HARBOR COMMISSION STRATEGIC PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS FEB 23 1 To: Harbor and Economic Development Director and City Council From: Harbor Commission
Date: 17 February 2023
Subject: Harbor/Pier related strategic planning priority projects At the 13 Feb 23 meeting of the Harbor Commission the Harbor Commission deliberated recommendations for the upcoming update to the city’s Strategic Plan. The Harbor Commission is pleased with the attention given to previous recommendations and the progress on those projects.
After much discussion and input from the public, the Harbor Commission unanimously approved the recommendations that follow. We appreciate your consideration of our recommendations.
1. Recommended Objective: Apply and receive grant funding for a Harbor Climate Resiliency Master Plan. Develop RFP for a consultant contract to develop the plan.
Applicable strategic plan goal: Increase environmental sustainability.
When: By October 2023
Rationale: The city needs a comprehensive plan to address sea level rise. This plan is long overdue. State guidelines define the need to prepare for 10 inches of sea level rise by 2030, and recent storms and king tides have shown the reality of the threat. Federal and state money for infrastructure projects and environmental sustainability could help offset substantial city costs associated with making improvements to our waterfront in response to sea level rise. This plan would enable the City to apply for those Federal as well as state funds. Funding can also be used to offset any costs likely incurred by our private leaseholders, as they work to upgrade facilities while accommodating for sea level rise.
2. Recommended Objective: Seaside Lagoon. Apply for and receive additional grant funding for the Seaside Lagoon. Drive design completion within first year.
Applicable strategic plan goal: Vitalize core commercial areas of the city.
When: By October 2023/March 2024
Rationale: The City Council and the Amenities Plan have prioritized Seaside Lagoon as a First Phase of implementation of the Amenities Plan. This objective has two parts. - Projects such as the Amenities Plan have taken much longer than originally projected.
Council expressed concern about the five years projected on the Nevis contract. The first part of this objective is for staff to ensure meeting an interim schedule goal of a final design for the lagoon approved within the first year so that the city can start the entitlements process.
- The second objective is for staff to work in parallel with the design process to identify, apply for and receive additional grants from the state or potentially other sources.
3. Recommended Objective: Boat Ramp. Prepare an RFP for conceptual design and entitlements.
Applicable strategic plan goal: Vitalize core commercial areas of the city.
When: By September 2023
HARBOR COMMISSION STRATEGIC PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS FEB 23 2 Rationale: The Council and the Amenities Plan define the boat ramp as a Phase 1 priority for implementation. WED staff has socialized grant funding with the appropriate state staff which would cover costs associated with permitting and construction. Said State grant does not cover the necessary studies (parking, traffic, demand) required to conceptually design the boat launch nor the entitlement process. The City’s existing Capital Improvement Program contains $400,000 for future designs of a new boat launch. This goal of procuring an RFP will begin the design and entitlement process that must occur before staff applies for grant funding to begin the permitting and construction phases.
4. Recommended Objective: Abandoned vessels removal - Apply for and receive funding for a Surrendered and Abandoned Vessel Exchange (SAVE) Program to facilitate and expedite removal of derelict boats from the harbor.
Applicable strategic plan goal: Increase environmental sustainability.
When: By September 2023
Rationale: Harbor Commission and the public have complained about the eyesores represented by abandoned boats moored in our harbors for over a year. These vessels also represent a risk of pollution if they sink. They are subject to pilfering, and they represent a potential hazard during storm events. This program would take advantage of Division of Boating and Waterways grants to facilitate removal and destruction of abandoned vessels.
5. Recommended Objective: Define and implement a parking program for frequent recreational harbor users that complies with Measure C
Applicable strategic plan goal: Vitalize core commercial areas of the city.
When: By October 2023
Rationale: Pursuant to Section 4-h.3 of Measure C, the City shall approve and implement reduced parking fees for frequent users of the harbor (e.g., issuance of annual parking passes) for coastal dependent uses. The city has not yet implemented such a program and is currently out of compliance with Measure C with respect to parking incentives for frequent harbor users.
The City’s existing Capital Improvement Program consists of a project in which the marina surface parking lot is upgrading to automatic pay stations in lieu of an employee operated payment system. The city has the opportunity to build compliance into the new electronic system as it rolls out.
6. Recommended Objective: Explore the feasibility of extending the south sea wall with the Army Corps of Engineers and others as required
Applicable strategic plan goal: Increase environmental sustainability.
When: By January 2024
Rationale: Army Corps of Engineers studies show wave and surge action on Moles C and D could be significantly reduced by extending the south sea wall. (See Figures 1 and 2). With the investment in Mole C and D infrastructure, extension of the sea wall would reduce the risk of storm activity damaging the new amenities. Also the calming effect of the extension would reduce shut down times of the new boat ramp and make it safer to use HARBOR COMMISSION STRATEGIC PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS FEB 23 3 Figure 1: Drawing from Army Corps of Engineers analysis of King Harbor Breakwater includes 300 foot extension of south breakwater
Figure 2: Text from Army Corps of Engineers study that concludes south breakwater extension would “eliminate the predominant amount of wave energy now allowed to strike Moles C and D.”
HARBOR COMMISSION STRATEGIC PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS FEB 23 4 7. Recommended Objective: Explore and provide options to expand Harbor Commission jurisdiction to the AES site, the Sonesta Hotel and Redondo Hotel properties, and the Gold’s Gym property.
Applicable strategic plan goal: Vitalize core commercial areas of the city.
When: By October 2023
Rationale: During deliberation on the failed CenterCal project members of the Council and public called for integration of the redevelopment of the harbor and AES sites, for an integrated, overall waterfront plan. We expand this concept to include the properties bordering the east side of Harbor Drive (areas bounded by yellow in Figure 3):
- The Gold’s Gym property is already tied to the tidelands and uses and redevelopment must be integrated with the harbor uses and operations. - The harbor is running out of space to fit in all the activities in the harbor. The AES property represents the only realistic opportunity to expand harbor infrastructure and activities in close proximity to the harbor. For example, the harbor itself may have insufficient space to accommodate all the parking for the anticipated uses in the Amenities Plan, the AES site would be a perfect location to provide that overflow parking. Similarly, the AES site would be an ideal site for dry boat storage and expansion of harbor educational uses.
- The primary draw of guests to the Sonesta and Redondo Hotel is their proximity to the harbor. While we do not expect redevelopment of the two hotels, tying the hotels to the other hotels in the harbor makes the most sense. And in the case redevelopment does evolve over time, it makes sense that Harbor Commission ensure integration and harmonization with the harbor infrastructure and operations just across the street.
- The Council may want to consider moving everything west of Catalina Avenue between PCH and Pacific Drive under the purview of the Harbor Commission to further ensure integration and harmonization of future development. (Red dotted line).
Figure 3: Proposed expansion of Harbor Commission jurisdiction HARBOR COMMISSION STRATEGIC PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS FEB 23 5 8. Recommended Objective: Define and recommend implementation of interim solution to flooding in Basin 3
Applicable strategic plan goal: Increase environmental sustainability When: By August 2023
Rationale: Basin 3 is sandbagged to prevent flooding of International Boardwalk during King Tides. The sandbags are ugly and may not be sufficient to protect investment in International Boardwalk during a King Tide that coincides with a major storm. It will likely take a decade or more to implement the Amenities Plan for an enhanced International Boardwalk complete with revamping the Sea Wall in Basin 3. With the investment in the paving and storefronts along the International Boardwalk, it is prudent to explore an interim solution – engineering concepts have already been presented to the Harbor Commission. This could potentially be integrated with the repaving solution and contract.
9. Recommended Objective: Explore the feasibility and provide recommendations to the Council of a smartphone application that would enhance harbor and pier visitor way finding and experience.
Applicable strategic plan goal: Vitalize core commercial areas of the city.
When: By October 2023
Rationale: Our harbor and pier are spread out. Access is not straightforward. Way finding is sporadic and can be confusing. Even where we have it, it is static and slow to update. There is no place in the harbor and pier to update visitors on daily activities and events.. Increasingly events such as Beach Life Festival, malls, amusement parks, etc are providing smart phone applications that provide easy access to way finding, events, activities, etc on a real time basis.
A harbor/pier specific app could also be a one stop location to pay for parking, submit feedback, download event dates, report issues, etc. The public and the Commission feel it is worth exploring the cost and feasibility of an application built around the harbor and pier. While we have discovered an application developed by some of the current leaseholders, the information is incomplete and the app is very rudimentary consisting mainly of links to other websites, many of which are not harbor/pier specific.
The Commission hopes you will seriously consider our recommendations. We are excited about the momentum building in the harbor/pier area and believe these recommendations provide the next layer of priority actions to keep that momentum building. Feel free to reach out to us through Greg Kapovich should you have any questions.
Thank you for your consideration.
The Harbor Commission