The Downtown Improvement Plan Update; Public Review Draft is now available. Copies have been placed in the Blanchard Library and at City Hall. You are urged to look at the document, attend or watch the public meeting on April 7 at 6:30 PM and let the City of Santa Paula staff know what you think. The Downtown belongs to the whole community.If translation services are needed, please contact Gladys Izaguirre at 933-4276.
Public Presentation of Downtown Improvement Plan Update
March 31, 2004
Santa Paula News
The City of Santa Paula’s Downtown Improvement Plan is being updated because nearly all the recommended improvements are done.
The City of Santa Paula’s Downtown Improvement Plan is being updated because nearly all the recommended improvements are done. A draft of the updated plan will be presented to the public on Wednesday, April 7 at 6:30 PM in City Council Chambers at 970 Ventura Street.Planning for the update began last year with the consultants conducting interviews with representatives to learn community aspirations and issues. They met with individual citizens, the Downtown Merchants Association, realtors, property owners and city staff. To get a feel for the community, the consulting team walked the downtown identifying opportunity sites, viewing neighborhood conditions, and experiencing the downtown in action. During meetings in November, the community was asked what they love about the downtown and what they would like to change about the downtown.Through their responses, the community gave strong guidance to the consulting team of what should be considered and addressed in the plan. An economic analysis of the downtown was conducted. Community demographics were analyzed in terms of the market they create. Retail leakage was analyzed only to discover that residents buy much outside the city but not enough to support large chain stores. The economic analysis, linked with the community’s ideas, provided the background for recommendations on housing, office space, lodging, and tourism, in addition to retail opportunities.Downtown design recommendations include suggestions for infill development and redevelopment, historic preservation, parking, façade improvements, wayfaring (directional signage), and overhead utilities. The following Downtown Subareas were identified with brief descriptions: City Gateway, Civic Center, Railroad Corridor, Mercado, Hometown USA, Service, Office, and Residential. Design Standards and Architectural recommendations are also provided.