BREA : City Gets Award for Citizen Participation

When Councilwoman Clarice A. Blamer arrived at a recent convention of the International Downtown Assn., few of the participants had ever heard of Brea.

But by the time the affair closed, the small city had claimed its share of the spotlight, earning one of 15 association awards. Brea was recognized for the design and planning process it employed in redeveloping its downtown area.

Chosen from more than 65 entries, the city was one of just two small cities recognized, the other being Escondido. Other winning cities included Los Angeles, Orlando, Baltimore, St. Paul and Phoenix. Blamer presented the award to Mayor Carrey J. Nelson this week.

Brea was chosen for its Downtown Charette, a citizens’ group appointed by the council to help plan and design the new downtown. The word charette means a time-limited process that brings outside planning, design and architectural professionals to a particular site to work on a design problem. Working in small groups, the 150 members made numerous recommendations to architects, planners and others hired by the city to develop the master plan for the new downtown.

Some of the ideas presented by the charette and incorporated into the plan include providing a pedestrian environment, housing in the downtown area, and round-the-clock entertainment and recreational areas for people of all ages. The International Downtown Assn. is made up of cities from the United States and Canada.