Safety Wellness and Youth Committee Memorandum
TO: SAFETY, WELLNESS AND YOUTH COMMITTEE DATE: FEBRUARY 16, 2022 FROM: PARKS, RECREATION AND COMMUNITY WARDS: 1, 3 & 7
SERVICES DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: RIVERSIDE GATEWAY PARKS PROJECT UPDATE AND CAMP EVANS MASTER PLAN ISSUE:
Present the Safety, Wellness and Youth Committee with an update on the Riverside Gateway Parks Project and the Camp Evans Master Plan.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the Safety, Wellness, and Youth Committee:
Receive an update on the Riverside Gateway Parks Project and the Camp Evans Master Plan; and Recommend that the City Council approve the Camp Evans Master Plan.
BACKGROUND:
In 2003, the Santa Ana River Task Force developed a vision and concept plan for developing a parkway along the river in Riverside. The plan recommends nature trails, a boardwalk, and a nature center with programming in the area now proposed for Camp Evans at Fairmount Park. The plan further recommends recreational improvements in the area around Tequesquite Avenue and the Old Landfill, and that Martha McLean Anza Narrows Park be further improved and renovated to support the Santa Ana River Parkway concept.
In 2009, the Santa Ana River Task Force reconvened to review and update their prior recommendations based on work accomplished and other changes since 2003.
In 2014, through Senate Bill 1390, the California state legislature created the Santa Ana River Conservancy Program within the State Coastal Conservancy. The program addresses the resource and recreational goals of the Santa Ana River region, including open space, trails, wildlife habitat, agricultural land protection, water quality protection, educational use, and public access. The Conservancy makes grant funding available to help agencies and non-profit organizations move forward with projects to meet these resource and recreational goals.
On May 21, 2019, City Council adopted a resolution authorizing the submission of a grant application to the California Coastal Conservancy for a grant amount of $2,358,500 to acquire one property, to develop park master plans, and complete California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) analysis and documentation for nine project sites along the Santa Ana River corridor.
On December 26, 2019, the City of Riverside entered into a grant agreement with the California Coastal Conservancy for the River-side Gateway Project Suite Design and CEQA project in the amount of $1,960,000.
On January 6, 2020, the City of Riverside entered into a grant agreement with the Coastal Conservancy for acquisition of the property at 5200 Tequesquite Avenue for the River-side Gateway Project Suite in the amount of $65,000.
On May 11, 2021, the City Council approved a Professional Consultant Services Agreement with MLA Green, Inc. dba Studio-MLA of Los Angeles, California, for the River-side Gateway Project Suite – Planning & Design for Park Master Plan and California Environmental Quality Act Services for Park, Trail and Greenway Improvements at Nine Sites through June 30, 2023, in the amount not to exceed $1,963,681.79.
On September 19, 2021, Technical Advisory Committee meeting #1 was held.
On October 27, 2021, Community Workshop #1 was held.
On November 16, 2021, City Council approved the Purchase Agreement for the 4.08 acre property at 5200 Tequesquite Avenue.
On January 10, 2022, Technical Advisory Committee meeting #2 was held.
COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION:
On Monday, December 20, 2021, with Vice Chair Iverson and Commissioners Friedlander, Engles, Jester, Fairfax, Cardullo, and Santore, present, the Park Commission provided positive feedback on the Riverside Gateway Parks Project and the Camp Evans Master Plan.
DISCUSSION:
The River-side Gateway project suite (Project) supports the Santa Ana River Task Force’s vision and concept for developing park, trail, and open space resources along the Santa Ana River. The Consultant’s scope of work includes site and environmental inventory, analysis, community outreach, development of master plans and project-level CEQA documentation for each site. The following park properties are included in the Riverside Gateway Parks project suite:
Fairmount Park - Camp Evans (undeveloped property on west end of park, adjacent to the Santa Ana River levee); Loring Park;
Santa Ana River trailhead at Carlson Park & St. Francis Falls Water Feature Restoration; Santa Ana River Greenway Trail (between Carlson Park and Tequesquite Extension South); Tequesquite North Extension;
5200 Tequesquite (adjacent to Ryan Bonaminio Park at the Tequesquite Arroyo) – contingent upon the City’s acquisition of the site; Tequesquite South Extension;
Martha McLean Anza Narrows Park/Riverside Gateway; and, Jurupa Avenue Trailhead (near Van Buren).
By completing the planning and environmental scope of work for these projects, the City will be prepared to submit competitive applications for construction grants.
Overall Riverside Gateway Parks Project Update
Site analysis and inventory for all sites, along with draft master plans for Camp Evans, Loring Park, and the St. Francis Falls area at Carlson Park, are posted on the project website for community review and comment. Comments can be provided on the project website at https://riversidegatewayparks.com/, by calling (951) 228-0022, or by sending an email to [email protected].
Community Workshop 2, which will focus on Martha McLean Anza Narrows Park and the Jurupa Ave Trailhead, will be held virtually at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, February 2, 2022. The meeting link is available on the project website listed above. Draft master plans for these two sites will be developed after the workshop and posted to the project website for community review and comment.
Camp Evans Master Plan
The Camp Evans Master Plan includes both habitat conservation and recreational opportunities, and is based on community input in conjunction with environmental and site analysis. Camp Evans includes a curated Santa Ana River focused nature and art walk, nature play area, half-mile exercise loop, challenge course, archery range, cultural interpretive trail with demonstration garden, native plants, community meadow with potential for reservation-based camping, community orchard and gardens (contingent upon formation of a community garden group), urban agriculture enterprise incubation area, gathering spaces, parking areas, pickleball courts, habitat restoration areas, wetlands, and concession and picnic area.
Camp Evans California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Determination Conceptual Camp Evans plans were evaluated as part of the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District’s (Valley District) Upper Santa Ana River Tributaries Restoration Project and Mitigation Reserve Program Environmental Impact Report (2019). Valley District was the lead agency for the Environmental Impact Report (EIR), and the City of Riverside is a Responsible Agency carrying out an activity included in the EIR. The Camp Evans plan was highly conceptual at the time of the EIR preparation, and therefore, the CEQA consultant for the Camp Evans Master Plan is preparing an EIR Addendum to demonstrate that all of the potential environmental impacts associated with the Camp Evans Master Plan will be within the envelope of impacts already evaluated in the Certified EIR. When the Camp Evans Master Plan is brought to the City Council for approval, it will be recommended that the City Council certify that it has reviewed and considered the Addendum and information contained in the EIR.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
The Project contributes to the “Arts, Culture and Recreation” priority of the Envision Riverside 2025 Strategic Plan which aims to provide diverse community experiences and personal enrichment opportunities for people of all ages.
The Project contributes to Strategic Priority 1 – Arts, Culture and Recreation and Goal 1.3, to improve parks, recreational amenities, open space, and trail development, to fulfill critical lifecycle and facility maintenance needs, and Goal 1.4, to prioritize safety at parks, trails, arts, cultural and recreational facilities.
The project aligns with the five Cross-Cutting Threads as follows:
Community Trust – To build community trust and ensure that the Project reflects the public’s interests and needs. The planning process for the River-side Gateway Project Suite will rely on community engagement, including: four advisory committee meetings, three community workshops, four pop-up outreach events, an online survey, and interactive mapping tool, and a project website to distribute information and collect input from the community.
Equity – Staff and the design consultant team are working together to reach into Riverside’s diverse community during outreach efforts for the Project. Consideration has been given to providing multiple opportunities and modes for community input using multiple tools and platforms in English and Spanish for advertising the opportunities to engage a broad spectrum of Riverside’s diverse population. These outreach and engagement efforts are being advertised using social media posts, e-blasts, newspaper ads, a press release, postcards/flyers, signs posted at the project sites, sidewalk decals, digital reader board/billboard and a Riverside Monthly television segment.
Fiscal Responsibility – The Project is being accomplished mainly with grant funds from the California Coastal Conservancy and will not require use of the City’s General Fund.
Innovation – Through the Riverside Gateway Parks Project, the City is responding to the community’s changing recreational, social, and health and wellness needs. The Project will also integrate preservation and enhancement of natural resources and agricultural land with park development. Collaborative partnerships with agencies such as the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District and other stakeholders will help the design team prepare relevant, holistic, and meaningful solutions to meeting the community’s needs and to prepare for the future.
Sustainability & Resiliency – The Project seeks to increase park and recreational resources to meet the needs of the present community, without compromising the needs of the future by finding solutions that help Riverside adapt to climate change and resource depletion through actions such as planting more trees, using native and low-water landscaping, implementing on-site stormwater infiltration, and supporting active transportation. The Project also seeks to protect and enhance natural resources and habitat as well as potentially increasing agricultural opportunities which allows for more locally grown food.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
Future fiscal impacts include construction and on-going maintenance of the project. As a rough order of magnitude estimate, construction of about 50 acres of park program areas, agricultural/community garden areas, trails with habitat transition zones, and native planting areas outside the habitat conservation core are anticipated to be in the range of $42 million. Grants are being pursued for construction funds, and construction may be split into phases to match availability of construction funds.
Maintenance costs are roughly estimated to be $250,000 annually. The Parks, Recreation and Community Services department will not be able to absorb the annual maintenance costs within its current budget allocations, which have remained flat in recent budget cycles. When the project is complete, an increase of about $250,000 in future General Fund budget allocations for the Parks, Recreation and Community Services department will be requested to cover annual maintenance costs.
Prepared by: Pamela M. Galera, Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director Certified as to
availability of funds: Edward Enriquez, Chief Financial Officer/City Treasurer Approved by: Kris Martinez, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form: Phaedra A. Norton, City Attorney
Attachments:
Presentation
Draft Camp Evans Master Plan
Riverside Gateway Parks Project Update and Camp Evans Master Plan