City Council Agenda Report
TO: Mayor Clauzel and Members of the City Council
FROM: Fernando Ulloa, Interim City Manager
BY: Bryan Stice, Community Development Director
MEETING DATE: October 15, 2024
ITEM NO: 7.1
SUBJECT: Adopt the City of Patterson Downtown Master Plan and the corresponding CEQA Addendum to the City of Patterson 2010 General Plan EIR.
RECOMMENDATION
Motion to Adopt the City of Patterson Downtown Master Plan and the corresponding CEQA Addendum to the City of Patterson 2010 General Plan EIR.
BACKGROUND
In 2015, the City of Patterson adopted the Downtown Patterson Revitalization Visioning Report (April 28, 2015) to guide the City on future growth and improvements within the downtown area as described captured by the report’s official vision statement:
Downtown Patterson should be the hub of community activities and social gatherings and express Patterson’s strong community spirit. It should attract residents from all parts of Patterson and visitors from elsewhere to enjoy a variety of restaurants, cafés, entertainment, retail stores, and services during the daytime, evenings, and weekends. To facilitate this vision, the downtown should be improved with wider sidewalks, sidewalk café seating, street trees, architectural facade improvements, and attractive lighting to support evening activity. Downtown streets should be safe and comfortable for people walking, riding bicycles, and driving cars. The downtown parks should be a source of civic pride and have infrastructure for hosting a variety of events.
This visioning report served as a prerequisite, and called for, the master planning of the downtown to guide future public and private development projects therein.
During a public hearing held on September 26, 2024, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the City Council adopt the Downtown Master Plan and the related EIR Addendum (discussed below).
ANALYSIS
As drafted, the 2024 Downtown Master Plan expands upon the prior visioning report with an updated Downtown Vision Statement, declaring:
Downtown Patterson will be a focal point of activity that attracts residents and visitors to enjoy its many amenities and its unique, historic small-town feel. A wide variety of entertainment, shopping, recreational, and dining opportunities will enliven the Downtown with people of all ages and backgrounds. Downtown will be a family-friendly, pedestrian-oriented district with safe, walkable, and attractive streets and vibrant public places. Ample recreational and park amenities will provide appealing options to gather, play, relax, dine, and attend events.
Purpose
This Patterson Downtown Master Plan (Master Plan) seeks to address the evolving challenges to downtown by enhancing the sense of place to create a unique destination that is attractive for residents, visitors, and businesses.
The Master Plan is a companion document to complement the General Plan, Municipal Code, and Community Downtown Design Guidelines, and it builds upon these existing documents.
The Master Plan has been prepared to establish an achievable vision, shape future development, and implement an action plan for the City of Patterson. The Master Plan provides a framework with which to inspire future private development and public improvements based on Patterson’s community values and vision; expand the local economy; house new residents of all income levels; create community gathering and recreational places; and address relationships between land use, transportation, and the environment.
Master Plan Area
The Master Plan area, also referred to herein as the Downtown, is in the heart of Patterson. It covers 63.6 acres and includes residential housing, numerous businesses and services, and important cultural and civic uses. Much of the Downtown area is framed by a distinctive “circle and spoke” street pattern with El Centro Park and the Historical Museum at its core. Roadway “spokes” radiate out from the core, and there is an inner-ring roadway (Plaza Circle), a middle ring alleyway network, and an outer ring roadway (El Circulo Avenue). There are also alley “spokes” connecting the circular ring of alleyways with El Circulo Avenue.
The Downtown area boundaries are somewhat irregular. To the northwest, the Downtown area extends to parcels adjacent to North El Circulo Avenue and West Las Palmas Avenue. To the northeast, the Downtown area is bounded by South 2nd Street / Highway 33 northwest of East Las Palmas Avenue, and by South 1st Street southeast of East Las Palmas Avenue. To the southeast, E Street serves as the Downtown area boundary. An irregular southwestern boundary travels along North 6th Street, F Street, and South 5th Street.
Community Engagement Process
This project included an extensive outreach process with multiple opportunities for community engagement including stakeholder meetings, an online survey, and community study sessions led by the Downtown Revitalization Committee, Planning Commission, and the City Council.
Key Downtown Master Plan Contents
The Master Plan contains several land-use and design concepts, illustrations, principles, illustrative vignettes, development standards and an implementation action plan. Background information, public outreach responses, and a market opportunity report comprise the master plan appendices section. Once adopted, future developments would be reviewed for consistency with the vision, concepts, and standards outlined within the Downtown Master Plan.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Previous Environmental Review
On November 30, 2010, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2010-84 which certified the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the Patterson General Plan. A Notice of Determination was filed with the County Clerk on December 1, 2010.
EIR Addendum
In accordance with Section 15164 of the CEQA Guidelines, the City of Patterson City Council has determined that this addendum to the Final General Plan EIR (SCH# 2010022035) is necessary to document “minor technical changes or additions” that have occurred in the project description since the General Plan EIR was originally prepared.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff’s recommendation is that the City Council should:
1. Conduct a public hearing and allow members of the public to testify;
2. Consider the issues discussed in this report; and,
3. Adopt the City of Patterson Downtown Master Plan and the corresponding CEQA Addendum to the City of Patterson 2010 General Plan EIR.
ATTACHMENTS
Addendum to Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) For: Patterson Downtown Master Plan City of Patterson 2024 Draft Downtown Master Plan.