After expressing concerns regarding pedestrian safety, the Ukiah Planning Commission Wednesday voted unanimously to approve Redwood Credit Union's request to move into the former Savings Bank branch on East Perkins Street, allowing it to occupy a long-vacant building in one of the city's gateways instead of constructing a new building downtown.

"I appreciate your persistence in looking at the property, and appreciate the Savings Bank making the property available," said Commission Chairman Rick Johnson, referring to the fact that while RCU representatives declared from the beginning of their long journey seeking permission to build at the corner of Main and Perkins streets that their hope had always been to simply move into the existing bank building.

And while previously the former owner had stipulated that another financial institution could not occupy the building, Tony Hildesheim, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer for Redwood Credit Union, told the Planning Commission that the former owners had removed the previous prohibition to allow RCU to move in.

"I am glad that the owner came forward and allowed us to buy the building," said Hildesheim, noting that if the project was approved, "we hope to get it done within a year and start serving the city (at the new location)."

As for planned upgrades, RCU representatives told the city's Design Review Board last month that they tried to be respectful of the building's "interesting triangular and angular geometry, as well as providing some texture and differentiations." There were no plans to significantly change the parking layout, but to "enhance the landscaping, create greater pedestrian connectivity and ... we're proposing on closing the back door and focusing on the front entry that sits on Perkins Street."

The DRB had recommended the project be approved, though with changes that would improve pedestrian safety within the busy parking lot adjacent to the even busier East Perkins Street, and most of the citizens who addressed the commission Wednesday said they also wanted better pedestrian access to be included in the plans.

Resident Linda Sanders said she was "really encouraged" by the project's current location, but she had concerns about pedestrian and vehicle interactions in the sprawling parking lot, while Dennis Crean said he hoped that RCU would add a "safe and sensible pedestrian walkway to their design."

After Hildesheim said RCU would consider creating a pedestrian pathway that was "not exactly like what Mr. Crean suggested, but we could move it a little closer to the existing crosswalk and make it safer," the commission approved the project with a 3-0 vote.

Chairman Johnson said he was glad that the former bank building could be re-used after all, as he is "concerned about all of the vacant buildings" throughout the city, and that the revitalization of this empty business will be "a very positive thing for the city of Ukiah, (which will have) a modern-looking structure" along one of its main gateways instead of what another speaker described as blight.

"This is a long time coming and I think the community really needs this," said Todd Schapmire Jr. before the vote. "Hopefully you guys will stop this building from being an eyesore that I've personally had to deal with, for I think eight years of homeless people hanging out (there), and I think it will do a lot for the community if we can get a business in there, thriving."