REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Oliver Chi, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Chris Slama, Director of Community Services
Subject:
title
Approve the Revised Master Plan for the Redevelopment of the Rodgers Seniors’ Center Site and direct staff to complete the design process and issue a bid package for construction
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Statement of Issue:
There is a need for City Council to approve the revised Master Plan for redevelopment of the Rodgers Seniors’ Center site.
Financial Impact:
Funding in the amount of $925,000 is included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020/21 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget with an additional $875,000 scheduled for FY 2021/22. The FY 2020/21 amount is budgeted in the Park Development Impact Fund 228, account 22845018.
Recommended Action:
recommendation
Approve the revised Rodgers Seniors’ Center Site Master Plan, as included in Attachment 3, and direct staff to complete the design process and issue a bid package for construction.
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Alternative Action(s):
Do not approve the recommended action, and direct staff accordingly.
Analysis:
City Council previously directed staff to work through the Community Services Commission (CSC) to seek public input and make recommendations to City Council on re-use of the Rodgers Seniors’ Center site (RSC). As part of City Council action, staff was also directed to consider utilizing a charrette format to enable the highest level of public input. The two-acre RSC is located at 1706 Orange Avenue. For many years, it served as a public park and as home of the Michael Rodgers Seniors’ Center and Senior Outreach Building.
On Saturday, September 28, 2019, RJM Design Group (RJM) conducted the charrette-style workshop at the RSC. The goal of the charrette workshop was to gather input from the community for the future use of the site. The meeting was well attended with approximately 100 local residents participating. The workshop included activities where attendees were broken out into groups. Tools were provided for each group to assist with communicating their ideas for the future use of the site. The groups provided input on likes, dislikes, issues, concerns, and park and facility amenities. Most groups created a concept plan for the site, from which RJM created a composite plan that included the former Senior Outreach building, tot lot, parking area, and green space, which ultimately led to the development of a draft conceptual plan for recommendation.
On November 13, 2019, staff presented RJM’s design proposal and conceptual diagram (Attachment 1) to the CSC for recommendation to City Council for their consideration. A slightly modified version of the proposed diagram was approved by the CSC at that meeting, with the playground equipment removed from the plan, in response to several public comments requesting more open green space.
At the City Council study session on February 18, 2020, staff presented the revised conceptual plan approved by the CSC (Attachment 2), seeking City Council feedback in order to complete the draft Master Plan for the Rodgers Seniors’ Center site. Further discussion ensued regarding parking needs, requirements, and possible options for the location of parking spaces - on and/or off-site.
Based on the variety of feedback from the City Council at the February 18, 2020, study session, staff worked with RJM to devise a revised draft Master Plan. The newly-proposed plan features a parking lot located adjacent to Orange Avenue, placing it closer to the building for accessibility (Attachment 3). The proposed lot would include 13 parking spaces, which in combination with on-street parking, would support assemblies of 30-40 people in the building, as well as provide park access. Per City Council direction and public input process, the smaller, former Senior Outreach building, would remain and be utilized by the American Legion Post 133 for certain storage and meeting space needs, while also serving as a reservation facility for the general public according to the City’s Master Fee and Charges Schedule.
The total budget for the redevelopment of the RSC is estimated at $1,800,000. Of this amount, $925,000 is included in the FY 2020/21 CIP budget with the balance scheduled for FY 2021/22 using Park Development Impact fees. Should the City Council approve the recommended action, staff will immediately continue the design process in order to produce a package for a competitive bidding process to construct the park.
Environmental Status:
The project will go through appropriate CEQA clearances as identified in the entitlement process.
Strategic Plan Goal:
Enhance and maintain infrastructure
Attachment(s):
1) RJM original conceptual design presented to Community Services Commission (November 13, 2019)
2) Modified conceptual design proposal presented to City Council (February 18, 2020)
3) Revised conceptual design proposal following City Council Study Session