STAFF REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
DATE: Regular Meeting of June 25, 2024
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Dante Hall, City Manager
SUBMITTED BY: Michael Roberts, Public Works Director/City Engineer Christopher Roke, Parks and Recreation Director
SUBJECT: Beechnut Park Conceptual Plan
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Receive a presentation on the community outreach for the Beechnut Park improvements and designate by minute order the “Play Area with Design Option 3” as the preferred alternative.
BACKGROUND:
Beechnut Park is located on a 6-acre parcel bounded by Refugio Valley Road, Beechnut Drive, and Coronado Street. It is accessed from Coronado Street by a concrete pathway and from a parking lot off Beechnut Drive.
The parking lot has been unused for many years and is believed to have been constructed to access the model homes and sales office when the surrounding neighborhood was developed. Existing amenities in the park area are sparse and include a concrete walkway, sand playground with 2 swings, several benches, a trash can, and streetlight, all of which are worn out and in need of replacement. A PG&E easement for overhead transmission lines runs over the site and the current easement language prohibits the installation of any new structures, including play equipment.
The City entered into a contract with Gates & Associates, who are on the City’s pre-approved vendor list, in November 2023 to complete the conceptual design of the park. Following approval by the City Council, the conceptual plan will be sent to PG&E for review and ideally approval, potentially with minor modifications. PG&E has communicated to staff that either an encroachment agreement will be required or authorization from the California Public Utilities Commission. This process could take 3-9 months, depending upon the approach. PG&E would like to see the project advance for the benefit of Hercules residents and City staff is optimistic the necessary approvals will be obtained.
Guidance from the Parks & Recreation Facilities Master Plan informed the development of the conceptual plan and Beechnut Park is included in the priority 5-Year Action Plan.
Funding for this project is included in the recently Adopted FY 24-25 Budget.
ANALYSIS:
Given Beechnut is a neighborhood park, mailers were sent to approximately 900 homes in the vicinity inviting the residents to participate in an on-line survey or to attend a pop-up event. The on-line survey ran from May 9 to May 27 and 172 people participated. The pop-up event occurred on Saturday, May 18 and 12 residents attended. Out of the alternatives presented, the Play Area with Design Option 3 shown below was the clear favorite of those who participated in the survey and event.
Details on the different alternatives, which were selected based upon the available funding, and survey responses are included in Att #1, which will be presented in detail as part of the staff report.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The planning level estimate for Play Area with Design Option 3 is $438K, which is in the ballpark for the budgeted amount of $404K. As the design is further refined, minor adjustments in the improvements can be made if needed so the total project cost falls within the existing budget.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attach 1- Community Outreach Presentation