HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-07-01 - AGENDA REPORTS - REVITALIZATION NEWHALL (2)CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM
TO: r S th and Councilmembers
FROM: en Pus amp, i y nager
DATE: July 1, 2003
SUBJECT: REVITALIZATION OF DOWNTOWN NEWHALL
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Receive presentation and discuss. Provide direction to staff.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this item is to provide the City Council with an overview of the
downtown Newhall area and to provide direction regarding the vision, strategy, and
time line for the revitalization of the downtown core.
In order to encourage private investment in the area, the City of Santa Clarita needs
to create the environment and circumstances that are attractive to investors.
Rezoning of the Special Standards District and the implementation of a streetscape
plan for San Fernando Road are essential to the successful re-emergence of vitality
in downtown Newhall.
Zoning codes that do not permit the urban density necessary to create a pedestrian
oriented downtown have hindered private commercial development. It is necessary
to revise the current suburban development codes to allow for a development
intensification of the area to produce efficient, more intense lot coverage in an effort
to establish a built-in market for the downtown district. In assessing the impact of
rezoning the Newhall Special Standard District, consideration must be given to
parking and traffic flow planning.
In conjunction with the rezoning of the commercial core is the streetscape plan for
San Fernando Road. This plan will include the esthetics of the street, sidewalks and
building facades in addition to the traffic pattern and parking plan that is most
beneficial to the area.
The presence of the Jan Heidt Metrolink Station is a tremendous asset in creating a
transit -oriented district in which residents can walk not only to neighborhood
merchants but also to the station to commute to the San Fernando Valley and
downtown Los Angeles. It is also a conduit to bring tourists into the Newhall area.
Agenda Item: /
REVITALIZATION OF DOWNTOWN NEWHALL
July 1, 2003 — Page 2
By creating a more intense pedestrian friendly and esthetically pleasing downtown
and by utilizing the metrolink station as a mechanism for attracting residents and
tourists into the area, the City of Santa Clarita will be laying the groundwork for a
revitalized Old Town Newhall.
AW/aw
dep t/ms/nwhlydv/studyse ssion