SR 06:079 - Laserfiche WebLink

The eventual development ofthis site will not be limited by the triangular property of the current Fire Station building. The Arts Center is designed to reach into Lions Wayside Park: its lobby opens out onto a plaza with views of broad lawns and groves of trees. The Firehouse Arts Center extends this reach in three gathering areas: the West main entry on Railroad Avenue; the East entry from Lions Wayside Park, and the plaza area at the south side of the historic Fire Station. Each entry is designed to accommodate groups attending special events, as well as those who come to the park, gallery, or ticket office. The Railroad Avenue frontage, will include planting around the transformer, street trees, and planting that opens onto a beautifully paved terrace entry. Site furnishings at the building's entry plazas will include benches, planter pots, and decorative bollards. On the building's north side, service entries are protected from service traffic by decorative bollards, while the wall on the property line will be covered in vines, forming a "green wall" beneath the tall existing Eucalyptus trees. The west entry is highlighted by accent flowering planting and special concrete paving with color and texture to match the paving within the building's lobby. As the visitor moves through the lobby into Lions Wayside Park, the outdoor space just beyond the doors is an "outdoor lobby,"(a small plaza overlooking the park), where people can gather between acts of a play or meet friends before a gallery opening. On the south side, the existing driveway leading to the historic fire station will be replaced with a plaza of decorative paving which can accommodate occasional vehicular traffic. This space will be an extension of the Firehouse, providing opportunities for special events and plaza activities, and will connect the building with pedestrian linkages to the south. The bandstand, located "next door" on Railroad Avenue, will be a prominent feature of views from the Arts Center. Plantings on each side of the Arts Center have been chosen to provide shade, seasonal color, and a palette of greens to complement the masonry and textures of the building. The Arts Center, Bandstand, and nearby park will all be gathering places during concerts, and arts and performance events, together forming a central intersection area of activities and gathering for Downtown. People will come to the park from all directions: from the parking area in the Corridor to the north, from the Regional Trail, from Downtown, and from nearby neighborhoods. The Arts Center opens out to the park and to the street, with plaza entries, to invite the community in and through its light-filled lobby. ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY OUTREACH Please refer to the Planning Commission staff report which outlines in detail the process that staff implemented in taking the project into the Community and to the City Council for direction. SR 06:079 Page 12 ofl7