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Greenbelt Alliance In the News

March 2006

Growing Up

How live-work projects can foster communities and enable smart growth in the North Bay.

In 2001, the Washington, D.C.-based research firm called The Road Information Program estimated that by the year 2025, the number of automobiles on California highways will increase by 70 percent along with a projected 500 billion vehicular miles traveled. The state's population was estimated to take a 53 percent jump, bringing the total number of Californians to 49 million.

North Bay residents must also contend with some of the highest home prices found anywhere in the country. Traffic woes, an expanding population, urban sprawl and the high cost of living are problems that are undoubtedly here to stay. The challenge is finding a way to adjust our current view on growth, work and transportation to ameliorate these problems and set a course that will preserve our quality of life and give us the tools to deal with the issues at hand.

Smart moves

Fortunately there are North Bay city governments and developers that are taking matters into their own hands and trying to make a difference. Smart growth is only now getting the momentum and attention it deserves. Enlightened city planners are rethinking the way their populations can expand. Working in tandem with smart growth-savvy developers, old ways of approving developments are being reexamined and both new and old paradigms are being revitalized.

At the heart of this trend is the willingness of city councils to pass ordinances that allow mixed-use development whereby both commercial and residential expansion co-exist in the same zone - a practice that was once taboo. A growing element, and a logical extension of mixed-use ventures, is called live-work projects. These enable shop owners to purchase storefronts on the ground level of inner-city developments and live above their place of business. This type of live-work project is different from the more loft-style buildings you'll find in more urban areas. But the idea is much the same, and it's one that works well for the North Bay.

Europe has been doing this for centuries, seeing it as a logical way to incorporate business and community into a seamless way of life. And up until the mid-20th century, America did it too. Then suburbia came along.

Several years ago, the Slow Cities movement began in Italy to actively work to reclaim town squares and inner-city neighborhoods by banning automobiles from the streets and encouraging live-work arrangements that fell by the wayside over the years. Our own love affair with the automobile, and an attraction for the single-family home lifestyle, derailed our attraction for the practice. In some cases, it turned downtown areas into veritable ghost towns.

Windsor revitalized

Fortunately, you don't have to look far to find revitalization projects in the North Bay that are embracing the live-work/mixed-use template. One of the most notable projects can be found in Windsor. Its Town Green Village, developed by Orrin Thiessen of Thiessen Homes, has created a warm, comfortable community in the heart of downtown. Thiessen has been an ardent fan of the live-work concept for some time. His company offers special treatment to residents of communities who wish to adopt live-work projects, offering them the first opportunity to purchase one of his new buildings that feature commercial space on the ground level and an apartment or condominium located on the floors above.

As an example of how the live-work paradigm plays out, Thiessen uses Fred and Sara Langley, owners of a restaurant in the Town Green Village called Langley's on the Green. The couple lives on the floors above the restaurant.

"He (Fred) has the convenience of living above his restaurant which offers a number of advantages," Thiessen says. "There's no commute except walking downstairs, so he saves on gas. He can go down to the restaurant and get things started, then go back upstairs to take care of other business. There's no more waiting around for deliveries since he can monitor their arrivals from the comfort of his own home. When one arrives, he can be downstairs to meet them in a matter of minutes."

For Thiessen, live-work and smart growth are two ideas that have come of age once again. "What I find amazing about the revival of projects like this is the fact that people ever stopped living like this in the first place," Thiessen notes. "Almost everywhere in the world, live-work is the norm. The village atmosphere allows our clients to get to know more people within their community."

Thiessen blames cheap gasoline, mass-produced tract homes and the rise of shopping centers and the suburbs as the culprits that drove small, mom-and-pop operations out of business. This paved the way for a shift from village living to what we've seen over the past five decades.

Another factor that heralded the demise of the inner-city village concept of living, Thiessen says, should be laid squarely on the shoulders of local and county government's response to the rapid growth after World War II. In an effort to accommodate ever-widening urban sprawl, governments passed regulations to control development through restrictive zoning laws and ordinances. Mixed-use, smart growth and live-work situations fell victim to Americans' voracious appetite for suburbia.

Many of the attributes that made life in the suburbs appealing have now reversed in the minds of a large segment of the population, he says, prompting homebuyers to seek out more intimate and less mass-marketed housing options. For Thiessen, this means more focus on the individually owned shops, saying no to chain stores and more reliance on the community, one's neighbors and the camaraderie that comes with village living.

"We want our projects to be an alternative to the mall mentality of the past," Thiessen says. "Shopping becomes a unique experience when the owner of the store has a passionate stake in the business. People really like it."

Thiessen's Town Green Village has garnered respect and national attention from a growing cadre of influential organizations. Both the Sierra Club and the Wall Street Journal have run articles touting the "new urbanism" that Thiessen's Windsor project represents. While the majority of the completed units are not exactly affordable housing (their pricey location precludes that designation), they do have a lower price tag than what most Northern California homebuyers see in the current real estate market. And in accordance with local inclusive zoning ordinances, some of the units are affordably priced below market rates.

Thiessen says developers who subscribe to this new mentality choose high-density population areas in central urban environments where space is available for building up, not out. A transit element is also included that provides cheap, convenient conveyance from home to other destinations without relying on automobiles.

"People leave their cars behind and walk, potentially improving their health," Thiessen says. "These developments are the most efficient use of land and can be up to $100,000 less than a tract house. What a lot of people don't realize is that the baby boomers are near retirement. They've become empty nesters. They want to travel without the worries of upkeep associated with a larger suburban house. Ours are basically three-bedroom units with two and a half baths and a two-car garage. The only thing missing is the 15-foot deep backyard."

Windsor's Planning Director, Peter Chamberlin, says the $160-million Town Green Village has been nothing short of a godsend for the residents of the small Northern California town.

"Town Green Village transformed the city," Chamberlin says. "Thiessen created a town center where one didn't exist before. Windsor was a farming community in the 19th century and only became a town when the railroad and depot were built. The rail station burned down a couple of times. The last time it did, the railroad didn't rebuild. Fast food restaurants, service stations and other small businesses moved into the area. In 1992, Windsor incorporated as a city, and it became evident that the residents wanted to reclaim the downtown area. The fast food and filling stations are gone now. The Town Green marked the first stage of the redevelopment, and the Town Green Village came later."

Chamberlin makes a good point when he notes that, technically speaking, the village is not a true live-work community. Other projects recently approved or are on the planning commission's list for consideration will be true live-work projects. Chamberlin cites two developments, a 10-unit complex approved in early December of 2005 and another 30-unit venture still under consideration at press time, that will be marketed as strictly live-work projects.

"Live-work is really new to us," he says. "People seem, however, to be open to these kinds of projects. There's no commute. The business owners can live close to their work. Their children can attend school nearby."

Chamberlin points to several key factors at work in the Bay Area that make live-work an attractive option for homeowners. "What's driving people to look for alternative living situations is the price of land in California, especially the Bay Area," he says. "People aren't interested in paying the prices we're seeing today. They realize they don't really need a big backyard but would rather be in the center of the action in a revitalized downtown."

While his office does see the need for approving single-family homes for those who still want them, Chamberlin said, Windsor has a strong commitment to mixed-use and live-work projects that incorporate residential units and businesses in an integrated fashion to enhance community life and revitalize inner-city areas.

Petaluma's changing landscape

Petaluma is in the midst of a massive downtown mixed-use redevelopment that will change the face of the city forever. Paul Andronico is senior vice-president of Basin Street Properties, the company that is behind the project. Much like Thiessen's original plan for Windsor, Andronico says there are no planned live-work units although that does not exclude them from occurring.

Across the river from the downtown development, Basin Street has applied for approval for a 40-acre project that will be of mixed-use design. Twenty-six of the 400 units will be designated as live-work settings with an additional 20,000 square feet set aside for retail. Including live-work units in the master plan only made sense, Andronico says.

"People who own live-work units get a sense of vitality and ownership of the neighborhood," Andronico says. "We're creating neighborhoods that are centered around a town square with an urban fabric included." He notes that live-work units give developers more options and flexibility from a planning point of view. From a residential standpoint, owners have the advantage of either living downtown or nearby. Urban traffic is reduced, he says, by placing more emphasis on public transportation.

The attraction of live-work/mixed-use projects speaks to the broader question that small growth-centered ventures address, and one that many developers and city governments are grappling with each year. The smaller urban revitalization projects allow for a higher density of units per acre while dealing with the important question of transportation and affordability.

"The new progressive adult element is also a factor in the popularity of live-work situations," Andronico says. "Many professionals, like lawyers and others, find it attractive to have their business on the ground floor of their residence. Another important element is that both the work and the residential spaces can be appropriately sized for what people want in their living and working lives."

Building community in Cotati

One of the truly premier examples of live-work developments is Cotati Station by The Colvin Group. Phase 1 of the project was a five-acre development with 70 attached townhouse condominium units, with common courtyards and lawns, that flank a new, one-acre city park. Phase 2 consists of two affordable rental apartment buildings and two live-work buildings. In total, there will be 14 live-work units sold on the 1.6-acre project.

John Clifford is project manager for Cotati Station and a partner with The Colvin Group. He says the live-work phenomenon underway in the North Bay is an extension of an urban design movement that began in San Francisco, Emeryville and Oakland.

"We felt it was a good match for our area," Clifford says. "There are some great components of live-work that contribute to the community. I think the North Bay is a proving ground for developments like these projects given the demographics of the region."

Clifford says interest in the 14-unit live-work project at Cotati Station has been considerable. Slated to go on sale in March, the units have generated calls from both individuals and investors interested in purchasing them. He believes the very nature of the live-work concept has appeal that single-family houses lack.

"The makeup of a live-work community can be quite diverse," he explains. "There's a wide range of professions that are attracted to the idea, from graphic designers to computer consultants to architects. They see the benefits that can be had from working and living in the same building."

A sense of community fostered by live-work projects is one of the strongest draws that accompany the new developments, Clifford says. As an old urban design, he believes the benefits of a strong community identity coupled with the small village atmosphere become obvious once people are exposed to the idea.

An environmentalist viewpoint

Economics aside, one has to ask how environmentalists view the live-work paradigm as a smart growth alternative in the North Bay. Daisy Pistey-Lyhne is Sonoma-Marin field representative for Greenbelt Alliance. For more than a decade, the nonprofit has pushed for conservation and smart urban planning throughout the region. She says that while the Alliance does not have a specific stance on live-work development, the concept fits the group's dedication to smart growth and community building.

"The Greenbelt Alliance strongly supports making it possible for people to live close to where they work," Pistey-Lyhne says. "When they do, it cuts down on the amount of cars on the highway. They spend less time in traffic and are able to lead healthier lifestyles."

Pistey-Lyhne says mixed-use/live-work situations give both developers and communities options other than continuing the pattern of suburban sprawl and traffic congestion. Greenbelt Alliance's goal, she notes, is to promote infill projects.

"We are dedicated to protecting open space and creating public support for a variety of housing options for many levels of income," Pistey-Lyhne says. "Live-work/mixed-use projects help to do this for two reasons. Developers can make good money by producing more units per acre, (thereby) increasing the volume of units they can sell. Second, there is a demand right now for different housing options. The Bay Area has been a monoculture of single-family homes for the last few decades. We're now seeing a large segment of society that wants different options."

Pistey-Lyhne points to Thiessen's Town Green Village in Windsor as proof that live-work/mixed-use projects are good for the economy and for the people who live there. "In Windsor, you have a vibrant community where there are people on the streets at all times of the day and night. It makes for a safer community, cuts down on transit problems and is good for the environment," Pistey-Lyhne says.

Greenbelt Alliance, like the developers contacted for this article, sees a public transportation element of live-work/mixed-use communities as vital to their success and the future vitality of the region as a whole. Transit-oriented developments that focus on smaller living spaces are a desirable bonus for both young and elderly homeowners alike, Pistey-Lyhne says. Adding live-work units to the equation, where homeowners live above their places of business, she believes, only reinforces the personal incentive to succeed and creates an environment where communities can flourish.

Beyond the practical advantages of live-work/mixed-use community development, city governments are increasingly turning toward smart growth guidelines for future development. In the hot Bay Area housing market, the need to provide a variety of housing options at a number of financial levels is a primary concern for many municipalities, Pistey-Lyhne says.

"Many city governments are adopting urban growth boundaries, making developers turn inward to look at underdeveloped areas that exist in the city centers," she says. "Greenbelt Alliance is supportive of the creation of a variety of options such as live-work/mixed-use developments. This increase in new housing options will benefit more people."

Making it work

Call it what you will but the live-work phenomenon appears to be here to stay. As developers continue to gobble up available land for housing projects, expect city planners to adopt stricter guidelines on where new housing will be accepted and, in some cases, what kind of residential units can be built. Far from pitting developers against city governments, live-work/mixed-use projects may be the tie that binds communities and developers together.

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