HomeMy WebLinkAbout18 - Sunset Ridge Park Status ReportCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Agenda item No. 18
May 8, 2007
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Public Works Department
Stephen G. Badum
949 - 644 -3311 or sbadum @city.newport- beach.ca.us
SUBJECT: SUNSET RIDGE PARK STATUS REPORT
ISSUE: Should the City proceed with the conceptual development of Sunset
Ridge Park and what priority should it have?
RECOMMENDATION:
Provide direction to staff as to priority of Sunset Ridge Park concept
development process.
DISCUSSION:
On April 12, 2005, City Council approved a Professional Services Agreement in the
amount of $70,000 with RJM Design Group for conceptual development of Sunset
Ridge Park. In general, the contracted services would provide a master plan for
development of the proposed Sunset Ridge Park including planning; data collection;
preliminary environmental, biological and cultural reviews; a topographic and boundary
survey of the site; land use, traffic and circulation analyses; and schematic designs,
exhibits, and reports.
Although the final amenities to be placed in the park are yet to be determined, the park
may consist of sports fields, tot lots, skate parks, natural and passive park areas,
restroom buildings, parking lots, lighting, and perhaps a pedestrian bridge to connect
the two sites. The development will require a considerable amount of grading, drainage
improvements, and perhaps an access road connecting westbound Coast Highway to
the site through the adjacent Banning Ranch property.
The planning process was to include two public workshops and a public half day onsite
park awareness tour; meetings with City staff, neighboring property owners and
managers; and presentations to the Parks, Beaches and Recreation Commission, the
Planning Commission, and the City Council. Alternative site development schemes will
be explored in order to determine the most desirable site layout and develop consensus
among the interested parties as to the overall nature of the park, ease of access and
Sunset Ridge Park - Status Report
May 8. 2007
Page 2
egress, locations and types of amenities, parking locations, onsite circulation,
aesthetics, landscaping, lighting, etc. It was expected that the conceptual design
process would take six months to complete.
The proposed park site consists of two parcels (a 15 -acre parcel and a 2 -acre parcel)
located along West Coast Highway on both sides of Superior Avenue. The parcels
were purchased by the State many years ago for the Coastal Freeway. The City has
been pursuing the purchase of these parcels for park purposes since the 1990s. In
2001, the State Legislators passed SB 124 which provided the City the opportunity to
transfer the parcel from Caltrans to State Parks for the original purchase price and then
lease the parcel from State Parks. Over the next few years, the City negotiated with
State Parks, Caltrans, and the CA Transportation Commission to complete the transfer
and lease. In 2004, the City purchased the smaller parcel on Superior Avenue. During
the spring of 2005, it appeared that the acquisition of the larger park parcel via a lease
was finally nearing fruition and the City was sponsoring legislation through Senator
John Campbell (SB 306) to ensure that the City could lease the larger parcel for at least
25 years instead of the 10 years that current law allowed. That effort did not succeed
and the current contract with RJM was put on hold. On September 26, 2006, City
Council approved a resolution to purchase the parcel for $5 million in three installments
plus interest at 4.75% ($2 million paid 12/06; $1.642 million, by 12/07; $1.571 million by
12/08).
With the acquisition question resolved, staff is prepared to resume conceptual
development of the park with RJM Design. An amendment to their contract may be
required to accommodate hourly rate increases which have occurred since the original
contract was executed. Staff is currently working on the conceptual development of
Marina Park and the further development of Newport Center Park is pending until the
Parks, Beaches and Recreation Commission can review its status. Under the ongoing
CIP workload and the current vacancies in Public Works, staff requests that Council
provide direction as to the appropriate priority for each park development project.
Submitted by:
rh G. Badum
Works Director