‘Citizen Planners’ Envision the Hercules of Tomorrow

HERCULES, CA, June 24— Public participation in the urban planning of Hercules kicked into high gear Saturday, as ten teams of “citizen planners” worked over maps and described their visions for the city’s central neighborhoods.

About one hundred residents, property owners, and business owners joined the City staff and technical consultants in a “hands-on planning session” as part of Hercules’ District Plan Initiative. Over the course of five hours, the participants divided into small groups and prepared sketches, maps and lists of their priorities for the development of more than two dozen parcels of land in the center of town. The event was held in the Swim Center gymnasium.

Lead planner Victor Dover held a drawing pen over his head, saying, “This is the most powerful tool in the planning universe. Your City Council and Planning Commission have said, ‘Put these tools in the hands of our citizens. Let them show us what they want. Listen to them.’ This is a historic opportunity to make your community better.” Dover is part of the interdisciplinary team of consultants from Dover, Kohl & Partners, Gibbs Planning Group, Zimmerman Volk Associates, and Fehr & Peers, all hired by the City of Hercules to carry out the District Plan Initiative.

The citizens accepted the challenge. After the planners reviewed some basic ground rules, the groups began brainstorming, thinking through the thorny issues of street layouts, parks, the scale and character of commercial development, and strategic redevelopment of land at the heart of the city. Though sometimes noisy, the session was marked by teamwork. “Everybody leaves with something they want, but nobody gets everything they want,” said Dover.

Each of the ten groups made a presentation at the end of the day, and some striking areas of consensus emerged. Recurring themes included: creating well-connected neighborhoods; growing a pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use core along Sycamore Avenue; establishing a waterfront area with restaurants and public spaces; and infill development on the land presently occupied by the BART parking lot.

Despite the hard work, the planning session was fun, too. Vice Mayor Terry Segerberg congratulated the participants at the end of the session, saying, “There was a delightful spirit of cooperation in this room today, and the citizens of Hercules should be proud.”

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‘Citizen Planners’ Envision the Hercules of Tomorrow

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