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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Statement 1988/02/09 Item 7CITY COUNCIL AGENDA STATEMENT • Item 7 Meeting Date 2/9/88 ITEM TITLE: Resolution~~~~C~ Approving the Memorial Park Master Plan SUBMITTED BY: Director of Parks and Recreation REVIEWED BY: City Manage (4/5ths Vote: Yes No X ) At the City Council meeting of November Greg tJowell, and his architectural c preliminary findings and recommendations phasing of these improvements. The City prel i mi nary master plan and referred the boards for input. 10, 1987, the landscape architect, onsultant, Dan Leonard, presented for Memorial Park improvements and Council accepted the report on the plan to the various commissions and RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council approve the master plan, with the clock tower feature and realignment of Park Way approved in general terms, but with these features and the exterior remodeling of the park's major buildings (Park Way Gym, Community Center, and gym, pool, locker buildings) not implemented until a more detailed renovation program is developed (see Planning Director's February 4, 1988 memo, which is Attachment "A"). It is • also recommended that the approved Master Plan retain the proposed location for the restroom, the retention of the proposed cobblestone channel, and that passive human activities be added to the Master Plan. BOARDS/COMMISSIONS RECOMMENDATION: At its meeting on December 17, the Town Centre Project Area Committee (PAC) approved the master plan, with the following amendments: 1) consideration be given to attaching the proposed new free-standing restroom facility to an existing building such as the senior center or Parkway Center building; 2) reconsideration of proposed concrete and cobblestone Swale with grass-lined channel to reduce maintenance and eliminate a potential physical separation of the park; 3) elimination of clock tower feature. The Design Review Committee (DRC), at its December 17 meeting, approved the master plan, subject to the following: 1) that structures and focal point areas include passive human. activities such as seating; 2) final architectural design of proposed restroom be submitted to staff for final review and approval; 3) final design of architectural elements, such as the tower structure, come back to the committee for review. The Parks and Recreation Commission approved the plan with no modifications at its December 17 meeting. The Commissions' recommendations are discussed in greater detail in the report and minutes of the meetings are attached, as Attachments B, C, and D, for your information. • • Page 2, Item 7 Meeting Date-~7~37$~ DISCUSSION: Attached to the resolution is a copy of the master plan report. At the beginning of the report is a summary of the proposed recommendations for park improvements and at the back is a listing of the development phases in priority order, with estimated costs. The first phase, proposed for construction during 1988-89, involves renovation of the drainage channel; installation of additional walkways and lighting; moving and upgrading of play area and restroom facility; repairs to Parkway Center and Plunge roofs, and Plunge bleachers; construction of panhandle improvements; irrigation upgrading; selective tree removal and planting; demolition of shuffleboard court and trellis work; renovation of the fountain and gymnasium interior; repainting of Parkway buildings; and improvements to the gymnasium exterior drainage. These improvements will cost approximately $1,095,590. Also included in Phase 1 are improvements to alleviate the current drainage problem under the gymnasium. Soils engineers have recommended installation of a sub-drain to redirect water away from this area. This problem was recently discovered when the wood floor replacement project was begun, and must be alleviated before next winter's rains. If funding is available in FY 1988-89 for Phase 2 construction, those improvements will involve repairs to the parking lot, plunge equipment, decking; installation of park signage; demolition of Bowl building; reconstruction of the Bowl; and construction of a sculpture area and patio area, at a cost of $572,104. The sculpture area was originally envisioned as having the "Los Hijos" sculpture as its focal point. liowever, staff recommends that this artwork remain at its present location on One Park property and that other sculptural ideas be explored, such as having a statue of a local historical figure or other commemorative art work. The preliminary report differed somewhat in that the sculpture area construction was included in Phase 1, not in Phase 2, as currently proposed, irrigation upgrades were in Phase 2 instead of the current Phase 1, gymnasium interior renovations were originally in Phase 5 and are now included in Phase 1; rebuilding of the Plunge bleachers and roof was in Phase 5 instead of the current Phase 1; reconstruction of the I & R Center patio and trellis is now included in Phase 4 instead of in Phase 1; and expansion/remodeling of the I & R Center has been added to Phase 4. The consultant and staff feel that building renovations are very much needed and that deficiencies in the buildings should be addressed in a timely manner. Phases 3, 4 and 5 involve additions to the Parkway Center and Plunge building, realignment of Park Way, construction of a tower structure and landscaping around the Center and Gymnasium. As part of Phase 4, the architect originally recommended that the covered seating area of the Plunge be converted to a classroom or storage area. Staff has recommended that the architect consider retaining this viewing area and still incorporate a classroom. Further study of this area will be needed during the construction drawing phase. Page 3, Item ~ • Meeting Date 2/9/88 At its November meeting, Council members expressed concern regarding the siting of the clock tower and realignment of Park Way and was interested in the opinions of the commissions and boards concerning these items. Regarding the clock tower, the Town Centre PAC members recommended it be eliminated from the plan as they felt it was superfluous and did not fit in with the rest of the park. The DRC and Parks and Recreation Commission, however, were in favor of having such a structure, perhaps with a different design from the one shown in the plan. Staff recommends keeping the tower since, in its opinion, it enhances the surrounding buildings. The design certainly has not been finalized and would be sent to DRC and the Council for review and comments. The realignment of Park Way was supported by all three committees. They were very supportive of the idea of expanding the park, adding additional space in front of the recreation center for landscaping, replacing pepper trees with palm trees to enhance the long row of palm trees and providing a safe drop-off zone for park users. Staff, therefore, is recommending retention of the realignment. The Town Center PAC also asked that consideration be given to attaching the new restroom to an existing building, such as the senior center, rather than having a free-standing building. Members were concerned that having another free-standing edifice to replace the current free-standing restroom would only • lead to a continuance of undesirable activities at the restroom. The DRC, however, liked the new location for the restroom and felt that police could adequately supervise the facility and that there was good visibility from the Park Plaza parking lot. Staff is in concurrence with the DRC and supports the current proposed location. The Town Centre PAC also asked staff to re-think the design of the drainage channel and consider having a grass-lined channel. The landscape architect considered this option but determined that a grass-lined channel would not support the volume of water running through the park and would be infeasible. The other committees were in favor of the proposed cobblestone channel. Staff recommends retention of the cobblestone channel to handle the high velocity of water. It is the consultant's intent to design the channel to have the appearance of a natural-looking streambed. The DRC asked that passive human activities (i.e. seating) be included in the areas around the memorial, senior center patio and sculpture garden area. Staff is in support of this recommendation and will direct the landscape architect to include these items during the construction document phase. Attached to this report is a memo from the Planning Director expressing his department's concerns with including recommendations for the Parkway Recreation Complex renovation in the Master Plan. His staff had recommended to DRC that the buildings be removed from the plan and that a separate • architectural master plan be undertaken. The DRC did not accept this recommendation and approved the Plan with the building improvements included. The Parks and Recreation Department feels that retention of the building /_- ~~ w • Page 4, Item ~ Meeting Date~~7$$- recommendations in the Master Plan is important since the Park Way complex is an integral part of the park. However, since funding for the clock tower and exterior renovations are scheduled in later phases of the project and are not likely to be accomplished for some time, it is recommended that a more detailed evaluation of the clock tower and exterior renovations be undertaken. At the Council meeting of November lU, 1987, discussion ensued regarding possible uses of the Senior Information and Referral Center should information and referral services be relocated to Norman Park Center. One of the uses proposed was a museum for the Chula Vista Historical Society. Council referred thi s i tem to the Library Director to get i nput from the Society and submit a report with recommendations. That report will not be ready for several weeks, as the Historical Society is in the process of determining space requirements for its artifacts. Members of the Society have toured the building and are interested in using it for a museum. With minor modifications, such as installation of track lighting, installation of partitions and covering up of windows, the existing bui 1 di ng coul d be used by the Society to display a very smal 1 porti on of i is historical items. Expansion of the building to encompass existing trellis work to the north, south and west would provide much needed space. The sculpture garden area could complement the museum with a historical theme, • displaying statues of local historical figures or historic farm implements belonging to the Society. Staff recommends that Council leave the building undesignated in the current plan, deferring a decision until the staff report on the museum is complete. Once the master plan is approved, development of construction drawings for Phases 1 and 2 will begin, followed by City plan review, bidding and construction. FISCAL IMPACT: The preliminary cost estimate for the total construction is $2. 8 million, with an estimate of $1.1 million for Phase 1 work. Approximately $1 million of redevelopment funds is currently available along with $25,500 from Mr. Richard Zogob for Panhandle improvements. Council will have to consider appropriating additional funds during the FY 1988-89 CIP review process to completely fund all Phase 1 improvements. Other funding sources which will be pursued include redevelopment funds, State grant monies, National Endowment for the Arts funds for Memorial Bowl, Land and Water Conservation Grants, and Fine Arts feature funds for the sculpture garden and/or tower structure. WPC 0925R • the City Council of Chula Vista, California Dated ~;