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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-11-08 City Council (7)City of Palo Alto C ty Manager’s Report TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DATE: SUBJECT: NOVEMBER 8, 2004 CMR: 469:04 ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION OF INTENTION SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING ON A PROPOSED EXCHANGE BETWEEN THE CITY OF PALO ALTO AND THE PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OF MINOR PORTIONS OF LAND TO ADJUST THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN WALTER HAYS SCHOOL AND RINCONADA PARK RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the City Council approve the attached Resolution ’of Intention to set a public hearing for December 13, 2004 on a proposed land exchange with the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) in which the City would convey a minor portion of Rinconada Park for an equal portion of Walter Hays School property. Holding a properly noticed hearing is the first required step in the land exchange process. BACKGROUND At its meeting on July 12; 2004, .Council approved a motion to direct.staff to return with an ordinance to provide a land exchange with PAUSD. " DISCUSSION The Charter of the City of Palo Alto, incorporating Government Code section 38441, allows the City Council to. convey "a minor portion of such [dedicated] park in exchange for an equal or greater area or value of privately owned land contiguous to the park" after providing notice and hearing, determining that the exchange is in the public interest, and adopting a resolution. The attached resolution establishes the notice requirements and sets a public hearing on the exchange between the City and the School District for December 13, 2004. Ch/iR:469:04 Page 1 of 2 RESOURCE IMPACT Notice and public hearing are required to complete the land exchange. The exchange itself will not impact current park costs or uses because it involves areas of land equal in size and value. POLICY IMPLICATIONS The City is required to provide notice and a public hearing before approving a land exchange involving a minor portion of dedicated park property. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The proposed ordinance and property exchange are categorically exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under CEQA Guidelines section 15305; therefore, no environmental assessment is necessary. ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: Resolution of Intention Attachment B: July 12, 2004 Council Minutes Attachment C: Site map showing proposed areas to be exchanged PREPARED BY: WILLIAM W. FELLMAN Manager, Real Property DEPARTMENT HEAD APPROVAL: CARL YEATS / Director/Administ4ative Services CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: ,Y HARRISON Assistant City Manager CMR:469:04 Page 2 of 2 ATTACHMENT A NOT YET APPROVED RESOLUTION NO. RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO SETTING A TIME AND PLACE FOR A PUBLIC HEARING ON A PROPOSED EXCHANGE OF LAND BETWEEN THE CITY OF PALO ALTO AND THE PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT ADJUSTING THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN WALTER HAYS SCHOOL AND RINCONADA PARK,A DEDICATED PUBLIC PARK,WITHOUT INCREASING OR DECREASING THE AREA OF EITHER PROPERTY WHEREAS, in 1996 and 1997 the Palo Alto Unified School District ("the District") inadvertently encroached upon a portion of Rinconada Park, a dedicated public park located at. 799 Embarcadero Road, when placing fencing and classrooms for kindergarten and daycare programs at the adjacent Walter Hays School; and WHEREAS, the encroachment is minor and does not interfere with the use of the park, while the cost of relocating the encroaching structures is great; and WHEREAS, the boundary between the school and the park can be adjusted so that the District and City each receive land of equivalent area and value and the area of encroaohment becomes the property of the District, thereby ending the encroachment; and WHEREAS, Article VIII of the Charter of the City of Palo Alto incorporates by reference California Government Code Section 38441 authorizing a city council to convey "a minor portion of such [dedicated public] park in exchange for equal or greater area or value of privately owned land contiguous to the park" after notice and a public hearing; NOW, THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Palo Alto does RESOLVE as follows: SECTION i. The City Council hereby sets a public hearing on the proposed exchange of land on December 13, 2004 at 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as practicable, in the City Council Chambers at 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, California. SECTION 2. The 0.193-acre areas of land (8,405 square feet each) to be exchanged are shown in Exhibit A attached to this resolution and a part of it. The legal description of the land to be transferred to the District is set forth in Exhibit B attached to this resolution and a part of it; the legal 041102syn 0091524 1 NOT YET APPROVED description of the land to be transferred to the City and dedicated as part of Rinconada Park is set forth in Exhibit C attached to this resolution and a part of it. SECTION 3. The City Clerk shall cause this notice to be published twice in a daily newspaper published and circulated in the City, or if there is none, twice in a weekly or semiweekly newspaper so published and circulated. Publication shall be completed at least twenty days before the time set for the hearing. SECTION 4. The Director of Community Services shall cause at least three notices of the adoption of this resolution to be posted conspicuously not more than three hundred feet apart along the exterior boundaries of the area proposed to be exchanged. Notices shall be headed "Notice of proposed discontinuance of public park land," shall state the date of adoption of this resolution, and recite the facts herein. Posting shall be completed at least twenty days before the time set for hearing. SECTION 5. The proposed exchange of land is categorically exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") under CEQA Guidelines section 15305. INTRODUCED AND PASSED: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTENTIONS: ATTEST: City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: Mayor APPROVED: City Attorney City Manager Director of Administrative Services 041 I02 syn 0091524 2