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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-05-05 City Council (4)TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: COMMUNITY SERVICES DATE:MAY 5, 2003 CMR:217:03 SUBJECT:APPROVAL AND ADOPTION OF A PARK IMPROVEMENT ORDINANCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE LUCY EVANS BAYLANDS NATURE INTERPRETIVE CENTER PARKING LOT, IMPROVEMENT OF THE 2500 BLOCK OF EMBARCADERO (HARBOR) ROAD, AND UNDERGROUNDING OF UTILITIES IN THE 2500 BLOCK OF EMBARCADERO (HARBOR) ROAD IN BYXBEE PARK AND CITY-OWNED BAYLANDS RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that Council approve and adopt the attached Park Improvement Ordinance for Byxbee Park and the City-owned Baylands. The ordinance allows for the improvement of the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center parking lot, the improvement of Embarcadero Road between the entrance to the duck pond area and the Baylands Nature Center to accommodate on-road bicycle lanes, and the under-grounding of electric and telephone utilities along the 2500 block of Embarcadero Road, between near the entrance to the duck pond and the Baylands Nature Center. BACKGROUND Palo Alto Municipal Code 22.08.005 requires that, "Before any substantial building, construction, reconstruction or development is commenced or approved, upon or with respect to any land held by the city for park purposes, either by the city or by a lessee, licensee or permittee thereof, the council shall first cause to be prepared and by ordinance approve and adopt a plan therefor. The plan shall be prepared in such a manner and with suf~cient detail and particularity to show, as applicable, the nature, function, size, extent and general appearance of the proposed project. Any change in the plan shall be prepared in the same manner and adopted by ordinance." Such a "Park Amendment Ordinance" is required whenever any project may affect the use, protection or enjoyment of parks or open space lands. CMR:217:03 Page 1 of 4 BOARD AND COMMISSION REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS At it’s January 28, 2003 regular meeting, the Parks and Recreation Commission reviewed the proposed Park Amendment Ordinance and associated projects for consistency with park uses for recreation and conservation. The Commission received comments from the public on the proposed improvements and asked staff to respond. The Commission voted unanimously to: "Recommend to the City Council that a Park Amendment Ordinance should be approved for these project plans in that they enhance the recreational value of Byxbee Park and City-owned Baylands. Further. the City Council should encourage staff to keep improvements as natural as possible." A second motion was made and approved unanimously: "We encourage staff to consider the goal of preserving the natural setting of the Baylands and to aim for zero-runoff through the use ofbio- swales and through the choice of materials." DISCUSSION Lucy Evans Baytands Nature Interpretive Center Parking Lot The existing parking tot adjacent to the Baylands Nature Center (Attachment A) has settled since it was constructed in t967, and water pools along the entire length of the center of the parking lot. Run-offwater flows onto a decomposed granite path along the edge of the parking lot and then directly into the marsh. The proposed project would demolish the surface of the existing parking lot, add sufficient base rock to slope the surface of the parking lot towards the south, repave the lot in the same size and with the same material (asphalt), and would install new collecting gutters on the south side of the parking lot to collect run-offwater and divert it through bio-swales (areas planted with gasses that naturally filter contaminated run-offwater). The run- off water would pass through the bio-swale area on one edge of the parking lot before flowing into the lagoon. The number of parking spaces would remain at 46 spaces, including two handicap access spaces closest to the Nature Center. Staffhopes to construct this project during the summer of 2003. Embarcadero (Harbor) Road Widening to Accommodate Bicycle Lanes The Road that runs from the "T" junction of Embarcadero Road, past the Duck Pond and Baylands Ranger Station to the Baylands Nature Center, is referred to as both Embarcadero Road and Harbor Road (Attachments B 1 and B2). The section of this road between the "T" junction and a culvert bridge near the Nature Center varies in width from 24 feet to 32 feet. This project would make the road a uniform width of 28 feet to accommodate two lanes of traffic, with 4 foot wide bicycle lanes on both sides. Although there are on-road bike lanes from the "T" junction towards the Byxbee Park Hills and landfill, in the opposite direction there are no bike lanes. This project would also replace four speed bumps with five new speed humps designed to reduce speed. Five newly proposed crosswalks would enhance park visitor safety by designating safe places to cross the street between the Marsh Front Trail and the Duck Pond. In areas where the road is 32 feet wide, the excess asphalt would be demolished to narrow the road to the preferred width of 28 feet. The existing metal gate at the entrance to the harbor area of the Baylands (between the County airport termina! and the Sea Scout building) would be replaced with a new electric gate that would c!ose automatically at sunset. This project is slated to be constructed in summer 2004. CMR:217:03 Page 2 of 4 Embarcadero (Harbor’) Road Utility Under-~oundin~ In the same section of road from the Embarcadero Road "T" junction to the Baylands Nature Center described above, electric and telephone/cable utilities run above ground on nine wooden utility poles along the road and Marsh Front Trail (Attachment C). This project would underground these utilities and remove old wooden utility poles. The project would replace electric and data wires, and thereby geatly improve service to the Baylands Ranger Station and Nature Interpretive Center. The project would also remove obtrusive wires and poles that obscure views of the marshes and environs. This project is funded by the Electric CIP Fund as a community benefit project. This project is planned for construction in summer 2003. NEXT STEPS In addition to requiring a Park Amendment Ordinance from the City Council for these improvement projects, the projects must also have a "Site and Design" review by the City’s Architectural Review Board (ARB). The ARB reviews the project for conformance with City design standards and esthetical appropriateness for the area. Applications for Site and Desig-n review of the parking lot improvement and Harbor Road widening will be submitted to the Planning Department once a study of Baylands Design Guidelines are completed in June 2003. RESOURCE IMPACT $400,000 was approved in the FY 2002-2003 Electric Fund Capital Improvement Project for CIP 0209 - Baylands Undergounding. The City currently sets aside 1 percent of the Utilities revenue for undergrounding projects within the City. The proposed undergrounding project qualifies as an area of general public interest and benefit. The improvement of the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Intelpretive Center parking lot and Embarcadero (Harbor) Road in Byxbee Park has been funded by Capital Improvement Project 10003 - Baylands Parking Improvements. $140,000 has been recommended in the FY 2003-04 CIP budget for the Interpretive Center parking lot and $80,000 has been recommended in the FY2004-05 CIP budget for the improvement of Harbor Road. Although funding of these two projects will not be financed until the adoption of the 2003-2005 budget, staff recommends the review and approval of a Park Amendment Ordinance by Council before the projects are submitted for Site and Design review. The Site and Design review process is anticipated to take nine to twelve months to complete. That review must be completed before the fin!! plans can be submitted to regulatory agencies for required permits - a process that takes an additional six to nine months to complete. POLICY IMPLICATIONS Improvement and maintenance of City facilities and parking lots furthers Polic N-1 of the Comprehensive Plan by managing open space areas in a manner that meets habitat protection goals, public safety concerns, and low impact recreation needs. These improvements also further Policy C- 19 of the Comprehensive Plan by providing better access to persons with disabilities at public facilities. Improvement of Harbor Road to provide on-road bicycle paths furthers Policy T- 14 of the Comprehensive Plan by enhancing pedestrian and bicycle access to and between local destinations and open space. The undergrounding of utilities for public benefit is consistent with existing City policy including the 1991 Baylands Master Plan. CMR:217:03 Page 3 of 4 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The improvement of existing facilities, such as the Baylands Interpretive Center parking lot, is exempt as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The improvement to Harbor Road is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under Section 15301 (minor change to existing facilities) of the CEQA Guidelines. The undergounding of utilities is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under Section 15302 of the CEQA Guidelines. ATTACHMENTS 1: A: BI: B2: C: D: Park Amendment Ordinance Plans for Lucy Evans Baylands Interpretive Center Parking Lot Plans for widening Harbor Road to a uniform width of 28-feet Page 2 of plans for widening Harbor Road Plans for under-grounding electric/phone/data utilities along Harbor Road Adopted minutes from the January 28, 2003 Parks and Recreation Commission PREPARED BY: Greg Betts, Superintendent, Open Space and Science DEPARTMENT HEAD: PAUL THILTGEN Director, Community Services CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: EMILY HARRISON Assistant City Manager CMR:217:03 Page 4 of 4