CITY COUNCIL
ERRATA SHEET
CITY OF PACIFIC GROVE
300 Forest Avenue, Pacific Grove, California 93950
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Sandra Kandell, City Clerk
MEETING DATE: 03/02/2022
SUBJECT: City Council Meeting Agenda- Errata Sheet
Attached is additional information for your consideration at the March 2, 2022 City Council Meeting:
Agenda Item Information Provided/Corrected
6A Wording changed from "joint venture" to "collaboration," in addition to corrected grammatical errors. (See attached revised Agenda Report and Resolution.) Attachments
Revised Agenda Report
Revised Resolution
Meeting Date: 03/02/2022
From: Amy Tomlinson
RECOMMENDATION
Approve a resolution in support of conveyance of the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Property on Lighthouse Avenue for a collaboration between the Center for Ocean Art, Science, and Technology (CAOST) and Central Coast community Energy (3CE)
DISCUSSION
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) building on Lighthouse Avenue, Pacific Grove, California has been put up for auction by the General Services Administration (GSA) of the federal government as part of a high-value asset sale through the Federal Assets Sale Transfer Act (FASTA).
The property appears to no longer qualify as a high-value asset under the FASTA process, as acknowledged in a December 2021 Public Buildings Reform Board (PBRB) report highlighting the failure of the property to meet the minimum criteria for subsequent FASTA round.
Rather than allowing the auction of the property to continue, the Federal government has an opportunity to enable the community to restore the building in a way that would be of significant benefit to current and future generations, of both local community residents and visitors.
Renovation of the building by 3CE to provide the community with a climate change and electrification exploration center, and a Center for Ocean Art, Science, and Technology (COAST would advance awareness of the impacts of climate change, education on the benefits of electrification, and cutting-edge scientific and technological innovation in the region while promoting the region's international reputation in ocean-inspired art, education, and public outreach, and bringing significant benefits to local community residents.
The building, with sea murals by Guggenheim-honored artist Ray Troll, overlooking Monterey Bay and the Great Tide Pool, could be transformed into an environmentally appropriate business workspace and art gallery, enabling the convergence of regional community business partners with and cutting-edge marine scientific and technological innovation with ocean-inspired art and virtual reality.
Project Supporters include: The Honorable Congressman Jimmy Panetta, Dr. Steve Palumbi, former Director of Stanford’s Hopkins Marine Station; Dr. Drew Harvell, Cornell Professor of Marine Biology and author of the award-winning books Sea of Glass and Ocean Outbreak; Dr. Kenneth Parker, climate change oceanographer and fine art photographer; Dr. Jennifer Carson, astrophysicist and former science museum manager; Dixie Layne, local historian, writer and board member of the Heritage Society of Pacific Grove; Moe Ammar, President of the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce; Donna Gates, board member of the Heritage Society of Pacific Grove; Frank Miscione, artist and civil engineer; Rick Steres, architect, researcher and board member of the Heritage Society of Pacific Grove; Lisa Ledin, radio announcer for NPR’s KAZU. next steps include:
1. Continuing to work with the Honorable Congressman Jimmy Panetta who strongly supports conveyance of the property for the local community under a federal public benefit conveyance process.
2. Create a detailed plan for 3CE and COAST collaboration
3. Engage and develop community support
OPTIONS: Provide alternate direction.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: None associated with proposed resolution GOAL ALIGNMENT:
Environmental Stewardship: Adopt a develop policies and ordinances that preserve and protect the environment.
City Asset Stewardship: Repair, maintain and improve City assets, including streets, sidewalks, sewer systems, buildings, parks, and trails to better serve the community, anticipate future needs and prevent further degradation.
Transparency, Accountability and Communications: implement programs, processes, revisions, and training to improve and advance the City’s efforts.
RESOLUTION NO. ???
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PACIFIC GROVE
SUPPORTING CONVEYANCE OF THE NATIONAL OCEANIC ATMOSPHERIC
ADMINISTRATION PROPERTY ON LIGHTHOUSE AVENUE FOR A
COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE CENTER FOR OCEAN ART, SCEINCE, AND
TECHNOLOGY AND CENTRAL COAST COMMUNITY ENERGY
FINDINGS
1. WHEREAS, the City of Pacific Grove is committed to restoring and preserving the archeologically and environmentally sensitive landscapes and ecosystems along the City's Monterey Bay shoreline; and
2. WHEREAS, the City has recently completed a project to restore the shoreline adjacent to the Pacific Grove Golf Links; and
3. WHEREAS, the City, the Heritage Society, and the community have recently completed a project to restore the Point Pinos Lighthouse, the oldest continuously operating Lighthouse on the west coast; and
4. WHEREAS, the City, assisted by the Monterey County Parks District, the Transportation Agency of Monterey County, and others, has developed the Recreation Trail along the City's shoreline, making Pacific Grove one of the few cities on the west coast to preserve virtually the entire coastline in public ownership for the enjoyment and education of the public;
5. WHEREAS, the City is actively working to acquire or otherwise ensure that the remaining railroad right of way is retained as a nature path open to the public; and
6. WHEREAS, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has surplused 4.3 acres of land and a building in the midst of the City's natural habitat restoration areas; and
7. WHEREAS, NOAA has not had either adequate resources or the interest to preserve and restore the land to its native state; and
8. WHEREAS, the General Services Administration (GSA) of the federal government is attempting to auction the NOAA property in its high-value asset sale through the Federal Assets Sale Transfer Act (FASTA) process; and
9. WHEREAS, the Public Buildings Reform Board (PBRB) failed to engage with community stakeholders, as required, prior to determining the eligibility of the property for inclusion as a high-value asset in the FASTA process; and
10. WHEREAS, the PBRB has not disclosed publicly how the NOAA property was originally determined to be of sufficient value, given the many constraints on its use, for inclusion as a high-value asset in the FASTA process; and
11. WHEREAS, the property appears to no longer qualify as a high-value asset under the FASTA process, as acknowledged in a December 2021 PBRB report highlighting the failure of the property to meet the minimum criteria for the subsequent FASTA round ; and
12. WHEREAS, as a condition of receiving a determination of concurrence letter from the California Coastal Commission (CCC) that transfer of ownership of the NOAA property would not adversely impact coastal resources, the GSA agreed to disclose all relevant Pacific Grove Local Coastal Program land-use policies to potential auction bidders ; and
13. WHEREAS, as requested in the CCC’s determination letter, the GSA has not adequately informed potential auction bidders in its disclosure documents that the Pacific Grove Local Coastal Program's land-use policy limits uses of the property to "coastal-dependent marine research and educational activities, aquaculture, and coastal dependent recreational access that is compatible with maintenance of coastal-dependent scientific and educational uses"; and
14. WHEREAS, rather than allowing the auction of the property to continue, the Federal government has an opportunity to enable the community to restore all of the lands between Lighthouse Avenue, Asilomar Avenue, and Ocean View Boulevard, and fully integrate those restored lands into the City's other nature restoration and preservation and areas; and
15. WHEREAS, this restored land would be of significant benefit to current and future generations, of both local community residents and visitors; and
16. WHEREAS, renovation of the building to provide the community with a climate change and electrification exploration center, and a Center for Ocean Art, Science, and Technology (COAST) that would advance cutting-edge scientific and technological innovation in the region; promote the region's international reputation in ocean-inspired art, education, and public outreach; and bring significant benefits to both local community residents and visitors; and
17. WHEREAS, COAST, with its goal of highlighting ocean art, science and technology while preserving the building's spectacular and unique ocean-themed mural by world-renowned artist Ray Troll, has garnered over 2,000 signatories on a petition to save the decommissioned NOAA facility; and
18. WHEREAS, the City passed a resolution (No. 21-011) in 2021 in support of COAST’s efforts to garner community support for saving the mural, for securing the NOAA building for the community, and for developing a plan for housing an ocean science- and art-related program in the building, and
19. WHEREAS, restoration of the land and renovation of the building, when combined with the other projects the City has underway, would significantly increase the overall benefit to the local environment, residents, and the tens of thousands of visitors each year from throughout the United States and around the world, takes on added value to our community and nation; and
20. WHEREAS, the Honorable Congressman Jimmy Panetta strongly supports conveyance of the property to the local community and has demonstrated his support through letters to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Administrators of the GSA and NOAA, and
21. WHEREAS, the Pacific Grove City Council has continually indicated its support for a community supported reuse as evident by their passage of a previous resolution (No. 12-025) in 2012 requesting that the Lighthouse Avenue property be conveyed to the City for under a federal public benefit conveyance process.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PACIFIC GROVE:
1. The Council determines that each Finding set forth above is true and correct, and by this reference incorporates those Findings as an integral part of this Resolution.
2. The Council authorizes adoption of this resolution to support the conveyance of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Property on Lighthouse Avenue for a collaboration between the Center for Ocean Art, Science, and Technology and Central Coast Community Energy.
3. This Resolution shall become effective immediately following passage and adoption thereof.
PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PACIFIC GROVE this 2nd day of March 2022, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
APPROVED:
____________________________________
BILL PEAKE, Mayor
ATTEST:
DATED: _______________________
_______________________________
SANDRA KANDELL, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
________________________________
DAVID C. LAREDO, City Attorney