Fremont City Council Meeting: 11/14/23 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Community Services
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Agreements and Contracts
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5007) DOC ID: 5007
Updated: 11/7/2023 3:25 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 1
FIVE-YEAR LICENSE AGREEMENT WITH WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP MUSEUM OF
LOCAL HISTORY FOR USE OF RANCHO HIGUERA HISTORICAL PARK - Authorize the City Manager or her Designee to execute a five-year license agreement, with two five-year renewal options, with Washington Township Museum of Local History, for use of Rancho Higuera Historical Park & Adobe, and find this action is exempt from CEQA review.
Contact Persons:
Name: Irene Jordahl Suzanne Wolf
Title: Recreation Superintendent II Community Services Director Div/Dept: Community Services Community Services
Phone: 510-494-4322 510-494-4329
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: The purpose of this item is to recommend that the City Council authorize the City Manager or her designee to execute a five-year license agreement, with two five-year renewal options, with the Washington Township Museum of Local History for the use of the Rancho Higuera Historical Park, including the Higuera Adobe, for the general purpose of providing historic educational docent-led walks, talks, tours and programs; public education and field trips; museum exhibits; volunteer efforts; historical preservation; and support ongoing operations.
BACKGROUND: Washington Township Museum of Local History (Museum) is a California non-profit organization that preserves Southern Alameda County memories, documents, artifacts, and structures from the past and shares them with present and future generations.
On May 19, 2022, the City entered into a one-year license agreement with the Museum to facilitate the Museum’s use of Rancho Higuera Historical Park (Park) and the historic Galinda-Higuera Adobe (Adobe) to provide historic educational docent-led walks, talks, tours and programs, volunteer efforts, historic preservation, and support of on-going operations.
The Museum has been conducting school field trips to the Fremont Unified School District (FUSD) for many years to provide hands-on educational opportunities for students aligning with FUSD’s elementary education curriculum. Additionally, the Museum facilitates tours of the Adobe and Park monthly from April through September.
Staff supports the Museum’s proposal to continue its activities in the Park and the Adobe and is recommending a license agreement between the Museum and City for a five-year term with two five-year renewal options.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: The City of Fremont has enjoyed a positive working relationship with the Museum. The Museum has been instrumental in providing support of the Rancho Higuera Historical Park and historic Galinda-Higuera Adobe - one of the last remaining buildings in Washington Township from the Spanish-Mexican era of California (1776-1848) – telling the story of the historical significance of the Adobe that that was built Council Staff Report (ID # 5007) Meeting of November 14, 2023 Updated: 11/7/2023 3:25 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 2
between 1830 and 1840 on land granted to Fulgencio Higuera, the association with Juan Crisostomo Galindo and rancho life, and life and history of the Ohlone, who were the indigenous peoples of the area, through the sharing of the site’s land resources, historic building, and preserved artifacts and documents. The Museum provides historic education programs, volunteers efforts, special events, programs for the community, and stewardship of the Park.
The Museum will continue to offer tours and field trips so generations to come will have informative, educational, and authentic visual and tangible connection to the history of the area.
The proposed five-year term and the two five-year renewal options will enable the long- standing partnership between the City and the Museum to continue in support of the benefits provided by the volunteers of the Washington Township Museum of Local History.
FISCAL IMPACT: None
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The approval of a license agreement with the Museum is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to, without limitation, each on a separate and independent basis, CEQA Guidelines:
1) Section 15061 (Review for Exemption) in that the activity is covered by the common - sense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. Here, the license agreement is for historic educational docent-led walks, tours and programs, public education, and field trips that will not have an impact on the environment.
2) Section 15183 (Projects Consistent with a Community Plan, General Plan, or Zoning) in that the proposed project is consistent with the land use envisioned for the site as established by the General Plan. Per CEQA Guidelines §15162 and §15163, none of the circumstances requiring calling for the preparation of a subsequent or supplemental EIR have occurred. Here, the license agreement contemplates using the Park for the same uses designated in the General Plan.
3) Section 15378 (Project) in that the requested license agreement with the Museum will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment as the use of the Park by the Museum will not have an impact on the environment.
ATTACHMENTS: None.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Authorize the City Manager or her designee to execute a license agreement with the Washington Township Museum of Local History for use of Rancho Higuera Historical Park & Adobe for a 5-year period through 2028, with the option to renew for 2 additional 5-year periods that could extend the agreement through 2038.
2. Find the license agreement is exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under CEQA Guidelines Sections 15061, 15183, and 15378.