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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000/06/06 - Minutes - Special June 6, 2000 CITY OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA CITY COUNCIL MINUTES Special Meetinq A. CALL TO ORDER A special meeting of the Rancho Cucamonga City Council was held on Tuesday, June 6, 2000, convening in the Tapia Room of the Civic Center, located at 10500 Civic Center Drive, Rancho Cucamonga. The meeting was called to order at 8:05 a.m. by Mayor William J. Alexander. Present were Councilmembers: Paul Biane, James Curatalo, Bob Dutton, Diane Williams, and Mayor William J. Alexander. Also present were: Jack Lam, City Manager; Linda Daniels, RDA Director; Mitch Slagerman, Sr. RDA Analyst; Jan Reynolds, RDA Analyst; Rick Gomez, Community Development Director; Brad Buller, City Planner; and Keyin McArdle, Community Services Director. B. ITEM OF BUSINESS B1. FIELD TRiP TO THE CITY OF SANTA BARBARA TO VISIT THEIR DOWNTOWN RETAIL PROJECT The City Council and staff left for Santa Barbara at approximately 8:05 a.m. to visit the downtown retail project area within the City of Santa Barbara. Also participating in the tour were the following representatives from Forest City and The Galleria: Victor Grgas, Director of Planning & Government Relations; Colm Macken, Sr. Vice-President; Architect David Paoli; and, Scott Laslow, Manager for The Galleda at South Bay. Commol~ Areas There should be one signature space large enough to accommodate civic activities. The center area of focus is envisioned as a town square, where festivals, parades, farmers markets, and some types of performing ads could occur. There should be many smaller spaces throughout the project. The major common area should be soft landscaping with the smaller areas hardscaped. Victor mentioned the Napa Valley Expo as an example of an interesting Town Square. Forest City and David Paoli designed it but it was never built. David said he would provide site plans of the Expo. Project Diagram Colm Macken indicated that he does not expect major changes to the diagram unless Macy's has a major problem with it. An outdoor center is the direction the project is going. Naming the Center Forest City has no proposed name and has no formalized process to determine names for its centers. They like to use the name of the community in the center name when possible. City Council Minutes June 6, 2000 Page2 Agency Member Curatalo and Vice-Chairman Williams indicated they would prefer the use of Cucamonga to Rancho if they had to choose of the two. Rancho is a common term while Cucamonga is unique. Design Elements David Paoli stated that he always writes a narrative of the project describing what it is and what the elements are trying to achieve. He wanted to know if there were historical elements that should be incorporated into the design. He specifically mentioned vineyards, citrus and Route 66. Chairman Alexander and Vice-Chairman Williams liked vineyards and citrus but did not like Route 66 architecture. Special events with a Route 66 theme are good though. Agency Member Biane did not want a uniform architecture through the center that is indicative of most existing malls. There was a consensus that themed neighborhoods are a direction to take. Care should be taken to take advantage of the mountain vistas whenever possible. Do not put grass near streets (maintenance is an inconvenience to motorists). Palm Trees throughout the project did not receive an enthusiastic response. Palm trees will be used along Day Creek. Palm trees could be used along parkways or at entrances but not in the pedestrian environment. Shade trees are preferred. Pedestrian linkages and trails should be integrated with mall circulation. Wind is a big factor. David Paoli indicated that in an outdoor center, you cannot provide continuous protected walkways. Brad Buller will provide historical weather data to Forest City. The use of trellis, arcades with misters, and easily maintained surfaces should be considered to mitigate weather conditions. Vinyl canopies are difficult to maintain, and do not hold up under strong wind conditions. Building heights of two stories maximum are preferred. Streets should not be so wide that it is not inviting to cross the street. The width of State Street in Santa Barbara is a good example. Building Materials The use of red tile roofs and stucco should be limited. Chairman Alexander indicated that he liked brick and wood. Vice-Chairman Willjams indicated that she liked steel and glass and Art Deco themes. Both agreed that both material styles could be incorporated into different pads of the mall. Civic Uses A police substation will definitely be on site. David Paoli suggested a library in a separate building could be a nice amenity. A considerable discussion ensued about a performing ads theater. Vice-Chairman Willjams would like a signature piece that identifies the community to the region. She advocated a feasibility study to see if makes sense. Discussion included questions as to the size and scope of a performing ads theater and how much the city should subsidize it. Should the theatre be regional or community? City Council Minutes June 6, 2000 Page 3 Jack Lam suggested a library/400-seat theatre option that would have a $1 million annual operating cost. Could meet two goals at same time. Another option was to build a theater and then turn it over to an theater company who would operate it. Then the City would only pay for capital and not annual M&O. Colm Macken agreed to do some research into shopping centers that have performing ads theaters to see what impact they have (positive/negative/neutral) on the centers. Victor Grgas suggested the City contact a consultant to do a round table workshop with the Council to discuss issues related to a theater. Forest City will provide names of consulting firms with expertise in these types of projects. C. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC No communication was made from the public. D. ADJOURNMENT The tour and discussion concluded at approximately 2:30 p.m. The group returned to City Hall at 4:25 p.m. Respectfully submitted, City Clerk Approved: June 21,2000