Round Two Workshops
In Spring of 2002, a comprehensive Alternatives
Report describing the three
smart growth alternatives was published and heralded the start
of a second round of county-level public forums. More than 1,000
residents, the majority of them new to the process, attended the
Saturday sessions held in April and May. As a starting point at
these Round Two workshops, participants voted on the alternative
they preferred for their county. They then developed and agreed
on guidelines for modifying their choice, and with the aid of county
maps, customized the preferred alternative to fit the needs of their
particular county.
Handouts and presentations made available to Round Two workshop
participants are available on our Workshop
Materials page.
Round Two Workshop Summaries
The following are summaries of Round Two workshop results by county.
Round Two data is available
on our Technical Appendices page.
Alameda
Workshop participants chose Alternative
2 as the starting point for Alameda County. Then participants
developed principles to guide modifications to Alternative 2,
including minimizing greenfield development and increasing transit-oriented
development. Participants then split into two groups to modify
Alternative 2 according to these principles; one half of the participants
worked on the northern part of the county, while the other half
worked on the southern and eastern portions. Both halves of the
workshop made changes to Alternative 2 that resulted in more extensive
transit-oriented development and larger amounts of development
than was foreseen in the original Alternative 2.
Contra Costa
Contra Costa County's local Shaping
Our Future process held Contra Costa's spring workshop using
the countywide job and housing totals in each of our three alternatives
as a starting point for its mapping exercise. Results of subsequent
sub-county workshops are included in the Final Report.
Marin
The Marin County workshop included an extended discussion that resulted
in the selection of Alternative
1 as the starting point for the day's mapping exercise. Participants
then modified Alternative 1 to add limited smart growth development
in many of the locations shown in Alternative 2.
Napa
After a lengthy discussion, Napa County workshop participants voted
to begin the mapping exercise with the countywide job and housing
levels in Alternative 1
but, unlike Alternative 1, participants want this growth spread
among all five cities, though, not to equal degrees. Guiding principles
for modifying this hybrid starting point include agricultural preservation,
maintaining greenspace within urban areas and between American Canyon
and the City of Napa, focusing on mixed-use development, increasing
building heights and densities, and making sure that future highway
development supports the final Napa County smart growth alternative.
Participants then engaged in a small group mapping exercise to refine
the starting point alternative along the lines of the guiding principles.
At the end of this segment of the workshop, a review of the priority
changes reported by each table revealed four planning areas with
conflicting visions. After some more discussion, the large group
determined the appropriate changes to these planning areas. Finally,
participants requested that project manager, Victoria Eisen, meet
with planning directors from all five cities and the county to finalize
the preferred alternative for Napa County, using the hybrid starting
point, the guiding principles, the priority changes sheets from
each table and the direction on the four contentious planning areas
as direction.
San Francisco
In San Francisco, Alternative
2 was selected as the starting point for the day's mapping exercise.
Then participants developed principles to guide modifications to
Alternative 2, including boosting the number of housing units to
approach the level called for in Alternative 1. Participants identified
a number of specific locations and Muni corridors to locate this
housing.
San Mateo
The San Mateo County workshop included an extended discussion that
resulted in the selection of Alternative
2 as the starting point for the day's mapping exercise. Participants
then made selected adjustments in a successful attempt to focus
growth in existing city centers, locate jobs near housing and creating
a jobs/housing balance within San Mateo County's communities.
Santa Clara
Midway through the Santa Clara County workshop, participants voted
on one alternative from which to start the mapping exercise and
the guiding principles for modifications. Alternative
2 was selected as the starting point for the day's mapping exercise.
Then participants developed principles to guide modifications to
Alternative 2, including increasing development in downtown San
Jose to support the BART extension and adding some additional growth
in the south part of the county. Participants then worked in both
small groups and the large group to modify Alternative 2 according
to these principles. At the close of the workshop, participants
had added a significant amount of development to Alternative 2,
and were concerned that the overall amount of proposed job and housing
growth was too high. Participants therefore voted to reduce the
numbers of new jobs and housing units in their final vision back
down to the numbers in the original Alternative 2 by making an across-the-board
reduction of an equal percentage in each planning area.
Solano
Participants at the Solano County workshop voted on one alternative
from which to start the mapping exercise and the guiding principles
for modifications. For Solano County, Alternative
2 was selected as the starting point for the day's mapping exercise.
Then participants developed principles to guide modifications to
Alternative 2, including increasing job development and trying to
create a better jobs-housing balance for the county.
Sonoma
The Sonoma County workshop featured an extended discussion that
resulted in the selection of Alternative
2 as the starting point for the day's mapping exercise. Participants
then reduced growth in Alternative 2 in a successful attempt to
reach the total number of jobs and housing shown in Alternative.
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