Agenda Item Wording:
title
Authorize the appropriation of $1.7M for Phase VI of the Riverway Sports Park which will include the overflow parking lot north of the Riverway Sport Park and the Riverway Community Dog Park Project.
body
Deadline for Action: None
Submitting Department: Administration - CIP Engineering
Contact Name and Phone Number:
Jaklin H. Rowley, Assistant Engineer, Jaklin.Rowley@visalia.city, (559)-713-4369
Frank Senteno, City Engineer, Frank.Senteno@visalia.city, (559)-713-4331
Nick Mascia, Assistant City Manager, Nick.Mascia@visalia.city, (559) 713-4323
Department Recommendation:
Authorize the appropriation of $1.7M for Phase VI of the Riverway Sports Park which will include the overflow parking lot north of the Riverway Sports Park and the Riverway Community Dog Park Project.
Summary:
Staff is currently working on establishing the design scope of work as part of the RFP process to hire a design consultant for the construction of the partially grant funded off-leash Riverway Dog Park. The city will need to provide approximately 40% of the costs for the dog park project to move forward. Staff recommends that the original dog park project scope be expanded to include the conceptual study for the area north of the Riverway Sports Park which was given funds in prior years but never completed and also include the design/construction to make permanent the existing temporary parking lot. This project will then be designated as Phase VI of the Riverway Sports Park and will create a conceptual design of the area, design/construct an off leash dog park, and make the current overflow parking lot permanent.
Therefore, this appropriation request is for 1). Additional funds needed because the grant funds are not sufficient to fund the construction of the Riverway Dog Park as it is proposed in the grant scope, and 2). To fund the design and construction of the overflow parking lot north of the Riverway Sports Park for users of the park. Funds are being requested from the park Impact Fee fund for the entirety of the project which is Phase VI of the Riverway Sports Park.
Background Discussion:
With the introduction of the Prop 68 Grant during the adoption of the 2018-2019 California State Budget, municipalities were given the opportunity to submit a resolution to apply for the Prop 68 Per Capita Grant Program. Applications were required to be completed and submitted no later than November 1, 2019, to the Office of Grants and Local Services (OGALS). The City of Visalia was allocated $177,952 from the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access for All Act of 2018 - Per Capita Grant Program funded by the State of California Natural Resources Agency Department of Parks and Recreation Office of Grants and Local Services (OGALS) for local park rehabilitation, creation, and improvement grants to local governments on a per capita basis.
The Parks and Recreation Department met to discuss how this grant funding could be best used for the residents of Visalia. The criteria of the grant, the funding amount, the areas in the City of Visalia’s Park system where the need exists, City-owned properties, and the ability to maintain the project for the required performance period played heavily into the process. After a lengthy discussion and research, staff concluded that a new community dog park would be the best project for the funding allocated to the City of Visalia. Key factors in this decision were given the size of the community there are only two dog parks in the park system which are heavily used, and at the time of these discussions, the grant amount was estimated to adequately fund the project. Staff then presented several park locations to the Parks and Recreation Commission that could be used as community dog park sites. The Commission was given details about each proposed location such as amenities, parking, and proximity to existing dog parks. Staff also listed the pros and cons for each site, if a grant match was required, and how the addition of the dog park may impact the surrounding community. Riverway Sports Park was the unanimous recommendation by Commission because of the following; access to restrooms, a parking lot with ADA parking, adjacent to St. John’s Trailhead, access to water for an irrigation system with the new trail landscape being installed along the trail to the north, and residential growth in the area.
The project was presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission for a recommendation to the City Council to authorize the submission of the grant application and construct a new community dog park at Riverway Sports Park during the May 11, 2021 meeting. In this presentation, staff presented the commission with five (5) parks that could sustain a community dog park, along with pros and cons for each location. After reviewing the information presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission a unanimous recommendation was made to recommend to Council that the City of Visalia submit the grant application to the State of California Natural Resources Agency Department of Parks and Recreation Office of Grants and Local Services (OGALS) for the construction of a new community dog park at Riverway Sports Park. Council approved as recommended on June 7, 2021.
Proposed Dog Park:
The new Dog Park will be an estimated .8 acres of designated open space for off-leash dogs and their owners to enjoy time together in a safe place. The park area will include fencing around the park and between the small & large dog areas, 3 gates, minimal park obstacles/equipment, one (1) shade structure, 2 benches, .3 acres of Bermuda turf, one (1) solar light, one (1) trash receptacle, and 15 trees. This park, as planned, does not include bringing potable water to the parcel for drinking fountains (potable water is discussed further in the fiscal impact section). If additional amenities are desired, then additional funds will need to be appropriated beyond the estimate below.
The proposed dog park is located adjacent to the St. Johns River as such the proper setbacks must be followed and taken into consideration with design. A 100’ riparian setback has been incorporated as required by the Open Space General Plan. An additional 30’ firebreak setback is also a requirement of the Open Space Plan, Staff is working on alternatives that would meet an exemption to the firebreak setback.
The Riverway Community Dog Park is north of Riverway Drive and will tie into Riverway Sports Park, and the St. John’s Trail to provide a larger recreational area. The parcel is owned by the City, however, it is not currently within the City Limits and must be annexed as part of the project’s design phase (see attachment A).
The project was submitted, using the preliminary site plan from the grant application, to the Site Plan Review (SPR) Committee in August 2021 and resubmitted to the committee in October 2021. The project has not received approval from the SPR Committee as there are several entitlements that must be addressed before the plans are ready to move forward with the permitting process. These include; the parcel being annexed into the City, a general plan amendment must be completed to change the parcel’s zoning, the plans must reflect the 100’ riparian setback which does go through the northern part of the parcel (see attachment C), further coordination with city staff for access on Riverway Dr, non-flammable materials must be used within the firebreak setback, and adequate lighting must be provided for the project. The project will go back to the site plan review committee once a design consultant has been hired to address the above entitlements.
City staff provided an update to the Parks and Recreation Commission on September 13th, 2022. The update was to inform the commission of the additional entitlements and the additional funds that would be required to complete the Riverway Dog Park. The commission provided a unanimous recommendation for the project’s continuation (see attachment D). Staff will continue to work with the Parks and Recreation Foundation to determine any possible donation(s) to the project as more information becomes available.
The dog park’s preliminary design includes a cost-benefit analysis to determine the best and most cost-effective way to construct the dog park (off-leash dog area). Working in collaboration with other departments, engineering staff has developed a preliminary design that meets the grant-required elements. However, it was determined that the grant funds are insufficient to fund the Riverway Dog Park construction as proposed in the grant scope. Thus, additional funds will need to be appropriated from the Park Impact Fee Fund to complete the project.
Budget Shortfall (Dog Park):
The original estimate for the Riverway Community Dog Park, which was submitted with the grant application, included estimates for pre-construction and construction (see attachment A) in the amounts of $1,400 and $176,552, respectively. Pre-construction includes design, permits, bid packages, environmental analysis etc. and the $1,400 previously estimated for pre-construction costs is not sufficient to cover all these items. The fees for the annexation of the parcel alone will cost $11,764.00 (fees as of August 2022). The original total estimate did not account for annexation, survey, City staff time, or an increase in material/construction costs. Construction and material costs have seen a 30% to 50% increase since the application for this grant was submitted in 2019. The estimated construction/material cost for this project is 12% greater than the original estimate submitted with the grant. In addition, the grant does not cover employee time. The time spent by staff on this project will require local funding. The additional costs associated with design and construction were not accounted for when the grant was applied for. In summary, an additional appropriation of local funds will be required to complete the project. General Funds are recommended since Dog Parks were not explicitly found to qualify for using Park Impact Fees (211 Fund).
The total estimated construction cost of the proposed dog park is $200,000. Please note that this estimate provides the minimum amenities required to meet the grant scope and best available estimates prior to starting design. The estimate includes fencing around the park and between the small & large dog areas, three (3) gates, minimal park obstacles/equipment, one (1) shade structure, two (2) benches, 0.3 acres of Bermuda turf, one (1) solar light, one (1) trash receptacle, and fifteen (15) trees. This estimate does not include bringing water to the parcel for drinking fountains.
If the addition of potable water is desired, then the total construction cost is expected to increase to an estimated $358,000. Existing drinking fountains are located within the Riverway Sports Park near the restrooms which are located approximately 400 ft from the proposed Dog Park Location. If there is a desire to add artificial turf and mulch in addition to the drinking fountains, then the construction cost total would equal $399,000.
If additional amenities are desired such as decomposed granite, then the estimate could increase by $300,000, depending on the amount desired, bringing the total construction cost to $494,600. This last option does not include water services.
Staff is recommending meeting the minimum requirements of the grant scope. If additional amenities are desired, then additional funds will need to be appropriated or provided through donations from the Parks and Recreation Foundation or other private donations.
Riverway Overflow Parking:
The Overflow parking lot north of the Riverway Sports Park has been under consideration since 2013 when staff went to Council to express the need to consider additional parking north of the Riverway Sports Park.
In 2018, $50,000 was appropriated to begin a conceptual design of the parcels North of the Riverway Sports Park.
In 2020, an additional $100,000 was appropriated to the project to incorporate the planning and design of Riverway Dr. due to its closure with the development of the River Island Ranch subdivision; the $100,000 will help complete the necessary improvements at the Cul-De-Sac recently added to Riverway Dr. to allow a turnaround through the parking lot for park users and residents. The added scope will include abandoning Riverway Drive and converting it as a park private drive to provide parking, circulation through the parking lot, and aid as an exit only for the overflow parking to Dinuba Boulevard. Improvements will also include making the current parking lot into an asphalt paved parking lot. The overflow parking lot is estimated to add an additional 132 stalls for park users. The estimated area of paving improvements is 91,000 square feet including the park’s private drive. The improvements will also include parking planters and ADA stalls as required by federal and local codes. The construction estimate below is based on recent parking lot improvement projects. When broken down the construction cost per stall is estimated to be $12,121.
An additional appropriation of Park Impact funds is required to complete the design and construction of the overflow parking lot.
Budget Shortfall (Overflow Parking Lot):
Staff is recommending the overflow parking lot be designed in conjunction with the Dog Park, to create a continuous and cohesive plan/design for the area north of the existing Riverway Sports Park. The alternative is to piecemeal this area in a way that may or may not flow together in the future. It is also more economical to design the area as phase VI of the Riverway Sports Park, the continuous design allows for one architect/engineering company to be hired for the full project. This reduces the required number of Request for Proposals (RFP’s) and required coordination between architectural/engineering firms; both of which reduce time costs on the project.
Fiscal Impact:
The total appropriation Staff is requesting is an additional $1.7M from the Park Impact Fees Fund for the Dog Park and Overflow Parking Lot. The appropriation analysis per park element is as follows:
The Riverway Dog Park project currently has $177,952 appropriated for the design and construction. Staff is requesting an additional appropriation of $114,000 from the City’s Park Impact Fees to complete the Dog Park project based on the minimum scope of work described above. Staff has reviewed the use of the Park Impact Fees applicable to new park land development and this is an appropriate use of the fees.
The Riverways Sports Park Parking, Riverway Drive Improvements, and Remaining North Parcel design project has $150,000 appropriated. Staff is requesting an additional appropriation of $1.6M from Park Impact Fees to complete the design and construction of the Overflow Parking Lot.
Below is the project’s budget summary:
|
Budget Summary: CP0299 - Phase VI of the Riverway Sports Park |
|
Project Funding |
|
|
Allocated Grant Funds (Dog Park) |
$177,952 |
|
|
|
|
Project Funding |
|
|
Available CIP Funding (CP0299) |
$150,000 |
|
|
|
|
Estimated Project Costs: |
|
|
Estimated Construction Cost |
$1,350,000 |
|
Architect/Engineer (10%) |
$155,000 |
|
Surveying (5%) |
$67,500 |
|
City Staff Time (10%) |
$135,000 |
|
Construction Contingency (15%) |
$192,500 |
|
Construction Inspection (5%) |
$59,500 |
|
Materials Testing (2.5%) |
$28,750 |
|
Total Estimated Project Costs |
$1,988,250 |
|
|
|
|
Budget Shortfall: |
($1,660,298) |
|
Appropriation Needed: |
$1,700,000 |
Based on the above budget shortfall(s) and information surrounding both the Dog Park and the Overflow Parking Lot , Staff recommends City Council authorize the identified appropriation to move Phase VI of Riverway Sports Park project forward. Staff will revisit the project budget at the completion of design and prior to the start of construction.
Prior Council Action:
June 7, 2021
Approval to adopt Resolution No. 2021-28 approving the application accepting the requirements set forth and appropriating funds by the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access for All Act of 2018 - Per Capita Grant Program funded by the State of California Natural Resources Agency Department of Parks and Recreation Office of Grants and Local Services (OGALS) for local park rehabilitation, creation, and improvement grants to local governments on a per capita basis, for the construction of a new community dog park at Riverway Sports Park.
Alternatives:
1. Move forward with the scope recommended by staff but include potable water as part of the project. This is not recommended as it will increase the project estimate to a minimum of $358,000. The addition of potable water will require the installation of fire hydrants along Riverway Dr. Water fountains are located approximately 400’ south of the proposed dog park located in the existing riverway sports park.
2. Do not appropriate additional funds for the dog park and change project scope through the formal Grant Scope Change Process and use the funds for a different open space project. This option is not recommended as there is a construction deadline for the grant funds and there may not be sufficient time to complete the project if this alternative is chosen.
3. Choose an alternate design for the dog park that includes drinking fountains, artificial turf, and mulch. The estimated total construction cost of this alternative is $399,000. This alternative is not recommended as the artificial turf can become extremely hot during the summer months and could potentially be a hazard for pets. This option will also reduce the size of the park as the materials being used are not fire-proof and cannot be within the firebreak setback. This option includes a water connection to California Water Services for potable water service.
4. Choose an alternate design for the dog park with decomposed granite as the surface material. The estimated total construction cost of this alternative is $494,600. Does not include water services. This alternative is not recommended as the decomposed granite can be harmful to pets, especially smaller dogs, and has a higher cost than the traditional Bermuda turf.
5. Approve the additional appropriation of funds for the dog park and not the overflow parking lot.
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to authorize the City Manager to appropriate $1.7M for Phase VI of the Riverway Sports Park.
end
Environmental Assessment Status:
CEQA required
CEQA Review:
The CEQA review will be completed as part of the annexation process, it is anticipated that this project will have a notice of exemption.
Attachments:
Attachment A: Vicinity Map
Attachment B: Cost Estimate and Project Scope from Grant Application
Attachment C: St. Johns Riparian Setback and Available Park Area
Attachment D: Parks and Recreation Commission Recommendation