Sonoma Boulevard Specific Plan
Vallejo, California
Crafting a vision for the central axis of Vallejo
Opticos led a multidisciplinary consultant team to assess and synchronize past and current planning efforts along a 1.8-mile portion of Sonoma Boulevard/State Route 29 in Vallejo, and refine them to create a Specific Plan. Created in parallel with an update to the Vallejo General Plan, the process included a detailed development capacity assessment, design and visioning for key opportunity sites, and development of form-based design standards and implementation strategies.
Guided by a Specific Plan Working Group and City staff, the project included a pair of multi-day design charrettes to develop a detailed vision for the corridor and characterize ways in which development can be incentivized on an incremental, lot-by-lot basis that maximizes short-term impact and creates catalytic results.
The team also included multiple advancements to make the document easy to understand and to increase the likelihood of its implementation, beginning with a 4-page vision to capture and communicate the purpose of the project in a quickly-absorbable format.
Four key issues are identified and tied to five goals to fulfill that vision. Expected outcomes are further detailed and tied to each of those goals, ensuring that all outcomes are tied back to the overall vision. Finally, each sub-area includes a “Transect Translated” section to describe how the vision and details of each area will be incorporated into the zoning code, completing the full connection between the vision and the city’s code.
Banner image by Steve Price/Urban Advantage.
