In addition to the hundreds
of contacts that Planning staff maintains, there
have been several committees formed to ensure that
the community plan represents all aspects, interests,
and neighborhoods of this community. These citizens
advisory committees represent and focus on issues
pertaining to land use, transportation, community
identity, and public services and facilities. Membership
in each committee is generally limited to 15-20
individuals, but each meeting is open to the public
and noticed through the Planning Department's Web
page. These committees have addressed tough issues
such as the need for transportations alternatives,
water availability, and additional housing opportunities.
Various representatives from governmental agencies
have graciously accepted requests to speak to and
assist these committees with specific issues or
when expertise is needed. For example, representatives
for the Metropolitan Water Planning Agency, California
Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency, Caltrans,
and SACOG have been recent guests. In addition,
there have also been tremendous assistance provided
by County representatives such as those from Water
Resources, Water Quality, Transportation, Libraries,
Health and Human Services, SHRA and Parks, Recreation
and Open Space.
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Three community-wide workshops
have been held for the update, and a fourth is being
planned for April 9, 2002. These workshops-July
11, 2000 (Mills Middle School), July 12, 2000 (Albert
Einstein Middle School), and June 5, 2001 (Sheriff's
East Division Station), were noticed by the Planning
Department's Web page, mail-out notices and by the
local newspapers. Approximately 200 community residents
attended these meetings, and participated in exercises
to help Planning staff identify important issues,
opportunities and constraints.
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In conjunction with the
community plan update, the Planning Department contracted
with Criterion Planners/Engineers
to conduct INDEX modeling, an exciting new GIS-based
sketch modeling computer program for use in transportation/land
use planning. Several community workshops were held
in 2000 and 2001 by the Criterion consultant for
the purpose of modeling several of the new LRT stations.
These workshops were well attended, and with the
help of community residents and stakeholders, a
preferred land use pattern was developed for each
of these station areas. The benefits to this modeling
program are in its ability to evaluate pedestrian
connectivity, alternative development scenarios,
and in the graphically display of that information.
It is hoped that Planning Staff can eventually begin
to use this program in the evaluation of land use
proposals to help create a pedestrian-oriented,
mixed-use, multi-modal transportation environment
around each of these LRT stations. The use of this
program can also prove to be valuable in evaluating
various land use proposals, alternative courses
of action, and to monitor implementation actions
to insure progress is being made toward the goals
that are set by this planning exercise.
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