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SR-303-011 CCS:f:\ccsadmn\share\staffrep\VAPConceptDesign City Council Meeting Santa Monica, California January 25, 2000 TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: City Staff SUBJECT: Recommendation to Approve the Recommended Concept Design for the Virginia Avenue Park Expansion Project and Direct Staff to Initiate Next Steps including Preparation of Environmental Impact Report/Supplemental Environmental Assessment, and Design Development Drawings INTRODUCTION This report provides information about the planning process used to develop the concept design for the Virginia Avenue Park Expansion Project and requests City Council approval of the recommended concept design as detailed in Attachment A, Virginia Avenue Park Expansion A Recommended Concept Design Report. The report further seeks authorization to initiate next @ steps in the planning process including the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report in accordance with CEQA and a Supplemental Environmental Assessment in accordance with NEPA, and the preparation of design development drawings and additional cost estimates. BACKGROUND The Virginia Avenue Park expansion project encompasses the existing 5.82 acre park site as well as the 2.9 acre parcel at thenorthwest corner of Pico and Cloverfield Boulevards and the 0.8 acre parcel adjacent to the western edge of the existing Park. In November, 1997, the City Council awarded a contract to a team of design professionals headed by Pasadena-based Takata Associates for the project. In February, 1998, an extensive bilingual community process including a series of park user and neighborhood surveys, 4 community-wide events and focus group interviews was begun to formulate recommendations for the project which at the time included the 1 existing park site and the 2.9 acre expansion site. Subsequent to developing an initial concept plan and obtaining the Virginia Avenue Park Advisory Boards (VAPAB) formal recommendations = on February 1, 1999 (Attachment B), the City Council approved the purchase of the additional 0.8 acre site. On February 18, 1999, the Recreation and Parks Commission provided formal recommendations on the initial concept plan (Attachment C). Recognizing the need to integrate the 0.8 acre site into the overall park expansion plan, the Commission also established the Virginia Avenue Park Expansion Working Group (WG). This nine-member WG, comprised of three Recreation and Parks Commissioners (Frank Schwengel, Lupe Castro, Susan Cloke), three VAPAB members (Ed Bell, Peter Tigler, Tara Zaccagnino), a Planning Commissioner (Ken Breisch) and two youth representatives (Cindy Cruz, Brent Younger), was asked to lead the community process for incorporating the 0.8 acre site into the project and develop a final recommended concept plan. Working closely with City staff and the consultant team, this group held six broadly noticed public meetings between June and October, 1999 to formulate its recommendations. DISCUSSION Concept Design The park expansion concept design, as more fully described in Attachment A, has been informed by the preferences expressed by community members during the public participation process. The expansion sites are integrated into the design in a seamless way emphasizing Virginia Avenue Parks role as a neighborhood park. Green space comprises 72% of the total site and is = comprised of different landscaped areas including enhancement of the existing landscaped area along the Virginia Avenue Park frontage(Virginia Avenue Green), development of a large green at 2 the eastern end of the Park(Green Oval), extension of the landscaping towards Pico Boulevard to the south of the Terry Center (Pavilion Lawn) and creation of landscaped courtyards between the community buildings proposed for the western end of the Park (Central Garden). Renovation of the Thelma Terry Center to improve interior and exterior connections and enhance its current lobby and activity spaces is proposed. The PAL Fitness Gym building is proposed to = be converted to a shaded open-air pavilion by removing the walls and retaining the post and beam structural system. Portions of each of the existing buildings on the 0.8 acre expansion site are proposed to be renovated. This will result in a total of approximately 14,600 square feet for Park program activities including the new PAL fitness gym, a youth center for older youth, community/meeting space, separate facilities for the employment and youth and family program activities that currently share space in the Thelma Terry Center, park staff offices including area for the police substation and storage and maintenance facilities . The concept design continues to accommodate the weekly Farmers Market on-site utilizing the Pavilion and lawn area. On-site = parking, both permanent (115 spaces) and temporary (80 spaces), will be provided to support the proposed uses. Basketball, handball and sand volleyball courts are provided, as well as two childrens play areas = one for toddlers and an adjacent area for older children with seating under a shade arbor in C between. An interactive water play feature and a 1400 square foot permanent recreational pool from 0-3 1/2 feet in depth for warm weather use are proposed. Both of these areas will become useable plaza space during the non-summer months. The pool design will accommodate temporary fencing and a permanent cover. New outdoor restrooms and an activity kiosk are proposed to be centrally located adjacent to the pool and basketball courts. An outdoor 3 environmental classroom area is incorporated into the plan. Proposed public art integration will reflect historical and cultural themes with an emphasis on landscape art forms at the park entrances including the Pico/Cloverfield corner and built art forms such as murals, terrazzo and A@ relief sculpture in and around the buildings and parking lots. Working Group Recommendations In making its recommendations, the WG gave careful consideration to the following issues. Incorporation of a swimming pool: The issue that possibly engendered the most discussion throughout the WG process was the incorporation of a small pool into the project. Community members indicated that they would like to be able to bring their young children to a small pool in their neighborhood for recreational purposes. They also indicated a strong desire to be able to personally supervise their children as they play in the pool, supplementing the required City lifeguard staffing. In response to the communitys request and to address cost and operational = issues, the WG considered the incorporation of a temporary seasonal pool. Following receipt of information from the consultant team and City staff, the WG determined that given its above grade design, size limitations and overall configuration which lends itself to swim instruction, a temporary pool would not best serve the needs of the community. Therefore, the majority of the WG members recommended that a permanent recreational pool, as described earlier in this report, be incorporated into the project. In making this recommendation, the WG indicated that placing a small pool within the park would serve the recreational swimming needs of young children in the neighborhood, while youth would still use the Municipal Pool for both lessons and recreational swimming. There was discussion about priorities and funding for a pool at this site given the parks close proximity to the new Municipal Pool location, combined with the Citys conceptual == 4 plans to renovate the pool at 415 PCH (former Sand and Sea Club) and the School Districts plans = to renovate and reopen Lincoln Pool. The WG recommended that targeted outreach efforts be implemented at the new Municipal Pool for the Virginia Avenue Park neighborhood including providing transportation and adult supervision, as well as refining the registration process to make it more accessible. The WGs recommendation is consistent with the Park and Recreation = Master Plan which calls for the development of a recreational pool in a park setting. Green space: The WG agreed that shade trees and overall green space should be maximized in the expansion plan including providing landscaping in the parking lots. Relationship of elements to each other: The WG agreed that as the plan is further developed, particular attention should be paid to ensure that individual park elements depicted on the site plan are sized in relative proportion to each other. In making this recommendation, the WG referred to the sizes of the two childrens play areas as depicted on the concept plan as an example where = this principle should be carefully applied. Public art integration: The WG recommended that landscape be used as an art form at the entrances to the park including the Pico/Cloverfield corner to make a strong and meaningful identity for the park and the surrounding neighborhood. They suggested that art mediums such as murals, terrazzo and relief sculpture be concentrated in and around the buildings and at the parking lots. Farmers Market Issues: The continued use of the site for the weekly Pico Farmers Market was discussed over several WG meetings. Concerns were expressed regarding parking and 5 circulation impacts into the surrounding neighborhood from Farmers Market patrons, wear and tear on the site from the Farmers Market use and whether there might be other more appropriate locations for the use in the community. The WG recommended that parking for the Farmers Market patrons be limited to the spaces along the Pico Boulevard frontage and to reserve the spaces accessed from Virginia Avenue for park and program patrons; that vehicular speeds in the parking lots be safe for children and other pedestrians in the neighborhood and that the circulation pattern not put pressure on parking spaces around the park perimeter. Parking impacts will be analyzed in the environmental impact report. Additionally, the WG determined that these concerns are management issues that should be examined as part of the Conditional Use Permit for the Farmers Market. Courts: Members of the community recommended that tennis courts and paddle tennis courts be incorporated into the project. In response to this request, the consultant team identified possible locations for consideration by the WG. The WG recommended that no tennis or paddle tennis courts be included in the expansion plan because of the desire to maintain as much open green space as possible and because of the existing number of tennis courts in the City. The WG recommended that City staff explore ways to improve access to the existing courts in the community for Virginia Avenue Park community members who are interested in tennis. In response to the WGs concern about neighborhood noise intrusion related to the proposed = handball courts, they have been shifted towards the Pico Boulevard frontage in the courtyard between Buildings A and B. Additionally they will be buffered from the residential neighbors to the north with landscaping and a screen wall. Role of youth in project: The WG expressed the importance of having youth involved in the 6 process as the project moves forward. A suggestion was made to continue to involve the two youth members of the WG through completion of the project and supplement this with additional youth of the community to work with the design team to actually design the proposed youth center and the public art components of the project. Location of uses: As outlined in their adopted vision statement (p.9, Attachment A), the WG expressed a strong preference that noisy/active park uses be buffered from the adjacent residential properties. Park use: The WG directed that the design treatment be built upon the living room concept A@ allowing for multiple activities by varying age groups to occur in areas of the park at different times of the day. Sustainability goals: The WG recommended that the expansion project use environmentally friendly materials and features that promote water conservation, recycling and reuse, and that can be efficiently maintained and effectively operated. Funding and construction phasing: As outlined in their adopted vision statement, the WG recommended that needs for ongoing park operations and maintenance must be factored into the design to ensure the long-term viability of park facilities and programs. They also recommended that a construction phasing plan be implemented to allow for areas of the existing park to remain open during construction, while proceeding diligently to complete the park expansion by January 2002. 7 VAPAB Recommendations Supplementing its earlier review of the parks expansion plans prior to the .08 acre land purchase, = on December 6, 1999 the VAPAB reviewed and took action on the recommended final concept plan. The Board unanimously adopted a motion recommending approval of the recommended concept plan as proposed, incorporating all of the Boards comments and with a strong = recommendation that the City Council fully fund the capital costs, staffing and maintenance costs for the project. The Boards comments which were incorporated into their adopted motion are = summarized below and detailed in Attachment D. Farmers Market: Board members expressed that the traffic and circulation issue associated with the Farmers Market use on the site cannot be fully evaluated until the use is operational. = Therefore members recommended that the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for the Farmers Market = include provisions for review every 6 months for the first 3 years, followed by an annual review. They also recommended that mechanisms be built into the CUP, to guarantee that the Farmers = Market is held responsible for the repair of any physical damage to the park caused by its operation. Parking: Board members expressed a need to implement management controls to insure that the proposed parking along the Pico Boulevard frontage is available for park patrons and not used by non-park users, such as students from Santa Monica College. Board members also expressed the need to address maintenance requirements for the proposed temporary grass parking area for the Farmers Market and other events to insure that automotive fluid impacts can be mitigated. They = also expressed similar concerns regarding use of the basketball court for temporary parking. 8 Swimming Pool: Concerns were expressed regarding the staffing, maintenance, chlorination and liability issues associated with incorporating a pool into the project. Design Refinement: Board members recommended that the community and the VAPAB continue to participate in the decision making process for all components of the project, including the integration of public art, as the design of the project moves forward. Board members also indicated that youth involvement should continue to be emphasized. Public Art: Board members expressed that public art integration should be reflective of the history, culture and ethnicity of the community and that local youth should be involved in the development of the public art. Funding: Board members emphasized the need to identify and provide the appropriate levels of funding to build the project and operate and maintain the park and its facilities in a first class manner over the long term. Planning Commission Recommendations The recommended concept plan was presented to the Planning Commission on December 15, 1999. The Commissioners expressed their support of the plan as proposed and indicated that they felt the strength of the plan is the flexibility of the different spaces in the park as designed. In response to concerns expressed by both the Working Group and the VAPAB regarding the Farmers Market use on the site, the Commissioners expressed support for developing a = mechanism to periodically review the Farmers Market operation to address any operational issues = that arise. The Commissioners also recommended to continue to carefully consider the relationship 9 between the amount of green space and hardscape as the project design moves forward. Recreation and Parks Commission Recommendations On December 16, 1999, the Recreation and Parks Commission formally reviewed the concept plan. The Commission unanimously adopted a motion recommending that the City Council approve the concept plan as proposed for the expansion of Virginia Avenue Park. They also adopted a motion recommending to the City Council that the project be fully funded in terms of both capital and operation and maintenance costs. The Commission also unanimously adopted a motion recommending that the approvals for the Farmers Market use on the site, build-in enough flexibility = to enable the use to be modified should it become necessary. Next Steps To implement the recommended concept plan, there are a number of activities that will need to be undertaken. Staff will initiate preparation of an Environmental Impact Report/Supplemental Environmental Assessment with Culbertson, Adams and Associates an environmental firm that was selected by the City Council in July, 1999 to prepare environmental documents for the Virginia Avenue Park Expansion project and the Airport Park project. Working with the design consultant team and the community, staff will concurrently proceed with the development of more detailed plans including design development drawings, additional cost estimates and ultimately construction documents. Staff will return to Boards and Commissions and City Council for review of design development drawings and estimated project costs prior to proceeding with construction documents and bidding for the project. 10 BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT The consultant team prepared a preliminary cost estimate based upon the concept design. The total capital cost for the recommended concept design including hard construction costs, furniture, fixtures and equipment, soft costs such as design, environmental review, permits, construction management, escalation and contingencies is estimated at $7,823,083. Projected annual operation and maintenance costs for the entire project once completed is $1,700,000. This represents roughly a doubling of existing park operation and maintenance costs commensurate with the doubling of park acreage and community center square footage. No budget action is required at this time. Funds in the amount of $63,820 have been budgeted for the preparation of the Environmental Impact Report/Supplemental Environmental Assessment, and funds in the amount of $440,000 have been budgeted for the Takata Associates contract to proceed with design work. According to the projected time line for the project, construction funding would be needed in FY2001-02 and will be submitted as part of the Citys three year Capital = Improvement Program Budget. It is anticipated that funding will be available for this project from CDBG and revenue funds that are eligible and earmarked for park development. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the City Council approve the recommended concept plan for the Virginia Avenue Park Expansion project and direct staff to initiate the next steps including preparation of an Environmental Impact Report/Supplemental Environmental Assessment, and design development drawings. 11 Prepared by: Barbara Stinchfield, Director Karen Ginsberg, Assistant Director Brett Horner, Senior Administrative Analyst Attachment: A. Virginia Avenue Park Expansion Recommended Concept Design Report B. Virginia Avenue Park Advisory Board Recommendations, February 1, 1999 C. Recreation and Parks Commission Meeting Minutes, February 18, 1999 D. Comments from the Virginia Avenue Park Advisory Board Meeting, December 6, 1999 12