DowntownLosAlamosCompPlanElement

LOS ALAMOS COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

DOWNTOWN LOS ALAMOS ELEMENT

As adopted by Resolution 09-21 of the Los Alamos County Council

December 15, 2009

Downtown Los Alamos Element

I. Introduction Downtown Los Alamos sprang from the urgent needs of the World War II Manhattan Project, as the federal government laid down a rough military grid of streets on an isolated and beautiful mesa-top site. In those early years, most people could walk to the downtown to meet their daily needs, or at least park once and walk to several stores and civic buildings. This early downtown not only met the commercial needs of the residents, but also gave them a sense of belonging to a place and to each other. Today our community treasures our historic downtown and looks for ways to enhance it as a center of civic and commercial activity, yet many residents still find it necessary to drive to surrounding communities to meet their retail and other needs.

In the year 2000, a local group of citizens known as the Main Street Future Committee commissioned a consultant study of the downtown incorporating extensive community participation. The study suggested ways in which the downtown could better meet the retail, social, and business needs of the community while encouraging economic development. In 2002, the Los Alamos County Council adopted the 2000 study with certain modifications as part of the County’s Comprehensive Plan, and in subsequent years began the process of incorporating many elements of the study such as new zoning regulations and architectural standards into new ordinances.

This latest version of the Downtown Element of the Comprehensive Plan updates and replaces previous versions, and sets concise guidelines and policies for the future physical development of the downtown. Since many of the recommendations of the original study have already been incorporated into the current Development Code, they have not been repeated in this version. Other sections of the original study including “illustrative drawings” have been removed since they were never adopted as a part of the 2002 plan. Still other sections of the original version have been replaced by the downtown development goals of the “Policy Plan” section of the Comprehensive Plan that Council adopted in 2005.

II. Overview The new Downtown Element of the Comprehensive Plan retains the year 2000 vision of Downtown Los Alamos as a lively, economically vital, pedestrian-friendly, and convenient mixed-use traditional town center with attractive buildings, plazas, open space, and historic structures. Figure 1 below defines the boundaries of the Downtown District and shows the location of four special downtown subareas that are defined as “overlay” zones in the County’s Development Code. Article XIII of the Development Code establishes the general intent of the downtown zones, but the Use Index found in Article VII of the code enumerates the specific land uses that are permitted, permitted by Special Use Permit only, permitted as accessory uses, or not permitted in each of the downtown zones.

In adopting this latest version, the County realizes that the Downtown Element is not a specification for the location of specific buildings and features, but rather a framework for decision-making. As such it will be subject to future refinement and amendment as changing conditions and strategies warrant. Changes in population, economic conditions, and trends in real estate development may all have an impact on the downtown, but it is expected that the basic vision of the Downtown will not change. The drawings and maps in the original 2000 study were intended to be, and should still be viewed as a source of ideas for possible urban design concepts and projects, and not a part of the Comprehensive Plan.

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Downtown Los Alamos Element

Figure 1: Boundaries of the Los Alamos Downtown District.

The establishment of special downtown overlay zones was meant to encourage a more active and creative mix of land uses than would have been possible under the previously existing “singlepurpose” zoning districts. The general intent of these zones is as follows: • • • •

DT-NGO Downtown Neighborhood General Overlay Zone: A mixed-use zone combining residential, office, commercial, civic and other uses but at the lowest density permitted in the overlay zones in the Downtown District.

DT-NCO Downtown Neighborhood Center Overlay Zone: A mixed-use zone combining residential, office, commercial, civic and other uses at a higher density than allowed in the DTNGO zone.

DT-TCO Downtown Town Center Overlay Zone: A mixed-use zone combining office, commercial, civic, certain types of residential and other uses at the highest density allowed in the Downtown District.

DT-CPO Downtown Civic/Public Open Space Overlay Zone: A zone for public uses such as parks, plazas, recreation, and civic buildings, although these types of uses may also be located in other areas of the County as permitted by the Use Index of the Development Code.

The County’s Development Code contains a list of regulations pertaining to these and other zones, along with special requirements for signage, building setbacks, maximum heights, and off-street parking requirements that are different than the requirements for other zones. Three conventional zones are also included within the boundaries of downtown; R-1-8, a residential zone located on historic “Bathtub Row”; P-O, a professional-office zone in the same area; and a parcel currently zoned C-3, heavy commercial.

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Downtown Los Alamos Element

III. Goals, Objectives, Actions The Comprehensive Plan’s Vision Statement 13 is entitled “Revitalize Downtown” and states that: “We will create a vibrant, buzzing, pedestrian-friendly downtown that includes a central gathering place, nighttime entertainment, movie theaters and more retail stores and restaurants. A mixture of retail, office space and housing, an aesthetic face lift and the redevelopment of parking will help to create a compact and appealing downtown that people will use. A performing arts center can also serve as a convention center.”

Comprehensive Plan Policy Plan Goal 13.A expands on this revitalization goal and sees a future where: “Downtown Los Alamos includes a mixture of housing, retail, entertainment, office space, and services that draw residents, visitors, and commuters to downtown during weekday and weekend daytime and evening hours.”

Issues & Opportunities Until recently, single-use zoning districts, a lack of developable downtown land, and the predominance of surface parking areas have limited opportunities for new development and redevelopment in the downtown. Over the past several years the County has updated its zoning and planning regulations to allow and encourage mixed-use development and reduced off-street parking requirements in conjunction with a “park-once” program including proposed downtown structured public parking facilities. With the clearing of 15 acres of outdated county facilities on Trinity Drive and the acquisition of additional land along DP road, downtown Los Alamos is now in the process of attracting major mixed-use development to the area. It is expected that development of County land will stimulate other redevelopment and the upgrade of existing private property, but making new private investments attractive and economically feasible remains a challenge.

Recommended Actions In Support of Goal 13A 1. Update and adopt an economic vitality and strategic plan as part of the Comprehensive Plan with special attention to programs and strategies addressing economic development of the downtown.

2. Continue to work toward the development of the Trinity redevelopment site as a high quality mixeduse development that will enable residents and others to satisfy their retail and service needs locally.

3. Continue to seek out opportunities for public-private partnerships to develop and redevelop other key downtown land parcels.

4. Explore opportunities to make additional land available for private development and redevelopment through new land transfers from the federal government, land swaps, property acquisition, and the sale or lease of underused public land.

5. Explore economically viable ways to bring new public facilities and attractions to the downtown such as meeting and event facilities, public plazas, and other “catalytic” projects as may be approved by the County Council.

6. Prepare plans for the re-use of currently vacant County-owned property such as the former Los Alamos Apartments site and the under-utilized property at Lavy Lane.

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Downtown Los Alamos Element

7. Continue to actively explore grants and other funding sources such as the state Main Street and Arts & Cultural District program to help fund downtown street, infrastructure and other improvement projects.

Comprehensive Plan Policy Plan Goal 13.B establishes a new high standard of urban design in the downtown area.

“Downtown Los Alamos is compact with high building density, connecting pedestrian pathways, aesthetically pleasing landscaping and green space and a combination of street parking, parking lots and “park- once” structures.”

Issues & Opportunities Council has adopted new zoning which allows for greater density and building heights in most sections of the downtown. Greater density is an important factor in generating more downtown activity and economic development and in creating a more pedestrian-friendly orientation, but achieving it can be difficult because of the need for adequate parking, even at the reduced rates now allowed by code. Development of public “park-once” facilities and the increased use of bicycles and public transit may further modify the rules for off-street parking in the future.

Council has adopted new downtown architectural standards which will raise the bar for the design of new buildings and establish a consistent palette of colors and materials in the downtown. Council has also demonstrated a willingness to seek out new public/private partnerships to promote downtown goals.

While public investment to support private development is an important County policy, fiscal constraints and the need to invest in other sections of the county will likely mean that only the most potentially beneficial downtown projects will receive funding in the near future.

Recommended Actions In Support of Goal 13B 1. Encourage development and redevelopment projects that take advantage of the higher densities allowed in the new downtown overlay districts.

• Give a priority for public funding meant for the downtown to higher density projects rather than lower density ones.

• Encourage new master-planned developments that provide for future development phases.

2. Develop and implement a downtown pedestrian circulation plan with way-finding signage and kiosks that link together green space, plazas, trails, and important destinations.

3. Develop the final alignment, design standards, and a funding plan for the creation of the downtown portion of the Canyon Rim trail and require that all new development and redevelopment projects adjacent to it to incorporate it into their proposed site plans.

4. Work with private developers to develop specific proposals for new public “park-once” parking facilities as further described in the County’s Development Code.

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Downtown Los Alamos Element

5. Promote the use of bike lanes and bike parking facilities within the downtown.

6. Support the efforts of the “Art in Public Places Program”, Fuller Lodge/Historic Districts Advisory Board, and Historical Society to bring new works of publicly-funded art and design into the downtown.

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Create a master plan for the placement of all new publicly-funded works of art and design in the downtown.

Support the efforts of the Fuller Lodge/Historic Districts Board and Historical Society to bring a series of sculptures of local historical figures to the downtown.

Encourage private development to incorporate high quality art and design elements into all new projects.

7. Continue to use public funds to invest in upgrading infrastructure and streets in the Downtown to support new private investment.

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Use public funds for the construction of street and infrastructure improvements in conjunction with new downtown development.

Establish downtown site plan standards that encourage new private developments to grant easements to allow the County to carry out street improvements at the perimeter of their property where existing County rights-of-way are insufficient to meet upgraded street design standards.

Work to assure that any new street improvements undertaken in the downtown and adjacent areas will support street standard policies as may be adopted by Council and that will accommodate new site redevelopment such as the proposed Trinity Site project.

Work collaboratively with the New Mexico Department of Transportation so that the design of street improvements on NM 502 and Trinity Drive follow NMDOT study procedures including proper environmental documentation.

8. Develop signage that encourages visits to the downtown as well as other commercial areas throughout the County.

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