East Riverside Corridor regulating plan presented to City Council

"The corridor was basically designed for cars," Leak said. "Now there are limited facilities, but it's still a pretty hostile environment for pedestrians. There are huge parking lots, and I'm not sure there are any trees along any of this corridor, so in the summer, it's really quite a hot place to be."

The regulating plan covers design and land use; areas in the public realm; and development bonuses to promote affordable housing, business growth and concentrated development.

"This [concentrated development] concept is really important because research shows that retail and commercial spaces do better when they are concentrated rather than located along a long, linear pathway," Leak said.

City officials plan to ask the council at the Nov. 8 meeting to approve a new zoning category called ERC that would require land to adhere to the stipulations of the regulating plan as well as amendments to neighborhood plans.

Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole asked city staff if permanent supportive housing also could be included in the plan.

Betsy Spencer, director of neighborhood housing and community development said permanent supportive house is, by definition, affordable housing and could be developed in the East Riverside Corridor.