Section 3 Informal amphitheater at Community Development Services Building Section 3 MP Visioning #1
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As with the master planning of any government campus, the incorporation of a comprehensive and effective master plan visioning process is critical to the successful identification of campus needs and delivery of appropriate solutions. It is very simple - to best accommodate government campus needs and solutions, one must engage the end user in the planning process. Butte County utilized the following methodology to accomplish this. Representatives of Butte County staff were invited to take part in a two-part consensus building workshop on two separate days. The first workshop was held during the day at the HR Training Room on September 19, 2011. This workshop focused on: THE VISIONING WORKSHOP The group gathered at 9:00 a.m. on September 19, 2011. After introductions, a presentation was made regarding site evaluation and analysis results of the campus site, buildings, energy use, infrastructure, site development and attributes/ constraints. In preparation for the site awareness tour, the tour map was shared and expectations discussed. The group of approximately eighteen (18) people then reassembled at Station 1 of the awareness tour. A review of data gathering. A site awareness tour. A question-and-answer session. A hands-on design session. The purpose of this workshop was to engage County Staff in the creative process of establishing a vision for the Oroville Government Center Campus. The workshop provided an important forum to establish and agree upon the needs of the users, prioritize those needs, and develop a solution that accommodates those prioritized needs. The format of the workshop followed a method called TAKING PART developed by Lawrence Halprin, which is based on the theory that we are all inherently creative. The following is adapted from Lawrence Halprin s R.S.V.P. cycles: In TAKING PART, many devices are used to release creativity - among these are actual experiences of issues, becoming aware together so as to develop a common language, sharing experiences in order to increase communication. The process depends a lot on different ways for expressing feelings other than talking - such as drawing, writing, and other expressive modes. In all those modes each person s feelings and attitudes have equal value. There are no experts who have the answer. As workshops progress, more and more energy is released, and more and more interaction of creative ideas occur until eventually some forms of creative consensus about the project emerge. SITE AWARENESS TOUR MAP The following is a summary of responses from the site awareness tour: The workshop involved an awareness walk which allowed the participants to experience the project site in the same way. A design workshop followed during which the group explored, programmed, and developed actual ideas for the Oroville Government Center Campus. Below is a summary of the two consensus-building methods utilized in developing this Master Plan for the Oroville Government Center Campus. 21
STATION 1 STATION 2 Existing park. This area is maintained as a park. North side of 25 County Center Drive. Refer to the site plan below. Note the amount of open space between the Juvenile Hall and the channel. Describe what you see. How is this park currently used and how should it be incorporated into the new Master Plan? How should this open space be used in the future? Look to the north. Note that the Brad Freeman Regional Bicycle and Hiking Trail exists on the north side of the channel. Public safety neighborhood expansion. Add solar panels, wind power. Connect people to regional trail. Drainage facility. Screen Juvenile Hall. Public safety open space use. Under utilized. Add/expand trails-- trail hub. Oaks overwatered. Add seating, native landscaping, gardens. Relocate noisy utility. Possibly incorporate food cart, child play area. Difficult as usable park due to slope. 22
STATION 3 Walk to the northwest corner of the cemetery. The parking to your right is state parking for the courthouse. As you look east over the cemetery, write or sketch your ideas for the future use/disposition of this cemetery. Most felt the space could be used as open space for events, fairs, etc. Add walking path, seating, trees, water. Create memorial. Keep green and open; remove cypress, don t spend a lot of money. STATION 4 STATION 5 Entrance at Nelson. Do you consider this entrance to the County Center from Nelson the main campus entry or a secondary entrance? Most consider this a main entrance. Some felt it should be relocated to align with the Walmart entry or Third Street. Should have a traffic signal. Sketch your ideas of what the character of this entrance should look like. Note the existing character of Nelson Avenue. Better signage, landscaping, beautify. Widen entry road. Add crosswalks, possibly waterfall. If the County builds on the property to the southeast of this intersection, how would that change the character of this gateway? It would expand County operations. Signage, crosswalks and landscape would need to be added. Freeway Edge/Public Works Yard. As you view the freeway edge to the west, the Public Works Yard to the east and the Instructional Resource Center to the south, describe or sketch your ideas for the opportunities for this area. Consider views of the property from the freeway, future location of the Public Works Yard and disposition of the Instructional Resource Center (school district facility). Most felt this is valuable real estate/exposure from Highway 70. Relocate Public Works Yard. Large flat use for general government or relocation of Health and Human Services. STATION 6 Hospital site. Look 360. Note significant views in each direction. This is the high point of the site. How should this portion of the campus be planned? Good General Government site at the top of the hill with good views. Public space. Multi-story buildings to take advantage of views. Good site focal point. The Hospital building has been analyzed and determined to be fairly significant as possibly the only existing example of WPA Moderne style building left in the world. What are your thoughts regarding the future disposition of this building? 23
Walkable with shade and weather protection. Functional areas Aesthetics. Utilize topography/natural beauty (water feature). UC Santa Barbara UC Berkeley University of West Virginia Placer County Government Center UC Davis Oregon State University Most felt some portion of the building should be preserved, but not as an occupiable space. Cafeteria, food court, garden, people space, rental space. Not cost-effective to refurbish. At the conclusion of the site awareness tour, the group reconvened in the HR Training Room for two exercises designed to obtain consensus on the design of successful campuses. The workshop participants were divided into two groups. In an effort to move toward agreement, the groups were first asked to respond individually to each question, then each group was asked to discuss individual responses and arrive at a group consensus on each subject. Below is a summary of group responses. Each individual was then asked to respond to Question 2. Again, they then discussed the question as a group, arriving at the following consensus. QUESTION 2 What are your top 5 elements that should be considered in this Master Plan for Butte County that will make this campus successful? Group 1 Response: 1. Natural attributes--topography, airflow, green space, landscape, etc. 2. Public access/service functionality. 3. Energy/water efficiency. 4. Distinct neighborhoods with room for expansion. 5. Economics--building in stages, funding flexibility, affordable maintenance, reducing leases, creating economies of scale. 6. Employee amenities (gym/daycare). QUESTION 1 Give one example (in your opinion) of a successfully designed campus and identify what elements make it a successful campus. Group 1 Response: Natural landscape. Localized amenities. Old/new buildings integration. Walkable paths. Green space. Mobility and accessibility. Higher buildings/more open space. Group 2 Response: 24
Group 2 Response: 1. Financial reality/public perception. 2. Aesthetics (building/landscape). 3. Intuitive/functional/sustainable (signage, core, natural area). 4. Parking. 5. Access/Circulation/Traffic calming. 6. Amenities (food, childcare, gym). SUMMARIZED IDEAS - GROUP 1 Locate all 300,000 sq. ft. of Health and Human Services on site (unique to Group 1). Create four (4) neighborhoods. Incorporate Public Works Administration on site; locate the yard off site. Increase employees on site, which will validate food service and day care. Connect all buildings with open space, street scene and trails. Retain a portion of the hospital. Locate a new Probation Building adjacent the north gateway. The final exercise of the day was to, as a group, develop a plan of their vision for the Oroville Government Center Campus. Below are the results of this exercise. GROUP 1 In contrast to Group 2, Group 1 decided that all of Health and Human Services would be located on-site. This difference in opinion for the disposition of Health and Human Services and Public Works location was the main difference of the two plans. Group 1 chose to retain County Center Drive in its current alignment and enhance the street scene and campus in general with new landscape. Neighborhoods are created through grouping County offices in four neighborhoods: Community Development; General Government; Public Safety; and Health and Human Services. Public Works would be grouped with Community Development and would be down scaled with the yard located off site. Group 1 felt strongly that all buildings should be connected with landscape, open space and trails, and a portion of the Historic Hospital should be retained for employee use. The increase in employees on campus would validate food service and daycare on site. The current Administration Building will become the new District Attorney s office. 25
GROUP 2 Group 2 determined that only a portion of Health and Human Services should be relocated on site. Group 2 also chose to retain County Center Drive in its current alignment, widen as necessary, enhance the street scene with landscape, lighting and provide new signage to improve wayfinding. Group 2 also felt that proper disposition of open space, trails and landscape could service to knit the campus together. The campus would be developed into five neighborhoods including: Public Safety; a portion of Health and Human Services; Community Development Services; a relocated Public Works and Corporation Yard; and General Government. Group 2 also felt that a portion of the historic Hospital should be retained as possibly food service or other and locate a new Probation Building on the hillside north of the current Administration Building, which will become the new District Attorney s office. Both groups also felt strongly about a tree-lined walk with seating to be located at the perimeter of the cemetery. Group #2 Plan SUMMARIZED IDEAS - GROUP 2 Relocate a portion (about half) of Heath and Human Services on site (unique to Group 2). Create five (5) neighborhoods. Relocate entire Public Works and Yard on site. Locate Community Development Services on the top of the hill/adjacent the Hospital site. Locate a new Probation on the north facing slope in the Public Safety Neighborhood. Leave General Services off site. Retain a portion of the Hospital. Provide a walkway and seating around the cemetery. 26
SUMMARY Despite the Groups alternative approaches to site design, they shared many common ideas. Both groups felt that Health and Human Services should be brought on site to some degree, and that neighborhoods can be created by combining departments that share common needs, services and a proximity to each other for communication and coordination. These neighborhoods should be linked on site though open space, landscape, trails and circulation. Due to increased traffic throughout the campus, County Center Drive should be improved (expanded) and signalized at Nelson. The north and south intersections of County Center Drive are main campus gateways and should be celebrated with landscape and signage. Numerous buildings on site are in poor condition and should be replaced with new architecture. These new buildings will create people space for employee and visitor comfort, gathering, event space and food service opportunities. The gifts of the site such as native oak woodlands, views, topography, water and breezes should be preserved and embraced in ways that contribute to the quality of life on campus. Phasing suggestions by each group were similar in that the first phase should focus on improving wayfinding and the character of the campus through gateways, signage and landscape/streetscapes. Phase II should focus on a new Probation building and a new Morgue/Evidence building, and Phases 3, 4, 5 and 6 should develop from north to south. 27
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