Draft Vision & Guiding Principles (SUPERSEDED) by City of Orinda

vision & guiding principles DRAFT (SUPERSEDED) - JULY 2022

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DOWNTOWN VISION

Downtown Orinda is a vibrant, welcoming, and accessible destination that is home to a variety of restaurants, specialty businesses, and diverse housing options that serve the Orinda community; celebrates Orinda’s history and semi-rural heritage while supporting new, high-quality development that breathes life and beauty into the downtown; espouses community stewardship of the natural environment; promotes lively, interconnected entertainment spaces to celebrate the arts and bring people together through events

and performances; fosters responsible growth by supporting a dynamic employment center and managing safe, multimodal transportation; and upholds the dignity and safety of all who use the downtown.

Above, the downtown vision statement describes what our community hopes the downtown will become in the long-run. It visualizes a future in which the common goals and aspirations of Orindans have been successfully pursued. The vision statement helps decision-makers direct future policy and development that supports achievement of the vision. Guiding Principles are the essential areas of current action and future improvement that direct our community’s focus and efforts toward achieving its overarching vision. Each guiding principle for downtown Orinda is accompanied by a more specific long-range vision of how the community might take shape around the principle if it is diligently acted upon.

Goals are more focused objectives that support the achievement of the guiding principles. Within the DPP framework, a goal is the community’s aspiration for a specific future condition. Each guiding principle is supported by two to four specific goals. Policies are specific statements of the City's approach and commitment to a particular goal. If each goal is considered to be an objective the community hopes to achieve within the downtown, the specific supporting policies are the ways in which the City will work to achieve the goal. The ensuing pages are organized into nine guiding principles and their subordinant goals and policies.

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GUIDING PRINCIPLE 1

VISION

REVITALIZE THE DOWNTOWN ECONOMY A strong sense of cooperation and mutual support exists between the members of business community, downtown property owners, and the City. Small businesses find support and resources for starting up operations in Orinda. The business environment is well-networked through business and downtown professional organizations.

GOAL 1.1

Foster a healthy business environment through careful planning, guided private development, and public investment. Provide an environment in which small, non-franchised businesses can succeed. Encourage the creative inclusion of micro-retail in larger development sites.

Educate the community on available grant funding opportunities and small business resource programs. Encourage downtown businesses to participate in the Contra Costa County Green Business Program.

GOAL 1.2

POLICY 1.2.4

Improve business startup processes and small business access to resources, supportive infrastructure, and business networking opportunities.

POLICY 1.1.1

Support the development of downtown groups and networking activities for young professionals and entrepreneurs.

Explore opportunities to streamline business startup processes.

POLICY 1.2.5

POLICY 1.2.1

Support reinvestment and encourage business growth and retention.

Seek innovative strategies to improve the local public digital infrastructure, including cell, fiber, and wi-fi networks.

Study evolving market demand and maintain a critical assessment of Orinda's entrepreneurial ecosystem in order to guide public and private investment, and allocate resources.

Enhance the City's coordination with the business community and downtown property owners throughout the public engagement process for proposed downtown development projects.

POLICY 1.1.2

POLICY 1.2.2

POLICY 1.2.3

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Strengthen the Orinda Chamber of Commerce. Expand partnerships between the city and community organizations in order to provide events and seminars benefitting business connections. POLICY 1.2.6

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GUIDING PRINCIPLE 2

VISION

ENABLE AND ATTRACT A DIVERSITY OF LAND USES Orinda now houses a diverse mix of independent businesses that exemplify the character of Orinda residents. Orindans travel downtown to shop at specialty grocery shops in a lively market hall and dine at a variety of high-quality restaurants, while guests to Orinda can stay in a charming boutique hotel surrounded by shops and restaurants. Community-serving local establishments provide a myriad of options that serve the daily needs of residents and visitors, and include affordable and accessible options for all income levels. Downtown housing has been incorporated into mixed-use projects to better support local establishments. Downtown housing supports families, seniors, and young professionals from a variety of backgrounds who help foster a sense of community downtown and contribute to a lively and engaging atmosphere. Encourage and ensure the transition of current conditional groundfloor uses that detract from pedestrianoriented activity.

GOAL 2.1

POLICY 2.1.4

Increase land use diversity that supports the needs of Orinda’s residents and businesses, as well as attracts visitors from the Lamorinda region.

Encourage a variety of local dining opportunities including a greater variety and higher quality of restaurants and outdoor dining.

GOAL 2.2

Meet the community’s housing needs per the Regional Housing Needs Allocation set by the Association of Bay Area Governments.

POLICY 2.1.5

Encourage eclectic retail and entertainment establishments to locate downtown and ensure that zoning regulations support such uses. POLICY 2.1.1

Support development of coworking, business incubator, and flexible live/work spaces that accommodate the needs of a burgeoning work-from-home population.

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Implement objective design standards in response to state legislation for qualifying multi-family housing projects.

Attract a boutique-scale hotel or Main Street style inn that increases the capacity for locally-serving hospitality.

Encourage residential mixed-use development that incorporates neighborhood-serving retail and commercial uses on the ground floor.

POLICY 2.1.7

POLICY 2.1.3 Explore innovative uses of space beyond retail, such as small-scale manufacturing and other creative spaces.

Attract a specialty grocery store or market hall that energizes the retail sector and enhances the downtown shopping environment. POLICY 2.1.6

POLICY 2.1.2

Revise downtown zoning to support the capacity for new housing. POLICY 2.2.1

POLICY 2.2.2

POLICY 2.2.3

Increase housing density to a level that is compatible with locallyPOLICY 2.2.4

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Guiding Principle 2: Enable and Attract a Diversity of Land Uses serving land uses while maintaining an accessible downtown for all of Orinda. POLICY 2.2.5 Focus on vacant and/or underutilized sites, especially on the downslope along the western perimeter in the Village (adjacent to Camino Pablo) of the Project Area as possible locations for residential redevelopment.

Pursue the goals of the 6th Cycle Housing Element. Review and ensure consistency between the Downtown Precise Plan policies and future Housing Element cycles.

POLICY 2.2.7

Incentivize the production of an expanded variety of quality housing choices that are inclusive of all ages and income levels.

Development. Consider a Precise Plan, Objective Design Standards, and methods for procuring replacement parking that can be enacted to guide BART development at the site.

GOAL 2.3

Consider Objective Design Standards to facilitate high quality, contextually-sensitive Residential Medium Density development. POLICY 2.3.2

Plan for future housing needs adjacent to downtown areas.

POLICY 2.2.6

POLICY 2.2.7

POLICY 2.3.1 Proactively plan for BART area housing development in advance of BART’s pursuit of Transit-Oriented

The Housing Element Connection

What is the Housing Element? The Housing Element is how Orinda plans to meet the housing needs of everyone in the community over an eight-year period. The Housing Element is required by the City’s General Plan and includes goals, policies and programs to direct housing-related decision-making. Every eight years (referred to as “cycles”), local governments in California must update their Housing Element and have it certified by the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

How is the Housing Element related to the Downtown Precise Plan? Through the 6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), Orinda has been assigned 1,359 units that it must plan for in the 6th Cycle Housing Element. With an additional 25% buffer for very low and low income housing to ensure adherence to its allocation, Orinda’s total RHNA is 1,506 units. To accomodate planning for this level of growth, 43 sites in downtown Orinda - more than half of the Downtown Precise Plan project area - were identified for their development or redevelopment capacity to house 447 units. This represents a significant boost in residential density downtown, and in development overall. The Downtown Precise Plan offers the opportunity to plan around and guide development for downtown housing that is sensitive to the needs of the existing community while accommodating the needs of future residents.

Housing Element goals related to downtown Orinda GOAL 1

New Housing Production. Encourage the development of a variety of types of housing for all income levels, which will be assisted through appropriate zoning and development standards.

GOAL 3

Housing Opportunity Sites. Provide additional housing opportunities and sites to meet the needs of Orinda’s low-, very low-, and moderate-income households.

GOAL 4

Housing Constraints. Reduce governmental constraints to the production and preservation of housing in Orinda.

GOAL 5

Fair Housing. Promote equal housing opportunities for all Orinda residents, regardless of race, religion, sex, marital status, ancestry, national origin, or color.

GOAL 6

Energy Conservation. Promote energy conservation and efficiency in existing housing and new development.

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GUIDING PRINCIPLE 3

VISION

ENSURE NEW DEVELOPMENT ENHANCES THE APPEARANCE OF DOWNTOWN Downtown Orinda has developed into a network of buildings old and new, eclectic but cohesive, organic yet well-ordered. Newer, community-oriented architecture and sensitive site design compliment older iconic buildings through cohesive architectural styles and appropriate detailing. A variety of downtown residential buildings provide a permanent sense of community through the neighborhood-oriented placemaking that has been incorporated into their design. Although downtown Orinda has filled in and scaled up in places, the new downtown fabric retains a sense of village charm through attractive, main street-style development.

Strive towards a wellnetworked development fabric that gradually transitions from small building footprints neighboring residential neighborhoods to larger, more centralized building footprints. Buildings should be scaled in respect to their surroundings and support a moderate intensity of neighborhood and community-serving uses. Projects with larger development footprints should integrate with the existing developed environment and provide a varied character.

GOAL 3.1

POLICY 3.1.2

Implement objective design standards that guide the development of appropriately-scaled, contextually compatible buildings that strengthen and enhance the downtown’s village character. Design active building frontages that engage a mixed-use neighborhood. Frontages should incorporate use-appropriate elements such as porches, stoops, shopfronts, and public terraces that strengthen connections between the public realm and downtown buildings. Where uses are inconsistent with an active pedestrian realm, such as with parking garages, development should include street-fronting uses that conceal the conflicting use. POLICY 3.1.1

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Set height limits that maintain a desirable development scale while contributing to the revitalization of downtown Orinda. Building heights for each area should ensure that buildings harmonize with the built and natural environments while reducing constraints on / ensuring the viability of redevelopment. POLICY 3.1.3

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Reduce building setbacks from the sidewalk to ensure pedestrian engagement and connection with the built environment. POLICY 3.1.4

Step back at upper stories to reduce the perceived mass of buildings at the street level, blend the roofline of taller buildings with lower buildings, and create light and view corridors between structures. POLICY 3.1.5

POLICY 3.1.6 Promote vertical mixed-use buildings, particularly at major intersections, with ground-floor commercial, retail, and entertainment spaces that contribute to an active sidewalk.

Guiding Principle 3: Ensure New Development Enhances the Appearance of Downtown

GOAL 3.2

Foster a supportive environment for responsible downtown development. Offer development incentives (tax benefits, density bonuses, etc.) to encourage appropriate development. POLICY 3.2.1

Approach development decisions with pragmatism and with a clear understanding of trade-offs. POLICY 3.2.2

Research and implement incentives and streamlined processes for combining small lots into larger sites suitable for redevelopment. POLICY 3.2.3

GOAL 3.3

Reduce blight and activate underutilized properties. Encourage infill development or redevelopment of blighted and vacant properties. POLICY 3.3.1

Support initiatives that reduce or better activate existing deep setbacks. POLICY 3.3.2

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Guiding Principle 3: Ensure New Development Enhances the Appearance of Downtown Implement the recommendations and actions of ConnectOrinda for establishing community gateway markers, appropriate pedestrian lighting, and street furnishings, and public parklets.

GOAL 3.4

POLICY 3.4.2

Pursue Public Works projects that beautify and enhance the sense of place downtown.

Develop public/private partnerships to address the constraints imposed by the PG&E easement and transmission towers that does not result in a net financial cost to the City.

Implement the recommendations and actions of ConnectOrinda for maintaining the public realm.

POLICY 3.4.3

POLICY 3.4.1

The ConnectOrinda Link

POLICY 3.4.1

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Establish cohesive gateway designs for downtown entrances at the intersections of Camino Pablo with Brookwood Road, Moraga Way, Santa Maria Way, and Orinda Way. Provide pedestrian luminaires over sidewalks and walkways where streetlight fixtures exceed effective pedestrian lighting heights. Conduct a lighting study to recommend adjustments as needed and a lighting fixture design that helps unify downtown Orinda. Establish a unified theme for street furnishings. Use furnishings that provide universal access to promote inclusion for users of all ages and abilities. Consider parklets in place of street parking spaces where requested by adjacent businesses and property owners to enhance outdoor dining options. Design parklets to be level with the sidewalk, offer buffers from the street, and provide public amenities that enhance the sidewalk.

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POLICY 3.4.2

The ConnectOrinda Link

Establish a comprehensive maintenance program that includes the following components:

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Map and clearly identify the areas for which the City has maintenance responsibility Encourage Caltrans to maintain landscaping and cleanliness within their right-of-way Regularly pune and weed plants, shrubs, and trees Collect trash and clear other debris, wash sidewalks and walkways, remove graffiti and perform other routine cleaning Maintain fountains, replace light bulbs, clear storm drains, repair sidewalks and walkways, and perform other maintenance of the public realm.

GUIDING PRINCIPLE 4

VISION

FACILITATE HISTORICAL PRESERVATION AND CELEBRATE ORINDA’S SEMI-RURAL HERITAGE Property and business owners have partnered with each other and the City to establish an attractive and meaningful downtown that supports and celebrates Orinda’s sense of community life. Older buildings of historical significance have been restored and maintained, enhancing the charm and village atmosphere of the local shops and restaurants that draw residents of Orinda and the greater Lamorinda region into downtown Orinda. Previously vacant or underutilized properties, such as the former Phair’s building, have been preserved as historic points of local civic pride that reinforce the village character of newer development. A myriad of art pieces and attractive historic markers tell the story of Orinda’s history and reinforce a sense of community pride and heritage.

GOAL 4.1

Support the preservation, rehabilitation, and maintenance of historical properties.

Research and pursue grants and programs that assist property owners with historic preservation efforts. POLICY 4.1.4

Extend the life cycle of existing downtown building stock through adaptive reuse. POLICY 4.1.5

Support the preservation of buildings and features that reflect the historical village character of the downtown. POLICY 4.1.1

Streamline the permitting process and reduce regulatory barriers for property owners performing routine maintenance and upgrades on older downtown buildings. POLICY 4.1.2

Support entrance and façade remodeling on downtown buildings that will contribute to the pedestrian environment and the historic character of downtown. POLICY 4.1.3

GOAL 4.2

Ensure the history of the City is well documented and represented. Seek opportunities to expand upon the historic marker program throughout downtown, as well as other methods that commemorate Orinda’s heritage as a semi-rural village community. POLICY 4.2.1

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GUIDING PRINCIPLE 5

VISION

ESTABLISH DOWNTOWN AS AN ACTIVE CENTER FOR ARTS AND EVENTS Downtown Orinda has become a center for arts and culture that provides aesthetic and interactive cultural and recreational activities that represent its diverse population. Artists have access to a bounty of forums to express themselves and the values of Orinda. Residents now enjoy music, dining, recreation, and entertainment through a widened variety of inviting, mixed-use public spaces. In the Village District, food truck nights have culminated in a small culinary festival, while in the Theatre District residents and visitors flock to experience Orinda’s charming art and culture street fairs. Orinda’s successful public programming has been leveraged to bring life and activity to the community’s commercial and retail spheres. The friendly atmosphere of the downtown encourages community engagement and active participation in downtown events. Consider design and implementation of a public art master plan that guides and coordinates the efforts of

GOAL 5.1

Animate existing and future public and private spaces through a comprehensive downtown arts program.

POLICY 5.1.1

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Implement the ConnectOrinda recommendations and guidelines pertaining to public art. POLICY 5.1.1

Provide opportunities and public forums for artists to display and perform their work. Consider implementation of a public performance ordinance or program that compliments and culturally enriches downtown uses. POLICY 5.1.2

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Consider a public art requirement for development projects. POLICY 5.1.3

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downtown art organizations, committees, programs, and initiatives.

POLICY 5.1.4

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The ConnectOrinda Link

Coordinate with the Lamorinda Arts Council and the Orinda Art in Public Places Committee to develop a public art plan that broadens the types of art and installation locations, establishes priorities for Orinda’s art program, and addresses how art is selected and rotated, where it is sited, and how it is funded and maintained. Enhance Orinda’s collection of public art by creating new labels that list the title, artist and a QR code that viewers can scan with a smart phone, which will display more information about the piece, including an artist’s statement. Broaden types of art and installation locations. Extend the art program to Orinda’s

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pedestrian bridges, freeway under crossings, landscaped areas, walls and building facades, and other areas that can be enjoyed by large groups of people without conflicting with other uses of the public realm. Expand Orinda’s art collection to include murals, mosaics, pavement markings and other types of public art that would be new to Orinda. Install both temporary and permanent exhibits to maintain a dynamic arts scene. Consider opportunities to include art in public realm capital improvements. Experiment with interactive art, which invites user participation or provides sensory stimulation through touch, movement, or sound.

Guiding Principle 5: Establish Downtown as an Active Center for Arts and Events GOAL 5.2

GOAL 5.3

Express and enhance Orinda’s social and cultural character by making downtown a diverse center with daytime, evening, and nighttime activities.

Encourage a variety of health and fitness activities throughout the downtown. Partner with local health professionals and community members to hold health fairs, healthy-cooking demonstrations, and physical activity opportunities. POLICY 5.3.1

Provide cultural activities and opportunities for diverse ethnic, age, and social groups in the downtown, which should include live performances, noon-time concerts, and evening and weekend activities. POLICY 5.2.1

Seek creative design strategies that enhance existing public open spaces as flexible mixed-use spaces. Incorporate amenities such as furniture, lighting, and art that can help articulate spaces that are frequently used to host events, such as the farmers market and food truck nights. POLICY 5.2.2

Create new multi-use, accessible public and private spaces that can act as public forums and support a dynamic range of cultural events and recreational activities. POLICY 5.2.3

Coordinate with Theatre District business and property owners to develop and host street festivals, art fairs, and other events that can spotlight the Theatre District. Work with Theatre Square owners in particular to broaden the scope of currently-offered public event programming. POLICY 5.2.4

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Coordinate Parks & Recreation Department, local fitness facilities, and downtown businesses efforts to conduct outdoor boot camps during warmer times of the year. Encourage private or consider public development of outdoor exercise equipment in a pocket park to support boot camp activities. POLICY 5.3.2

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Install art, signs, and markers that create walking and running trails throughout and around the commercial district. POLICY 5.3.3

Ensure adequate play areas for children exist throughout downtown areas in order to support the familyfriendly atmosphere. POLICY 5.3.4

Consider updating the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, implemented in 1989. POLICY 5.3.5

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GUIDING PRINCIPLE 6

VISION

RESTORE, ENHANCE, AND PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT The San Pablo Creek has become a prominent feature of the downtown with a scenic greenway promenade and boardwalk that offer natural vistas. Nearby, restaurant patios overlook the San Pablo Creek, creating a warm, active atmosphere that draws in families and visitors. The creek is connected to the rest of downtown through a series of green pedestrian passages, pocket parklets, and pocket plazas that enhance the feeling of an open downtown immersed in nature. Orinda’s natural beauty is celebrated through the preserved views to its rolling hills and maintenance of its mature native trees. Residents and visitors use pedestrian-friendly pathways to access the trails, parks, and natural scenery in which downtown Orinda is nestled. visitors. Establish viewing platforms with interpretive signage and seating near the Santa Maria Way/Camino Pablo intersection and at other public access points. Use seating and low-level lighting along the creek to create comfortable resting locations.

GOAL 6.1

Restore and embrace San Pablo Creek. Develop a San Pablo Creek trail along the eastern bank. Study development options for including a bridge that crosses the creek and a boardwalk that follows the western bank. POLICY 6.1.1

POLICY 6.1.4 Construct connections between the creek, the Community Center, and the de Laveaga Trail.

Establish a unique brand and identity for San Pablo Creek. Mark the portals of day-lit portions with archways, sculptures, or gateway signage. Use painted symbols or artful markers at public locations to reveal the “invisible creek” where it passes below. Use decorative bridge railings that celebrate the creek. POLICY 6.1.2

Consider bike/scooter parking needs at one or more trailhead locations. POLICY 6.1.6

Incorporate features that provide comfort and vantage points for J

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GOAL 6.2

Foster a connection with nature by enhancing the downtown’s natural resources. Provide and maintain a variety of outdoor spaces, particularly public gathering spaces, that blend with the natural environment of Orinda by incorporating native landscaping. POLICY 6.2.1

Coordinate with private landowners to develop creek-fronting façades or restaurant vistas, and a contiguous creek greenway that provides public amenities and comfortable pedestrian access along the creek. POLICY 6.1.5

POLICY 6.1.3

Study options to decrease noise from vehicles traveling on Camino Pablo. POLICY 6.1.7

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POLICY 6.2.2 Motivate property owners and businesses to contribute to and maintain landscaping throughout downtown, both in the private and public domains.

Guiding Principle 6: Restore, Enhance, and Provide Access to the Natural Environment Encourage new development and redevelopment projects to include green infrastructure and green building elements that create visual links to Orinda’s natural environment, connect recreational trails and wildlife habitats, and absorb rainwater. These techniques may include green walls, green roofs, bioswales, native landscaping, pocket parks, and improvements to the native tree canopy. POLICY 6.2.3

Seek additional strategies to fund, maintain, and update existing parks and trails through and adjacent to the downtown through partnerships and grant funding opportunities with state, federal, and non-governmental organizations. POLICY 6.2.4

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Redevelop underutilized space with pocket parks, pocket plazas, and pedestrian passages offer scenic open spaces capable of softening, rather than emphasizing, adjacent development. POLICY 6.3.3

GOAL 6.3

Maintain a sense of openness and visual access to the hills to the west. Enhance the existing open space in the downtown, including the community park and library plaza area, with open-air restaurant seating, public seating, and other amenities that provide for view corridors towards Orinda’s hills and natural scenery. POLICY 6.3.1

Encourage a compact downtown to conserve open space and the natural environment throughout other parts of the City. POLICY 6.3.2

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GUIDING PRINCIPLE 7

FACILITATE SAFE, CONVENIENT, AND BALANCED TRANSPORTATION

VISION

Orinda’s downtown has been transformed into a “walker’s paradise,” where the abundance of local establishments and services are well-connected by comfortable, active sidewalks, high visibility crosswalks that provide safe passage between pedestrian curb extensions, and popular pedestrian passages. It’s now comfortable to cross Camino Pablo to reach the de Laveaga Trailhead via a high visibility crosswalk after rounding the San Pablo Creek boardwalk. Former surface lots that once dominated the Village District have been replaced with a network of pocket parks, plazas, and pathways that better articulate a sense of place and enable comfortable access to the shops and restaurants here. A shared public parking structure fronted with shops continues to enable Orinda residents and visitors to access downtown while creating a “park once” district. Artfully designed bike racks and dedicated scooter spaces dot the downtown, connected by comfortable bike lanes that encourage families to spend an afternoon visiting the two sides of the downtown by bicycle, or allowing downtown workers to make a quick bike trip for lunch at their favorite spot across downtown. Encourage private development to expand the pedestrian network throughout downtown parcels, considering

GOAL 7.1

POLICY 7.1.3

Create safe and convenient pedestrian access to, from, and within the downtown. Provide adequate sidewalk space on heavily traveled pedestrian corridors (i.e., Camino Pablo, Orinda Way, Moraga Way), especially between BART, the Village, and the Theatre District. POLICY 7.1.1

POLICY 7.1.3

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Minimize the conflict between pedestrian and vehicular traffic at intersections as well as midblock.

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Ensure pedestrian areas throughout the downtown are designed in accordance with the ConnectOrinda plan.

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Upgrade existing crosswalks at identified locations to high-visibility striping. -Consider implementation of high-visibility crosswalks at signalized intersections on busy arterial roadways and at other desired locations such as for trailhead access.

CURB EXTENSIONS

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Use high quality, slip-resistant paving materials, such as brick and decorative concrete. Use plantings to soften large expanses of hardscape, such as in curb extensions and in furnishing zones. Minimize curb cuts by located driveways on side streets and consolidating them. Widen sidewalks where needed.

CROSSWALKS

POLICY 7.1.3

The ConnectOrinda Link

SIDEWALKS

POLICY 7.1.2

their publicly accessible outdoor areas as an extension of the pedestrian environment wherever possible.

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Evaluate the feasibility of curb extensions at corners with crosswalks currently lacking them.

Guiding Principle 7: Facilitate Safe, Convenient, and Balanced Transportation GOAL 7.2

Encourage new development that includes bicycle and scooter infrastructure to support ridership. POLICY 7.2.4

Evaluate and implement alternative transportation strategies that connect visitors and residents to and within the downtown.

GOAL 7.3

Conduct traffic studies that can inform transit decisions to serve new demand as a result of an increased concentration of downtown businesses and housing. POLICY 7.2.1

Continue to study and pursue options that increase the transportation options between the Village, the Theatre District, and BART in a way that minimizes reliance on personal vehicles to travel between downtown locations. POLICY 7.2.2

POLICY 7.2.3 Establish a comprehensive public bike and scooter parking strategy in accordance with the ConnectOrinda plan.

POLICY 7.2.3

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Provide adequate vehicular access and parking opportunities for customers, employees, and residents that reduces the current visual impact of surface parking.

Conduct routine assessments of traffic conditions and pursue street improvement projects as needed to provide adequate vehicular access to, from, and within the downtown. POLICY 7.3.3

Minimize parking and loading entrances to reduce conflict with pedestrians. POLICY 7.3.4

Consider an ordinance for shared parking requirements or a parking variance in-lieu ordinance to downtown residential development per the objectives of the 6th Cycle Housing Element. POLICY 7.3.5

Discourage suburban-style development where surface parking is the dominant feature. POLICY 7.3.1

Create adequate parking facilities to support land use policies for the downtown and protect adjacent neighborhoods from parking spillover. POLICY 7.3.2

The ConnectOrinda Link

Place additional bicycle racks, bike lockers, and scoorer parking areas throughout downtown Orinda in the furnishings zone near popular commercial destinations and places of employment. Work with the Public Works Department and Bike Orinda to identify potential bike and scooter parking locations. Work with Bike Orinda, the Lamorinda Arts Council and Art in Public Places Committee, and other interested parties to select a bike rack design to use throughout downtown.

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GUIDING PRINCIPLE 8

VISION

FOSTER A WELCOMING AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY Downtown Orinda is a welcoming, accessible, and supportive community built upon the experiences of people whose age, ancestry, citizenship, color, disability, financial socioeconomic status, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion or religious beliefs, sex, and sexual orientation will never be a barrier to an individual’s voice in guiding the character and participating in the community of downtown Orinda. The processes that shape downtown and the arts that tell its story will actively seek the participation and representation of community members from historically marginalized backgrounds. Downtown Orinda offers resources, activities, and support for the individual, the family, and the community of people from all walks of life.

GOAL 8.1

Build a sense of community trust through open and inclusive planning processes. Ensure a robust community engagement process that is welcoming to input from people of all backgrounds. Ensure the public participation process offers diverse and flexible methods of participation, which can reduce barriers to participation.

GOAL 8.2

Create an accessible downtown that supports the needs of diverse populations.

POLICY 8.1.1

Foster relationships with key leaders and local organizations that expands public participation efforts. POLICY 8.1.2

Ensure downtown housing is economically accessible to diverse demographic groups and income levels. POLICY 8.2.1

Pursue a mix of accessible housing and healthcare options that support seniors and disabled community members. POLICY 8.2.2

Attract and support childcare facilities that increase flexible use of the downtown for Orinda’s families. POLICY 8.2.3

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GUIDING PRINCIPLE 9

VISION

ENSURE A SAFE AND RESILIENT DOWNTOWN ENVIRONMENT New development and density has continued to provide the safety and security afforded to Orinda residents, visitors, and buildings downtown.

GOAL 9.1

Protect downtown buildings and their occupants from natural hazards (i.e., fire, flood, and earthquake). POLICY 9.1.1 Coordinate with MOFD to ensure appropriate development conditions for fire prevention and wildfire resilience.

Coordinate with the Contra Costa County Building Department and adapt evolving building standards that ensure the ability of new and existing buildings to withstand a major seismic event.

GOAL 9.2

Ensure new projects, renovation projects, and increased densities in the downtown preserve the safety of occupants and visitors. Ensure power grid enhancements are capable of providing backup generation for critical services during Public Safety Power Shutoff outages. POLICY 9.2.1

POLICY 9.1.2

Educate and train downtown businesses, organizations, and residents on emergency response and evacuation procedures. POLICY 9.1.3

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Ensure downtown development and density is commensurate with the service capabilities of MOFD and the Orinda Police Department. POLICY 9.2.2

POLICY 9.2.3 Work with MOFD to ensure new development uses approved alternative methods of emergency access that preserve existing street trees.