Each phase of input contributes to the next phase in the process. But even if you're just jumping in, it's not too late to contribute valuable insights!

Approximately 24 people attended the two-day meeting. A presentation of comments heard from Tuesday's Open House was given at the start of Wednesday's meeting to spark continued conversation. A few good debates, such as the appropriate allowed height within the historic core of Castroville, are yet to be settled.

A summary of comments received is listed below by category. See the Share Your Input page for the draft documents these comments reference.

Place Types

• P2 RURAL: Require a designated parking area (no parking on grass)
• P2.5 HISTORIC RESIDENTIAL: Limit height to 1.5 in historic district

• P3 NEIGHBORHOOD: Allow home-based businesses and business signage
• P3 NEIGHBORHOOD: Clear separation between commercial and residential areas
• P3 NEIGHBORHOOD: Allows a duplex and two ADUs or just one ADU on one lot?

• P4 NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL: Should have a 5ft min build-to line / front setback
• P4 NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL: Commercial should face and embrace adjacent residential. No strip centers or commercial buildings with backs facing the residential.
• P4 NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL: Public Works should not take away from the minimum lot coverage.
• P4 NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL: Allow 3-story mixed-use if the style fits local historical character.

• P5 URBAN DISTRICT: Allow shared parking
• P5 URBAN DISTRICT: Building storefront frontage should include entrances to all uses within the building.
• P5 URBAN DISTRICT: 2-story maximum
• P5 URBAN DISTRICT: 2.5 stories max within the historic core
• P5 URBAN DISTRICT: 5 ft setback minimum (rather than zero)
• P5 URBAN DISTRICT: Shared parking

• EC EMPLOYMENT CENTER: Change to “Industrial Center”?
• EC EMPLOYMENT CENTER: 3-acre lot minimum
• EC EMPLOYMENT CENTER: Max height requirement

PLACE TYPE ALLOCATION PER DEVELOPMENT PATTERN

• Change “Cluster Land Development” to “Conservation Neighborhood” & increase P1 & P2 to 50% each.

CIVIC SPACE

• Include parks requirements for new developments
• Require trees to be planted in backyards

BUILDING TYPES: COMMERCIAL

• Require human-scale frontage designs for commercial and mixed-use commercial buildings
• Limit curb cuts for Highway Commercial

BUILDING TYPES: RESIDENTIAL

• House large lot: How tall would be allowed?
• Mix all of these types to improve/increase density, infill, and affordability.

SIGNAGE

• A-frame sidewalk signs can be problematic for accessibility (any way to limit size to a % of the sidewalk, placed near the building or near the street?)
• Love how the blade sign mimics a village feel
• Reduce pole sign heights (where are these allowed exactly?)
• Control or limit digital signage

PUBLIC FRONTAGE STREET SECTIONS

• How can bike safety lanes be incorporated?
• Can Yield Street Landscaping be recommended for around Houston Square?

After the in-person Design Rodeo, the same questions were uploaded online to give others an opportunity to add more comments. The combined results from the in-person surveys and online surveys are included at the link below.

While the survey opinions, insights, and comments received are critical for forming the direction, additional considerations help form decisions along this process.

Community input has been integral to forming key components of the Comprehensive Plan, Downtown Plan, and Place Type standards and maps. As these documents are finalized, community input continues to be solicited to make sure these documents "get it right" for a broad consensus in Castroville.

On March 27-28, the Design Rodeo phase of the Castroville Building Block Project began, with 77 people giving initial feedback.

Attendees of the in-person Design Rodeo workshop gave feedback on:

- An analysis of areas within Castroville city limits and surrounding it, categorizing areas into 4 types, such as Areas of Stability or Areas of Change.

- Images of different types of buildings and whether they fit in various types of areas.

- Which investments the City of Castroville should prioritize.

- More discussion of a proposed idea to make crossing Hwy 90 safer.

- A look at Paris Street as the Main Street of Castroville and how incremental improvements could enhance downtown.

- What might be a good fit for potential redevelopment of the current Public Works yard if the current use were relocated, and 4 land use sketches to spark conversation.

The same maps and surveys will be posted online, to give the rest of the public time to digest and give additional feedback through the end of May. Results will be published all together.

Stakeholder input is concurrently informing the city-wide Comprehensive Plan as well as the more focused Downtown Plan. Read the summary document of all input received during the Castroville Dreamin' phase, as it's represented in the two sections and 10 topics below.

Comprehensive city-wide topics:

• Streets & Mobility
• Spaces & Places
• Growth Management & Infrastructure
• Economy & Tourism

Downtown visioning topics:

• Main Streets
• Taming Hwy 90
• Courtyards and Connections
• Houston Square
• Downtown Economy & Tourism

Held at Elsass Hall, about 155 individuals participated over two days.

January 16th

Eighty individuals participated in workshops throughout the first day (focused on Comprehensive city-wide topics.) Attendees came to a workshop at either 10-11am, 1-2pm, or 6-7pm.

January 17th

Around 75 additional individuals participated on the second day (focused on Downtown visioning topics.) Attendees came to a workshop at either 10-11am, 1-2pm, or 6-7pm. A closing summary presentation was held 7-8pm.

Some of the insights shared at the workshops included:

• Concerns about the ongoing drought as well as flooding when it does rain.
• The locations along Hwy 90 where people need to be able to cross on foot, or would like to be able to cross more easily.
• More information about how community events large and small operate and ideas for operational improvements.
• Challenges for existing local businesses and dreams for new businesses in Castroville.
• Where teenagers and kids socialize, and the dreams for an even more-family-friendly Castroville.
• Creative ideas and real constraints for sprucing up Downtown in general and Houston Square specifically.