CAPA’s Review and Recommendations for the

Draft Upper Market Community Design Plan

For many years, Castro Area Planning + Action (CAPA) has advocated for a comprehensive plan for the Castro, and welcomed the opportunity presented by the Upper Market Community Design Plan to create a comprehensive plan for one of the major streets in the Castro. The plan includes both ideas for public realm improvements and guidelines for development of new high-density residential buildings with ground floor uses that will enliven the public realm.

CAPA congratulates the Planning Department and MIG Design Consultants for a successful and popular series of planning workshops in the Fall of 2007, and we thank Supervisor Bevan Dufty for making funds available for the planning process. Castro members have been particularly active in the planning process and some members reviewed the Draft Upper Market Plan and found much in the plan that CAPA can support, as well as some elements that need some modification.

The plan establishes a “vision framework” around various elements of a complete neighborhood, from inviting public spaces, development guidelines and implementation and maintenance strategies. Following are CAPA’s comments on the various proposals.

ENGAGING SIDEWALKS

One positive element of the plan is to redesign sidewalks as socially engaging places, rather than merely providing pedestrian access alongside streets. This would include allowing more active use of the sidewalk for cafes, restaurants and other businesses, encouraging use of special paving, and adding natural features and art.

But the primary use of sidewalks, especially on Market Street, should be for pedestrian movement. The plan should include a maximum amount of sidewalk space (say 50%) that can be used for purposes other than walking and that there is always room for at least three people to walk. A fee for commercial uses should also be implemented, but it should be structured to encourage appropriate commercial use, such as applying a fee only after a year of operation. Fees could then support maintenance and ongoing improvements.

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

The Plan proposes installation of plantings on sidewalks, in selective on-street parking spaces, and in the center median. Planting areas and bio-swales, which would retain storm-water in a planting bed rather than going into the overburdened sewer system, would add a wonderful and sustainable bit of nature to the street but should also take into account the heavy use of sidewalks and possible misuse of the planted areas. There should be a coordinated and mandated tree planting program so that trees are consistent in type and form a continuous row on the street.

GREAT OPEN SPACES

“New Plaza” at 17^th and Castro

The plan identifies a potential “new plaza” at the terminal of the F-line and Chevron gas station site. This is in fact a part of Harvey Milk Plaza, and should be identified as such in the plan (the entire intersection being designated Harvey Milk Plaza, not just the mezzanine level plaza at the Muni Metro station). A comprehensive plan for complete Harvey Milk Plaza that encompasses the entire intersection should guide incremental construction.

The plan’s proposal for the new plaza has many good elements and proposes an incremental approach, first by closing 17^th Street east of Castro, and then public acquisition of the Chevron (not a Union 76 as stated in the draft plan) for an expanded plaza. The plan does suggest that a large part of the site be developed with a multistory building of unspecified use, and even a single pump gas station behind the new building. CAPA thinks that the plaza should be the predominant use on the site, while a smaller building could help to spatially define the plaza and provide space for various uses that activate the plaza. The vestigial gas station, common in European cities, should be considered a temporary use that will be phased out as the availability of petroleum declines toward zero. The plan for the plaza also needs to consider the west side of the intersection, including a possible closing of the part of 17^th Street where it splits off from Market toward Pink Triangle Park.

New Plaza at Church and Market

The plan also proposes a large new plaza at the south end of the Safeway parking lot at Market and Church, bordered on the north by a building with retail and a roof-top terrace. While this idea has merit and more open space can enliven the intersection, a piecemeal strategy of developing the Safeway site is not appropriate. (The parking lot is actually several parcels with many separate owners). A comprehensive plan is needed for the site that was developed as a suburban style, car oriented shopping center in the 1950’s, but now is a dead zone in the urban fabric, but could support high density housing, neighborhood serving retail, structured parking and a plaza.

Public Art

Another element of this plan is adding art to the center median of Market Street. Some may recall the temporary Keith Haring installation some years ago; Art in the Castro should celebrate the LGBT experience, and includes LGBT artists.

PEDESTRIAN / TRANSIT ORIENTED IMPROVEMENTS

At all intersections, the plan proposed special paving at crosswalks, infill street tree planting, landscaped bulbouts on residential side streets, transit plazas creating a level connection from Muni island platforms to sidewalks, and extended planting medians to create mid-crossing pedestrian refuges. These are all great ideas that will improve access to transit, calm traffic and improve the appearance to the street. The plan also proposes to add art to the center medians.

Redesign of each intersection is shown on several pages of the draft plan. Showing how all of the elements could be implemented at each intersection of Market. Generally these are great concepts that CAPA ahs long supported. Missing from these pages is a specific design for the intersection of Dolores and Market. This ahs been identified as a gateway to the Castro and is also important as the terminus of the Dolores parkway. Plus it is a major point of traffic and congestion, with some traffic turning onto Duboce to US-101, and a link in the bikeway network. A plan for this intersection must be created and included in the Upper Market Plan.

BIKE-ORIENTED IMPROVEMENTS

The plan recommends “explor[ing]” designs to connect Market Street bike lanes through major intersections. and install more bike parking facilities on Market Street. These are both good ideas to provide another mode of travel in the area. This should be coordinated with the citywide bike plan.

JUST ENOUGH PARKING

This part of the plan ties into the proposals for sidewalks, suggesting that with proper management strategies, enough parking can be provided so that some street spaces can be converted, either temporarily or permanently to expanded sidewalk areas or outdoor dining space; or be used for car-sharing parking. This is a good policy, and additional parking could be created on residential streets south of Market by replicating the Duboce Triangle streetscape plan with head-in parking on two sides of streets.

EXCELLENT DESIGN

The Plan proposes design competitions for high profile public sites. CAPA agrees that the best and most innovative design is important for both public spaces and new buildings especially at high-profile sites at Harvey Milk Plaza/Castro and Market. Implementation of the 2000 competition-winning design for Harvey Milk Plaza will instill confidence in the process.

NEW DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

The development of the various sites on Market Street that are significantly underutilized in relation to the allowable building envelope is a great opportunity for the Castro. If development is done correctly, taking into account not only the unique character of the Castro but the potential to address many unmet needs for affordable and sustainable housing, a variety of new businesses and cultural and social institutions, which together could enliven the entire corridor from Harvey Milk Plaza to the GLBT Center. The plan has many standards for new development that are generally good.

Cultural Density Bonus

The plan proposes that developers of sites at Castro and Market Streets be given a “cultural density bonus” that would permit buildings to achieve additional permitted density and/or additional height of 1 to 2 stories (to a maximum of 8 stories) if they provide space for cultural institutions and organizations.

CAPA agrees with this principle, but the process of designing new developments and creating appropriate cultural programs should be a public process that is carefully implemented. The published plan should also take care to indicate that only a few of the sites at that intersection are appropriate for new development. A diagram showing all sites at Castro and Market with six-plus stories of new construction, including sites with historic buildings on the two southern corners, would not be supported by the community and should be modified.

Also, this strategy could be applied to other sites long Market Street (perhaps at a lower scale) to create cultural nodes, which would support both cultural institutions and business along Market Street.

Ground Floor Uses

In the section on “Inviting Ground Floor Uses” The plan proposes that “new developments should accommodate a range of commercial floor plates to accommodate

both large format retail as well as small businesses.” While certain “large format” business types are a necessary part of a complete retail district, there should be restrictions on the size and number of spaces designed for such business types to ensure that smaller specialized businesses that give a neighborhood character are accommodated in the development of Market Street. CAPA also supports the policy proposals that eliminate minimum requirements for off-street parking and prohibiting access to parking garages from Market Street.

Residential Diversity

The plan also recommend that new housing provide for a diverse range of households, including single people, families, seniors, and congregate living (such as co-housing). While smaller units are encouraged. CAPA recommends that specific policies be included in the plan to ensure that such units are built, which will help in providing affordable new housing on Market. Other measures to ensure affordability, including density bonuses should be pursued also.

Design Guidelines

Other elements of the new development guidelines suggest a list of design elements that seek to ensure that new development engages the revived pedestrian environment and encourages interaction between the street and upper stories, includes natural elements and utilizes sustainable building practices, suggests setbacks adjacent to residential only zones, and results in contextual design. These are all valuable goals for new development, but implementation of these policies should also encourage innovation and authenticity in design, and recognize the value of a diverse built environment in the manner that the Castro community supports a diverse society.

Implementation

The implementation section of the draft plan includes many solid recommendations for implementing each of the points of the plan, including suggested responsible parties and potential funding sources. This includes action to “[r]aise attention and community support for the redesigned Market Street intersections, the Market/Castro/17th Plaza, and the Harvey Milk Plaza redesign” and “[l]obby local and state representatives for funding for public realm recommendations in the plan”. The implementation plan charges neighborhood organizations and Individuals with these tasks, something that is clearly in CAPA’s court as the Castro’s community based volunteer planning organization. We encourage all members and those who support the planning goals to join CAPA in making the vision for the Castro a reality.