R-073-16 Approving an Amendment to City's General Plan Land Use Map Changing General Plan Land Use Designation

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City of Colton Downtown Design Manual Initial Study/Environmental Checklist 2 1.3 DOWNTOWN COLTON HISTORY AND CHARACTER Colton’s Downtown has a long heritage, largely associated with “Colton Crossing,” the crossing of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) and Union Pacific railroads. The railroads were the primary reason for Colton incorporating in 1887, and they have been the underpinning of its economy since. A formal town was laid out on a traditional grid street pattern, evidenced today in Colton’s Downtown. Activity associated with the railroad and citrus orchards made Colton a busy place, often referred to as “Hub City,” with many businesses and residents working to support railroad operations, such as: A.Klueter Building, a four-story brick commercial building, was formerly located across the street from the Hub City Theater on La Cadena Drive. B.Union block, a two-story brick mixed-use building with large commercial frontages on the ground level. C.Anderson Hotel, a three-story brick building, was formerly located on the southeast corner of the La Cadena Drive and Valley Boulevard Intersection. D.Old city hall building, a three-story brick building, was formerly located east of the Anderson Hotel on Valley Boulevard. E.Arcade building, a two-story building, was formerly located on La Cadena Drive, and featured a prominent open-air arcade. F.During these years, the downtown urban form, especially within the Downtown Core, was much denser than what exists today, with two-, three-, and four-story buildings lining the streets. Construction of Interstates 10 and 215 through the City, further defining the crossroads nature of the community, attracted transportation-based industries. However, the freeway construction also resulted in the loss of much of the City’s architectural heritage, including buildings in the Downtown area. As such, much of the original commercial buildings built in the early part of the 20th century have been demolished, and while they are no longer standing, photographs of these former Downtown buildings add to the record of Colton’s historic heritage and provide inspiration for design concepts that respect the heritage of the Downtown area. Eventually, the waning of the citrus industry lead to other businesses dependent on rail for materials delivery and shipment were established along the rail lines, creating large tracts of land devoted to industrial operations, many of which continue today. Following the 1920s and Great Depression, Colton again experienced a development boom during the frenzied residential building period of post-World War II. A modest amount of commercial activity remained in the Downtown area to support demand for goods and services. Explosive subdivision was seen in the 1950s throughout the Inland Empire, leading to the creation of many new neighborhoods with their own commercial centers. All of these factors added to the transition that Colton saw from a crossroads commercial hub, to industries and people moving to other commercial centers within and outside of the Inland Empire, leading to vacancies and demolition in the Downtown area. 1.4 PROJECT BACKGROUND In 2014, the City of Colton was awarded a California Sustainable Communities Planning Grant from the State of California Strategic Growth Council. The grant was awarded for the preparation of the City of Colton Downtown Development Code and Design Manual to revitalize and reestablish the historic Downtown area as the City’s Downtown urban center. Consistent with grant goals, the Design Manual provides guidelines and strategies for the Downtown to: