Resolution 2022-XX Page 1 of 3 RESOLUTION NO. 2022-XX
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
FREMONT DEDICATING 8.84 ACRES AT THE CORNER OF
PASEO PADRE PARKWAY AND STEVENSON BOULEVARD AS
PUBLIC LAND
WHEREAS, the City of Fremont owns a 96.19 acre parcel at the corner of Paseo Padre Parkway and Stevenson Boulevard; and
WHEREAS, of that acreage, 8 acres was historically designated in the City’s General Plan as Public Facility to accommodate a performing arts facility and the remaining 88.19 acres is dedicated park land; and
WHEREAS, the 2011 General Plan relocated the potential performing arts facility to the downtown, adjacent to a future City Hall; as the 8 acres of Public Facility was no longer needed at the corner location, the City Council designated 2.5 acres of the 8 acre parcel as park land in December 2013, and previously, Council dedicated an additional 0.9 acres as park land;
WHEREAS, today, 4.6 acres of the original 8 acres remains as land that is City-owned, but not dedicated as park land; and
WHEREAS, the Alameda County Main Library at Central Park was built on 4.24 acres of land adjacent to Central Park and dedicated in 1989; and
WHEREAS, in 2002, the parcel on which the library sits was delineated concurrently with a second parcel comprising the police building and animal shelter; both new parcels were zoned Public Facility; and
WHEREAS, the sum of the two new parcels—approximately 15 acres—equaled that of the former City Government Building (City Hall) and former police building sites at Central Park, which were part of the originally deeded “Civic Center” land; and
WHEREAS, due to its location within Central Park, the approximately 15 acres of former “Civic Center” land became dedicated park land and the two new parcels at the perimeter were zoned Public Facility; and
WHEREAS, the Parks and Recreation Master Plan sets forth the “Criteria for Selection of Park Sites” to evaluate parcels for acquisition or dedication as City-owned park land; and
WHEREAS, the specific criteria include conformance with City of Fremont policies; physical configuration; topography; encumbrance; access; environmental constraints; compatibility with surrounding land uses; maintenance impacts; recreation commission review; capital improvements, operations, maintenance, and supervision costs; location; current use of the property; minimum parcel size; connectivity; and the ability to leverage a variety of funding sources for acquisition; and
Resolution 2022-XX Page 2 of 3 WHEREAS, parks provide recreational opportunities, create community, preserve the City’s character and natural resources, increase transportation opportunities, and keep Fremont beautiful; and
WHEREAS, park land provides relief from urban life, green space to those who do not have access to a yard, opportunities to gather and recreate, and numerous physical and mental health benefits; and
WHEREAS, parks are key to addressing regional challenges such as transportation, water resources, growth and development, climate change, environmental protection and economic prosperity; and
WHEREAS, Fremont’s parks help Fremont attract high-tech industries, creative professionals, and local entrepreneurs alike; and
WHEREAS, there are long-term economic and health benefits of providing active and passive recreational opportunities adjacent to places of employment and retail space; and WHEREAS, park land dedication ensures the preservation of that natural recreation space for generations into the future, which in turn preserves critical green infrastructure, such as trees and pervious surface so that the natural environment can continue to provide clean air and water; and
WHEREAS, on October 3, 2022, the Recreation Commission considered the dedication of the 8.84 acres at the corner of Paseo Padre Parkway and Stevenson Boulevard and unanimously recommended that the City Council dedicate the land as park land.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FREMONT HEREBY RESOLVES THAT:
SECTION 1. All facts as set forth in the Recitals of this Resolution are true and correct and this Resolution is based on the information set forth in the report to Council dated December 6, 2022, as well as any information submitted to or considered by the City Council during its deliberations on this matter.
SECTION 2. The City Council finds that the dedication of 8.84 acres at the corner of Paseo Padre Parkway and Stevenson Boulevard is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) per, without limitation, each on a separate and independent basis: (1) CEQA Guidelines Section 15307, as an action taken by a regulatory agency for the protection of the environment, specifically, for the maintenance, restoration, or enhancement of a natural resource, specifically, for the protection of open space resources; (2) CEQA Guidelines Section 15308, as an action taken by a regulatory agency for the protection of the environment, specifically, for the protection of open space resources; and (3) the proposed park land dedication are part of the project analyzed in the General Plan EIR (SCH#2010082060) and none of the circumstances necessitating preparation of a subsequent EIR pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21166 and CEQA Guidelines Sections 15162 and 15163 are present; and (4) CEQA Guidelines Sections 15378(b) and 15601(b)(3) as the dedication of park land is an
Resolution 2022-XX Page 3 of 3 administrative activity that will not result in an effect on the physical environment and any future development of the park will be developed later with the appropriate environmental review.
There are no previously identified significant effects which are substantially more severe than analyzed in the prior EIR or cannot be substantially mitigated by the imposition of uniformly applied development policies or standards applied on a citywide basis.
SECTION 3. The City Council finds that the 8.84 acres at the corner of Paseo Padre Parkway and Stevenson Boulevard satisfies the criteria for park site selection found in the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and is consistent with, and, in pursuit of goals and policies outlined in the City’s General Plan.
SECTION 5. The City Council hereby dedicates the 8.84 acres at the corner of Paseo Padre Parkway and Stevenson Boulevard, as depicted in Exhibit A attached hereto and made a part hereof, as park land.
ADOPTED, ___________, 2022, by the City Council of the City of Fremont by the following vote, to wit:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
_________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
__________________________________
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_________________________________
City Attorney