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Staff Report
City Council
Item No. 3.B
Meeting Date: March 8, 2023
From: John Corella, Director of Engineering/Public Works Title: Downtown Dog Park Update and Conceptual Design
City Council
RECOMMENDATION:
For staff to provide the City Council an update on the Downtown Dog Park and conceptual design for discussion and direction on Project budget, funding opportunities and time lines.
BACKGROUND:
On November 9, 2022, the City Council approved an agreement with Verde Design, Inc. (Verde) in the amount of $13,340 to produce a Conceptual Design Plan (Plan) for the Second Street Dog Park (herein further referred to as the Downtown Dog Park until an official name is determined). After the approval date, the agreement was executed, Verde performed its site visit and has subsequently submitted a first and second draft of the Plan for Staff’s review and comment. The latest Plan is attached to this Staff Report.
On the Plan, you will see that four (4) pickleball courts have been incorporated into the Plan. This addition of the pickleball courts will provide an additional amenity to the future park that would provide more functionality to the limited space, thus servicing an additional interest group. This is important to our community and very important to potential participatory grant reviewers, as they will be looking at the park space being able to serve different interest groups within the community.
Constructing a Downtown Dog Park at the former Second Street Park property has been the logical choice of a location for this Project. Even though a portion of the old Second Street Park property was utilized for the City’s new Fire Station 411, there is sufficient land to repurpose the park as shown on the Plan. The existing Buddy Rogers frontage improvements were recently constructed including a new driveway and there is the potential to salvage the existing onsite restroom building as well.
Currently, the funding for the construction of The Second Street Dog Park (Project) is limited to $250,000 as approved in the City’s Fiscal Years 2021/22 and 2022/23 Parks Improvement and Maintenance Plan under Park Upgrade Projects. Rough estimates now
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indicate that at least $1.250 to $1.5 million may be needed to complete a dog and pickleball park project at this location.
DISCUSSION:
Staff has been in contact with the City’s on call grant consultant, MVR Consulting (MVR) regarding the park and available grants. In discussions it was determined there may be an opportunity to provide an application for the upcoming State Parks Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant (LWFC). (This is the same grant the City secured for the Cathedral City Community Amphitheater.) City Staff and MVR have completed an initial in-house investigation on this site’s eligibility to receive this particular grant. We have subsequently made contact with State Parks and submitted our findings to them. The State stated that they should have an answer to us within a few weeks.
The challenge with this opportunity has many folds, but not unsurmountable with a concerted and unified effort with both the City Staff and MVR. The timeline for this grant submittal is June 1, 2023 and it requires a 50% match from the City. The initial challenges identified posed by making a run at this grant are as follows:
•State Parks replying in a timely manner that we are eligible for this grant and that past grants accepted for this site and existing site dedication restrictions will not cause impediments to proceed with the State Parks Grant application. •The City can complete all required environmental documentation (CEQA) required prior to submitting the State Parks Grant application. •The City will not oppose the deed restriction on the site for perpetuity if we accept and utilize the State Parks Grant funding.
•The City demonstrates, by resolution of budget or other State Parks accepted document, the funds reserved for the match are available and reserved for the Project if awarded.
With the upcoming FY 2023/24 and 2024/25 Budget, this discussion is timely on how the City Council and City Staff prioritize this Project for this potential opportunity at this time and/or move to position this Project with other funding (grant) opportunities in the upcoming years. This includes recognizing this Project is projected to be more costly than initially anticipated, as other projects in the Parks Improvement Plan, due to escalating construction, labor and insurance costs.
If State Parks provides a positive answer that this location is eligible to be considered for the Grant and the City Council is in favor of submitting the required State Parks grant application, Staff would immediately engage MVR Consulting for $30,000 to proceed with the coordination and compilation of required documents/studies for the submittal of the State Parks Grant application.
Staff is providing this update on the Downtown Dog Park and Conceptual Design for City Council discussion and direction.
FISCAL IMPACT:
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The FY 2023/24 and 2024/25 biennial budget, Parks Improvement Plan is currently being prepared. Staff seeks Council direction for the Downtown Dog Park and the State Parks Grant LWFC opportunity.
ATTACHMENTS:
2023.02.16 Preliminary Concept