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NEGATIVE DECLARATION AND PRECISE ROAD PLAN FOR THE MAIN STREET AND MARKET STREET COMPLETE STREETS PROJECT LOCATED BETWEEN CENTER STREET AND STATE HIGHWAY ROUTE 99 OVERPASS (P25-0033)
Recommended action
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission adopt a Resolution forwarding a recommendation to the City Council to adopt an Initial Study/Proposed Negative Declaration and approve the Precise Road Plan for the Main Street and Market Street Complete Streets Project, in accordance with Findings for Decision detailed herein.
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Summary
The City of Stockton Public Works Department filed a project application to establish a Precise Road Plan for specified segments of Main Street and Market Street in accordance with the Stockton Municipal Code (SMC) Chapter 16.148. The purpose of the Precise Road Plan is to identify the right of way requirements, roadway alignment, lane configurations, access restrictions and intersection controls within the specified roadway segments. The proposed Precise Road Plan (Exhibit 2 to the proposed resolution) for Main Street and Market Street is a rehabilitation and beautification project for Main Street between Hunter Street and the State Highway Route 99 overpass, and for Market Street between Center Street and Main Street (herein referred to as the “Precise Road Plan” or “Project”). Main Street and Market Streets are currently an auto-dominated environment with minimal amenities for pedestrians and bicyclists. The proposed Precise Road Plan would provide equal priority to pedestrians, motorized vehicles, bicycles, and transit uses with safe and convenient pedestrian and bicycle facilities, linking commercial areas, residential neighborhoods, and employment centers.
The City Council is the review authority for Precise Road Plans, based on the recommendation of the Planning Commission.
The Project is subject to compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Staff has prepared an Initial Study/ Negative Declaration pursuant to CEQA to evaluate any potential impacts of the Project and concluded the Project will not have a significant adverse impact on the environment.
Staff recommends the Planning Commission adopt the proposed Resolution forwarding to the City Council a recommendation to adopt the Initial Study/Proposed Negative Declaration and approve the Main Street and Market Street Precise Road Plan, based on the recommended Findings of Fact.
DISCUSSION
Background
The Main Street and Market Street corridors, with their vacant and underutilized parcels, varied building stock, and proximity to downtown and adjacent neighborhoods, offers redevelopment potential to attract new residents, employees, and visitors to the City’s downtown. Significant downtown investments have been constructed in the past decade. These investments include the renovation of the historic Cabral Station, Downtown Transit Center, Weber Point Events Center, Stockton Ballpark, and Stockton Arena at the west end of the corridor. Connecting east Stockton with the Downtown area will unify these significant downtown investments and revitalize the current distressed Main Street and Market Street corridors.
The project area is not zoned, because Main Street and Market Street are designated as public right-of-way (ROW). The subject area is bounded to the:
• North by various commercial/warehousing buildings and vacant lots zoned CG (Commercial, General), CD (Commercial, Downtown), and IL (Industrial, Limited);
• East by State Route 99 overpass and the San Joaquin County limits;
• South by various commercial/warehousing buildings and vacant lots zoned CG, CD, and IL; and
• West across Center Street by various commercial/warehousing buildings zoned CD (Attachment A - Location Map and Aerial Photograph).
The General Plan designates Main and Market Streets as Arterial, and land on either side of the right-of-way for Commercial and Industrial land uses. The Precise Road Plan application is subject to public hearings by both the Planning Commission (for recommendation to the City Council) and the City Council (for a final decision).
In 2017, the City obtained a grant from the San Joaquin Council of Governments as part of the Measure K Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Safe Routes to School and Smart Growth Incentive Program to study the subject corridors and prepare a Precise Road Plan. The Plan developed a comprehensive design for the corridor and the rehabilitation of Main Street and Market Street. The conceptual streetscape design elements include dedicated bicycle lanes, sidewalks, street lighting, parklets with amenities (i.e., trees for shade, benches, and trash receptacles), and enhanced crosswalks and intersections. The purpose of the Precise Road Plan is to establish Main Street and Market Street as prominent “complete streets” that accommodate all modes of transportation, including vehicular, bicycle, pedestrian, and mass transit.
Development Review Committee
The Development Review Committee considered the Project on February 27, 2025, and recommended approval of the Precise Road Plan for the Main Street and Market Street Complete Streets Project, subject to proposed Findings of Fact and Conditions of Approval, as indicated in the proposed Resolution.
Present Situation
The Precise Road Plan for Main Street and Market Street sets the expectations and requirements on what will be constructed within the City’s ROW. Acquisition of additional ROW is anticipated at the following locations:
• Addition of a new cul-de-sac on Market Street east of its intersection with Main Street, an existing paved area (2,809 SF)
• Addition of a new cul-de-sac on Washington Street east of its intersection with South B Street, a vacant site (2,938 SF)
• Addition of a new cul-de-sac on Lafayette Street east of its intersection with C Street and Main Street, a vacant site (2,475 SF to be acquired,7,637 SF to be abandoned and 725 SF to be acquired but then abandoned)
• Widen curb return and sidewalk radius at Filbert and Main Street roundabout, an outdoor storage and landscape are (155 SF and 318 SF)
• Increase radius of curb return and sidewalk at Shasta Avenue and Main Street, a vacant paved area (15 SF)
• Increase radius of curb return and sidewalk at David Avenue and Main Street, a vacant area (58 SF)
• Increase radius of curb return and sidewalk at four corners of Wilson Way and Market Street, existing vacant paved areas (total 44 SF)
Main Street and Market Street are currently one-way roads with two lanes each. The Precise Road Plan calls for a reduction in the number of vehicle travel lanes from two lanes to one lane, adding Class II buffered bicycle lanes, repairing sidewalks, upgrading traffic signals and streetlights, installing roundabouts at the intersections of Main Street/Market Street and Main Street/Filbert Street, “parklets” (small, landscaped amenity areas), and accessible street crossings with bulb-out round corners and bollards. The overall goal of the project is to provide a framework for Main Street and Market Street to become “complete streets”. Complete streets are designed to accommodate all modes of transportation, including vehicular, bicycle, pedestrian, and mass transit.
As part of the proposed improvements, new street trees would be planted, and some existing non-uniform street lighting would be removed and replaced to match other existing lighting in the corridor. To avoid conflicts with existing underground utilities, the parklet designs would be adjusted or the utilities would be relocated within the existing ROW.
With respect to the driveway restrictions along Main Street and Market Street, the Precise Road Plan would emphasize automobile driveways on side streets, where possible, to limit the potential conflicts with pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transit along Main Street and Market Street. The proposed approach to access control is listed as follows:
1. If an existing driveway is in use, it will remain in place until the parcel is redeveloped. At that time the location of the driveway would be evaluated and compared to the Precise Road Plan and could be modified or abandoned.
2. If an existing driveway has been abandoned, it could be removed on the Precise Road Plan. This would also apply to vacant lots.
3. If a parcel is reconfigured, the location of the driveway would be evaluated and adjusted to comply with the Precise Road Plan, or a Precise Road Plan amendment could be filed to request a new driveway.
Required Findings of Fact
Stockton Municipal Code (SMC) Section 16.148.070.A requires two findings of fact to support the approval of the Precise Road Plan. The Precise Road Plan must 1) comply with general land uses, objectives policies, and programs of the General Plan and other adopted goals and policies of the City; and 2) be in compliance with applicable provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
The Project complies with General Plan Land Use Policy LU-2.5, by implementing complete streets projects; Transportation Policy TR-1.2, by shifting priority from vehicular travel to travel by all modes; and Transportation Policy TR-3.1, by limiting street widths while allowing for safe bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
The Project complies with CEQA as shown in the Initial Study/Negative Declaration that has been prepared for the project and circulated pursuant to CEQA and indicated in the proposed Resolution.
Public Meeting
The Public Works Department held the first public meeting for the project on April 3, 2024. Twenty (20) people attended the meeting, consisting of Twelve (12) members of the public, , and eight (8) members of the project team. The meeting was conducted as an open house with a presentation by the consultant’s project manager, followed by questions and comments from the audience. The questions raised by the public were related to the project’s funding resources, construction phasing, the elimination of on-street parking, parking meters, the location of a proposed roundabout, current volume of traffic, delays at the railroad crossing on Main Street at B Street, and opportunities for public art.
A second public meeting was held on May 23, 2024. Twenty-One (21) people attended the meeting, consisting of twelve (12) members of the public, one (1) elected official, and eight (8) members of the project team. Questions raised by the public were related to the utilization and maintenance of the parklets by adjacent business owners, additional police patrols in the area, parking concerns, additional public transportation, and securing future funding to complete the parklets, sidewalks, and bicycle lanes. At each meeting, the public comments were addressed through further discussion and clarification of the Plan. No comments raised required plan modifications.
Environmental Clearance
The City has determined that the Project would not have potentially significant environmental impacts, either by itself or with the application of regulations, ordinances, and standards. No mitigation measures were required. As a result, a public draft Initial Study/Proposed Negative Declaration has been prepared for the project, in accordance with State CEQA Guidelines. A “Notice of Intent” to adopt the public draft Initial Study/Proposed Negative Declaration was circulated for public review and comment between February 4, 2025 and March 6, 2025, and was filed with the San Joaquin County Clerk’s Office and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research State Clearinghouse (SCH# 2025020148). All the comments that were received during the public review have been responded to in the Final Initial Study/ Negative Declaration (Exhibit 1 to the proposed resolution).
Pursuant to Section 15074 (b) of the State CEQA Guidelines, the Initial Study/ Negative Declaration must be adopted by the decision-making body of the lead agency (the City Council) prior to the approval of Precise Road Plan for the Main Street and Market Street Complete Streets Project.
The environmental documents, including the public draft Initial Study/Negative Declaration, and the Final Initial Study/Negative Declaration (Exhibit 1 to the proposed resolution) have been posted on the City’s website for public review:
https://www.stocktonca.gov/services/public_works/projects___studies/main_street_complete_streets.php.
Attachment A - Location Map and Arterial Photograph
This staff report was prepared by Scott Speer, Planning Manager - Current Planning, (209) 937-8195; scott.speer@stocktonca.gov