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SR-9-A (12) CCS PCD RM BJS F \CCSADMN\SHARE'STAFFREP\CC2 aSE City Council Meeting July 1, 1997 9A JUl 0 11997 Santa MOnica, California TO Mayor and City Council FROM CIty Staff SUBJECT Recommendation to Approve In Concept the Draft Open Space Element, Draft Parks and Recreation Master Plan, and Airport Non-Aviation Land Use FeaSibility Study and to Direct City Staff to Proceed WIth the Required Environmental Review for the Open Space Element and Parks and Recreation Master Plan INTRODUCTION This report requests conceptual approval of the Draft Open Space Element, the Draft Parks and Recreation Master Plan and the Airport Non-AViation Land Use FeaSIbility Study, including the recommended changes as specified In thiS staff report and Its attachments, and recommends that the City staff proceed With the reqUired environmental review of the Element and the Master Plan Conceptual approval Will proVIde formal direction to City staff to work closely With other public entities and community organizations to refine these concepts and to conduct the necessary environmental review for final approval In December of 1997 BACKGROUND On June 10, 1997, the City Council held a public hearing on the above referenced documents With over 100 mdlvlduals proViding public comment Prior to the hearing, 1 JUl 0 1 1997 9A I Council members received the attached staff report (Attachment A) that provided background on the planning process to date, Identified key themes and obJectives, and transmitted recommended changes to the documents from City Commissions and City staff (see Attachment A-2) Upon completion of the public heanng, the City Council requested that Council action be rescheduled from June 24, 1997 to allow for additional review time by Council members DISCUSSION Public comments on the draft documents have focused on the follOWing areas Off-leash Dog Areas The public debate regarding the siting of off-leash dog areas presents a particular challenge Public testimony focused on the positive public benefits for dogs and dog owners as well as the negative Impacts on reSIdents adjacent to off-leash areas The Draft Parks and Recreation Master Plan, With the additional recommended changes In Attachment A-2, proposes a multi-pronged approach o Creation of a 1 4 acre off-leash dog area on non-aviation land at the Santa MOnica AIrport o Retention of the off-leash area at PaCific Street Park until the area at the Airport IS available for community use o Retention of the off-leash area at Joslyn Park pending conduct of a park master planning process to determine ItS long-term uses o Siting of any new off-leash dog areas In non-residential areas o Development of regulations governing eXisting and new off-leash areas that are senSitIve to the needs of adjacent neighbors Including the hours of operation and 2 number of dogs allowed per human park user o The development of Innovative solutrons to worn turf areas o Enhanced site mOnltonng and enforcement of off-leash areas, funded In part by user fees Staff Recommendation The above strategies are recommended for inclusion In the Master Plan In addition, staff recommends that an evaluation of the effectiveness of the neighborhood mitigation measures described above occur SIX months follOWing their Implementation Camous Promenade Since the public hearing, a number of commUnications have been received by City Council members and staff regarding the concept of creating a <'Campus Promenade" In the Sunset Park area The draft documents propose the creative use of public lands In Sunset Park to address the defiCiency of parks In the neighborhood -- one of the few areas In the City where many reSidents must walk over 1/2 mile to the nearest park The proposed concept Includes the enhancement of the grassy lawn area at John Adams Middle School In Phase I of the Master Plan and the pOSSible narrowing of Pearl Street between 16th and 17th Streets to prOVide for a more pedestnan-onented environment at times when vehicular access IS not required ThiS concept was proposed for further study In Phase II of the Master Plan (a five-year period beginning In Fiscal Year 2002-3) In recognition that a collaborative planning effort involVing Interested parties would be needed to further assess thiS proposal The draft Master Plan refers to the process on page 25 as follows 3 "This action would be contingent on the Identification of additional parking to serve college needs and collaborative planning between the City, School Dlstnct, College and neIghborhood residents" Staff Recommendation Add language to the draft documents to c1anfy that the concept of narrowing Pearl Street would undergo a separate feasibility analYSIS that Included the assessment of traffic, parking and other Impacts on the neighborhood MTA Rlaht-Of-Wav The Draft Open Space Element Policy 43 recognizes the potentIal of the MTA COrridor to became an Important linear open space element Within the CIty. Without compromising potential transit use It proposes a dedicated bicycle lane and continuous landscaping that designates It as an Important open space The Draft Master Plan further refines this concept and proposes to "develop a recreational pathway along the MTA cOrridor" This strategy recommends Improvements which make recreational activities possible Without dIminishing the future potential of the COrridor for transit The Viability of these uses were reViewed Informally With MT A staff They noted that the development of a regIonal bikeway system for transportation purposes IS consistent With the goals of the MT A, however broader recreational uses would Jeopardize the MTA and City'S ability to use the nght-of- way In the future for a transit project They also requested that reference to MTA's goal of generating revenue from other temporary uses be Included Staff Recommendation The draft documents clearly acknowledge the need to ensure that the nght-of-way be available for future transit uses Given MTA's concern about broader recreational uses at this time, staff recommends that the Master Plan strategy be changed 4 to read >'Develop a Bikeway along the MT A Corndor and Explore the FeasIbility of a MultI- Use Recreational Pathway that Does Not Diminish the Future Potential of the COrridor for Transit" Staff does not recommend that the Master Plan Include reference to the MTA's goal of revenue generation from the nght-of-way as this IS outside the scope of a parks and recreation strategy document AlrDort Non-AViation Land Studv ReSIdents irving near the Airport and users of the Airport expressed concerns regarding the development of recreational faCIlities at the Airport and the pOSSible Impact of future Airport development Several of the comments focused on the relocation of facllrtles located In the northwest corner of the Airport and the expansion of Clover Park Staff Recommendation See Attachment A-2 for staff recommendations Phasmg and Funding Public Input from reSidents and the Santa MOnica Youth Athletic FoundatIon requested accelerated fundmg for a range a proposed projects Including ImplementatIon of the school/park concept and recreational uses on non-aviation lands at the Santa MOnica Airport (Plannmg proposed for Year 2), and Initiation of the Memorial Park Master Planning process (proposed In Years 3-4) As Indicated In Attachment A-3 and A-4 of thIS report, the total cost of Master Plan Implementation over 20 years IS approximately S 142 5 million Net capital costs (after deducting proJects With Identified funding sources or other funding strategies) are estimated to be between $70 and 80 million, necessitating a bond measure 5 of approximately $15 million to fully Implement the 20-year program Prior fiscal year appropnatlons, the City's FY 1997-98 Operating Budget and the Three Year Capital Improvement Program, adopted by the City Council on June 24, 1997, proVide for $41 8 million to support speCific projects over the next three years Priority was first given to park Improvement or expansIon projects that can readily be Implemented and for which funds are available, given that several Important park Improvement proJects were delayed due to the 18-month long-range planning effort Other proposed master planning projects were then phased beginning m Year 2, allOWing additional time to refine the proposed funding strategies for these prolects An additIonal $59 million was set-aside to address parkland acqUisition and development for a total commitment to date of $477 million Staff Recommendation The schedule of projects should not be altered due to funding conSideratIons and the number of major projects In progress BUDGET AND FINANCIAL IMPACTS The City's FY 1997-98 Budget, adopted on June 24, 1997, Includes all necessary appropriations to Implement prog ram priorities of the Master Plan for the coming year The approved Capital Improvements Program mcludes all necessary appropriations for those capital projects priOritized for Implementation In the first three years of Implementation No addItIonal appropnatlons are reqUIred 6 _~_ __lIIIo...__ STAFF RECOMMENDA liON City staff recommends that the City Council approve In concept the Draft Open Space Element, Draft Parks and Recreation Master Plan, and Airport Non-Aviation Land Use Feasibility Study With the additional staff recommendations. and direct staff to proceed WIth the required environmental review for the Open Space Element and Parks and Recreation Master Plan Prepared by Barbara Stinchfield, Actmg DIrector Brett Horner, Senior Admlmstratlve Analyst Department of Community and Cultural Services Suzanne Frick, Director Karen Gmsberg, Planning Manager Department of Planning and Community Development Jeff Mathieu. Director Bob Tnmborn, Airport Manager Department of Resource Management Attachment Staff Report - June 10, 1997 7 --