Agenda Item No: N.2
AGENDA REPORT
DATE: March 4, 2025
TO: Mayor and Council
FROM: David Gassaway, City Manager
SUBJECT: Resolution 2025-31 PW Matt Garcia Community Park Master Plan
Adopting the Matt Garcia Community Park Master Plan
Funding Source: N/A
Contact: Caroline Vedder, (707) 428-7484
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Adopt resolution
STATEMENT OF ISSUE
In October 2021, the c ity contracted with design consultant, Gates + Associates Landscape Architecture (Gates) to complete a master plan for the Matt Garcia Community Park. The proposed master plan is the culmination of extensive outreach and research to design a new community park t hat meets the current and future needs of the City. The proposed resolution authorizes the City Council to adopt the Matt Garcia Community Park Master Plan (Master Plan).
DISCUSSION
The development of the City’s Train Station Specific Plan (TSSP) envisions a park system that provides residents and visitors with a meaningful public space experience while promoting active participation and healthy lifestyles. The TSSP includes a roughly 50 -acre community park previously referred to as the Northeast Fairfield Great Park. The City now owns all of the parkland identified in the Master Plan. On September 7, 2021, the coun cil adopted Resolution 2021 -212 to name the planned Great Park in honor of former City Councilmember Matt Garcia.
Subsequently, the City planning and design documents began referring to the Great Park as the Matt Garcia Community Park (Park).
The Park is intended to serve future city growth and respond to existing needs in the community.
The proposed Park will be located along Vanden Road approximately 1.5 miles east of the Fairfield-Vacaville Hannigan Train Station. In 2013, preliminary planning envisione d the Park
being constructed in four separate phases. Per TSSP Policy 4-18, the landowners in Planning Areas 4 and 5 shall be responsible for the construction of a minimum of 16 of the total 50 acres of the Park. The remainder of the Park shall be constructed by the City or by developers, if required by the City through development conditions of approval of subsequent development entitlements.
The a ctual construction of the estimated $17.5 million (in 2013 dollars) Park is contingent on continued development in the surrounding area.
In October 2021, the City entered into a professional services agreement with Gates to complete the Master Plan design (Project) for the Park. Gates conducted multiple new investigations and preliminary studies on the undeveloped site over 16 months, including environmental and traffic studies, and reviewed previous environmental studies to determine compliance with existing permits. Another significant component of the Project included extensive interaction with the community. The community engagement portion of the Project included both virtual and in - person meetings, booths at community events, a website, and a survey. Gates used both small focus meetings with individual groups of City staff, various stakeholder user groups, the Vacaville Parks and Recreation Department, and larger community meetings with the community at large.
The outcome of the investigations, studies, and outreach resulted in a cohesive, multi -phased Master Plan that will fulfill current and futu re needs within the city , as seen in the Preferred Design Concept Plan. Key elements of the Master Plan include:
Recreation Center (40,000 square feet includes a gymnasium, administrative space, event space, fitness space, and Science, Technology, Enginee ring, Arts, and Mathematics [STEAM] classrooms)
Splash pad
Adventure playground
Outdoor amphitheater
All-wheels track (a paved track or circuit within a park that has a series of banked turns, rollers, and jumps that riders navigate using a pumping motion rather than pedaling) Picnic areas (shade structures, table, and trash)
Five sod soccer fields
One synthetic turf soccer field
Concession stand
Eight tennis courts
Six pickleball courts
Restrooms
Dog park (Small and large)
Community Plaza
Perimeter pedestrian path
Memorial wall
Pedestrian bridge
The Master Plan is split into five total phases, as follows:
Phase Acreage Estimate
2023
Description
Phase 1 16 $29,668,425 Entry Road, Roundabout/Drop Off, Dog Park, Soccer Fields, and Pedestrian Bridge
Phase 1A 13.5 $6,733,126 Loop Road
Phase 2 8 $19,272,391 Soccer Fields and Trail
Phase 3 6.5 $13,576,907 Sports Courts, All -Wheel Track, and Adventure Playground
Phase 4 4.2 $52,707,479 Recreation Center, Amphitheater, Splash Pad, and North Entry at Future Vanden Road Extension
Total 48.2 $121,958,328
The total estimate to construct the Park with the above-mentioned infrastructure and amenities is approximately $122 million (in 2023 dollars).
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Adoption of the Master Plan does not have an immediate financial impact on the City. However, full implementation of the Park requires approximately $122 million (in 2023 dollars ) to complete.
The City has identified the Assembly Bill (AB) 1600 Park fee (Fund 263), as adopted in 2013, as one funding source for the park's construction. Per the AB1600 fee program, the Park has funding identified in four phases, as listed below, totaling $28,299,454 (in 2023 dollars). The remaining $93,700,546 gap in fundin g for the park's design and construction could be filled by grants, partnerships, fundraising campaigns, or loans.
The city is currently conducting a new AB1600 Development Impact Fee study to assess funding for future park improvements. The analysis's pu rpose is to ensure that future development contributes its fair share of costs to enhancing the park and recreational spaces in Fairfield. Staff will return to the council later to share the findings and next steps.
Phase Acreage 2013 Estimate 2023 Escalated Cost
Phase 1 16.5 $7,507,500 $10,859,093
Phase 2 16.5 $7,507,500 $10,859,093
Phase 3 5 $2,275,000 $3,290,634
Phase 4 5 $2,275,000 $3,290,634
Total 43 $19,565,000 $28,299,454
Pursuant to the Fourth Amendment to the Development Agreement, Exhibit 13-1 between the city and One Lake Holding LLC. (developer), the developer is required to construct the 16.5 acres of the Park. In exchange , the developer will receive AB1600 Park fees and Bedroom Tax fee credits. Staff has conducted preliminary di scussions with the developer and will return to city council with any proposed modifications or revisions to the development agreement at a future meeting.
As the final design and preliminary cost estimates were put together for the Master Plan , two newly identified items significantly increased the final cost from what was proposed by the AB1600 fee program in 2013. These two items total roughly $48 million dollars. The entire Park site needs to be raised approximately eight feet to meet the grade for the widening of Vanden Road. This means roughly 791,000 cubic yards of dirt will need to be imported into the site. This was not accounted for in the preliminary design estimates of the TSSP and adopted AB1600 Fees. The imported soil cost is estima ted at roughly $12,900,000.
A large recreation center was not included in the preliminary design of the TSSP , though it was very clear from the outreach phase of the Project that there was a significant need to provide that type of amenity to the community. The recreation center is roughly 40,000 square feet and includes a gymnasium, administrative space, event space, fitness space, and STEAM classrooms. The Parks and Recreation Department is anticipating to program this space and rent out rooms to generate revenue. The estimated cost, in 2023 dollars, is $35,000,000.
Some other factors that account for the increased cost estimates include additional roadway in the Park to create a loop for increased safety and accessibility, increased parking, larger playground areas, concession stands at the soccer fields, multiple restroom buildings at each hub of recreation, and an increase in the number of proposed sports courts. Th e remainder of the cost increase is due to significant cost increases for all items that far outweigh the escalation factor used.
As the Park is constructed, ongoing maintenance will need to be budgeted. Per the recently adopted Parks, Recreation, and Ope n Space Masterplan, the best practice cost per acre maintenance for a community park is roughly $12,000 per acre. The estimated annual cost for the Park is $600,000 per year (in 2025 dollars).
The maintenance of the Park is intended to be funded by portions of Community Facilities District Nos. 2018-1 and 2023 -2. Per resolution 2018 -214, only 22% of the Development Agreement services component goes towards park maintenance . Thus, at full buildout of Canon Station, generated park maintenance funding will be roughly $322,000. The $322,000 is intended to maintain all of the parks in the TSSP, not only the Park.
PUBLIC CONTACT/ADVISORY BODY RECOMMENDATION
The City and its consultant conducted multiple types of outreach from March 2022 to April 2023 to assess the amenities being requested for this new park. The City and its consultants held internal staff meetings, meetings with adjacent agencies, such as Vacaville, meetings with specific user groups, such as soccer, and meetings with the community at large. There were also multiple pop-up events where City staff and the consultant went to regularly scheduled public events to engage the community at their convenience. City staff and the consultant also created a webpage that was open for the duration of the Project and a survey.
For additional details on the Project’s robust community outreach process, refer to Chapter 3 of the Master Plan.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
If the council has any questions, the adoption of the Master Plan may be delayed so that staff may provide the necessary backup information.
COORDINATED WITH
Community Development, Fire, Parks & Recreation, Finance, Police, and Information Technology (IT) Departments
STAFF CONTACT
Caroline Vedder, Senior Civil Engineer
(707) 428-7484
[email protected]
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 2: Proposed Resolution
Attachment 3: Preferred Design Concept
Attachment 4: Proposed Matt Garcia Community Park Master Plan