If you own property in any of the mile-wide areas around the sbX and future light-rail stations, you should be aware that you may now have the ability to build on more of your lot, to improve existing buildings on the site, and to introduce new land uses (office, residential, retail, etc.) there because the Mayor and Common Council adopted, more than a year and a half ago, the Transit-Oriented Development (T.O.D.) Overlay District, an extremely-important ordinance that was developed through a grant from CalTrans with the help of both The Planning Center and Cooper Carry, two well-respected architecture and planning firms. While the T.O.D. Overlay District allows you to do more things with your property, the law also introduces regulatory architectural standards that require new construction to be built with pedestrian-friendly and visually-appealing designs and with high-quality materials and finishes. In fact, San Bernardino currently has only one structure that conforms to the ordinance: the Andreson Building, which opened in 1927 along E Street and south of Court Street. The Andreson is transit-oriented development that was originally constructed along the trolley lines on and near Third Street, but the development is now served by the sbX station on E and just south of Court. Currently, with retail space at street level and office space in the upper stories, the Andreson is a traditional building that mixes uses vertically and that, if joined with similar structures, will generate foot traffic that is necessary for making thriving and vibrant mixed-use districts, which residents, workers, and visitors keep safe and active throughout the day.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 00:25:03 +0000
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