Agenda Report
Fullerton City Council
MEETING DATE: NOVEMBER 21, 2023
TO: CITY COUNCIL / SUCCESSOR AGENCY
SUBMITTED BY: DAISY PEREZ, DEPUTY CITY Manager
PREPARED BY: DAISY PEREZ, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER
SUBJECT: UNION PACIFIC PARK DESIGN
SUMMARY
The Parks and Recreation Commission approved the Union Pacific Park proposed concept plan on November 13, 2023. The design incorporated extensive community input, including Union Pacific Ad-Hoc Committee recommendations and community survey results.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the proposed design for Union Pacific Park.
CITY MANAGER REMARKS
None.
BUDGET POLICY PRIORITY STATEMENT
This item matches the following Budget Policy Priority Statement:
Infrastructure and City Assets.
FISCAL IMPACT
This item has no fiscal impact. Staff anticipates proposed construction costs would total approximately $2.5 - $3.5 million dollars. Staff seeks grant opportunities to offset proposed construction costs. The City has park dwelling funds to cover approximately 50% of anticipated construction costs depending on priorities of improvements among parks. Staff would return to City Council to award the construction contract and request budget appropriation once the City has secured funding to construct the park.
DISCUSSION
Background
Union Pacific Park is a 1.4-acre site constructed in 2003 as a traditional park with parking lot, restrooms, playground, picnic area, basketball courts and the first phase of the Union Pacific Trail. The City received notification from the Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) in late 2003, just before park dedication, that the park most likely had contamination. The DTSC confirmed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and volatile organic compound contamination. DTSC began a clean-up plan after several years of litigation to determine the responsible party. DTSC completed clean-up in 2014. The City actively sought grant funding and partners to develop and potentially operate the site between 2014 and 2021.
The property experienced illicit activity and unpermitted uses while the park and trail remained closed. City Council created the Union Pacific Park Ad-Hoc Committee in 2021. Each Council Member appointed an ad-hoc committee member from the surrounding community to work with staff to seek community input and determine a new design for the park. The Ad-Hoc Committee held two meetings to discuss whether the park should become a neighborhood park or a commercial park. The Committee chose to restore the park as a neighborhood park with amenities that encourage positive daily use and discourage illicit usage.
Staff invited the Ad-hoc Committee and residents to a community meeting on June 29, 2023 to further discuss the design and amenities of Union Pacific Park and participate in a survey. Staff created a new design based on survey results and Ad-hoc Committee meetings.
The proposed design for the neighborhood park features a community garden and two play areas: one designed for children ages 2 to 5 years and the other for children ages 5 to 12 years, two dedicated pickleball courts, two combination pickleball and basketball half courts and outdoor exercise equipment. A segment of the Union Pacific Phase I Trail runs along the north edge of the park and includes a decomposed granite trail and concrete walkway with trees and benches along the route. This portion of the trail begins at the Fullerton Transportation Center, through the park, to Highland Avenue.
The Parks and Recreation Commission voted 3 – 2 – 2 (Absent: Silva, Lloyd) to approve the proposed Union Pacific Park concept plan.
Funding Options
Staff applied for two grants earlier this year to fund Union Pacific Park construction. The Clean California Local Grant Program (CCLGP) requires a 15% funding match and a Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant which requires a 50% funding match.
The Caltrans CCLGP team received 230 applications for local grant projects by the May 31, 2023 application deadline that sought approximately $560 million in grant funds. Caltrans awarded 42 projects but did not select the City of Fullerton for the CCLGP grant.
Staff conducted a site inspection with grant representatives earlier this summer as part of the LWCF grant application. Staff anticipates LWCF will announce the LWCF grant awards by December 2023.
Other Options for Funding
The City has Park Dwelling Fees available to fund a portion of the park and potentially use as a match, depending on City Council priorities.
Funding from the Union Pacific Trail
The City of Fullerton received a $1.78 million dollar grant to fund the Union Pacific Trail Phase II project construction. City Council directed staff to reapproach the California Natural Resources Agency to inquire about reallocating grant funding to another project in the City on August 18, 2023. The City Manager’s Office met twice with the granting agency and proposed to reallocate funding to the Union Pacific Park project. The granting agency seemed open to considering a potential scope change during the initial meeting and requested follow-up information from the City prior to a final decision including a cost breakdown for the proposed project to determine which costs would be eligible based on the grant requirements. The City Manager’s Office had a second meeting with the Granting Agency. The Agency will not approve moving the funds at this time and highlighted several considerations that the City would need meet to further evaluate:
The Urban Greening Grant program requires projects located in a low-income area within a half-mile of a disadvantaged community. (Union Pacific Park met this requirement, which made staff optimistic.) The program aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through carbon sequestration. This requirement makes Union Pacific Park difficult because the plan would need the number of trees planted more in line with the Union Pacific trail application.
The program would look at the City’s ability to provide matching funds. (This is a concern at this time as the City did not receive one grant and awaits notification of the other grant.) Staff believes allocating Park Dwelling Fees would satisfy this requirement.
The program considers community support and engagement for the proposed project. (Staff believes it can demonstrate community support.) The uncertainty of both the grant application and unlikely ability to move the other grant to this project due to not meeting greenhouse gas emission reduction (in particular) creates concerns with moving forward with this project.
City Council could move Park Dwelling fees in the future or commit to it. Staff continues to investigate the possibility to address the agency’s concerns.
Staff will look at other funding opportunities at this time if those are successful.
Attachments:
Attachment 1 – Union Pacific Park Proposed Design
cc: City Manager Eric J. Levitt
Union Pacific Park Design
November 21, 2023 - Page 2