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Home My WebLink About06 - Establish Marina Park Parking Lots Hours, Approve the Marina Park Daily Parking Permit, and Exempt Master and Annual Permit Parking from Marina Park Parking Lots - CorrespondenceReceived After Agenda Printed October 27, 2015 Item No. 6 Rieft Kim From: Denys Oberman <dho@obermanassociates.com> Sent: Monday, October 26, 2015 11:23 AM To: Dixon, Diane; Petros, Tony; keithcurryl@yahoo.com; Dept - City Council; Kiff, Dave; City Clerk's Office; dho@obermanassociates.com Subject: Letter to City Council re. Marina Park Plan -REVISED Attachments: Marina Park- Letter to City Council for record 10-27-15 session.docx Importance: High Sensitivity: Confidential Please discard the prior letter, and distribute and enter into record the attached Letter ,which includes edit to reflect the Correct number of planned Parking spaces on the Marina Park site of 177. Thank you, Denys Oberman ....................... Note -please Regards, Denys H. Oberman, CEO MOBERMAN OBERMAN Strategy and Financial Advisors 2600 Michelson Drive, Suite 1700 Irvine, CA 92612 Tel (949) 476-0790 Cell (949) 230-5868 Fax (949) 752-8935 Email: dho(a)obermanassociates.com CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The documents accompanying this transmission contain confidential information belonging to the sender which is legally privileged. The information is intended only for the use of the individual or entity named above. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or the taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this telecopied information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify us immediately at 9491476-0790 or the electronic address above, to arrange for the return of the document(s) to us. Marina Park- Letter to City Council 10-25-15 PLEASE DISTRIBUTE TO COUNCIL MEMBERS AND ENTER INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD IN CONNECTION WITH CITY COUNCIL SESSION 10-27-15 Mayor and Members of the City Council: We have had the opportunity to visit the Balboa Penninsula Marina Park site, and discuss the staff's proposed operational plans with the City. When initially proposed, the Balboa Penninsula residential community was enthusiastic about having a Community Center close by which could be used for recreation and learning, with some special events. The project started as a center budgeted in the $25 mil. range. It was subsequently expanded in footprint and expense to several times that amount, with building and facility footprint over twice what was anticipated by the public. The Center's luxurious expanded capacity and financial expenditure well beyond the initial plan are clear indications that the City's vision and intent was to create a Commercial —like major Event Venue , generating significant revenue streams to the City . This was not the intent conveyed to, or initially supported by, the public. We accept that this is now the case, and are willing to welcome a facility that can be used by the residents and visitors alike and provides revenue streams to the City ----- However, NOT at the expense of the quality of life of the Balboa Penninsula and surrounding coastal community. The Center has many nice features which the Community appreciates. The expanded capacity and programming for the facility and proposed operational approach presents a number of concerns. We are focused here on two related areas of key concern: The proposed parking schemes and hours of operation. As recommended by staff, Parking and Hours of Operation present serious problems to the Community--- noise and nuisance, traffic and ----most importantly, significantly limit the members of the community's ability to get to and out of, and park in, the area in which they live. Areas of particular concern in the City staff's plan recommendations to Council are as follow: 1) Center Capacity and proposed Parking Scheme - a. The Staff report states that there are a "total of 392 parking spaces"... INCLUDING the 3 parking lots on the facility site, AND"the North side of W. Balboa Blvd., W. Balboa median, 18th Street and W. Bay Ave". The count of 392 is a misleading statement, as it suggests that: a) there is sufficient parking for the events and capacity of the Park venue to accommodate this level of visitors, and b) it sets forth a space count that includes parking necessary for residents to park near where they live, not to mention beach going visitors who may frequent the area. The ACTUAL parking capacity currently on the Site plans of 177 spaces will not even accommodate the Non -community events planned including staff and concessioners, much less ANY actual members of the community who may wish to use any part of the facility at the same time. One simple event on the second story of the main building could house approximately 150 plus people, which, with event and facility staff, would use up 100% of the parking capacity at the site. Where would other Visitors to the Center( residents and others) park? Where can Residents of the community expect to park within reasonable distance of their residences? And some measure of other Beach visitors? b. The Staff report proposes to except those with Annual and Master Permits from using them at the Community Center site parking- many of these people are residents with Physical disabilities or seniors. This is unacceptable. In short, with the capacity of the facility and the many Events and Venues already planned and programmed, it is highly unlikely that Residents of the Community will be able to park at and potentially make regular use of the Marina Park "Community Center". This is unfair at best. 2) Hours of Operation - Staff has proposed plans for parking and operations hours of 6:30 am -12:00 midnight. This is as transparent measure that is NOT consistent with the needs or character of the residential community in the surrounding area. We surveyed other city Community centers, and note that other City Community Centers have hours of operation from 8:00 am to 7:00 or 8:00 pm( earlier closes at some on Saturdays ) and closed on Sundays, with Hours for Special events NOT extending later than a maximum of 10:00 pm. Statements were made by the management of the other various Community Centers that, 10:00 pm is curfew, and we need to not create impact on the residents in the nearby Community". We understand that the coastal activities may make it sense to have opening hours a bit earlier, and also full days on Saturdays and Sundays given recreational patterns. However, where is the Equity in 12:00 midnight hours for the Residents of Central Balboa Penninsula community, and those on the Islands subject to across -water impacts of late night noise and nuisance? With the numerous events and alcohol serving establishment on premises, we are setting up the community for "another Woody's" set of impacts.This is undesirable and inequitable for the Community. PROPOSED SOLUTIONS PLAN AND REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION We have carefuilly evaluated the situation, and believe that there are solutions to addressing the parking challenge in a manner that is not adverse to the community: provides residents and other visitors fair access to and ability to use the center without denying residents' reasonable access to their homes, and supports a reasonable level of revenue -generating commercial activity desired by the City. 1) Designate a certain number of spaces at the facility for Resident/community use, on a first come first serve basis. A reasonable number would be in the range of 100. Permits and meters can be available for such purpose. 2) Honor/recognize Annual and Master Permits for facility use, with time limits. 3) Convert the unnecessariy large( drought intolerant) grass area to add an additional 250 spaces, to be allocated as a combination of Open and permitted parking. The Penninsula has both beach and grass parks, and does not need another one. 4) Roll back Park Operating hours to be consistent with benchmark for Community center facilities near residential neighborhoods. Hours of 7:00 am- 8:00 pm Mon- Thurs and Sunday, and up to 10:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays is more than adequate to accommodate all types of use and provide significant containment of parking and nuisance, drunk and disorderly —related problems. 5) Establish a Residents permit program for residential streets subject to Park overflow and daily beach use.lmpacted areas would likely be streets of west 12- 14th, and 16th -18th . ( may require additional study to determine most appropriate schedule). We respectfully request that the Council move to Deny staff's recommendations pertaining to Parking scheme other than the meter cost and daily rate, and also Hours of parking and operations, and move to Approve the recommendations listed 1-4, above. Thank you. Denys H. Oberman and Concerned Citizens of Newport Beach