MAC CV Discusses Business District Specific Plan
The Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) took a bit of a hands-on approach to one of the biggest topics in town at their meeting this week. The Castro Valley Business District Specific Plan (CVBDSP) was discussed at a special workshop Monday night and attendees had a chance to talk to MAC members individually at special break-out tables.
The CVBDSP is an ongoing project, which has been broken down into two phases. Phase Two was completed in late 2021 and involved a Community-Wide Zoning and Map Update.
Now, the county has hired consultants Lisa Wise, Inc. to implement Phase Two, which has already been in the works for over a year and isn’t scheduled for completion until at least late 2025.
Broadly speaking, the CVBDSP is a plan on what the future holds for our downtown area and what Castro Valley residents most desire for the area. The area in question covers approximately 288 acres and 763 parcels, which make up four of Castro Valley’s commercial and mixed-use zones.
The area includes the Central Business District on Castro Valley Boulevard, the Medical Center area on Lake Chabot Road, the BART Transit Village, and the Rite Aid parcel to the east.
Kathryn Slama, Director of Lisa Wise Consulting, Inc., said that the key to developing a successful plan will be finding a balance. Time and again, the MAC has said that the public must weigh a sort of wish list of amenities with the reality of space constraints, funding, the economic future, sustainability and more.
“Actionability is going to be a word you hear a lot,” said Slama.
The consultants’ work indicated that mixed-use developments with housing a retail combination are a likely outcome, especially near BART. They said that a more-pedestrian-friendly Boulevard is also a major desire- pedestrians prefer to see parking lots behind stores so they are walking along businesses instead of parking lots or driveways.
Wise, Inc. consultants said that a blending of old and new will be key to finding the sweet spot for the future of downtown. For instance, at the Lucky site which is highly desirable for housing due to proximity with the BART station, perhaps some of the existing aging retail space might eventually become housing. Or perhaps Lucky and other retailers might opt to stay and there could be condos near the street with the grocery store tucked behind them.
The public said they saw a lot of room for improvement in terms of pedestrian access and bicycle infrastructure, especially a bit further out from the center of the Boulevard.
While the consultants seemed to prefer to tuck parking behind stores and focus on foot traffic, commenters wanted to see more parking, citing limited availability along the Boulevard as hurting business. Possibly hindering business. Suggested sites for possible future parking structures include the BART station and the Eden Hospital area. The public also requested more electric vehicle charging stations.
Other desires included parks, trails, more outdoor dining and family-friendly and upscale dining and shopping options.
IF you missed Monday night’s meeting, no problem. More information on the plan is available on the County’s website at cvgpimplementation.com and the matter will also be back in front of the MAC in a matter of weeks this fall.