DATE: JUNE 4, 2024
DEPARTMENT: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
FROM: LISA BRINTON, DIRECTOR
THROUGH: GRANT LENOARD, PLANNING MANAGER
BY: OSCAR RESENDIZ, ASSOCIATE PLANNER
TITLE: DRAFT ALISAL DISTRICT IDENTITY MASTER PLAN (ADIMP) RECOMMENDED MOTION:
A motion recommending that the Salinas City Council approve a resolution accepting the Draft Alisal District Identity Master Plan (ADIMP) as a strategic planning document.
DISCUSSION
In November 2019, the City Council unanimously accepted the Alisal Vibrancy Plan (AVP) as a strategic planning document. The AVP is an action-oriented, comprehensive strategy for Salinas’ Alisal (East Salinas) neighborhoods. The Plan’s purpose is to communicate the collective vision, goals, and desires of those who live, work, worship, and shop in the Alisal. AVP implementation has been focused on five priority areas: appearance, cleanliness, safety and infrastructure, parks and open space, and economic development.
The establishment of district identity themes, branding, color palette, and commercial corridor, façade and public art design guidelines are AVP actions identified by the community to improve commercial corridor appearance in the Alisal. Working collaboratively with the community, staff prepared a Request for Proposals in October 2022 to prepare a district identity master plan for the Alisal. Proposals were received in November 2022. Urban Fields Studios was the selected consultant team and began work on the Alisal District Identity Master Plan in February 2023.
ADIMP Objectives and Content
The primary objectives of the Alisal District Identity Master Plan (ADIMP) are to further AVP goals, policies and actions related to the community’s identity as a unique cultural, arts and shopping district, and to improve the Alisal commercial corridor appearance through greening, gateway elements, banners and signage and public art. The ADIMP includes individual chapters focusing on the following topics:
Introduction
Public Realm Design Guidelines
Storefront Design Guidelines
District Graphic Identity
Public Art for the Alisal
Implementation
The Alisal District Identity Master Plan has been written to provide ways for the City of Salinas and the Alisal community to strengthen cultural identity with physical improvements to the district. The Alisal District Identity Master Plan specifically supports investment in amenities with guidelines for a more intentional incorporation of cultural identity and community heritage to strengthen the sense of place for the Alisal.
Intended to be an action-oriented plan, the ADIMP concludes with an Implementation chapter (Chapter 6) that lists on-going, short-term, and long-term actions that can be taken to improve the District Identity of the Alisal. The implementation strategy builds on existing momentum from recent planning efforts, infrastructure and art projects, and successful funding from State and Federal grant program applications. Ultimately, the implementation of public realm improvements throughout the Alisal district will require continued focus from the City and the community to ensure the ADIMP and the Alisal Vibrancy Plan are successful implemented.
Community Outreach and Engagement
The Alisal District Identity is best defined by its community. Engagement for this project sought to include local artists, business owners, the Alisal Vibrancy Plan (AVP) Implementation Committee, schools, and the general public. The outreach for this project built upon the foundation of community engagement undertaken for the AVP, and focused on what the Alisal District identity could be.
The outreach efforts included:
Focus Groups: Two stakeholder meeting focus groups took place on May 31 and June 6, 2023. They included 15 local artists and the AVP implementation Committee. The purpose of the meetings was to introduce the project and to vet three initial ideas for the District Graphic Identity of the area.
District Graphic Identity Survey: The three initial ideas for the District Graphic Identity were shared with the greater community through an online survey. The survey resulted in 84 responses. Outreach about the survey utilized the City’s websites, social media, and notification lists.
Community Events: The survey and the project were shared at nine pop-ups held at the following locations, reaching a total of 278 people:
Pop-Up #1: Los Abuelitos Senior Apartments (7/20/23) - 22 participants Pop-Up #2: National Night Out-Closter Park (8/1/23) - 60 participants Pop-Up #3: Food Bank-Firehouse Recreation Center (8/10/23) - 20 participants Pop-Up #4: Firehouse Recreation Center (8/15/23) - 12 participants Pop-Up #5: Everyone’s Harvest Farmers Market (8/23/23) - 30 participants Pop-Up #6: César Chávez Library (8/24/23) - 20 participants Pop-Up #7: César Chávez Library (10/5/23) - 5 participants Pop-Up #8: César Chávez Library (10/10/23) - 4 participants Pop-Up #9: Ciclovía (10/15/23) - 105 participants
Canvassing at Local Businesses: The team went door to door talking to local businesses owners and tenants to gather input and share ideas and information about upcoming events.
Design Workshop: A design workshop was held on September 30, 2023, at the Firehouse Recreation Center that included stations with each of the components of the Alisal District Identity Master Plan (graphic identity, public realm improvements, Façade improvement, and public art) displayed for discussion. The consultant team was available to field questions and gather feedback from the community about the ideas for each component. A total of 42 participants attended the workshop.
Collaboration with Local Organizations: The team worked closely with local community organizations, schools, businesses, and other stakeholders to create awareness of the Alisal District Identity Master Plan.
Multilingual Communication: All materials were provided in both English and Spanish and translators were available for all events.
Public Art Commission: presentation on August 21, 2023, regarding the Public Art Guidelines for the ADMIP.
Public Art Commission: presentation on May 20, 2024, presenting public draft Alisal District Identity Master Plan (ADIMP).
A summary of the feedback gathered through community engagement was incorporated in context by topic in each chapter of the draft.
Current Alisal Vibrancy Plan Projects:
Although the ADIMP is not yet finalized, the City is currently moving forward with multiple AVP improvement projects that are incorporating themes identified through the ADIMP work done to date. These include:
Temporary trash/recycle vinyl graphic with matte lamination wraps (10 corrals) along Alisal Street.
Clean California Local Beautification implementation
Tree planting
Installing additional trash/recycle corrals.
Installing new banners - Request for Community Photography Submissions: Alisal Commercial Corridor Banners Upcoming calls for art
Next Steps for the Draft Alisal Identity Master Plan (ADIMP) The Draft ADIMP was released on Friday, May 17, 2024, for a 30-day public comment review period, and is available on the Advanced Planning and Project Implementation and Public Comment Review under the Community Development Department webpages. In addition to the Housing and Land Use Committee, staff presented the Draft ADIMP to the Public Art Commission on May 20, 2024, and will present it to the Alisal Vibrancy Implementation Committee in late June. A final round of community engagement will occur during the summer. Staff will incorporate any public comments into a Final ADIMP, which is anticipated to be presented to the City Council in August of 2024.
ATTACHMENTS:
Draft Alisal District Identity Master Plan (ADIMP)
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