Mayor's Goal: Revitalized Downtown
By Claudia Elliott
Tulare - Using “smart growth” principles Mayor Richard Ortega hopes to provide Tulare's downtown with a new future, reversing a decades-long downturn and creating a people-friendly town center.
“We need to create a place where people want to be,” he said, “a happening place.” Downtown must also be safe, he said, and well-lit. The Mayor envisions police officers on bicycles, sidewalk cafes, music and a theatre downtown, along with people living, working and having fun downtown.
Ortega's vision is bolstered by advice from other mayors and experts in city planning with whom he shared his concerns about Tulare at the 2006 Mayors' Institute on City Design held in Berkeley earlier this month.
The Mayors' Institute on City Design is a program dedicated to improving the design and livability of America's cities through the efforts of their chief elected leaders, their mayors. The program is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, established by the NEA in 1986 and now administered by the American Architectural Foundation in partnership with the NEA and the US Conference of Mayors.
More than 600 cities have participated in similar institutes over the past two decades as small and large cities have struggled to revitalize downtowns and other urban areas. In the latest institute, Ortega and mayors of six other California citiesStockton, Turlock, West Sacramento, Chico, and Fairfieldwere joined by a panel of experts who guided an information-sharing process and visited the various cities, offering specific advice.
Much of that advice has already been adopted by the city of Tulare as part of its “Smart Growth” principles, including allowing mixed land uses, compact building design, wider ranges of housing choices, walkable neighborhoods, emphasis on a sense of place, preservation of open space and farmland, development in existing communities, and a greater variety of transportation choices. But participation in the institute provided Ortega with some very specific advice for downtown, which he will share in the coming weeks with the city council, planning commission, developers and others involved in shaping and building Tulare.
Ortega said he had three concerns in mind when he began working with the Mayor's Institute: Downtown Tulare, East Tulare Avenue, and the possibility of “theming” the community in some way (such as Solvang, the Danish-themed community in Santa Barbara County).
He decided to concentrate his efforts on revitalizing downtown, an effort that has already seen the city's investment of more than $3 million with various efforts but with no significant increase in the vitality of downtown, he told the Mayor's Institute.
The decline of downtown began when the freeway went in more than 40 years ago, moving Highway 99 east from its route along J Street adjacent to the railroad tracks, essentially dividing the town in half, Ortega said.
“People moved out, new neighborhoods were built and shopping in Visalia drew people away from downtown,” Ortega said. With fewer people coming downtown, retailers struggled, some failed or pulled out of Tulare. Some large buildings are empty or under-used. All in all, much needs to be done, Ortega said.
In evaluating Tulare's situation, the planning experts considered downtown's assets and deficiencies, Ortega said. And they gave a thumbs down to the city's idea for adding retail to areas along Pine Avenue north of the Santa Fe Trail.
“They said that would kill downtown,” Ortega said.
Instead, planners advised a focus on Zumwalt Park and the city's civic center and development of higher density housing along Pine Avenue, along with more mixed usebuilding up, not out, perhaps having retail or office space with housing above. Many of the pieces for a revitalized downtown are already in place or on the drawing board: The Santa Fe Trail, for instance, provides an anchor for a walkable town just waiting for enhancements to draw more people downtown. Zumwalt Park, with the newly refurbished bandstand, is the heart of the city, planners advised. Tower Square incorporates many of the people-friendly aspects advised by the institute, and the city's new transit center, plans for a new library, and Silvercrest senior housing facility are poised to help revitalize downtown.
The streetscape work and mural projects have added visual interest to the downtown area, as well.
“They told me we have a lot of synergy here,” Ortega said.
Revitalizing downtown will require a concerted effort by the city, property owners, businesspeople and the development community, he said.
Tulare's Economic Development Director Bob Reynolds agrees. He and Economic Development Assistant Katy Winter helped Ortega prepare his presentation for the Mayors' Institute. Reynolds said the city needs a concept for the downtown and the political will to make the decisions necessary to ensure downtown's future.
In reaction to the Mayor's presentation, Reynolds said he is working with several developers with experience in projects similar to those Ortega is promoting and believes that with a concept and the political will, his vision for downtown can become a reality.
FOR MORE information about the Mayors' Institute is available online at www.archfoundation.org/micd/
Dedication of John Philip Sousa Pavilion Set for Feb. 26
Tulare - It was 110 years ago this year that John Philip Sousa's tour with the United States Marine Band included a concert at what is now Zumwalt Park and a February 26 ceremony will commemorate that event with a dedication ceremony for the newly-refurbished landmark.
The bandstand in the park will become known as the John Philip Sousa Pavilion. The dedication ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 26, at the park which is located on East Tulare Avenue between M and N Streets.
Following the dedication, at 3:30 p.m., at the Tulare Community Auditorium at 3:30 p.m. featuring the Tulare Portuguese Philharmonica Band and the Tulare Union High School Redskin Band. Both events are free and open to the public.
The idea for naming the bandstand in honor of the famed Portuguese-American surfaced last Fall with a recommendation to the city's Parks and Recreation Commission from Bill Ingram, band director for Tulare Union High School.
Ingram recommended naming the bandstand in honor of Sousa and suggested February 26 as an appropriate date for a dedication because that will be the 110th anniversary of a concert directed by Sousa at Zumwalt Park in 1896.
Recreation Commissioners liked the idea and forwarded it to the Tulare City Council where it was ultimately approved.
Airport Masterplan Advances Despite Controversy
Tulare - Accommodating present and future needs of the airport, providing for growth at the International Agri Center, and dealing fairly with other property owners while ensuring safety is a tall order, but an ongoing process to develop an Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan is moving forward after being approved by the Tulare Planning Commission on February 6.
Airport Manager Bill Wagenhalls presented the plan to the commissioners, noting that the purpose of the plan is to ensure the long term viability and expansion of the airport, ensure the ultimate in safety for aviators and adjacent land users, and to allow a “reasonable mix” of uses of land at and surrounding the airport.
Specifically, he noted, the plan strives to allow growth at the International Agri Center, which is just to the north of the airport, and to allow qualified industrial uses in the airport vicinity.
Also adjacent to the airport are Highway 99, farming activities, Tulare County's Elk Bayou Regional Park, and the city-county soccer complex, as well as Tulare Golf Course and some other residential, commercial, and industrial structures.
Although use of the airport is actually less than it was at times in the past, Wagenhalls said he believes it will remain as an important General Aviation Reliever Airport and have a solid economic role in the area.
With certain improvements, including an extended runway, the airport could accommodate small jet traffic and accept an increase in corporate and business users, playing a greater role in visitorship to the International Agri Center.
Such a future requires a plan, and his presentation of components of the plan in question provided commissioners with an overview of airport safety and the requirements of state and federal agencies including the Federal Aviation Agency.
The proposed plan establishes six “safety zones,” ranging from a runway protection zone to a traffic pattern zone. For each zone the plan defines compatibleand sometimes, incompatibleactivities.
Because the zones extend beyond the boundaries of the airport, land owned by others could be impacted by development restrictions in the future. Some non-conforming uses already exist, Wagenhalls noted.
A number of members of the local aviation community spoke in favor of the plan, but not everyone was in favor of the restrictions that would come along with the plan, as written.
Attorney David Mathias said he was representing property owner Luciano Aguiar and others and claimed that the plan was a “bad faith” departure from the Tulare City Council's action in December 1992.
At that time, the council elected to override portions of the Tulare County's airport plan, determining that there were too many restrictions and that the city's General Plan allowed adequate policies and regulations.
But the city's stance and lack of a land use compatibility plan has made it difficult to get funding from federal and state agencies, and was also a point of contention in a lawsuit filed last year when the city approved a trucking terminal in the airport's flight zone.
The proposed plan attempts to make it clear what uses would be compatible and would allow improvements at the airport, but specific restrictions against residential construction in Zone 6, to the sides of the airport, would pose a hardship on his client, Mathias said.
The attorney noted that Aguiar had taken his property, which is outside the city limits, out of Williamson Act enrollment in anticipation of converting it from farmland to residential property, but would be unable to do so if the airport plan is approved.
“He had in mind some nice lots along the golf course,” Mathias said. Noting that the plan allowed for growth at the International Agri Center, he said that the exclusion of residential from the zone was unreasonable due to the low risk and an “actionable taking” of land, in his opinion.
Planning commissioners did not seem to be swayed by Mathias' threat of a lawsuit, but were receptive to further examination of whether the restrictions in Zone 6 were necessary.
They heard, also, from Tulare Golf Course owner Don Clark who complained that he had to remove trees from the golf course because of height restrictions, but the soccer field to the south had been allowed an FAA variance for even taller “towers.”
The towers of which Clark spoke are light standards on the soccer field.
Vice Chairman Jeff Killion and Commissioner Deanne Rocha expressed opinions that the residential restrictions for Zone 6 might be too stringent. In making a motion to approve the plan, Killion asked for additional study. After the meeting, he said perhaps there needs to be a seventh zone for areas to the side of the airport which are not in the most critical flight pattern areas.
He also suggested that if residential development is allowed, it might be accompanied with a “right to fly” deed restriction similar to “right to farm” restrictions that would clearly let property owners know that the city intends to continue to allow aviation.
Commissioner Richard Nunes voted against approval of the plan. After the meeting he said he was not opposed, but did not believe he had enough information.
Before enacted, the plan must be approved by the Tulare City Council and a number of other agencies including the county's airport planning body.
Chili’s Bar & Grill Coming To Tulare
By John Lindt
Tulare - Popular casual dining restaurant, Chili's Bar and Grill, appears to be headed to Tulare with building plans being filed with the city and a hearing next month for the company's conditional use permit in front of the planning commission.
The restaurant recently opened in Hanford and Visalia and has more than 1000 locations nationwide. Owned by Brinker International, whose stock exchange symbol is not coincidently EAT, the full service national chain specializes in southwest-type dishes and baby back ribs.
Tulare shopping center developer Harvey May, who works with the Lagomarsino Group, confirmed that he has signed a letter of intent with the company to open a restaurant near Kragens in the FoodsCo shopping center in the city's hot northern Tulare retail district.
It will be Tulare's first major national restaurant chain to locate here, although May said he expects “more to follow.”
“Tulare is ripe for this type of restaurant with all the retail activity and six motels nearby, but no national chain restaurants,” May said. He added that there is room for another restaurant pad near the Chili's.
Bringing in big name restaurants has been a major goal of the city according to city Economic Development Director Bob Reynolds. He is working on one or more near the outlet mall or theater which appears likely now that pads are available along Highway 99 in the outlet mall's phase two area.
More franchise type restaurants are opening in town now including Cool Hand Luke's, Uncle Jeb's Waffles and Ribs on the south side of 99 off Prosperity and likely a Farmer Boys chain restaurant enjoying a location in the new Lowe's shopping center.
City planner Bonnie Simoes said the city planning commission will hear the proposals for a conditional use permit for the Chili's on March 20. In the meantime Simoes says “two more motels are talking to us,” about a location in this motel row part of the city to add to the four existing motels, two under constructionHampton Inn and Microtelthat would mean six within a few blocks of each other and eight if the two others looking at sites end up landing.
The above stories are the property of The Valley Voice Newspaper and may not be reprinted without explicit permission in writing from the publisher.
February 15, 2006
