March 19, 2024
Public Works
DATE: March 19, 2024
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Daniel Chavarria, Director of Public Works
Tawfic Halaby, Deputy Director of Public Works for
Operations & Maintenance
Subject:
Richmond Parks Assessment of Soccer Fields
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no impact to the General Fund. The recommendation is to utilize $4,200,000 in American
Rescue Plan Act funds to implement soccer field and
other park-related improvements to City parks.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
At the July 11, 2023 City Council Meeting, staff was
directed to assess which City parks could accommodate
new soccer fields.
At the October 3, 2023 City Council Meeting, the City’s consultant provided a preliminary presentation on
opportunities for soccer fields and other amenities at
various city parks.
At the December 5, 2023 City Council Meeting, City
Council allocated $4 ,200,000 in American Rescue Plan
Act funds for soccer field s, parks, trails, and public restrooms, with fund obligation required by December 31, 2024.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
City Council directed staff to conduct a study of existing soccer field needs and existing soccer field amenities, and to develop a plan to upgrade amenities to meet the
current community needs. Consultant CSW|ST2
prepared a draft report for City Council’s review and
feedback.
AGENDA
REPORT
March 19, 2024
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
RECEIVE a presentation on the draft Soccer Field and
Park Amenities Assessment prepared by CSW|ST2 –
Public Works (Daniel Chavarria/Tawfic Halaby 510-620-
5482). This item was continued from March 5, 2024.
DISCUSSION:
At the July 11, 2023, City Council Meeting, staff was directed to assess City parks and to accommodate new soccer fields, including recommendations on which parks should receive priority for the installation of soccer fields and other amenities. City staff assigned this task to City’s on-call consultant CSW/Stuber-Stroeh Engineering Group, Inc (CSW|ST2), with Marcia D. Vallier as Senior Project Manager.
At the October 3, 202,3 City Council Meeting, CSW|ST2 provided a preliminary presentation on opportunities for soccer fields and other amenities at various City parks, which included estimated costs. City Council directed staff to prioritize and estimate costs for the development or renovation of those fields and return to City Council with recommendations. The attached report is the culmination of the recommendations to address the City’s soccer field shortage in the short-, mid- and long-term as well as other additional proposed amenities. Recommendations are based on level of service deficits, changing demographics, the 2010 and 2019 Park Reports, input from the soccer community, as well as conversations with staff and the baseball, softball and football clubs and leagues. The recommendations not only focus on soccer, but include upgrades that benefit all field sports, and upgrade courts, play areas, and restrooms.
Recommendations for addressing Richmond’s soccer field deficit prioritize under-served City Council districts where the opportunities are greatest to build on existing funds and design work to improve or create fields for competition and practice play. These are also the districts with the highest dense populations, and where demand for soccer fields is highest. Since Richmond is a highly built-out urban area, with limited space for new facilities, addressing the City’s field deficit will require a two-fold approach by expanding the useability of existing fields and upgrading sites with competition fields as well as adding additional amenities within the City’s parks.
At the December 5, 2023, City Council Meeting, City Council allocated $4,200,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for amenities including soccer fields, parks,
March 19, 2024
trails, and public restrooms, with fund obligation by December 31, 2024. ARPA funds must be spent by December 31, 2026.
CSW|ST2 started collecting information and putting together initial designs. The draft Soccer Field and Park Amenities Assessment includes recommendations for additional maintenance funding and equipment. CSW|ST2 will also incorporate new information from recent joint-use conversations among Contra Costa County, West Contra Costa Unified School District, and the City.
Short-term recommendations establish a strategy to take advantage of City Council’s allocation of $4,200,000 in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023/24 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds in locations where the soccer community already plays – Wendell Park (City Council District 1), Shields-Reid Park (City Council District 2), and Martin Luther King, Jr. Park (City Council District 3). Design will be completed in FY 2023/24 and construction is estimated to completed in early FY 2024/25. Additional work on the short-term parks may be completed if additional funding is available in FY 2024/25.
March 19, 2024
JOINT USE AGREEMENTS: The second short-term recommendation is the work with West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) on joint use agreements. The soccer community is mobilizing county-wide to obtain joint use of the schools and form partnerships between Contra Costa County, cities in West County and WCCUSD to reduce sports facilities costs and increase access for residents. Supervisor John Gioia and the County Supervisors have allocated funds from the County’s health tax to offset rental costs and increase access to youth sports and funding annually through Measure X to support County unincorporated area parks that might include soccer venues.
March 19, 2024
MAINTENANCE: Lastly, another short-term recommendation is to increase the funding for maintenance of the parks. This is a larger discussion, but would help alleviate the lack of fields due to poor condition from overuse or lack of adequate maintenance.
The mid- and long-term goals outlined in the draft Report depend on receiving grant funding or possibly a local or West County bond measure.
All projects will continue to engage community members, park users, sports teams, neighbors, and additional key stakeholders such as neighborhood councils to help shape the future park designs and gain support for the proposed short-, medium-, and long-term recommendations for field development.