CalPERS R Street Master Plan November 15 Workshop

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CalPERS Headquarters Expansion Master Plan

Workshop #1: Urban Design Principles

November 15, 1999

On November 15, 1999 more than 60 people attended a workshop held at the Hart Senior Center sponsored by CalPERS. The workshop was the first of four opportunities for the community to participate in the master planning of a new headquarters project. The objectives for the workshop included:

Review CalPERS Preliminary Vision Statement
Review existing planning policies for R Street
Establish urban design framework principles

The workshop agenda included introduction to the project and project team; reviewing the preliminary development program, R Street Corridor Plan policies, and urban design issues; and providing an opportunity for attendees to participate as planning team members to develop a set of urban design principles for the site.

Summary of Key Findings

Participant planning teams addressed three questions regarding the urban design context for the CalPERS master plan site. They mapped the neighborhood context, identified important existing neighborhood connections, and established image principles for the streets around the master plan site.

Context Features

The planning teams reported back that the neighborhood scale, pedestrian friendliness and tree canopy of the neighborhoods to the south of R Street provided an important reference for the master plan. Other context features included the site's historic setting and pattern.

Linkage and Connection Issues

Teams identified existing places and routes that were important as a linkage element for the master planning. Key connections identified by the planning teams include providing pedestrian and bike connections to the Sacramento River over the old railroad bridge; creating walkable connections to the surrounding neighborhoods and downtown employment; and enhancing access to lightrail stations and maintaining the pedestrian emphasis (rather than auto) on R Street.

Overall Image Objectives

Overall image objectives included an emphasis on pedestrian amenities and tree-lined streets, creating pedestrian and residential scale and character, and providing the vitality of a mixed use district. The historic "feel" of the area, integration of open space into the project, and including residential development on the numbered streets were some of the methods suggested by the teams to accomplish overall image objectives.

Urban Design Context Maps Summary

Workshop exercises for the participants included the mapping of important gateways, focal points, pedestrian origins, and connections in the neighborhood around the site. Key gateways included the P Street freeway ramp, railroad bridge on R Street, and other transitional edges around master plan area. Important pedestrian origins and destinations included the existing R Street and CalPERS office buildings, residential areas to the north and south of R Street, the lightrail stations, and downtown shopping and employment.

Planning Team Summaries

Workshop participants formed six planning teams. Each team explored the context issues for the master plan, identified important linkages and connections, and provided image principles for surrounding streets. The following list is from the summary sheets prepared by each team.


TEAM 1


Exercise #1: Mapping the Neighborhood Context
List the top three context issues the master plan should acknowledge:
1. Massing/scale to bridge neighborhoods
2. Connectivity (residential)
3. Mixed uses/pedestrian scale/urban

Exercise #2: Linkages and Connections
List the three most important linkage concepts the master plan should incorporate:
1. Barrier-free connections between neighborhoods
2. Provide pedestrian/bicycle linkage to river
3. Strong connection to R Street as a lively mixed-use/commercial corridor

Exercise #3: Image Principles
List the three most important overall image objectives for the master plan:
1. Provide lively uses at Q and R Streets
2. Well landscaped pedestrian friendly streets
3. Design respects historic context and provides open space

Based on your analysis, list the top three image objectives for the R and Q Street frontages, and the north-south numbered streets (3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Streets).
R Street
o Housing
o Restaurants
o Retail
o A street for people
o Front doors
Q Street
o Commercial corridors/well landscaped
o Most intense use/auto access
o Safe pedestrian crossing/bulbing at corners
3rd Street
o Experience lower density heading south


TEAM 2


Exercise #1: Mapping the Neighborhood Context
List the top three context issues the master plan should acknowledge:
1. Scale
2. CalPERS "campus"
3. Landscape & trees

Exercise #2: Linkages and Connections
List the three most important linkage concepts the master plan should incorporate:
1. River gateway
2. P & Q Streets off ramp
3. 4th Street pedestrian linkage

Exercise #3: Image Principles
List the three most important overall image objectives for the master plan:
1. After 5 activities (good ones!)
2. Enhanced residential with higher densities
3. Tree-lined streets

Based on your analysis, list the top three image objectives for the R and Q Street frontages, and the north-south numbered streets (3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Streets).
R Street
o Two-way traffic with diagonal parking
o After 5 commercial activity
o Light rail extension ?
Q Street
o Tree-lined gateway-many people's first image
o Traffic transition from freeway to city street
3rd Street
o Mixed-use south of R Street
4th Street
o Preserve as residential-south of R Street
5th Street
o Preserve as residential-south of R Street
6th Street
o Preserve as residential-south of R Street
7th Street
o Preserve as residential-south of R Street
o Enhance connection of street & Southside
o Park to downtown & Richards Boulevard beyond


TEAM 3


Exercise #1: Mapping the Neighborhood Context
List the top three context issues the master plan should acknowledge:
1. Historical settings/character
2. Waterfront connections: vehicle/pedestrian/bike
3. Building mass/scale

Exercise #2: Linkages and Connections
List the three most important linkage concepts the master plan should incorporate:
1. Light rail
2. I5, 5th Street
3. Downtown

Exercise #3: Image Principles
List the three most important overall image objectives for the master plan:
1. Housing-people on streets after 5 p.m.-"village"
2. Honor history & historic houses & honor waterfront
3. Traffic that moves (de-emphasize car)

Based on your analysis, list the top three image objectives for the R and Q Street frontages, and the north-south numbered streets (3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Streets).
R Street
o Mixed use-urban village-streets that shut down on weekends for art-markets
o Gateway to waterfront
o Continue R Street rail tradition
o Bury light rail under project?
Q Street
o Compatible with Lincoln Plaza
o Two-way traffic (residential street)
o Well-lit streets and spaces
3rd Street
o Two-way conversion/pedestrian islands with flowers
o Tie to Crocker
o Tree canopy
4th Street
o Pedestrian amenities/crosswalks, benches, lighting
o Gateway to Southside neighborhood & older houses
o Need grocery store (s), Trader Joe's?
5th Street
o Connect to Capitol Towers
o More pedestrian friendly!
o Retail shops
6th Street
o Streetscape-tree canopy-street furniture
o Open space
7th Street
o Access to light rail & connection to "spur" (through the project)
o Bike lanes


TEAM 4


Exercise #1: Mapping the Neighborhood Context
List the top three context issues the master plan should acknowledge:
1. Buildings to be enveloped in green/trees
2. Leave older buildings & tie in architecture
3. Provide public with information to change perception of R Street to a place of
vision-signs etc. welcoming to corridor

Exercise #2: Linkages and Connections
List the three most important linkage concepts the master plan should incorporate:
1. Transportation/work with RT to provide bus, light rail to new workers
2. Bridge link with Lincoln Plaza, link to Southside park neighbors
3. Bike racks, angle parking

Exercise #3: Image Principles
List the three most important overall image objectives for the master plan:
1. R Street renaissance/downtown parking
2. Link to Southside park neighbors
3. Get a Trader Joe's

Based on your analysis, list the top three image objectives for the R and Q Street frontages, and the north-south numbered streets (3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Streets).
R Street
o Hip, safe, green
o Options for leisure
o Affordable-human scale
Q Street
o Connect to light rail (encourage employees use)
o Bury parking under freeway
o Tie into old Sacramento bike path & riverwalk
3rd Street
o Grocery/markets/Trader Joe's
o Lighting
4th Street
o Low scale, homey
o Evening pursuits


TEAM 5

Exercise #1: Mapping the Neighborhood Context
List the top three context issues the master plan should acknowledge:
1. Historic neighborhood
2. True "mixed"-use of office/housing
3. Residential "services"
*food stores, markets, pharmacy, cleaner, restaurants, entertainment,
specialty shops

Exercise #2: Linkages and Connections
List the three most important linkage concepts the master plan should incorporate:
1. Commuter traffic-I5, 80 & 50
2. Pedestrian-walkways
3. Shuttles-

Exercise #3: Image Principles
List the three most important overall image objectives for the master plan:
1. Residential "feel"-historic
2. Rebuild commercially with residence in mind
3. Commercial images on Q & R, residential on numbered streets

Based on your analysis, list the top three image objectives for the R and Q Street frontages, and the north-south numbered streets (3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Streets).
*Historic atmosphere
R Street
o Mix of retail & residential
o Pocket parks-pedestrian friendly
Q Street
o Offices & commercial (including night use)
3rd Street
o Low level residential
4th Street
o Residential & office (higher level)
5th Street
o Residential & office (higher level)
6th Street
o Residential & office (higher level)
7th Street
o Residential & office (higher level)

TEAM 6


Exercise #1: Mapping the Neighborhood Context
List the top three context issues the master plan should acknowledge:
1. Housing throughout (schools), amphitheater
2. Services-retail, (groceries *Trader Joe's*), hardware, gas
3. Transport (pedestrian, bicycle-public etc.)

Exercise #2: Linkages and Connections
List the three most important linkage concepts the master plan should incorporate:
1. Link Southside to housing north of Q Street
2. Bike/pedestrian paths-public transit
3. Access to river

Exercise #3: Image Principles
List the three most important overall image objectives for the master plan:
1. Tree-lined streets, old world charm/funky
2. Houses on numbered streets
3. Family-friendly retail services on R & Q Streets

Based on your analysis, list the top three image objectives for the R and Q Street frontages, and the north-south numbered streets (3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Streets).
R Street
o Trees-family friendly-funky
o "Old world" charm-office/retail
o Lighting, amphitheater-pedestrian oriented
Q Street
o Trees-...
o Transportation services
o Lighting
3rd Street
o Trees...exit street
o Housing
4th Street
o Trees
o Housing
o Bike path
5th Street
o 2-way traffic w/bike
o Trees...walking paths-lighting
o Grocery (major chain at 16th & R or 3rd & R), Trader Joe's
6th Street
o Trees
o Housing
o Lighting...bike & pedestrian paths
7th Street
o Trees
o Lighting
o Housing
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