Public welcomed to attend ad engage in meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 12
The City of Folsom has unveiled a draft Central Business District Vision Plan aimed at revitalizing the retail and commercial corridor along East Bidwell Street and Riley Street,that includes areas between Sutter Middle School to Blue Ravine Road. The area includes notable city assets such as the Steve Miklos Aquatic Center and Lembi Park. The Folsom City Council is set to review the plan at its upcoming meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Folsom City Hall, 50 Natoma Street.
The plan is the product of a year-long collaborative effort by the Citizens Advisory Committee and is intended to serve as a long-term guide for future development. It aligns land use, public infrastructure, and community branding with the community’s shared values.
While it does not propose any immediate land use changes or specific development projects, it does outline a framework for potential public and private improvements to reinvigorate the district as funding becomes available. The plan has already received a unanimous recommendation from the Planning Commission, and the Parks and Recreation Commission will review it at their Nov. 5 meeting.
The City Council meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 12 is open to the public, providing an opportunity for residents and stakeholders to engage with city officials and discuss the vision for Folsom’s central business corridor. Officials encourage community members to review the draft plan, which is available online at www.folsom.ca.us/CentralBusinessDistrict, to gain a better understanding of its proposed scope and its alignment with Folsom’s development goals.
For additional information, community members can contact Kathy Pease, City of Folsom planning consultant, at 916-812-0749 or via email at kpease@masfirm.com. This vision plan is a blueprint for future improvements, aiming to harmonize existing city assets with potential new infrastructure and branding efforts to create a vibrant, cohesive district that reflects Folsom’s identity and aspirations.
Central Business District Plan Background
Preparation of a Vision Plan
The Central Business District plan was originally called a Master Plan, but at its October 21, 2024, Central Business District Advisory Committee meeting, the Committee unanimously voted to change the name to a Vision Plan. This is similar to the River District, which also renamed their document to a vision plan. The Central Business District Committee felt the change better identified what the document is intending to do and acknowledged that additional work will be needed to implement the plan in the future.
The Vision Plan is organized into existing conditions, potential Transformative Ideas with examples from other jurisdictions or design features and Implementation Measures. No specific development is proposed at this time. As development is proposed in the future, it is envisioned that staff will use the document for guidance to ensure that development supports the community’s vision for the area.
A Draft Vision Plan has been developed for the Central Business District. It is intended to be a long-range vision (10-20-year plan) that helps guide development going forward by aligning land uses, public infrastructure projects and the vision/branding of the area with the values of the community. No land use changes such as a General Plan amendment or rezoning are proposed as part of this effort. The Vision Plan was funded with American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
Key Objectives for the Area include:
- Mixed-use residential development
- Economic development
- Commercial corridor revitalization
- Placemaking and design, lighting, and landscaping
- Traffic calming
- Pedestrian and bicycle improvements
- Safety
- Parking strategies
- Outreach strategies
Through a competitive process, the City selected Jacobs Engineering to prepare the Vision Plan. In addition to Jacobs, the consultant team included Aim Consulting which specializes in public outreach and lead the Citizen Advisory Committee and other public outreach efforts, Kimley-Horn provided transportation expertise and is familiar with the project area, having completed the East Bidwell Complete Streets Corridor Plan, and Bay Area Economics (BAE) will provided expertise on economic development strategies.
Central Business District Advisory Committee
On August 22, 2023, the City Council formed the Central Business Advisory Committee and appointed 18 stakeholders representing economic development, local business and property owners, residents, recreation, transportation and mobility, tourism, and education/student advisors to help provide input into the process.
Public Outreach Touchpoint: Community Questionnaire and Pop-Up Activities
As part of an ongoing collaborative planning effort, the City’s project team hosted an online community questionnaire to obtain early input on community values, priorities, and vision for the planning area from Folsom residents and visitors. The survey was open for three weeks and more than 800 participants responded. Please find the summary of the questionnaire results here.
The project team also hosted several pop-up events to build awareness about the planning effort and encourage participation in the community questionnaire. On Saturday, December 16, 2023, two project team members hosted a pop-up event outside Karen’s Bakery as well as at the Historic Folsom Farmers Market. In addition to providing community members with cards that included a QR code link to the questionnaire, project team members asked the community to respond to two questions: what uses/amenities would you like to see expanded or created in the project area? And what ideas could support the area as a “destination” with a unique identity and “sense of place”?
Supporting data, presentations:
Folsom Central Business District Community Questionnaire Summary
