Report to Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, January 26, 2021
Discussion
SUBJECT:
Title
CONSIDER APPROVING ALTERNATIVE PLANS FOR THE CARRIAGE CREST PARK IMPROVEMENT PROJECT AND PROVIDE DIRECTION ON ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO SUPPLEMENT THE ANTICIPATED PROP 68 GRANT AWARD FOR THE PROJECT (CITY COUNCIL)
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I. SUMMARY
Staff is working with consultants to move into the writing phase of the State Prop 68 Grant applications for the Carriage Crest Park and Foisia Park improvement projects. On November 4, 2020, City Council adopted Resolution No. 20-160 approving the submission of Prop 68 applications for both parks, based upon these projects having the strongest likelihood of competing well in this extremely competitive grant process. It should be noted that staff also plans to complete, in the upcoming fiscal year, a comprehensive Parks Master Plan study identifying additional park improvement needs for all facilities within the City’s parks system.
The maximum grant award allowed from the State Department of Parks and Recreation Office of Grants and Local Services (OGALS) under this program is $8.5 Million per project. In addition to placing an emphasis on community input, other factors considered in the grant scoring is the addition of park land and park amenities for the community. Grants will be considered by the State and awarded in the Summer of 2021.
A community engagement and outreach program has been completed for both projects. Based upon the size of the park and the amenities being requested by the community, the cost for the proposed project for Foisia Park is within the $8.5 Million per project limit. However, in the case of the Carriage Crest project, the challenge the City faces is that to fully renovate existing Carriage Crest Park and create new construction on all 10 acres that we have leased for 30 years, the project cost will exceed the $8.5 Million maximum potential grant award. To capture the opportunity to expand the park’s footprint onto some or all of the adjacent vacant Sanitation District property, several concept plans have been prepared ranging from $8.5 Million to $14.6 Million. To the extent that the selected concept costs exceed the $8.5 Million maximum project award, funding from another source would need to be identified.
Staff has developed the following 4 concept plans for consideration, which includes one plan that is under the $8.5 Million and 3 that exceed the maximum grant. In addition, using the 4 basic plans, we have provided an alternative for the layout of certain community amenities.
Concept #1 - ($8.3 Million) - This concept renovates existing facilities and adds a new dog park (southwest corner) to the existing Carriage Crest Park and improves 5 additional acres of parkland. This additional 5 acres accommodates the relocation of a fully built out baseball field and provides room for an unofficial baseball playing field. This concept stays within the parameters of the grant and requires no additional funding.
Concept #2 - ($10.3 Million) - This concept accomplishes everything that Concept #1 does with the additional improvements to an additional 5 acres of new park thus utilizing all 10 acres leased from the LA County Sanitation District. The additional 5 acres over and above Concept #1 will be improved with sod, which will allow more space for unofficial soccer fields and will expand the walking path. This plan would require the City to commit to funding $1.8 Million if the grant application is successful. In this concept, the dog park remains on the southwest corner of the park.
Concept #3a - ($11.4 Million) - This concept accomplishes everything in Concept #2 (including a dog park on the southwest corner) with the addition of a fully built out second baseball field. This plan would require the City to commit to funding $2.9 Million if the grant application is successful ($1.1 Million more than Concept #2).
Concept #3b - ($11.4 Million) - This concept accomplishes everything in Concept #3a. However, it relocates the dog park to the southeast corner of the park, includes an additional small parking lot on the east and reconfigures the second smaller ballfield on the southwest corner. This plan would require the City to commit to funding $2.9 Million if the grant application is successful ($1.1 Million more than Concept #2).
Concept #4a - ($14.6 Million) - This concept accomplishes everything in Concept #3a with several major additions. A third baseball field is added, the two soccer fields are fully developed, a new restroom and concession facility is added, ball courts are relocated, an exercise area is added, the dog park is enlarged and the parking lot is expanded. This is the option that includes the most community amenities and is the most expensive. This plan would require the City to commit to funding $6.1 Million if the grant application is successful ($3.2 Million more than Concept #3).
Concept #4b - ($14.4 Million) - This concept accomplishes everything in Concept #4a with several major additions. However, it relocates the dog park to the southeast corner of the park, includes an additional small parking lot on the east, and reconfigures the second smaller ballfield on the southwest corner. This plan would require the City to commit to funding $5.8 Million if the grant application is successful ($3 Million more than Concept #3a).
It should be noted that all concepts can be configured with the dog park and smaller parking lot on the east side of the park with minor cost variance, if desired by City Council. Also important to note is that each concept attempts to retain as many hardscaped amenities in the City owned property should the Sanitation District choose not to extend the 30-year lease beyond the year 2050. Even with these layout adjustments, the concept plans that place the dog park on the east side ultimately result in a small portion of the hardscaped west side amenities extending onto the leased property. If the Sanitation District chooses not to extend the lease in the future, staff recommends that the City purchase the strip of property that includes theses hardscaped improvements (sidewalk, fencing, backstop, dugout, etc.).
Other considerations:
Competitiveness: All of the concepts presented rely on the City successfully securing the maximum Prop 68 grant. This grant is very competitive. Increased community amenities and increased park acreage will add to the grant applications competitiveness.
Funding: Internal funding options include the General Fund, Developer Impact Fees (DIF), Quimby Fee deposits, and Reserves to offset any commitments over the grant funding.
Timing: The State is expected to make decisions regarding grant awards in late summer of 2021. If awarded, grant documents would be executed, final design would be completed and construction would be completed. It is estimated that the bulk of the construction activities would occur in FY 2021/22 and FY 2022/23, which are the years that any City funding would need to be made available.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
TAKE the following action:
1. AUTHORIZE one of the concept plans presented for Carriage Crest Park for the Prop 68 Grant application.
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III. ALTERNATIVES
TAKE another action the City Council deems appropriate.
IV. BACKGROUND
In 2018, California voters passed Proposition 68 (Parks and Water Bond Act of 2018), which established a Statewide Program to issue bonds for, among other types of projects, new and improved parks statewide. Though a portion of this money was distributed on a per capita basis to jurisdictions in California, the majority is being distributed through a competitive grant process. The application for this round of grant funding is due March 12, 2021.
On October 6, 2020, City Council approved a lease agreement with Los Angeles County Sanitation District to secure 10 acres of property for a period of 30 years adjacent to Carriage Crest Park.
Also on October 6, 2020, the City Council approved a contract with Interwest Consulting Group to conduct community outreach, grant writing and design services to prepare grant application for the renovation of Foisia Park and an expansion of Carriage Crest Park that would utilize the new property.
From October to December 2020, virtual and in-person outreach events were held to solicit input from community members to help identify and design elements of both parks. According to the rules established by the State Department of Parks and Recreation OGALS, the community design element is a critical element for an application to be competitive. The community response was robust, and staff compiled a very comprehensive list of amenities for both Foisia and Carriage Crest Parks.
As a result of the community meetings, various plans were considered that incorporated the elements of the grant requirements as well as the list of amenities. Based upon the size of the park and the amenities being requested by the community, the cost for the proposed project for Foisia Park is within the $8.5 Million per project limit. Using feedback provided by the community, staff is able to complete the grant process for this park.
In the case of the Carriage Crest Park project, to fully renovate the existing parkland and create new construction on all 10 acres leased from the Sanitation District, the project cost will exceed the $8.5 Million maximum potential grant award. Staff worked with landscape architects to narrow the designs for Carriage Crest Park down to the concept plans provided as part of this report for City Council consideration. Once a preferred plan is selected for Carriage Crest, staff will complete the grant process.
V. FISCAL IMPACT
Each of the concept plans assumes the maximum grant award of $8.5 Million. The resulting fiscal impact to City funds would be as follows:
|
Plan # |
Total Cost |
City Funds Needed |
|
Concept 1 |
$8,266,094 |
$0 |
|
Concept 2 |
$10,262,924 |
$1,762,924 |
|
Concept 3a |
$11,345,865 |
$2,845,865 |
|
Concept 3b |
$11,399,462 |
$2,899,462 |
|
Concept 4a |
$14,617,024 |
$6,117,024 |
|
Concept 4b |
$14,329,790 |
$5,829,790 |
The City funds would be budgeted over the period of FY 2021/22 and FY 2022/23. Depending on City Council direction, funding could be any combination of sources which may include DIF funds, Quimby Fees, General Funds and/or Reserves.
VI. EXHIBITS
1. Carriage Crest Park Concept #1 (Page 6)
2. Carriage Crest Park Concept #2 (Page 7)
3. Carriage Crest Park Concept #3a (Page 8)
4. Carriage Crest Park Concept #3b (Page 9)
5. Carriage Crest Park Concept #4a (Page 10)
6. Carriage Crest Park Concept #4b (Page 11)
7. Foisia Park Concept (Page 12)
Prepared by: Robert Lennox, Community Services Director