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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-03-15; Parks & Recreation Commission; 0310-2; Department ReportPARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION - AGENDA BILL AB#0310-2 MTG. DATE: [03/15/10 STAFF: | COATES DEPARTMENT REPORT INFO x ACTION RECOMMENDED ACTION: Receive a presentation from the Parks and Recreation staff. ITEM EXPLANATION: John Coates, Parks & Recreation Director, will report on recently completed and upcoming Parks and Recreation activities, donations and grants, as well as other topics of local interest. EXHIBITS: 1. Department Report 7 ^ CITY OF PARKS & RECREATION CARLSBAD DEPARTMENT REPORT Parks & Recreation March 15, 2010 1. Tamarack Beach Parking - On Monday, February, 15, 2010, the California State Parks and Recreation Department began charging for parking at the state-owned lot at Tamarack Avenue and Carlsbad Boulevard, known as Tamarack Surf Beach. A machine that takes cash, credit cards and debit cards collects an hourly rate of $2 or a day rate of $10 and issues a receipt to be displayed on vehicle dashboards. As an alternative, parking is included with an annual state parks pass, which costs $125 and can be purchased online and at the local state parks administration office. State Parks Peace Officers and other state staff have been issuing warnings and courtesy notices to violators during the first month of the program. At the end of that period, vehicles not properly displaying a current pass or receipt will be issued a citation and fined up to $64. To date, the free parking areas adjacent to the Tamarack Surf Beach parking lot do not appear to have been significantly impacted by the implementation of this pay system. A portion of this finding can be attributed to the above noted grace period, and the current 'off-season' patronage levels. 2. Realignment - As part of the City's recent realignment process, the Citywide Special Events Division (currently under the auspices of the Police Department), is gradually making the transition to the Parks and Recreation Department. The Department will be tasked with the responsibility of receiving and processing all citywide special event applications, working closely with other city departments, event promoters, as well as strategically identifying opportunities to bring new, innovative and exciting events to the city. The Parks and Recreation Department has a demonstrated track record of planning and implementing highly successful large scale community events such as the Carlsbad Triathlon, Pumpkin Plunge, Eggstravaganza, and many others. This transition in organizational leadership will allow the members of the special events committee to work together to learn from and continue to build upon the accomplishments of past events, while harnessing the passion, creativity, and knowledge of community events that the Parks and Recreation Department will bring to the process. 3. Donations - 12/22/09- LCR In-Kind Donation -Received an in-kind donation of Edith (Deedie) Carrillo's ermine coat and hand muffler from Jamie Kallweit. This coat was originally purchased by Leo Carrillo for his wife in 1942. Ms. Kallweit then purchased the coat at an estate sale in the late 1970's, and chose to donate both items to Carrillo Ranch. The appraised value of both items totals $6,500. 1/3/10- LCR In-Kind Donation - The El Camino Chapter of the Questers donated $193.98 to the Leo Carrillo Ranch Trust Fund for the professional cleaning and preservation of a riding dress owned by Leo Carrillo's daughter "Tony" Carrillo. The purple riding dress was donated in 2003 by Don Amos. 2/16/10 - Stagecoach In-Kind Donation - Staff received an in-kind donation of shade cloth material from the La Costa Youth Organization. The shade cloth material was installed over each dugout to the athletic fields at Stagecoach Park. The new material provides shade for all athletic field users while in the dugouts. The value of the donation is $700. 4. Events Completed - 2/20/10 - Trail Volunteer Opportunity - This event was held at Lake Calavera from 8:00a.m. until noon. The San Diego Mountain Biking Association (SDMBA) partnered with City trail volunteers and kicked off the first of many trail work days at Lake Calavera. The SDMBA crews along with City volunteers provided a significant amount of manpower repairing and improving trails in the upland areas of the preserve. Also in attendance was Roseanne Humphrey the HMP Land Steward who spoke on the importance of the native habitat and how improving and designating trails will improve this vital open space. It was truly a transformative day with approximately 70 volunteers in attendance and over 268 volunteer hours logged! 3/13/10 - Trail Volunteer Opportunity - Event held at Rancho Carrillo 8:00a.m. until noon. Participants met at the Leo Carrillo Elementary School west end of parking lot for trail maintenance duties including erosion repairs at the Rancho Carrillo Trails. Additional details will be shared in next Department Report. 5. Upcoming Events - 3/18/10 - Quarterly Trail Volunteer Meeting @ Sr. Center - Activity Room beginning at 5pm. 4/3/10 - Eggstravaganza Spring Festival @ Poinsettia Park from 10am to 1pm. 4/10/10-Trail Work @ Lake Calavera beginning at 8:00a.m. 5/15/10 - Wild West Fest @ Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park from 11am to 2pm CARLSBAD City of Carlsbad Press Release - February 2010 State starts paid parking at Tamarack Beach Hourly option gives beachgoers more flexibility On Monday, Feb. 15, California State Parks will start charging for parking at the state-owned lot at Tamarack Avenue and Carlsbad Boulevard, part of Carlsbad State Beach known by locals as Tamarack Surf Beach. Although the City of Carlsbad was not able to stop the state from charging for parking, it did convince the state to offer hourly rates instead of the traditional day rate, reducing the cost for beachgoers who want to go surfing or enjoy a walk on the sea wall. A machine that takes cash, credit cards and debit cards will collect an hourly rate of $2 or a day rate of $10 and issue a receipt to be displayed on vehicle dashboards. Parking is included with an annual State Parks pass, which costs $125 and can be purchased online at http://store.parks.ca.gov/ and at the local state parks office, 2680 Carlsbad Blvd., Carlsbad. State Park Peace Officers and other state staff will distribute warnings and courtesy notices to visitors during the first month of the program. At the end of that period, vehicles not properly displaying a current pass or receipt will be issued a citation and fined up to $64. The City of Carlsbad sued the state over its plans to charge for parking at the popular local beach. The lawsuit was settled in September, and the city was successful in getting the state to agree to hourly parking instead of only offering a full date rate. The city's action also delayed the implementation of the paid parking by more than a year and until after the 2009 summer season. Parking Company of America - San Diego was awarded a one year contract to provide the fee collection service. Employees of Parking Company of America and California State Parks will be on hand for the first few weeks of the new program to assist users with becoming familiar with the new machines. State Parks has the ability to charge fees for beach parking, but it was not allowed to proceed with the installation of the fee collection machine as approved by the California Coastal Commission while Carlsbad's legal challenge was pending. On Oct. 1, 2007, State Parks took the first step toward charging for parking at Tamarack Surf Beach by filing an application with the California Coastal Commission. The City of Carlsbad opposed this move, first through testimony in front of the Coastal Commission and ultimately through a lawsuit. State Parks has estimated it needs approximately $700,000 a year to operate and maintain Carlsbad State Beach, which spans from just south of Cannon Road to Pine Avenue. State Parks estimates it will generate approximately $590,000 a year from paid parking at Tamarack Surf Beach. State Parks owns the beach and provides lifeguard service, restrooms, picnic areas, showers and parking lots. February Trail Work- SDMBA Partnership With the recent approval of the Lake Calavera Trails Master Plan, the City of Carlsbad kicked off the first of what will be many volunteer events for the trail improvements at Lake Calavera. On Saturday, February 20th the San Diego Mountain Biking Association (SDMBA) partnered with City trail volunteers and provided a significant amount of manpower and trail building knowledge repairing and improving trails in the upland areas of the preserve. The SDMBA trail crew were a mighty impressive group of workers. If there's a group who can fit the cliche that they can "move mountains", it just may be the SDMBA, as they managed to move huge boulders using only sheer human brute force. The boulders were re-located to narrow and delineate trail routes, and to re-direct trail users to the more sustainable trails. However, SDMBA folks weren't the only ones out on the trail that day. Trail Captains Jerry Rea and Wanda Stiles along with Gary Hill lead a contingent of seasoned City trail volunteers to correct erosion on trails that are to be closed and passively restored to native habitat. These volunteers hauled gravel bags and installed waddle and constructed earthen water bars to deter further erosion from upcoming storms. Another group of seasoned trail volunteers were led by CNLM biologist, Justin Trujillo. This work group installed 3 strand wire fencing and habitat protection signage along trails to assist in the protection of sensitive habitat areas adjacent to the trails. Finally, many kudos to the City parks staff for providing manpower, tools, materials and equipment to support the volunteer work, and for their hard work installing the first of many new trail signs, kiosks and pet waste stations along the trails. It was truly a transformative day with approximately 70 volunteers in attendance and over 268 volunteer hours logged! In addition those in attendance listened to Rosanne Humphrey the HMP Land Steward, tell of all the restoration activities and the importance of habitat protection and the enjoyment it lends to the outdoor experiences of trail users. After witnessing the work on Saturday, it is understandable why SDMBA volunteer trail crews are in high demand around the county for trail work and that they work just about every week- end of the year! We would certainly welcome them back! Thanks to all who came out and volunteered!