Laserfiche WebLink
and could involve a citizens' task force or City Council/Planning Commission <br />subcommittee. <br />Transit-Oriented Development: Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is often defined <br />as higher-density, mixed use development within walking distance (1/4 to 1/2 mile) of a <br />transit station. A major goal of transit-oriented development is to reduce vehicular <br />traffic by encouraging the convenient use of transit by taking advantage of the proximity <br />of transit stations to housing, jobs, and commercial centers. Key components include <br />walkability and pedestrian/bicycle linkages to the transit center along streets and on <br />pathways; attractive development with pedestrian amenities; sufficient housing density <br />and employment intensity to support commercial development; and creation of a livable <br />area that is a "place" in its own right. Thus, TOD capitalizes on the functional inter- <br />relationship and integration of land use and transit, more than just the physical <br />characteristics of a developed area. As a result, TOD is considered a tool in achieving <br />sustainable development. <br />Mixed use development is considered to be a combination of residential, retail, office, <br />and/or other types of uses, sometimes in the same building or on the same site. TOD <br />differs from mixed use development in that mixed use development can occur in a <br />variety of locations and is not necessarily tied to a transit center, does not necessarily <br />focus on pedestrian linkages and amenities, and does not necessarily emphasize the <br />functional integration that TOD promotes. Thus, mixed use is a component of TOD but <br />does not, by itself, necessarily constitute atransit-oriented development. Mixed use has <br />been desirable and successful in areas such as the Downtown and can be beneficial in <br />creating convenient commercial services for residents and employees and abuilt-in <br />market for commercial areas. <br />There is also a distinction made between "transit-oriented" development and "transit- <br />adjacent" development. Whereas developing housing near transit centers can be <br />beneficial in many ways, a TOD involves functional characteristics such as a choice of <br />transportation modes, the relationships between transit and land use through pedestrian <br />linkages, and a mix of uses and housing types that together create a desirable place in <br />its own right.2 This would typically involve looking at an area as a whole and planning <br />for ways to achieve these objectives in terms of both on-site development and off-site, <br />public areas along streets and in other public spaces. <br />Potential Alternative Hacienda Planning Process: Hacienda representatives have <br />suggested an alternative process consisting of modifications to the PUD Development <br />Plan, Design Guidelines, and Development Agreement instead of a Specific Plan. They <br />have also proposed that review of the three development projects on the CarrAmerica <br />and former Shaklee sites be considered simultaneously with modifications to the PUD <br />Development Plan. As stated previously, this option has been managed over the years <br />successfully by the City and Hacienda in addressing various land-use changes. Thus, <br />~ Center for Transit-Oriented Development website, www.reconnectingamerica.org <br />Z Dena Belzer and Gerald Aul[er of Strategic Economics, "Transit-Oriented Development: Moving from Rhetoric to <br />Reality", June 2002. <br />Page 4 of 13 <br />