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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-01-22; Parks & Recreation Commission; 101-9; Zone 5 Interim BallfieldPARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION -AGENDA BILL AB# 101-9 I TITLE : I n INFO ZONE 5 INTERIM BALLFIELD STAFF: STEYAERT 1 RECOMMENDED ACTION : Approve the Zone 5 Interim Ballfield Plan. ITEM EXPLANATION : This proposed ballfield is intended to replace the existing ballfield at the Safety Center which will be eliminated with the construction of the new Public Works Center sometime toward the end of this year / beginning of next year. The Safety Center Ballfield was constructed as a temporary use between the time the Safety Center was constructed (circa 1985) and when the site was to be fully developed. Now that the Public Works Center is eminent, a replacement location for the ballfield is being sought. It was determined that a suitable replacement site could be found at the Zone 5 Park site (aka, Business Park Recreational Facility), located at the Faraday Rd. and Camino Hills Dr., across the street from the City's new Faraday Center. As you may recall, the City purchased the 13 acre Zone 5 site in 1998 for a future park aimed at meeting the recreational needs of the business parks in Carlsbad. Funds used to purchase the site came from a fee collected from developers of buildings in Zones 5, 13 and 16 (the industrial or business park zones of the City). Currently, staff is analyzing future uses for the site and gathering input from the business park representatives as to what they feel are the recreational needs of the business park. Because the City utilized almost all the funds collected to date to purchase the site, we are exploring the possibility of interest from the private sector in participating in developing recreational facilities on the site. The timeline for realization of this overall plan however, is not known, and may be in the distant future. In the meantime, a portion of the 13 acres, specifically a 3 acre flat pad located on the corner of Faraday Rd. and Camino Hills Dr. presents an excellent opportunity to construct an interim ballfield. It is also conceivable, that the field may well remain as a element of the ultimate overall plan. It should be noted that, according to the Growth Management Plan, a site for the replacement of the ballfield must be identified in order for the Public Works Center to proceed. Staff is recommending that the Zone 5 site be chosen for this purpose. For further background, a memo is attached that explains, in greater detail, the issues that are interconnected with the Interim Zone 5 Ballfield plan, including quadrant wide concerns related to the development of the Public Works Center, Larwin Park and the "Northeast Quadrant Park acquisition. EXHIBITS: 1. Interim Zone 5 Ballfield Plan 2. Memo on Northeast Quadrant Park Issues @33 L EXHIBIT 1 December 19,2000 I TO: ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER VIA: RECREATION DIRECT e From: Park Development Coordinator NORTHEAST QUADRANT PARK ISSUES .Public Works Center Ballfield Removal .Zone 5 Interim Ballfield eLarwin Park .N.E. Quadrant Land Acquisition This report discusses the inter-connective nature of issues related to the topics above and makes recommendations for a comprehensive solution to those issues. - - - SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDED ACTIONS: 1. Construct a ball field on the lower pad of the Zone 5 Park to replace the field being eliminated in Phase II of the Public Works Center. Construct concurrent with Public Works Center. - 2. Immediately pursue development of Larwin Park to satisfy the Growth Management Plan. Process a mid year CIP adjustment to begin the park development process this year. 3. Continue to pursue acquisition of additional park acreage in the NE Quadrant for ball fields. BACKGROUND PUBLIC WORKS CENTER The Public Works Center will remove 2 acres of ballfields. This is partially offset by the recent addition of 1 acre of Skate Park. The Public Works Department is processing a General Plan Amendment (GPA) to eliminate the ballfield and add the Skate Park. They have successfully gone through the Parks and Recreation Commission and are now anticipating a hearing at the Planning Commission in April 2001. Two issues have arisen related to this process: 1. We are currently in a park deficit in the NE Quadrant. The elimination of one acre of park at the - Public Works Center will accentuate the problem and will need to be addressed in the GPA report. 2. The Growth Management Plan has a provision that no City facilities shall be removed without being replaced. The Planning Department has preliminarily interpreted that provision to mean that EXHIBIT 2 035 Pg. 2 of 3, NE QUAD PARK ISSUES - the ballfield being eliminated at the Public Works Center must be replaced. Staff is recommending that this occur at the Zone 5 Park lower 3 acre pad site on an interim basis. ZONE 5 PARK BALLFIELD To show compliance with the requirement described above, it is recommended that a CUP for Zone 5 Ballfield be processed after the first of the year and that the project be submitted in the 01- 02 CIP. The actual implementation of the project is recommended to be dove-tailed into the Public Works Center Project. The Public Works Center consultant could prepare the plans and the project could be bid as part of the Public Works Center project. This would minimize impacts on staff workload and provide for better bid prices than doing a small stand alone project. Because there essentially no funds left in the Zone 5 Business Park account (after purchasing the land several years ago), funding for the ballfield project will need to come from an alternative be established for this project. Currently, staff from the Recreation Department, City Manager's Office, and Community Development are working on a goal of community outreach in the industrial zones to gather input - into what might ultimately serve that segment of the communities recreational needs. In addition, we are testing the water for interest in private participation. Because of the uncertainty of future development plans for this site, staff is recommending that the replacement field be considered temporary keeping the construction simple and development costs to a minimum. - - source (possibly the General Fund). It is recommended that a budget of approximately $300,000 - LARWIN PARK As previously mentioned, the NE Quadrant is currently experiencing a park deficit that needs immediate attention. We are currently 10 acres in arrears, not counting the current new housing projects coming on line. Last year, the marginally developable Larwin Park was moved out in the CIP in favor of what, at the time, promised to be the acquisition of 10-15 acres of developable park acreage in the Robertson Ranch (the joint use flood control basinlpark). After closer analysis of the site revealed potential development constraints. land appraisals came in higher than staff felt the land warranted, and the timing of access to the site via Cannon and College became uncertain, we are recommending moving Larwin back up in the CIP to address the Growth Management shortfall. Staff is recommending that a new plan for Larwin Park be developed. Although no park planning has occurred on the "new plan", it is anticipated that the recently approved temporary Dog Park would be incorporated into "upper" Larwin Park and that improvements to "lower" Larwin Park be kept to a minimum (walkways, lawn, picnic areas, and possibly a tot lot). Trails could be used to - connect upper and lower Larwin and to connect to the City Wide Trail System. The ultimate plan would of course be subject to the usual input (public outreach, Commissions, and Council). Cost for this type of development would be significantly lower than the $2,090,000 currently aDDroDriated in the CIP. .. . 036 Pg. 3 of 3; NE QUAD PARK ISSUES - Public Works staff is also recommending that a "Mid-Year" CIP adjustment be made to appropriate funds for Larwin Park for this fiscal year. We are recommending that $50,000 for preliminary design and miscellaneous project management be appropriated out of the $2,090,000 (PFF) funds currently scheduled in FY 2010-2020. This will show a commitment to meeting the Growth Management shortfall and allow Staff to start on this project at the first of the year. NE QUADRANT LAND AQUlSITlON The 2000-2001 CIP appropriated $2, 625,000 for acquisition of park land for ballfields in the NE Quadrant. As previously mentioned, the anticipated acquisition of a flood control basin on Robertson Ranch that could have served dual use as ballfields is appearing less likely die to land constraints and appraised land costs. While staff has not completely abandoned the possibility that the Robertsons (or subsequent owners) might negotiate a favorable deal on the property, staff is planning to proceed with further investigation of alternative sites in the NE Quadrant. Because the availability of developable land continues to become harder to find (and more expensive), staff - - will continue to move forward toward this goal. ~ Staff is seeking confirmation to proceed with the recommendations above. Mark Steyaert c: ' City Manager Public Works Director Public Works Manager, Cook Senior Civil Engineer, Harnmann Planning Director Assistant Planning Director Principal Planner, Rideout Senior Planner, Munoz Senior Management Analyst, Beverly Senior Accountant, Stover Finance Director 037