STAFF REPORT
PARKS AND
RECREATION
DATE: October 11, 2022
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Marisa Garcia, Park, Recreation, and Community Services Director BY: Diego Cevallos, Deputy Director Park, Recreation, and Community Services
SUBJECT: Approval of the George Izay Park Master Plan
RECOMMENDATION
1) Approve the George Izay Park Master Plan (Master Plan). 2) Authorize the City Manager to direct staff to proceed with strategic implementation of the Master Plan, including an aerial topographic and field survey , and phasing feasibility studies for George Izay Park.
BACKGROUND
The City of Burbank’s (City) Parks and Recreation Department (Department) strives to be the heart of the community by providing enriching opportunities through dedicated people, beautiful parks, and inspiring programs. The Department is responsible for operating and maintaining over forty-three (43) facilities and amenities including twenty-eight (28) parks; three (3) recreation centers; a community center; the Chandler Bike Path, cultural and art entertainment venues; two (2) public pools; two (2) adult centers; a nature center; a golf course with driving range; a tennis center public tennis courts; outdoor basketball courts; open space; hiking trails; an animal shelter; and other recreational amenities such as a skate/BMX bike park, pickleball courts, bocce ball courts, and a roller hockey facility.
As part of the Department’s strategic plan to continue offering clean, valuable, and safe parks and facilities, the Department initiated a Master Plan to assess George Izay Park facilities and amenities. George Izay Park’s many facilities and amenities include the Burbank Walk of Fame, four (4) softball fields, a batting cage, a concessionaire space, two (2) handball courts, horseshoe pits, picnic tables, playground, outdoor restrooms, two (2) tennis courts, eight (8) pickleball courts, Joslyn Adult Center, Olive Recreation Center, Burbank Little Theater, Betsy Lueke Creative Arts Center, and the historical Lockheed F- 104 Starfighter Jet.
The development of the Master Plan was a collaboration between the Department, RJM Design Group, and the community. In developing the Master Plan, staff conducted
2 outreach and public engagement soliciting community input to help identify and determine the needs of Burbank residents and stakeholders regarding future improvements at George Izay Park. The Master Plan represents a summary of extensive community input, investigations, and professional analysis, culminating in the development of recommendations for current and future park development.
In May 2021, the Department initiated a Request for Proposal to select a consulting firm to develop a public engagement framework to identify and determine the needs for the George Izay Park buildings and amenities. Consequently, the Department received four (4) submissions during the competitive bid process that was open from May 14, 2021 to June 17, 2021. Proposals were submitted by Goodale Architecture Planning; RJM Design Group; Sacramento State - Consensus and Collaboration Pro gram; and Global Urban Strategies. Thereafter, s taff conducted in -person interviews that began with a presentation by each consult ing firm , followed by structured questions. As a result of extensive deliberation and a competitive scoring process , on September 3, 2021, RJM Design Group (Consultant) was awarded the George Izay Park Public Engagement and Master Plan Project.
DISCUSSION
By providing spaces to recreate, relax, and play, Burbank’s park facilities help promote a strong sense of community . Furthermore, City amenities improve property values, contribute to economic development, and increase the quality of life for residents and visitors alike. For this reason, the Department prioritizes community engagement and the value it brings to a thoughtful and inclusive decision -making process. Over the last ten (10) months, the Department actively engaged residents by conducting several community outreach opportunities to develop the Master Plan.
On October 5, 2021, the Consultant conducted an initial kick -off meeting with the Department to review scope of services ; objectives; methodology; guiding principles community outreach framework ; project schedule; Department standards and policies ; budgets key deliverables ; as well as roles and responsibilities of team members. The Department established c lear communication with the Consultant to in cluding monthly virtual meetings with a dedicated Project Manager, Tamara McClory.
After the kick-off meeting, the Consultant and staff conducted a site tour of George Izay Park. During th e site tour , the Consultant reviewed the following: existing conditions; maintenance practices; building, facilities, and park conditions; grading and drainage; site topography; pedestrian and vehicular circulation ; site access ; trees and vegetation; physical limitations and site adjacencies; external influences; site amenities; and recorded the location of above-ground utility infrastructure.
Shortly thereafter, t he Consultant developed a dedicated project website (www.BurbankCA.gov/IzayMasterPlan) to communicate with the public regarding the Master Plan. Additionally, the Consultant developed a story map platform on the website for the community to learn about the various stages of the project. This website has been a hub for community collaboration and meaningful two-way feedback between community members and the Consultant . As each outreach effort was completed, the results were shared on the site. The website enables continued community involvement for the life of
3 the project and allows for direct community comments via a “Feedback” button. As feedback is recorded, it is reviewed and shared with the project team monthly. The project website also a ims to convey clear and open communication about the process by providing a public record of the methods used and outcomes, while displaying a range of collected views and ideas. Currently, the website has received over 9,400 views.
After the launch of the project website, the Consultant began a comprehensive community engagement process from November 2021 through March 2022, including the following:
Dates Community Outreach Participation
November 17 -
December 8, 2021
Virtual Townhall Presentations and
Online Survey # 1
841 Survey Responses
December 1 -
December 15, 2021
Multi-modal Statistically Valid
Survey
400 Participants
January 26 -
February 16, 2022
Virtual Townhall Presentations and
Online Survey # 2
613 Survey Responses
December 15, 2021 -
March 23, 2022
Stakeholder Interviews 15 Participants
March 13, 2022 City Pop-up Event 300 Participants
March 16, 2022 In-Person Community Design
Charrette Workshop
61 Participants
April 28, 2022 In-Person Community Design
Feedback Workshop
66 Participants
October 20, 2021 -
Present
Website Feedback 302 Comments
A detailed summary of each community outreach event can be found in Attachment 1, which is part of the outreach efforts staff presented during the George Izay Public Engagement and Park Master Plan Process Update at the August 11, 2022, Parks and Recreation Board (Board) meeting. The staff report provides details related to each public engagement activity, including outreach objectives, timeline, participation, and outcomes.
Stakeholder interviews illustrate the thoughtful nature of the public engagement activities.
The Consultant began soliciting perceived needs of community stakeholders as an essential part of the project. The s takeholders are often involved in the front lines of community recreation and have a unique understanding of community desires. Fifteen, virtual one-on-one interviews were conducted with key stakeholders . The following members of Boards, Commissions, and local non-profit organizations were engaged in the stakeholder interviews:
• Burbank Athletic Foundation – Chair and Vice Chair;
• Burbank Cultural Arts Commission – Chair and Vice Chair; • Burbank Historical Society – President and Vice President; • Fine Arts Federation – President;
• Parks and Recreation Board – Chair and Vice Chair;
• Senior Citizen Board – Chair and Vice Chair;
• Sustainable Burbank Commission – Chair and Co-Chair; and • Youth Board – Chair and Vice Chair.
4 At the conclusion of the community outreach efforts, all input gathered was synthesiz ed into a Top Needs chart representing the community voice. Top Needs reflects feedback collected from the three (3) community outreach methods , small group (stakeholder interviews), public/community (online surveys, feedback comments, and workshops), and surveys (multi-modal community survey).
Top Needs are listed in the table below:
TOP NEEDS
Art Center Benches Biking Drinking
Fountains
Exercise
Stations
Expansion Inclusive of
Special Needs
Programming
Landscape Lighting Little Theater
Maintenance Modernize Open Space Parking Pedestrian
Pathways
Pickleball Picnic Areas Playground
Renovation
Recreation
Center
Recreation
Class/Program
Renovate
Buildings
Restrooms Safety Seating Streetscapes
Sports Tables Trash Trees/Shade Variety of
Activities
Walking Wayfinding
Signage
Based on the Top Needs, Key Strategies (Strategies) were developed to represent goals for future George Izay Park improvements. Each of the following Strategies were designed to balance where the current recreation resources exist within the City.
Additionally, where or how current recreation resources can be implemented at the George Izay Park.
Key Strategies
1. New or enhanced recreation facilities for the Olive Recreation Center, Betsy Lueke Creative Arts Center, Burbank Little Theater, and Joslyn Adult Center.
2. Improve park amenities for safety, security, and pedestrian circulation (lighting, seating, walking paths, and wayfinding signage).
3. Preserve and enhance open space, trees, and natural landscapes, with a focus on sustainable practices.
4. Preserve and expand active sports recreation facilities.
5. Provide opportunities for passive recreation and exercise.
6. Preserve and expand availability of recreation programming at park facilities.
5 7. Provide a citywide Park Master Plan to guide future community strategies.
8. Expand and enhance playground equipment to include play features for both ages 2-5 years and ages 5-12 years.
A final Master Plan Report (Attachment 2) was prepared incorporating all background research, community input results, outreach efforts, plans prepared, estimates, key strategies, and recommendations. Detailed recommendations at pp. 85 through 104 outline how future phasing improvements may be addressed at George Izay Park, hardscape versus softscape comparisons, parking analysis, and building feasibility study recommendations. Additionally, a Conceptual Master Plan (Attachment 3) was developed to illustrate a map of George Izay Park with proposed park improvements. Finally, an Order of Magnitude Cost Estimate (Attachment 4) was developed based on the Park Master Plan final recommendations.
On August 11, 2022, staff and the Consultant provided the Board with a comprehensive presentation of the Master Plan. As previously mentioned, t his meeting presented yet another opportunity for the community and the Board to provide feedback on the Master Plan. The Board supported the Master Plan and noted and filed the accompanying staff report.
The Department will use the Master Plan to inform and prioritize future improvements to George Izay Park and its amenitie s, facilities, and buildings. Specifically, as next steps, the Department recommends conducting a site -specific topographic aerial and field survey for the entire George Izay Park site, as well as an arborist evaluation, utility investigation, and building feasibility study. This information coupled with the proposed Master Plan will allow the plan to be refined based on real-world constraints and opportunities city-wide. At that time, additional analysis and input can be applied to the Master Plan from Public Works and the Community Development Departments.
To conclude, a final recommendation from the George Izay Park Master Plan is to develop a city-wide Park Master Plan to g uide future park development strategies. By taking a closer look at all of Burbank’s available recreation amenities, park space, and facilities, the Department will identify future development opportunities at specific park sites. The Department will begin working on the city-wide Park Master Plan in Fiscal Year 2022-23.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
Based on the Conceptual Master Plan, an Order of Magnitude Cost Estimate was prepared to identify the potential costs of improvements. Further design development studies will need to be conducted to confirm the estimated quantities as it relates to all items, in particular trees, utilities, building square footages, and phasing opportunities. As additional studies are performed, the preliminary cost estimate will be updated for accuracy. Notably, over the last 18 months (December 2020 to May 2022), the construction industry has seen a 17% increase in costs. Therefore, it is in the best interest of the Department to prepare design development and construction document plans that can accurately estimate costs at a date nearer to potential construction.
6 With a limited budget, the Department will seek creative opportunities to fund the Master Plan. The Master Plan provides a decision -making framework to strategically pursue grant opportunities, secure funding for ongoing maintenance, prioritize renovations, and plan for future capital projects.
CONCLUSION
The Master Plan was developed in close partnership with the community and stakeholders who provided valuable input at each critical stage of engagement . The Department is proud to have solicited the input of community members, park users, and City-recreation enthusiasts who expressed ideas and concerns through the workshops, online surveys, city -wide surveys, and stakeholder interviews . The George Izay Park Master Plan reflects the needs, values, priorities, and the community voice of the City.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1- Parks and Recreation Board: August 11, 2022 – Staff Report Attachment 2- George Izay Park Master Plan Report
Attachment 3- George Izay Park Conceptual Master Plan
Attachment 4- Order of Magnitude Cost Estimate