Title
Recommendation to Approve Closure of the Remaining North Course Holes at Corica Park to Improve the Overall Construction Schedule Timeline. (Recreation and Parks 280)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Greenway Golf (Greenway) is renovating the 18-hole North Course under its lease dated August 1, 2012 and First Amendment to lease dated March 28, 2018 (Exhibits 1 and 2) with the City of Alameda (City). Twelve holes are currently closed for construction and Greenway has requested to close the remaining six holes and move all play, including local leagues and clubs, to the South Course and Par 3 Course. While heavy rains last winter caused significant delays, this action will enable Greenway to open the full course sooner.
BACKGROUND
Greenway is currently renovating the North Course as required by its lease with the City. Greenway originally closed nine holes with the plan to close the second nine holes after completion of the first nine holes.
On April 29, 2019, the Golf Commission unanimously approved a proposal from Greenway to close an additional three holes, leaving six holes (of the total eighteen) playable and open to the public. This allowed the public to play six, twelve, or eighteen holes in circuits. This request was due to the significant amount of rain in the winter of 2018-19, which put the construction behind schedule. Greenway principals explained that the additional closure would allow the construction crew the ability to catch up on the overall construction schedule.
Greenway is now requesting to close the remaining six holes, which will fully close the North Course. The City Attorney’s Office determined that full closure of the course is enough of a material change to the lease provisions that the City Council must authorize this change.
On November 14, 2019, the Golf Commission unanimously approved and recommended to the City Council Greenway’s proposal to fully close the North Course. The Commissioners stated that this would not be a significant hardship for golfers and they felt it was worth ensuring that the North Course would be completed sooner.
DISCUSSION
If the North Course is fully closed, the South Course and 9-hole, Par 3 course will remain open to the public. All tournaments and regular league play for juniors, seniors, the ladies 9-holers and other organized events will be moved to the South Course.
In order to improve the construction schedule that was impacted by last winter’s weather, Greenway is requesting the immediate closure of the remaining golf holes on the North Course. This is due to one of the wettest winters in many years (2018-2019), which caused significant delays in soil import and golf course construction on the North Course remodeling. Even though the North Course project will use considerably less soil overall, it still requires import to re-contour the golf course and fix drainage concerns. In addition, Greenway did not originally intend to sand cap the North Course as it did the South Course, but an opportunity arose to receive good quality sand from a construction project in San Francisco. This also has delayed the construction, but will provide for a higher quality play surface with excellent drainage in the long term as is witnessed on the South Course.
The front nine holes on the North Course are shaped, irrigated, cart path subgrade installed and now work is focused on drainage, sand capping and bunker work followed by installing grass. With the use of hybrid Bermuda grass on all fairway surfaces, the timing of its planting is critical. This grass is a warm season grass so it only grows aggressively in the warmer months. The plan is to install drainage and sand cap over the winter months and plant grass in late April on the front nine. Once that is completed, there is time for grow-in and maturation and the front nine will then open to the public. How quickly the grass grows is dictated by weather and temperatures, but will take approximately three to four months. It needs temperatures above 70 degrees for good grow-in.
Closing the remaining holes on the North Course now will allow the construction team to start work this winter on moving soil onto the back nine holes and continue work without pause in the spring of 2020. At that time, work could begin on shaping and contouring as the soil is expected to be in place. This will then allow for more immediate work on irrigation, drainage, sand capping and installing grass. The goal is to attempt to reduce the overall impact from the rainy weather and allow players an opportunity to enjoy a fully remodeled golf course in an overall shorter time frame.
The North Course already has very minimal play. There are currently only 100 rounds per week on the North Course, which is equivalent to 12-15 per day. And with the very poor drainage of the existing holes, the North Course will experience more closures during the winter than the South Course. Greenway has spoken with all of the Alameda golf clubs, who are willing to work with the adjustment, since they instead have the opportunity to play on the South Course or Par 3 Course. Many of these groups are excited to instead play on the South Course at a modified price and, for the Juniors, it is at no additional cost.
ALTERNATIVES
• Approve closure of the remaining North Course holes at Corica Park to improve the overall construction schedule timeline.
• Keep the remaining six holes open on the North Course. In this case, the soil import for those holes will wait until the summer of 2020 when the front nine holes are anticipated to open. Keeping the remaining six holes open will also delay when the entire 18-hole North Course is open for play.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact from this action. All construction costs are the responsibility of Greenway Golf and the lease payments remain a flat payment until 2022, at which time the payments are based on a percent of gross revenues.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action has no effect on the Alameda Municipal Code.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The North Course project includes the rehabilitation and improvement of an existing park, the proposal is consistent with the zoning and general plan designation for the property, and the improvements are subject to the existing design requirements of the Alameda Municipal Code ensuring compatibility with adjacent land uses.
The project is restoring and rehabilitating deteriorated facilities, with no proposed expansion or intensification of an existing use; the project involves grading on land with less than 10% slope; the project does not occur in wetlands, a scenic area, or in an area mapped as containing a severe geologic hazard; the project involves filling of earth with material compatible with the natural features of the site; the project includes minor trenching and backfilling where the surface is being restored; and the project includes the replacement of existing conventional landscaping with water efficient landscaping.
For these reasons, closing the remaining six holes on the North Course will not result in any significant environmental impacts and is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15301 (existing facilities), 15304 (Minor Alterations to Land) and 15061 (General Rule Exemption).
CLIMATE IMPACTS
Greenway Golf is planting a hybrid Bermuda grass, which is a warm season grass that is more drought tolerant (utilizing at least 50% less water), requires less fertilizer and chemicals, and can handle the high volume of play with foot and cart traffic. Additionally, the design includes a sophisticated irrigation system with individualized sprinkler heads and this system is so targeted that it greatly decreases water usage as well. Corica Park utilizes recycled water for over 98% of its water usage.
RECOMMENDATION
To approve closure of the remaining North Course holes at Corica Park to improve the overall construction schedule timeline so the North Course may open to the public sooner.
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
The City Manager concurs with the Recreation and Parks Director recommendation.
Respectfully submitted,
Amy Wooldridge, Recreation and Parks Director
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Elena Adair, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. Lease
2. First Amendment
cc: Eric Levitt, City Manager