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<br />AYES: <br />NOES: <br />ABSENT: <br /> <br />Brandt, Bricken, Evans, Garthe, <br />Ward, Yamamoto <br />Ortiz <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />REALIGNMENT OF FOURTH AND ROSS INTERSECTION/IMPROVEMENT OF SASSCER <br />PARK AND PEDESTRIAN OVERPASS <br /> <br />The Executive Director stated that this was a three part request <br />to approve a concept only at this time. The Executive Director <br />referred to the map that was contained in the agenda packet with <br />reference to the three above concepts. The map illustrates the <br />pedestrian overpass linking Santa Ana Plaza of the Flags into the <br />Heritage Development multi story office building; the realignment <br />of Fourth Street to eliminate a bad intersection at Fifth and Ross <br />and the closing of Fourth Street between Ross and Parton; and a <br />different shaped Sasscer Park. The Executive Director stated that <br />Staff would like approval to prepare preliminary plans on all <br />three concepts. <br /> <br />He further stated that Heritage Development is willing to <br />financially participate in the pedestrian overpass (the estimated <br />cost is approximately $180,000), and that he would like to contact <br />the Civic Center Commission to see if they would be willing to <br />fund a part of the pedestrian overpass since it is a part of the <br />Civic Center Master Plan. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The Executive Director stated that Staff has slowed the developer <br />(Dennis Development) down in preparing his preliminary plans for <br />the block bounded by Fourth, Fifth and Ross because of the effects <br />the street pattern will have on his development. <br /> <br />The Executive Director reported that Heritage Development is <br />committed to building a mall (plaza) within their development, and <br />Staff's intention is to pick up the plaza concept and carry it <br />North into the Sasscer Park area. He further reported that the <br />Park was named after a Police Officer that was killed in the line <br />of duty, and that Staff has been working with the police <br />Association. The police Association is supportive of this <br />concept. This would turn the Park into a very nice pedestrian <br />area plaza. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Agency member Bricken stated that a number of years ago, <br />discussion of the realignment of Santa Ana Boulevard was held <br />regarding that end of Fourth Street by the downtown merchants. He <br />felt that the merchants were not satisfied with the decision of <br />closing Fourth Street because it cut them off from traffic. <br /> <br />The Executive Director stated that Staff could come back before <br />the Agency with the downtown merchants' recommendations. He <br />stated that Staff has shown the plans to the Planning Commission <br />and the Board of Directors of the Downtown Merchants Association. <br />The Executive Director stated that he did intend to take it <br />further and get more input. <br /> <br />A motion was made by Mr. Bricken to authorize Staff to proceed <br />with the development of the concept of realignment of the western <br />end of Fourth Street and Ross Street, without reference to the <br />specific plan presented, but with the idea that it could be <br />included as one of the alternatives that could be studied. <br /> <br />Chairman Brandt stated that a couple of other ideas, such as the <br />park and the pedestrian overpass, were addressed in this report <br />and questioned Agency member Bricken if he intended to incorporate <br />them into his motion, or act on them individually. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Mr. Bricken <br />realignment <br /> <br />stated that he hoped that the relationship of the <br />would incorporate all of the interaction of a <br /> <br />-5- <br />