Va l l e j o Wa t e r f ro n t P l a n n e d D e ve l o p m e n t M a s t e r P l a n a n d D e s i g n G u i d e l i n e s
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District Character and Context
W AT E R F R O N T D I S T R I C T S
Southern Waterfront District
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B.
S o u t h e r n Wa t e r f ro n t
Residential frontages along Sonoma Boulevard (State Route 29) and Curtola Parkway will have strong landscape edges to offset the development from the higher speeds and volumes of traffic on these roads while providing views into and potentially through the site from the intersection of Sonoma Boulevard and Curtola Parkway. Overall, residential and other uses are strongly oriented towards the new Waterfront Park and the Marin Street extension, which provides a strong linkage between the District and the Downtown. The linkage to the Downtown is also signified by the mixed-use (retail/office) building at the corner of Marin Street and Mare Island Way.
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The future character of the Southern Waterfront District will be determined largely by future new development rather than its current context, with exception of the existing maritime uses (public boat launch). As with all Waterfront Districts, the most critical assets of the District are its exceptional views of Mare Island Strait and the opportunity for creating a public park along the waterfront with direct pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular linkages between this portion of the Waterfront and the Downtown (via Marin Street), as well as other parks and segments of the Promenade located in the Northern and Central Waterfront Districts (Figure 3.B.1). The character of this District will be less intensive compared with the Central Waterfront, but contain a similar mix of uses; however, uses will be mixed horizontally rather than vertically. From north to south the District will transition from a mixed-use commercial and public character to residential and then to a more industrial character at its southern end, where sites for research and development/ light industrial buildings and a postal facility provide a transition to the heavier industrial uses farther to the south and outside of the planning area (See Figure 3.B.2).
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Figure 3.B.1: Southern Waterfront District Location
Figure 3.B.2: Land Use Diagram for Southern District
The District will not have as much pedestrian traffic as the Central Waterfront, because of the lower intensity of development both in the District and around it. This will result in a “quieter” environment and support the Design Guidelines’ approach of creating a more naturalistic design for its open spaces. The public open space program also includes a public boat launch and a bait shop, which cater to recreational fishing and boating activities. Va l l e j o Wa t e r f ro n t D e s i g n G u i d e l i n e s
March 13, 2007
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