ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
MEETING DATE: April 23, 2025 AGENDA CATEGORY: CONSENT - Agreements TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Darin Budak, Recreation and Parks Director
DATE: April 2, 2025
SUBJECT: Agreement with Castle and Cooke California Inc. for the development, dedication and reimbursement of Highgate Linear Park
located along Ming Avenue, West of Highgate Park Boulevard. Ward 5 _
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the Agreement.
BACKGROUND:
On August 15, 2007, City Council adopted Resolution Numbers 161 -07, 162 -07, 163 -07, and 164 -07, approving a master planned community commonly referred to as the West Ming Specific Plan, which is a 2,182-acre project generally bounded by Buena Vista Road, White Lane, Allen Road, and the Union Pacific Railroad.
On August 29, 2007, City entered into Development Agreement No. 07-310 with Castle & Cooke California, Inc. (DEVELOPER) and Bolthouse Properties, LLC concerning the West Ming Specific Plan which among other things, allows the parties to enter into a reimbursement agreement for a portion of the cost of any dedications, public facilities and/or infrastructure that City may require as conditions. The West Ming Specific Plan, as originally adopted, included six separate resident ial villages identified as Villages “A” through “F”, a Village Center District, a Special Use District, and provided for various parks to be located within the Villages. Pursuant to the West Ming Specific Plan, public parks are slated to be provided within Villages “A” through “F” and will be a minimum of six acres in size.
On March 25, 2015, Village “F” which encompasses Park #1 (Belcourt Park), was developed and dedicated to CITY, via Agreement No. 15 -070. The West Ming Specific Plan requires DEVELOPER to set aside park land and execute a park improvement/construction agreement with CITY when sixty percent (60%) of land in each Village is subdivided. At least sixty percent (60%) of land in Village “A” has been subdivided which requires DEVELOPER to set aside park land and execute a park dedication, and improvement/construction agreement with CITY; and
On April 10, 2019, City Council adopted General Plan Amendment No. 18-0452, amending the rectangular public park configuration within Village “A” to a con ceptual linear park, which runs along the perimeter of the remaining acreage of Village “A”, more specifically located along Ming Avenue, the future West Beltway, Kern River Canal, and Highgate Park Boulevard, referred to as “Park #2”.
The DEVELOPER will construct Park #2 in two phases with each phase being built adjacent to a separate and distinct tentative tract map divided into multiple units; phase one being constructed adjacent to Vesting Tentative Tract Map 7355 and phase two being constructed adja cent to Vesting Tentative Tract Map 7356. A unit represents the geographical area of a vesting tentative tract to be recorded, allowing for a vesting tentative tract to have multiple units within its border.
It is the desire of the parties to set forth the specific plans for Park #2 development, dedication improvement security, and the terms for reimbursement to DEVELOPER . The City is willing to reimburse DEVELOPER for the development and dedication of Park #2 from the collection of park development fees collected by City within all of Village A of the West Ming Specific Plan, including Vesting Tentative Tract Maps 7255, 7256, 7257, 7299, 7300, 7302, 7354, 7355 and Tract 7356, cumulatively consisting of 1,151 buildable lots.
The time period for reimbursement to DEVELOPER for construction of Park #2 shall be for a period of fifteen (15) years from the date of execution of the agreement or until such time that DEVELOPER is reimbursed, whichever is earlier. The park will be maintained by the City once dedicated.
FISCAL IMPACT: The reimbursement to DEVELOPER for the development and dedication of Park # 2 will be paid through the Park Improvement and Development Zone 1 fees that are collected within Village A.
There is no impact to the General Fund.
COUNCIL GOAL:
Community Character & Quality of Life
Reliable Infrastructure
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Highgate Linear Park Agreement_Signed
2. Linear Park Exhibit A
3. Linear Park Exhibit B-1
4. Linear Park Exhibit B-2
5. Linear Park Exhibit C
6. Linear Park Exhibit D
7. Linear Park Exhibit E