Magnolia Avenue Specific Plan Workshop #2 - April 5, 2007 Public Review Draft Specific Plan

1. Magnolia Avenue Specific PlanWorkshop #2 - April 5, 2007Public Review Draft Specific Plan The Arroyo Group Team The Arroyo Group, Planning & Urban Design Meyer, Mohaddes Associates, Transportation EPT Design, Landscape Architecture P&D Consultants, Inc., Environmental Assessment

2. Magnolia Avenue Specific Plan In 2004, over 120 residents and business owners participated in the first public workshop to share ideas on how to best revitalize the Magnolia Avenue corridor and recapture its grandeur. The Public Review Draft Specific Plan incorporates comments received at the first meeting, sets the vision, and provides the framework for guiding new development in the Specific Plan area. Today’s workshop will focus on the Public Review Draft Specific Plan. The presentation starts with an overview of Magnolia Avenue today.

3. Magnolia Avenue Today

4. Magnolia Avenue Today • Today most of the citrus groves and estates are gone, replaced by commercial, residential, institutional and business uses.

5. Magnolia Avenue Today • Much of the landscaped median has been removed to accommodate additional traffic or turning lanes for cars and the original parkway landscaping remains only in segments.

6. Magnolia Avenue Today • Still, Magnolia Avenue retains some of its historic and scenic character, and maintains its importance not only as a traffic carrier, but also as a definable place in Riverside that links neighborhoods, districts and shopping areas.

7. What Will Magnolia Avenue Be Tomorrow?

8. Magnolia Avenue Specific Plan • The future of Magnolia Avenue will be determined through the concepts, policies and implementation programs of the new General Plan 2025 and the Magnolia Avenue Specific Plan. • Our focus this evening is on the Specific Plan.

9. Magnolia Avenue Specific Plan What is a Specific Plan? • A regulatory tool used to implement the General Plan and guide development in a localized area. • Focuses on the unique characteristics of an area by customizing the development and design regulations and public improvements.

10. Magnolia Avenue Specific Plan What does this Specific Plan do for Magnolia Avenue? • Establishes a vision and development framework for Magnolia Avenue and a means to implement that vision. • Establishes six districts within the Corridor to better capture its unique character. • Provides objectives and policies corridor-wide and for each district along the Corridor to realize the vision for Magnolia Avenue and guide future development. • Provides tailored land use regulations, development standards and design guidelines for new development. • Introduces a landscape palette for the Avenue with the primary goal to provide unity and continuity for the Corridor as a whole, while also establishing district identity. • Sets forth a strategy for public investment and improvements along the Corridor.

11. 1 Issues, Goals & Opportunities Workshop Review of the Draft Specific Plan Spring 2007 2 Workshop Planning Commission/City Council Summer 2007 Public Hearings H Specific Plan Process Overview

12. Ramona Drive Specific Plan Area Buchanan Street (western city limit)

13. Other Relevant Plans and Studies

14. Magnolia/Market Corridor Study • Identified distinct districts along the corridor. • Provided land use, urban design and circulation recommendations. • Is not a regulatory document, but a comprehensive study. • Has contributed to the development of this Specific Plan. In 1999, theMagnolia/Market Corridor Studywas prepared with an extensive public involvement process. This study:

15. The General Plan 2025 • As part of this city-wide process, Magnolia Avenue has been studied in detail to determine appropriate land use designations for the corridor. • The General Plan 2025 land use designations set the direction for this Specific Plan. The City’s General Plan and Zoning Code have been updated with extensive public involvement. The General Plan and Zoning Code are anticipated to be adopted later this summer.

16. Vision for the Magnolia Avenue Corridor

17. Corridor Vision • Throughout its illustrious life, Magnolia Avenue has met the ideal definition of a corridor. It is both the connector and separator of urban neighborhoods and districts. Corridors are…the urban elements that most often provide visible continuity of activity along important paths of travel…In an age of metropolitan growth, villages, towns, neighborhoods and districts aggregate in unprecedented quantity. • The importance of the corridor as a place central to the life and prosperity of the City of Riverside has guided the Magnolia Avenue project from its inception. • The vision…has been to reinvigorate the original corridor and bring Magnolia Avenue back to the grand character intended by its original designers. This has to be achieved by capitalizing on urban design, landscape, transportation and land use opportunities. Source: Magnolia/Market Corridor Study, 1999

18. Magnolia Avenue Corridor Urban Design Framework

19. Urban Design Framework • The overall urban design framework and streetscape concept is designed to meet the following objectives: • Restore the historic grandeur of Magnolia Avenue. • Implement the Parkway and Scenic Boulevard designations of the General Plan 2025. • Accommodate and balance varied modes of travel: autos, transit, bicycles and pedestrians. • Enhance the setting of historic elements along the corridor. • Unify the corridor as whole, while also reinforcing district identity. • Create a prominent western gateway into the City.

20. Urban Design Framework • The primary goals of the proposed landscape palette are to: • preserve the existing heritage landscaping • fill in landscaping as much as feasible in order to restore the historic “park-like” sense of the corridor. • provide unity and continuity for the corridor as a whole, while also establishing District identity.

21. Urban Design Framework • The proposed landscape palette: • Uses Southern Magnolia trees within each District to provide continuity and strengthen the namesake for the corridor. • Uses a sky-line tree that is visible from a distance in all directions and is also suitable for a long-distance view from an automobile to provide continuity and strengthen the “sense of boulevard” for Magnolia Avenue.

22. Urban Design Framework • The proposed landscape palette: • Uses an alternating pattern of Palm trees and canopy trees along the street edges. The continued use of this alternating pattern along the corridor will help unify Magnolia Avenue. • At the same time, the varied use of canopy trees within each District will help provide a distinct identity for each District as well as provide a smaller-scaled shade tree appropriate for pedestrians and bicyclists.

23. Urban Design Framework • The Specific Plan recommends enhancing the setting of historic elements along the corridor, including • Parent Navel Orange Tree. • Historic landmarks such as the Heritage House, Arlington Park, Arlington Library and Palm Elementary School.

24. Urban Design Framework • The Specific Plan recommends creating a prominent western gateway into the City in the La Sierra District, similar to that found at the northern City gateway at Market Street.

25. Land Use Designations for the Magnolia Avenue Corridor

26. The General Plan 2025 Land Use Designations • One of the major changes in the General Plan 2025 is the creation of Mixed-Use Designations, which apply to large segments of Magnolia Avenue. • The application of a mixed-use designation will allow for projects to integrate residential uses with compatible commercial and office uses. • There are three different Mixed-Use Categories in the General Plan 2025: • Mixed-Use Neighborhood (MU-N) • Mixed-Use Village (MU-V) • Mixed-Use Urban (MU-U)

27. The General Plan 2025 Land Use Designations • Mixed-Use Neighborhood (MU-N) allows neighborhood-serving commercial uses with low-intensity residential uses.

28. The General Plan 2025 Land Use Designations • Mixed-Use Village (MU-V) allows medium to high-density residential development with retail, office and service uses primarily at the street level to facilitate a pedestrian environment.

29. The General Plan 2025 Land Use Designations • Mixed-Use Urban (MU-U) allows higher density residential development with compatible commercial uses; employment and entertainment uses are the focus; transit-oriented development.

30. The General Plan 2025 Land Use Designations • Much of Magnolia Avenue has been designated one of these Mixed-Use Categories by the General Plan 2025. • This Specific Plan builds upon these designations and provides additional recommendations for: • Development standards and design guidelines for new development • Corridor and district identity

31. Magnolia Avenue Districts

32. Magnolia Avenue Districts • There are six districts along Magnolia Avenue, from west to east: • La Sierra • Galleria • Arlington Village • Magnolia Heritage • Magnolia Center • Wood Streets • Following is a summary of each district’s current conditions, objectives and policies, new Land Use Designations per the General Plan 2025, and types of development envisioned in each District per this Specific Plan.

33. La Sierra District

34. La Sierra District Buchanan Street to Banbury Drive

35. La Sierra:Current Setting • Most recent portion of the corridor to develop. Contains strip commercial development, multi-family residences, business park and light industrial uses, and large vacant parcels with the 91 Freeway frontage. • Kaiser Permanente is a major employment center and destination in this District.

36. La Sierra:Current Setting • Western end of district is gateway to City. • Auto-oriented district, with wide curb-to-curb street width and dispersed land uses. • Metrolink Station is located just south of the District (south side of the 91 Freeway) at La Sierra Avenue. Bus Rapid Transit stops are planned by RTA at Kaiser Permanente and La Sierra Avenue.

37. La Sierra:Objectives and Policies • The objective and policies set forth the framework for realizing the vision for this District, while providing guidelines for decision making, and direction for future development. • Objective: Enhance the role of the La Sierra District as a major employment center in the City with complementary retail, residential and mixed-use development. • Policy: Provide opportunities for transit-oriented, mixed use projects providing medical support office/employment, restaurants, and high-density residential near around Kaiser Permanente. Emphasize ownership housing, if feasible, in this area. • Policy: Recognize the potential of La Sierra’s industrial lands, located in the southwestern end of the District, to grow into a significant business park and promote and market it to create a signature gateway employment center.

38. La Sierra:New Land Use Designations Mixed-Use Village Mixed-Use Urban High Density Residential General Commercial Business/Office Park Source: Draft General Plan

39. New infill buildings designed with sensitive transitions to adjacent residential neighborhood. Retail space at street level to activate the intersection. Mixed Use - Urban development High density multi-family residential Primary building entrances oriented towards Magnolia Avenue. Create human-scaled blocks for new development. La Sierra Avenue

40. Examples of Projects at Mixed Use-Urban Densities

41. Galleria District

42. Galleria District Banbury Drive to Harrison Street

43. Galleria:Current Setting • Entirely commercial district with regional and general commercial uses. It is the premier upscale and fashion-retailing destination for City and region.

44. Galleria:Current Setting • Galleria at Tyler contains supportive “big box” comparison shopping retailers and some underutilized properties. • It is currently undergoing expansion to include “lifestyle” shopping and entertainment. The southern portion of the expansion, which contains a P.F. Chang’s Bistro and Cheesecake Factory, is complete.

45. Galleria:Current Setting • Auto-oriented district and the only area of the corridor with six lanes. • Superior freeway access and visibility. • Bus Rapid Transit stop planned by RTA at Galleria at Tyler.

46. Galleria:Objectives and Policies • The objective and policies set forth the framework for realizing the vision for this District, while providing guidelines for decision making, and direction for future development. • Objective: Reinforce the role of the Galleria at Tyler as the premier retailing destination for the City and the region. • Policy: Maintain market strength of the Galleria at Tyler while expanding local and regional retail uses throughout the District through appropriate land use designations and zoning. • Policy:Through consistent landscaping, improved pedestrian amenities, quality infill development, and other urban design elements, create a sense of place for the Galleria District.

47. Galleria:New Land Use Designations General Commercial Regional Commercial Source: Draft General Plan

48. Infill commercial development built at the street edge to activate Magnolia Avenue. The Galleria Lifestyle Expansion Infill commercial development.

49. Arlington Village District

50. Arlington Village District Harrison Street to Jackson Street