Council to advance Crossroads neighborhood plan updates after broad community engagement

City planning staff and the Planning Commission recommended Sept. 16 that the council adopt a new Crossroads Neighborhood Area Plan that replaces the older subarea plan and emphasizes transit access, multimodal mobility, small business retention and community gathering places. Chair Khanh Lu told council the commission reviewed multiple drafts and "recommends the comprehensive plan amendment for the new Crossroads neighborhood area plan." Staff said the Crossroads plan was updated to reflect the neighborhood’s role as a cultural and transportation center and to add policies on active transportation, transit access, mixed‑use and small business retention. Tim Dooling of the planning team described the engagement approach: interactive workshops, mailed questionnaires and in‑person events intended to reach residents, business owners and community groups. Staff said they tailored outreach to reach nontraditional participants (for example, school‑age youth and language‑specific community groups) and used concept maps and walk audits to capture priorities. Planning staff highlighted policy themes that emerged from outreach: value for proximity to services and other neighborhoods, support for pedestrian and bicycle improvements, desire to strengthen neighborhood gathering places (parks, the shopping center), and stronger roles for schools as community assets. Council discussion included a request from Councilmember Sam Hamilton to ensure the Crossroads mobility policies prioritize pedestrian and bicycle facilities that connect to a broad set of destinations — not only transit stops — and council expressed broad support for advancing the plan. Council voted to direct staff to prepare the ordinance and documenting materials to adopt the Crossroads Neighborhood Area Plan as part of the 2025 comprehensive plan amendments.