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January 7, },993
THE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
Palo Alto, California
UJPOIlSE TO COUNCIL OUE8TIORS OM J!:CORO!(!C UTiLiTY OF THE r.H_JIlT!:
Members of the Council:
This report responds to Council's request for infoZ"m.ation on the
economic utility of the former ITT site should the site revert to
the City.
Op-Site Improvements
There are fiv~ buildinqs and 22 antennas on the site. Most of the
antennas are wooden poles with cooper wire; the others are metal,
including a 60-foot tower.
The transmi-t.ting building is approximately 7. 22~ square feet; the
building has an elevated concrete floor with czawl space under
neath. The building is portioned into two cffic~ spaces {machine
shop and central control room) I and one restroo~. The warehouse
buildinq is approximately 2,520 square feet. It contains two small
storage rooms with an entry door, as well a~ one open garage area,
with a ten-foot overhead door for access. The ttlird major building
is a machine shop and garage which contain 1,728 and 576 square
feet, respectively. There are two utility outbuildings. One has
approximately 192 square feet and the other 102 square feet. Ii
the city were to take over the property, all of the buildings and
most of the antennas ~ould be left on the site. The City would
have no use for the antennas, which would be disposed of at City
expense.
CMR: 116:93
lot.lt!_l R'IS of Property
In CKR 545:92, staff discussed the possibility of linking a use of
the buildings with the t-&ylands tra,il that r\lnS along the east and
north sides of the surrounding Emily Renzel Mar6h~ Potential uses
of the facility include a park ranger headquarters and an interpre
tive center. The JIlajor problem 'With any prop,?sed use of the
facility is that it is in the middle of marsh 'Wetlands, so any
proposed uses .... ould need t.o meet current flood cor::trol standards
and ta~e into ~ccount the effect on p~otected vegetation and aniThal
life.
~loo4 control st.ndar~5
Several qovernment~l agencies requlate use of the baylands. The
marsh restoration at the harbor required notification of 3 f2deral,
14 state and 3 county agencies and/or districts. The City of Pale
Alto Municipal Code follows the Federal Emergency Manaqement Agency
{FEMAj regulationiO, which are the most restrictive with reqard to
improvements within a flood zone site. Because the 36.5-acre site
lias within !EMA's AEB special flood hazard area, any new improve
ments constructed on the site are required t~ be eiqbt feet above
sea level. The property, en average, is considered to be right at
sea level, so any nev construction would have to be elevated eight
feet. The FDl.A regulations also require e>cisting buildings be
elevated eight feet if they ar~ reconstructed, repaired or
remodeled and the value of the work to be done is qreater than half
the. market value of the improval!lent~ In this case, staff estimates
a market value of $20 per square foot. Therefore, the trans~itting
buildinq would have to be elevated eight feet if costs to remodel,
repair or renovate exceeded $72,250.
VeqatatioD and Wildlife
As part of the construction of the freshwater marsh enhancement
project, the city investiqated the vegetation and wildlife for the
entire l59 acre site. A detailed analysis of the entire area is
included as part of the Montgomery IT'l' Marsh enhancement report
(Kay 1989). The repcrt lists several types of fresh and saltwater
vegetation, the sighting of ao different types of birds, several
small mammals, 5 different amp!libians and 5 different reptiles.
These include. endangered, threaten~d, rare or "candidate. for
!istinq" wildlife. All protective categories included in these
qt'oupings were the golden !Cagle. the northern harrier, merlin,
prairie falcon, peregrin~ falcon, short-eared owl, burrowing owl,
salt marsh yellowthrcat and the saltwater harvest mO'l.lse.
The Montqome~y ITT Marsh Enhancement Plan stat~s the most important
objectives of any development of the 152-acre site are as follo~s:
CMR:U6:93 2
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To protect the salt marsh ha~vest mice population found on the
site.
To en.l-tance and ,incre.ase salt marsh habitat.
To create a freshwater wetland for birds and waterfowl
migrating along the Pacific Flyway~
To develop a bgneficial use of reclaimed ~astewater as
encoul:aqed by the Basin Plan~
To restors and create wetlands on the ITT site in a manner
that will be consistent with the Baylands Master Plan.
The Montqcmery report stated that an original concept of developinq
the entire 159 acre site as a ~water marsh was abandoned for
three reasons:
o The Palo Alto Flood B~sin could not be in~ndated during wet
weather. 'I"his discharge scenario 'Would diminish the. flood.
storage capacity and could result in danger to the public.
o The comml.u1ication3 facilities located on the ITT site could
not be fl ooded"
o Existing salt marshes typified by pickleweed areas could not
be converted to brackish or freshwa~er marsh habitat becausE.
populations of salt marsh harvest mice would be endang~red.
The resulting project was the development of a seasonal 15-acre
freshwater marsh and an increase in the amount of saltwater
intrusion on the east side of the 159 acre parcel. This project
was smaller than originally anticipated. The possibility of
developing the entire 159 acres ~ith salt and freshwater marshes
still exists. If KFS were to vacate its easeroent. one of th~
options available would be to seasonally increase both the size of
the freshwater marsh, as well as seasonally increase the amount of
saltwater intr~sion~ This option would probably also require that
the buildings on the site be removed or that access to them be
limited. This option is consistent ~ith the Baylands Master Plan,
adopted by Council in 1987.
CKR:116:91 J
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Respectfully submitted,
(tl/4"';".11t;f,&'~
WILLIAM W. FELLMAN
Kanaqer, Real Property
c-lc li :0 #LY~IJ .
\ irector ~f i ~ance
Rp.lated
CMR:116:9J
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CMR:545:92
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