AGENDA TITLE:
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Receive and file an update on the Downtown Specific Plan (CD)end
MEETING DATE:
May 7, 2025
PREPARED BY:
Cynthia Marsh, Deputy Director / City Planner
recommendation
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Receive and file update on the Downtown Specific Plan (DTSP).
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
In furtherance of City Council Strategic Vision Goal #1 "Downtown," in 2023 City Council allocated surplus General Fund dollars towards issuance of a Request for Proposals (RFP) to qualified consultants to complete a Downtown Specific Plan. In August 2024, the City entered into a Professional Services Agreement with RRM Design Group (RRM) to prepare the Downtown Specific Plan (DTSP).
A specific plan is a long-range planning document and regulatory tool that is used to define a vision and provide a framework to guide future private development and public improvements within a specific area. The DTSP area is generally bounded by Lodi Avenue to the south, Pleasant Avenue to the west, Washington Street to the east, and Lockeford Street and the softball complex and Armory Park to the north. The DTSP document will provide direction to further enhance this unique and inviting destination for locals and visitors. It will be based on economic, mobility, and historical analysis and it will establish land use standards and placemaking concepts.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
The DTSP process has incorporated robust community engagement to ensure the plan reflects local priorities and needs. Since the project’s initiation, extensive public engagement has been conducted to ensure a transparent and inclusive planning process. Key milestones include:
• October 2024: The Community Development Department and RRM hosted a Steering Committee kick-off meeting at the WOW Museum, followed by a trolley tour of key locations within the DTSP area.
• January 9, 2025: The Steering Committee met to review consultant research and progress, followed by a public Community Workshop at the WOW Classroom Building where the team shared observations, existing conditions analysis, and gathered initial feedback.
• February 4-5, 2025: A multi-day Open House was held at 22 South Main Street with presentations in both English and Spanish, focus group meetings, with the event offering multiple interactive opportunities for public participation in reviewing findings and generating design concepts for Downtown Lodi. The Open House concluded with a presentation to the Steering Committee outlining the key issues and topics discovered over the two-day event.
• April 17, 2025: A dedicated Spanish-language workshop was held at 22 South Main Street to ensure broad community engagement.
• April 22, 2025: A workshop was conducted specifically for the Realtors Association to gather insights from real estate professionals.
Additional public engagement efforts have included stakeholder interviews, focus group meetings, interviews with developers, city staff consultations, eBlasts, press releases, social media outreach, and the development of the website www.planlodi.com. <https://www.planlodi.com/>
The input to date supports an overall vision to accentuate the heart of Lodi and enhance this unique destination as a welcoming and attractive Downtown core with community owned shops and restaurants, and additional places for people to live, work, and play. The expanded Downtown Lodi area is envisioned to become a vibrant and walkable interconnected core that is clean, safe, and family friendly. Additional pedestrian amenities and outdoor gathering spaces are envisioned throughout the Downtown with future streetscape and pedestrian improvements east of the tracks, all helping to shape a Downtown that will better serve residents and entice visitors.
NEXT STEPS:
Now that the discovery and foundation phases, including due diligence analysis, are completed, the consultants are drafting the DTSP document. This presentation provides an update on the project’s status, discusses the DTSP process, highlights assets and opportunities and preliminary concepts, and clarifies the next steps in the process.
STRATEGIC VISION:
1A. Downtown: Community and Economic Development.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Not applicable.
FUNDING AVAILABLE:
Not applicable.
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John Della Monica
Community Development Director
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Christina Jaromay
Acting City Manager