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Consultants show preferred downtown green-space concept and three options for 350 Highway site
Summary
Consultants presented three concept designs for a downtown green space (Concept A favored in workshop) and three concepts for a 350 Highway parcel (townhomes, higher-density apartments with optional hotel, and duplex/recreation), noting the city does not own the 350 Highway site and no hotel feasibility study was done.
At the Planning Commission meeting, consultants presented two "opportunity site" concepts intended to illustrate how specific parcels could support the comprehensive plan's goals.
Downtown green space: Consultants showed three variations for a downtown green-space redevelopment, noting Concept A was the workshop'favorite. The preferred concept centers a preserved green space with an amphitheater, a farmers-market area and mixed-use buildings fronting the space. Bloom gave scale ranges for the preferred downtown design: "54 to 80 upper floor residential units, 64 shared parking spaces, and 30 to 60 internal parking spaces," and said the designs are inspirational rather than final engineering documents.
350 Highway site: The team presented three concepts for a commercially visible site on Highway 350 that transitions to neighborhood residential behind it: a rear-loaded townhome concept (~50 units); a higher-density four-story apartment concept (about 130'140 units) that also showed a possible hotel on the highway frontage; and a duplex/neighborhood design with playing fields or courts. Bloom emphasized the consultants did not perform a hotel feasibility study and that the parcel is privately owned, which means the city would need to rely on market interest or landowner cooperation for redevelopment.
Public response and context: Consultants noted roughly 60 people attended the workshop where preferences were recorded and described the workshop result as indicative of a leaning rather than a binding vote. Commissioners asked whether a hotel would be viable; consultants said hotel demand would be influenced by the status of nearby stadiums and suggested reviewing feasibility studies from neighboring communities.
Next steps: Consultants said these concepts will inform the land-use map and implementation strategies in the full draft plan. Because the 350 Highway site is not city-owned, Bloom recommended outreach to the landowner and suggested pursuing feasibility work before advancing a hotel concept.
The commission did not take any formal action on specific redevelopment plans at the meeting; the concepts are illustrative materials to guide zoning and economic-development strategy development.
