Oroville Mercury-Register

Chico Council opts for ‘holistic’ look at downtown

- By Evan Tuchinsky etuchinsky@chicoer.com

A contracted City Council expanded thinking at Tuesday night’s meeting by proposing a “holistic” assessment of downtown traffic flow rather than a narrower look at parking.

Councilors, minus one who left the dais early, unanimousl­y approved a staff recommenda­tion that city engineers create new plans for rights of way in conjunctio­n with sewer pipe replacemen­ts in the downtown area. Supportive members of the council and the public called such a review “holistic.”

The council also denied an appeal of a decision by the zoning administra­tor on a property in the avenues and adjusted parameters of city boards and commission­s.

The council went down to six members with an unexpected departure of Sean Morgan, a long-time councilor who City Clerk Debbie

Presson announced fell ill. He left in the first half-hour, during “business from the floor” public comment, following the hour-long closed session.

Councilor Tom van Overbeek might have missed the downtown deliberati­on, too, had he followed legal counsel. He told his colleagues City Attorney Vince Ewing advised him to recuse himself because he owns property downtown; van Overbeek disagreed and decided to “move forward.”

He was the impetus of the item. At the previous meeting, Jan. 17, councilors deferred considerat­ion of a proposal from van Overbeek to add diagonal parking to three parallel streets downtown — Main, Broadway and Salem — between First and Ninth streets.

Tuesday, he teed up a presentati­on from Leigh Ann Sutton of what she called “reexaminin­g the right of way downtown.” She shared a conceptual plan from 2008 for diagonal

parking on Main Street and Broadway, which would reduce the traffic lanes and, potentiall­y, speeds.

The city must replace downtown sewer pipes — the oldest in Chico, some dating to 1908 — on the verge of failure. Sutton said that process will take five to 10 years. Van Overbeek noted that the work will require replacing pavement

as well; that scope “gives us an opportunit­y for the first time in 50 years to reimagine what to do with our right of way.”

His colleagues agreed. Mayor Andrew Coolidge made the motion, seconded by Councilor Deepika Tandon and amended by Councilor Addison Winslow, that passed with debate only on process. Engineers will solicit public input before drafting plans for the council to consider.

Tandon called the envisionin­g of downtown “once in a lifetime” as the district probably wouldn’t change as significan­tly for another 100 years.

Other discussion­s

Councilors reexamined a zoning variance in the Avenues. Neighbors appealed a determinat­ion from the Community Developmen­t Department at a hearing in December to change the setback requiremen­ts for a residentia­l property along an alley between First and Second avenues, and also reduce the parking requiremen­t from two vehicles to one.

The appellants asserted that the proposed three-bedroom, two-story house and additional dwelling unit on the small lot of 1,950 square feet was inconsiste­nt with the Avenues neighborho­od as well as the general plan. On questionin­g from Councilor Dale Bennett, a former planning commission­er, Senior Planner Kelly Murphy assured the council that the project meets city codes with the variances.

Vice Mayor Kasey Reynolds said the decision gave her “a bit of heartburn for the neighbors,” a sentiment Bennett echoed. She proved the only dissenter, as the council upheld the zoning administra­tor’s decision on a 5-1 vote.

Councilors heard from Presson about commission­s and boards. Every two years, after the seating of new councilors, the council appoints citizens to serve on six panels — Airport Commission, Architectu­ral Review and Historic Preservati­on Board (ARHPB), Arts Commission, Bidwell Park and Playground Commission, Climate Action Commission and Planning Commission. The configurat­ion has changed over time based on city needs, including additions and discontinu­ations.

Presson recommende­d councilors review the list of board and commission­s in terms of numbers and responsibi­lities. Of particular concern to councilors was tension between demands on staff and demands by commission­ers.

The council unanimousl­y approved a motion by Reynolds, seconded by Coolidge and amended by van Overbeek, for Presson to restart recruitmen­t for bodies needing more applicants (ARHPB and Climate Action Commission); move ahead with the appointmen­t process for the remaining panels; and consult with Ewing and other department heads on configurat­ion and operation of all, potentiall­y merging the Planning Commission and ARHPB.

Early in the meeting, Arts Commission Chair Monica McDaniel and Vice Chair Kimberly Ranalla reported to the council on results of the Art Grant Program.

Over four years, the city awarded 24 grants to totaling $106,667, including $27,000 this year to six recipients: Chico Music Events, Chico State’s University Foundation, Inspire School of Arts and Sciences, Legacy Theatre Group, Museum of Northern California Art and Pedal Press.

The funding, 1% of the city’s Transit Occupancy Tax, benefited 19 organizati­ons serving more than 17,000 community members and yielded 110 events.

 ?? EVAN TUCHINSKY — ENTERPRISE-RECORD ?? Traffic flows by cars parked on Main Street in downtown Chico, ahead of the City Council meeting Tuesday.
EVAN TUCHINSKY — ENTERPRISE-RECORD Traffic flows by cars parked on Main Street in downtown Chico, ahead of the City Council meeting Tuesday.

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