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SAN PABLO AVENUE SPECIFIC PLAN D r a f t E x i s t i n g C o n d i t i o n s A n a l y s i s A u g u s t 2 0 0 7 Prepared by: Moore Iacofano Goltsman, Inc. Bay Area Economics Fehr and Peers ---PAGE BREAK--- Table of Contents 1 Introduction and Background 1 1.1 Plan 1 1.1.1 Impact of 1 1.2 Legal Context 1 1.2.1 Authority to 2 1.2.2 Relationship to General 2 1.3 Planning 2 1.4 3 1.5 Specific Plan Planning 4 2 Land 4 2.1 Key Findings 4 2.2 Existing Land 4 2.2.1 Existing 4 2.2.2 5 2.2.3 Mixed-Use 5 2.2.4 Commercial 6 2.2.5 6 2.2.6 Vacant Parcels and 6 2.2.7 Public, Quasi-Public, and Institutional 6 2.2.8 Parks and Recreation 7 2.3 Allowed Land Uses 7 2.3.1 General Plan Land 7 2.3.2 7 3 Community Design and 9 3.1 Key Findings 9 3.2 Previous Urban Design 10 3.2.1 Olson Company Del Norte BART Redevelopment Plan 10 3.2.2 The San Pablo Avenue Improvements 10 3.3 Block 11 3.4 Figure Ground 12 3.5 Pedestrian 13 3.5.1 Primary Pedestrian Entries 13 3.5.2 Pedestrian Unfriendly 13 3.6 Parking Lots and Vacant 14 3.7 14 Existing Conditions Analysis San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page ii ---PAGE BREAK--- 3.8 Community 15 3.9 Streetscape Analysis 16 3.10 Architectural Analysis 18 4 Economics and Market 20 4.1 Key Findings 20 4.2 Demographic and Employment Overview 20 4.2.1 Demographic 21 4.2.2 Summary of Demographic 27 4.3 Housing Market 28 4.3.1 Housing 28 4.3.2 Market Conditions 29 4.3.3 Summary of 36 4.4 Commercial Market Overview 36 4.4.1 36 4.4.2 39 4.4.3 Summary of 39 4.5 Strategic Economic Development 40 4.5.1 40 4.5.2 40 4.5.3 41 5 Circulation, Transportation and Parking 42 5.1 Key 42 5.2 Vehicle 42 5.2.1 Roadway 42 5.2.2 Trip-Generating Land 42 5.3 Levels of Service and 43 5.3.1 43 5.3.2 Queuing 45 5.3.3 Levels of 49 5.4 Related Planning 50 5.5 Pedestrian 51 5.6 Bicycle 52 5.7 53 5.7.1 Bus Service 53 5.7.2 BART 54 5.8 Issues and 55 Existing Conditions Analysis San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page iii ---PAGE BREAK--- CHAPTER ONE I n t r o d u c t i o n a n d B a c k g r o u n d ---PAGE BREAK--- 1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND This report provides an overview of the existing conditions, issues and opportunities present within the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Planning Area in El Cerrito and Richmond, California. This information will be used during the planning process as a foundation for shaping alternatives and strategies for strengthening and enhancing the corridor. Specifically, this report discusses land use; community design; economics and market conditions; and circulation, transportation and parking. This introductory chapter provides a brief overview of the purpose of developing a specific plan for San Pablo Avenue. It details the legal context for preparation of the plan and the planning process that is currently underway. It also briefly highlights the regional context and specific boundaries for the Planning Area. Finally, this chapter outlines case studies of comparable projects that are instructive to the conditions found along San Pablo Avenue. 1.1 PLAN PURPOSE The two and one-half mile section of San Pablo Avenue that runs between Central Avenue and Macdonald Avenue is the main commercial thoroughfare of the City of El Cerrito and a gateway to the City of Richmond. Despite its prominence in these areas and its importance as part of a larger corridor extending through several East Bay cities, conditions vary greatly along the Avenue. To enhance the environment and build on existing assets, the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan will set forth uniform development standards that leverage recent investments along the Avenue and maximize potential for future improvements. The cities of El Cerrito and Richmond are collaborating to prepare the specific plan to articulate a shared vision for the future of San Pablo Avenue, identify improvements, and adopt regulations that can be consistently applied along its length. 1.1.1 Impact of Adoption Jurisdictional boundaries in the area are extremely unorthodox and lend to the area’s issues. The city limits between El Cerrito and Richmond zigzag along the length of the Planning Area, crossing San Pablo Avenue several times and even occasionally splitting parcels. Once adopted, the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan will guide all new development in the Planning Area, regardless of political jurisdiction. New development projects will be required to follow the policies, programs and guidelines set forth in the specific plan. Existing developments will not be directly affected unless the occupants or owners choose to expand or change their structures, grounds or uses. Any environmental impacts, such as noise, traffic, and school enrollment, that could result from implementation of the specific plan will be anticipated and analyzed in the State-mandated environmental review before the specific plan is adopted. 1.2 LEGAL CONTEXT A specific plan is one of the many policy and regulatory tools used by local governments as a complement to a general plan. Specific plans implement a city or county's general plan through the development of policies, programs and regulations for a localized area and in greater detail. A specific plan can focus on broad policy concepts or detailed development regulations, but it must address: Land Use; Transportation and Circulation; Utilities and Infrastructure; Existing Conditions Analysis San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 1 ---PAGE BREAK--- Public Facilities; Development Standards; and Implementation and Financing. Since specific plans are mechanisms for executing the goals and policies of a community's general plan, State law requires that specific plans can only be adopted or amended if they are consistent with the area's adopted general plan. 1.2.1 Authority to Prepare The authority for preparation and adoption of specific plans is set forth in the California Government Code, Sections 65450 through 65457. The law stipulates that a specific plan include text and diagrams detailing: The distribution, location and extent of the uses of land, including open space, within the area covered by the plan; The proposed distribution, location, extent and intensity of major components of public and private transportation, sewage, water, drainage, solid waste disposal, energy and other essential facilities proposed to be located in the area covered by the plan and needed to support the land uses described in the plan; Standards and criteria by which development will proceed, and standards for the conservation, development and utilization of natural resources, where applicable; and A program of implementation measures including regulations, programs, public works projects, and financing strategies necessary to carry out the plan. 1.2.2 Relationship to General Plans The specific plan will be a tool used by the cities of El Cerrito and Richmond to implement their general plans. The general plans provide the overall guidance for physical development of each city. They outline goals, policies and programs for jurisdictions in a range of subject areas specified by State of California law. Both documents identify San Pablo Avenue as a corridor that can support mixed-use development. The City of El Cerrito General Plan expands on the concept of mixed-use, identifying activity nodes along the corridor that will be the focus of future improvement efforts. The City of Richmond is currently updating its general plan; as this specific plan and the general plan update progress, it will be important to consider any policy changes that affect the Planning Area. 1.3 PLANNING PROCESS To prepare the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan, the cities of El Cerrito and Richmond are leading a five- phase process in partnership with the MIG consultant team. This process expected to lead to an adopted plan in the summer of 2008 (see Figure 1.1). The first phase of work will focus on background analysis, drawing from studies and information already available and supplementing this work with additional field observations, research and analysis to fully understand the existing conditions in the Planning Area. The second phase of work will focus on community outreach in an effort to define a vision for the future of San Pablo Avenue. Following this effort, the team will develop alternative improvement scenarios, evaluate their effects, and select a preferred alternative to include in the specific plan. The final two phases consist of plan writing, followed by public review, environmental analysis and adoption. To help guide the process as the plan develops, a San Pablo Avenue Advisory Committee (SPAAC) will serve in an advisory role to the El Cerrito and Richmond city councils and make recommendations. Staff from both jurisdictions will participate in ongoing team meetings to provide additional guidance and technical Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 2 ---PAGE BREAK--- Staff and Public Involvement Planning and Design Process January - July 2007 Develop Alternatives Visioning Establish/Refine Baseline Conditions Draft Strategy Adoption Outreach Kit Products Figure 1.1 June 2007 August 2007 September 2007 - February 2008 March - June 2008 July - August 2008 JSC Meeting Review Preliminary Alternatives November 2007 Flyer #1 Develop Draft Alternatives Select & Refine Preferred Alternative Administrative Draft Plan Revise/Refine Plan Issues & Opportunities Report Alternatives Analysis Administrative Draft Plan San Pablo Avenue Advisory Committee (SPAAC) Meeting Initiation and Initial Issues & Opportunities Discussion June 28, 2007 Community Workshop Reimagine San Pablo Avenue August 18, 2007 Community Workshop Validate Preferred Alternative February 2008 Public Review Draft Plan Final Plan SPECIFIC PLAN a cooperative effort between the City of El Cerrito and the City of Richmond San Pablo Avenue Community Workshop Confirm Draft Plan June 2008 Joint Staff Committee (JSC) Meeting #1 January 25, 2007 JSC Meeting Review Issues & Opportunities July 27, 2007 JSC Meeting Review Draft Plan May 2008 Planning Commission Workshops & Hearings City Council Workshops & Hearings “Community Connector” Meetings SPAAC Meeting Review Draft Plan June 2008 Utilities & Infrastructure Transportation Market Analysis Final Plan Approval JSC Meeting Review Preliminary Standards and Guidelines March 2008 JSC Meeting Review Alternative Concepts October 2007 Development Standards Implementation & Administration Goals & Objectives Development Concept Community Services Circulation Infrastructure/Utilities Public Input Summary and Vision SPAAC Meeting Identify Preferred Alternative December 13, 2007 Architectural and Streetscape Design Land Use Inventory SPAAC Meeting Review/ Confirm Vision Statement and Build Preliminary Alternatives August 30, 2007 Flyer #2 CEQA Documentation Background Analysis Draft Initial Study/MND ONGOING COORDINATION WITH SPECIFIC PLAN TEAM Final MND ---PAGE BREAK--- information. The general public will also be invited to participate in three community workshops to help identify a vision, improvement concepts, and final plan contents. 1.4 CONTEXT Extending through the western portion of Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, San Pablo Avenue is a major north-south boulevard that parallels Interstate 80. Its southern end begins in the City of Oakland and the street continues north through the cities of Emeryville, Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito, Richmond, San Pablo and Pinole. The Avenue is designated State Route 123 for much of its length, including within the Planning Area. Given the number of communities that it connects, and its proximity to two major freeways, San Pablo Avenue carries a great deal of regional through-traffic in addition to local users drawn to the Avenue’s mix of retail and commercial services. The Avenue is a primary business route, as well as a major commute and transit thoroughfare. The study area includes parcels in both the City of El Cerrito and the City of Richmond. The City of El Cerrito is primarily a residential community with approximately 23,000 residents and a land use pattern dominated by single-family homes. The City’s neighborhoods extend east from the “flats” along San Pablo Avenue into the nearby hills. Recently, multifamily residential development has occurred on infill parcels along San Pablo Avenue and the BART right-of-way, which parallels San Pablo Avenue. The majority of the City’s commercial uses are located along the Avenue, including a broad array of small shop fronts, neighborhood-serving stores, and regional retail establishments. Located directly north and west of El Cerrito, Richmond is home to more than 100,000 residents. Historically an industrial community, Richmond has suffered economically in recent decades with the decline of shipbuilding and other heavy industries, as well as the increase in suburban residential development in the eastern parts of Contra Costa County. New residential construction in the City has primarily occurred near the City’s port and municipal marina, and in the northern areas near the Hilltop Mall. While some new residential projects have also occurred near the Downtown and the BART station, development activity at the City’s fringes has led to a lack of private investment in Richmond’s central neighborhoods. As a result, many of Richmond’s older commercial areas, including Macdonald Avenue, have struggled to remain vibrant, and the City has suffered from retail leakage to nearby municipalities. Figure 1.2: Regional Context Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 3 ---PAGE BREAK--- 1.5 SPECIFIC PLAN PLANNING AREA The San Pablo Specific Plan Planning Area sits entirely within Contra Costa County. It extends for approximately two and one-half miles, beginning at El Cerrito Plaza in the south and continuing to Nevin Avenue in the north. The Planning Area includes all of the blocks that have frontage on San Pablo Avenue between these points. In the southern portion of the Planning Area the boundary extends east to include the El Cerrito Plaza BART station and west along Central Avenue between San Pablo Avenue and Interstate 80. (See Figure 1.3). The majority of the Planning Area parcels are within the City of El Cerrito. The Planning Area also includes parcels within the City of Richmond at the Macdonald Avenue intersection and along the western side of the San Pablo Avenue in the area known as the “Richmond Annex.” These nearby Richmond neighborhoods are the areas of the City most likely to benefit from San Pablo Avenue’s revitalization, and will contribute demand for local-serving commercial uses along the corridor. A variety of transportation options, including mass transit, automobiles, walking and biking, contribute to the character of the San Pablo Avenue corridor. The Planning Area includes two BART stations: El Cerrito Del Norte and El Cerrito Plaza. The stations accommodate more than 10,000 riders each day and serve as a major transit hub for buses. In addition, the Ohlone Greenway runs adjacent to the corridor along the BART right-of-way. This trail connects Richmond, El Cerrito, and Berkeley and is easily accessible from the Planning Area. The Planning Area also accommodates high volumes of automobile traffic. Several key landmarks and retail centers are located within the Planning Area. The City of El Cerrito’s civic center is located in the study area at the intersection of San Pablo Avenue and Manila Avenue. The old City Hall building is in the process of being replaced with a new facility. Also, Del Norte Marketplace and El Cerrito Plaza are major shopping centers located within the Planning Area. The overall character of the Planning Area is shaped by both these key landmarks and the various transportation options. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 4 ---PAGE BREAK--- Ohlone Greenway RICHMOND ST KEY BLVD NORVELL ST SCHMIDT LN NAVELLIER ST SAN JOAQUIN ST S 55TH ST MANILA AVE STOCKTON AVE BLAKE ST SAN MATEO ST PORTOLA DR DONAL AVE BAYVIEW AVE GLADYS AVE LINCOLN AVE POMONA AVE WALDO AVE ALBEMARLE ST SUTTER AVE FRESNO AVE JORDAN A VE SCOTT ST MONTEREY ST S 47TH ST HAGEN BLVD CUTTING BLVD NEVIN AVE CLAYTON AVE HILL ST ALVA AVE KNOTT AVE AVIS DR LAWRENCE ST CARL AVE C E N T R A L A VE VAN FLEET AVE SANTA CRUZ AVE CARQUINEZ AVE HUNTINGTON AVE TAMALPAIS AVE SHASTA ST BERK AVE BUTTE ST SAN JOSE AVE S 52ND ST KEARNEY ST FALL AVE GANGES ST ISABEL ST CYPRESS AVE GATELY AVE PIERCE ST YOSEMITE AVE S 56TH ST MERCED ST S 45TH ST GATTO AVE EL DORADO ST MARIPOSA ST MONO AVE ALAMEDA AVE CREELY AVE HARPER ST J ACUZZI S T S 59TH ST L A GUNI T A S A VE CONLON AVE S 58TH ST SAN BENITO ST HARTNETT AVE BELMONT AVE MENDOCINO ST AVILA ST FERN ST S 50TH ST JEFFERSON AVE OVEREND AVE WILSON AVE MADISON AVE TULARE AVE SNOWDON AVE COLU MBIA AVE M IR A V ISTA D R FALLON AVE CARLSTON ST GLEN MAWR AVE CARLOS AVE RYDIN RD KING DR S 57TH ST LIBERTY ST ELLS ST WESLEY AVE LASSEN ST PI NE HU RST SCHOOL AVE HUDSON ST SANTA CLARA AVE FRAY AVE STATE AVE OSCAR ST TAFT AVE TERRACE DR WALNUT ST ORCHARD AVE JULIAN DR OAK ST RIVERA ST LUDWIG AVE CAMPBELL ST KENILWORTH AVE PLANK AVE SEAVIEW PL WALL AVE KENT DR S 49TH ST EASTSHORE BLVD SAN LUIS ST LEXINGTON AVE SP Y G LASS SCENIC ST PLACER ST PANAMA AVE CEDAR ST DIMM ST CABRILLO ST ALTA PUNTA ST MADERA DR TEHAMA AVE WENK AVE F ST SANTA CLARA ST EUREKA AVE 46TH ST 45TH ST REID CT BISSELL AVE EDITH ST WALDO LN MOUND AVE A R N O CT DOW NEY P L MODOC AVE M A D E RA CIR PLUMAS AVE BEHRENS ST VICTORIA ST YOLO AVE FAIRVIEW AVE GLORIA ST S 46TH ST CASTILLA AVE HOTCHKISS AVE SACRAMENTO AVE CORONADO ST GORDON AVE BURLINGAME AVE JUL I A N C T MANOR CIR STATE CT BELL CT MORRIS AVE P E B B L E BEA C H DR MADERA CT NAPA ST PRATHER AVE PLAZA WY HERSHEY CT MC LAUGHLIN ST TAHOE PL WALL AVE ESCUELA CT WILLOW ST MAIDEN LN HARVARD ST POMONA CT PINEHURST BREWSTER CT SACRAMENTO AVE SANTA CLARA ST MADISON AVE S 47TH ST MARIPOSA ST S 49TH ST VAN FLEET AVE KEARNEY ST LEXINGTON AVE EVERETT ST KEARNEY ST PANAMA AVE S 49TH ST LEXINGTON AVE SAN JOSE AVE MERCED ST SAN LUIS ST PLUMAS AVE EUREKA AVE MODOC AVE HARVARD ST H U N T I N G TO N AVE EURE K A BURLINGAME AVE BAYVIEW AVE S 57TH ST LIBERTY ST HIGHLAND AVE JUNCTION AVE COLUMBIA AVE ELM ST NORVELL ST FRESNO AVE COLUSA AVE S 45TH ST EVERETT ST LIBERTY ST TEHAMA AVE MIRA VISTA DR LIBERTY ST KEARNEY ST S 45TH ST SANTA CLARA AVE SANTA CLARA ST CYPRESS AVE S 56TH ST WALL AVE SAN PABLO AVE SAN PABLO AVE CARLSON BLVD POTRERO AVE POTRERO AVE CENTRAL AVE MOESER LN CUTTING BLVD AR LI NG TON BLVD ASHBURY AVE FAIRMOUNT AVE BART - Richmond Line MACDONALD AVE Hillside Natural Area Mira Vista Country Club & Golf Hillside Natural Area Castro Park Booker T. Anderson, Jr. Park Cerrito Vista Park Canyon Trail Park Point Isabel Regional Shoreline Eastshore State Park Casa Cerrito Rec Center El Cerrito Plaza BART Station El Cerrito del Norte BART Station El Cerrito City Hall El Cerrito Plaza Del Norte Place Former Albertson's Site The Village at Town Center A L B A N Y E L C E R R I T O R I C H M O N D San Francisco Bay C e rrito Cr e ek B ax t er C reek I-580 I-80 San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Figure 1.3: Project Area Project Area Parks Ohlone Greenway Future Richmond Greenway BART Alignment City Limits Waterbodies Freeway ! BART Station Creek Channelized Creek 0 FEET 1000 2000 N Activity Node: ¼-mile ---PAGE BREAK--- CHAPTER TWO L a n d U s e ---PAGE BREAK--- 2 LAND USE This chapter focuses on existing and allowed land uses in the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Planning Area. Specifically, the chapter analyzes how existing land use is apportioned within the Planning Area, what the existing general plan and zoning designations allow, and where vacant and underutilized land is located. The information from this analysis provides a base for guiding future land use decisions and development in the Planning Area. 2.1 KEY FINDINGS Commercial uses make up more than 60 percent of the existing land use in the Planning Area. Residential uses within the study area are predominately multi-family. Surface parking and large-format retail surround the BART stations. Vacant and underutilized parcels are located throughout the corridor, notably near the intersection of San Pablo Avenue and Macdonald Avenue, and surrounding the Del Norte and El Cerrito Plaza BART stations. There is limited park land within the Planning Area, but there are several parks within walking distance, including the Ohlone Greenway. The El Cerrito General Plan and the proposed Richmond General Plan both designate mixed-use along to corridor as a means of enhancing the existing commercial base and providing new housing units close to amenities. El Cerrito zoning standards use an incentives program where density bonuses are given to developments that incorporate desirable components, such as mixed-use, affordable housing, shared parking, or public amenities. Richmond zoning standards allow for a mix of uses but do not provide density bonuses or other incentives. The City‘s current zoning code update is scheduled to be completed in early 2008 and is expected to provide improved standards for mixed-use designations and related development incentives. 2.2 EXISTING LAND USES 2.2.1 Existing Uses The land use pattern and character of San Pablo Avenue is largely shaped by automobile-oriented commercial uses that were mostly developed between the 1950s and 1980s. Strip malls with parking fronting the street are intermixed with auto-related businesses, restaurants, and small retailers. The Del Norte and El Cerrito Plaza BART stations also play a significant role in shaping land use character along the corridor with large amounts of parking at key activity nodes. Single- and multi-family residential uses are primarily located on streets perpendicular and parallel to the San Pablo Avenue. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the construction of mixed-use development that incorporates retail, office, and residential uses in the Planning Area. The following map (Figure 2.1) and table (Table 2.1) show the allocation and distribution of existing land use in the study area. Existing Conditions Analysis San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 4 ---PAGE BREAK--- Ohlone Greenway RICHMOND ST KEY BLVD NORVELL ST SCHMIDT LN NAVELLIER ST SAN JOAQUIN ST S 55TH ST MANILA AVE STOCKTON AVE BLAKE ST SAN MATEO ST PORTOLA DR DONAL AVE BAYVIEW AVE GLADYS AVE LINCOLN AVE POMONA AVE WALDO AVE ALBEMARLE ST SUTTER AVE FRESNO AVE JORDAN A VE SCOTT ST MONTEREY ST S 47TH ST HAGEN BLVD CUTTING BLVD NEVIN AVE CLAYTON AVE HILL ST ALVA AVE KNOTT AVE AVIS DR LAWRENCE ST CARL AVE C E N T R A L A VE VAN FLEET AVE SANTA CRUZ AVE CARQUINEZ AVE HUNTINGTON AVE TAMALPAIS AVE SHASTA ST BERK AVE BUTTE ST SAN JOSE AVE S 52ND ST KEARNEY ST FALL AVE GANGES ST ISABEL ST CYPRESS AVE GATELY AVE PIERCE ST YOSEMITE AVE S 56TH ST MERCED ST S 45TH ST GATTO AVE EL DORADO ST MARIPOSA ST MONO AVE ALAMEDA AVE CREELY AVE HARPER ST J ACUZZI S T S 59TH ST L A GUNI T A S A VE CONLON AVE S 58TH ST SAN BENITO ST HARTNETT AVE BELMONT AVE MENDOCINO ST AVILA ST FERN ST S 50TH ST JEFFERSON AVE OVEREND AVE WILSON AVE MADISON AVE TULARE AVE SNOWDON AVE COLU MBIA AVE M IR A V ISTA D R FALLON AVE CARLSTON ST GLEN MAWR AVE CARLOS AVE RYDIN RD KING DR S 57TH ST LIBERTY ST ELLS ST WESLEY AVE LASSEN ST PI NE HU RST SCHOOL AVE HUDSON ST SANTA CLARA AVE FRAY AVE STATE AVE OSCAR ST TAFT AVE TERRACE DR WALNUT ST ORCHARD AVE JULIAN DR OAK ST RIVERA ST LUDWIG AVE CAMPBELL ST KENILWORTH AVE PLANK AVE SEAVIEW PL WALL AVE KENT DR S 49TH ST EASTSHORE BLVD SAN LUIS ST LEXINGTON AVE SP Y G LASS SCENIC ST PLACER ST PANAMA AVE CEDAR ST DIMM ST CABRILLO ST ALTA PUNTA ST MADERA DR TEHAMA AVE WENK AVE F ST SANTA CLARA ST EUREKA AVE 46TH ST 45TH ST REID CT BISSELL AVE EDITH ST WALDO LN MOUND AVE A R N O CT DOW NEY P L MODOC AVE M A D E RA CIR PLUMAS AVE BEHRENS ST VICTORIA ST YOLO AVE FAIRVIEW AVE GLORIA ST S 46TH ST CASTILLA AVE HOTCHKISS AVE SACRAMENTO AVE CORONADO ST GORDON AVE BURLINGAME AVE JUL I A N C T MANOR CIR STATE CT BELL CT MORRIS AVE P E B B L E BEA C H DR MADERA CT NAPA ST PRATHER AVE PLAZA WY HERSHEY CT MC LAUGHLIN ST TAHOE PL WALL AVE ESCUELA CT WILLOW ST MAIDEN LN HARVARD ST POMONA CT PINEHURST BREWSTER CT SACRAMENTO AVE SANTA CLARA ST MADISON AVE S 47TH ST MARIPOSA ST S 49TH ST VAN FLEET AVE KEARNEY ST LEXINGTON AVE EVERETT ST KEARNEY ST PANAMA AVE S 49TH ST LEXINGTON AVE SAN JOSE AVE MERCED ST SAN LUIS ST PLUMAS AVE EUREKA AVE MODOC AVE HARVARD ST H U N T I N G TO N AVE EURE K A BURLINGAME AVE BAYVIEW AVE S 57TH ST LIBERTY ST HIGHLAND AVE JUNCTION AVE COLUMBIA AVE ELM ST NORVELL ST FRESNO AVE COLUSA AVE S 45TH ST EVERETT ST LIBERTY ST TEHAMA AVE MIRA VISTA DR LIBERTY ST KEARNEY ST S 45TH ST SANTA CLARA AVE SANTA CLARA ST CYPRESS AVE S 56TH ST WALL AVE SAN PABLO AVE SAN PABLO AVE CARLSON BLVD POTRERO AVE POTRERO AVE CENTRAL AVE MOESER LN CUTTING BLVD AR LI NG TON BLVD ASHBURY AVE FAIRMOUNT AVE BART - Richmond Line MACDONALD AVE Hillside Natural Area Mira Vista Country Club & Golf Hillside Natural Area Castro Park Booker T. Anderson, Jr. Park Cerrito Vista Park Canyon Trail Park Point Isabel Regional Shoreline Eastshore State Park Casa Cerrito Rec Center El Cerrito Plaza BART Station El Cerrito del Norte BART Station El Cerrito City Hall El Cerrito Plaza Del Norte Place Former Albertson's Site The Village at Town Center A L B A N Y E L C E R R I T O R I C H M O N D San Francisco Bay C e rrito Cr e ek B ax t er C reek I-580 I-80 San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Figure 2.1: Existing Land Use 0 FEET 1000 2000 N Multi-Family Residential Auto-Related Business Mixed-Use Public, Quasi-Public, and Institutional Retail-Oriented Business Vacant Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Office Light Industrial Motel/Hotel Parking Single-Family Residential ---PAGE BREAK--- Table 2.1: Existing Land Use El Cerrito (Acres) Richmond (Acres) Total (Acres) Percent Residential Single-Family Residential 9.8 1.2 11.0 5% Multi-Family Residential 19.6 4.1 25.0 11% Mixed-Use 5.2 0.0 3.8 2% Commercial Auto-Related Business 9.6 8.6 18.3 8% Motel 1.3 1.7 3.0 1% Office 10.8 3.2 14.1 6% Retail-Oriented Business 85.3 16.8 102.1 47% Industrial 1.5 1.2 2.7 1% Vacant and Parking Vacant 3.2 3.7 6.9 3% Parking 10.6 0.6 11.2 5% Public, Quasi-Public and Institutional 12.2 0.7 12.9 6% Parks, Recreation and Open Space 4.9 1.5 6.4 3% Total 174.0 43.3 217 100% Percentage 80.1% 19.9% 2.2.2 Residential Residential uses account for 16 percent of the existing land use in the Planning Area. Approximately two- thirds of the residential acreage is multi-family and one-third is single-family. Residential uses in the Planning Area are primarily located on parcels that do not front San Pablo Avenue—that is, parcels along streets perpendicular or parallel to San Pablo Avenue. The Civic Plaza Apartments, however, are located to the north of El Cerrito City Hall directly on San Pablo Avenue. These multi-family apartments occupy approximately five acres. 2.2.3 Mixed-Use There are currently three mixed-use developments within the Planning Area, accounting for two percent of the existing land use. The Village at Town Center, located at the corner of San Pablo Avenue and Schmidt Lane, consists of 158 units above and around ground-floor retail space. Del Norte Place, located at Knott Avenue and San Pablo Avenue, mixes ground-floor retail with three upper floors of apartments. A third development, located at the intersection of Moeser Lane and Kearney Street, is comprised of offices above retail. While this development does not include a residential component, it provides a mix of commercial uses that is appropriate for the Avenue. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 5 ---PAGE BREAK--- 2.2.4 Commercial Commercial uses, including retail, office, auto-related businesses, and motels, make up 62 percent of the land use in the Planning Area. Retail-oriented uses, such as restaurants, shopping centers, and service-focused stores, are the predominant land use throughout the Planning Area, especially on parcels fronting San Pablo Avenue. There are two major shopping centers within the Planning Area: Del Norte Marketplace – Major retailers include Orchard Supply Hardware, Staples and Walgreens. El Cerrito Plaza – Major retailers include Albertsons, Trader Joe’s, Longs Drugs, Barnes and Noble, and several other “big-box” stores. In addition, Home Depot, Target, two Safeways, Marshalls, and another Longs Drugs are located in the Planning Area. Locally owned businesses and offices also have a strong presence along the corridor and are typically located on smaller lots. Auto-related businesses such as car dealerships, auto repair shops, and gas stations comprise eight percent of the land use and play a significant role along the Avenue. While the auto-repair shops tend to be small and cater to local residents, the car dealerships attract customers from the region and provide the city with much needed tax revenue. 2.2.5 Industrial Industrial uses make up only about one percent of the land use in the Planning Area. These are primarily composed of warehouse and other light industrial uses. While some industrial activities conflict with commercial and residential land uses, the existing industrial businesses are light and nonpolluting. Some industrial spaces, such as those along Bissel Avenue, cater to artist live/work uses. 2.2.6 Vacant Parcels and Parking Approximately seven acres, or three percent of the Planning Area, is vacant. The vacant parcels are scattered throughout the study area and range in size from 0.1 to two acres. A prominent vacant parcel is the Albertsons site at the intersection of Macdonald Avenue and San Pablo Avenue. This parcel was vacated by Albertsons in the summer of 2006 and has not been reoccupied. There are also several parcels completely devoted to parking, especially surrounding the two BART stations. These parcels make up five percent of the total land use in the Planning Area. 2.2.7 Public, Quasi-Public, and Institutional Public, quasi-public, and institutional uses make up approximately six percent of the land use in the Planning Area. The City of El Cerrito’s civic center is located in the study area at the intersection of San Pablo Avenue and Manila Avenue. The old City Hall building is in the process of being replaced with a new facility. Many public services are located in the area surrounding the City Hall site, reinforcing the area as the civic heart of El Cerrito. Two BART stations, El Cerrito Del Norte and El Cerrito Plaza, are located within the Planning Area. The stations provide an excellent opportunity to create transit-oriented development (TOD) where residents have easy access to public transportation. Three churches and a private Catholic school are also located within the Planning Area. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 6 ---PAGE BREAK--- 2.2.8 Parks and Recreation Parks and recreation uses account for approximately one percent of the existing land use. This includes portions of the Ohlone Greenway, located along the BART right-of-way and just east of San Pablo Avenue. This trail connects Richmond, El Cerrito, and Berkeley and is easily accessible from the Planning Area. Central Park is situated along Central Avenue, just within Richmond’s city limits. This one and a half acre park includes a baseball diamond surrounded by large trees. In the northern part of the study area a portion of Baxter Creek was recently restored with added park amenities, including a walking trail connecting to the Ohlone Greenway, benches, and landscaping. Park facilities within a quarter mile of the Planning Area include: Canyon Trail Park, Fairmont Park, Huntington Park, Medicino Playlot, and Abraham Braxton Park. 2.3 ALLOWED LAND USES 2.3.1 General Plan Land Use El Cerrito General Plan Land Use Land use designations within the City of El Cerrito are predominantly residential. While land designated for single-family uses spreads eastward into the hills, multi-family land use designations are concentrated adjacent to the BART right-of-way and along Central Avenue. Within the Planning Area, residential land uses are designated as high density and located along Central Avenue and east of San Pablo Avenue. Commercial land use is almost entirely concentrated along San Pablo Avenue and located within the Planning Area. The general plan identifies these uses as “Mixed-Use Commercial” to allow for a mix of retail, office, and residential uses. Richmond General Plan Land Use The City of Richmond has a wide mix of residential, industrial, commercial, recreation, and open space land uses designated city-wide. Within the Planning Area, however, land is primarily designated as general commercial. The City of Richmond is currently undertaking a comprehensive update of their general plan. This process has identified San Pablo Avenue as an “Opportunity Corridor” where new land uses will be proposed during the update process. The most recent draft land use alternatives designate the entire corridor as “Medium Intensity Mixed-Use,” which would permit commercial and residential uses. As this specific plan and the general plan update advance simultaneously, it will be important to consider any preferred alternative or policy changes that affect the study area. The General Plan Land Use map (see Figure 2.2) shows the locations of general plan land use designations in the Planning Area. 2.3.2 Zoning Zoning Designations Six of El Cerrito’s zoning designations are located within the Planning Area. The zoning code applies development standards for residential density and commercial intensity. Residential density is determined by maximum dwelling units per acre and commercial density is determined by a maximum floor area ratio Density bonuses are allowed when the development provides incentives like affordable or senior housing. Mixed-use designations are defined by a combination of F.A.R. for commercial components and dwelling units per acre for residential components. The Transit-Oriented Mixed-Use designation makes up Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 7 ---PAGE BREAK--- Ohlone Greenway RICHMOND ST KEY BLVD NORVELL ST SCHMIDT LN NAVELLIER ST SAN JOAQUIN ST S 55TH ST MANILA AVE STOCKTON AVE BLAKE ST SAN MATEO ST PORTOLA DR DONAL AVE BAYVIEW AVE GLADYS AVE LINCOLN AVE POMONA AVE WALDO AVE ALBEMARLE ST SUTTER AVE FRESNO AVE JORDAN A VE SCOTT ST MONTEREY ST S 47TH ST HAGEN BLVD CUTTING BLVD NEVIN AVE CLAYTON AVE HILL ST ALVA AVE KNOTT AVE AVIS DR LAWRENCE ST CARL AVE C E N T R A L A VE VAN FLEET AVE SANTA CRUZ AVE CARQUINEZ AVE HUNTINGTON AVE TAMALPAIS AVE SHASTA ST BERK AVE BUTTE ST SAN JOSE AVE S 52ND ST KEARNEY ST FALL AVE GANGES ST ISABEL ST CYPRESS AVE GATELY AVE PIERCE ST YOSEMITE AVE S 56TH ST MERCED ST S 45TH ST GATTO AVE EL DORADO ST MARIPOSA ST MONO AVE ALAMEDA AVE CREELY AVE HARPER ST J ACUZZI S T S 59TH ST L A GUNI T A S A VE CONLON AVE S 58TH ST SAN BENITO ST HARTNETT AVE BELMONT AVE MENDOCINO ST AVILA ST FERN ST S 50TH ST JEFFERSON AVE OVEREND AVE WILSON AVE MADISON AVE TULARE AVE SNOWDON AVE COLU MBIA AVE M IR A V ISTA D R FALLON AVE CARLSTON ST GLEN MAWR AVE CARLOS AVE RYDIN RD KING DR S 57TH ST LIBERTY ST ELLS ST WESLEY AVE LASSEN ST PI NE HU RST SCHOOL AVE HUDSON ST SANTA CLARA AVE FRAY AVE STATE AVE OSCAR ST TAFT AVE TERRACE DR WALNUT ST ORCHARD AVE JULIAN DR OAK ST RIVERA ST LUDWIG AVE CAMPBELL ST KENILWORTH AVE PLANK AVE SEAVIEW PL WALL AVE KENT DR S 49TH ST EASTSHORE BLVD SAN LUIS ST LEXINGTON AVE SP Y G LASS SCENIC ST PLACER ST PANAMA AVE CEDAR ST DIMM ST CABRILLO ST ALTA PUNTA ST MADERA DR TEHAMA AVE WENK AVE F ST SANTA CLARA ST EUREKA AVE 46TH ST 45TH ST REID CT BISSELL AVE EDITH ST WALDO LN MOUND AVE A R N O CT DOW NEY P L MODOC AVE M A D E RA CIR PLUMAS AVE BEHRENS ST VICTORIA ST YOLO AVE FAIRVIEW AVE GLORIA ST S 46TH ST CASTILLA AVE HOTCHKISS AVE SACRAMENTO AVE CORONADO ST GORDON AVE BURLINGAME AVE JUL I A N C T MANOR CIR STATE CT BELL CT MORRIS AVE P E B B L E BEA C H DR MADERA CT NAPA ST PRATHER AVE PLAZA WY HERSHEY CT MC LAUGHLIN ST TAHOE PL WALL AVE ESCUELA CT WILLOW ST MAIDEN LN HARVARD ST POMONA CT PINEHURST BREWSTER CT SACRAMENTO AVE SANTA CLARA ST MADISON AVE S 47TH ST MARIPOSA ST S 49TH ST VAN FLEET AVE KEARNEY ST LEXINGTON AVE EVERETT ST KEARNEY ST PANAMA AVE S 49TH ST LEXINGTON AVE SAN JOSE AVE MERCED ST SAN LUIS ST PLUMAS AVE EUREKA AVE MODOC AVE HARVARD ST H U N T I N G TO N AVE EURE K A BURLINGAME AVE BAYVIEW AVE S 57TH ST LIBERTY ST HIGHLAND AVE JUNCTION AVE COLUMBIA AVE ELM ST NORVELL ST FRESNO AVE COLUSA AVE S 45TH ST EVERETT ST LIBERTY ST TEHAMA AVE MIRA VISTA DR LIBERTY ST KEARNEY ST S 45TH ST SANTA CLARA AVE SANTA CLARA ST CYPRESS AVE S 56TH ST WALL AVE SAN PABLO AVE SAN PABLO AVE CARLSON BLVD POTRERO AVE POTRERO AVE CENTRAL AVE MOESER LN CUTTING BLVD AR LI NG TON BLVD ASHBURY AVE FAIRMOUNT AVE BART - Richmond Line MACDONALD AVE El Cerrito Plaza BART Station El Cerrito del Norte BART Station El Cerrito City Hall El Cerrito Plaza Del Norte Place Former Albertson's Site The Village at Town Center A L B A N Y E L C E R R I T O R I C H M O N D San Francisco Bay C e rrito Cr e ek B ax t er C reek I-580 I-80 San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Figure 2.2: General Plan Land Use 0 FEET 1000 2000 N Parks, Recreation and Open Space Public, Institutional and Utility Commercial/ Mixed Use Residential Industrial City Limits Waterbodies Ohlone Greenway Future Richmond Greenway BART Alignment Freeway ! BART Station Creek Channelized Creek ---PAGE BREAK--- 52 percent of the study area. This designation is designed to create and maintain pedestrian-friendly, mixed- use nodes surrounding the Del Norte and El Cerrito Plaza BART stations. Six of Richmond’s current zoning designations are located within the Planning Area, including three residential designations and two commercial. Most of the Richmond parcels are designated with General Commercial zoning, which allows a wide array of commercial-related activities. Richmond’s regional commercial category, which is intended to permit commercial retail that draws customers from around the region, makes up one percent of the Planning Area and along Central Avenue. As part of the comprehensive general plan update, the City of Richmond’s zoning code is undergoing review and revisions. The new code is expected to be completed in early 2008 and will provide improved standards for mixed-use designations and related development incentives. New zoning standards will provide additional detail for new all uses adopted through the update. The Zoning Designations table (Table 2.2) and map (Figure 2.3) show the distribution of zoning categories in the study area. Table 2.2: Zoning Designations Existing Development Standards Zoning Designation Acres Percent Dwelling Units per Acre Floor Area Ratio Height El Cerrito Single-Family Residential (RS) 2.2 1% 10 35 (40 with CUP*) Multi-Family Residential (RM) 10.7 5% 21-35 35 Transit Oriented Mixed-Use (TOM) 112.9 52% Up to 35 (70 with incentives) 2.0 (3.0 with incentives) 35 (50 with CUP) Community Commercial (CC) 43.4 20% Up to 35 (45 with incentives) 2.0 (3.0 with incentives) 50 (65 with CUP) Public/Semi-Public (PS) 3.6 2% Open space Parks and Recreation (OS-PR) 1.1 0.5% Richmond Single-Family Low Density Residential (SFR-3) 0.7 0.3% 11** 35.0 Multi-Family Residential (MFR-1) 2.5 1% 26 35.0 Multi-Family High Density Residential (MFR-3) 0.2 0.1% 54 45.0 General Commercial (C-2) 34.0 16% 34 2.0 45.0 Regional Commercial (C-3) 4.4 2% 1.5 65.0 Community and Regional Recreation (CRR) 1.5 1% Total 217.2 100% *CUP - Conditional use permit **Richmond resiential densities are defined by minumum lot area per unit. To relate more closely with El Cerrito densities these values were converted to dwelling units per acre by dividing the minimum lot area by 43,560 (the number of square feet in an acre). Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 8 ---PAGE BREAK--- Ohlone Greenway RICHMOND ST KEY BLVD NORVELL ST SCHMIDT LN NAVELLIER ST SAN JOAQUIN ST S 55TH ST MANILA AVE STOCKTON AVE BLAKE ST SAN MATEO ST PORTOLA DR DONAL AVE BAYVIEW AVE GLADYS AVE LINCOLN AVE POMONA AVE WALDO AVE ALBEMARLE ST SUTTER AVE FRESNO AVE JORDAN A VE SCOTT ST MONTEREY ST S 47TH ST HAGEN BLVD CUTTING BLVD NEVIN AVE CLAYTON AVE HILL ST ALVA AVE KNOTT AVE AVIS DR LAWRENCE ST CARL AVE C E N T R A L A VE VAN FLEET AVE SANTA CRUZ AVE CARQUINEZ AVE HUNTINGTON AVE TAMALPAIS AVE SHASTA ST BERK AVE BUTTE ST SAN JOSE AVE S 52ND ST KEARNEY ST FALL AVE GANGES ST ISABEL ST CYPRESS AVE GATELY AVE PIERCE ST YOSEMITE AVE S 56TH ST MERCED ST S 45TH ST GATTO AVE EL DORADO ST MARIPOSA ST MONO AVE ALAMEDA AVE CREELY AVE HARPER ST J ACUZZI S T S 59TH ST L A GUNI T A S A VE CONLON AVE S 58TH ST SAN BENITO ST HARTNETT AVE BELMONT AVE MENDOCINO ST AVILA ST FERN ST S 50TH ST JEFFERSON AVE OVEREND AVE WILSON AVE MADISON AVE TULARE AVE SNOWDON AVE COLU MBIA AVE M IR A V ISTA D R FALLON AVE CARLSTON ST GLEN MAWR AVE CARLOS AVE RYDIN RD KING DR S 57TH ST LIBERTY ST ELLS ST WESLEY AVE LASSEN ST PI NE HU RST SCHOOL AVE HUDSON ST SANTA CLARA AVE FRAY AVE STATE AVE OSCAR ST TAFT AVE TERRACE DR WALNUT ST ORCHARD AVE JULIAN DR OAK ST RIVERA ST LUDWIG AVE CAMPBELL ST KENILWORTH AVE PLANK AVE SEAVIEW PL WALL AVE KENT DR S 49TH ST EASTSHORE BLVD SAN LUIS ST LEXINGTON AVE SP Y G LASS SCENIC ST PLACER ST PANAMA AVE CEDAR ST DIMM ST CABRILLO ST ALTA PUNTA ST MADERA DR TEHAMA AVE WENK AVE F ST SANTA CLARA ST EUREKA AVE 46TH ST 45TH ST REID CT BISSELL AVE EDITH ST WALDO LN MOUND AVE A R N O CT DOW NEY P L MODOC AVE M A D E RA CIR PLUMAS AVE BEHRENS ST VICTORIA ST YOLO AVE FAIRVIEW AVE GLORIA ST S 46TH ST CASTILLA AVE HOTCHKISS AVE SACRAMENTO AVE CORONADO ST GORDON AVE BURLINGAME AVE JUL I A N C T MANOR CIR STATE CT BELL CT MORRIS AVE P E B B L E BEA C H DR MADERA CT NAPA ST PRATHER AVE PLAZA WY HERSHEY CT MC LAUGHLIN ST TAHOE PL WALL AVE ESCUELA CT WILLOW ST MAIDEN LN HARVARD ST POMONA CT PINEHURST BREWSTER CT SACRAMENTO AVE SANTA CLARA ST MADISON AVE S 47TH ST MARIPOSA ST S 49TH ST VAN FLEET AVE KEARNEY ST LEXINGTON AVE EVERETT ST KEARNEY ST PANAMA AVE S 49TH ST LEXINGTON AVE SAN JOSE AVE MERCED ST SAN LUIS ST PLUMAS AVE EUREKA AVE MODOC AVE HARVARD ST H U N T I N G TO N AVE EURE K A BURLINGAME AVE BAYVIEW AVE S 57TH ST LIBERTY ST HIGHLAND AVE JUNCTION AVE COLUMBIA AVE ELM ST NORVELL ST FRESNO AVE COLUSA AVE S 45TH ST EVERETT ST LIBERTY ST TEHAMA AVE MIRA VISTA DR LIBERTY ST KEARNEY ST S 45TH ST SANTA CLARA AVE SANTA CLARA ST CYPRESS AVE S 56TH ST WALL AVE SAN PABLO AVE SAN PABLO AVE CARLSON BLVD POTRERO AVE POTRERO AVE CENTRAL AVE MOESER LN CUTTING BLVD AR LI NG TON BLVD ASHBURY AVE FAIRMOUNT AVE BART - Richmond Line MACDONALD AVE Hillside Natural Area Mira Vista Country Club & Golf Hillside Natural Area Castro Park Booker T. Anderson, Jr. Park Cerrito Vista Park Canyon Trail Park Point Isabel Regional Shoreline Eastshore State Park Casa Cerrito Rec Center El Cerrito Plaza BART Station El Cerrito del Norte BART Station El Cerrito City Hall El Cerrito Plaza Del Norte Place Former Albertson's Site The Village at Town Center Future Richmond Greenway A L B A N Y E L C E R R I T O R I C H M O N D San Francisco Bay C e rrito Cr e ek B ax t er C reek I-580 I-80 San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Figure 2.3: Zoning 0 FEET 1000 2000 N Richmond El Cerrito Community Commercial (up to 35 du/ac, 45 du/ac with incentives) Open Space Parks and Recreation Public\Semi-Public Multi-Family Residential (21-35 du/ac) Single-Family Residential (10 du/ac) Transit-Oriented Mixed-Use (up to 35 du/ac, 70 du/ac with incentives) General Commercial (34 du/ac) Regional Commercial Community and Regional Recreational Multifamily Residential (26-54 du/ac) Single-Family Low Density Residential (11 du/ac) ---PAGE BREAK--- CHAPTER THREE C o m m u n i t y D e s i g n a n d C h a r a c t e r ---PAGE BREAK--- 3 COMMUNITY DESIGN AND CHARACTER This chapter examines the physical, on-the-ground characteristics of the San Pablo Avenue Planning Area. Specifically, the chapter analyzes various components of the public and private realms, and identifies existing assets, character-defining elements and opportunities for design improvements. The information from the analysis provides a base for guiding the design of new development along the Avenue. 3.1 KEY FINDINGS Irregular block size and street grid configuration are significant inhibitors to safe and efficient pedestrian crossings and circulation, The changing scale of the buildings creates variety in the pedestrian experience. There is a poor building edge along the street due to the prominence of parking lots, land uses that typically set buildings off the street and require significant amounts of un-built land, and various grid patterns characterized by frequent streets, particularly along the west edge. A weak building edge can negatively affect the quality of the pedestrian experience, As pedestrians travel the Avenue, the south end, particularly along the eastern side, provides a much richer experience as influenced by building entries and transparency. The quality of the pedestrian environment declines north of Moeser Avenue, though minor nodes of pedestrian friendly building facades exist along some older commercial buildings between Carlos Avenue and Potrero Avenue, The entire range of unfriendly building edges is represented along San Pablo Avenue and, overall, the vast majority of the building edges are unfriendly. Opportunities to enhance the pedestrian edges should be maximized to encourage pedestrian activity and safety along the Avenue. The former Albertson’s site, the Del Norte BART station parking lots, and the Target parking lot are significant opportunity sites. Smaller opportunity sites exist throughout the corridor but will likely require parcel assembly. San Pablo Avenue has many community amenities along its length or in close proximity; capitalizing on the concentration of amenities, enhancing connections to them, and building on the synergy of new civic projects should be pursued. Connections to important destinations within the civic nodes should be established and enhanced to ensure access from adjacent neighborhoods. Existing Conditions Analysis San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 9 ---PAGE BREAK--- 3.2 PREVIOUS URBAN DESIGN PLANS 3.2.1 Olson Company Del Norte BART Redevelopment Plan In 2006, the Olson Company completed a redevelopment plan for the Del Norte BART station area in support of its planned development (see Figure 3.1). The plan has a 10-year horizon date with development in the first five years occurring on the BART surface parking lots and underutilized parcels along San Pablo Avenue. The second five-year phase of development primarily targets the Del Norte Market site across from the BART parking lot. The first five-year phase of the conceptual plan reconfigures the freeway on-ramp/off-ramp system to be a full interchange at Cutting Boulevard to replace the existing split interchange at Eastshore Boulevard and Cutting Boulevard. The plan includes a direct connection between San Pablo Avenue and the Del Norte BART station through new development and improvements. BART’s existing parking structure is to be expanded in the plan to accommodate surface parking spaces that would be displaced by the new development. The Olson Company’s project, a housing development is planned for construction in the first five years the proposal includes 51 medium density residential units. Other new development proposed in the plan includes high-density mixed-use (retail and residential) and structured parking. The plan shows the project’s development intensity transitioning from high to medium as it approaches existing single-family neighborhoods. The second five-year phase of the conceptual plan redesigns the Del Norte Market plaza with new mixed-use (retail and office) buildings and a continuation of the pedestrian connection from the BART station to a new parking structure along the freeway. New open space and streetscape amenities in the 10-year plan include a new open space along Eastshore Boulevard and continuous street trees throughout the planning area. The final concept shows additional infill development with high-density, mixed-use buildings and structured parking. 3.2.2 The San Pablo Avenue Streetscape Improvements Project The San Pablo Avenue Streetscape Improvements Project was initiated by the City of El Cerrito to enhance the public realm of the Avenue between El Cerrito Plaza and Baxter Creek (see Figure 3.1). There are several phases to the implementation of the streetscape improvements. The first two phases, which have been completed, are the Baxter Creek streetscape improvements and the installation of identity signage and banners. Two phases that have yet to be completed, discussed below, include the renovation of median landscaping and streetscape, pedestrian, and transit upgrades. There are four goals set in place related to the renovation of median landscaping. These include: Preserve existing trees and enhance tree canopy; Create seasonal color and visual interest; Use water-conserving and drought tolerant plants; and Unify the street and maintain merchant visibility. The design for median landscaping has been completed for three different median schemes. However, the City of El Cerrito is currently waiting for an encroachment permit from Caltrans to begin implementation. Renovations are currently scheduled for the fall or winter of 2007. There are five goals set in place related to the improvements to streetscape, pedestrian, and transit access. These include: Identify San Pablo Avenue as a distinct place; Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 10 ---PAGE BREAK--- Ohlone Greenway RICHMOND ST KEY BLVD NORVELL ST SCHMIDT LN NAVELLIER ST SAN JOAQUIN ST S 55TH ST MANILA AVE STOCKTON AVE BLAKE ST SAN MATEO ST PORTOLA DR DONAL AVE BAYVIEW AVE GLADYS AVE LINCOLN AVE POMONA AVE WALDO AVE ALBEMARLE ST SUTTER AVE FRESNO AVE JORDAN A VE SCOTT ST MONTEREY ST S 47TH ST HAGEN BLVD CUTTING BLVD NEVIN AVE CLAYTON AVE HILL ST ALVA AVE KNOTT AVE AVIS DR LAWRENCE ST CARL AVE C E N T R A L A VE VAN FLEET AVE SANTA CRUZ AVE CARQUINEZ AVE HUNTINGTON AVE TAMALPAIS AVE SHASTA ST BERK AVE BUTTE ST SAN JOSE AVE S 52ND ST KEARNEY ST FALL AVE GANGES ST ISABEL ST CYPRESS AVE GATELY AVE PIERCE ST YOSEMITE AVE S 56TH ST MERCED ST S 45TH ST GATTO AVE EL DORADO ST MARIPOSA ST MONO AVE ALAMEDA AVE CREELY AVE HARPER ST J ACUZZI S T S 59TH ST L A GUNI T A S A VE CONLON AVE S 58TH ST SAN BENITO ST HARTNETT AVE BELMONT AVE MENDOCINO ST AVILA ST FERN ST S 50TH ST JEFFERSON AVE OVEREND AVE WILSON AVE MADISON AVE TULARE AVE SNOWDON AVE COLU MBIA AVE M IR A V ISTA D R FALLON AVE CARLSTON ST GLEN MAWR AVE CARLOS AVE RYDIN RD KING DR S 57TH ST LIBERTY ST ELLS ST WESLEY AVE LASSEN ST PI NE HU RST SCHOOL AVE HUDSON ST SANTA CLARA AVE FRAY AVE STATE AVE OSCAR ST TAFT AVE TERRACE DR WALNUT ST ORCHARD AVE JULIAN DR OAK ST RIVERA ST LUDWIG AVE CAMPBELL ST KENILWORTH AVE PLANK AVE SEAVIEW PL WALL AVE KENT DR S 49TH ST EASTSHORE BLVD SAN LUIS ST LEXINGTON AVE SP Y G LASS SCENIC ST PLACER ST PANAMA AVE CEDAR ST DIMM ST CABRILLO ST ALTA PUNTA ST MADERA DR TEHAMA AVE WENK AVE F ST SANTA CLARA ST EUREKA AVE 46TH ST 45TH ST REID CT BISSELL AVE EDITH ST WALDO LN MOUND AVE A R N O CT DOW NEY P L MODOC AVE M A D E RA CIR PLUMAS AVE BEHRENS ST VICTORIA ST YOLO AVE FAIRVIEW AVE GLORIA ST S 46TH ST CASTILLA AVE HOTCHKISS AVE SACRAMENTO AVE CORONADO ST GORDON AVE BURLINGAME AVE JUL I A N C T MANOR CIR STATE CT BELL CT MORRIS AVE P E B B L E BEA C H DR MADERA CT NAPA ST PRATHER AVE PLAZA WY HERSHEY CT MC LAUGHLIN ST TAHOE PL WALL AVE ESCUELA CT WILLOW ST MAIDEN LN HARVARD ST POMONA CT PINEHURST BREWSTER CT SACRAMENTO AVE SANTA CLARA ST MADISON AVE S 47TH ST MARIPOSA ST S 49TH ST VAN FLEET AVE KEARNEY ST LEXINGTON AVE EVERETT ST KEARNEY ST PANAMA AVE S 49TH ST LEXINGTON AVE SAN JOSE AVE MERCED ST SAN LUIS ST PLUMAS AVE EUREKA AVE MODOC AVE HARVARD ST H U N T I N G TO N AVE EURE K A BURLINGAME AVE BAYVIEW AVE S 57TH ST LIBERTY ST HIGHLAND AVE JUNCTION AVE COLUMBIA AVE ELM ST NORVELL ST FRESNO AVE COLUSA AVE S 45TH ST EVERETT ST LIBERTY ST TEHAMA AVE MIRA VISTA DR LIBERTY ST KEARNEY ST S 45TH ST SANTA CLARA AVE SANTA CLARA ST CYPRESS AVE S 56TH ST WALL AVE SAN PABLO AVE SAN PABLO AVE CARLSON BLVD POTRERO AVE POTRERO AVE CENTRAL AVE MOESER LN CUTTING BLVD AR LI NG TON BLVD ASHBURY AVE FAIRMOUNT AVE BART - Richmond Line MACDONALD AVE Hillside Natural Area Mira Vista Country Club & Golf Hillside Natural Area Castro Park Booker T. Anderson, Jr. Park Cerrito Vista Park Canyon Trail Park Point Isabel Regional Shoreline Eastshore State Park Casa Cerrito Rec Center El Cerrito Plaza BART Station El Cerrito del Norte BART Station San Francisco Bay C e rrito Cr e ek B ax t er C reek I-580 I-80 San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Figure 3.1: Previous Urban Design Plans Parks Waterbodies Ohlone Greenway Future Richmond Greenway BART Alignment Olson Company Del Norte BART Redevelopment Plan San Pablo Avenue Streetscape Improvements Project Freeway ! BART Station 0 FEET 1000 2000 N ---PAGE BREAK--- Make a better walking environment; Enhance transit stops; Improve landscaping; and Increase pedestrian safety and accessibility. Specific recommendations include design improvements for sidewalks to provide adequate room for pedestrian access, building spill-out uses and street edge elements. Funding from the City of El Cerrito as well and other sources have been secured for improvements. The City is currently working with Caltrans on completing the required studies needed to install the improvements. Construction is planned to begin between summer and winter of 2008. The project also recommends Rapid Transit Bus stop improvements, new street landscaping, bulbouts at intersections, and special paving at crosswalks. 3.3 BLOCK ANALYSIS The Planning Area is characterized by a variety of street grid patterns that intersect along San Pablo Avenue and create irregular block and street grid configurations (see Figures 3.2 and 3.3). The grids to the east and west of San Pablo Avenue fail to align across the Avenue. The incongruence produced by this mismatched pattern significantly constrains pedestrian crossings. For example, the southwestern grid is characterized by east-west oriented blocks and the southeastern grid has north-south oriented blocks; only four intersections between Carlson Boulevard and Sutter Avenue provide a four-way intersection for pedestrians. The unusual street grid pattern has also produced irregularly sized and shaped blocks. This is especially obvious at the BART stations and where streets meet San Pablo Avenue at diagonals. The shaped blocks can be inefficient or infeasible for site development or redevelopment. However, they also provide the opportunity for landmark buildings and development that is designed to respond directly to the block context. The north end of San Pablo Avenue is characterized by a suburban street pattern; this pattern is related to the topography and residential nature of the neighborhoods to the northeast. Large blocks and few connections to adjacent neighborhoods are typical of the west side of San Pablo Avenue in this area. The eastern side is also disconnected and constrained by Interstate 80 and its associated infrastructure of off- and on-ramps. The opportunity exists to rethink the street and block pattern of this area to make it safer, more walkable and more connected to the surrounding area. Design solutions should be explored that enhance San Pablo Avenue’s role as a seam and not a barrier between neighborhoods on either side. T-junctions are quite common along the corridor and present opportunities for pedestrian crossings and amenities due to the lower levels of traffic using the intersection. New connections should break down the “superblocks” and provide access within and between residential neighborhoods. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 11 ---PAGE BREAK--- San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Figure 3.2: Block Analysis Project Area Blocks 0 FEET 1000 2000 N Waterbodies ---PAGE BREAK--- San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Figure 3.3: Street Grid Pattern Project Area Blocks 0 FEET 1000 2000 N Waterbodies Street Grid Pattern ---PAGE BREAK--- 3.4 FIGURE GROUND ANALYSIS The figure ground diagram (Figure 3.4) illustrates the buildings in the Planning Area in plan view to better understand the scale of development and the continuity of the building edge. These two measures of urban design analysis have significant effects on the quality of the pedestrian environment and provide clues for design solutions. While a building edge that is completely flush with the sidewalk is not necessary or even desirable in every instance to create a vibrant public realm, a strong edge serves to enclose wide streets and bring activity closer to pedestrians. A weak building edge can negatively affect the quality of the pedestrian experience. This is the case along many portions of San Pablo Avenue, where the sidewalk functions as a narrow pedestrian refuge between the fast-moving traffic on the street and the auto-oriented uses, parking lots and car The scale of development along the street varies significantly from very fine-grained to very coarse-grained; this contributes to the eclectic nature of San Pablo Avenue and the variation in character that can be experienced traveling along the corridor. Newer development is often very large in scale, set back off of the street and surrounded by parking lots. This type of development is characteristic of “big box” stores and shopping plazas. Examples include El Cerrito Plaza, Home Depot, Target and Safeway. The coarse-grain of large-scale developments is more visible in the north section of the Planning Area around the Del Norte BART station. The proximity to the BART station suggests that a more efficient use of the parking lots is warranted and opportunities for shared and structured parking should be explored. Medium-scale development typically found closer to the street with minimal setbacks and only a small parking lot in front or to the side of the building. The smaller strip centers, such as Jayvee Center, some of the liquor stores, and the civic buildings along San Pablo Avenue are examples of medium-scale development. This scale can be seen throughout the Planning Area but is mostly found in the southern and middle parts of the corridor. There are three types of small-scale development within the corridor: commercial buildings with minimal setbacks; small buildings, often set back far from street for commercial uses surrounded by drive-ways, vehicle drive-throughs and parking lots; and older single-family homes. Small-scale development characterizes much of the southern end of San Pablo Avenue. The variety in the built environment brings a distinct character to the street experience. However, there is no uniformity along its length. While a range of building scale is sometimes an asset because it allows for variety in the pedestrian experience, it can also result in discontinuity and fragmentation. The continuity of the building edge varies along the corridor; the edge is most consistent around Central Avenue to the south, inconsistent in the middle, and least consistent in the north. There is a poor building edge along the street due to the prominence of parking lots, land uses that typically set buildings off the street and require significant amounts of un-built land, and various grid patterns characterized by frequent streets, particularly along the west edge. Given the range of scale along the corridor, a blanket approach to the design of the private realm would not be appropriate. For example, all new development does not need to be small-scale and fine-grained or flush with the sidewalks. There are opportunities to think and design new development creatively and in keeping with the diverse nature of the corridor. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 12 ---PAGE BREAK--- San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Figure 3.4: Building Figure Ground Project Area Building Footprint 0 FEET 1000 2000 N ---PAGE BREAK--- 3.5 PEDESTRIAN ENVIRONMENT 3.5.1 Primary Pedestrian Entries Pedestrian entries are strongly correlated with the quality of the built environment, the edge conditions of privately-owned land, and the public realm (see Figure 3.5). Entries are also key with respect to the the overall “transparency” of the built environment; transparency allows pedestrians to view the people and uses inside buildings, perceptually extending the pedestrian environment and adding interest to the walking experience. Multiple pedestrian entries are characteristic of fine-grained, small-scale retail/commercial uses as well as strip center developments with many small retail stores. As a result, the pattern of entries must be understood in relation to setbacks and the location of buildings along the corridor. The small-scale commercial uses on San Pablo Avenue tend to be pedestrian-oriented buildings that have minimal setbacks and small footprints. They are often times older buildings. The prominence of primary pedestrian entries is most visible in the south of the corridor around the El Cerrito Theater, providing frequent opportunities for pedestrians to engage with building uses and users. Strip center developments along the corridor are setback typically 60 feet or more from the public sidewalk. Building entries are typically located on private sidewalks that run along the building. Primary pedestrian entries in the strip centers, while numerous, are often too far setback off of San Pablo Avenue to have any meaningful effect on the pedestrian environment. Strip center developments are located throughout the corridor. However, there is a particular concentration of them in the middle section. As pedestrians travel the corridor, the south end, particularly along the eastern side, provides a much richer experience as influenced by building entries and transparency. The quality of the pedestrian environment declines north of Moeser Avenue, though minor nodes of pedestrian-friendly building facades exist along some older commercial buildings between Carlos Avenue and Potrero Avenue. The north end of the Planning Area has few pedestrian entries off of San Pablo Avenue due to the scale, type and age of development. Large-scale, auto-oriented projects and more recent development tend to have single entries located off of parking lots and not the street. New development should be designed to contribute to the pedestrian environment with multiple entries off of the sidewalk to commercial and residential uses. The relationships between active building edges, setbacks, privacy, access and parking must be critically examined to produce high quality buildings that contribute to the public realm. 3.5.2 Pedestrian Unfriendly Edges Pedestrian unfriendly edges are determined by the presence of elements that do not contribute to the pedestrian environment, such as blank walls and building facades, parking lots and drive-throughs, and tall fences and vacant lots. Pedestrian edges vary in their level of “unfriendliness.” For example, a building facade with no windows is not nearly as unfriendly as a chain link fence with razor wire along the top. The entire spectrum of unfriendly building edges is represented along San Pablo Avenue and overall, the vast majority of the building edges are unfriendly (see Figure 3.6). In general, the southern end of the corridor has fewer pedestrian unfriendly edges because of the presence of multiple building entries as discussed in above. However, unfriendly buildings are located in highly visible and prominent locations, such as the Mechanic’s Bank at the intersection with Fairmont Avenue, and Nation’s Hamburgers, a gas station and liquor store at the intersection with Central Avenue. Central Avenue itself has a poor pedestrian edge due to garage doors of residences that line the sidewalks, vacant lots and chain link fences along the park at Yolo Avenue. The middle and north sections of the Planning Area are characterized by almost continuous pedestrian unfriendly edges, but they vary in extremity. Blank walls, significant landscaping buffers, and minor parking Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 13 ---PAGE BREAK--- Ohlone Greenway RICHMOND ST KEY BLVD NORVELL ST SCHMIDT LN NAVELLIER ST SAN JOAQUIN ST S 55TH ST MANILA AVE STOCKTON AVE BLAKE ST SAN MATEO ST PORTOLA DR DONAL AVE BAYVIEW AVE GLADYS AVE LINCOLN AVE POMONA AVE WALDO AVE ALBEMARLE ST SUTTER AVE FRESNO AVE JORDAN A VE SCOTT ST MONTEREY ST S 47TH ST HAGEN BLVD CUTTING BLVD NEVIN AVE CLAYTON AVE HILL ST ALVA AVE KNOTT AVE AVIS DR LAWRENCE ST CARL AVE C E N T R A L A VE VAN FLEET AVE SANTA CRUZ AVE CARQUINEZ AVE HUNTINGTON AVE TAMALPAIS AVE SHASTA ST BERK AVE BUTTE ST SAN JOSE AVE S 52ND ST KEARNEY ST FALL AVE GANGES ST ISABEL ST CYPRESS AVE GATELY AVE PIERCE ST YOSEMITE AVE S 56TH ST MERCED ST S 45TH ST GATTO AVE EL DORADO ST MARIPOSA ST MONO AVE ALAMEDA AVE CREELY AVE HARPER ST J ACUZZI S T S 59TH ST L A GUNI T A S A VE CONLON AVE S 58TH ST SAN BENITO ST HARTNETT AVE BELMONT AVE MENDOCINO ST AVILA ST FERN ST S 50TH ST JEFFERSON AVE OVEREND AVE WILSON AVE MADISON AVE TULARE AVE SNOWDON AVE COLU MBIA AVE M IR A V ISTA D R FALLON AVE CARLSTON ST GLEN MAWR AVE CARLOS AVE RYDIN RD KING DR S 57TH ST LIBERTY ST ELLS ST WESLEY AVE LASSEN ST PI NE HU RST SCHOOL AVE HUDSON ST SANTA CLARA AVE FRAY AVE STATE AVE OSCAR ST TAFT AVE TERRACE DR WALNUT ST ORCHARD AVE JULIAN DR OAK ST RIVERA ST LUDWIG AVE CAMPBELL ST KENILWORTH AVE PLANK AVE SEAVIEW PL WALL AVE KENT DR S 49TH ST EASTSHORE BLVD SAN LUIS ST LEXINGTON AVE SP Y G LASS SCENIC ST PLACER ST PANAMA AVE CEDAR ST DIMM ST CABRILLO ST ALTA PUNTA ST MADERA DR TEHAMA AVE WENK AVE F ST SANTA CLARA ST EUREKA AVE 46TH ST 45TH ST REID CT BISSELL AVE EDITH ST WALDO LN MOUND AVE A R N O CT DOW NEY P L MODOC AVE M A D E RA CIR PLUMAS AVE BEHRENS ST VICTORIA ST YOLO AVE FAIRVIEW AVE GLORIA ST S 46TH ST CASTILLA AVE HOTCHKISS AVE SACRAMENTO AVE CORONADO ST GORDON AVE BURLINGAME AVE JUL I A N C T MANOR CIR STATE CT BELL CT MORRIS AVE P E B B L E BEA C H DR MADERA CT NAPA ST PRATHER AVE PLAZA WY HERSHEY CT MC LAUGHLIN ST TAHOE PL WALL AVE ESCUELA CT WILLOW ST MAIDEN LN HARVARD ST POMONA CT PINEHURST BREWSTER CT SACRAMENTO AVE SANTA CLARA ST MADISON AVE S 47TH ST MARIPOSA ST S 49TH ST VAN FLEET AVE KEARNEY ST LEXINGTON AVE EVERETT ST KEARNEY ST PANAMA AVE S 49TH ST LEXINGTON AVE SAN JOSE AVE MERCED ST SAN LUIS ST PLUMAS AVE EUREKA AVE MODOC AVE HARVARD ST H U N T I N G TO N AVE EURE K A BURLINGAME AVE BAYVIEW AVE S 57TH ST LIBERTY ST HIGHLAND AVE JUNCTION AVE COLUMBIA AVE ELM ST NORVELL ST FRESNO AVE COLUSA AVE S 45TH ST EVERETT ST LIBERTY ST TEHAMA AVE MIRA VISTA DR LIBERTY ST KEARNEY ST S 45TH ST SANTA CLARA AVE SANTA CLARA ST CYPRESS AVE S 56TH ST WALL AVE SAN PABLO AVE SAN PABLO AVE CARLSON BLVD POTRERO AVE POTRERO AVE CENTRAL AVE MOESER LN CUTTING BLVD AR LI NG TON BLVD ASHBURY AVE FAIRMOUNT AVE BART - Richmond Line MACDONALD AVE Hillside Natural Area Mira Vista Country Club & Golf Hillside Natural Area Castro Park Booker T. Anderson, Jr. Park Cerrito Vista Park Canyon Trail Park Point Isabel Regional Shoreline Eastshore State Park Casa Cerrito Rec Center El Cerrito Plaza BART Station El Cerrito del Norte BART Station San Francisco Bay C e rrito Cr e ek B ax t er C reek I-580 I-80 San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Figure 3.5: Primary Pedestrian Entries Project Area Parks Ohlone Greenway Future Richmond Greenway BART Alignment Waterbodies Building Footprints Freeway ! BART Station 0 FEET 1000 2000 N Primary Pedestrian Entry ---PAGE BREAK--- Ohlone Greenway RICHMOND ST KEY BLVD NORVELL ST SCHMIDT LN NAVELLIER ST SAN JOAQUIN ST S 55TH ST MANILA AVE STOCKTON AVE BLAKE ST SAN MATEO ST PORTOLA DR DONAL AVE BAYVIEW AVE GLADYS AVE LINCOLN AVE POMONA AVE WALDO AVE ALBEMARLE ST SUTTER AVE FRESNO AVE JORDAN A VE SCOTT ST MONTEREY ST S 47TH ST HAGEN BLVD CUTTING BLVD NEVIN AVE CLAYTON AVE HILL ST ALVA AVE KNOTT AVE AVIS DR LAWRENCE ST CARL AVE C E N T R A L A VE VAN FLEET AVE SANTA CRUZ AVE CARQUINEZ AVE HUNTINGTON AVE TAMALPAIS AVE SHASTA ST BERK AVE BUTTE ST SAN JOSE AVE S 52ND ST KEARNEY ST FALL AVE GANGES ST ISABEL ST CYPRESS AVE GATELY AVE PIERCE ST YOSEMITE AVE S 56TH ST MERCED ST S 45TH ST GATTO AVE EL DORADO ST MARIPOSA ST MONO AVE ALAMEDA AVE CREELY AVE HARPER ST J ACUZZI S T S 59TH ST L A GUNI T A S A VE CONLON AVE S 58TH ST SAN BENITO ST HARTNETT AVE BELMONT AVE MENDOCINO ST AVILA ST FERN ST S 50TH ST JEFFERSON AVE OVEREND AVE WILSON AVE MADISON AVE TULARE AVE SNOWDON AVE COLU MBIA AVE M IR A V ISTA D R FALLON AVE CARLSTON ST GLEN MAWR AVE CARLOS AVE RYDIN RD KING DR S 57TH ST LIBERTY ST ELLS ST WESLEY AVE LASSEN ST PI NE HU RST SCHOOL AVE HUDSON ST SANTA CLARA AVE FRAY AVE STATE AVE OSCAR ST TAFT AVE TERRACE DR WALNUT ST ORCHARD AVE JULIAN DR OAK ST RIVERA ST LUDWIG AVE CAMPBELL ST KENILWORTH AVE PLANK AVE SEAVIEW PL WALL AVE KENT DR S 49TH ST EASTSHORE BLVD SAN LUIS ST LEXINGTON AVE SP Y G LASS SCENIC ST PLACER ST PANAMA AVE CEDAR ST DIMM ST CABRILLO ST ALTA PUNTA ST MADERA DR TEHAMA AVE WENK AVE F ST SANTA CLARA ST EUREKA AVE 46TH ST 45TH ST REID CT BISSELL AVE EDITH ST WALDO LN MOUND AVE A R N O CT DOW NEY P L MODOC AVE M A D E RA CIR PLUMAS AVE BEHRENS ST VICTORIA ST YOLO AVE FAIRVIEW AVE GLORIA ST S 46TH ST CASTILLA AVE HOTCHKISS AVE SACRAMENTO AVE CORONADO ST GORDON AVE BURLINGAME AVE JUL I A N C T MANOR CIR STATE CT BELL CT MORRIS AVE P E B B L E BEA C H DR MADERA CT NAPA ST PRATHER AVE PLAZA WY HERSHEY CT MC LAUGHLIN ST TAHOE PL WALL AVE ESCUELA CT WILLOW ST MAIDEN LN HARVARD ST POMONA CT PINEHURST BREWSTER CT SACRAMENTO AVE SANTA CLARA ST MADISON AVE S 47TH ST MARIPOSA ST S 49TH ST VAN FLEET AVE KEARNEY ST LEXINGTON AVE EVERETT ST KEARNEY ST PANAMA AVE S 49TH ST LEXINGTON AVE SAN JOSE AVE MERCED ST SAN LUIS ST PLUMAS AVE EUREKA AVE MODOC AVE HARVARD ST H U N T I N G TO N AVE EURE K A BURLINGAME AVE BAYVIEW AVE S 57TH ST LIBERTY ST HIGHLAND AVE JUNCTION AVE COLUMBIA AVE ELM ST NORVELL ST FRESNO AVE COLUSA AVE S 45TH ST EVERETT ST LIBERTY ST TEHAMA AVE MIRA VISTA DR LIBERTY ST KEARNEY ST S 45TH ST SANTA CLARA AVE SANTA CLARA ST CYPRESS AVE S 56TH ST WALL AVE SAN PABLO AVE SAN PABLO AVE CARLSON BLVD POTRERO AVE POTRERO AVE CENTRAL AVE MOESER LN CUTTING BLVD AR LI NG TON BLVD ASHBURY AVE FAIRMOUNT AVE BART - Richmond Line MACDONALD AVE Hillside Natural Area Mira Vista Country Club & Golf Hillside Natural Area Castro Park Booker T. Anderson, Jr. Park Cerrito Vista Park Canyon Trail Park Point Isabel Regional Shoreline Eastshore State Park Casa Cerrito Rec Center San Francisco Bay C e rrito Cr e ek B ax t er C reek I-580 I-80 San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Figure 3.6: Pedestrian Unfriendly Edges Project Area Parks BART Alignment Ohlone Greenway Future Richmond Greenway Pedestrian Unfriendly Edge Waterbodies Freeway ! BART Station 0 FEET 1000 2000 N Building Footprints El Cerrito Plaza BART Station El Cerrito del Norte BART Station ---PAGE BREAK--- lot setbacks between buildings and sidewalks distinguish the building edge in the middle of the corridor. These edges tend to not be as unfriendly as those to the north, though they contribute little to the pedestrian environment. Significant parking lots and vacant lots characterize the pedestrian edge in the north and provide few opportunities for pedestrian interaction with the private realm. The edges are lined with chain link fences, boarded up and vacant buildings, and vandalized structures. The poor quality of the edge in San Pablo Avenue’s north end contributes to the perception that this area is unwelcoming and unsafe. Pedestrian edges along the corridor should be enhanced to encourage activity and safety along the corridor. Wholesale improvement of all edges may not be feasible, but improvements to continuous sections of San Pablo Avenue should be pursued to create the critical mass of friendly edges necessary for attracting pedestrians and creating a pleasant walking environment. 3.6 PARKING LOTS AND VACANT PARCELS Parking lots and vacant parcels oftentimes represent opportunity sites for new development that can serve as catalyst projects in the revitalization of an area. The Planning Area along San Pablo Avenue is characterized by a number of opportunity sites. Their size and distribution suggest how and where revitalization may take place in the coming years (see Figure 3.7). Opportunity sites south of Moeser Avenue are small in size and occur intermittently. The exceptions are the large parking lots at El Cerrito Plaza, which due to the recent development of the Plaza, are less likely to be considered for redevelopment. The smaller parking lots and vacant parcels present opportunities for infill development but are constrained by the difficulty of parcel assembly and development on adjacent parcels. The middle of the corridor has a few large parking lots associated with older shopping centers as well as smaller opportunity sites that are similar to the south end. Many of the strip centers and parking lots in the middle section of the Planning Area could be redeveloped to support new development. The north end has the most opportunities for new development with large vacant parcels and parking lots. The former Albertson’s site, the Del Norte BART station parking lots, and the Target parking lot are significant opportunity sites. Revitalization in the corridor’s north end of the corridor should occur through a combination of private and public realm improvements, given the quantity and quality of the vacant parcels and parking lots. Revitalization and character enhancement to the middle and southern end of the corridor will likely be driven more through streetscape and public realm improvements due to the constraints on private realm opportunity sites. 3.7 CONNECTIVITY Connectivity relates not only to vehicular access but also to pedestrian, bicycle and transit access (see Figure 3.8). As a state highway and a “safety valve” for Interstate 80, the corridor has been designed specifically for the automobile. As the area has evolved, transit has taken a larger role with regards to connectivity along the corridor. Today San Pablo Avenue is well served by buses, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines, and BART. These significant transit amenities should be capitalized on to maximize their effectiveness and support development and redevelopment. Issues and opportunities relating to access, inter-modal connections and pedestrian and bicyclist connectivity remain and should be explored in the design phase of this project. Though the presence of bus service along the corridor—and at the Del Norte BART station in particular—is an asset, the resulting traffic impacts are overwhelming. A balance should be struck between the multiple modes individuals use to access the BART station, on-foot, bicycles, buses and vehicles. In addition, multi- modal connections between buses, BART, and bicycles should be streamlined and enhanced. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 14 ---PAGE BREAK--- Ohlone Greenway RICHMOND ST KEY BLVD NORVELL ST SCHMIDT LN NAVELLIER ST SAN JOAQUIN ST S 55TH ST MANILA AVE STOCKTON AVE BLAKE ST SAN MATEO ST PORTOLA DR DONAL AVE BAYVIEW AVE GLADYS AVE LINCOLN AVE POMONA AVE WALDO AVE ALBEMARLE ST SUTTER AVE FRESNO AVE JORDAN A VE SCOTT ST MONTEREY ST S 47TH ST HAGEN BLVD CUTTING BLVD NEVIN AVE CLAYTON AVE HILL ST ALVA AVE KNOTT AVE AVIS DR LAWRENCE ST CARL AVE C E N T R A L A VE VAN FLEET AVE SANTA CRUZ AVE CARQUINEZ AVE HUNTINGTON AVE TAMALPAIS AVE SHASTA ST BERK AVE BUTTE ST SAN JOSE AVE S 52ND ST KEARNEY ST FALL AVE GANGES ST ISABEL ST CYPRESS AVE GATELY AVE PIERCE ST YOSEMITE AVE S 56TH ST MERCED ST S 45TH ST GATTO AVE EL DORADO ST MARIPOSA ST MONO AVE ALAMEDA AVE CREELY AVE HARPER ST J ACUZZI S T S 59TH ST L A GUNI T A S A VE CONLON AVE S 58TH ST SAN BENITO ST HARTNETT AVE BELMONT AVE MENDOCINO ST AVILA ST FERN ST S 50TH ST JEFFERSON AVE OVEREND AVE WILSON AVE MADISON AVE TULARE AVE SNOWDON AVE COLU MBIA AVE M IR A V ISTA D R FALLON AVE CARLSTON ST GLEN MAWR AVE CARLOS AVE RYDIN RD KING DR S 57TH ST LIBERTY ST ELLS ST WESLEY AVE LASSEN ST PI NE HU RST SCHOOL AVE HUDSON ST SANTA CLARA AVE FRAY AVE STATE AVE OSCAR ST TAFT AVE TERRACE DR WALNUT ST ORCHARD AVE JULIAN DR OAK ST RIVERA ST LUDWIG AVE CAMPBELL ST KENILWORTH AVE PLANK AVE SEAVIEW PL WALL AVE KENT DR S 49TH ST EASTSHORE BLVD SAN LUIS ST LEXINGTON AVE SP Y G LASS SCENIC ST PLACER ST PANAMA AVE CEDAR ST DIMM ST CABRILLO ST ALTA PUNTA ST MADERA DR TEHAMA AVE WENK AVE F ST SANTA CLARA ST EUREKA AVE 46TH ST 45TH ST REID CT BISSELL AVE EDITH ST WALDO LN MOUND AVE A R N O CT DOW NEY P L MODOC AVE M A D E RA CIR PLUMAS AVE BEHRENS ST VICTORIA ST YOLO AVE FAIRVIEW AVE GLORIA ST S 46TH ST CASTILLA AVE HOTCHKISS AVE SACRAMENTO AVE CORONADO ST GORDON AVE BURLINGAME AVE JUL I A N C T MANOR CIR STATE CT BELL CT MORRIS AVE P E B B L E BEA C H DR MADERA CT NAPA ST PRATHER AVE PLAZA WY HERSHEY CT MC LAUGHLIN ST TAHOE PL WALL AVE ESCUELA CT WILLOW ST MAIDEN LN HARVARD ST POMONA CT PINEHURST BREWSTER CT SACRAMENTO AVE SANTA CLARA ST MADISON AVE S 47TH ST MARIPOSA ST S 49TH ST VAN FLEET AVE KEARNEY ST LEXINGTON AVE EVERETT ST KEARNEY ST PANAMA AVE S 49TH ST LEXINGTON AVE SAN JOSE AVE MERCED ST SAN LUIS ST PLUMAS AVE EUREKA AVE MODOC AVE HARVARD ST H U N T I N G TO N AVE EURE K A BURLINGAME AVE BAYVIEW AVE S 57TH ST LIBERTY ST HIGHLAND AVE JUNCTION AVE COLUMBIA AVE ELM ST NORVELL ST FRESNO AVE COLUSA AVE S 45TH ST EVERETT ST LIBERTY ST TEHAMA AVE MIRA VISTA DR LIBERTY ST KEARNEY ST S 45TH ST SANTA CLARA AVE SANTA CLARA ST CYPRESS AVE S 56TH ST WALL AVE SAN PABLO AVE SAN PABLO AVE CARLSON BLVD POTRERO AVE POTRERO AVE CENTRAL AVE MOESER LN CUTTING BLVD AR LI NG TON BLVD ASHBURY AVE FAIRMOUNT AVE BART - Richmond Line MACDONALD AVE Hillside Natural Area Mira Vista Country Club & Golf Hillside Natural Area Castro Park Booker T. Anderson, Jr. Park Cerrito Vista Park Canyon Trail Park Point Isabel Regional Shoreline Eastshore State Park Casa Cerrito Rec Center San Francisco Bay C e rrito Cr e ek B ax t er C reek I-580 I-80 San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Figure 3.7: Parking Lots and Vacant Parcels Project Area Parks Ohlone Greenway Future Richmond Greenway BART Alignment Waterbodies Parking Lots Vacant Parcels Freeway ! BART Station 0 FEET 1000 2000 N ---PAGE BREAK--- Ohlone Greenway RICHMOND ST KEY BLVD NORVELL ST SCHMIDT LN NAVELLIER ST SAN JOAQUIN ST S 55TH ST MANILA AVE STOCKTON AVE BLAKE ST SAN MATEO ST PORTOLA DR DONAL AVE BAYVIEW AVE GLADYS AVE LINCOLN AVE POMONA AVE WALDO AVE ALBEMARLE ST SUTTER AVE FRESNO AVE JORDAN A VE SCOTT ST MONTEREY ST S 47TH ST HAGEN BLVD CUTTING BLVD NEVIN AVE CLAYTON AVE HILL ST ALVA AVE KNOTT AVE AVIS DR LAWRENCE ST CARL AVE C E N T R A L A VE VAN FLEET AVE SANTA CRUZ AVE CARQUINEZ AVE HUNTINGTON AVE TAMALPAIS AVE SHASTA ST BERK AVE BUTTE ST SAN JOSE AVE S 52ND ST KEARNEY ST FALL AVE GANGES ST ISABEL ST CYPRESS AVE GATELY AVE PIERCE ST YOSEMITE AVE S 56TH ST MERCED ST S 45TH ST GATTO AVE EL DORADO ST MARIPOSA ST MONO AVE ALAMEDA AVE CREELY AVE HARPER ST J ACUZZI S T S 59TH ST L A GUNI T A S A VE CONLON AVE S 58TH ST SAN BENITO ST HARTNETT AVE BELMONT AVE MENDOCINO ST AVILA ST FERN ST S 50TH ST JEFFERSON AVE OVEREND AVE WILSON AVE MADISON AVE TULARE AVE SNOWDON AVE COLU MBIA AVE M IR A V ISTA D R FALLON AVE CARLSTON ST GLEN MAWR AVE CARLOS AVE RYDIN RD KING DR S 57TH ST LIBERTY ST ELLS ST WESLEY AVE LASSEN ST PI NE HU RST SCHOOL AVE HUDSON ST SANTA CLARA AVE FRAY AVE STATE AVE OSCAR ST TAFT AVE TERRACE DR WALNUT ST ORCHARD AVE JULIAN DR OAK ST RIVERA ST LUDWIG AVE CAMPBELL ST KENILWORTH AVE PLANK AVE SEAVIEW PL WALL AVE KENT DR S 49TH ST EASTSHORE BLVD SAN LUIS ST LEXINGTON AVE SP Y G LASS SCENIC ST PLACER ST PANAMA AVE CEDAR ST DIMM ST CABRILLO ST ALTA PUNTA ST MADERA DR TEHAMA AVE WENK AVE F ST SANTA CLARA ST EUREKA AVE 46TH ST 45TH ST REID CT BISSELL AVE EDITH ST WALDO LN MOUND AVE A R N O CT DOW NEY P L MODOC AVE M A D E RA CIR PLUMAS AVE BEHRENS ST VICTORIA ST YOLO AVE FAIRVIEW AVE GLORIA ST S 46TH ST CASTILLA AVE HOTCHKISS AVE SACRAMENTO AVE CORONADO ST GORDON AVE BURLINGAME AVE JUL I A N C T MANOR CIR STATE CT BELL CT MORRIS AVE P E B B L E BEA C H DR MADERA CT NAPA ST PRATHER AVE PLAZA WY HERSHEY CT MC LAUGHLIN ST TAHOE PL WALL AVE ESCUELA CT WILLOW ST MAIDEN LN HARVARD ST POMONA CT PINEHURST BREWSTER CT SACRAMENTO AVE SANTA CLARA ST MADISON AVE S 47TH ST MARIPOSA ST S 49TH ST VAN FLEET AVE KEARNEY ST LEXINGTON AVE EVERETT ST KEARNEY ST PANAMA AVE S 49TH ST LEXINGTON AVE SAN JOSE AVE MERCED ST SAN LUIS ST PLUMAS AVE EUREKA AVE MODOC AVE HARVARD ST H U N T I N G TO N AVE EURE K A BURLINGAME AVE BAYVIEW AVE S 57TH ST LIBERTY ST HIGHLAND AVE JUNCTION AVE COLUMBIA AVE ELM ST NORVELL ST FRESNO AVE COLUSA AVE S 45TH ST EVERETT ST LIBERTY ST TEHAMA AVE MIRA VISTA DR LIBERTY ST KEARNEY ST S 45TH ST SANTA CLARA AVE SANTA CLARA ST CYPRESS AVE S 56TH ST WALL AVE SAN PABLO AVE SAN PABLO AVE CARLSON BLVD POTRERO AVE POTRERO AVE CENTRAL AVE MOESER LN CUTTING BLVD AR LI NG TON BLVD ASHBURY AVE FAIRMOUNT AVE BART - Richmond Line MACDONALD AVE Hillside Natural Area Mira Vista Country Club & Golf Hillside Natural Area Castro Park Booker T. Anderson, Jr. Park Cerrito Vista Park Canyon Trail Park Eastshore State Park Casa Cerrito Rec Center Point Isabel Regional Shoreline San Francisco Bay C e rrito Cr e ek B ax t er C reek I-580 I-80 San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Figure 3.8: Bicycle and Transit Routes Project Area Parks Waterbodies BART Station Freeway ! BART Line 0 FEET 1000 2000 N Proposed Bicycle Route San Francisco Bay Trail Bus Route Existing Bicycle Route Ohlone Greenway Future Richmond Greenway ---PAGE BREAK--- Interstate 80 presents a significant barrier west of San Pablo Avenue. Its off and on-ramps in the north of the corridor dissect the area. The current on-ramp/off-ramp configuration is not very efficient or conducive to new development or a healthy pedestrian environment. Alternate routing of the ramps should be explored to minimize their impact on the corridor. Bicycle connections throughout the area are minimal and should be improved, especially those leading to BART stations and local schools. Proposed bike routes by the City of El Cerrito will significantly improve bicycle access, particularly between San Pablo Avenue and the Ohlone Greenway, as well as to the neighborhoods farther east in the hills. Bicycle lanes along the corridor are Class III (i.e. not striped) and many bicyclists ride on the sidewalks to avoid conflicts with the fast-moving traffic. Existing and proposed bicycle connections into Richmond are minimal and only exist on Potrero Avenue. Few attempts to make connections across/under the Interstate 80 have been made, isolating the San Pablo commercial corridor and BART line from other Richmond neighborhoods. Efforts should be made to connect under Interstate 80 and minimize its presence as a barrier. Connections to important destinations along the corridor should be established and enhanced to ensure access from adjacent neighborhoods. Key routes to schools should be enhanced to provide safe connections for school children traveling on foot or bicycle. In addition, special care should be taken when designing connections on the Planning Area’s south end around the Center for the Blind to accommodate the blind population that uses destinations within the area. This plan should also explore options of connection bike routes across San Pablo Avenue, into Richmond neighborhoods and if possible, to the Bay and Bay Trail. 3.8 COMMUNITY AMENITIES Community amenities, such as schools, grocery stores, and civic and cultural buildings are vital to the Planning Area. These elements can enhance neighborhoods, create identity and strengthen the sense of community. San Pablo Avenue has many community amenities along its length or in close proximity; the plan should capitalize on the concentration of amenities, enhance connections to them, and build on the synergy of new civic projects. The greatest concentration of community and civic amenities is in the middle of the corridor around the El Cerrito City Hall and public service buildings (see Figure 3.9). The character and design for this area should focus on enhancing its civic status and importance to the community. The momentum created by new development in this area, such as the new El Cerrito City Hall and the Village at Town Center, should be continued with new projects and streetscape design. Minor civic nodes exist along San Pablo Avenue. These include a node around Stockton Avenue and the Fairmount Elementary School and another around the El Cerrito Plaza and BART station. The north end of the Study Area has few community amenities except for the Safeway, BART and Baxter Creek Park. New amenities for underserved residents should be encouraged in this area and developed in concert with new buildings and uses around the BART station. The BART stations represent significant community amenities. The benefits they provide, such as local and regional bus connections and access to major employment centers in downtown San Francisco and Oakland, should be maximized. New development should be targeted closest to the BART stations with their highest intensity within a half-mile walking distance of each station. Maximizing the transit-oriented development potential around the stations can activate the corridor, encourage alternative means of transportation and boost BART ridership. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 15 ---PAGE BREAK--- Ohlone Greenway RICHMOND ST KEY BLVD NORVELL ST SCHMIDT LN NAVELLIER ST SAN JOAQUIN ST S 55TH ST MANILA AVE STOCKTON AVE BLAKE ST SAN MATEO ST PORTOLA DR DONAL AVE BAYVIEW AVE GLADYS AVE LINCOLN AVE POMONA AVE WALDO AVE ALBEMARLE ST SUTTER AVE FRESNO AVE JORDAN A VE SCOTT ST MONTEREY ST S 47TH ST HAGEN BLVD CUTTING BLVD NEVIN AVE CLAYTON AVE HILL ST ALVA AVE KNOTT AVE AVIS DR LAWRENCE ST CARL AVE C E N T R A L A VE VAN FLEET AVE SANTA CRUZ AVE CARQUINEZ AVE HUNTINGTON AVE TAMALPAIS AVE SHASTA ST BERK AVE BUTTE ST SAN JOSE AVE S 52ND ST KEARNEY ST FALL AVE GANGES ST ISABEL ST CYPRESS AVE GATELY AVE PIERCE ST YOSEMITE AVE S 56TH ST MERCED ST S 45TH ST GATTO AVE EL DORADO ST MARIPOSA ST MONO AVE ALAMEDA AVE CREELY AVE HARPER ST J ACUZZI S T S 59TH ST L A GUNI T A S A VE CONLON AVE S 58TH ST SAN BENITO ST HARTNETT AVE BELMONT AVE MENDOCINO ST AVILA ST FERN ST S 50TH ST JEFFERSON AVE OVEREND AVE WILSON AVE MADISON AVE TULARE AVE SNOWDON AVE COLU MBIA AVE M IR A V ISTA D R FALLON AVE CARLSTON ST GLEN MAWR AVE CARLOS AVE RYDIN RD KING DR S 57TH ST LIBERTY ST ELLS ST WESLEY AVE LASSEN ST PI NE HU RST SCHOOL AVE HUDSON ST SANTA CLARA AVE FRAY AVE STATE AVE OSCAR ST TAFT AVE TERRACE DR WALNUT ST ORCHARD AVE JULIAN DR OAK ST RIVERA ST LUDWIG AVE CAMPBELL ST KENILWORTH AVE PLANK AVE SEAVIEW PL WALL AVE KENT DR S 49TH ST EASTSHORE BLVD SAN LUIS ST LEXINGTON AVE SP Y G LASS SCENIC ST PLACER ST PANAMA AVE CEDAR ST DIMM ST CABRILLO ST ALTA PUNTA ST MADERA DR TEHAMA AVE WENK AVE F ST SANTA CLARA ST EUREKA AVE 46TH ST 45TH ST REID CT BISSELL AVE EDITH ST WALDO LN MOUND AVE A R N O CT DOW NEY P L MODOC AVE M A D E RA CIR PLUMAS AVE BEHRENS ST VICTORIA ST YOLO AVE FAIRVIEW AVE GLORIA ST S 46TH ST CASTILLA AVE HOTCHKISS AVE SACRAMENTO AVE CORONADO ST GORDON AVE BURLINGAME AVE JUL I A N C T MANOR CIR STATE CT BELL CT MORRIS AVE P E B B L E BEA C H DR MADERA CT NAPA ST PRATHER AVE PLAZA WY HERSHEY CT MC LAUGHLIN ST TAHOE PL WALL AVE ESCUELA CT WILLOW ST MAIDEN LN HARVARD ST POMONA CT PINEHURST BREWSTER CT SACRAMENTO AVE SANTA CLARA ST MADISON AVE S 47TH ST MARIPOSA ST S 49TH ST VAN FLEET AVE KEARNEY ST LEXINGTON AVE EVERETT ST KEARNEY ST PANAMA AVE S 49TH ST LEXINGTON AVE SAN JOSE AVE MERCED ST SAN LUIS ST PLUMAS AVE EUREKA AVE MODOC AVE HARVARD ST H U N T I N G TO N AVE EURE K A BURLINGAME AVE BAYVIEW AVE S 57TH ST LIBERTY ST HIGHLAND AVE JUNCTION AVE COLUMBIA AVE ELM ST NORVELL ST FRESNO AVE COLUSA AVE S 45TH ST EVERETT ST LIBERTY ST TEHAMA AVE MIRA VISTA DR LIBERTY ST KEARNEY ST S 45TH ST SANTA CLARA AVE SANTA CLARA ST CYPRESS AVE S 56TH ST WALL AVE SAN PABLO AVE SAN PABLO AVE CARLSON BLVD POTRERO AVE POTRERO AVE CENTRAL AVE MOESER LN CUTTING BLVD AR LI NG TON BLVD ASHBURY AVE FAIRMOUNT AVE BART - Richmond Line MACDONALD AVE Hillside Natural Area Hillside Natural Area Castro Park Booker T. Anderson, Jr. Park Cerrito Vista Park Canyon Trail Park Point Isabel Regional Shoreline Eastshore State Park Casa Cerrito Rec Center El Cerrito City Hall El Cerrito Chamber of Commerce El Cerrito Fire and Police Station St. John’s Senior Center St. John’s Community Center Post Office St. John the Baptist School Safeway El Cerrito Community Center El Cerrito Natural Grocery Co. Annex Senior Center El Cerrito BART Station Albertson’s Farmer’s Market Post Office Orientation Center for the Blind Fairmont Elementary School Open House Senior Center El Cerrito Del Norte BART Station Safeway Windrush School Portola Middle School Alvarado Adult School Stege Elementary School Kennedy High and Kappa Continuation School Castro Elementary School Harding Elementary School Trader Joe’s San Francisco Bay C e rrito Cr e ek B ax t er C reek I-580 I-80 San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Figure 3.9: Community Amenities Project Area Parks Ohlone Greenway Future Richmond Greenway BART Alignment San Francisco Bay Trail Waterbodies Freeway ! BART Station 0 FEET 1000 2000 N Building Footprints School Civic/Cultural Amenity Supermarket ---PAGE BREAK--- 3.9 STREETSCAPE ANALYSIS San Pablo Avenue exhibits the right-of-way and auto-oriented character that is typical of state highways and major arterials. However, as the transportation network in the East Bay developed and Interstate 80 was constructed, San Pablo Avenue’s prominence as the primary north-south connection diminished. Due in part to San Pablo Avenue’s diminished prominence, two lanes in either direction is sufficient to handle traffic along its length. Given the 100 to 120 feet right-of-way, this provides significant room for parking lanes, a median and sidewalks. The current design of San Pablo Avenue is not bad; the elements of successful streetscape design are present, including wide sidewalks in some sections; some street trees and planting strips; a planted median for most of the corridor; and a parking lane that serves as a buffer between the sidewalk and travel lanes. A significant issue is related to the length and the uniform roadway design that has been applied. The same roadway design has been used along most of the Avenue’s two and a half mile length, forgoing opportunities to be context sensitive and develop unique characters for various sub-areas. The corridor is too long to expect pedestrians to walk the entire length. As such, the corridor should be divided into sub-areas that are walkable and human-scaled. The sub-areas should be distinct, provide a sense of identity, and take their design cues from clues within the existing environment. In addition, despite the uniformity of the streetscape infrastructure (sidewalks, roadway, medians, etc.), the streetscape elements and amenities have been implemented and maintained inconsistently. In some cases different street trees or plantings are used. In other cases no street trees have been planted, exposing the pedestrian environment to the direct sun. Other issues include long block with few crosswalks or mid-block crossings, prompting many people to jaywalk across the arterial, especially near the Del Norte BART station. Maintenance is a recurrent issue along the corridor. Buckled sidewalks due to street tree root growth and under-watered planting strips are found throughout the Planning Area. Figure 3.10: Locations of Street Sections San Pablo and Conlon San Pablo and Cypress San Pablo and Carlson Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 16 ---PAGE BREAK--- Figure 3.11: San Pablo Avenue at Conlon Figure 3.12: San Pablo Avenue at Cypress Avenue Figure 3.13: San Pablo Avenue at Carlson Boulevard Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 17 ---PAGE BREAK--- 3.10 ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS There is a wide range of architectural styles along San Pablo Avenue. While an eclectic environment can have its benefits, this mix results in an inconsistent feel and a lack of continuity within the built environment. Some unique buildings exist along the corridor, and architectural cues can be taken from some of the corridor’s unique buildings and from the adjacent neighborhoods. As a state highway, San Pablo Avenue’s underwent major development in the early 1900s, which largely determined the auto-oriented character of buildings along its length. As the corridor fell into decline in the 1960s and ‘70s, development was limited to minor establishments with a “fortress-like” feel. Recent projects pick up on the Spanish/Mediterranean style that is visible in many new developments in California. The following are brief descriptions of the various types of buildings that characterize the corridor. Small-scale Residential – A few single family homes still exist along the corridor that were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s when the area around San Pablo Avenue was a mix of residential, commercial, agricultural and industrial uses. The neighborhoods directly adjacent to the corridor are residential in character and display a variety of residential architectural styles. The homes are very small, single story, on small lots, and have front porches and stoops. Architectural styles include Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival, Craftsmen, Bungalow and Western Stick. Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival – This architectural style takes its design cues from the Spanish missions in California. Prominent features include low-pitched red tile roofs, smooth white and pastel-colored stucco exteriors, and asymmetrical facades often with arched openings and rounded windows and doors. Bungalow – The Bungalow style are typically narrow, one and a half story houses that originated in California in the 1880s as a reaction to the ornate Victorian style. Bungalows have low-pitched or hipped gables and small covered porches at the entry. Craftsmen Elements that characterize the Craftsmen style include overhanging eaves, a low-slung gabled roof, and wide front porches framed by pedestal-like tapered columns. Materials often include stone, rough- hewn wood, and stucco. Western Stick – Western Stick is a member of the Victorian family and is characterized by gables and steeply pitched roofs, wooden shingles covering the walls and roof, and horizontal, vertical and diagonal boards, the “sticks” from which the style derives its name. Mid-century, Small Lot Retail and Office – These are older typically small-scale buildings that were built when San Pablo Avenue was the major north-south highway through the area. One to two-stories, flat roofs, minor detailing and articulation and large mounted signage characterizes these buildings. They are found throughout the study area and are most concentrated in the middle of the corridor, giving the area an out- dated look and feel. Elements of this style typify development of the 1940s and ‘50s, in particular the International style. The style is not very distinctive and lends little to the pedestrian environment. Automobile Lots and Services – Given its largely auto-oriented history, San Pablo Avenue has many businesses that deal exclusively with the automobile. These businesses have developed a certain aesthetic that characterizes much of the corridor. The bias of the businesses towards the automobile is visible in the site design and architecture; buildings are typically set far back from the street and are surrounded by parking lots. The buildings are usually small relative to the lot size and are without much architectural detail given that the focus of the business is on the car. Examples of these businesses include auto repair shops, such as Midas, car dealerships, gas stations and fast food establishments. Strip Centers and Shopping Plazas – These were typically built in the post-war time period and can be found predominantly in the middle of the corridor. They are set back far off the street with large parking lots in front to facilitate access to the businesses. In general, they are dark brown or grey in color with low- Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 18 ---PAGE BREAK--- sloping shingle roofs and concrete walkways sheltered by broad overhanging canopies, deep colonnades and awnings. Examples include the Jayvee Plaza and the Safeway Plaza. Modernist Institutional – These are buildings that are oriented away from the street and are focused on keeping people out. They are typically not set back from the sidewalk but have blank facades, few windows, single entries, uniform material treatment and an internal orientation. The BART stations represent this style of architecture; they are monolithic, concrete structures that are very tall and not human-scaled. A subset of this style relates specifically to Modernist Financial Institutions, such as the Mechanic’s Bank, Washington Mutual and a variety of other buildings along the corridor. Postmodern Spanish/Mediterranean Style – New development along the corridor has been built in the Postmodern Spanish/Mediterranean shopping center style that is characteristic of many new buildings in California. The style incorporates simplified and often exaggerated elements of the Spanish/Mediterranean style and is characterized by pastel colors, stucco finish, false rooflines and vertical elements at the corner of buildings. This aesthetic can be seen in many new developments in other cities, and has become the ubiquitous style for mixed-use development. New projects such as El Cerrito Plaza, the Peet’s Coffee development and the Village at Town Center are designed in this style. Del Norte Place has also been designed in this style, with pastel colors, stucco façade and a red tile roof. It is singular along the corridor because of its height and massing, which are mediated by façade articulation, minor stepbacks and vertical elements that highlight key entries. One Part Commercial Block – These are simple, one to two-story box structures with a decorated facade, typical of urban places from the mid 19th to the mid 20th century. These buildings are a mix of retail and office development that typically has shingle roofs and awnings, minimal setbacks, and windows and doors that open onto the street. They are human-scaled and have a small-town feel with narrow street frontages and decorated facades. Examples include the Feline Bed and Breakfast, the El Cerrito Chamber of Commerce, Nibs Diner and the Red Onion. Art Deco The recently renovated El Cerrito Theater is one of the corridor’s only Art Deco buildings and stands as an icon and landmark along San Pablo Avenue. It is beige stucco and its striking marquee is painted in various shades of blue. The façade has a streamlined aesthetic typical of Art Deco and is iconic with its neon signage lit at night. The El Cerrito Theater is flanked by single-story retail in the craftsmen style, highlighting the eclectic nature of the Planning Area, and serving as an example of how different styles can successfully co-exist side by side. The architectural characters of buildings along San Pablo Avenue cover a wide range of styles, most of which fail to contribute to the identity and imageability of the corridor. While San Pablo Avenue remains an auto thoroughfare, it is also trying to re-define itself as a more pedestrian-oriented community “Main Street.” New development that directly supports transit along the corridor draw inspiration from successful local architectural styles, such as the Bungalow, One Part Commercial Block and Art Deco Styles. New architecture will have a large effect on the area’s identity and should be tailored to local styles while not being beholden to the past. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 19 ---PAGE BREAK--- CHAPTER FOUR E c o n o m i c s a n d M a r k e t C o n d i t i o n s ---PAGE BREAK--- 4 ECONOMICS AND MARKET CONDITIONS This chapter focuses on existing demographic, economic and real estate market conditions in the Planning Area. It also makes recommendations to inform further site selection and redevelopment decisions that will arise during the specific plan process. This chapter complements and builds upon the El Cerrito Economic Development Strategy conducted by Chabin Concepts in 2005. That analysis included a business and shopper survey in El Cerrito, a market assessment of retail conditions, and an Economic Development Action Plan for the City. 4.1 KEY FINDINGS Compared to the cities of El Cerrito and Richmond as a whole, residents of the Planning Area are typically younger and reside in smaller households. The market base for local-serving commercial activity along San Pablo Avenue in the Planning Area draws from all El Cerrito residents and from residents of nearby Richmond neighborhoods. Demand for new housing is expected to continue in the Planning Area. Lot configuration and land uses suggest that this demand will most likely be accommodated along San Pablo Avenue between El Cerrito Plaza and the civic center. New development should concentrate on continuing to build higher-density housing units at price points affordable for households with moderate incomes. Rental market data indicate positive demand for rental housing in El Cerrito. Demand for retail space is fairly strong at key locations. Planning for new retail development should seek to create a vibrant mix of commercial typologies along San Pablo Avenue. Older strip centers present opportunities for revitalization or redevelopment. New mixed-use development should be planned judiciously, so as not to depress the overall market along San Pablo Avenue. Fairmount Avenue has already attracted some mixed-use development and can be a place where retail activity “turns the corner” from San Pablo Avenue. Efforts to attract additional office uses to the Planning Area should appeal to the small professional office market. 4.2 DEMOGRAPHIC AND EMPLOYMENT OVERVIEW For the analysis contained in the Demographic and Employment Overview, consultant team member Bay Area Economics (BAE) secured published data from the 2000 U.S. Census and, where possible, updated figures from Claritas, Inc., a private data vendor. For the purposes of this analysis, BAE has identified the Demographic Study Area as Contra Costa County census tracts 3830, 3860, 3870, 3880, 3891, and 3892. This area includes the entire Planning Area and surrounding portions of Richmond and El Cerrito. Existing Conditions Analysis San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 20 ---PAGE BREAK--- 4.2.1 Demographic Conditions Population and Household Trends Table 4.1 summarizes population and household data for the Demographic Study Area, El Cerrito, Richmond, and Contra Costa County. Demographic data show that the Demographic Study Area contained approximately 16,260 residents in 2006, and grew by 0.5 percent between 2000 and 2006. El Cerrito as a whole also saw little population change during this period. While Claritas reports that El Cerrito lost about 260 residents, the California Department of Finance (DOF) estimates that the City actually gained 300 residents. Other trends confirm that the City has actually grown over this period, evidenced by new units being built, a high turnover of housing, a rising school population, and strong demand for recreational programs and other services. Overall, the data indicate a relatively stable to expanding residential base in El Cerrito. In comparison, the City of Richmond and Contra Costa County each experienced notable population growth during this period, with increases of 3.4 percent and 7.6 percent, respectively. These increases reflect ongoing larger-scale residential development in these areas. Similar to the population trends detailed above, the number of households in the Demographic Study Area remained constant between 2000 and 2006, increasing from 7,345 to 7,419, a gain of only 1.0 percent. Again, El Cerrito as a whole showed minor changes in the total number of households. While Claritas reports a slight loss, the trends cited above suggest these estimates are inaccurate, and the number of households in the City may be increasing. In fact, applying the 2000 average household size to the DOF population estimate suggests the City has approximately 10,432 households, a 2.2 percent gain. In comparison, Richmond and Contra Costa County showed increases of 2.1 and 6.5 percent, respectively. Data indicate that the Demographic Study Area has smaller households than any of the other geographies, a function of more renter households, fewer families, and smaller units along the San Pablo Avenue corridor (all discussed below). In 2006, the Demographic Study Area had 2.17 persons per household. In contrast, El Cerrito as a whole showed 2.24 persons per household. Richmond and the County had even larger average household sizes, at 2.86 and 2.76 persons, respectively. In 2006, the Demographic Study Area remained evenly divided between family and non-family (those consisting of either one person living alone or two or more persons who share a dwelling) households. Approximately 52 percent of Demographic Study Area households were families, and 48 percent of the total were non-families. El Cerrito households as a whole showed a higher proportion of family households at 58 percent. Again, demographic trends in the Demographic Study Area and El Cerrito stand in contrast to those in Richmond and Contra Costa County, where families make up a larger share of the total number of households. In Richmond, 66 percent of all households were family households, while in Contra Costa County families made up 70 percent of total households. Tenure patterns varied significantly between the Demographic Study Area and El Cerrito as a whole. In the Demographic Study Area, homeowners comprised only 43 percent of the total households, compared to 60 percent of El Cerrito’s total. The City of Richmond also had a higher homeownership rate than the Demographic Study Area, at 53 percent, while the County outpaced all geographies with a 69 percent homeownership rate. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 21 ---PAGE BREAK--- Table 4.1: Population and Household Trends, 2000 - 2006 STUDY AREA % Change 2000 2006 2000-2006 Population 16,179 16,261 0.5% Households 7,345 7,419 1.0% Household Size 2.18 2.17 -0.5% Household Type Families 52% 52% 0.0% Non-Families 48% 48% 0.0% Tenure Owner 43% 43% 0.0% Renter 57% 57% 0.0% CITY OF RICHMOND % Change 2000 2006 2000-2006 Population 99,216 102,599 3.4% Households 34,625 35,347 2.1% Household Size 2.82 2.86 1.4% Household Type Families 67% 66% -1.5% Non-Families 33% 34% 3.0% Tenure Owner 53% 53% 0.0% Renter 47% 47% 0.0% CITY OF EL CERRITO % Change 2000 2006 2000-2006 Population 23,171 22,914 -1.1% Households 10,208 10,167 -0.4% Household Size 2.25 2.24 -0.4% Household Type Families 59% 58% -1.7% Non-Families 41% 42% 2.4% Tenure Owner 61% 60% -1.6% Renter 39% 40% 2.6% CONTRA COSTA COUNTY % Change 2000 2006 2000-2006 Population 948,816 1,021,349 7.6% Households 344,129 366,338 6.5% Household Size 2.72 2.76 1.5% Household Type Families 70% 70% 0.0% Non-Families 30% 30% 0.0% Tenure Owner 69% 69% 0.0% Renter 31% 31% 0.0% Notes: Study Area includes Contra Costa County census tracts 3830, 3860, 3870, 3880, 3891, 3892 Sources: Claritas, 2007; CA Dept. of Finance; Bay Area Economics, 2007 The CA Dept. of Finance estimates the City 2007 population at 23,471. Applying the City's 2000 average household size to this figure results in 10,432 households. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 22 ---PAGE BREAK--- Age Table 4.2 presents a 2006 age distribution for the Demographic Study Area, El Cerrito, Richmond, and Contra Costa County, drawn from Claritas estimates. The data indicate that Demographic Study Area and El Cerrito residents are relatively older than residents in Richmond or the County. The median ages in the Demographic Study Area and El Cerrito stood at 40.6 and 44.4, respectively, compared to 33.9 in Richmond and 37.3 in Contra Costa County. Approximately 16 percent of Demographic Study Area residents and 20 percent of El Cerrito residents are 65 years or older. These figures are significantly higher than in Richmond and the County, where 10 and 12 percent of residents are in this senior cohort, respectively. The Demographic Study Area and El Cerrito also had fewer children under 18 than either Richmond or the County. In Richmond and Contra Costa County over a quarter of all residents are younger than 18 years old. In contrast, only 17 percent of Demographic Study Area residents and 16 percent of El Cerrito residents fall within this age group. Interestingly, the Demographic Study Area showed the highest percentage of residents between ages 25 and 44 of all the geographies, with nearly 35 percent of its residents in this group, compared to 29 percent in El Cerrito, 30 percent in Richmond, and 27 percent countywide. Table 2: Age Distribution, 2006 Age Cohort Number % Number % Number % Number % Under 15 2,327 14.3% 23,068 22.5% 3,081 13.4% 214,659 21.0% 15 - 17 363 2.2% 4,363 4.3% 619 2.7% 47,339 4.6% 18 - 20 399 2.5% 4,239 4.1% 537 2.3% 40,273 3.9% 21 - 24 631 3.9% 5,535 5.4% 820 3.6% 51,503 5.0% 25 - 34 2,789 17.2% 15,853 15.5% 3,081 13.4% 123,432 12.1% 35 - 44 2,885 17.7% 15,384 15.0% 3,531 15.4% 153,068 15.0% 45 - 49 1,273 7.8% 7,129 6.9% 1,833 8.0% 81,923 8.0% 50 - 54 1,175 7.2% 6,520 6.4% 1,785 7.8% 75,027 7.3% 55 - 59 1,061 6.5% 5,861 5.7% 1,680 7.3% 66,017 6.5% 60 - 64 792 4.9% 4,506 4.4% 1,332 5.8% 49,785 4.9% 65 - 74 1,095 6.7% 5,471 5.3% 1,993 8.7% 62,100 6.1% 75 - 84 1,003 6.2% 3,297 3.2% 1,882 8.2% 39,552 3.9% 85+ 468 2.9% 1,373 1.3% 740 3.2% 16,671 1.6% Total 16,261 100.0% 102,599 100.0% 22,914 100.0% 1,021,349 100.0% Median Age 40.6 33.9 44.4 37.3 Notes: Study Area includes Contra Costa County census tracts 3830, 3860, 3870, 3880, 3891, 3892. Sources: Claritas, 2007; Bay Area Economics, 2007. STUDY AREA CITY OF RICHMOND CITY OF EL CERRITO CONTRA COSTA COUNTY Table 4.2: Age Distribution, 2006 Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 23 ---PAGE BREAK--- Household Characteristics Table 4.3 presents a summary of household type and family characteristics for each of the four geographies, as reported by the 2000 U.S. Census. The data indicate that when compared to the other three geographies, the Demographic Study Area had the highest percentage of one-person households (36 percent), and non- family households with more than one person (12 percent) among all the geographies. This finding parallels the Demographic Study Area’s relatively small average household size. Similarly, when compared to the other three geographies, the Demographic Study Area had the lowest proportion of married couple families (37 percent), including those living with their own children under age 18 (15 percent). Table 3: Family Characteristics, 2000 Percent Percent Percent Percent Household Type Number of Total Number of Total Number of Total Number of Total 1-person household: 2,651 36% 3,170 31% 9,083 26% 78,759 23% Male householder 912 12% 1,106 11% 4,002 12% 32,125 9% Female householder 1,739 24% 2,064 20% 5,081 15% 46,634 14% 2 or more person household: 4,740 64% 7,074 69% 25,542 74% 265,370 77% Family households: 3,876 52% 6,047 59% 23,042 67% 242,233 70% Married-couple family: 2,712 37% 4,747 46% 14,023 40% 187,613 55% With own children under 18 years 1,083 15% 1,624 16% 6,991 20% 91,975 27% Other family: 1,164 16% 1,300 13% 9,019 26% 54,620 16% With own children under 18 years 456 6% 463 5% 915 3% 7,546 2% Nonfamily households: 864 12% 1,027 # 10% 2,500 7% 23,137 7% Male householder 463 6% 497 5% 1,377 4% 13,075 4% Female householder 401 5% 530 5% 1,123 3% 10,062 3% Total Households 7,391 100% 10,244 100% 34,625 100% 344,129 100% Notes: Study Area includes Contra Costa County census tracts 3830, 3860, 3870, 3880, 3891, 3892. Sources: 2000 U.S. Census; Bay Area Economics, 2007. Study Area City of Richmond Contra Costa County City of El Cerrito Table 4.3: Family Characteristics, 2000 Household Income Table 4.4 presents estimated annual household incomes for the Demographic Study Area, El Cerrito, Richmond, and Contra Costa County for 2006. These figures indicate that, citywide, El Cerrito households are generally more affluent than those in the Demographic Study Area. Demographic Study Area household incomes more closely resemble those of Richmond, albeit with a higher grouping in the middle income ranges and fewer households at the lower income ranges. Claritas estimates that the median annual household income in the Demographic Study Area was $54,120 in 2006. This was significantly lower than El Cerrito’s median of $64,830, but higher than the Richmond figure of $49,810. The County had the highest median household income at $73,270. Nearly 19 percent of Demographic Study Area households have annual incomes of less than $25,000, compared to only 15 percent throughout El Cerrito. In comparison, nearly a quarter of all households in Richmond reported annual household incomes under $25,000. By the same token, only five percent of Demographic Study Area and Richmond households show annual median incomes above $150,000. In comparison, 12 percent of all El Cerrito households earn over $150,000 per year. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 24 ---PAGE BREAK--- Table 4: Household Income Distribution, 2006 Household Income Number % Number % Less than $15,000 718 9.7% 4,896 13.9% $15,000 to $24,999 666 9.0% 3,538 10.0% $25,000 to $34,999 779 10.5% 3,456 9.8% $35,000 to $49,999 1,236 16.7% 5,857 16.6% $50,000 to $74,999 1,694 22.8% 6,961 19.7% $75,000 to $99,999 1,075 14.5% 4,609 13.0% $100,000 to $149,999 853 11.5% 4,238 12.0% $150,000 to $249,999 342 4.6% 1,430 4.0% $250,000 to $499,999 45 0.6% 276 0.8% $500,000 and over 11 0.1% 86 0.2% Total 7,419 100.0% 35,347 100.0% Median Household Income $54,119 $49,811 Household Income Number % Number % Less than $15,000 780 7.7% 27,175 7.4% $15,000 to $24,999 772 7.6% 23,644 6.5% $25,000 to $34,999 833 8.2% 25,807 7.0% $35,000 to $49,999 1,417 13.9% 43,816 12.0% $50,000 to $74,999 2,040 20.1% 67,267 18.4% $75,000 to $99,999 1,393 13.7% 54,315 14.8% $100,000 to $149,999 1,708 16.8% 67,629 18.5% $150,000 to $249,999 930 9.1% 38,840 10.6% $250,000 to $499,999 201 2.0% 12,001 3.3% $500,000 and over 93 0.9% 5,844 1.6% Total 10,167 100.0% 366,338 100.0% Median Household Income $64,826 $73,268 Notes: Estimated by Claritas, Inc. Study Area includes Contra Costa County census tracts 3830, 3860, 3870, 3880, 3891, 3892. Sources: Claritas, 2007; Bay Area Economics, 2007. STUDY AREA CITY OF EL CERRITO CONTRA COSTA COUNTY CITY OF RICHMOND Table 4.4: Household Income Distribution, 2006 Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 25 ---PAGE BREAK--- Educational Attainment Table 4.5 presents 2007 educational attainment data for residents ages 25+ in the Demographic Study Area, El Cerrito, Richmond, and Contra Costa County. These figures indicate that the educational attainment levels in the Demographic Study Area are comparable to El Cerrito, and significantly higher than Richmond, the geography with the lowest education attainment levels. The proportion of Demographic Study Area residents who did not complete high school (11 percent) was greater than in El Cerrito (seven percent), but was significantly lower than Richmond (25 percent). However, the percentage of Demographic Study Area residents with either an Associates or Bachelor’s degree was similar to El Cerrito, at 34 percent and 36 percent, respectively. Nearly one-in-five Demographic Study Area residents (19 percent) had graduate or professional degrees, whereas one-in-four El Cerrito residents had attained this same level. This suggests that overall the Demographic Study Area population is relatively well- educated and has comparable education attainment levels to El Cerrito as a whole. Both the Demographic Study Area and El Cerrito have greater shares of residents with college and professional degrees than the County. Table 5: Educational Attainment for Population 25+ Number % of Total Number % of Total Number % of Total Number % of Total Education Level Less than 9th Grade 513 4.1% 535 3.0% 7,427 11.2% 36,970 5.4% 9th to 12th Grade, No Diploma 858 6.9% 790 4.4% 8,888 13.5% 54,488 8.0% High School Graduate 1,953 15.7% 2,325 13.1% 14,382 21.8% 136,097 20.0% Some College, No Degree 2,523 20.2% 3,155 17.7% 16,012 24.3% 167,488 24.6% Associate Degree 936 7.5% 1,070 6.0% 4,411 6.7% 52,360 7.7% Bachelor's Degree 3,320 26.6% 5,403 30.4% 9,382 14.2% 152,526 22.4% Graduate or Prof. Degree 2,358 18.9% 4,517 25.4% 5,520 8.4% 79,587 11.7% Total 12,461 100.0% 17,795 100.0% 66,022 100.0% 679,516 100.0% Sources: Claritas, 2007; BAE, 2007. Notes: Study Area includes Contra Costa County census tracts 3830, 3860, 3870, 3880, 3891, 3892 Study Area El Cerrito City Richmond City Contra Costa County Table 4.5: Educational Attainment for Population 25+ Occupation and Labor Force Table 4.6 presents residents’ occupation and employment data for each of the four geographies, per the 2000 U.S. Census, the latest dataset available at the local level. In 2000, the Demographic Study Area contained 8,990 employed residents and a 4.2 percent unemployment rate, the same as El Cerrito as a whole. This rate falls below unemployment levels in Richmond (7.7 percent) and the County (4.8 percent). The Demographic Study Area’s low unemployment rate is generally a positive sign from an economic development perspective, indicating the presence of a capable workforce with steady incomes. The occupational profile of the Demographic Study Area showed a relatively strong concentration of residents working in management, professional, and related occupations. In terms of economic development, these positions are notable, as they typically offer higher wages and require more advanced educational attainment than service or labor-oriented jobs. Almost 49 percent of Demographic Study Area employed residents worked in management and professional occupations, compared to 58 percent of El Cerrito employed residents, 33 percent of Richmond employed residents, and 41 percent of County employed residents. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 26 ---PAGE BREAK--- Table 6: Residents Aged 16 Years and Older by Occupation, 2000 Percent Percent Percent Percent Occupation Number of Total Number of Total Number of Total Number of Total Management, professional, and related occupations 4,371 49% 7,052 58% 14,088 33% 185,100 41% Service occupations 1,114 12% 1,048 9% 7,748 18% 60,299 13% Sales and office occupations 2,417 27% 2,931 24% 11,296 26% 126,183 28% Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations 0 0% 7 0% 90 0% 937 0% Construction, extraction, and maintenance occupations 477 5% 490 4% 3,857 9% 40,341 9% Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 608 7% 592 5% 5,690 13% 38,497 9% Armed Forces 3 0% 14 0% 52 0% 632 0% Total Employed Residents 8,990 100% 12,134 100% 42,821 100% 451,989 100% Total Employed Residents 8,990 12,134 42,821 451,989 Unemployed Residents 399 533 3,591 22,680 Total Residents in Labor Force 9,389 12,667 46,412 474,669 Unemployment Rate 4.2% 4.2% 7.7% 4.8% Notes: Study Area includes Contra Costa County census tracts 3830, 3860, 3870, 3880, 3891, 3892. Unemployed Residents only include individuals that fall within the labor force. For example, children and retirees are excluded from this figure. Sources: 2000 U.S. Census; Bay Area Economics, 2007. The U.S. Census defines the Labor Force as all employed persons, both civilian and in the armed forces, as well as those unemployed persons who had been looking for work within the past four weeks, and were available to start a job, as well as those Study Area City of Richmond Contra Costa County City of El Cerrito Table 4.6: Residents Aged 16 Years and Older by Occupation, 2000 4.2.2 Summary of Demographic Conditions Demographic Study Area residents are younger, middle-income professionals in smaller households than El Cerrito as a whole. While this group’s household incomes fall below the City’s as a whole, high educational achievement, strong labor market participation, and a relatively high share of professionals indicate a positive base from which to build retail demand along the corridor. Moreover, anecdotal evidence suggests that El Cerrito’s demographic profile is shifting away from a community of older residents towards commuting professionals and young families. One of El Cerrito’s draws has been lower house prices than Berkeley or Albany on a per square foot basis, as discussed in the following section. The City’s relatively more affordable housing stock, combined with its inner East Bay location and BART access, will continue to attract new households that will form an important demand component for commercial uses in the Demographic Study Area. As many of these households are relocating from inner Bay Area locales such as Oakland, San Francisco, and Berkeley, stores and services targeting a younger market used to urban amenities cafes, specialty stores, ethnic restaurants) should play a strong role in new commercial offerings along the corridor. The Cerrito Theater and the shops and services immediately surrounding it exemplify this type of development. In fact, all El Cerrito residents form the base of demand for local-serving commercial activity along the San Pablo Avenue corridor. As is typical of older suburban bedroom community, the demographic data paint El Cerrito as a relatively affluent community, with high educational attainment levels, low unemployment rates, and a higher proportion of residents over age 65 than surrounding geographies. Due to the fact that San Pablo Avenue is the primary commercial street in the City, it can be expected that most El Cerrito residents will patronize commercial establishments along the corridor. As such, their economic and demographic Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 27 ---PAGE BREAK--- characteristics are significant to the overall economic development of the Demographic Study Area. Family- oriented shopping and dining options, as well as stores serving homeowners hardware, furnishings, garden stores) will continue to form a vital component of local retail offerings. Residents of nearby Richmond neighborhoods will also contribute to the market base of the Demographic Study Area. As the majority of Richmond remains separated from the Demographic Study Area and reflects very different household profiles, most of the City’s residents will likely shop elsewhere along the I-80 corridor. However, Richmond Annex residents, as well as those living in the hills to the east of I-80 will have easy access to the Demographic Study Area, and can be expected to frequent commercial establishments along the San Pablo Avenue corridor. The northern retail nodes at Macdonald Avenue and around Del Norte BART station will also potentially draw from southeastern Richmond neighborhoods. Demand for new housing in El Cerrito will continue. The ongoing need for affordable housing across the Bay Area region, particularly among first-time home-buyers, suggests that the City is ripe for new development. As a way of entering the housing market, future residents may turn to more affordable, higher- density housing options, such as townhouses and stacked flats. These more urban product types will become even more viable in the Demographic Study Area if their development coincides with San Pablo Avenue’s maturation as a local-serving retail corridor with unique retail offerings and services. 4.3 HOUSING MARKET OVERVIEW For this analysis, BAE obtained housing data from First Annual Real Estate Solution (FARES), a private service that compiles County Assessor sales records, as well as the 2000 U.S Census and RealFacts, a data provider that surveys multifamily rental projects with 50 or more units on a quarterly basis. 4.3.1 Housing Supply Structure Size and Tenure Table 4.7 presents the most recent 2000 U.S. Census data regarding structure size and tenure data in the Demographic Study Area. New construction completed since 2000 is not represented in the data. In 2000, there were a total of 7,620 residential buildings in the Demographic Study Area. In keeping with El Cerrito’s low-density residential character, nearly 54 percent of these buildings were single family detached structures, of which 71 percent were owner-occupied, 26 percent were renter-occupied, and two percent were vacant. Multifamily housing in the Demographic Study Area was characterized by smaller projects with relatively low densities. In 2000, 42 percent of the residential buildings in the Demographic Study Area were multifamily structures, and 68 percent of these structures had between two and nine units. Since 2000, however, new residential development in the Demographic Study Area has begun to change the character and potential for new housing along the San Pablo Avenue corridor. The Village at Town Center, in particular, sets the stage for new higher density prototypes, with live/work lofts and one- and two- bedroom apartments set over ground floor retail. Given the built-out nature of El Cerrito and the Demographic Study Area, new residential development will likely occur as stacked flats, live/work housing, and townhomes. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 28 ---PAGE BREAK--- Table 7: Study Area Neighborhood Distribution by Structure Size and Tenure, 2000 Tenure Type of Total Owner Renter Vacant Structure Number % Number % Number % Number % Single Family, Detached 4,076 53.5% 2,914 90.7% 1,062 25.3% 100 49.8% Single Family, Attached 322 4.2% 109 3.4% 207 4.9% 6 3.0% Multi-Family, 2-4 Units 1,516 19.9% 110 3.4% 1,382 32.9% 24 11.9% Multi-Family, 5-9 Units 639 8.4% 18 0.6% 600 14.3% 21 10.4% Multi-Family, 10-19 Units 319 4.2% 23 0.7% 270 6.4% 26 12.9% Multi-Family, 20-49 Units 432 5.7% 0 0.0% 415 9.9% 17 8.5% Multi-Family, 50+ Units 274 3.6% 0 0.0% 267 6.4% 7 3.5% Mobile Home 24 0.3% 24 0.7% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% Boat, RV, Van, etc. 15 0.2% 15 0.5% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% Total 7,617 100.0% 3,213 100.0% 4,203 100.0% 201 100.0% Notes: Study Area includes Contra Costa County census tracts 3830, 3860, 3870, 3880, 3891, 3892. Source: 2000 U.S. Census, SF3; BAE 2007. Table 4.7: Study Area Neighborhood Distribution by Structure Size and Tenure, 2000 4.3.2 Market Conditions For-Sale Housing Tables 4.8, 4.9 and 4.10 contain distributions of all full and verified home sales in the Demographic Study Area, El Cerrito, and Richmond between November 2006 and January 2007. During this period, the median sale price for a home in the Demographic Study Area was $504,000, while the median sale price for homes citywide was $600,000. This finding reinforces the notion that home values increase as locations move eastward, away from San Pablo Avenue and into the hillside residential neighborhoods. In comparison, Demographic Study Area home values were higher than in Richmond, where the median sale price was $450,000. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 29 ---PAGE BREAK--- Table 8 : Residential Sales in Study Area 11/06-1/07 by # of Bedrooms ONE TWO THREE+ UNKNOWN ALL UNITS ALL UNITS BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM Number % of Number Number Number Number of Units Total of Units of Units of Units of Units less than $200,000 1 2.6% 0 0 0 $200,000 to $249,999 0 0.0% 0 0 0 $250,000 to $299,999 0 0.0% 0 0 0 $300,000 to $349,999 1 2.6% 0 1 0 $350,000 to $399,999 7 17.9% 0 6 1 0 $400,000 to $449,999 4 10.3% 0 3 1 0 $450,000 to $499,999 5 12.8% 0 4 1 0 $500,000 to $549,999 7 17.9% 0 3 3 1 $550,000 to $599,999 5 12.8% 0 1 4 0 $600,000 to $649,999 3 7.7% 0 0 3 $650,000 to $699,999 1 2.6% 0 0 0 $700,000 to $749,999 1 2.6% 0 0 0 $750,000 to $799,999 1 2.6% 0 0 1 $800,000 to $849,999 0 0.0% 0 0 0 $850,000 to $899,999 1 2.6% 0 0 0 $900,000 to $949,999 1 2.6% 0 0 0 $950,000 to $999,999 0 0.0% 0 0 0 $1,000,000 to $1,999,999 1 2.6% 0 0 0 $2,000,000 + 0 0.0% 0 0 0 Total 39 100.0% 0 18 14 7 Median Sale Price $504,000 $435,000 $555,000 $700,000 Average Sale Price $520,000 $438,833 $546,000 $676,714 Avg. Square Feet 1,582 990 1,396 Avg. Price per SF $329 $420 $391 Notes: Study Area includes Contra Costa County census tracts 3830, 3860, 3870, 3880, 3891, 3892. Represents all full and verified re 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 s sales between November 2006 and January 2007. Sources: First American Real Estate Solutions, 2007; BAE, 2007. Table 4.8: Residential Sales in Study Area 11/06 – 1/07 by Number of Bedrooms Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 30 ---PAGE BREAK--- Table 9: Residential Sales in El Cerrito 11/06-1/07 by # of Bedrooms ONE TWO THREE+ UNKNOWN ALL UNITS ALL UNITS BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM Number % of Number Number Number Number of Units Total of Units of Units of Units of Units less than $200,000 1 1.6% 0 0 1 $200,000 to $249,999 0 0.0% 0 0 0 $250,000 to $299,999 0 0.0% 0 0 0 $300,000 to $349,999 1 1.6% 0 1 0 $350,000 to $399,999 5 8.2% 0 3 2 $400,000 to $449,999 2 3.3% 0 2 0 $450,000 to $499,999 4 6.6% 0 3 1 $500,000 to $549,999 8 13.1% 0 6 1 1 $550,000 to $599,999 9 14.8% 0 3 6 0 $600,000 to $649,999 9 14.8% 0 4 5 0 $650,000 to $699,999 8 13.1% 0 1 7 0 $700,000 to $749,999 1 1.6% 0 0 0 $750,000 to $799,999 1 1.6% 0 0 1 $800,000 to $849,999 2 3.3% 0 0 2 $850,000 to $899,999 4 6.6% 0 0 3 $900,000 to $949,999 2 3.3% 0 0 1 $950,000 to $999,999 2 3.3% 0 1 1 $1,000,000 to $1,999,999 2 3.3% 0 0 1 $2,000,000 + 0 0.0% 0 0 0 Total 61 100.0% 0 24 32 5 Median Sale Price $600,000 $525,000 $637,500 $865,000 Average Sale Price $621,926 $529,625 $662,141 $807,600 Avg. Square Feet 1,649 1,191 1,643 Avg. Price per SF $377 $445 $403 Notes: Represents all full and verified residential sales between November 2006 and January 2007. Sources: First American Real Estate Solutions, 2007; BAE, 2007. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 Table 4.9: Residential Sales in El Cerrito 11/06 – 1/07 by Number of Bedrooms Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 31 ---PAGE BREAK--- Table 10: Residential Sales in Richmond 11/06-1/07 by # of Bedrooms ONE TWO THREE+ UNKNOWN ALL UNITS ALL UNITS BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM BEDROOM Number % of Number Number Number Number of Units Total of Units of Units of Units of Units less than $200,000 5 2.0% 1 2 1 1 $200,000 to $249,999 4 1.6% 1 1 1 1 $250,000 to $299,999 11 4.5% 1 6 3 1 $300,000 to $349,999 19 7.7% 2 8 9 0 $350,000 to $399,999 30 12.2% 2 17 10 1 $400,000 to $449,999 51 20.7% 1 24 23 3 $450,000 to $499,999 32 13.0% 0 16 16 0 $500,000 to $549,999 37 15.0% 0 10 27 0 $550,000 to $599,999 14 5.7% 0 0 14 0 $600,000 to $649,999 17 6.9% 0 0 16 1 $650,000 to $699,999 9 3.7% 0 1 4 4 $700,000 to $749,999 3 1.2% 0 0 2 1 $750,000 to $799,999 3 1.2% 0 0 2 1 $800,000 to $849,999 3 1.2% 0 0 3 0 $850,000 to $899,999 4 1.6% 0 0 4 0 $900,000 to $949,999 0 0.0% 0 0 0 0 $950,000 to $999,999 2 0.8% 0 0 1 1 $1,000,000 to $1,999,999 2 0.8% 0 0 2 0 $2,000,000 + 0 0.0% 0 0 0 0 Total 246 100.0% 8 85 138 15 Median Sale Price $450,000 $328,250 $410,000 $510,000 $607,500 Average Sale Price $476,898 $298,063 $406,553 $525,333 $525,300 Avg. Square Feet 1,401 728 988 1,578 Avg. Price per SF $340 $409 $411 $333 Notes: Represents all full and verified residential sales between November 2006 and January 2007. Sources: First American Real Estate Solutions, 2007; BAE, 2007. Table 4.10: Residential Sales in Richmond 11/06 – 1/07 by Number of Bedrooms In comparing El Cerrito home sale prices to values in neighboring communities to the south, El Cerrito does show lower prices than Albany or Berkeley on a per square foot basis. In July 2007, El Cerrito homes showed a median price of $501 per square foot, compared to $577 per square foot for Albany and $527 per square foot in Berkeley. It is worth noting, however, that the absolute prices in El Cerrito have remained consistently higher than in Albany and some parts of Berkeley, as shown in Table 4.11. This trend is partly due to the significant number of condominium units in Albany, which are sold more frequently than single- family homes. Looking at median sales prices over time, El Cerrito home values have escalated at a rate comparable to Albany and Berkeley. As shown in Table 4.11, median prices in El Cerrito rose 202 percent between 1997 and 2007. In comparison, Albany experienced a 203 percent gain over the last decade. As a larger city, Berkeley prices saw much more variation according to zip code, with the increase ranging from 150 to 283 percent between 1997 and 2007. As shown in Figure 4.1, in terms of sales volume, the El Cerrito market has remained relatively stable, with some variation according to real estate cycles. While sales volume had begun to grow starting in 2001, the number of homes sold has declined in recent years in response to the national and regional downturn in the housing market. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 32 ---PAGE BREAK--- Table 4.11: Median Sale Price in El Cerrito, Albany, and Berkeley Zip Codes, 1997 to 2007. El Cerrito Albany Year 94530 94706 94702 94703 94704 94705 94707 94708 94709 94710 1997 $212,250 $197,250 $175,000 $189,000 $193,000 $269,000 $345,000 $350,000 $239,000 $150,000 1998 $235,000 $196,000 $199,750 $197,500 $197,000 $402,750 $405,000 $385,000 $208,000 $164,000 1999 $275,000 $244,500 $235,000 $245,750 $257,000 $467,023 $450,000 $440,000 $310,000 $210,000 2000 $350,000 $335,000 $324,500 $316,000 $325,000 $525,500 $600,000 $548,000 $378,000 $275,000 2001 $385,000 $360,000 $330,000 $350,000 $350,000 $651,841 $628,000 $605,000 $421,000 $320,000 2002 $445,000 $405,000 $370,000 $410,000 $359,000 $780,500 $645,000 $600,000 $459,500 $350,000 2003 $465,000 $450,000 $425,500 $440,000 $405,000 $764,000 $679,000 $660,000 $460,500 $371,500 2004 $542,000 $487,000 $495,000 $525,000 $436,750 $872,500 $776,000 $750,000 $570,000 $491,750 2005 $619,000 $590,000 $589,500 $622,500 $479,000 $1,015,000 $890,500 $850,500 $655,000 $550,000 2006 $624,500 $580,000 $595,000 $622,500 $527,500 $1,100,000 $800,000 $848,000 $627,500 $542,500 YTD2007 $642,000 $597,500 $579,000 $623,500 $545,000 $1,015,000 $935,000 $875,000 $688,000 $575,000 % Change '97-'07 202% 203% 231% 230% 182% 277% 171% 150% 188% 283% % Change '00-'07 83% 78% 78% 97% 68% 93% 56% 60% 82% 109% Source: DataQuick; BAE, 2007. Berkeley Figure 4.1: Number of Homes Sold in El Cerrito, 1996-2006 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 [PHONE REDACTED] 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Number of Homes Sold Rental Housing Tables 12 and 13 summarize rental market information for developments with 50 or more units in El Cerrito and Richmond, provided by RealFacts. As there are only two such properties in El Cerrito, this data provides more of a snapshot of the City’s rental market than a comprehensive overview. Based on this data, El Cerrito’s residential rental market (see Table 4.12) has remained stable over the last two years, with an average rent of $1,306 through the fourth quarter of 2006, only a 0.2 percent increase over the 2005 average. Vacancies have decreased by 0.9 percent in the last year to their lowest level since 2002, with an average occupancy rate of 96.3 percent at the end of 2006. Housing economists typically consider a 95 percent occupancy rate as an indicator of a “balanced” market, allowing reasonable returns to landlords and mobility for tenants. As such, these figures point to a strong, if constrained, rental housing market in El Cerrito. The Richmond rental market (see Table 4.13) gained strength between 2004 and 2006, though remains far weaker than in El Cerrito. Through the fourth quarter of 2006 the average rent in Richmond was $1,191, a 3.2 percent increase over the 2005 average. Although the 2006 average occupancy rate was only 93.4 percent, Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 33 ---PAGE BREAK--- vacancies decreased by 0.9 in 2006 to bring the average occupancy rate closer to its 2003 highpoint at 93.8 percent. Table 11: Overview of the City of El Cerrito Rental Housing Market, Fourth Quarter 2006 CURRENT MARKET DATA: Percent Avg. Avg. Avg. Unit Type Number of Mix Sq. Ft. Rent Rent/Sq. Ft. 1 BR/1 BA 93 31.3% 673 $1,259 $1.87 2 BR/1 BA 54 18.2% 825 $1,195 $1.45 2 BR/2 BA 150 50.5% 876 $1,376 $1.57 Totals 297 100.0% 803 $1,306 $1.63 AVERAGE RENT HISTORY: 2004-2005 2005-2006 Unit Type 2004 2005 Change 2006 Change 1 BR/1 BA $1,184 $1,127 -4.8% $1,259 11.7% 2 BR/1 BA $1,318 $1,201 -8.9% $1,195 -0.5% 2 BR/2 BA $1,380 $1,387 0.5% $1,376 -0.8% All $1,307 $1,303 -0.3% $1,306 0.2% OCCUPANCY RATE: Average Year Occupancy 2002 95.4% 2003 93.6% 2004 92.1% 2005 95.4% 2006 96.3% AGE OF HOUSING INVENTORY: Percent of Year Inventory 1970s 0% 1980s 50% 1990s 50% 2000s 0% Notes: Represents only housing complexes with 50 units or more. El Cerrito only has two such properties. Average rents for fourth quarters of each year listed. Sources: Real Facts, Inc., 2007; Bay Area Economics, 2007. Table 4.12: Overview of the City of El Cerrito Rental Housing Market, Fourth Quarter 2006 Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 34 ---PAGE BREAK--- Table 12: Overview of the City of Richmond Rental Housing Market, Fourth Quarter 2006 CURRENT MARKET DATA: Percent Avg. Avg. Avg. Unit Type Number of Mix Sq. Ft. Rent Rent/Sq. Ft. Studio 200 5.1% 470 $760 $1.62 Jr 1 BR 156 4.0% 563 $1,046 $1.86 1 BR/1 BA 1,983 50.5% 707 $1,082 $1.53 2 BR/1 BA 540 13.8% 874 $1,242 $1.42 2 BR/2 BA 1,048 26.7% 1,057 $1,473 $1.39 Totals 3,927 100.0% 805 $1,191 $1.48 AVERAGE RENT HISTORY: 2004-2005 2005-2006 Unit Type 2004 2005 Change 2006 Change Studio $780 $773 -0.9% $760 -1.7% Jr 1 BR $1,017 $1,026 0.9% $1,046 1.9% 1 BR/1 BA $1,014 $1,041 2.7% $1,082 3.9% 2 BR/1 BA $1,210 $1,234 2.0% $1,242 0.6% 2 BR/2 BA $1,407 $1,418 0.8% $1,473 3.9% All $1,142 $1,154 1.1% $1,191 3.2% OCCUPANCY RATE: Average Year Occupancy 2002 93.6% 2003 93.8% 2004 92.1% 2005 92.5% 2006 93.4% AGE OF HOUSING INVENTORY: Percent of Year Inventory 1970s 22% 1980s 44% 1990s 22% 2000s 11% Notes: Represents only housing complexes with 50 units or more. Average rents for fourth quarters of each year listed. Sources: Real Facts, Inc., 2007; Bay Area Economics, 2007. Table 4.13: Overview of the City of Richmond Rental Housing Market, Fourth Quarter 2006 Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 35 ---PAGE BREAK--- 4.3.3 Summary of Findings New development should concentrate on continuing to build higher-density housing units at price points affordable for households with moderate incomes. According to market data, home sale prices in El Cerrito and Richmond have remained stable despite evidence of a regional and national slow-down in the housing market. Continuing high levels of demand for affordable housing in the Bay Area, combined with a relatively stable residential market in El Cerrito and Richmond, suggest demand for new for-sale housing in the Demographic Study Area, albeit at lower price points than in inner Bay Area communities or more affluent suburbs. Rental market data indicate positive demand for rental housing in El Cerrito. Decreasing vacancy rates and increases in average rents point to a strong rental housing market in the Demographic Study Area, and the potential for additional apartment development. However, a financial feasibility analysis of new rental development, based on current rents and development costs, is necessary to fully understand the potential for new rental projects along the San Pablo Avenue corridor. 4.4 COMMERCIAL MARKET OVERVIEW For this analysis, BAE conducted site visits to the Planning Area, and contacted the City of El Cerrito for further information regarding planned and proposed commercial developments. BAE also obtained leasing and vacancy data for Planning Area commercial properties from Loopnet, an online listing of commercial real estate available for sale and lease. 4.4.1 Retail Table 4.14 presents typical lease rates and terms for commercial spaces located within the Planning Area. Retail character varies dramatically along the avenue, ranging from aging strip centers to new retail and mixed-use developments. The Planning Area’s retail uses are largely organized around key nodes at El Cerrito Plaza, the new Civic Center, the El Cerrito Del Norte BART station, and at the intersection of Macdonald Avenue and San Pablo Avenue in Richmond. Although the El Cerrito Economic Development Strategy estimates a significant amount of purchasing power in the trade areas surrounding El Cerrito, retail space shows mixed performance along the San Pablo Avenue corridor. This inconsistent market strength is expressed through varying lease and occupancy rates between the key nodes discussed below. Located at the southern end of the Planning Area, El Cerrito Plaza and its surrounding blocks represent the corridor’s strongest commercial node. Part of the area’s success is due to its proximity to Albany and northern Berkeley, both of which contain strong household incomes. A regional shopping center, El Cerrito’s anchor tenants include Barnes & Noble, Trader Joe’s, Pier One Imports, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Albertson’s. The center also includes a combination of national and local chain restaurants, a bank, and other supporting shops. A leasing agent for El Cerrito Plaza reported that the retail spaces in the Plaza have been highly sought after and that the Plaza is almost fully tenanted. Lease rates for retail spaces less than 5,000 square feet are approximately $3.00 per square foot, triple net (NNN).1 The current asking lease rate for the former Copeland’s store (the center’s only retail vacancy) is about $2.00 per square foot for the 35,000 square foot space. Restaurants and smaller retail spaces that are less than 3,000 square feet generally lease at around $3.50 per square foot. 1 All lease rates expressed as NNN, unless otherwise noted. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 36 ---PAGE BREAK--- In the blocks just north of the El Cerrito Plaza, across Fairmount Avenue, retail uses take on a more historic, neighborhood-oriented character, typified by older, single-story, low density shops fronting onto San Pablo Avenue. At the heart of this strip is the Cerrito Theater, a recently renovated independent theater that anchors other retail businesses on the block. The area also contains a full service hardware store, restaurants, cafés, jewelry shops and music stores. The local, historic character of these blocks creates a “sense of place” that effectively counterbalances the larger, nationally-tenanted El Cerrito Plaza. Thus, this area serves as a strong base from which to build additional local-serving retail activity in the area. Occupancy rates in this section of the Planning Area near 100 percent. The Planning Area’s second key retail node lies around El Cerrito’s new Civic Center, currently under construction. The Village at Town Center and the new City Hall break up the aging strip center retail pattern that dominates this central part of the Planning Area. However, the potential of this area has yet to be fully realized. The ground floor space in the Village at Town Center is only partly occupied, with an insurance office, a sandwich shop, and the Village’s own sales offices. Nevertheless, key spaces that front San Pablo Avenue remain vacant. Nib’s restaurant, located across the street from the Village at Town Center, is an inexpensive diner open for breakfast and dinner. It is often busy and at capacity and could benefit from expansion or relocation to a larger space. However, there are limited vacant spaces in the project area with the infrastructure (grease trap and venting) needed to accommodate a restaurant. The asking retail lease rate at the Village at Town Square is $2.55 per square foot per month and is the highest advertised rate in the Civic Center area. Other advertised rates in the sub-area ranged between $2.00 and $2.25 per square foot per month. Occupancy rates also appeared strong, ranging from 100 percent at El Cerrito Place, anchored by a Longs Drugs and Marshall’s, to 89 percent in other properties in the area. As the City’s Civic Center is completed, this node appears ripe for further mixed-use development with additional retail space. The Planning Area’s third key retail node includes parcels within a quarter mile of the El Cerrito Del Norte BART station. Freeway-oriented, regionally-focused stores such as Home Depot, Staples, and Target are located in the area, as well as a number of auto dealerships. The only advertised retail lease rate around Del Norte BART at the time of this report was for a 5,600 square foot space in the Del Norte Plaza. The advertised asking lease rate was $2.25 per square foot per month. An older property, built in 1965 and showing some signs of deferred maintenance, the occupancy rate at Del Norte Plaza currently stands at 78 percent. Throughout this area, large, underutilized parcels surround the BART station and along the BART right-of- way present opportunities for transit-oriented development. If properly oriented to the street, the BART station, and residential development, street-front retail in a mixed-use format could be successful at this location. This finding echoes the El Cerrito Economic Development Strategy, which notes the subarea’s potential, despite relatively poor quality space in older adjacent centers such as Del Norte Plaza. The Planning Area’s northernmost retail node lies at the intersection of Macdonald and San Pablo avenues. Currently, the intersection contains a 28,000 square foot Safeway, a bank, and a vacant Albertson’s. Despite this intersection’s prominent location at the juncture of two major thoroughfares, retail space appears to perform poorly, as evidenced by the closure of the Albertson’s. As a nearby market comparable, a 500 square foot retail/office storefront at Barrett Avenue and San Pablo Avenue is listed at $1.40 per square foot, full service. Although outside the Planning Area, this listing serves as a general indicator of the relatively weak commercial market in the area. It is important to note, however, that the City of Richmond has identified Macdonald Avenue as a redevelopment project area, and has planned façade and street improvements along the road. Moreover, the new Macdonald 80 shopping center, just to the west of the intersection, will help attract shoppers, potentially increasing this area’s viability as a retail node along the San Pablo Avenue corridor. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 37 ---PAGE BREAK--- In the areas between these nodes, the retail character of the Planning Area assumes an aging, outdated quality. Retail centers along these sections of San Pablo Avenue are typically single-story strip centers, set back from the street behind surface parking lots, or in small buildings showing signs of neglect and deferred maintenance. As a result, asking lease rates tend to be lower than in newer projects. For example, the asking lease rate for a 1,600 square foot retail space in the 40 year-old Moeser Square was only $1.95 per square foot. Table 13: Study Area Commercial Space Comparables Year Available Lease Rent Occupancy Name, Addess Built Space (sf) Use Rate Type Rates Comments Bank of the West Plaza 1986 1,968 Retail $2.00 /sf NNN 89% Retail strip center anchored by Bank of the West. 11100 San Pablo Ave. Other tenants include: Check N' Go, Kumon Math Center and El Cerrito, CA 94530 chiropractic office. Moeser Square 1966 1,668 Retail $1.95 /sf NNN 91% Retail Strip Center; Owner will fully remodel. 10578-10582 San Pablo Ave. Other tenants include Baskin Robbins, JV Liquors, Jackson El Cerrito, CA 94530 Hewiit Tax Svcs, various salons & restaurants. $0.57 NNN expenses El Cerrito Place 1979 6,069 Retail negotiable NNN 0% Retail/ Retail pad; Outbuilding to Marshall's shopping center. 10770 San Pablo Ave. Former bank, includes vault and drive through. El Cerrito, CA 94530 Includes 2,253 sf 2nd floor office space. Owners will renovate to suit or build to suit up to 9,000 sf for strong national tenant. Del Norte Place 1992 1,636 Office $1.92 /sf NNN N/A Office/Medical office; 3 treatment rooms, 3 offices, lab, 11720 San Pablo Ave. reception and patient waiting area. El Cerrito, CA 94530 Part of mixed-use multi-family residential housing development. Across street from Del Norte BART station. The Village at Town Center 2006 5,045 Retail $2.55 /sf NNN 34% Retail strip center in residential mixed-use development. 10810 San Pablo Ave. Other tenants include Quizno's. El Cerrito, CA 94530 2 spaces: 2,050sf & 2,995 sf corner location. Negotiable tenant improvements. Vital Building 2003 859 Office/ $2.25 /sf Full 89% Office; Second Floor space in restored historic building. 10835 San Pablo Ave. Retail Service Open configuration, with 2 private offices El Cerrito, CA 94530 Across street from El Cerrito Town Center, BART Del Norte Plaza 1965 5,657 Retail $2.25 /sf NNN 78% Corner space in neighborhood shopping center 11299 San Pablo ae. Other tenants include Carrows Restaurant and Radio Shack El Cerrito, CA 94530 Notes: Study Area includes Contra Costa County census tracts 3830, 3860, 3870, 3880, 3891, 3892. Sources: Loopnet, 2007; BAE, 2007. Table 4.14: Study Area Commercial Space Comparables Tenants in these intermediate areas typically include an array of smaller, local-serving retail establishments, such as beauty salons, financial service outlets, independent motels, and small restaurants. Auto-oriented services also occupy many of the larger parcels fronting this stretch of San Pablo Avenue. Despite the area’s lackluster retail offerings, a number of unique local-serving stores do offer a starting point from which to build a viable retail base in these blocks. Examples of these “hidden gems” include Down Home Records, El Cerrito Natural Grocery, and Katana-Ya Ramen, all stores with a strong following among local residents. Moreover, windshield surveys of the area indicate that occupancy rates are relatively high, albeit with more marginal tenants. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 38 ---PAGE BREAK--- 4.4.2 Office Reflecting the City’s history as a suburban bedroom community, a limited amount of office space exists in the Planning Area. Most office uses in the Planning Area are located in the commercial strip centers that line the San Pablo Avenue corridor, and just north of El Cerrito Plaza, where a cluster of medical/dental offices and financial services vendors occurs. El Cerrito Plaza itself also houses a small amount of office space. Lease rates for office space in the Planning Area list are similar to the retail spaces described above, as some spaces in the centers are effectively interchangeable between retail and office uses. The El Cerrito Plaza agent reported less demand for the office spaces in the Plaza, but that they are nearly fully occupied, and lease at $1.80 per square foot, full service. Office sizes range from 500 square feet to 3,000 square feet in area. Current office tenants in the Plaza include medical/dental offices, and services such as Weight Watchers. Larger East Bay employment centers, such as nearby Oakland and Emeryville, will likely continue to capture the bulk of the local office market. As such, there will be a limited market for office uses in the Planning Area, particularly large employers. However, the Planning Area may be able to expand in a limited capacity its supply of small professional offices, serving medical/dental tenants, architecture/design services, financial and real estate services establishments. Capturing these professional users will require more attractive office spaces and better locations than are currently available in the Planning Area. Moreover, new professional users will require transit access and locational amenities restaurants and shops) within walking distance from their offices. As such, if office development were to occur, it would be at key sites such as the southern part of the Planning Area and around the Del Norte BART station. 4.4.3 Summary of Findings Demand for retail space is fairly strong at key locations. High commercial occupancy rates within the Planning Area, as well as strong lease rates at El Cerrito Plaza suggests support for new retail uses along San Pablo Avenue, particularly at the southern end of the Planning Area. However, new retail will require attractive, well-designed space near activity nodes to command the lease rates necessary to support new construction. As some demolition and parcel assembly will need to occur to accommodate new development, the City and its Redevelopment Agency may need to play a role in sparking new projects. The financial feasibility analysis of new retail development at key sites will further inform the potential for new retail space in the area. New mixed-use development should be planned judiciously, so as not to depress the overall market along the San Pablo Avenue corridor. New retail centers in the Planning Area generally report high occupancy rates, and command comparatively high lease rates, suggesting that additional mixed-use development can succeed near these locations. However, the older, less vital retail areas between key nodes command lower lease rates, and tend to have weaker tenants. Overproduction of mixed-use development runs the risk of depressing the retail market and increasing vacancy rates throughout the corridor. Moreover, vacant ground floor space can make the project as a whole more difficult to “pencil,” thereby slowing new residential development. As such, commercial space in a mixed-use format should be concentrated near active nodes, namely the Del Norte BART station, around the Central and San Pablo intersection, and eventually near the Civic Center Plaza. Planning for new retail development should seek to create a vibrant mix of commercial typologies along the San Pablo avenue corridor. The recent renovations to the Cerrito Theater have created a neighborhood- serving commercial strip just north of the Plaza that reflects the small town character of the area. This smaller scale format, combined with historic façades and local tenants, provides a welcome alternative to the larger, regional centers at El Cerrito Plaza and the Del Norte node, and can encourage residents to spend their dollars locally. As stated earlier, many new young families and professionals moving to the area for more affordable housing will desire the pedestrian-friendly and unique shopping environment found in many San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland neighborhoods. Additional dining options are particularly key to establishing this type of retail Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 39 ---PAGE BREAK--- environment, as noted in the El Cerrito Economic Development Strategy, which identified significant leakage in the Eating and Drinking Places category. Efforts to attract additional office uses to the Planning Area should appeal to the small professional office market. The Planning Area appears to have a limited potential to attract some small professional users, such as medical/dental offices, architecture/design services, financial and real estate services establishments. Capturing these professional users will require new, more attractive office spaces, in high visibility locations with nearby amenities. Condominium commercial space, an increasingly common product type in many suburban communities, potentially represents a more attractive product for professional office users, particularly given the relatively low office lease rates in the Planning Area. 4.5 STRATEGIC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES 4.5.1 Housing As stated earlier, home prices in El Cerrito remain lower than in other commuter neighborhoods in north Oakland, Berkeley and Albany, attracting new residents, particularly younger first-time homebuyers. Typically representing smaller households, these new residents are good candidates for infill multi-family housing and townhomes. The strong rental demand in the Planning Area, as evidenced by stable rents and decreasing vacancy rates, also suggest the possibility of further apartment development in the Planning Area. In general, the Planning Area from El Cerrito Plaza to the new Civic Center represents a more attractive locale for new housing, with more neighborhood commercial activity enhancing its appeal. The area immediately surrounding the Del Norte BART station is also a prime opportunity for transit-oriented housing at higher densities. Between the Del Norte station and the Civic Center, however, new residential development needs to be at a sufficient scale and have a contemporary, attractive design to establish a more positive character for the neighborhood, and overcome the area’s relative lack of amenities. New residential development will require some assembly of parcels to accommodate new development in much of the Planning Area. Parcel depth is a particular limitation between Moeser Lane and Fairmount Avenue. 4.5.2 Retail The El Cerrito Economic Development Strategy highlights the significant retail leakage currently occurring in El Cerrito, as residents leave the City to shop. Given local household incomes and the increasing number of younger professionals moving to the area, El Cerrito should be able to improve its retail outlook with strategic planning in the Planning Area. As a first approach to augmenting local retail, new mixed-use retail development can occur at main activity nodes, namely near Central Avenue, surrounding the Del Norte BART station, and to a lesser extent around the new Civic Center. Away from these points, mixed-use retail should be de-emphasized away to avoid an oversupply of ground floor space and a resulting depression of lease rates. Based on comments from Metrovation, a respected East Bay retail development and brokerage firm, the El Cerrito Economic Development Strategy also discusses necessary design features to make the retail more attractive to tenants. Specifically, it states that: Window height should be as high as possible with shop entrances pushed out to the street. Shop space should be 60 to 65 feet deep and at least 15 to 17 feet wide. Parking should be adjacent to the retail, with ease of ingress and egress. Space needs to be planned in advance for restaurant uses to accommodate garbage, sewer lines, water Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 40 ---PAGE BREAK--- lines, power, grease traps, and venting. The southern end of the Planning Area, where stores can also draw shoppers from Albany and Berkeley and build off the success of El Cerrito Plaza and the Cerrito Theater, is a particularly attractive locale for mixed- use retail. This includes parcels around Central Avenue and even as far north as Stockton Avenue. In addition, mixed-use development at the eastern intersection of Fairmount and San Pablo Avenues could, over time, help retail uses “turn the corner” from San Pablo onto Fairmount. Successful mixed-use development here would build upon the El Cerrito Plaza stores that front onto Fairmount, and help create a small-scale “main street” extending from the BART tracks to San Pablo. Secondly, consistent with current development patterns, freeway-oriented, regional retail is most appropriate in the northern part of the Planning Area. While “big box” retailers typically look for opportunities to do larger stores, they will also locate smaller outlets at infill sites to capitalize on underserved market niches. Nevertheless, site assembly and redevelopment may be necessary to prepare a site of sufficient size to accommodate a big box outlet. While store sizes vary dramatically, stand-alone smaller format box stores range from 30,000 to 60,000 square feet, on parcels ranging from two to five acres. As a basis of comparison, the Del Norte Target store is 89,862 square feet, on a 5.95-acre site. The Staples, Dollar Tree, and Walgreens stores at across San Pablo Avenue from the BART station combine to make up 59,770 square feet of retail space on approximately 4.6 acres. Third, opportunities to redevelop or revitalize the older and less successful strip-centers should be explored as another option for improving the retail environment along the corridor. These developments could either be reused over time as higher density housing with ground floor retail, or simply rehabilitated through façade and other design improvements. 4.5.3 Office Office development in the Planning Area should be limited, and focus on incorporating small offices into mixed-use developments. Developers of office condos and smaller leased spaces can target small professional users, such as attorneys, physicians, dentists, architects, chiropractors, and design professionals. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 41 ---PAGE BREAK--- CHAPTER FIVE C i r c u l a t i o n , T r a n s p o r t a t i o n , a n d p a r k i n g ---PAGE BREAK--- 5 CIRCULATION, TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING This chapter summarizes the data and observations made by consultant team member Fehr & Peers for the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan. Specifically, the chapter focuses on conditions, issues and opportunities related to vehicle circulation, level of service at key intersections, pedestrian circulation, bicycle circulation and transit operations. 5.1 KEY FINDINGS San Pablo Avenue’s close proximity to active commercial and residential areas, connection to regional transportation (Interstate 80 and BART), and diverse mix of transportation modes make it a key resource in planning for land use and transportation changes in the area. Crossings at various offset intersections should be reviewed for safety and pedestrian access. Adjustments can be made to the width of travel lanes to accommodate bike lanes or widened sidewalks. Bulbouts at certain locations should be considered at intersections with high pedestrian volumes to shorten walking distance, improve visibility, and reduce traffic speeds. At the intersection of San Pablo Avenue and Central Avenue, peak hour congestion results from the constrained lane geometry between San Pablo Avenue and the Interstate 80 ramp intersections. At the intersection of San Pablo Avenue and Cutting Boulevard, peak hour congestion results from heavy auto and bus traffic related to the BART station, non-standard intersection configurations, and several commercial driveways in close proximity. 5.2 VEHICLE CIRCULATION 5.2.1 Roadway Network There are 13 signalized intersections along San Pablo Avenue from Macdonald Avenue to El Cerrito Plaza. The average spacing between signals is about 1,250 feet. There is considerable variation, however, in the distances between adjacent signals. For example, the signals at Knott Avenue and Cutting Boulevard are only about 500 feet apart, but the signals at Stockton Avenue and Central Avenue are about 2,200 feet - nearly half a mile - apart. There are breaks in the median at each of the signalized intersections along this corridor, at which there are always north and south left turn pockets. Typical pocket are between 150 and 200 feet, sufficient to store six to eight vehicles. In addition, there are periodic breaks for side streets on the Richmond (west) side, but not every side street with a corresponding break can turn in both directions onto San Pablo Avenue; several of the breaks are only wide enough for at-grade crosswalks. Figure 5.1 shows locations of all of the signals, crosswalks, and medians along San Pablo Avenue in the project study corridor. 5.2.2 Trip-Generating Land Uses The highest trip-generating land uses along the Avenue are the two El Cerrito BART stations, El Cerrito Del Norte and El Cerrito Plaza. The Del Norte BART station and its parking facilities are located on the east side of San Pablo Avenue, between Knott Avenue and Hill Street. The station’s parking facilities include a large garage with entrances on Cutting Boulevard and Hill Street to the east of the tracks, a surface lot on the other side of the tracks from the garage, and an additional surface lot on the east side of the tracks, with an entrance on Key Boulevard (a north-south two-lane arterial parallel to San Pablo Avenue) between Knott Avenue and Cutting Boulevard. The El Cerrito Plaza BART station is located a block to the east of San Pablo Avenue, between Central Avenue and Fairmount Avenue. Its main parking facility is a surface lot to the immediate Existing Conditions Analysis San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 42 ---PAGE BREAK--- west of the tracks with entrances on Central Avenue and Fairmount Avenue. There is a smaller surface lot east of the tracks and north of Central Avenue. The El Cerrito Plaza shopping area, the other major trip-generating land use in the corridor, is located to the east of San Pablo Avenue, just south of the El Cerrito Plaza BART station. The main driveway is signalized at San Pablo Avenue, opposite Carlson Boulevard. There is a signalized back entrance on Fairmount Avenue as well, one block east of San Pablo Avenue 5.3 LEVELS OF SERVICE AND DELAY The key intersections in the Planning Area are the two signalized intersections near the Del Norte BART station, at the intersection of Cutting Boulevard, Hill Street and Eastshore Boulevard, and the intersection at Central Avenue near both the El Cerrito Plaza BART station and shopping area. Weekday peak period intersection counts were conducted during the morning (7 AM to 9 AM) and evening (4 p.m. to 6 p.m.) at the study intersections during typical weekdays in June of 2007 for the two Del Norte intersections, and October of 2006 for the Central Avenue intersection. The lane configurations for all three intersections are shown in Figure 5.1, and the turning movement counts are shown in Figure 5.2. It should be noted that the westbound leg of the Cutting Boulevard intersection is one way, serving outbound traffic from the BART station, and that the Hill Street and Eastshore Boulevard intersection also includes a driveway to Orchard Supply Hardware, making it effectively a five-legged intersection. Current signal timing, phasing and coordination data was obtained from Kimley Horn and Associates, the City of Richmond, and CalTrans. The data was used in conjunction with field observations and the traffic counts to help determine intersection levels of service and approximate queuing delays, as described in the immediately following section. 5.3.1 Observations The three study intersections were observed on two different weekdays in May of 2007 in both the a.m. peak and p.m. peak. The following is a description of the volume and queuing activity observed at the intersections. San Pablo Avenue at Cutting Boulevard – AM Peak Southbound volumes are heavy and vehicle queues can build almost to Knott Avenue. Westbound volumes are very light. Northbound left and through queues are usually about 5 vehicles. Eastbound left queues are typically six to seven vehicles and occasionally back up beyond Peerless Avenue, a small side street that leads into a shopping center. Eastbound right turning vehicles on average form a queue of up to five to seven vehicles during the southbound green phase. However, when an occasional platoon arrives the queue can grow to well over 20 vehicles extending all the way to the Interstate 80 ramp interchange to the west. Eastbound vehicles sometimes turn from Cutting Boulevard onto Peerless Avenue, cut through the shopping center parking lot, and then turn right onto San Pablo Avenue. San Pablo Avenue at Cutting Boulevard – PM Peak Southbound volumes and queues are shorter than the AM peak, particularly early on in the peak period. Westbound left volumes are light, but westbound through queues can be as high as 10 vehicles and extend to the striped crossing under the BART tracks. The outside westbound through lane is much Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 43 ---PAGE BREAK--- more heavily utilized than the inside lane due to vehicles anticipating turning onto the Interstate 80 eastbound on ramp. During each cycle there are often one or more buses making this movement. Northbound through queues are usually five to 10 vehicles whereas northbound left queues can back up beyond the two left turn pockets that can hold about 12 vehicles each. Eastbound left queues are occasionally longer than in the AM peak due to heavier platoons and are not cleared within one green light. Eastbound right queues are shorter than in the AM peak. Peerless Avenue, a small side street, serves the shopping area on the southeast corner of this intersection from Cutting Boulevard. Vehicles turning out of Peerless Avenue have no signal controlling them, and occasionally a northbound left turning vehicle will cut in and block the eastbound direction on Cutting Boulevard and wait until the westbound Cutting Boulevard lanes are clear, so it can make the full left turn. This can greatly increase the length of the eastbound queues. Preventing left turns from Peerless Avenue onto Cutting Boulevard would alleviate this problem. San Pablo Avenue at Hill Street / Eastshore Bouelvard / OSH Driveway – AM Peak The southbound volume is heavy and the queue often extends to the San Pablo Avenue/Cutting Boulevard intersection. As a result, as many as six vehicles are often stuck in the middle of the Cutting Boulevard intersection trying to enter the southbound queue. The southbound left queue usually spills back beyond the left turn pockets. The inside of the two left turn pockets is more utilized due to a larger number of vehicles desiring to turn left subsequently into the BART station. There is usually at least one bus in this queue and sometimes two. Westbound volumes from Hill Street are light and there is little or no queuing. Northbound through queues are typically seven to eight vehicles. One queue of 15 vehicles was observed but it did not affect the Potrero Avenue intersection to the south. Other northbound movements are light. Eastbound volumes from the Orchard Supply Hardware driveway are light and there is little or no queuing. Northeast volumes from Eastshore Boulevard are light and there is little or no queuing. San Pablo Avenue at Hill Street / Eastshore Bouelvard / Orchard Supply Harware Driveway – PM Peak The southbound traffic exhibits similar queuing to the AM peak. Westbound volumes are higher than in the AM peak, particularly in the right-turn lane. Right turning vehicles usually form queues of up to 10 vehicles that block the through movement. Most of the westbound volume is coming from the BART garage. The northbound through movement is extremely heavy, with vehicle queues typically in the 25-30 range. The queues are not long enough to block the Potrero Avenue intersection to the south, but it are long enough to prevent northbound left turning vehicles from reaching the left-turn pocket. The pocket, which can store about seven vehicles, usually has three or four vehicles. Eastbound volumes from the Orchard Supply Hardware driveway are a little heavier than in the AM peak. This is likely a result of eastbound traffic on Cutting Boulevard using internal shopping center driveways to bypass congestion at the San Pablo Avenue/Cutting Boulevard intersection and long southbound queues at this intersection. Northeast volumes from Eastshore Boulevard are moderate, with vehicle queues typically longer in the right lane, which can turn onto Hill Street and access the BART station. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 44 ---PAGE BREAK--- San Pablo Avenue and Central Avenue According to both our observations and the Existing Conditions Report for the Interstate 80 / Central Avenue PSR, the eastbound approach queue at San Pablo Avenue would occasionally extend back to the Carlson Boulevard intersection in both the AM and PM peaks. The peak direction (southbound in the AM peak and northbound in the PM peak) volumes are heavy but do not usually generate queues greater than 10 vehicles. The southbound and eastbound approaches were heaviest in the AM, and the southbound and northbound approaches were heaviest in the PM. Other approaches were much lighter. 5.3.2 Queuing Information The traffic analysis software, 6.0, was used for this study. is based on procedures outlined in the Transportation Research Board’s 2000 Highway Capacity Manual (HCM). In order to ensure that the modeled results are consistent with the observed conditions on the local streets, average queues generated from SimTraffic are compared to the above observations. Tables 1a, 1b and 1c show the maximum and average queues in feet for each approach and movement at the three study intersections. A typical car length plus typical space between cars in congested conditions is about 25 feet. At all three intersections, the SimTraffic model is generally replicating observed queues and the observations above. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 45 ---PAGE BREAK--- Table 5.1a Maximum and Average Queues (in feet) at San Pablo Avenue / Cutting Boulevard1 AM PM Approach Movement Max Avg Max Avg L 190 105 260 165 NB T 215 95 325 175 T 585 395 220 200 SB R 135 95 130 95 L 265 140 445 195 EB R 655 275 250 85 L 145 65 145 35 T 195 85 295 135 WB R 130 40 140 60 Notes: Results based on SimTraffic simulation of 10 runs. Locations that are operating at unacceptable LOS E or worse are shown in bold. 1 Maximum / Average queues in feet reported by approach (NB=northbound, SB=southbound, EB=eastbound, WB=westbound). 2 The eastbound movement for this intersection corresponds to traffic approaching from the OSH driveway. The Eastshore Boulevard approach is defined as the Northeast movement. Source: Fehr & Peers, August 2007. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 46 ---PAGE BREAK--- Table 5.1b Maximum and Average Queues (in feet) at San Pablo Avenue / Hill Street / Eastshore Boulevard / Orchard Supply Hardware Driveway1 AM PM Approach Movement Max Avg Max Avg L to OSH 145 5 175 50 T [PHONE REDACTED] 705 R 5 0 335 80 NB L to Eastshore 145 5 175 50 L 255 215 255 200 T 635 525 620 375 R to Eastshore 615 515 605 330 SB R to OSH 615 515 605 330 L 85 30 150 65 T 85 30 150 65 R to San Pablo 65 10 75 25 EB R to Eastshore 65 10 75 25 L to OSH 145 65 315 145 T 85 30 445 205 R 85 30 445 205 WB L to San Pablo 145 65 315 145 L to San Pablo 220 70 305 125 R to Hill 220 70 305 125 L to OSH 115 20 180 85 NE R to San Pablo 25 5 55 10 Notes: Results based on SimTraffic simulation of 10 runs. Locations that are operating at unacceptable LOS E or worse are shown in bold. 1. Maximum / Average queues in feet reported by approach (NB=northbound, SB=southbound, EB=eastbound, WB=westbound). 2. The eastbound movement for this intersection corresponds to traffic approaching from the OSH driveway. The Eastshore Boulevard approach is defined as the Northeast movement. Source: Fehr & Peers, August 2007. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 47 ---PAGE BREAK--- Table 5.1c Maximum and Average Queues (in feet) at San Pablo Avenue / Central Avenue1 AM PM Approach Movement Max Avg Max Avg L 150 65 165 120 T 175 75 470 250 NB R 155 65 440 235 L 150 50 160 70 T 415 235 330 185 SB R 405 230 315 185 L 280 210 270 160 T 280 210 270 160 EB R 255 55 210 55 L 255 150 220 130 T 270 150 220 130 WB R 260 140 200 110 Notes: Results based on SimTraffic simulation of 10 runs. Locations that are operating at unacceptable LOS E or worse are shown in bold. 1. Maximum / Average queues in feet reported by approach (NB=northbound, SB=southbound, EB=eastbound, WB=westbound). 2. The eastbound movement for this intersection corresponds to traffic approaching from the OSH driveway. The Eastshore Boulevard approach is defined as the Northeast movement. Source: Fehr & Peers, August 2007. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 48 ---PAGE BREAK--- 5.3.3 Levels of Service Level of service (LOS) is a description of the quality of an intersection’s operation, ranging from LOS A (indicating free-flow traffic conditions with little or no delay) to LOS F (representing over-saturated conditions where traffic flows exceed design capacity, resulting in long queues and delays). Based on the City of El Cerrito General Plan, the City’s policy is to maintain a service level of LOS D operations or better at all intersections. At signalized intersections, the LOS rating is based on the weighted average control delay of all movements measured in seconds per vehicle. Peak hour traffic volumes, lane configurations, and signal timing plans are used as inputs in the LOS calculations. At side-street stop-controlled intersections, the LOS rating is based on the control delay for each minor movement. For all-way stop-controlled intersections, the LOS rating is based on the weighted average control delay of all movements. Table 2 summarizes the relationship between the average control delay per vehicle and LOS for signalized and unsignalized intersections. Table 5.2 Intersection Level of Service Thresholds Level of Service Signalized Intersection Control Delay (sec/veh) 1 Unsignalized Intersection Control Delay (sec/veh) 1 General Description A 0 – 10.0 0 – 10.0 Little to no congestion or delays. B 10.1 – 20.0 10.1 – 15.0 Limited congestion. Short delays. C 20.1 – 35.0 15.1 – 25.0 Some congestion with average delays. D 35.1 – 55.0 25.1 – 35.0 Significant congestion and delays. E 55.1 – 80.0 35.1 – 50.0 Severe congestion and delays. F > 80.0 > 50.0 Total breakdown with extreme delays. Notes: 1. Control delay includes initial deceleration delay, queue move-up time, stopped delay, and acceleration delay. Source: Highway Capacity Manual, Chapter 16 (Signalized Intersections) and Chapter 17 (Unsignalized Intersections), Transportation Research Board, 2000. The results from SimTraffic, which is the microsimulation component of were used to determine delay and LOS for this study. The primary difference between SimTraffic and HCM is that HCM analyzes intersections in “isolation” and does not include the effects of upstream or intersections. SimTraffic analyzes intersections as a “system”, with intersections directly affecting traffic flow through the entire project study area. Through SimTraffic, the effects of turn-pocket overflows and vehicle queue spillback are taken into consideration. Furthermore, SimTraffic provides the ability to simulate a mixture of pedestrians, heavy vehicles, and private automobiles and their interaction. SimTraffic provides measures of effectiveness that are consistent with HCM such as movement delay and weighted average delay. Table 3 presents the results of the intersection LOS analyses for the three study intersections. Please note that the delay and LOS from were not used. The worksheets are provided as an appendix for informational purposes to present key inputs in the modeling including lanes, volumes, and timings. The results presented in Table 3 are from the Fehr & Peers analysis worksheets, which are the average of 10 SimTraffic model runs. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 49 ---PAGE BREAK--- Table 3 Existing Intersection Analysis 1 Intersection Traffic Control Peak Hour NB SB EB WB NE Total AM 32/C 93/F 44/D 38/D n/a 53/D 1. San Pablo Avenue / Cutting Boulevard Signal PM 32/C 52/D 31/C 34/C n/a 36/D AM 41/D 62/E 33/C 50/D 43/D 53/D 2. San Pablo Avenue / Hill Street / Eastshore Boulevard 2 Signal PM 138/ F 66/E 62/E 60/E 49/D 85/F AM 24/C 28/C 36/D 54/D n/a 33/C 3. San Pablo Avenue/ Central Avenue Signal PM 28/C 29/C 33/C 51/D n/a 32/C Notes: Results based on SimTraffic simulation of 10 runs. Locations that are operating at unacceptable LOS E or worse are shown in bold. 1. Delay (seconds per vehicle) / level of service (LOS) reported by approach (NB=northbound, SB=southbound, EB=eastbound, WB=westbound). 2. The eastbound movement for this intersection corresponds to traffic approaching from the OSH driveway. The Eastshore Boulevard approach is defined as the Northeast movement. Source: Fehr & Peers, August 2007. As shown above, the Central Avenue intersection operates well within acceptable levels, with the only large delays coming from the westbound direction. However, the two Del Norte area intersections barely operate at acceptable levels in the AM peak, and the Hill Street / Eastshore Boulevard intersection operates at LOS F in the PM peak. The Cutting Boulevard intersection operates much better in the PM peak primarily as a result of traffic being metered by the northbound bottleneck that develops at the San Pablo Avenue/Hill Street/Eastshore intersection. If the bottleneck was removed, the Cutting Boulevard intersection would likely operate worse during the PM peak. When the delays at Cutting Boulevard and Hill Street/Eastshore intersections with San Pablo Avenue are averaged the delay is over 60 seconds, corresponding to level of service E in the PM peak. It should also be noted that although the San Pablo Avenue / Central Avenue intersection does not experience considerable queues or delays, there are severe delays along Central Avenue to the west as one approaches Interstate 80 and Interstate 580, due to several factors, including closely spaced signalized intersections, the absence of left turn lanes on Central Avenue, and vehicles exiting and re-entering the freeways to attempt to bypass congestion. The Interstate 80/Central Avenue PSR is assessing design changes to address these issues. 5.4 RELATED PLANNING PROJECTS In 2003 the City of El Cerrito received a Traffic Engineering Technical Assistance Program (TETAP) grant to prepare a traffic operations study for Central Avenue between San Pablo Avenue and Interstate 80 and to identify improvements that could be implemented to improve corridor operations. Some of the key traffic operational issues raised in the 2003 study included vehicle queue spillback impacts across closely spaced intersections at the Interstate 80/Central Avenue interchange and insufficient left-turn vehicle storage along Central Avenue. The study identified first order, second order, and third order improvements based on the order of magnitude of their potential cost and time to implement. The Interstate 80/Central Avenue Interchange Project Study Report, in progress, will evaluate third order improvements, including major freeway interchange reconstruction. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 50 ---PAGE BREAK--- The Interstate 80/Central Avenue Interchange Improvement Project will look at improving operations on Central Avenue and could include reconfiguring the interchange ramps which may benefit Interstate 80 operations. Up to four project alternatives including No Project will be evaluated in the project study report. The City of El Cerrito and the City of Richmond are working cooperatively with Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) and Caltrans District 4 to advance this project through the approval process. The City of El Cerrito and BART will soon be collaborating on a Del Norte Station area land use and circulation study. The study, which has yet to be scoped in detail, is expected to focus on the access and circulation issues in and around the station, as they relate to the station’s needs, the needs of the surrounding commercial areas and residential neighborhoods, and the potential demands of new joint development projects that could occur on portions of the station’s property. The San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan study will be closely coordinated with the station area study, to ensure both studies benefit from the combined data collection and analysis efforts. 5.5 PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION As discussed in Chapter 3, typical sidewalks along the project corridor are in fair to poor condition. There are often cracks and bumps, or slight downward grades from the inside of the sidewalk to the curb. There are occasional stretches of sidewalk in better condition, usually concurrent with specific properties, indicating that they may have been improved as part of other property improvements. Examples along the east side of San Pablo Avenue of level sidewalks in good condition include the sidewalks alongside the Target store between Hill Street and Blake Street, the temporary City Hall just north of Manila Avenue, and the Village at Town Center just north of Schmidt Lane. Sidewalk widths vary considerably from block to block. The paved portion of the sidewalk can be as wide as 19 feet, but as narrow as five feet. The approximate widths of the sidewalks are displayed on Figure 5.2. Many of the narrower sidewalks have green or unwalkable gravel strips of approximately 10 feet from the curb. Some sidewalks contain many obstacles such as trees, street signs, or bus stop benches that could impede wheelchair accessibility. Some of the narrowest portions of sidewalk are alongside the El Cerrito Del Norte BART station, where the width is less than five feet, and overgrown shrubs make it feel even narrower. Additional pedestrian barriers exist in the busiest intersections on the corridor due to lack of crosswalk completeness. The absence of crosswalks on the southern leg of the Cutting Boulevard intersection, the northern leg of the Hill Street / Eastshore Boulevard intersection, the southern leg of the Manila Avenue intersection, and the northern leg of the Central Avenue intersection make it necessary for pedestrians to make up to three separate crossings (or four, in the case of the Hill Street intersection), just to cross to the other side of San Pablo Avenue. Installing crosswalks at these locations would improve pedestrian circulation, at the expense of traffic flow, since the signal timings would need to be adjusted to include new pedestrian phases. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 51 ---PAGE BREAK--- 5.6 BICYCLE CIRCULATION There is little or no bicycle activity in the vicinity of the Cutting Boulevard or Hill Street intersections, and less than 10 bicycles per hour were observed at the Central Avenue intersection. This is not surprising, because there are no bike lanes on San Pablo Avenue, and the sidewalks are not easy to ride on. The designated bike facility for the corridor is the Ohlone Greenway, running parallel to San Pablo Avenue one block to the east, underneath the BART tracks. The Greenway has two paths, about eight feet wide each, one designated for pedestrians and one for bicycles. In spite of the noise from BART above and the closely spaced street interruptions, it is a far more pleasant route for cyclists than San Pablo Avenue. The Ohlone Greenway runs further south through Albany and into Berkeley, providing access to numerous bicycle routes, and is planned to continue northwest into Richmond and connect to the Richmond Greenway. However, it is not easy to access El Cerrito by bicycle from Richmond to the west; Potrero Avenue is the only east / west arterial with a bike lane that connects to the Ohlone Greenway in El Cerrito, and the barriers of Interstates 80 and 580 limit both bike and pedestrian accessibility from parts of the Richmond Annex neighborhood to the west. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 52 ---PAGE BREAK--- 5.7 TRANSIT 5.7.1 Bus Service Bus service is very robust in the Planning Area. Bus stops are located every one to two blocks along most of San Pablo Avenue, and there are numerous routes serving both local destinations and commuters into San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland. The following is a table of the routes along this corridor of San Pablo Avenue. The providers include AC Transit, Golden Gate Transit, WestCAT, and Vallejo Transit. The AC Transit routes all span at least the entire section of San Pablo Avenue in the study corridor and serve both BART stations, except for route 7, which only serves the section of San Pablo Avenue from Barrett Avenue to the El Cerrito Del Norte BART station. The other routes serve only the El Cerrito Del Norte BART station to and from points north and west. TABLE 4 Bus Routes Along Study Corridor Typical Headways (Minutes) Route Provider Description Approx. Weekday Hours of Operation Peak Off-Peak 72 / 72M AC Transit Runs along San Pablo Avenue from Richmond to Oakland. 72 terminates at Richmond Hilltop Mall, 72M terminates at Richmond BART 5:00 AM - midnight 15 15 (20 in late eve) 72R AC Transit Similar to 72, but diverges in Downtown Oakland (terminating in Jack London Square) and terminates at Contra Costa College in Richmond 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM 12 12 L AC Transit Transbay commuter bus, limited stops from El Sobrante to Albany 5 – 8 AM southbound, 3 – 9 PM northbound 20-25 (AM), 10- 15 (4-7 PM) 30-60 (3-4 and 7-9 PM) 7 AC Transit Runs from El Cerrito Del Norte BART to Rockridge BART through the El Cerrito and Berkeley Hills and UC Berkeley 6:15 AM – 9:30 PM 20 30 800 AC Transit BART Nite Owl Service – stops at every BART station from Richmond to Civic Center 1:00 AM – 5:30 AM n/a 60 (1-5 AM) Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 53 ---PAGE BREAK--- TABLE 4 (cont.) Typical Headways (Minutes) Route Provider Description Approx. Weekday Hours of Operation Peak Off-Peak 40 / 42 Golden Gate Transit Runs between downtown San Rafael and El Cerrito Del Norte station via I- 580 and Cutting Boulevard in Richmond. Route 40 runs only in peak hour and has fewer stops. 5:30 AM - midnight 30 30 30Z WestCAT Runs from Martinez to El Cerrito Del Norte Station via Hwy 4 and I-80 6:00 AM – 8:00 PM 30 60 J WestCAT Runs from Hercules to El Cerrito Del Norte Station via local streets in Pinole and Richmond 5:00 AM - midnight 15 30 (mid- day), 40 (late eve) JPX WestCAT Semi-express version of J via Pinole and I-80 5:30 AM – 8:00 PM 15 60 JX WestCAT Express version of J via I-80 5:30 – 8:00 AM, 3:30 – 8:00 PM 15 n/a 80 Vallejo Transit Runs from downtown Vallejo to El Cerrito Del Norte BART 4:30 AM – 11:00 PM 15 15 Sources: www.actransit.org, transit.511.org, August 2007. During peak hours, it should be noted that all of these buses except the 800 serve the El Cerrito Del Norte BART station, and all of the AC Transit routes except the 7 and 800 serve the El Cerrito Plaza BART station. That translates to approximately 36 buses per hour in each direction, or 72 total, running through the El Cerrito Del Norte BART station, and 13 buses per hour in each direction, or 26 total, running through the El Cerrito Plaza BART station. Due to the high bus volume, the specific routes of these buses were taken into account when determining levels of service in the simulation analyses. The southbound left at San Pablo Avenue onto Hill Street was a particularly heavy movement. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 54 ---PAGE BREAK--- 5.7.2 BART Frequency The two BART stations in the corridor, El Cerrito Del Norte and El Cerrito Plaza, are both on BART’s Richmond-Fremont and Richmond-Daly City Lines. The Richmond-Fremont line runs from 4:20 AM to after midnight, with 15 minute headways all day until mid-evening, and 20 minute headways from mid- evening until close. The earliest peak direction train leaves El Cerrito Del Norte at 4:23 AM. The Richmond-Daly City line (which goes one stop further to Colma during peak hours) has 15 minute headways and shorter hours of operation – the earliest peak direction train leaves El Cerrito Del Norte at 5:16 AM, and the latest Richmond-bound train arrives at 7:51 PM. In summary, headways are seven and a half minutes for most of the day for passengers destined for Berkeley or Oakland (who can take either line), and 15 minutes for other passengers. Headways are 20 minutes in mid-to-late evening, and a timed transfer is required for passengers destined for San Francisco. Ridership Weekday boardings in April of 2005 averaged 6,900 at El Cerrito Del Norte station 3,900 at El Cerrito Plaza station. Weekday alightings averaged 7,600 at El Cerrito Del Norte and 3,800 at El Cerrito Plaza. Approximately 3,400 of the boardings at El Cerrito Del Norte and 1,800 of the boardings at El Cerrito Plaza took place between 7 AM and 10 AM on average, meaning that nearly 50 percent of the boardings took place in the AM peak hour. These stations thus exhibit highly directional boardings and alightings at different times of the day, with the majority of boardings occurring in the AM hours, and the majority of alightings in the PM hours. This pattern is what one would expect, because the City of El Cerrito and points north that access the Del Norte station by either automobile or bus are largely residential. In addition, the line’s terminus station (Richmond) is only one stop away, so most of the destinations from these stations are commute-based. Automobile Accessibility While traffic can sometimes discourage driving, both stations have adequate automobile access to San Pablo Avenue and Interstate 80. El Cerrito Del Norte has approximately 2,100 parking spaces, including about 800 surface spaces and nearly 1,300 garage spaces. About 100 spaces are reserved for permit holders, about 50 for carpools, and about 50 for mid-day parking. El Cerrito Plaza has approximately 750 surface parking spaces including about 100 spaces reserved for permit holders, and 100 for carpools. Both stations’ parking facilities usually fill by 8:00 AM on weekdays, El Cerrito Plaza’s often earlier due to its smaller size. A $1.00 daily parking fee, implemented at many East Bay BART stations, is required at the El Cerrito Plaza Station, but not Del Norte. San Pablo Avenue has one to two hour parking limits throughout the corridor, and unmetered side streets in the immediate vicinities of both stations typically have four-hour parking limits, to prevent commuters from using them as BART parking. However, if a pedestrian does not mind a five to 10 minute walk to the BART station, it is not difficult to find unrestricted parking on side streets further away from San Pablo Avenue if the BART lots are full. Bicycle Accessibility Bike accessibility to both stations is good via the Ohlone Greenway, but bikes are not allowed on BART during peak hours on trains heading in the peak direction. Bike lockers are provided to BART users at the Del Norte station, but not at the El Cerrito Plaza station. Additionally, there are approximately 30 bike rack spaces at each station. Pedestrian Accessibility At El Cerrito Del Norte, nearby sidewalks on San Pablo Avenue are quite narrow in places. In particular, the sidewalk alongside the El Cerrito Del Norte surface parking lot is only about six feet wide and has Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 55 ---PAGE BREAK--- considerable shrub overgrowth that makes it feel narrower. In addition, multiple turn pockets and (in the case of Hill Street) angled intersections make the crossing longer, and signal cycle times are long (two minutes), making it inconvenient and sometimes dangerous for pedestrians to cross San Pablo Avenue. With Interstate 80 as an additional barrier to the west, pedestrian accessibility to the El Cerrito Del Norte BART station is poor from the Richmond neighborhoods that would otherwise be close by. Pedestrian accessibility is much better from the El Cerrito residential areas to the east. The El Cerrito Plaza station is further away from freeways, and San Pablo Avenue has a narrower cross- section at that location, making pedestrian accessibility from Richmond much better than at El Cerrito Del Norte. There is still no crosswalk across the northern leg of the Central Avenue intersection, but since one must cross to the southern side of Central Avenue to access the BART station anyway, that doesn’t seriously impede access. The surrounding area is more pleasant to walk in overall, due to the presence of shops and restaurants, including the El Cerrito Plaza mall. Fairmount Avenue also provides a safe and pleasant pedestrian access point to the BART station from the south, including angled parking and bulbouts (sidewalk protrusions to decrease the length of the crosswalk), neither of which occur anywhere along San Pablo Avenue in El Cerrito. Nearby sidewalks on San Pablo Avenue are wide to the south near the mall, but are narrow (five to six feet) to the north and contain obstacles. The Ohlone Greenway, located one to two blocks east of San Pablo Avenue, provides pedestrian accessibility to both BART stations. 5.8 ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES Based on the above summary of transportation data, field observations, and other ongoing/pending studies, the following issues and opportunities related to transportation in the corridor are apparent: The San Pablo Avenue corridor’s proximity to active commercial and residential areas, connections to critical regional transportation facilities (Interstate 80, two BART stations), and active mix of transportation modes make it a key resource in planning for land use and transportation changes in the area. Every effort should be made to balance physical and operational roadway improvements so that bus transit, pedestrians, and bicyclists do not suffer from efforts to improve traffic flow. While traffic congestion is a well-known problem at certain points in the corridor, there is also a significant opportunity to improve the environment for pedestrians and bicyclists, and a clear demand for such improvements based on their high numbers in the corridor. Opportunities exist to make small adjustments in the width of travel lanes and/or the median to give more space to bike lanes and/or sidewalks. At certain locations, sidewalks could be widened at the back of sidewalk. Crossings at the various off-set intersections should be reviewed and alignment or design changes considered if needed to improve safety. Curb bulbs could be considered at higher-pedestrian- volume locations to shorten walking distance, improve pedestrian visibility, and reduce traffic speeds. At the intersection of San Pablo/Central, peak hour congestion results from the constrained lane geometry between San Pablo and the Interstate 80 ramp intersections. The Project Study Report currently being prepared for this area is likely to propose significant changes to the interchange, which should have beneficial effects on congestion in the area. However, the City of El Cerrito and Richmond should ensure that proposed improvements include continuous sidewalks, bike lanes, and accommodations for buses. At the intersection of San Pablo/Cutting and nearby intersections, congestion results from the heavy auto and bus traffic related to the BART station, in combination with non-standard intersection configurations (the five-leg intersection at Hill/Eastshore) and several commercial driveways in close proximity. Traffic improvements in this area should be considered alongside land use and parcel access changes. Regional access changes should also be considered, such as changes to the way buses enter and exit the freeway and the BART station. Existing Conditions Report San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Page 56 ---PAGE BREAK--- Ohlone Greenway RICHMOND ST KEY BLVD NORVELL ST SCHMIDT LN NAVELLIER ST SAN JOAQUIN ST S 55TH ST MANILA AVE STOCKTON AVE BLAKE ST SAN MATEO ST PORTOLA DR DONAL AVE BAYVIEW AVE GLADYS AVE LINCOLN AVE POMONA AVE WALDO AVE ALBEMARLE ST SUTTER AVE FRESNO AVE JORDAN A VE SCOTT ST MONTEREY ST S 47TH ST HAGEN BLVD CUTTING BLVD NEVIN AVE CLAYTON AVE HILL ST ALVA AVE KNOTT AVE AVIS DR LAWRENCE ST CARL AVE C E N T R A L A VE VAN FLEET AVE SANTA CRUZ AVE CARQUINEZ AVE HUNTINGTON AVE TAMALPAIS AVE SHASTA ST BERK AVE BUTTE ST SAN JOSE AVE S 52ND ST KEARNEY ST FALL AVE GANGES ST ISABEL ST CYPRESS AVE GATELY AVE PIERCE ST YOSEMITE AVE S 56TH ST MERCED ST S 45TH ST GATTO AVE EL DORADO ST MARIPOSA ST MONO AVE ALAMEDA AVE CREELY AVE HARPER ST J ACUZZI S T S 59TH ST L A GUNI T A S A VE CONLON AVE S 58TH ST SAN BENITO ST HARTNETT AVE BELMONT AVE MENDOCINO ST AVILA ST FERN ST S 50TH ST JEFFERSON AVE OVEREND AVE WILSON AVE MADISON AVE TULARE AVE SNOWDON AVE COLU MBIA AVE M IR A V ISTA D R FALLON AVE CARLSTON ST GLEN MAWR AVE CARLOS AVE RYDIN RD KING DR S 57TH ST LIBERTY ST ELLS ST WESLEY AVE LASSEN ST PI NE HU RST SCHOOL AVE HUDSON ST SANTA CLARA AVE FRAY AVE STATE AVE OSCAR ST TAFT AVE TERRACE DR WALNUT ST ORCHARD AVE JULIAN DR OAK ST RIVERA ST LUDWIG AVE CAMPBELL ST KENILWORTH AVE PLANK AVE SEAVIEW PL WALL AVE KENT DR S 49TH ST EASTSHORE BLVD SAN LUIS ST LEXINGTON AVE SP Y G LASS SCENIC ST PLACER ST PANAMA AVE CEDAR ST DIMM ST CABRILLO ST ALTA PUNTA ST MADERA DR TEHAMA AVE WENK AVE F ST SANTA CLARA ST EUREKA AVE 46TH ST 45TH ST REID CT BISSELL AVE EDITH ST WALDO LN MOUND AVE A R N O CT DOW NEY P L MODOC AVE M A D E RA CIR PLUMAS AVE BEHRENS ST VICTORIA ST YOLO AVE FAIRVIEW AVE GLORIA ST S 46TH ST CASTILLA AVE HOTCHKISS AVE SACRAMENTO AVE CORONADO ST GORDON AVE BURLINGAME AVE JUL I A N C T MANOR CIR STATE CT BELL CT MORRIS AVE P E B B L E BEA C H DR MADERA CT NAPA ST PRATHER AVE PLAZA WY HERSHEY CT MC LAUGHLIN ST TAHOE PL WALL AVE ESCUELA CT WILLOW ST MAIDEN LN HARVARD ST POMONA CT PINEHURST BREWSTER CT SACRAMENTO AVE SANTA CLARA ST MADISON AVE S 47TH ST MARIPOSA ST S 49TH ST VAN FLEET AVE KEARNEY ST LEXINGTON AVE EVERETT ST KEARNEY ST PANAMA AVE S 49TH ST LEXINGTON AVE SAN JOSE AVE MERCED ST SAN LUIS ST PLUMAS AVE EUREKA AVE MODOC AVE HARVARD ST H U N T I N G TO N AVE EURE K A BURLINGAME AVE BAYVIEW AVE S 57TH ST LIBERTY ST HIGHLAND AVE JUNCTION AVE COLUMBIA AVE ELM ST NORVELL ST FRESNO AVE COLUSA AVE S 45TH ST EVERETT ST LIBERTY ST TEHAMA AVE MIRA VISTA DR LIBERTY ST KEARNEY ST S 45TH ST SANTA CLARA AVE SANTA CLARA ST CYPRESS AVE S 56TH ST WALL AVE SAN PABLO AVE SAN PABLO AVE CARLSON BLVD POTRERO AVE POTRERO AVE CENTRAL AVE MOESER LN CUTTING BLVD AR LI NG TON BLVD ASHBURY AVE FAIRMOUNT AVE BART - Richmond Line MACDONALD AVE Hillside Natural Area Mira Vista Country Club & Golf Hillside Natural Area Castro Park Booker T. Anderson, Jr. Park Cerrito Vista Park Canyon Trail Park Point Isabel Regional Shoreline Eastshore State Park Casa Cerrito Rec Center El Cerrito Plaza BART Station El Cerrito del Norte BART Station El Cerrito City Hall El Cerrito Plaza Del Norte Place Former Albertson's Site The Village at Town Center A L B A N Y E L C E R R I T O R I C H M O N D San Francisco Bay C e rrito Cr e ek B ax t er C reek Plaza Driveway Plaza Driveway Home Depot Driveway Home Depot Driveway Osh Driveway Osh Driveway 8’6” 14’ 5’6” 9’ 9’ 5’ 9’ 7’6” 9’6” 5’6” 14’ 4’6” 7’6” 7’6” 6’3” 9’6” 17’6” 6’6” 6’ 11’ 17’ 7’6” 19’ 17’6” 9’6” 6’6” 6’ 15’ 13’ 11’ 6’ 5’ 13’ 8’ 6’ 14’ 16’ 5’ 14’ 17’6” 17’6” 5’ 19’ 8’6” I-580 I-80 San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Figure 5.1: Circulation Existing Conditions Project Area Parks Ohlone Greenway Future Richmond Greenway BART Alignment Waterbodies Freeway ! BART Station 0 FEET 1000 2000 City Limits N Bike Facilities Traffic Signals Bus Stops Crosswalks No Parking Areas Along San Pablo Ave San Pablo Median Approximate Sidewalk Widths Along San Pablo Ave x’y” ---PAGE BREAK--- Central Ave San Pablo Ave 123 Eastshore Blvd Hill St OSH Driveway Cutting Blvd Hill St Eastshore Blvd San Pablo Ave Cutting Blvd San Pablo Ave Central Ave San Pablo Ave OSH Driveway 53 (102) 246 (398) 144 (81) 178 (195) 597 (580) 187 (233) 881 (597) 266 (503) 401 (946) 42 (74) 299 (238) 60 (64) 167 (164) 785 (553) 45 (61) 161 (215) 293 (202) 69 (122) 97 (183) 350 (1,016) 38 (39) 69 (314) 4 (16) 42 (77) 44 (63) 14 (38) 29 (35) 21 (31) 2 11 (13) 148 (270) 112 (133) 14 (38) 29 (60) 7 (25) 447 (869) 75 (114) 9 333 (211) 758 (661) 527 (405) N Not to Scale LEGEND XX (YY) VOLUMES AT STUDY INTERSECTIONS San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Figure 5.2 August 2007 WC07-2409_3 ---PAGE BREAK--- APPENDIX I n t e r s e c t i o n L e v e l o f S e r v i c e ---PAGE BREAK--- APPENDIX: WORKSHEETS ---PAGE BREAK--- HCM Signalized Intersection Capacity Analysis Existing Conditions AM Peak 45: Cutting Blvd. & San Pablo Ave. 8/3/2007 San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan 6 Report Fehr & Peers Associates, Inc. Page 1 Movement EBL EBT EBR WBL WBT WBR NBL NBT NBR SBL SBT SBR Lane Configurations Ideal Flow 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 Total Lost time 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Lane Util. Factor 1.00 0.88 0.97 0.95 1.00 0.97 0.95 0.95 1.00 Frpb, ped/bikes 1.00 0.98 1.00 1.00 0.94 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.98 Flpb, ped/bikes 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 Frt 1.00 0.85 1.00 1.00 0.85 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.85 Flt Protected 0.95 1.00 0.95 1.00 1.00 0.95 1.00 1.00 1.00 Satd. Flow (prot) 1676 2594 3072 3320 1156 3252 3320 3257 1475 Flt Permitted 0.95 1.00 0.95 1.00 1.00 0.95 1.00 1.00 1.00 Satd. Flow (perm) 1676 2594 3072 3320 1156 3252 3320 3257 1475 Volume (vph) 187 0 881 144 246 53 266 401 0 0 597 178 Peak-hour factor, PHF 0.97 0.97 0.97 0.97 0.97 0.97 0.97 0.97 0.97 0.97 0.97 0.97 Adj. Flow (vph) 193 0 908 148 254 55 274 413 0 0 615 184 RTOR Reduction (vph) 0 0 363 0 0 39 0 0 0 0 0 76 Lane Group Flow (vph) 193 0 545 148 254 16 274 413 0 0 615 108 Confl. Peds. 7 53 7 13 Confl. Bikes 1 1 1 Heavy Vehicles 2% 2% 2% 8% 3% 25% 2% 3% 2% 2% 5% 2% Turn Type custom custom Split Perm Prot pm+ov Protected Phases 4 5 3 3 5 2 6 4 Permitted Phases 4 4 5 3 6 Actuated Green, G 18.6 33.0 29.0 29.0 29.0 14.4 42.7 25.3 43.9 Effective Green, g 19.1 33.5 29.5 29.5 29.5 14.4 43.7 26.3 45.4 Actuated g/C Ratio 0.19 0.33 0.29 0.29 0.29 0.14 0.43 0.26 0.45 Clearance Time 3.5 3.0 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.0 4.0 4.0 3.5 Vehicle Extension 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 4.0 4.0 2.0 Lane Grp Cap (vph) 316 935 895 967 [PHONE REDACTED] 846 661 v/s Ratio Prot c0.12 c0.08 0.05 c0.08 0.08 0.12 c0.19 0.03 v/s Ratio Perm 0.13 0.01 0.04 v/c Ratio 0.61 0.58 0.17 0.26 0.05 0.59 0.29 0.73 0.16 Uniform Delay, d1 37.7 28.1 26.7 27.6 25.8 40.7 18.7 34.2 16.6 Progression Factor 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 Incremental Delay, d2 2.5 0.6 0.0 0.1 0.0 1.4 0.2 3.4 0.0 Delay 40.1 28.7 26.8 27.6 25.8 42.1 18.9 37.6 16.7 Level of Service D C C C C D B D B Approach Delay 30.7 27.1 28.1 32.8 Approach LOS C C C C Intersection Summary HCM Average Control Delay 30.1 HCM Level of Service C HCM Volume to Capacity ratio 0.52 Actuated Cycle Length 101.3 Sum of lost time 9.0 Intersection Capacity Utilization 77.1% ICU Level of Service D Analysis Period (min) 15 c Critical Lane Group ---PAGE BREAK--- HCM Signalized Intersection Capacity Analysis Existing Conditions AM Peak 44: Hill St. & San Pablo Ave. 8/3/2007 San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan 6 Report Fehr & Peers Associates, Inc. Page 1 Movement EBL EBT EBR EBR2 WBL2 WBL WBT WBR NBL2 NBL NBT NBR Lane Configurations Ideal Flow 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 Total Lost time 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Lane Util. Factor 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.95 1.00 Frpb, ped/bikes 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.97 Flpb, ped/bikes 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 Frt 1.00 0.85 1.00 0.86 1.00 1.00 0.85 Flt Protected 0.98 1.00 0.95 1.00 0.95 1.00 1.00 Satd. Flow (prot) 1736 1500 1676 1514 1676 3353 1339 Flt Permitted 0.98 1.00 0.95 1.00 0.95 1.00 1.00 Satd. Flow (perm) 1736 1500 1676 1514 1676 3353 1339 Volume (vph) 14 29 21 2 44 42 4 69 29 7 439 75 Peak-hour factor, PHF 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 Adj. Flow (vph) 15 30 22 2 46 44 4 72 30 7 457 78 RTOR Reduction (vph) 0 0 2 0 0 0 65 0 0 0 0 54 Lane Group Flow (vph) 0 45 22 0 0 90 11 0 0 37 457 24 Confl. Peds. 11 Confl. Bikes 1 Heavy Vehicles 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 11% Turn Type Split Prot Split Split Prot Prot Perm Protected Phases 3 3 3 7 7 7 5 5 2 Permitted Phases 2 Actuated Green, G 4.1 4.1 7.6 7.6 4.8 25.8 25.8 Effective Green, g 5.1 5.1 8.1 8.1 4.8 26.8 26.8 Actuated g/C Ratio 0.06 0.06 0.09 0.09 0.06 0.31 0.31 Clearance Time 4.0 4.0 3.5 3.5 3.0 4.0 4.0 Vehicle Extension 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 Lane Grp Cap (vph) 102 88 156 141 92 1032 412 v/s Ratio Prot c0.03 0.01 c0.05 0.01 0.02 0.14 v/s Ratio Perm 0.02 v/c Ratio 0.44 0.25 0.58 0.08 0.40 0.44 0.06 Uniform Delay, d1 39.6 39.2 37.9 36.1 39.8 24.2 21.3 Progression Factor 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 Incremental Delay, d2 1.1 0.5 3.2 0.1 1.0 0.1 0.0 Delay 40.7 39.7 41.0 36.2 40.8 24.3 21.3 Level of Service D D D D D C C Approach Delay 40.4 38.8 24.9 Approach LOS D D C Intersection Summary HCM Average Control Delay 28.7 HCM Level of Service C HCM Volume to Capacity ratio 0.71 Actuated Cycle Length 87.1 Sum of lost time 12.0 Intersection Capacity Utilization 75.9% ICU Level of Service D Analysis Period (min) 15 c Critical Lane Group ---PAGE BREAK--- HCM Signalized Intersection Capacity Analysis Existing Conditions AM Peak 44: Hill St. & San Pablo Ave. 8/3/2007 San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan 6 Report Fehr & Peers Associates, Inc. Page 2 Movement SBL SBT SBR SBR2 NEL2 NEL NER NER2 Lane Configurations Ideal Flow 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 Total Lost time 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Lane Util. Factor 0.97 0.95 0.97 1.00 Frpb, ped/bikes 1.00 0.97 1.00 1.00 Flpb, ped/bikes 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 Frt 1.00 0.95 0.94 0.85 Flt Protected 0.95 1.00 0.97 1.00 Satd. Flow (prot) 3159 3053 3092 1500 Flt Permitted 0.95 1.00 0.97 1.00 Satd. Flow (perm) 3159 3053 3092 1500 Volume (vph) 525 756 332 9 11 145 112 14 Peak-hour factor, PHF 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 Adj. Flow (vph) 547 788 346 9 11 151 117 15 RTOR Reduction (vph) 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lane Group Flow (vph) 547 1142 0 0 0 279 0 15 Confl. Peds. 17 17 Confl. Bikes 1 1 Heavy Vehicles 5% 4% 3% 2% 2% 2% 4% 2% Turn Type Prot Split Free Protected Phases 1 6 4 4 Permitted Phases Free Actuated Green, G 18.6 40.1 12.0 87.1 Effective Green, g 19.1 41.1 13.0 87.1 Actuated g/C Ratio 0.22 0.47 0.15 1.00 Clearance Time 3.5 4.0 4.0 Vehicle Extension 2.0 4.0 2.0 Lane Grp Cap (vph) 693 1441 461 1500 v/s Ratio Prot c0.17 c0.37 c0.09 v/s Ratio Perm 0.01 v/c Ratio 0.79 0.79 0.61 0.01 Uniform Delay, d1 32.1 19.4 34.7 0.0 Progression Factor 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 Incremental Delay, d2 5.5 3.3 1.5 0.0 Delay 37.6 22.7 36.2 0.0 Level of Service D C D A Approach Delay 27.5 34.3 Approach LOS C C Intersection Summary ---PAGE BREAK--- HCM Signalized Intersection Capacity Analysis Existing Conditions AM Peak 38: Central Ave. & San Pablo Ave. 8/3/2007 San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan 6 Report Fehr & Peers Associates, Inc. Page 1 Movement EBL EBT EBR WBL WBT WBR NBL NBT NBR SBL SBT SBR Lane Configurations Ideal Flow 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 Total Lost time 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Lane Util. Factor 0.95 0.95 1.00 0.95 1.00 0.95 1.00 0.95 Frpb, ped/bikes 1.00 1.00 0.98 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 Flpb, ped/bikes 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 Frt 1.00 1.00 0.85 0.98 1.00 0.99 1.00 0.97 Flt Protected 0.95 1.00 1.00 0.99 0.95 1.00 0.95 1.00 Satd. Flow (prot) 1593 1676 1383 3174 1676 3288 1402 3238 Flt Permitted 0.95 1.00 1.00 0.99 0.95 1.00 0.95 1.00 Satd. Flow (perm) 1593 1676 1383 3174 1676 3288 1402 3238 Volume (vph) 161 293 69 60 299 42 97 350 38 45 785 167 Peak-hour factor, PHF 0.98 0.98 0.98 0.98 0.98 0.98 0.98 0.98 0.98 0.98 0.98 0.98 Adj. Flow (vph) 164 299 70 61 305 43 99 357 39 46 801 170 RTOR Reduction (vph) 0 0 41 0 9 0 0 6 0 0 15 0 Lane Group Flow (vph) 164 299 29 0 400 0 99 390 0 46 956 0 Confl. Peds. 32 6 9 9 Confl. Bikes 1 2 1 1 Heavy Vehicles 2% 2% 8% 2% 3% 23% 2% 2% 2% 22% 2% 4% Turn Type Split pm+ov Split Prot Prot Protected Phases 4 4 1 3 3 1 6 5 2 Permitted Phases 4 Actuated Green, G 22.8 22.8 44.4 14.8 21.6 49.9 7.0 35.3 Effective Green, g 23.3 23.3 44.9 14.8 21.6 50.9 7.0 36.3 Actuated g/C Ratio 0.22 0.22 0.42 0.14 0.20 0.47 0.06 0.34 Clearance Time 3.5 3.5 3.0 3.0 3.0 4.0 3.0 4.0 Vehicle Extension 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 4.0 2.0 4.0 Lane Grp Cap (vph) 344 362 575 [PHONE REDACTED] 91 1088 v/s Ratio Prot 0.10 c0.18 0.01 c0.13 c0.06 0.12 0.03 c0.30 v/s Ratio Perm 0.01 v/c Ratio 0.48 0.83 0.05 0.92 0.30 0.25 0.51 0.88 Uniform Delay, d1 37.0 40.4 18.8 46.0 36.7 17.1 48.8 33.8 Progression Factor 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.91 0.80 1.06 0.52 Incremental Delay, d2 0.4 13.6 0.0 24.4 0.2 0.4 1.5 9.3 Delay 37.4 54.0 18.8 70.4 33.7 14.1 53.3 27.0 Level of Service D D B E C B D C Approach Delay 44.3 70.4 18.0 28.2 Approach LOS D E B C Intersection Summary HCM Average Control Delay 36.7 HCM Level of Service D HCM Volume to Capacity ratio 0.74 Actuated Cycle Length 108.0 Sum of lost time 12.0 Intersection Capacity Utilization 82.5% ICU Level of Service E Analysis Period (min) 15 c Critical Lane Group ---PAGE BREAK--- HCM Signalized Intersection Capacity Analysis Existing Conditions PM Peak 45: Cutting Blvd. & San Pablo Ave. 8/3/2007 San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan 6 Report Fehr & Peers Associates, Inc. Page 1 Movement EBL EBT EBR WBL WBT WBR NBL NBT NBR SBL SBT SBR Lane Configurations Ideal Flow 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 Total Lost time 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Lane Util. Factor 1.00 0.88 0.97 0.95 1.00 0.97 0.95 0.95 1.00 Frpb, ped/bikes 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.95 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.96 Flpb, ped/bikes 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 Frt 1.00 0.85 1.00 1.00 0.85 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.85 Flt Protected 0.95 1.00 0.95 1.00 1.00 0.95 1.00 1.00 1.00 Satd. Flow (prot) 1676 2640 2936 3320 1276 3252 3320 3288 1444 Flt Permitted 0.95 1.00 0.95 1.00 1.00 0.95 1.00 1.00 1.00 Satd. Flow (perm) 1676 2640 2936 3320 1276 3252 3320 3288 1444 Volume (vph) 233 0 597 81 398 102 503 946 0 0 580 195 Peak-hour factor, PHF 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 0.96 Adj. Flow (vph) 243 0 622 84 415 106 524 985 0 0 604 203 RTOR Reduction (vph) 0 0 381 0 0 68 0 0 0 0 0 55 Lane Group Flow (vph) 243 0 241 84 415 38 524 985 0 0 604 148 Confl. Peds. 3 37 23 31 Confl. Bikes 5 3 3 4 Heavy Vehicles 2% 2% 2% 13% 3% 14% 2% 3% 2% 2% 4% 2% Turn Type Prot custom Split Perm Prot pm+ov Protected Phases 4 4 5 3 3 5 2 6 4 Permitted Phases 4 5 3 6 Actuated Green, G 20.0 46.0 32.2 32.2 32.2 23.0 56.8 30.8 50.8 Effective Green, g 20.5 46.5 32.7 32.7 32.7 23.0 57.8 31.8 52.3 Actuated g/C Ratio 0.17 0.39 0.27 0.27 0.27 0.19 0.48 0.26 0.44 Clearance Time 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.0 4.0 4.0 3.5 Vehicle Extension 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 4.0 4.0 2.0 Lane Grp Cap (vph) 286 1023 800 905 [PHONE REDACTED] 871 629 v/s Ratio Prot c0.14 0.09 0.03 c0.12 c0.16 0.30 c0.18 0.04 v/s Ratio Perm 0.03 0.06 v/c Ratio 0.85 0.24 0.10 0.46 0.11 0.84 0.62 0.69 0.24 Uniform Delay, d1 48.3 24.8 32.7 36.3 32.7 46.7 22.9 39.7 21.3 Progression Factor 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.73 0.59 0.85 0.59 Incremental Delay, d2 19.6 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 6.3 1.1 4.3 0.1 Delay 67.9 24.8 32.7 36.4 32.8 40.6 14.5 38.2 12.6 Level of Service E C C D C D B D B Approach Delay 36.9 35.3 23.6 31.7 Approach LOS D D C C Intersection Summary HCM Average Control Delay 30.2 HCM Level of Service C HCM Volume to Capacity ratio 0.68 Actuated Cycle Length 120.0 Sum of lost time 12.0 Intersection Capacity Utilization 86.5% ICU Level of Service E Analysis Period (min) 15 c Critical Lane Group ---PAGE BREAK--- HCM Signalized Intersection Capacity Analysis Existing Conditions PM Peak 44: Hill St. & San Pablo Ave. 8/3/2007 San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan 6 Report Fehr & Peers Associates, Inc. Page 1 Movement EBL EBT EBR EBR2 WBL2 WBL WBT WBR NBL2 NBL NBT NBR Lane Configurations Ideal Flow 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 Total Lost time 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Lane Util. Factor 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.95 1.00 Frpb, ped/bikes 1.00 0.97 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.97 Flpb, ped/bikes 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 Frt 1.00 0.85 1.00 0.86 1.00 1.00 0.85 Flt Protected 0.97 1.00 0.95 1.00 0.95 1.00 1.00 Satd. Flow (prot) 1720 1449 1676 1513 1676 3320 1381 Flt Permitted 0.97 1.00 0.95 1.00 0.95 1.00 1.00 Satd. Flow (perm) 1720 1449 1676 1513 1676 3320 1381 Volume (vph) 38 35 31 3 63 77 16 304 60 25 845 114 Peak-hour factor, PHF 0.93 0.93 0.93 0.93 0.93 0.93 0.93 0.93 0.93 0.93 0.93 0.93 Adj. Flow (vph) 41 38 33 3 68 83 17 327 65 27 909 123 RTOR Reduction (vph) 0 0 3 0 0 0 286 0 0 0 0 83 Lane Group Flow (vph) 0 79 33 0 0 151 58 0 0 92 909 40 Confl. Peds. 6 Confl. Bikes 1 2 1 Heavy Vehicles 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 3% 8% Turn Type Split Perm Split Split Prot Prot Perm Protected Phases 3 3 7 7 7 5 5 2 Permitted Phases 3 2 Actuated Green, G 8.6 8.6 14.6 14.6 11.5 38.0 38.0 Effective Green, g 9.6 9.6 15.1 15.1 11.5 39.0 39.0 Actuated g/C Ratio 0.08 0.08 0.13 0.13 0.10 0.32 0.32 Clearance Time 4.0 4.0 3.5 3.5 3.0 4.0 4.0 Vehicle Extension 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 Lane Grp Cap (vph) 138 116 211 [PHONE REDACTED] 449 v/s Ratio Prot c0.05 c0.09 0.04 0.05 c0.27 v/s Ratio Perm 0.02 0.03 v/c Ratio 0.57 0.29 0.72 0.31 0.57 0.84 0.09 Uniform Delay, d1 53.2 52.0 50.4 47.7 51.9 37.6 28.2 Progression Factor 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 Incremental Delay, d2 3.5 0.5 9.2 0.3 3.0 8.0 0.4 Delay 56.8 52.5 59.6 48.0 54.9 45.7 28.5 Level of Service E D E D D D C Approach Delay 55.4 51.6 44.5 Approach LOS E D D Intersection Summary HCM Average Control Delay 43.9 HCM Level of Service D HCM Volume to Capacity ratio 0.79 Actuated Cycle Length 120.0 Sum of lost time 15.0 Intersection Capacity Utilization 90.9% ICU Level of Service E Analysis Period (min) 15 c Critical Lane Group ---PAGE BREAK--- HCM Signalized Intersection Capacity Analysis Existing Conditions PM Peak 44: Hill St. & San Pablo Ave. 8/3/2007 San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan 6 Report Fehr & Peers Associates, Inc. Page 2 Movement SBL SBT SBR SBR2 NEL2 NEL NER NER2 Lane Configurations Ideal Flow 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 Total Lost time 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Lane Util. Factor 0.97 0.95 0.97 1.00 Frpb, ped/bikes 1.00 0.96 0.99 0.99 Flpb, ped/bikes 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 Frt 1.00 0.96 0.95 0.85 Flt Protected 0.95 1.00 0.97 1.00 Satd. Flow (prot) 3130 3078 3108 1482 Flt Permitted 0.95 1.00 0.97 1.00 Satd. Flow (perm) 3130 3078 3108 1482 Volume (vph) 397 649 207 5 13 262 133 38 Peak-hour factor, PHF 0.93 0.93 0.93 0.93 0.93 0.93 0.93 0.93 Adj. Flow (vph) 427 698 223 5 14 282 143 41 RTOR Reduction (vph) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lane Group Flow (vph) 427 926 0 0 0 439 0 41 Confl. Peds. 22 22 Confl. Bikes 2 2 1 1 Heavy Vehicles 6% 3% 3% 2% 2% 2% 4% 2% Turn Type Prot Split Free Protected Phases 1 6 4 4 Permitted Phases Free Actuated Green, G 18.8 45.8 21.0 120.0 Effective Green, g 19.3 46.8 22.0 120.0 Actuated g/C Ratio 0.16 0.39 0.18 1.00 Clearance Time 3.5 4.0 4.0 Vehicle Extension 2.0 4.0 2.0 Lane Grp Cap (vph) 503 1200 570 1482 v/s Ratio Prot c0.14 0.30 c0.14 v/s Ratio Perm 0.03 v/c Ratio 0.85 0.77 0.77 0.03 Uniform Delay, d1 48.9 31.9 46.6 0.0 Progression Factor 1.31 0.53 1.00 1.00 Incremental Delay, d2 10.7 4.2 5.8 0.0 Delay 75.0 21.1 52.4 0.0 Level of Service E C D A Approach Delay 38.1 47.9 Approach LOS D D Intersection Summary ---PAGE BREAK--- HCM Signalized Intersection Capacity Analysis Existing Conditions PM Peak 38: Central Ave. & San Pablo Ave. 8/3/2007 San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan 6 Report Fehr & Peers Associates, Inc. Page 1 Movement EBL EBT EBR WBL WBT WBR NBL NBT NBR SBL SBT SBR Lane Configurations Ideal Flow 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 1800 Total Lost time 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 Lane Util. Factor 1.00 0.95 0.95 1.00 0.95 1.00 0.95 Frpb, ped/bikes 1.00 0.97 0.99 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.99 Flpb, ped/bikes 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 Frt 1.00 0.94 0.97 1.00 0.99 1.00 0.96 Flt Protected 0.95 1.00 0.99 0.95 1.00 0.95 1.00 Satd. Flow (prot) 1598 3020 3117 1676 3331 1462 3194 Flt Permitted 0.95 1.00 0.99 0.95 1.00 0.95 1.00 Satd. Flow (perm) 1598 3020 3117 1676 3331 1462 3194 Volume (vph) 215 202 122 64 238 74 183 1016 39 61 533 164 Peak-hour factor, PHF 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.94 0.94 Adj. Flow (vph) 229 215 130 68 253 79 195 1081 41 65 567 174 RTOR Reduction (vph) 0 89 0 0 19 0 0 2 0 0 22 0 Lane Group Flow (vph) 229 256 0 0 381 0 195 1120 0 65 719 0 Confl. Peds. 48 9 7 23 Confl. Bikes 9 6 10 5 Heavy Vehicles 7% 2% 7% 2% 4% 9% 2% 2% 2% 17% 2% 2% Turn Type Split Split Prot Prot Protected Phases 4 4 3 3 1 6 5 2 Permitted Phases Actuated Green, G 20.5 20.5 14.0 21.6 58.2 7.8 44.4 Effective Green, g 21.0 21.0 14.0 21.6 59.2 7.8 45.4 Actuated g/C Ratio 0.18 0.18 0.12 0.19 0.52 0.07 0.40 Clearance Time 3.5 3.5 3.0 3.0 4.0 3.0 4.0 Vehicle Extension 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 4.0 2.0 4.0 Lane Grp Cap (vph) 294 556 [PHONE REDACTED] 100 1272 v/s Ratio Prot c0.14 0.08 c0.12 0.12 c0.34 c0.04 0.22 v/s Ratio Perm v/c Ratio 0.78 0.46 0.99 0.61 0.65 0.65 0.57 Uniform Delay, d1 44.3 41.5 50.0 42.4 19.8 51.8 26.6 Progression Factor 1.00 1.00 1.00 0.62 0.38 0.78 0.92 Incremental Delay, d2 11.2 0.2 44.1 1.6 1.2 10.5 1.7 Delay 55.5 41.7 94.1 27.8 8.7 51.0 26.3 Level of Service E D F C A D C Approach Delay 47.2 94.1 11.5 28.3 Approach LOS D F B C Intersection Summary HCM Average Control Delay 33.1 HCM Level of Service C HCM Volume to Capacity ratio 0.72 Actuated Cycle Length 114.0 Sum of lost time 12.0 Intersection Capacity Utilization 83.1% ICU Level of Service E Analysis Period (min) 15 c Critical Lane Group