HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-06-21; Parks & Recreation Commission; ; DEPARTMENT REPORT
Meeting Date: June 21, 2021
To: Parks & Recreation Commission
From: Kyle Lancaster, Parks & Recreation Director
Staff Contact: Mike Pacheco, Recreation Services Manager
Subject: Parks & Recreation Department Report
Recommended Action
Receive a presentation from the Parks & Recreation staff.
Executive Summary
Mike Pacheco, Recreation Services Manager and Kasia Trojanowska, Parks Planning Manager 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
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PARKS & RECREATION
DEPARTMENT REPORT
June 21, 2021
GENERAL & RECREATION
Reopening of recreational facilities
On June 15, 2021, the City of Carlsbad Parks & Recreation Department reopened all recreational facilities and
resumed in-person recreational programs, with additional services and events commencing in the second half of
June and continuing into July. The Senior Center will reopen for in-person services on July 6 and continues to
provide meal service and offer virtual programs.
Annual Pre-Summer Lifeguard Training
On June 12, 2021, Alga Norte Aquatic Center and Monroe Street Pool were closed for the annual pre-summer
lifeguard training. The all-day training involves full-scale emergency scenarios in order to ensure the lifeguards
are ready and well-prepared for the busy summer season.
Summer Programs Begin
The City of Carlsbad Parks & Recreation Department continues to follow public health guidance to offer a
complement of safe, fun, and educational summer programs – albeit, in a modified and/or reduced capacity
format. While summer programs may look different again this year, our top priority is to continue to create an
environment that protects everyone’s safety and provides peace of mind. This year’s lineup includes sixty
different camps - including sports, arts, science and more. The camps coincide with the school districts’ ten-
week long summer break that starts on June 14, 2021 and ends on August 20, 2021.
Senior Lunch Program Serves 60K Meals
On June 15, 2021, staff provided the 60,000th meal in our senior lunch program since the beginning of the
COVID-19 public health emergency. When the COVID-19 stay at home order began, staff had to shut down in-
person dining at the Senior Center. Instead, staff arranged to have senior lunches packed for pick-up and
delivery. These meals are provided through the County of San Diego’s Aging and Independent Services Senior
Nutrition Program. To meet the increased demand for meals during the public health emergency, the
department has redeployed numerous staff.
Award Winning Lantern Festival
On April 21, 2021, the California Parks and Recreation Society District 12 recognized the “Lantern Festival: A
Night of Light & Reflection” event as the 2020 winner of the spotlight award. The event featured a live harpist,
which provided the perfect ambiance and background for the floating lanterns, adorned with messages of hope
and support created by local residents. The event was livestreamed for the community and seemed to hit the
perfect notes of remembrance, overcoming challenges, love and inspiration.
Upcoming Events
• Aloha Plunge: Saturday, July 24, 2021, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Alga Norte Aquatics Center
• Snores & S'mores: Aug. 14, 2021 through Aug. 15, 2021, 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. at Aviara Community Park
Family Movie Night: Sept. 11, 2021, 5 p.m., film at dusk at Stagecoach Community Park
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PARKS
Veterans Memorial Park Master Plan
On Nov. 27, 2018, RJM Design Group (RJM) was awarded a professional services agreement for design services
for the master planning phase of the Veterans Memorial Park project. In early 2019, the project team kicked off
the master planning process. The recommended Veterans Memorial Park Master Plan in concept was approved
by City Council on Feb. 23, 2021. Since our last update, staff continues to work with the consultants and city
planning department staff to prepare all the necessary documents needed for entitlement and environmental
permit applications.
Poinsettia Community Park Phase IV Dog Park, Parking Lot and Restroom
On Dec. 10, 2019 City Council adopted an amendment to the Poinsettia Community Park Master Plan, reflecting
a new location for the dog park, as well as the addition of an adjacent parking lot and restroom. Staff worked
with the design firm to prepare the construction documents and plans/specifications for the Phase IV (Dog Park)
Improvements Project. On Jan. 12, 2021, the City Council approved the plans/specifications and authorized the
project for public bidding. On Feb. 23, 2021 eleven sealed bids for the construction of the project were received.
Following the bid opening a formal bid protest was received. After review of the bid protest and consultation
with the City Attorney’s office it was determined the best course of action would be to reject all bids and re-
advertise the project for bids. On April 13, 2021, the City Council rejected all bids and the project was re-
advertised for public bid.
On May 18, 2021 twelve bids were received. Senitica Construction, Inc., was the apparent low bidder with a bid
of $1,870,600. Following the opening of the bids, a formal bid protest was received from the second lowest
bidder, 3-D Enterprises. The bid protest alleged that the bid for Senitica should be deemed non-responsive
based on its listing of an asphalt subcontractor that is not properly licensed to do that work. After review of the
bid protest by the City Attorney’s office it was determined that Section 4107(a)(6) of the California Public
Contract Code allows the substitution of a subcontractor when the listed subcontractor is not licensed pursuant
to the Contractor’s License Law. On June 7, 2021, staff notified 3-D Enterprises the city has consented to
Senitica’s request to substitute a properly licensed subcontractor for the asphalt work. Additionally, Senitica will
be required to find a subcontractor to do the work for the exact amount that was originally bid so that there
would be no competitive advantage over any other bidder who bid on the project. The award of a construction
contract to Senitica is scheduled for the City Council meeting on July 13, 2021. The work is expected to start this
summer and to be complete in the spring of 2022.
Village H South Status
On Nov. 3, 2020, the City Council awarded a professional services agreement to Schmidt Design Group to
develop the design, prepare environmental and construction documents and perform construction
administration during the Village H South Off Leash Dog Area and Trail Connection Project. The project team has
prepared several draft dog park and trail alignment conceptual designs that are being reviewed by city
transportation, utility and engineering staff before the final conceptual design is presented.
Calavera Hills Community Park Gateway Improvement Project
On Aug. 27, 2020 the Calavera Hills Community Park Gateway Improvement Project was re-advertised for bids
and bids were due on Oct. 13, 2020. A total of 13 bids were received and after careful review of the bids, Land
Forms Landscape Construction was determined to be the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. A
construction contract was awarded at the City Council meeting of Dec. 8, 2020. Construction on the project
continues and the work is expected to be complete in Fall 2021.
Hub Park – South Shore Agua Hedionda Lagoon Trail
On May 19, 2020, the City Council awarded a professional services agreement to Dudek for design services for
the south shore Agua Hedionda Lagoon (Hub Park) Trail Project. The design team considered several potential
alignments for a trail along the south shore of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon, based on the Trails Master Plan
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guidelines and the environmental and physical constraints of the land. The potential trail alignments were
submitted to SDG&E for review and approval. In response, SDG&E representatives stated that the trail
development must be limited to only the Hub Park Lease property, and that any encroachments into SDG&E’s
power transmission corridor easement and the use of existing utility access roads must be minimized to the
greatest degree possible.
Based on that input from SDG&E, the scope of this project had to be greatly reduced to accommodate the trail
circulation and access within only the limits of the Hub Park Lease property. In this alignment, the trail is
constrained to the north by an existing Carlsbad Habitat Management Plan preserve area, which follows the top
of the hillsides above the south shore of Agua Hedionda Lagoon. The trail alignment is also limited by the SDG&E
transmission corridor, which is on the southern and eastern portion of the Hub Park Lease property and occupies
about 25% of the of the total property acreage.
There are also several SDG&E and agricultural dirt access roads that cross through the Hub Park Lease property.
These roads are used for SDG&E facility maintenance and for the ongoing agricultural activities within the
adjacent areas. According to SDG&E representatives, the access roads are for the sole purpose of operating,
maintaining and constructing the region's electric system infrastructure and that any other use is discouraged
and would be inconsistent with the intent of the facilities that have been installed to provide safe and reliable
power to the company’s customers.
SDG&E has restricted access to the trail to only the east side of the Hub Park Lease property – on Cannon Road,
at the site of the existing access road driveway and gate. This access point would allow pedestrian and bicycle
access, with no vehicular parking. In this alignment, the trail would start at Cannon Road and would traverse the
Hub Park Lease property from east to west, rather than create a loop. The trail would primarily skirt the edge of
the Habitat Management Plan preserve but would pass through the preserve in a few locations to avoid steep
topography, to minimize crossing of SDG&E’s easement and its access roads, and to avoid seasonally wet
locations.
Staff presented this item to City Council on June 15, 2021 to receive direction on further pursuit of the project.
Council directed staff to continue with the design development of the trail within the Hub Park Lease property,
but to return to Council in the fall with another update.
LED Lighting Project
In August 2016, the city retained Kleinfelder, Inc. to document, global positioning system locate and perform a
condition assessment of the city’s parks and facilities lights within pathways and parking lots. Kleinfelder located
and assessed more than 850 light fixtures in total and rated/ranked the condition of the light poles and
foundations. As a result of that assessment, Parks & Recreation staff identified three locations - Calavera Hills,
Poinsettia and Stagecoach Community Parks - for upgrading all pathway and parking lot light fixtures, from
incandescent bulb type or fluorescent bulb type fixtures, to light-emitting diode bulb type fixtures. Additionally,
based on the data obtained from the assessment, it was determined the project needed to include replacing any
deteriorating light poles and foundations. On May 2, 2018, the city executed a professional services agreement
with Schmidt Design Group to develop the construction documents, plans and specifications for these lighting
upgrades. On Dec. 8, 2020, the City Council approved the plans and specifications and authorized the project for
public bidding. On Jan. 19, 2021, five bids were received. On Feb. 23, 2021 the City Council awarded a
construction contract for this project to Ace Electric. Staff continues to coordinate the work on this project
which is expected to continue into the fall of 2021.
Buena Vista Reservoir Park Project
The site of the former Buena Vista Reservoir will be turned into a small park as part of a set of agreements
approved by the Carlsbad City Council in March 2017. The new park will be approximately three acres and will
include the following amenities: the existing water tank as a monument/entry sign, children's playground, loop
trail around park, picnic areas with shade, ornamental landscaping, benches throughout the park and 11 new
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parallel parking spaces. The park is being constructed by Lennar Homes and they have contracted with
Brightview Landscape for the majority of the construction work. Construction began on the site as of Nov. 9,
2020 and continues to move forward. The park is anticipated to open to the public in the third quarter of 2021.
Parks Maintenance Services Contracts
Over the past few months Parks Maintenance staff started the process of conducting Requests for Bids for all
five of the parks maintenance services scope of work categories performed by outside contractors. Those
categories are: Category B - Trees, Category C – Community Parks & School Athletic Fields, Category D – Passive
Parks &Facilities Landscapes, Category E – Streetscapes, Medians & Parkways and Category F - Undeveloped
Parks Sites, Urban Forests & Trails. On Feb. 23, 2021 City Council awarded an agreement to Nissho of California
for the Category C. Nissho began providing service for Category C on March 27, 2021. Bids were received on
Mar. 12 for Categories D, E & F. On May 11, 2021 City Council awarded a contract to Nissho of California for
Parks Maintenance Service Category D and to Brightview Landscape Services for Category E and F. Both vendors
began their work on these categories on June 14, 2021. Category B was posted to Planet Bids for public bidding
on April 6, 2021 and on May 20, 2021 one bid was received from West Coast Arborists. Staff intends to
recommend award of a contract for its service at the City Council meeting on July 13, 2021.
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