Title
Chief Administrative Office, Parks Division recommending the Parks and Recreation Commission consider the following:
1) Receive a presentation from the Consultant team, Helix Environmental Planning, Inc., regarding on the Old Depot Bike Park Project;
2) Provide a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors on the draft conceptual plan for the Old Depot Bike Park; and
3) Recommend that the Board of Supervisors authorize staff to move forward with Helix Environmental Planning, Inc., on the environmental review process. (Est. Time: 15 mins)
FUNDING: State Parks and Recreation, Statewide Park Program Prop 68 Grant Funding
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
In March 2016, Supervisor Veerkamp recommended that the Board direct the Chief Administrative Officer enter into negotiations with the property owners of the parcels located at 40 Old Depot Road and 50 Old Depot Road for the purposes of the potential development of a park. The County has since acquired parcels 327-250-38 and 327-250-37 located at Old Depot Road for the purpose of developing a park as outlined in the Park Division’s priorities and in consistency with the 2012 El Dorado County Parks and Trails Master Plan.
The Old Depot Park site is located adjacent to the Class One section of the El Dorado Trail located on Missouri Flat. The park will be directly accessible from the El Dorado Trail and will provide recreation features for a diverse group of trail users. The proposed site is located within a largely under served community that has no current park space.
Since acquiring the Old Depot property, the Parks Division has engaged Helix Environmental Planning, Inc., in a contract to provide the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documents, site assessment and analysis, and finalization of a conceptual plan for the proposed Bike Park at this location. The Division has also applied for and received grant funding through the California Department of Parks and Recreation Office of Grants and Local Services (OGALS) Prop 68 Grant Program (previously Prop 84). This program provides funding for the Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program. The intent of the Statewide Park Program (SPP) is to create new parks and new recreation opportunities in critically under served communities in California in accordance with SPP legislation found in Public Resources Code 5640 through 5653. There are no matching funds required for this grant program. On June 25, 2019, the Board approved a resolution allowing the Chief Administrative Office, Parks Division to apply for grant funding for the Old Depot Bike Park and on April 7, 2020 the Board approved the finalized grant contract with the State to accept the grant funds and complete this project. With this grant funding, the County can move forward in developing a new park at the Old Depot property.
To date, Helix Environmental Planning, Inc., has completed the site assessment and analysis, held public meetings to request public input on the site design and draft conceptual plan, and has provided a draft conceptual plan of the proposed Bike Park for the County’s review and adoption. The approval of this agenda item will allow Helix to move forward with the environmental review process. Environmental review is the next step in the project. It is essential that the vendor begin this process as soon as possible as environmental review can be a time consuming process and per the grant agreement, the park must be completed and open to the public in March 2022.
After environmental review has been completed, Parks staff will return to the Board with a finalized conceptual plan for adoption.
ALTERNATIVES
The Commission could choose to not recommend that this item be approved. If this item is not approved at the Board level, this project will not move forward and grant funding would be declined.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
20-0448 - Prop 68 Grant Contract Approval
19-1040 - Helix Contract Approval
19-0687 - Prop 68 Grant Resolutions
16-0188 - Old Depot Parcels
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Facilities Division
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
The Chief Administrative Office concurs with this recommendation.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Funding to be received by the County for the Old Depot Bike Park in the amount of $2,030,000 from the California Department of Parks and Recreation. No matching funds are required under this grant program.
The anticipated maintenance costs will depend on the features as determined through the final conceptual design. If all of the features are installed, the Division anticipates that the maximum maintenance costs on a per year basis will be around $23,500 most likely from the General Fund. In order to determine the potential maintenance costs for this park, the Parks Division worked with the City of South Lake Tahoe, which has a park that is similar to the Old Depot Bike Park. The Parks Division feels that this maintenance cost estimate is conservative as the South Lake Tahoe park used to determine the maintenance cost is larger and has some additional features than what will be developed at the Old Depot Bike Park. The majority of the maintenance costs at the Old Depot Bike Park will be custodial and minor maintenance. The playground will need to be replaced at some point. However, the existing playgrounds at Henningsen Lotus Park, Bradford Park, and Pioneer Park have very heavy use and have not been replaced in over 25 years.
It should also be noted that there will be a liability insurance charge, as yet undetermined, associated with the County operating a Bike Park.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Infrastructure
CONTACT
Vickie Sanders, Parks Manager, 530.621.7538