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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-12-11 City Council (13)TO: C ty HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL City of Palo Alto Manager’s Report 13 FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT:COMMUNITY SERVICES DECEMBER 11, 2000 CMR: 437:00 APPROVAL OF PARK IMPROVEMENT ORDINANCE ADOPTING A SITE IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR THE PHASED RENOVATION OF MITCHELL PARK RECOMMENDATION The Architectural Review Board, Parks and Recreation Commission recommends and staff recommends that Council approve the proposed Park Improvement Ordinance for Mitchell Park. PROJECT DESCRIPTION Mitchell Park was dedicated in 1957 and was praised as an innovative prototype for servinK the recreational needs of the entire community. Over the past 40 years various physical and social factors have combined to impact the park’s amenities, infrastructure and usage patterns. These factors have included changes in local and regional demographics, an evolving need for compliance with gtate and federal accessibility regulations and safety guidelines, and reductions in available funds for ongoing facility maintenance and staffing. Rather than address the cumulative impacts of 40 years in piecemeal fashion with independently funded projects, staff determined that a more efficient approach would be to address them collectively, through preparation of a Site Improvement Plan for the entire.park facility. In the spring of 1998 Dillingham Associates was retained to prepare the plan. The major goals of the proposed Site Improvement Plan are: 1. Make Mitchell Park safer and more accessible to a wide range of users, ’ 2. Upgrade recreation facilities and enhance the visitor experience while preserving the original character of the park, and 3. Make the entire site easier and more cost efficient to maintain and supervise. A community meeting was held on May 20, 1998 to solicit input on these issues from interested members of the public. The major points that came out of the meetingwere that residents loved Mitchell Park and did not want the park to lose its character. At the same CMR: 437:00 Page 1 of 4 time, there was a general feeling that the park’s playground equipment was outdated, safety lighting and restroom facilities were poor, and the park required major work. After a thorough assessment of existing conditions, a preliminary conceptual design plan was prepared for a second community meeting on July 22, 1998. The preliminary design was then refined to create a final conceptual design plan that was presented for public review and comment on October 14, 1998. BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION A draft Site Improvement Plan, incorporating feedback received at the earlier public meetings, was presented to the Architectural Review Board (ARB) for consideration on March 18, 1999. The draft plan addressed the entire park but focused on elements associated with the first phase of improvements, including the children’s play areas, park benches, pathway safety lighting and main .entrance areas. Testimony was given at this meeting by neighborhood residents and by a group of students from JLS Middle School, which is located adjacent to the park. The ARB raised questions about the potential loss of several of the park’s signature characteristics were raised. The unique children’s play structures and pathway lighting fixtures were primary among the concerns of the ARB and members of the community. ARB requested that staff review the proposed design and determine if more of the original park elements could be integrated into the final Site Improvement Plan. In order to comply with this request and help ensure that the integrity of the existing design was not lost, staff arrti Dillingham Associates consulted the original architect of the park, Robert Royston, during subsequent refinement of the Site Improvement Plan. The following is a summary of project improvements included in the proposed Site Development Plan (See Attachments B, C and D). The first category includes improvements proposed for implementation during the first phase of park renovation, scheduled to begin in spring/summer 2001 and to be completed by the fall of 2001. The second category includes future improvements for which detailed plans will be prepared in conjunction with subsequent phases of renovation. Phase One Improvements Play area redesign and facility replacement and improvements at the north end of the park: This play area would be separated to serve three distinct age groups. The Tot Lot (ages 1-5) will incorporate elements from the original design such as the bear sculptures and the gopher holes, but the surrounding area will be enlarged to allow some new play structures to be changed and upgraded to become a water play area with some special water features. The play area for young children (ages 5-10) will be separated from the Tot Lot and will include swings, climbing structures and more standardized ADA accessible play equipment. The curvilinear design of spaces within the play areas and CMR: 437:00 Page 2 of 4 safety fencing around the areas will be retained. A play area for older children (ages 8 - 13) will also be constructed in the north park area but segregated from the younger children playgrounds. Play area redesign and facility replacement and improvements at the south end of park: New equipment will be installed in the play area near the Pine Grove Group Picnic Area and designed for use by children of ages 10-12 years old. The swings near the Redwood picnic area will remain but the sand area will be modified to meet current safety standards. Replacement of pathway lighting: Replicas of the original lantern style fixtures, increased in size by 25 percent, are proposed. The overall height of each fixture will be 16’6" in order to provide a broader spread of light, allow more efficient maintenance and repair, and reduce the potential for vandalism. The dog run area will be renovated and improved. The existing restrooms in the recreation building will be renovated and upgraded. Park entrance improvements and bench replacement: Distinctive signs with greater visibility will be installed at entry points to the park, and twelve benches situated on the main pathways will be replaced.. Future Improvements These improvements will be completed, as funding becomes available, in phases over the next five years. ¯New restrooms will be constructed at the north and south ends of the park. ¯Group and individual picnic areas will be renovated and improved. ¯The multipurpose area will be renovated and improved. ¯Sport courts will be resurfaced and enhanced with new lighting. ¯Arbors and pathways throughout the park will be renovated or reconstructed,, and rn~ce benches will be replaced. ¯Trash and recycle enclosures will be constructed. ¯The Adobe Creek area will be enhanced with trees and landscaping. ¯The Wild Area, on the south side of Adobe Creek, will be renovated and improved, and a horseshoe area will be coristructed on the north side of the creek. Grading, drainage and irrigation of turf areas will be renovated and improved. The existing recreation building will be renovated and expanded to include new restrooms~ a computer control room for park irrigation and lighting systems, office and storage space. A community meeting was held in May 2000 to present the revised plan for public review. There was consensus among those present that the design successfully addressed the issues raised at previous meetings and by the ARB. The Parks and Recreation Commission discussed the plan on June 27, 2000 and unanimously passed a motion sending it on to the ARB for consideration at its November 2000 meeting. The ARB unanimously approved the CMR: 437:00 Page 3 of 4 plan contingent on incorporating the recommendations and comments received from interested City departments. RESOURCE IMPACT The total estimated cost of the project is $3.3 million dollars, of which $1.8 million is currently funded within the Infrastructure Management Program. Future year funding for enhanced improvement will be requested through the Capital Improvement Project process and has yet to be identified. Most of the project will be managed using Community Services Department Infrastructure Management Plan staff, Public Works Department staff will, however, manage the building renovation elements of the plan. POLICY IMPLICATIONS The proposed Mitchell Park Site Improvement Plan is consistent with existing City policy, including Comprehensive Plan Policies C-24, C-26 and C-32. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW This project is not defined by the California Environmental Quality Act and is not subject to its requirements. ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: Attachment B: Attachment C: Attachment D: PREPARED BY: Park Improvement Ordinance Overall Map: Mitchell Park Improvement Project North End Plan: Mitchell Park North End Play Area: Mitchell Park Chris Rafferty, Landscape Architect, Community Services Department DEPARTMENT HEAD:C- -- PAUL THILTGEN Director, Community Services Department CITY ,MANAGER APPROVAL.’ HARRISON Assistant City Manager CMR: 437:00 Page 4 of 4 Attachment A ORDINANCE NO. ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO APPROVING AND ADOPTING A PLAN FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO MITCHELL PARK A. Article VIII of the Charter of the City of Palo Alto and Section 22.08.005 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code requires that, before any substantial building, construction, reconstruction or development is commenced or approved, upon or with respect to the land held by the City for park purposes, the Council shall first cause to be prepared and by ordinance approve and adopt a plan therefor: and .B. J. Pearce Mitchell Park (Mitchell Park) is dedicated to park purposes; and C. The City intends to construct certain capital improvements to Mitchell Park (the "Plan"), including, without limitation, the following: (I reconstruction of all playground areas, water play area, pathways, picnic areas, and overhangs; (2 construction of two restrooms and drainage system for all turf areas; (3 (4 renovation of the multi-purpose cement bowl, the restrooms located in the park’s field house’., and sport facilities; and the’ .installation of new pathway and sport facility lighting, park benches, trash disposal receptacles, and recycle receptacles; and D. The Plan has been reviewed and recommended for approval by City boards and commissions having jurisdiction over such matters, because it conforms to the provisions of Chapter 18.82 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code and the Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan; NOW, THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Palo Alto does ORDAIN as follows: SECTION I. The Plan, a copy o< which is on file in the office .of the Division of Planning, Department of Planning and 001114 syn 0071945 Community Environment, and to which copy reference is hereby made concerning the full particulars thereof, is hereby approved and adopted. SECTION 2. The City Council hereby finds that this project is categorically exempt under Section 15304 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. SECTION 3. This ordinance shall ~become effective upon the comfnencement of the thirty-first day after the day of its adoption. INTRODUCED: PASSED: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTENTIONS: ATTEST:APPROVED: City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: Senior Asst. City Attorney Mayor City Manager Director of Public Works Director of Community Services Director of Planning and Community Environment 001114 syn 0071945 2 Attachment B Mitchell Park Improvement List Norlh End Play Area South End Play FacilitiesSafety and SecudW: Power and Lightlng Park [nines, Slgnage and BenchesRemodel of Recreation Building Reslroo~ns North Reslroom BuddingSoulh Reslroom Building Group and Individual Picnic Areas Trash Disposal Faclhlies Handball, Paddle Tennis, and Tennis FacllitiesTuff Fields, Palhs, Wild AreaArbor Reconstruction Waler Play Area Shuffleboard, Horseshoe and Bocce AreasMuBl-purpose Area Recreation BuildingParking Areas Area New Public ArL_ :poSe_ GREAT Tuff Eicnic A~ea. ~icnic Area #1 EJementary School SporEs Fields At .Middle-~.hool Individual MITCHELL PARK IMPROVEMENT PROJECT City.of Palo Alto S_ cale. Tennis Courts Road ’S t e ve_n_s~o n ’House. ~P~king At Hoo~:-- £1emenlaW Scbool~ P a T u r individual Picnic Tabi ¯ Pl~y Years Restroom Individual icnic Tables/’ Fairmeadow Elementary School r k i n g T u r \ \ \ \ Play Area for Children 5- 10 Years M o u n. d Structure Attachment C NORTH. END PLAN. MITCHELL PARK City of-Palo Alto May 11, 2000 North Scale: 1/16~h Inch = l-foot Children’s Unisex NORTH Z-~LLLLL~ilIII~IIL END PLAY AREA MITCHELL PARK City of Palo Alto May 11,2000 North Scale: 1/8th Inch-- 1 foot T u r f U r