REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on Direction to Proceed with Placemaking Activities for the Mission Branch Library and City Plaza Park
Report
BACKGROUND
On February 7, 2017, the City Council directed staff to enter into an agreement with Project for Public Spaces, Inc. (PPS), to conduct various community engagement activities focused around a city-wide vision for community "Placemaking", as well as to conduct a visioning workshop for the 90 North Winchester "Agrihood" affordable housing project. The scope of services provided by PPS under this Agreement included presentations and public workshops, stakeholder interviews and follow-up reports and presentations. The initial agreement had a budget of $120,000 and a termination date of December 31, 2017, which was later extended until April 30, 2019. PPS completed the work described under the approved budget and scope of services in March of 2019.
For one of the community workshops (the Power of 10+ Workshop) facilitated by PPS in June 2017, the Mission Branch Library and City Plaza Park were identified as good candidate sites for a "Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper" (LQC) placemaking pilot project. On October 19 and 20, 2018, PPS conducted a two-day Stakeholder Meeting and Community Workshop LQC event focused on a placemaking vision for the Mission Branch Library and adjoining City Plaza Park. PPS prepared a draft report summarizing the workshop and their recommendations (Attachment 1).
DISCUSSION
The PPS report for the October 2018 Mission Branch Library LQC workshop provides specific recommendations to support placemaking at that location based on ideas generated by the community members, City officials and City staff that participated in the meeting and workshop. The recommendations emphasize activities and physical improvements that support activities within the park and adjacent to the library so to encourage the two to operate together as one active place attractive as a community gathering destination....
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