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Home My WebLink About2000-01-18 City Council (13)City Manager’s Report TO: -HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: COMMUNITY SERVICES DATE:JANUARY 18, 2000 CMR: 107:00 SUBJECT:AMENDMENT TO SECTIONS 22.04.210 AND 22.04.290, AND ADDITION OF SECTION 22.04.215 OF THE PALO ALTO MUNICIPAL CODE (PARKS) RELATING TO THE PARKING OF VEHICLES IN PARKS DURING TIMES OF CLOSURE, DAMAGE TO CITY PROPERTY IN PARKS AND OPEN SPACE LANDS AND THE LAUNCH AND TAKEOUT OF BOATS AT DOCKS IN PARKS AND OPEN SPACE LANDS RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that Council adopt the attached ordinance amending Title 22 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC), which pertains to limiting the use and launching of motorized boats and watercraft in open space waterways, and to leaving cars or other vehicles parked in certain open space parks after the park is closed at sunset. BACKGROUND In November 1992, Council approved construction of a sailing station at the Baylands to replace the existing boat ramp and to provide launching ,facilities for small non-motorized watercraft. After lengthy discussion, Council agreed with the staff recommendation that the sailing station be designed "to accommodate small hand carried boats with shallow drafts such as lazers, sunfish, sailboards, canoes and rowing boats." Although the sailing station was built to accommodate these types of craft, ordinances pertaining to the use of City docks were not modified to restrict the use of larger boats. In addition to the sailing station at the Baylands, Open Space also maintains docks and access platforms for Boronda Lake at Foothills Park and Arastradero Lake at the Arastradero Preserve. These lakes are also limited by policy to the use of small non-motorized watercraft. Because there is not an ordinance that defines boat launching, there are currently no penalties for violation of this park rule. CMR: 107:00 Page 1 of 3 Section 22.04.290 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code makes it unlawful to remain in a building or structure after the designated operating hours 0fthe building or structure. The ordinance does not, however, restrict leaving a vehicle parked in a park parking lot at the Baylands or Arastradero Preserve after hours. Park gates at Arastradero, Baylands and Foothills Parks are closed manually at sunset. If the park ranger is unable to locate the owner of a parked vehicle at closing time, the practice is to leave the park gate open to allow the vehicle to leave. DISCUSSION - During the past three years, staffhas expe~enc~d numerous violations of the City policy by duck hunters who use the Baylands sailing station to launch large, motorized boats. The eight-foot wide wooden gangway that leads to the floating dock at the sailing station was designed and built for people hand carrying canoes, sail boards and small boats to the water side. A wooden bollard is set in the center of the gangway entrance to restrict large, motorized watercraft. During the past three years, the entrance bollard and handrails of the gangway have been severely damaged by people attempting to move motorized boats over or past the bollard and onto the dock. By amending the current ordinance section (PAMC 22.04.290) that restricts entering, marking, injuring or disturbing park or open space lands, staffwill be able to issue citations for violation of boat ~ ’ ~launching rules.° Persons wishing to launch large or motorized boats can use public boat launching facilities at the Redwood City and Alviso harbors. ~ There are fewer incidents of motorized boats trespassing at Boronda or Arastradero Lakes than at Baylands. The proposed amendment to the ordinance would allow p~ rangers to enforce present park policies through the issuance of citations, when necessary. Access to Foothills Park, the harbor area ofByxbee Baylands Preserve, the parking area at the Baylands Pastoral Park, and parking lot at the Arastradero Preserve are-restricted by metal gates that are manually locked by park rangers at sunset. Section 22.02.150 of the Palo Alto Municipal Ordinance makes leaving an unauthorized vehicle in Foothills Park after the closing time designated and posted for closing of the park a misdemeanor. Regulations for vehicles are not presently described for other open space parks. The proposed ordinance amendment would similarly restrict vehicles at Baylands and the Arastradero Preserve. RESOURCE IMPACT This amendment of the PAMC will not change the scope of typical duties or the number of park rangers or senior park rangers, and as such, will not have any resource impacts. POLICY IMPLICATIONS This recommendation is consistent with existing City policies. CMR: 107:00 Page 2 of 3 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW This program is not a project as defined by the Califomia Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and is not subject to CEQA requirements. ATTACHMENTS_ Ordinance PREPARED BY: Greg Betts, Superintendent, Open Space & Science DEPARTMEN~r HEAD REVI~ ~ PAUL THILTGEN Director, Community .Services CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: Assistant City Manager CMR: 107:00 Page 3 of 3 ORDINANCE NO.. ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO AMENDING SECTION 22.04.210 AND SECTION 22.04.290 AND ADDING SECTION 22.04.215 OF CHAPTER 22.04 OF TITLE 22 OF THE PALO ALTO MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO THE PARKING OF VEHICLES IN PARKS DURING TIMES OF CLOSURE, DAMAGE TO CITY PROPERTY IN PARKS AND OPEN SPACE LANDS AND THE LAUNCHING AND TAKEOUT OF BOATS AT RAMPS AND DOCKS IN PARKS AND OPEN SPACE LANDS The Council of the City of Palo Alto does ORDAIN as follows: SECTION i. Section 22.04.210 of the Palo Alto ~Municipal Code is hereby modified to read, as follows: "22.04.210 Vehicle operation and parking. No person shall operate or park any vehicle, including ng_Dj! motori-z~d vehicle~, motorcycle, moped, bicycle~, and a_Dj£ other vehicle~ as defined in the California Vehicle Code, within the time periods prohibited by and designated in park regulations and posted accordingly within a park or open space land~, except in areas designated and posted for such use without the written permission of the director.’An_Dj! City ~-z~w~ employee performing park maintenance work or other work related to park and open space land purposes ~ i__s excluded from the foregoing restriction. No person shall operate any vehicle in excess of twenty miles per hour in any city park or open space land~. No person shall access or use city utilities (electrical and .water), within a ci~ park or open space lands, to- power an_D_Z vehicle~ or equipment without the written permission of the director, except at authorized by park regulations and posted accordingly." SECTION 2. Section 22.04.290 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code is hereby modified to read, as follows: "22.04. 290 Entering, marking, injuring, damaging~ or disturbing park or open spacelands. 991223 syn 0071790 No person other than ,a duly authorized city employee shall: (a) Cut, break, injure, damage, deface, or disturb any rock, building, cage, pen, monument, boat ramp. dock. rail. bollard, sign, fence, bench, structure, apparatus, equipment or other property in a park or open space lands; ~ (bi~<Mark ~or place any mark,, wrlt±ng or printing on a rock, bu. ild.ing, cage, pen, monument, boat ramp, dock, rail, bollard, ~ign, ~fence, ~ . bench, structure, apparatus, equigment or other property in~{. a~ pgrk’or open space lands; (c)- Attach any sign, ’card, dis lay 9r.~other similar device to a rock, building, cage, pen, monument, ~ .~9~oa~::ram~D~ dock. r~il, bollar.d. ~ sign/ fence, bench, stru~turle, apparatusl, equipmen[ or other property in a park or open space la~ds-; ekcept as authorized by permit:; (d) Enter or remain in a building or structure which hgs been closed, or after the operating hours designated in park regulations and posted in the building or structure7l O_..~r ~~, ,, (e) Bring into or use in any park or open space lands portable tables or other fixtures designed to increase the capacity of picnic facilities without a permit authorizing those additional tables or fixtures." SECTION 3. Section 22.04.215 of the Palo hlto Municipal Code is hereby adopted to read, as follows: "22.04.215 Launch and takeout from ramp or dock, "No person shall launch or take out’any boat, motorboat, or~ personal watercraft as defined in the California Harbors and Navigation Code, or any other motor-powered boat or watercraft from a boat ramp or a dock in a city park or open space land without the written permission of the director, except ~as authorized by park regulations and posted accordingly." SECTION 4. The City Council hereby finds that this ordinance is exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to Section 15061(b) (3) of the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines, because it can be 991223 syn 0071790 see~-wi~h~ certainty that there is no possibility of significant en%ir0nm@ntal effects occurring as a result of the adoption 0~’~th~s ordinance. ~ ,~ SECTION 5. commencement of adoption. INTRODUCED: This ordinance shall become effective upon the the thirty-first day after the date of its PASSED: AYES: NOES: ABSTENTIONS: ABSENT: ATTEST: City Clerk APPROVED: Mayor APPROVED AS TO FORM: Senior Asst. City Attorney APPROVED: City Manager Director of Community Services 991223 syn 0071790 3