California Historic Route 66 Needles to Barstow Corridor Management Plan. February 2014 Public Meetings Summary DRAFT

Transcription

1 California Historic Route 66 Needles to Barstow Corridor Management Plan February 2014 Public Meetings Summary DRAFT Prepared for: March 2014 Prepared by: 800 Hearst Avenue Berkeley, CA 94710

2 I. Background In early 2014, the California Historic Route 66 Association and the California Desert District of the Bureau of Land Management began the preparation of a Corridor Management Plan for the section of Route 66 through the Mohave Desert between Barstow and Needles, California. This section of Route 66 is one of the more unique sections of the Route and features diverse cultural, historic and natural resources located along extensive Bureau of Land Management (BLM) holdings that provide great opportunities to link to outdoor recreation activities. This planning effort is intended to help preserve the Route s history and develop strategies for educating visitors about its significant cultural and natural landscape features. The planning process will also identify ways to increase economic activity through enhanced recreation and heritage tourism opportunities for visitors to its gateway communities. II. Public Workshop Format Public input is a critical element in the planning process. To solicit public feedback and ideas on strategies to preserve and enhance Route 66, two inperson public workshops and one online workshop were conducted. The California Historic Route 66 Association (the Association) and the BLM conducted extensive outreach to attract participants starting approximately eight weeks in advance of the workshops. Workshops were promoted through various outreach methods, including: Paid advertisements in local Barstow and Needles newspapers Press releases and related media activities conducted by BLM Related articles in local newspapers Flyers distributed in-person, by mail and BLM and Association websites Postcards distributed by mail Phone calls to agency and organizational representatives Presentations at meetings of other organizations In-person communications Posting on Route 66 News and Route 66 Yahoo Group E-news articles and blogs The press releases used to promote the workshops can be viewed at the following web address: California Historic Route 66 Needles to Barstow Corridor Management Plan 1

3 The chart below presents the dates, locations and attendance of the public workshops. Public Workshops Date/ Time Location Attendance Harvey House Railroad Depot, Tuesday, February 25, 681 North 1st Avenue, Barstow, 6:00 8:00 pm: California 90 Thursday, February 27, 1:00 3:00 pm: Thursday, February 27, 6:00 8:00 pm: Web-based workshop (WebEx) 8 Needles High School Cafeteria, 1600 Washington Street, Needles, California 40 TOTAL 138 Both in-person public meetings were well attended. Approximately 90 participants representing a diverse coalition of local and regional stakeholders attended the Barstow meeting. The audience also included Barstow City Mayor Julie Hackbarth-McIntyre, members of the City Council, Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Economic Development and Planning Divisions. Almost 40 members of the public and elected officials attended the Needles public meeting. Elected officials in attendance included the Needles City Mayor Edward Paget, members of the City Council, Chamber of Commerce and other local stakeholders. Attendees also included Pam O Connor, Mayor of Santa Monica, and Carl Morehouse, First Vice President of Southern California Association of Governments, who were in town on unrelated business but heard about the meeting and decided to attend. The Barstow and Needles workshops shared a similar format and agenda. For both in-person meetings, Doran Sanchez, BLM Project Manager, opened with welcoming remarks and introductions. The meeting was then turned over to Joan Chaplick, public engagement specialist with MIG, Inc, who served as the meeting facilitator. After briefly reviewing the meeting agenda and desired outcomes, Ms. Chaplick introduced Jim Klein of Lardner/Klein Landscape Architects, who provided a presentation on the process for developing the Corridor Management Plan and a review of some of the Route s significant cultural, natural and historic resources. Phil Thomason also presented and highlighted some of the Route s significant resources. California Historic Route 66 Needles to Barstow Corridor Management Plan 2

4 Following the presentation, participants were asked to respond to a series of four questions. Due to the large number of participants who attended the Barstow workshop, the audience was divided into small breakout groups for a facilitated discussion. Each group had a facilitator and note-taker to capture participant comments. At the Needles meeting, the discussion was conducted as one large group. Participants were asked the following questions: What are your issues and concerns about Route 66? What resources are of greatest interest to you? Why? How should these resources be protected and/or enhanced? Do you have any other comments or suggestions? Participants were encouraged to comment verbally and in writing using the comment cards provided. The web-based meeting, using the WebEx platform, provided similar content to the participants as the in-person meetings. During the WebEx meeting, participants were allowed to comment and ask questions using the online chat feature and via conference call. All comments made in the workshops were recorded and the comment cards have been transcribed. A full transcription of the comments is provided as an attachment to this summary report. Once the facilitated discussion was complete, the audience reconvened and each group provided a short report on the highlights of their conversations. The workshops concluded with a discussion of next steps in the development of the Corridor Management Plan. Additional Public Outreach In addition to the public workshops and web-based meeting, planning team members conducted or participated in several additional meetings during the week of February to extend the outreach efforts. City of Barstow Planning Commission: California Historic Route 66 Association Board Member Sheila Beekman-Compton, BLM Project Lead Doran Sanchez and Consultants Jim Klein and Dean Apostol made a brief presentation and answered questions (Monday, 2/24/14). Barstow Area Museums and Attractions: California Historic Route 66 Association Board members toured with Consultant Carolyn Brackett to several area museums and attractions to speak with site managers and directors (Wednesday 2/26/14). Newberry Springs: Consultant team leader Jim Klein met with interested citizens in Newberry Springs (Wednesday 2/26/14) see notes below. California Historic Route 66 Needles to Barstow Corridor Management Plan 3

5 Needles Area Museums and Attractions: California Historic Route 66 Association Board members and consultant team members toured the Needles area sites and attractions with Needles area business and chamber members. Business and chamber members also provided information to the planning team about travel and tourism in the region. III. Newberry Springs Meeting Issues and Concerns Jim Klein met with seven people from Newberry Springs for an informal discussion of issues and ideas focused on the Newberry Springs area from 1:00pm 2:30pm on Wednesday February 26, 2014 at the Newberry Springs Community Center. Newberry Springs Community Service Board Members Paula Deel and Robert Vasseur attended along with individuals representing area businesses, properties and residents. The following issues and ideas were discussed: How do you get assistance to restore and enhance historic camps along Route 66? Concern about how any sort of byway or historic designation would affect the operation of existing businesses, or the development of wind and solar. What about all the vacant land and properties how do you get owners to upgrade or clean up? Suggested idea of Route 66 certification program for businesses that welcome Route 66 visitors (hospitality training included). Car and motorcycle shows and rally s draw visitors to the area. Concern expressed about too much tourism doesn t want loud motorcycles cruising through Newberry Springs. Concern about where the money comes from to implement all this. Guided tours could be developed with more detailed local history linked to a web site using a QR code (quick response) or with a mobile application. Would like the corridor to include the area between Route 66 and BLM lands to the south in the vicinity of Newberry Springs. A paper on Newberry Springs history (edited by Fred Stearn) was provided to Jim Klein. IV. Workshop Results Feedback provided by participants from the Barstow, Needles and web-based workshops have been reviewed and organized by key themes. There were many similar points expressed in both meetings, along with numerous strategies, many of them related to their specific community. The key themes from the workshop participants are summarized below. Based on the close relationship between the series of workshop questions, there is some overlap in the responses. The overlap reinforces the synergy between the issues, strategies and opportunities that can preserve and enhance Route 66. California Historic Route 66 Needles to Barstow Corridor Management Plan 4

6 Issues and Concerns Participants were asked to share their issues and concerns on topics they would like the Project Team to consider during their analysis. These issues, needs and concerns are categorized as follows: Route 66 Needs and Improvements Increase commercial zoning in existing communities along Route 66 Address zoning and permitting issues that make it difficult to protect and restore resources (Note: Barstow General Plan will be updated in next few years) Provide more signage, way finding and interpretive resources to identify Route 66 Improve road conditions (e.g., potholes); Low traffic counts make Route 66 a low priority for road improvements Address concerns about historic bridges and potential for damage from trucks, especially during traffic detours Manage community clean-up issues Adapt GPS systems to identify and recognize Route 66 Improve landowner protections against vandalism Scenic, Historic and Cultural Resources Activate landmarks with lighting and way-finding signage and vignettes to help tourists understand the historic features Avoid the risk of losing historic features and facilities Enforce the Federal Highway Beautification Act Protect the views along Route 66 Control development and expansion of buildings to protect scenic views Stabilize existing historic buildings and other resources Protect resources from vandalism Protect night sky views Consider historic landmark designation to protect cultural and historic features Provide more information about World Heritage [Monument Watch] designation Balance transportation planning with historic resource protection and preservation Answer questions about the age and timeframe of origin for Route 66 to emphasize in educational materials Address concerns about potential limits on small-scale alternative energy projects (e.g., windmill installations) due to impacts on view Education and Visitor Information Invest in visitor-serving facilities (e.g., restrooms, seating areas) California Historic Route 66 Needles to Barstow Corridor Management Plan 5

7 Increase and promote tourism opportunities to attract people from the interstate Provide signage identifying significant resources and points of interest Address lack of funding for education and visitor materials Preserve historic features and educate the public Find ways to engage youth; expand use of social media Stakeholder and Community Engagement Ensure that all stakeholders are at the table including local tribes, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and others Encourage private land owners along the route to clean up their lands Use bike trails along Route 66 to attract new users Increase usage of social media to promote Route 66 to younger audiences Economic Development and Funding Consider partnering with universities, National Park Service and others to share expertise and resources Explore revitalization grants and tax credits (e.g., Mills Act) Work with private landowners and local businesses to protect Route 66 and educate them about resources Capture revenue from solar projects Resources of Greatest Interest Workshop participants identified a wide range of resources of interest to them. Specific resources and suggestions are listed below. Restoration of neon signs App development to tell the story of Route 66 and identify landmarks on mobile devices Night skies and recreation experience supported by quality campgrounds Film history of landscape appearance in movies (e.g., Grapes of Wrath) Mitchell Caverns School in Amboy Off-road vehicle opportunities Roy s, Amboy Whiting Brothers, Newberry Springs Historic bridges El Rancho, Barstow Operating gas station and café Landmark that commemorates the original story of Bagdad General Patton encampment Mystic maze site near Needles Charles Shultz cartoon character named Spike (Needles connection) California Historic Route 66 Needles to Barstow Corridor Management Plan 6

8 More historic route signs General Patton s golf course Old Ice House Bureau Bay, Needles Protection and Enhancement of Resources Workshop participants were asked to identify and describe how resources should be protected and/or enhanced. Summarized responses are listed below. Route-wide Strategies Ensure that agency staff are aware of the Route s resources and significance Develop a theme for each town emphasizing different resources Provide trainings to hospitality and service industry workers to share information with visitors Link Route 66 to recreation opportunities on adjoining public lands Develop a list of resource people and form a speakers bureau Review best practices from other portions of Route 66 Use vandal proof materials Expand NPS corridor grant Tourist Attractions to Engage New Users Improve river access from Needles to attract visitors for recreation Add bicycle trails along Route 66 to attract new visitors Provide educational visitor information in multiple languages Develop an App for Route 66 Install Burma Shave signs to attract and inform visitors Consider attracting a casino Capitalize on Spike, Snoopy cartoon character who live in Needles and conduct Charles Schultz legacy tours Conduct Patton camp tours (Desert Stripe) Increase funding support to museums Use then and now photography exhibits to provide historical context for visitors Coordinate with Amtrak to highlight Harvey House tours Develop a Web interface with GPS to help direct travelers (e.g., Historic Maryland Road) Historic Preservation Create programs for recognition of landmark resources Contract local historians to help develop educational materials California Historic Route 66 Needles to Barstow Corridor Management Plan 7

9 Provide more information about World Heritage designations and other programs that can help protect resources Activate unoccupied historic resources through lighting, signage and displays Highlight local landmarks such as gas stations and old town sites (e.g. Essex) Protect Needles Pioneer cemetery Create list of local landmarks Conserve old homes of Needles and Googie style architecture Create historic preservation commission in Needles Work with property owners to stabilize Carty s Camp Explore adaptive reuse of vacant buildings Restore Needles lagoon Additional Comments and Suggestions Workshop participants were asked to share any additional comments or suggestions regarding the preservation of Route 66. Summarized responses are listed below. Review historic corridor best practices in other states Seek funding from private foundations Capture revenue streams from solar Identify flexible and appropriate covenants and zoning Develop signage guidelines Reconsider how tourism is marketed Host annual events to promote tourism Develop a Route 66 radio station Engage youth and diverse stakeholders through events and music Identify strategies and attractions to add destinations of interest Additional Public Comment Period TO BE ADDED after 30-day comment period ends March 31, 2014 Next Steps The workshops concluded with a discussion of next steps in the development of the Corridor Management Plan, which includes forming an Ad Hoc Advisory Committee to assist with the plan s development. Members of the Advisory Committee will participate in five web-based meetings on topics included in the plan, review and provide comment on the draft plan, and work to gain endorsements for Route 66 to be nominated as a National Scenic Byway. Participants interested in serving on the Committee were asked to provide contact information. California Historic Route 66 Needles to Barstow Corridor Management Plan 8