Safety, Wellness and Youth Committee Memorandum
TO: SAFETY, WELLNESS AND YOUTH COMMITTEE DATE: FEBRUARY 15, 2023 FROM: PARKS, RECREATION AND COMMUNITY WARDS: ALL
SERVICES DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: RIVERSIDE GATEWAY PARKS PROJECT UPDATE
ISSUE:
Present the Safety, Wellness and Youth Committee with the Riverside Gateway Parks project update.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the Safety, Wellness and Youth Committee provide feedback on the Riverside Gateway Parks project and receive and file the report.
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. The report can be viewed online at https://aquarius.riversideca.gov/clerkdb/0/doc/101680/Page1.aspx.
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. The report can be viewed online at https://aquarius.riversideca.gov/clerkdb/0/doc/108342/Page1.aspx.
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. The City Council authorized an appropriation of $300,000 from Regional Park Development and $90,000 from Recreational Trail Development accounts for matching funds.
On December 26, 2019, the City of Riverside entered into a grant agreement with the California Coastal Conservancy for the Riverside 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 which was later increased by $62,500 for a total of $127,500.
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 (CEQA) for Park, Trail and Greenway Improvements at Nine Sites through June 30, 2023, in the amount not to exceed $1,963,681.79.
On November 16, 2021, City Council approved the Purchase Agreement for the 4.08-acre property at 5200 Tequesquite Avenue.
On January 18, 2022, City Council adopted a resolution authorizing the submission of a grant application to the Land and Water Conservation Fund program in the amount of $6,000,000 for construction of a portion of Camp Evans at Fairmount Park. Results of the application have not yet been received.
Community Workshops were held virtually on: October 27, 2021; February 2, 2022; and April 13, 2022.
Technical Advisory Committee meetings were held virtually on: September 15, 2021; January 10, 2022; and April 5, 2022.
On July 18, 2022, the Park and Recreation Commission received an update on the Riverside Gateway Parks Master Plans. The report for this agenda item can be viewed online at:
https://riversideca.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=11032084&GUID=F3C99E41-648C-4DB1-9881-848EDA1B7EBD and the presentation can be viewed online at:
https://riversideca.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=11032076&GUID=DD134F97-3682-4892-8B00-9612936D46C6.
On September 19, 2022, the Park and Recreation Commission received an update to provide follow-up information on the Riverside Gateway Parks Master Plans. The report for this agenda item can be viewed online at:
https://riversideca.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=11204167&GUID=A55CFAED-53B9-4F85-9E08-D8CD04BEA33D and the presentation can be viewed online at:
https://riversideca.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=11204166&GUID=37C364C9-02F8-4EF2-960C-271470371830 DISCUSSION:
The purpose of the Riverside Gateway Parks project suite (Project) is to facilitate the implementation of several important regional and local plans and goals:
The vision of the multi-jurisdictional Santa Ana River Parkway & Open Space Plan (2018), managed by the Santa Ana River Conservancy, is to integrate parks and open spaces into the Santa Ana River Trail Parkway beyond just the spine of the trail, to connect nearby communities to the Santa Ana River Trail. The plan is available online at https://scc.ca.gov/files/2018/06/SARPOSP_Plan_FINAL.pdf.
The vision of the City of Riverside 2003 and 2009 Santa Ana River Task Force, a Blue-Ribbon Committee funded by the Wildlands Conservancy. The two reports are attached.
Riverside’s General Plan 2025 (2007), which calls for three acres of developed park per one thousand residents. The City currently has 2.82 acres of developed parks per thousand residents. The City is roughly 56 acres short of developed park land. The Parks and Recreation Element of the General Plan is available online at https://riversideca.gov/cedd/sites/riversideca.gov.cedd/files/pdf/planning/general-plan/15_Park_and_Recreation_Element.pdf Riverside’s Comprehensive Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Master Plan (2020), which is available online at https://www.riversideca.gov/park_rec/planning-projects/parks-master-plan-vision-2030. This plan recommends a more modern goal of five acres of developed park land per thousand residents, in which case the City would be 690 acres short of developed parks.
Riverside’s Trails Master Plan (2021), which is available at https://www.riversideca.gov/park_rec/planning-projects/trails-master-plan-2030. This plan calls for a decomposed granite multi-purpose trail along the Santa Ana River Trail.
There are project fund needs associated with construction and ongoing annual maintenance. It is anticipated that the sites will be constructed in phases over several years and that grants will be the primary source of construction funding. The PRCSD is actively seeking grant opportunities for construction funding. As the sites are constructed, supplemental appropriations for the additional budget will be requested for maintenance, and it is anticipated that general funds will be the primary source. Projects will create revenue generating opportunities through rental fees and other supplemental funding will be pursued through sponsorships and similar revenue generating mechanisms, to assist with offsetting annual maintenance costs. The below figures are estimates and can change due to inflation and wage increases.
Construction Estimate:
Construction
Design, Engineering, Admin
Total
Camp Evans
$58,500,000
$15,500,000
$74,000,000
Loring
$4,000,000
$1,100,000
$5,100,000
St. Francis/Carlson
$2,000,000
$600,000
$2,600,000
Tequesquite North
$40,600,000
$10,700,000
$51,300,000
Tequesquite South
$69,000,000
$18,300,000
$87,300,000
Greenway
$7,800,000
$2,100,000
$9,900,000
Martha McLean
$16,100,000
$4,300,000
$20,400,000
Jurupa Trailhead
$6,200,000
$1,700,000
$7,900,000
TOTAL
$258,500,000
Annual Maintenance Estimate:
Annual Maintenance
Camp Evans
$275,000
Loring
$12,000
St. Francis/Carlson*
$4,500
Tequesquite North
$211,000
Tequesquite South
$212,000
Greenway
$83,000
Martha McLean*
$115,000
Jurupa Trailhead
$32,000
TOTAL
$944,500
*Carlson Park and Martha McLean are existing developed parks already being maintained. Costs shown here are in addition to current costs.
The current work includes master planning and environmental compliance work and is funded mainly through a grant from the California State Coastal Conservancy. The project team is about midway through the first steps of implementing the Riverside Gateway Parks project, which are to conduct community outreach, environmental inventory/analysis, park master planning, CEQA document preparation, and project prioritization. Community outreach, site inventory/analysis are completed, and draft park master plans have been prepared for each site. The plans were presented to the Park and Recreation Commission in July and September 2022. CEQA and wildlife agency coordination work is underway and will continue for the next several months. Once CEQA documents are completed, the park master plans and CEQA documents will be presented to City Council for approval and certification, tentatively in late December 2023. The City Council will only be asked to approve the park master plans and CEQA work at this time, and not construction.
The next steps, once the City Council approves the Park Master Plans, will be for PRCSD to begin seeking grant funding for bid document preparation and construction of the highest priority sites. Estimated maintenance costs will be included in the City Council reports both at the time of request to submit a construction grant proposal and at the time that a construction contract is awarded after construction funding is secured. A supplemental budget appropriation will be requested to cover the anticipated maintenance costs at the time of the construction contract award.
The current project proposes to develop about 50 acres of new recreation amenities, 64 acres of native and low water planting, and keep 169 acres as-is. 79% of the overall acreage will be left as-is or planted with native/low water plants. 21% of the overall acreage will be developed. The park master plans are a direct response to the community’s top requests for:
Flowers and native plants
Shade structures/shade trees
Restrooms
Skatepark
Habitat conservation
Bike paths
Lighting
Nature/cultural interpretive trails
Walking/running paths/trails
Drinking fountains
Parking
Roller rinks
The master plans for each site can be viewed on the project website at https://riversidegatewayparks.com/. Printed versions can also be requested by the community by calling the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department at (951) 826-2000.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This work contributes to following Strategic Priorities and Goals:
Strategic Priority 1 – Arts, Culture and Recreation:
Goal 1.3: improve parks, recreational amenities, open space, and trail development, and fulfill critical lifecycle and facility maintenance needs Goal 1.4: to prioritize safety at parks, trails, arts, cultural and recreational facilities Strategic Priority 2 – Community Well-being:
Goal 2.3: strengthen neighborhood identities and improve community health and the physical environment through amenities and programs that foster an increased sense of community and enhanced feelings of pride and belonging citywide, and Strategic Priority 5 – High Performing Government:
Goal 5.3: enhance communication and collaboration with community members to improve transparency, build public trust, and encourage shared decision-making.
The project aligns with each of the five Cross-Cutting Threads as follows:
Community Trust – The planning process for the Riverside Gateway Project Suite has relied on community engagement, including three advisory committee meetings, three community workshops, four pop-up outreach events, presentations at community organization meetings, an online survey and interactive mapping tool, and a project website to distribute information and collect input from the community.
Equity –Multiple opportunities and modes have been used to get community input and a variety of tools and platforms have been used for advertising the opportunities to the community. These outreach and engagement efforts were advertised using social media posts, e-blasts, newspaper ads, a press release, direct mailing to residents within a 10-minute walk of the sites, signs posted at the project sites, sidewalk decals, digital reader board/billboard, and a Riverside Monthly television segment.
Fiscal Responsibility – The current scope of work is being accomplished mainly with grant funds from the California Coastal Conservancy and does not require use of the City’s General Fund.
Innovation – The Riverside Gateway Parks Project responds to the community’s changing recreational, social, and health and wellness needs. The project proposes to create the first nature playground, challenge course, and pump track in the City park system. The Project will integrate the preservation and enhancement of natural resources and establish agricultural areas to nurture Riverside’s movement toward its agricultural roots.
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. This will be accomplished 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 increase agricultural opportunities, which allows for more locally grown food.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
Prepared by: Pamela M. Galera, Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director Certified as to
availability of funds: Edward Enriquez, Interim Assistant City Manager/Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer
Approved by: Kris Martinez, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form: Phaedra A. Norton, City Attorney
Attachment: Presentation
Riverside Gateway Parks Project Update, Page 5