George Weiss                                                                                                                                      October 25, 2021

My Comments to the Promenade Consultants :

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The Promenade should not add to the commercial feel of Forest Avenue. People should not feel like they must buy food or something from a retail store. That will happen naturally, The Promenade should not feel like it's designed as a commercial space. 
 

• The design should be compatible with the look and feel of the architecture of the unique buildings.
   

• Flexibility should be built into the design in case the Promenade needs to be redesigned in the future.
   

• Access for Fire safety vehicles should also be considered. Bollards and are easy to move up and down could accomplish this.
   

• Parking for disabled residents needs attention. We lost that parking.
   

• Parking for bikes, scooters also should be considered.
   

• Circulation for those travelling to the Promenade by car or other means should be considered.
   

• Priority should be placed on interviewing residents and secondarily the businesses in the Promenade and downtown. Residents will be providing much of the funding for this project.
   

• Outdoor dining space should be provided to each restaurant, but they must pay a fair monthly rent for this use of public space. A restaurant owner in Carmel told me he is paying $1,800.00 per month for 2 parking spaces.
   

• The Promenade needs to be "family friendly.” There should be some area set aside that is designed for kids between 2-12 or so.  Some furniture there should be scaled for children. The family/kids’ space should also engage children and arouse their curiosity. Science, arts, music, and environment attractions should be considered and rotated seasonally or periodically.
   

• There also needs to be an area for adult entertainment, performance art, (even comedy), and music. This should not interfere with retail stores doing business.
   

• The visual arts should be considered as a holistic design element throughout the Promenade.
   

• A design that breaks up the rectangular form it now takes should be considered. An attractive box is still a box. The design should allow for some curved pedestrian paths should be considered to break up the monotony of a rectangle. 
   

• Restaurants should be allowed to have some outdoor seating. We all like the outdoor cafes that have sprung up at restaurants all over downtown.
   

• The cost to build and maintenance it should be shared between residents and businesses.
   

• Parking is another matter since we are losing 46 spaces at the Promenade. And if street dining is made permanent, we may lose another 20 parking spaces on Ocean and other streets. A Downtown District may be necessary to provide half the funding for parking.
   

• Landscaping should allow the existing tress to flourish while adding other greenery and hanging planters.
   

• LED Lighting should be easy on the eyes and adequate to provide a safe environment and compatible with the look and feel of the buildings.
   

• Ideally residents and business should be allowed to vote on the final designs so there is some consensus on the outcome. Catalina Island did this, and the residents and businesses embraced the final design they had a say in selecting.