Newark Residents Vote For "Thriving Downtown" And Civic Center With More Community Space

Residents are invited once again to provide input on projected updates the city’s 20-year-old general plan.

The community meeting is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 25 at the .

A presentation on findings from a previous community meeting and a showcase of alternative growth models will take place during that meeting, said Jenny Cadigan, a member of the team heading the .

On Feb. 4, Newark residents voiced that they'd like a "thriving downtown" area in Newark and a Civic Center that provides more spaces that can be used by residents, according to results from dot voting that took place during that meeting.

In each of the three growth models that will be presented, land use, particularly for residential and commercial development, will be discussed, according to Cadigan, who added that the growth models are based on population projections through 2040.

The updating of the general plan has been a months-long process headed by a team of graduate students and one professor from the California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo.

Here’s what else was found through the voting process during the :

On the Civic Center:

• Residents voted that could be enhanced if it was developed into a “community landmark” plaza with the library and had more performance spaces and meeting rooms and that it should remain at its existing location at 37101 Newark Blvd.

On recreational services:

• Attendees were asked to vote on what recreation amenity they felt was most needed in Newark and the top three votes went to a performing arts center and art space, more off street bike and walking trails near open space, and community gardens. Coming in fourth: A dog park.

On Old Town:

• Residents voted that they would like to see Old Town, which is primarily commercial, be transformed into a mixed use area. They also commented that Old Town is too small, that sidewalk improvements are needed and that the city shoud consider installing diagonal parking within that area.

On Housing:

• Participants said their preferences for Newark’s affordable housing are small multi-unit residences, such as four-plexes, 50-20 unit condos/apartments, and townhouses. Residents also voted that they would like to see higher density housing near major streets and commercial centers. It was also noted that many residents refused to vote because they did not feel higher density housing should be in Newark.

On traffic and streets:

• Residents said they’d like to see more center islands to enhance traffic calming and that they would like to see improvement for pedestrian traffic near the Four Corners Shopping Area, Old Town and .

To read more about the findings from the Feb. 4 community meeting, see the attached PDF.

Community Development Director Terrence Grindall has said the team is expected to complete the entire first phase of updating the city’s general plan by spring.

A consultant firm, that has yet to be hired, will conduct the second phase of the project, which will include polishing up the first phase and producing an Environmental Impact Report.

For more information on the Newark General Plan Enhancement Project, visit http://mynewarkplan.weebly.com.