Agenda Item Wording:
title
Bridging Horizons Inclusive Park Project Update - Receive a presentation on the Bridging Horizons Inclusive Park Project updated concept layout and provide direction regarding the updated layout.
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Deadline for Action: None
Submitting Department: Administration - CIP Engineering
Contact Name and Phone Number:
Cody McLaughlin, Assistant Engineer, Cody.Mclaughlin@visalia.city, 713-4595
Dolores Verduzco, Financial Analyst, Dolores.Verduzco@visalia.city, 713-4540
Jason Huckleberry, Engineering and Building Department Director, Jason.Huckleberry@visalia.city, (559) 713-4495
Department Recommendation:
Staff recommends the City Council receive a presentation on the Bridging Horizons Inclusive Park Project and authorize moving forward with the updated concept layout into design and construction drawings.
Summary:
In early 2021, the California Natural Resources Agency released the final guide and application for the Proposition 68 Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Grant Program. The purpose of this grant is to create new parks and recreation opportunities in underserved communities across California.
The City submitted the Proposition 68 grant proposal for an new inclusive park project planned to be located on Oak Street between Burke Street and the Imagine U children’s museum facility. In Spring of 2022 the City of Visalia was selected as a grant awardee and awarded $7,829,352 for the new Inclusive Park project.
In the Fall of 2022 city staff proceeded through the consultant procurement process and awarded professional consulting services to Odell Engineering. Beginning 2023 City staff began preliminary engineering and coordination efforts with the consultant. Through the grant application process outreach efforts were performed, however given covid impacts at the time, city staff felt there were obstacles that may have impacted outreach efforts. In turn, city staff determined there was a high importance to re-connect with the community on the project through public outreach while preliminary engineering efforts were under way.
The additional public outreach was driven by city staff reviewing the grant required project scope and amenities and ensuring the right product was to be delivered to our users and the community. In coordination with the grant agency staff was informed in order for the City to request changes or substitutions to the approved grant scope/amenities the request needed to be supported by means of back up and reasoning either by: organized community outreach and feedback, design engineering and feasibility reasons, cost engineering reasons. The current required grant scope and amenities are as listed: Inclusive Playground, Water Play Area, Performance Stage Area, Music and Story Meadow, 12’ wide bike path, Fitness Stations, Artificial Turf Open Space Area, Picnic/Barbeque Area, Restroom, Parking/Parking lot, and Landscape and Lighting through the Park. At this stage in the project organized community outreach feedback was the effective reasoning for any requested alterations to the grant project scope and amenities.
City staff organized and heavily marketed a public outreach meeting in June of 2023 that was held at ImagineU Childrens Museum. City staff and the consultant provided a presentation on the project concept and used the opportunity as a platform to engage with the community and receive thoughts and feedback. Additionally, city staff had the opportunity to present and engage with community members and future park users at Able Industries within their facility in August of 2023. During this meeting, city staff provided and marketed a public survey in order to collect feedback and data on community thoughts, concerns, needs, and wants on the park project concept. City staff and the consultant collected and processed the data from the public survey, this was used in the followings steps in developing the updated park project concept layout.
Key changes in the updated park concept layout from the previous is the removal of the performance stage area/amphitheater which lead to a reduction in the footprint of the music meadow area to allow of the addition of a new amenity the inclusive basketball courts. The relocation of the multi-use trail to the front of the park compared to the back of the park. The inclusion of multi-sensory (textural and colored) play mounds and games area resulting from the spatial adjustment of the music meadow and addition of the inclusive basketball courts.
City staff recently presented the presentation and updated concept layout to the City Parks Commission and received very positive feedback and excitement to move forward with the updated concept.
Following council authorization to move forward with the updated concept layout into design and construction drawings staff will push coordinate with the consultant to push through the design process and develop construction drawings, specifications, and estimate to bid for construction. See below for project schedule:
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Tentative Project Schedule |
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Approval of Updated Concept |
Spring 2024 |
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Completed Design |
Beginning 2025 |
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Construction Begins |
Summer 2025 |
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Construction Complete |
Early 2026 |
Fiscal Impact:
There are no fiscal impacts or changes at this time.
Prior Council Action:
November 07, 2022 - Council authorized the City Manager to enter into a contract with Odell Engineering for professional consulting services for the Bridging Horizons Inclusive Park Project in the amount not to exceed $547,095.00.
June 06, 2022 - Authorized the City Manager to accept and appropriate $7,829,352 in funds awarded form the State of California Natural Resources Agency, Proposition 68 Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Grant and appropriate $51,000 for staff indirect costs from the Parks Fund (211).
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to authorize staff to proceed with the updated layout for the Bridging Horizons Inclusive Park Project into design and return to City Council with a progress update at a later date.
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Environmental Assessment Status: Categorical Exemption
Attachments:
Bridging Horizons Inclusive Park Project Updated Concept Layout Presentation