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SPECIFIC SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS- <br /> <br /> PLANNING, BUILDING AND NEIGHBORHOODS <br /> (continued) i' <br /> What We Have Learned: <br /> <br /> The Neighborhood Refinement Plan is out of date and no longer ~~TjZe <br /> applicable to the area. The plan was adopted in the mid 1980s and ~ <br /> CurYent policy <br /> since that time, River Road/Santa Clara has become a very <br /> different place. People regard the River Road/Santa Clara areas as t0 2nCOZfYCIge <br /> <br /> having unique characteristics that they'd like to preserve. The S~}2alleY .lot SZZeS <br /> current policy to encourage smaller lot sizes is in conflict with , <br /> <br /> many residents of the area who have lived here or are moving here ZS in COYIf <br /> hCt W l tl2 <br /> <br /> to attain a quiet rural atmosphere. There is a need for political n?Cl'ny YeSidentS Of <br /> <br /> representation in the planning process. County residents are <br /> forwarded to the city on the majority of planning and development the area Wj20 l'taVe <br /> matters, but they cannot vote for city councilors. There is a distrust liVeLl lZeY2 OY aYe <br /> of the City to do planning for residents in the area. There are areas <br /> in River Road (south of Maxwell) as well as some in Santa Clara yYlOVing' lZeYe ~O <br /> (southern end), that have a different feel (narrow, tree-lined streets, Q'ttLilYl a quiet f'1.fYLZl <br /> <br /> block lengths in excess of 1200 feet, semi-rural feel) and configu- <br /> rations that don't lend well to current types of development and Q't1'i'lOS~j'l eYe. <br /> existing city code requirements. <br /> <br /> Neighborhood Organizations do not have the funding to keep residents informed and appraised of issues. <br /> There is great dissatisfaction with the current piecemeal planning process. There are many new 1/2 <br /> street improvements that are going in for new development adjacent to existing streets. In these cases, <br /> the half of the street on the side of the new development is improved with new curbs, paving and <br /> sidewalks. The existing street is usually an asphalt mat with no sidewalk or developed road drainage. <br /> This creates a street pattern that is out of character with the area. New city code allows for and <br /> encourages short narrow streets. There is much concern about the impacts of these new streets in terms <br /> of loss of parking, difficulty in maneuvering fire and emergency and larger vehicles as well as the <br /> change in character of existing neighborhoods due to these narrow streets. <br /> Much of Santa Clara was developed after 1960 so street patterns and connectivity is more likely to <br /> conform to current City standards. <br /> What works/What doesn't work: <br /> There is consensus on the committee that there is much dissatisfaction with this service area. While it is <br /> clear that the City is the sole provider of this service, River Road/Santa Clara residents are not happy <br /> with what seems like the outside imposition of City goals and values on an area that has valued its <br /> autonomy and uniqueness. In the last ten years, River Road/Santa Clara has seen very high levels of <br /> development (16% of land use permits with the City have been attributed to River Road Santa Clara), <br /> with little to no planning and no mechanisms in place to facilitate this growth. <br /> 38 <br /> <br />