Transit Oriented Development Code, Lancaster, California
March 8th, 2013

Following Sargent Town Planning’s successful completion of a vision plan for Lancaster’s Southeast Transit Village Planning Area (SE on the diagram above) the City of Lancaster selected the firm to prepare new zoning for the Southeast, Northeast and Southwest planning areas that surround Downtown Lancaster. These areas are part of the Transit Village Planning Area (outlined by a black dashed line above) within the original square mile of town, centered on the Lancaster Metrolink Station.  This work is being done under a grant that the City received from Metro – the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority – as part of the Sustainable Communities funding Metro received from the Strategic Growth Council.

The STP team includes Nelson/Nyggard and Metropolitan Research + Economics – for transportation and economic consulting, respectively – and the team is currently engaged in analysis of the existing conditions and zoning within the area.  From late spring through early summer the team will engage the community in a series of workshops to clarify the vision for this area and craft a set of vision-based development standards for infill, intensification and preservation – as appropriate – for the several neighborhood sub-areas.  Completion and adoption are expected by year end.  

 

Southeast Transit Village Plan, Lancaster, California
March 7th, 2013

Under a grant to the City of Lancaster from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), Sargent Town Planning led a multidisciplinary team that recently completed this vision plan to update the existing Lancaster Metrolink Station to a full multi-modal transportation center, and to transform this largely vacant and underdeveloped area across the railroad tracks from Downtown Lancaster into a vibrant, mixed-use transit-oriented neighborhood. 

An extensive process of analysis, stakeholder engagement and public workshops provided a solid base of shared understanding regarding the existing conditions and potential for change.  Based on that input the STP team developed a series of alternative plan scenarios that were presented and discussed in another public workshop and two joint workshops with the Planning Commission and the Architectural and Design Review Committee.  Through the course of those meetings a preferred alternative was defined, organizes 3 to 4 story mixed-use buildings and multi-family housing nearest the Station, with lower which scale residential to the east, and employment and light industrial to the south.  Key elements and recommendation of the Plan include an expanded network of “complete streets”, new and reconfigured neighborhood parks and greens, and new zoning standards that provide appropriate transitions between neighborhood and employment district environments. 

Sargent Town Planning was recently selected – through a separate consultant selection process – to prepare new zoning for the neighborhoods to the east and south of Downtown Lancaster, including zoning to implement the STVP vision plan.

 

Southeast Transit Village Planning Area - Existing Condition
March 7th, 2013

Under a grant to the City of Lancaster from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), Sargent Town Planning led a multidisciplinary team that recently completed this vision plan to update the existing Lancaster Metrolink Station to a full multi-modal transportation center, and to transform this largely vacant and underdeveloped area across the railroad tracks from Downtown Lancaster into a vibrant, mixed-use transit-oriented neighborhood. 

An extensive process of analysis, stakeholder engagement and public workshops provided a solid base of shared understanding regarding the existing conditions and potential for change.  Based on that input the STP team developed a series of alternative plan scenarios that were presented and discussed in another public workshop and two joint workshops with the Planning Commission and the Architectural and Design Review Committee.  Through the course of those meetings a preferred alternative was defined, organizes 3 to 4 story mixed-use buildings and multi-family housing nearest the Station, with lower which scale residential to the east, and employment and light industrial to the south.  Key elements and recommendation of the Plan include an expanded network of “complete streets”, new and reconfigured neighborhood parks and greens, and new zoning standards that provide appropriate transitions between neighborhood and employment district environments. 

Sargent Town Planning was recently selected – through a separate consultant selection process – to prepare new zoning for the neighborhoods to the east and south of Downtown Lancaster, including zoning to implement the STVP vision plan.

 

Mission Hills Adopts Design Guidelines
March 8th, 2012

At their regular meeting on March 6 the City Council of Mission Hills, Kansas adopted new Design Guidelines, which have been under preparation for the past 10 months.  During that time Sargent Town Planning has worked closedly with the Planning Commission, Design Review Committee, staff and community of Mission Hills to prepare Guidelines that expand upon and clarify the design concepts of Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance as they apply to new homes and improvements and expansions of existing homes in each of Mission Hills' several distinct neighborhood areas.  

The Guidelines have been crafted to communicate many of the important subtleties of the original design of these distinguished western neighborhoods of Kansas City's famed  Country Club District.  The Guidelines will help to ensure that new homes meeting the needs of today's families make excellent neighbors to the older homes, building upon and preserving the remarkable work of the District's founder and his orginal town planning team a century ago.   

The Guidelines preparation process included extensive historic research and design analysis, interviews with nearly 100 local residents and other stakeholders, a series of workshops with the Planning Commission and DRC, a 4-day community design charrette in July, and public presentations of successive drafts of the Guidelines in October, January and February.  In a public meeting on the February 22 the Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend the Guidelines to the City Council for adoption.

We would like to express our thanks and appreciation to the City, the community, and the leadership of Mission Hills – the Planning Commission and Design Review Committee in particular – for their enthusiastic and capable collaboration and support in preparing a document that we believe will serve them well.  We look forward to providing continued support as the Guidelines are incorporated into the design approval process. 

 

 

Old Town Saticoy Area Plan, Ventura County, California
March 7th, 2013

Under a grant to the County of Ventura from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), Sargent Town Planning has been leading a multidisciplinary team that recently completed this vision plan for Old Town Saticoy as part of a larger Saticoy Area Plan update process.  Old Town is the original townsite surrounding the Saticoy lemon packing house, and has been in decline for many years with the closing of the packing house, a highway bypass, and a general lack of reinvestment as new suburban development surrounded it.

An extensive process of analysis, stakeholder engagement, Saticoy Neighborhood Council meetings and public workshops provided a solid base of shared understanding regarding the existing conditions, key community concerns and potential for beneficial change.  Based on that input the STP team developed a series of alternative plan scenarios that were presented and discussed in subsequent public workshops.  Key recommendations centered on streetscape and park improvements to make Old Town a safer more comfortable place to be a pedestrian, and consolidating the current patchwork of retail, residential and light industrial uses into a coherent pattern with compact walkable town center, quieter neighborhood, and viable employment district.  The team is currently preparing a draft development code and design guidelines that will be incorporated into the Area Plan update.  Project completion is expected in April of 2013.

 

Old Town Saticoy - Existing Condition
March 7th, 2013

Under a grant to the County of Ventura from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), Sargent Town Planning has been leading a multidisciplinary team that recently completed this vision plan for Old Town Saticoy as part of a larger Saticoy Area Plan update process.  Old Town is the original townsite surrounding the Saticoy lemon packing house, and has been in decline for many years with the closing of the packing house, a highway bypass, and a general lack of reinvestment as new suburban development surrounded it.

An extensive process of analysis, stakeholder engagement, Saticoy Neighborhood Council meetings and public workshops provided a solid base of shared understanding regarding the existing conditions, key community concerns and potential for beneficial change.  Based on that input the STP team developed a series of alternative plan scenarios that were presented and discussed in subsequent public workshops.  Key recommendations centered on streetscape and park improvements to make Old Town a safer more comfortable place to be a pedestrian, and consolidating the current patchwork of retail, residential and light industrial uses into a coherent pattern with compact walkable town center, quieter neighborhood, and viable employment district.  The team is currently preparing a draft development code and design guidelines that will be incorporated into the Area Plan update.  Project completion is expected in April of 2013.

 

Soledad Downtown Specific Plan Moves Forward
May 18th, 2012

In partnership with Lisa Wise Consulting, Sargent Town Planning led a public design charrette in the spring of 2011 to develop a vision plan for the future of Downtown Soledad, California.  At the conclusion of the Charrette the plan was well received by the community and City Council, and over the past year the team has prepared a Draft Specific Plan and is now working on a Draft Environmental Impact Report.

Key elements of the plan include conservation and restoration of the District's fine historic building stock, new infill development including a hotel, movie theater and junior college in the town core, the construction of new buildings on the southwest side of Front Street to enclose and define that main street environment, transforming the image of the dowtown from the 101 freeway and off-ramps, and in the longer term expanding the downtown into the property across the railroad tracks along Highway 101. 

In April 2012 Lisa Wise, David Sargent and Tony Perez presented the Draft Specific Plan to the Soledad Planning Commission, who enthusiatically endorsed the plan and directed that the EIR be completed as soon as possible to allow Plan implementation to begin.

Sustainable Communities Planning Grant for International Blvd TOD Plan
May 27th, 2012

On May 10th, the California Strategic Growth Council announced a $999,836 grant to the City of Oakland to help implement that International Boulevard TOD Plan.  The TOD Plan - prepared by a team led by Raimi + Associates, Sargent Town Planning, the City of Oakland staff, and including Transform, Nelson Nygaard, Conley Associates - was adopted by the Oakland City Council in 2011, but with City budget challenges and the disolution of the City's Redevelopment Agency the funding to begin implentation was very much in doubt.  To help move the Plan forward Transform - the team's local community engagement partner - was able to direct resources and staff to prepare a successful proposal to the Stategic Growth Councils Community Planning Grants program.  The proposal was ranked third in a field of dozens, based on the strength of the proposal, the strength of the TOD Plan, and on the high degree of community involvement in and commitment to the Plan.  We offer our congratulations to the City and to Transform, and look forward to the start of Plan implementation.