Report to Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Discussion
SUBJECT:
Title
DOG PARK STATUS UPDATE (CITY COUNCIL)
Body
I. SUMMARY
Mayor Albert Robles and the City Council have requested a status update on the development of a dog park for Carson residents. Community Services, Community Development, and Public Works staff are working together as well as the Parks and Recreation Commission to prepare the site, and to design and construct an off leash Dog Park at 17505 Main Street for residents and their K-9 companions. (Exhibit B)
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Authorize staff to proceed with the necessary process transfer ownership, prepare the site, and to hire a Landscape Architect to prepare conceptual designs and plans for the Dog Park.
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III. ALTERNATIVES
TAKE another action as the City Council deems appropriate.
IV. BACKGROUND
City ordinances do not allow dogs on the grounds of city parks. To accommodate dog owners the Parks and Recreation Commission and Community Services staff has been working closely together to seek a location for a Dog Park in the City of Carson. The Commission is committed to securing this vital community asset for its residents and their dogs.
To address the issue the Commission created an ad-hoc Dog Park committee. Members of the committee include commissioners: Walter Gonzalez, Kim Cortado, Devin Brown, and Michael Ealey.
Initial meetings began with discussions on possible locations and available properties that potentially could be used to construct the dog park. The discussions also included funding alternatives, conceptual designs, amenities, community needs, and overall impact on the community.
The committee was presented with a potential site located at 17505 Main Street. The location is between Albertoni St. and the Artesia (91) Freeway in the City of Carson. The site, rectangular in shape, includes approximately 0.65 acre of land and is approximately 69 feet wide by 840 feet long. The property is currently owned by the City of Carson Successor Agency as it was previously owned by the Carson Redevelopment Agency. The State dissolved all redevelopment agencies in 2011 and empowered Successor Agencies to dispose of property. The State’s dissolution statutes allows the transfer of former Agency owned properties at no cost to the City if used for a public purpose, like parks and open space.
Staff is currently completing a series of required actions on the site, including reviewing prior environmental reports, which had concluded that the soil is impacted by elevated levels of "total petroleum hydrocarbons" (TPHs) and lead concentrations requiring remediation (Exhibit A). Staff is working with a consultant in order to determine the cost of remediation has yet to be determined. The remediation will be the responsibility of the Successor Agency prior to transferring ownership to the City.
The park design concept will be reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Commission and forwarded to the Council for approval. Once the park design concept is approved, the staff will proceed with the construction design, plans and specifications. Staff is working to identify to identify funding sources, including grants and park impact fees for construction of the project. The project is currently a part of the City’s Capital Improvement Plan.
V. FISCAL IMPACT
Staff will return with a detail budget estimate with the design concept plan.
VI. EXHIBITS
1. Remedial Action Plan Soils Report (Pgs. 3-27)
2. Aerial Photo of Location (Pg. 28)
Prepared by: Ralph Aranda, Interim Community Services Director