o Demographic trends over time
o Median for-sale home prices and median rents over time o Median commercial lease rates over time
• Neighborhood Character
o Number of historic buildings that are retained and/or adaptively reused 24 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA o Number of streetscape enhancements added to the corridor (number of banners, number of benches, additional gateway signs, number of wayfinding signs, number of creative crosswalk or intersection stamps) o Percentage of block faces with streetscape improvements o Percentage of block faces with pedestrian-oriented lighting • Activation and Programming
o Status of street closure on the 400 block and beyond, temporary and permanent o Number of outdoor seats, public and business use
o Number of events and activations
o Attendance at events and activations
o Number of public art installations
• Mobility and Connectivity
o Pedestrian and bicycle counts during various times, days, seasons o Utilization rates for existing parking structures and street parking o Number of pedestrian improvements (bulb-outs, enhanced crosswalks, ADA facilities, etc.) o Number of bicycle facilities (bike lanes, bike parking, etc.) o Green streetscape improvements (cool pavement, green infrastructure) o Transit ridership
• Quality of Life
o Square footage of public green/community space
o Services provided to the unhoused population
o Well maintained landscaping
o Number of street trees
o Crime rates
o Frequency of corridor cleaning
o Number of community-serving organizations in the area 25 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA APPENDIX A: RETAIL MEMORANDUM
In the summer of 2021, the City of Long Beach’s Economic Development Department hired Progressive Urban Management Associates (P.U.M.A.) to devise a Community Vision and Action Plan for the “North Pine” stretch of Pine Avenue (from 3rd Street to 10th Street). As a sub-consultant to P.U.M.A., MJB Consulting (MJB) was tasked with providing a cursory retail1 analysis and tenanting strategy for this study area.
In order to arrive at its findings and recommendations, MJB undertook the following abbreviated scope-of-work:
• In-person tour of North Pine and adjoining blocks
• General assessment of competing business districts and shopping centers • Conversations with several merchants and retail brokers as well as perusal of notes from P.U.M.A.-led community meetings and stakeholder interviews
• Review of relevant data provided by the Downtown Long Beach Alliance (DLBA)
MJB’s thinking about North Pine was also informed by and integrated with the broader retail strategy that it developed as part of P.U.M.A.’s strategic planning exercise on behalf of the DLBA in 2020/2021.
The following summarizes MJB’s findings and recommendations.
---
It has been a rough twenty months on North Pine’s businesses, and the current moment remains full of challenges, with businesses confronting ongoing labor shortages, supply-chain bottlenecks and rising inflation amidst a seemingly never-ending pandemic. Nothing in this memo should be construed as minimizing such struggles.
That said, North Pine’s inability to establish a cohesive and sustainable retail mix predates COVID-19, suggesting that the forces constraining its advance are more structural in nature and unlikely to disappear even after today’s headwinds start to dissipate. Indeed, they are almost certainly compounding matters in the present.
1 For the purposes of this analysis and memorandum, “retail” is to be understood as any business that accepts customers on a walk-in or subscription / membership basis, as opposed to appointment-only. It includes, then, traditional shops that sell goods as well as providers of personal (and some professional) services, food and beverage establishments as well as entertainment venues. A bank branch would be considered a retailer, as would a tattoo parlor or a coffeehouse.
26 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA
To better understand these forces, it helps to first consider the potential for different types of retail within a broader competitive context.
Weekly/daily goods and services (“convenience-o riented”)
North Pine must compete for patronage in these categories with Long Beach Boulevard, which casts quite a shadow with its panoply of grocery and drug store anchors that can accommodate motorists (with arterial access and free, in-front parking) as well as transit riders.
At the same time, its appeal to consumers looking for somewhat more elevated offerings is limited by the presence of the East Village Arts District (e.g. Wabi Sabi Village Market, Hops & Vines Market, Ground Hideout Coffee) or, for that matter, East 3 rd Street (e.g. Natural Cultures,
Recreational Coffee).
Indeed, North Pine’s hypothetical trade area (to the right) – consisting of the four surrounding block groups -- varies widely across its footprint, with the eastern half much wealthier than the western, and with the southeastern quadrant boasting a median household income ($81,000) more than three times higher than the northwestern one ($25,000).
These competitive and spatial dynamics might at least partly explain why Kress Market reportedly started to experience a decline in foot traffic and retail sales in 2018, following the debut of Wabi Sabi in 2017, and why Rose Park says that its 7 th Street cafe is only sustainable
with a high-caliber (read: destination) food component.
It also suggests that North Pine’s more reliable draw, at least for the daily and weekly essentials, is the comparatively less well-served and lower-income Willmore neighborhood to the west.
All of this provides useful context within which to assess the potential for addressing desires among some stakeholders for more community-serving retail and service uses along North Pine.
Lacking the drive-up convenience of Long Beach Blvd and facing formidable competition to its immediate east, North Pine is heavily dependent on walk- in trade from the two block groups to its west, which together constitute less than 3,000 people.
Even there, however, its appeal might be compromised somewhat by the psychological barrier of Pacific Boulevard, a wide arterial road that frames Pine Ave as a Downtown corridor rather than a neighborhood-oriented one.
Block groups comprising North Pine’s “trade area”
Source: DLBA
27 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA Due to these limitations, most businesses focusing on weekly and daily conveniences will be challenged. While this might run counter to the framing of North Pine as a “neighborhood” and the desire for its retail to function as such, it is a bit like trying to force a square peg into a round hole.
To cite just one example: in the modern retail landscape, where mobile consumers can avail themselves of multiple options, not every neighborhood can have its own grocer. Even the cherished Kress Market, which tried to position itself as a specialty (rather than a commodity) food market and establish multiple sources of revenue, ultimately could not overcome the demand constraints.
Interestingly, the call for grocery and drug stores seems to dismiss the presence of existing retailers like Numero Uno Market (on Pacific Ave) and Rite Aid (on North Pine itself) – not to mention the several others along Long Beach Blvd.
The disconnect presumably stems from psychographic preferences – such stakeholders presumably seek brands like Trader Joe’s and Pharmaca – which, as this cursory analysis demonstrates, does not represent the bulk of the submarket.
Need for Destination Appeal
In order to transcend these trade area limitations, North Pine desperately needs to establish and reinforce more of a destination appeal. Indeed, certain businesses already seem to have achieved this status, like Pie Bar and Long Beach Vintage; there’s just not enough of them.
Competitive context is relevant here as well. On some level, North Pine, with its blend of CBD adjacency and neighborhood-scaled authenticity, would seem to compete most directly with the East Village Arts District.
What, though, would motivate, say, a talented chef/restaurateur or a savvy boutique entrepreneur to take a chance on a North Pine location versus one in the East Village or, for that matter, Retro Row?
Sure, there is the matter of availability and price: the study area offers available inventory as well as discounted rents. Yet even so, other, similarly more affordable alternatives are emerging, like, for instance, the stretch of 4 th Street between the East Village and Retro Row, where one finds offerings that might otherwise have seemed at home along North Pine (e.g. Seabirds Kitchen, Jounestu Ramen, DeadRockers, One of a Kind Boutique, etc.).
This presents a quandary of sorts for North Pine. The city has long existed on a west-to-east plane, with the affluence – but also, the hipness – oriented along that axis. For such an operator to consider North Pine, she would need to reorient her thinking toward a south-to-north directionality, which might not come naturally in the Long Beach context.
Moreover, even if she were not resistant to such a shift, she could conceivably be distracted by the sexier object further north, in North Long Beach, where investments by the famed Orange County hipster-developer Shaheen Sadeghi (The LAB Anti-Mall, Anaheim Packing District, etc.) suggest a district on the rise.
28 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA This is not to say that the destination-centered approach would be impossible but rather, that it will demand a level of creativity and differentiation – among both the businesses as well as the public/non-profit sector -- that elevates North Pine above other, more obvious choices.
Two Markets to Consider
So far, we have been talking about the “market” in which consumers buy goods and services from tenants. There is a second market, however, and it looms just as large: the one in which tenants rent space from landlords. Even if the first screams potential, it means precious little unless deals can actually be struck.
Property owners along North Pine vary widely in terms of their sophistication, interests, capacities and resources; they can be constrained by forces unbeknownst to the layperson, like the basis at which they initially acquired the building, the terms of the mortgage, the expectations of their investors, etc.
The Bungalow Building is an example of a property that has been deliberately curated, where the business model of its anchor ground-floor tenant, Long Beach Vintage, was made possible partly by a forgiving rent. On the other hand, Waterford’s attention appears for the moment to be focused on other parts of its sprawling site.
Meanwhile, leasing professionals, already somewhat reluctant to spend too much time on listings that do not easily sell themselves, are likely to continue focusing on quick-service food and beverage as well as the ever-widening array of service-retail uses, like (additional) fitness studios, medical/dental offices or veterinary offices.
Occupancy is obviously preferable to vacancy and there is nothing inherently wrong with such tenancies – indeed, some would provide the neighborhood with gathering places or valuable services. Yet with notable exceptions, they are less likely to draw as destinations, elevate North Pine’s profile or catalyze a new leasing dynamic.
One last point on the subject: while worries about rising housing costs might indeed be reasonable, so-called “retail gentrification” is far less likely at this point in time, and the need for some sort of legacy business ordinance, a bit misplaced. Given the weak market for street-level space, most landlords are merely hoping to hold on to what they have.
Realistic Tenanting Opportunities
Rather than thinking first about potential retail categories, it makes sense to frame the opportunities in terms of feasible business models that can conceivably overcome the aforementioned challenges of a North Pine location. These would include concepts, formats and operators characterized by the following:
• A track record of pulling beyond the immediate vicinity and establishing destination appeal; • An ability to generate revenue from a diversified range of sources beyond just walk-in traffic 29 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA • An attraction to the density of and proximity to the Downtown core without the need for high visibility;
The most obvious possibilities would seem to be in food and beverage, the category in which consumers are generally most willing to travel from further afield and tolerate a certain level of inconvenience if not discomfort.
Again, however, it cannot just be any sort of food or beverage, but rather, a kind, of a quality and/or with a “hook” that can draw that attention from beyond. Like the talented Cambodian chef with crossover potential, or the well-known local restaurateur interested in a fast-casual spinoff – both referenced in the larger retail strategy for Downtown Long Beach.
Alternately, there are a number of emerging chain-lets with this capacity as well as a willingness to consider unconventional locations, like Bonchon (Korean fried chicken), Bangin’ Buns (Nashville “hot” chicken) and Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen (comfort food, co-owned by actress Issa Rae).
Given, however, the unreliability of the foot traffic along North Pine, successful operators there are more likely to be ones with well-diversified approaches to generating revenue, through different dayparts (i.e. lunch, coffee/co-working space, dinner, alcohol, etc.), takeout/delivery, catering/events, virtual kitchen, wholesale, accessory food market, etc.
Another type of retail with the potential for broader reach is comparison goods (e.g. apparel, footwear, furniture, home décor) with a fashion component -- versus basics and commodities like white tees and utilitarian chairs that are typically bought where it is most convenient.
North Pine is challenged in this category because there is such an advantage to co-tenancy and scale. More so than with food and beverage, both consumers and savvy retailers tend to gravitate to locations – like East Village and Retro Row – which already feature a number of options to compare.
Both of these competitors, however, suffer from a dearth of available inventory as well as comparatively higher rent levels, at least in close proximity to their respective cores, while the alternatives – like say, spaces along 4 th Street between the two or, for that matter, in North Long Beach -- do not confer the same benefit.
One such opportunity in this regard, which certain businesses along North Pine have already been leveraging, is in modestly-capitalized vintage, thrift and consignment concepts that are broadly merchandised, priced and marketed so as to appeal across demographic lines.
Again, given the relatively low levels of walk-in trade, such tenants would also need to be resourceful in developing and nurturing alternative sources of revenue, including, most notably, the online channel but also encompassing other platforms like flea markets, fashion trucks, etc.
For reasons discussed earlier, North Pine will be challenged to sustain most kinds of convenience-oriented businesses that focus on weekly and daily needs. There are, however, some notable exceptions.
30 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA Longtime businesses, in particular, can draw on the loyalties and habits of their existing customer base(s). Retailers with 6th or 7th St frontage can conceivably leverage the higher visibility to pass-by autos for a broader draw. Certain categories, like cannabis and pet supply, remain very much in growth mode, well short of maturation and saturation.
Such nuance, though, will be key to evaluating which concepts are more or less likely to succeed. And in any event, individual operators will need to strive for a diversified mix of goods and services as a hedge of sorts against the probability that no one of them will be sufficient on its own.
Implementation Imperatives
A lot else has to happen in order to land truly catalytic tenancies. First, prospects need to be identified, vetted and pitched – not something that most landlords and brokers would be inclined to spend time and energy on, especially if there is lower-hanging fruit to be had. A role for the DLBA in recruitment efforts was proposed in the larger retail strategy, though with prerequisites.
There’s also the aforementioned second market to keep in mind: a special sort of landlord will be needed, one that can see past the risk and is willing (and able) to help with T.I., especially in the case of restaurants, where the infrastructure might not exist and would be expensive to build from scratch.
The City can help to some degree, with forgivable loans for build-out assistance.
Also, with would-be tenants sometimes deterred by codes in which review committees seem to retain too much discretionary power, the PD-30 zoning should be refined so as to more explicitly welcome both thrift stores as well as the kinds of accessory uses that can generate additional revenue and patronage, like production, warehousing and various entertainments (e.g. arcade, bowling, mini-golf, etc.).
At the same time, it should be clearly stipulated that such uses remain accessory, with “active” uses along the frontage(s), so as to protect against the proliferation of publicly-inaccessible tenancies like the “dark stores” that the VC-funded, rapidly-expanding “ultra-fast grocery delivery” services are in the process of opening in major cities across the country.
Finally, residents will need to do their part, not only in terms of supporting catalytic businesses but also, understanding and embracing them as critical to the creation of a more vibrant retail mix – which might, in some cases, require less pushback to and a greater tolerance of the level of noise and attention which such concepts generate. Market realities demand such a trade-off.
Visibility and Street Closures
Many of the solutions typically offered in the name of generating foot traffic are design-related, as if enhanced “walkability” can alone solve for inadequate pedestrian counts. And there is no doubt that such tweaks are critical, especially in cases like this one where the intersection of fast-moving arterial roads creates psychological barriers and results in bifurcation.
31 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA Ultimately, though, pedestrian-oriented design, while necessary, is unlikely to be sufficient. Put simply, people on the street need reasons – beyond a more attractive pedestrian realm – to make the trek, like a heavily-programmed public space, a single traffic-generating anchor use or a lively collection of synergistic businesses. If those do not exist, they are unlikely to do so.
Feelings about the pandemic-era closure of Pine Avenue’s 400 block are mixed, but panning out for a minute from the (often self-interested) perspectives of individual stakeholders, there is little doubt that it will be extremely costly and difficult – if not impossible -- to keep such a space sufficiently active to serve as an ongoing lure, especially given the off-center location.
In the meantime, businesses – not just within the 400 block but on either side as well – lose access and regular visibility because, even with just one block closed, many drivers seeking the straightest path between two points will avoid Pine Ave entirely and take an alternative route instead. Motorists might not be the primary source of customers in Downtown, but they are still an important component of demand.
Ultimately, then, the more appropriate balance to strike might be one that closes the 400 block as a kind of “festival street” periodically or semi- regularly for special events, while also placing greater emphasis on the attraction and nurturing of businesses within the storefronts that can potentially entice from further afield on a more continuous basis.
32 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA APPENDIX B: NORTH PINE ONLINE SURVEY
SUMMARY
An online survey was prepared by Progressive Urban Management Associates (P.U.M.A.) as part of the North Pine Community Vision and Action Plan process being led by the City of Long Beach. This survey was open to the public with a goal of gathering information from a broad audience about their experience and desires for North Pine. The survey ran from September 24, 2021 to October 15, 2021. It collected 53 responses. The following analysis presents the survey’s results.
SURVEY RESULTS
Q1: HOW WOULD YOU RATE THE FOLLOWING FEATURES OF NORTH PINE? Overall, respondents had mixed ratings for the various features provided in this question. The top-rated features rated very good or good were public art (52%) and parking (46%). Several features had a significant proportion of participants rate them as fair, including sidewalks, crosswalks, and alleyways (50%), overall cleanliness (46%), variety of merchants (44%), and bike facilities (40%). The features with the greatest number of poor or very poor ratings were access to parks and green space (67%), the overall aesthetic and vibe (55%), safety (52%), and other (46%). Respondents were split between the rating categories on pedestrian lighting and landscaping and street trees. The most popular answer choice for each feature is highlighted in blue.
Ideas expressed by respondents who selected “other” include:
• Grocery store access is very low in this area
• Additional services for the unhoused population are needed • Art galleries would be beneficial in this area
Very
Good/Good Fair Very
Poor/Poor
Public art 52% 29% 10%
Parking 46% 25% 27%
Pedestrian lighting 37% 19% 37%
Variety of merchants 35% 44% 21%
Other 31% 21% 46%
Landscaping and street trees 31% 31% 23%
The overall aesthetic and vibe
(i.e., a nice place to just “be”) 20% 5% 55%
Sidewalks, crosswalks, and
alleyways 19% 50% 31%
Bike facilities 19% 40% 38%
Overall cleanliness 17% 46% 35%
Safety 15% 33% 52%
Access to parks and green space 6% 25% 67%
33 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA Q2: LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, WHAT THREE WORDS BEST CAPTURE YOUR VISION FOR NORTH PINE TEN YEARS FROM NOW (2031)?
The word cloud to the right represents the words respondents used most frequently to describe their vision for North Pine in the future. The size indicates how frequently it was used, with the largest words being cited most often. The top responses, in order, were: safe, community, clean, pedestrian-friendly, vibrant, and diverse.
34 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA Q3: TO ACHIEVE YOUR VISION FOR NORTH PINE, HOW IMPORTANT ARE THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS?
Respondents were asked to rate a series of
actions related to experience by level of
importance. The chart below is sorted
according to the action’s importance, with the
most popular answer choice highlighted in
blue for each. The top three rated actions, all
with 60% or more rating them as very
important, were:
1. Encourage locally-owned businesses to
fill vacant storefronts
2. Ensure North Pine is diverse and
welcoming to all
3. Add more greenery (e.g. trees,
landscaping, and mini-parks)
Responses from those who selected “other”
include:
• Add more restaurants, bars, and
nightlife
• Provide additional services for the
unhoused population
• Integrate more protected bike lanes
into the streetscape
• Continue to improve cleanliness and
safety along the corridor
• Retain the existing historic character
of buildings on North Pine
Very
Important Important Somewhat
Important
Not
Important
Encourage locally-owned businesses to fill
vacant storefronts 70% 19% 9% 2%
Ensure North Pine is diverse and welcoming
to all 63% 27% 8% 2%
Add more greenery (e.g. trees, landscaping,
mini-parks) 63% 35% 2% 0%
More retail and services for daily needs (e.g.
- groceries, pharmacy, daycare, pet store) 60% 25% 10% 4% Maintain affordability of commercial and
residential spaces 58% 29% 6% 6%
Improve pedestrian accessibility (colorful
painted crosswalks, curb extensions to
lengthen the sidewalk at key corners)
48% 27% 19% 6%
More events and festivals 42% 31% 19% 8%
Add more public art 38% 21% 31% 10%
Develop a cohesive look and feel for the
corridor 38% 38% 15% 10%
Festive and unique styles of lighting 32% 23% 23% 21%
Identify and promote existing parking in the
area 31% 33% 27% 8%
More kid-friendly amenities (play structures,
interactive art/music) 21% 25% 35% 19%
More parklets and places for seating 21% 38% 27% 15%
Other 90% 0% 0% 10%
35 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA Q4: OF THE ACTIONS LISTED IN QUESTION 8, WHICH ONE WILL BE MOST IMPORTANT? To further assist in identifying priorities, respondents were asked to select ONE action from the previous question’s answer choices that is most important. When asked to select one action for North Pine, there were two tiers of answers, as color-coded in the chart below. “Encourage locally-owned businesses to fill vacant storefronts” was again the top vote recipient (just as it was in Q3). “More retail and services for daily needs (e.g. - groceries, pharmacy, daycare, pet store)” rose up to the #2 selection, with 23% of the vote. “Maintain affordability of commercial and residential spaces” became the #3 selection when participants were asked to select one action as most important to improving North Pine.
0%
0%
2%
2%
2%
2%
2%
2%
6%
9%
9%
13%
23%
28%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Add more public art
More kid-friendly amenities (play structures, interactive arts/music) Identify and promote existing parking in the area
Develop a cohesive look and feel for the corridor
More events and festivals
Festive, unique forms of lighting
Improve pedestrian accessibility (colorful painted crosswalks, curb extensions… Other (please specify)
Add more greenery (e.g. trees, landscaping, mini-parks) Ensure North Pine stays diverse and welcoming to all
More parklets and places for seating
Maintain affordability of commercial and residential spaces More retail and services for daily needs (e.g. - groceries, pharmacy, daycare,… Encourage locally-owned businesses to fill vacant storefronts 36 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA Q5: THE 400 BLOCK OF NORTH PINE BETWEEN 4TH AND 5TH STREETS WAS PARTIALLY
CLOSED TO CARS DURING THE PANDEMIC IN ORDER TO ENHANCE THE PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE AND ACCOMMODATE GREATER USE OF SAFE OUTDOOR SPACE. IN YOUR OPINION, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE STREET OPERATE IN THE FUTURE:
When asked if they would like to continue the partial closure of the 400 block of North Pine beyond the pandemic over half of participants (57%) indicated they would like the partial closure to continue as-is. An additional 28% of respondents indicated that they would like the 400 block to be closed to cars periodically (weekends or special events), but that they would like the street to remain open to cars at other times.
4%
2%
9%
28%
57%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
I don’t have enough information to answer
I am indifferent
Open the 400 block back up to cars everyday
Close the 400 block to cars periodically (weekends, or special events) but keep open to cars at other times
Continue the partial closure of the 400 block as it exists today 37 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA Q6: IF YOU COULD SUGGEST ONE ADDITIONAL AND SPECIFIC IMPROVEMENT TO ENHANCE NORTH PINE, NOT YET MENTIONED, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Respondents were asked to provide ideas for additional improvements to North Pine in an open-ended format. Roughly two thirds of survey participants provided an answer, with many simply elaborating on answer choices provided in the prior questions. Ideas and common themes amongst comments included:
• Close more of the North Pine corridor to cars to create a more pedestrian-oriented environment, and to allow for more community-focused events
• Provide additional services for the unhoused population • Continue to address overall safety and cleanliness of the corridor • Improve wayfinding and signage
• Retain the existing historic architecture
• Improve ADA accessibility along the North Pine corridor • Consider innovative retail models to fill vacant storefronts, such as micro-storefronts, business incubators, commercial kitchens, etc.
38 NORTH PINE AVENUE COMMUNITY VISION & ACTION PLAN | LONG BEACH, CA Q7: WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING BEST CHARACTERIZES YOUR PRIMARY INTEREST(S) IN NORTH PINE? (CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY)
The highest proportion of respondents to this survey were North Pine residents between 3rd and 10th (36%). The next most popular responses were greater long beach residents, employees, businesses, property owners, or institutions outside of the study area (32%), residents within the North Pine Plan study area (28%), and property owners on North Pine between 3rd and 10th (23%).
0%
4%
4%
4%
6%
9%
9%
11%
13%
23%
28%
32%
36%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
C ivic or community-serving institution within the North Pine Community Vision and Action plan study area (see below)
C
ivic or community-serving institution on North Pine between 3rd and 10th Employee within the North Pine Community Vision and Action plan study area (see below)
B
usiness owner within the North Pine Community Vision and Action plan study area
(see below)
E
mployee on North Pine between 3rd and 10th
Business Owner on North Pine between 3rd and 10th
Visitor to Downtown Long Beach
P
roperty owner within the North Pine Community Vision and Action plan study area
(see below)
O
ther (please specify)
Property Owner on North Pine between 3rd and 10th
Resident within the North Pine Community Vision and Action plan study area (see below)
Greater Long Beach resident, employee, business, property owner, or institution (outside of the study area)
Resident of North Pine between 3rd and 10th