Recommendation to approve the Master Plan for De-Pave Park. (Recreation 10051400)
To: Honorable Chair and Members of the Recreation and Parks Commission
From: Justin Long, Director of Recreation and Parks
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
De-Pave Park is located on the western edge of Seaplane Lagoon at Alameda Point designed as a publicly accessible ecological park created by removing all existing concrete, re-purposing it onsite and creating significant and varied habitat to support a wide range of wildlife. Following three rounds of inclusive community input on the De-Pave Park design, staff is presenting the final conceptual design of De-Pave Park (Exhibit 1).
There are two buildings located within the defined De-Pave Park area. The proposed design removes Building 29 and Building 25. Building 29 which has a variety of small artist and maker tenants, and the tenants of Building 25 including St. George's Spirits, Brix Beverage, Alameda Soda Company, Dashe Cellars and Urban Legends will be removed. City Council approved the removal of Building 25 on November 7, 2023. The decision was made due to two primary factors including: 1) the additional cost to keep the building totals nearly $6 million for utilities and a levee to protect the building from sea level rise and 2) the building's total required footprint reduces the available wildlife habitat to a minimal area which is counter to the park's goal as a natural wildlife habitat.
The final master plan includes a wide pedestrian and bicycle promenade the length of the park, overlooks and an educational gathering space, tide pools, a beach, picnic area, parking lot and restroom, areas to fish in the bay, seating throughout the park, tidal wetlands, habitat and nature play. Staff is seeking approval of the master plan design.
BACKGROUND
On March 3, 2020, City Council approved a list of Park and Recreation Facility Project Priorities which included and prioritized De-Pave Park. This park is located on the western side of Seaplane Lagoon at Alameda Point and was originally envisioned and described in the Alameda Point Town Center and Waterfront Precise Plan. The intent of this park is to convert the existing concrete surface, a remnant of the former Naval Base paved tarmac system, to a sustainable ecological park including tidal wetlands and wildlife habitat. De-Pave Park is designed to adapt to climate change by welcoming sea level rise through inundation over time with continued public access and by creating a tidal ecology system, which has notable carbon sequestration benefits. The existing site includes two buildings built by the Navy (known as Buildings 25 and 29) and is adjacent to the Veterans Administration (VA) wetlands. Nearly all of the site is currently covered with concrete or these buildings.
On September 15, 2020, City Council approved the De-Pave Park Vision Plan and on October 20, 2020, City Council heard and commented on an inclusive community outreach plan for the future De-Pave Park Master Plan effort.
On September 21, 2021, City Council approved a resolution to apply for the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority (SFBRA) Measure AA grant. The grant was awarded and the scope of work includes the following:
• Conduct an inclusive community input process resulting in a Master Plan;
• Develop 30% design documents for regional permit applications;
• Work with the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI) for scientific consultation on the design; and
• Partner with the Alameda Point Collaborative (APC) to develop a community stewardship program framework for plant propagation and long-term maintenance by volunteers and staff through a workforce development program.
On September 6, 2022, City Council approved acceptance of $800,000 in Measure AA grant funds from SFBRA and approved a budget resolution authorizing allocation of $50,000 in grant matching funds from the General Fund.
On January 17, 2023, City Council approved an agreement with CMG Landscape Architecture for design services for De-Pave Park.
The first round of community input on De-Pave Park design was held in April 2023 with an in-person workshop held onsite at De-Pave Park, attended by approximately 50 people, an in-person workshop held at Alameda Point Collaborative specifically for their residents with approximately 30 people in attendance, and an online survey with 693 respondents. Extensive outreach included marketing on social media and flyers in multiple languages distributed to a wide variety of organizations such as Alameda Point Collaborative, Alameda Housing Authority, Alameda Unified School District, Communities for a Sustainable Alameda and other local non-profit organizations. This first round of input focused on education about the De-Pave Park concept and Vision Plan, information about existing conditions and context of the natural habitats, as well as soliciting high level community input about design and recreational ideas, the two buildings onsite and feedback on anything the design team should be considering.
The design team then conducted an extensive evaluation of existing conditions including, but not limited to, soils, contaminants, habitat opportunities and options, wave analysis, and the cost and benefit analysis of the two buildings located onsite. That information was utilized to develop the three options presented in the second round of community input.
On September 30, 2023, two in-person community meetings were held to solicit input on the design. One meeting was a tour specifically for Alameda Point Collaborative residents with approximately 15 participants and the second meeting was for the broader community with approximately 30 attendees. An online survey was open for several weeks with 69 respondents so far. In addition, on September 15 and 16, staff and the design team solicited input on the design options during the Bandaloop dance group's working rehearsal onsite at Building 25 at the De-Pave Park site with over 100 people commenting on the design. And on October 13, staff shared the design options and received community input during the Starlight Movies in the Park event.
On November 7, 2023, staff presented three design options as part of a workshop to City Council seeking design direction to keep or remove Building 25. The council approved the removal of Building 25, expanding the wetland footprint by approximately 4 acres and increasing the overall wildlife habitat. City Council directed Base Reuse staff to work with the tenants of Building 25 to identify possible relocation sites at Alameda Point. Base Reuse staff are continuing to work closely with existing business tenants and subtenants of the City owned buildings potentially impacted by the planned De-Pave Park Project. Staff will work to keep tenants apprised of the proposed project development and construction timeline and how it aligns with the terms in their existing lease agreements. Staff will also continue to work with business owners to understand their space and operational requirements and seek to provide information about other opportunities for them to relocate within Alameda Point.
The park master plan was refined for the final round of community meetings. On January 20,2024, staff held the third round of community round of meetings with the refined master plan with both Buildings 25 and 29 removed. Approximately 15 people attended an in-person meeting with overall enthusiastic support for the project.
DISCUSSION
De-Pave Park is a 12-acre urban ecological park in which all existing concrete from a World War I I-era runway at Alameda Point, previously Naval Air Station Alameda, will be removed to create tidal wetlands and wildlife habitat. This ecological open space is designed to adapt to sea level rise by inundating over time, creating additional wetlands. A raised boardwalk, accessible to people of all physical abilities, will provide opportunities for viewing shorebirds, waterfowl, and marine mammals in their natural habitat, as will trails and observation areas. This park is within walking and biking distance for many low-income residents, including a housing development for seniors and APC for formerly homeless families. Additionally, De-Pave Park is adjacent to VA wetlands that are not accessible to the public but will be viewed from De-Pave Park and provide additional habitat connectivity.
Park Components
The final master plan includes removing both existing buildings with more activated areas near the corner of Monarch Street and the western end of Seaplane Lagoon Promenade that ultimately will extend across and connect with De-Pave Park. The existing concrete will be ground up onsite and reused to create varying elevations for viewing, picnicking and seating. All three options include the following design details and amenities:
• Parking area
• Restroom
• Seating throughout the park
• Extensive wetlands and wildlife habitat.
• Picnic area, elevated at 9-feet
• Bicycle/pedestrian path running the length of the park. This path and others within the park will be made of the existing concrete and as sea level rises, boardwalks will be built upon the concrete walkways to retain public access as the park transforms into wetlands
• Expanded beach area at the corner with an accessible ramp that can be an informal kayak/stand up paddle board launch area. This beach will be surrounded with large reused concrete blocks to serve as a retaining wall and seating area
• Education and observation overlooks, Learning Lab and gathering spaces, all of which can be used for outdoor education classes and wildlife viewing areas
• Fishing spots where anglers can bring their gear out and fish in the open Bay waters along the shoreline
• Some of the rip rap (rocky shoreline) will be removed on the upper portions and transitioned into gravel habitat that attracts different types of species. In addition, a section of the rip rap will be removed to allow the water to naturally ebb and flow into the De-Pave Park marsh, salina and other habitats
• Boulder tide pool area which provides an urban location for children, adults and families to explore tide pools and marine life at different water levels
• Eel grass trial and potential oyster beds. These are both extremely beneficial to the health of the SF Bay and in addressing climate change through carbon sequestration. Staff and the CMG team are coordinating with the Wild Oyster Project, a regional non-profit organization that is applying for grants to plan for oyster beds in the water adjacent to De-Pave Park in Seaplane Lagoon.
Next Steps
Staff will bring the final master plan and feedback from the Recreation and Parks Commission to City Council in March 2024. The design team will then complete 30% design documents which is used to apply for required regional permits. Staff is also working with the SF Bay Restoration Regulatory Integration Team (BRRIT) which is comprised of all regional regulatory agencies for which this project will need permits. Through this process, the design team receives feedback throughout the design development with the goal to improve the efficiency of the regulatory permit process.
Upon completion of the design documents, staff will seek and apply for grant funding to fund the permit applications as well as project construction.
ALTERNATIVES
• Comment and provide feedback on all aspects of the De-Pave Park design
• Request staff to develop further alternative designs
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact from providing direction on design options. Funds are available for design planning to 30% design documents from the $800,000 San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority grant plus $50,000 General Fund match that are included in the De-Pave Park Capital Improvement Project (C55200) budget.
Additional funding will need to be identified to complete the design and construct the project. The cost estimate for the final design will be included when that design is brought to City Council for approval in early 2024.
Once De-Pave Park is fully constructed and open to the public, it will require ongoing park maintenance funding. The annual maintenance cost is not yet determined as the scope of work is dependent upon the final design. Budget for maintenance costs will require financial contributions from the City that would be subject to future City Council approval.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action does not affect the Alameda Municipal Code. Moving forward with the planning, and ultimately the construction, of De-Pave Park is consistent with the sea-level rise adaptation and greenhouse gas reduction strategies identified in the adopted Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (CARP) (2019).
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The City previously certified an Environmental Impact Report for the Alameda Point Waterfront and Town Center Precise Plan. The EIR analyzed the environmental impacts of De-Pave Park, which is a key open space recommendation in the Precise Plan. Development of De-Pave Park will be subject to the mitigation measures established by the EIR for the protection of the environment. The project will also be subject to environmental protections imposed by Regional permits from the Regional Water Quality Control Board, SF Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and U.S. Army Corps for any construction impacts and in-water work. Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines sections 15162 and 15163, none of the circumstances necessitating further CEQA review are present.
CLIMATE IMPACT
De-Pave Park, when constructed, will have an immediate impact on reducing the carbon footprint of this site. The existing site will take more than 210 years to obtain carbon neutrality from its original construction. However, this park will minimize this impact and be carbon positive within 4 years from the park construction and will even offset the original construction carbon impacts within 23 years. This will be accomplished through Climate Positive design by recycling existing concrete materials onsite, combined with native plantings to maximize carbon sequestration.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff is seeking approval of the final master plan of De-Pave park from the Recreation and Parks Commission.
Respectfully submitted,
Justin Long, Director of Recreation and Parks
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Margaret O’Brien, Finance Director
Exhibit:
1. De-Pave Park Master Plan