Consultants Look at Facelift for Ramona Business District

The turnout for several downtown Ramona planning workshops last week was low but the quality of the input was high, according to the  consulting firm in charge of Project: Ramona.

The project is funded by grants from CalTrans and the county. The goal is to "lift out the center of downtown Ramona and customize the codes for Ramona," according to Howard Blackson, principal project manager for urban planning and design with PlaceMakers, the consulting company. PlaceMakers led the workshops, concluding with a final meeting on Saturday at Ramona Community Center.

“I’m satisfied with the amount of information I got,” Blackson said. “We talked about details out of the big picture and how to get this done.

“I just wish more people attended but the people who did attend were the right folks. They made the effort, took the time.”

Blackson made a presentation to about 20 people attending the final workshop on Saturday, showing how the town looks now and how it could look in the future. His study is concentrating on the central section of town, from 10^th to Pala streets along Main Street. It includes side streets connecting to Main Street and two or three blocks running parallel on either side.

This section of the business district is referred to as the Paseo area. The other areas are Old Town, from Third to 10^th streets, and Colonnade, from Pala to Etcheverry streets.

Blackson emphasized the importance of the county agreeing to make zoning changes that would relate specifically to Ramona, called “form-based codes,” instead of using codes that cover the entire county.

“The (Ramona Community) Planning Group wants to see if it would work for Ramona,” Blackson said. “Stop using ‘one-size-fits-all’ rules in favor of ‘Ramona-specific’ rules.”

Plans suggested by PlaceMakers include two- and three-story buildings that would house commercial, office and residential units in one location.

Blackson also talked about “equine and dine,” with restaurants catering to equestrians, using hitching posts as well as parking lots.

Parking availability at all businesses is an important factor, he said. Blackson referred to Elston Hay & Grain as having “great character.” People can easily find the entrance and know where to park at the 2220 Main St. location, he said.

“The vernal-pool mitigation is another big management issue,” he said.

Other management issues include fees, such as those imposed by Ramona Municipal Water District and the county.

“If you’re able to lower the fees, do mixed uses where you get two usages on your property,” Blackson suggested.

The state highway running through the middle of town is another major problem for Ramona’s business district, he said. Blackson suggested lowering the speed limit and changing the highway from four lanes to two lanes.

Workshops scheduled earlier in the week with representatives from the county, Sheriff's Department, CalTrans and the local fire department fell through. Blackson said he will reschedule the meetings.

He also plans to meet again with members of Ramona's Village Design Group and the Design Review Board.

A presentation will be made to Ramona Community Planning Group in September or October. Blackson said he is required to report his findings to the county within two months.

PlaceMakers was hired by the county from grants totaling $150,000. CalTrans awarded a $135,000 grant for Project:Ramona and the county chipped in $15,000. PlaceMakers is being paid $103,000 for its part in the study.

The county will submit a quarterly report to CalTrans, according to Joe Farace, project manager with the county’s Department of Planning and Land Use.

For more information, check the Project: Ramona web site at www.projectramona.com.