South Fair Oaks

 

Round 1 Workshop

Your Goals - Getting Specific

 

The Planning & Community Development Department hosted the first community workshop on the South Fair Oaks Specific Plan on May 24, 2018. The goal of the workshop was to solicit input on the vision and desired land uses and urban form of the area.

Workshop Agenda and Materials

Participants were provided a brief introductory presentation on the Specific Plan Update program, the General Plan vision for the plan area, and background information. For the majority of the workshop, participants were divided into small groups with facilitated discussions on particular topics. The main objective of the workshop was to solicit feedback from the community, rather than reach consensus on any particular topic.

The following are workshop materials and event photographs.

What We Heard

More than 50 community members attended the workshop and provided feedback on the future of South Fair Oaks. The following represents major themes that emerged during the small group discussion and comments received. 

  • Encourage a mixture of retail, housing, commercial/creative office, and light industrial uses
  • Support re-use of existing industrial buildings for more creative uses, while balancing some retention of existing industrial uses
  • More unique restaurants to support the student and workforce population
  • Desire for more housing, particularly for families and local workers
  • Concentrate new residential development near Fillmore Station
  • General desire to limit building heights to 4 or 5 stories
  • Establish an identity that emphasizes the arts, creativity, and public health
  • Desire for more parks, restaurants, retail, and neighborhood services to help generate more activity and provide amenities
  • Better signage and wayfinding, as well as strategies to break up long blocks
  • Preserve older buildings of significance to the community
  • Improve safety around the Fillmore Station
 
  • Encourage paseos, arcades, plazas, public art, playgrounds, open spaces, pocket parks, parklets, and other amenities to improve the streetscape in this area
 
  • Improve walkability and the overall pedestrian experience
  • Consider protected bicycle lanes, bike paths, and pedestrian trails to link the area to parks, particularly on Raymond
  • Identify “park once” opportunities for visitors arriving by car