Title
Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Two-Year Agreement with CMG Landscape Architecture for Design Services for De-Pave Park, Located on the Western Edge of Seaplane Lagoon at Alameda Point, with the Option to Extend the Agreement on a Year-by-Year Basis for Up to Two Additional Years, in an Amount Not to Exceed $729,967, Funded by a Grant from the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority.
The City of Alameda previously certified an Environmental Impact Report for the Alameda Point Waterfront and Town Center Precise Plan. Pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines sections 15162 and 15163, none of the circumstances necessitating further CEQA review are present. (Recreation & Parks 10051400)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
De-Pave Park is a 12-acre ecological park in which all existing concrete from the former Naval Base airfield runway system will be removed to create tidal wetlands and wildlife habitat. The City of Alameda (City) was awarded $800,000 from the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority (SFBRA) Measure AA grant for project planning. The scope of the planning work includes a Master Plan process with broad, inclusive community outreach using the De-Pave Park Vision Plan as a starting point and development of 30% design documents. Staff completed a Request for Proposals (RFP) process and is now recommending a two-year agreement with CMG Landscape Architecture for De-Pave Park design services with the option to extend on a year-by-year basis for up to two additional years.
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 inundate over time with sea level rise and create a tidal ecology system, which has notable carbon sequestration benefits.
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 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 Literacy for Environmental Justice (LEJ) to develop a community stewardship program framework for plant propagation and long-term maintenance by volunteers and staff through a workforce development program with Alameda Point Collaborative (APC).
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.
DISCUSSION
De-Pave Park is a 12-acre urban ecological park in which all existing concrete from a World War II-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 Veteran’s Administration (VA) wetlands that are not accessible to the public and will provide additional habitat connectivity as well as viewing opportunities of the wildlife at the VA wetlands.
On October 21, 2022, staff issued an RFP for design and civil engineering services to create a Master Plan and 30% construction documents for De-Pave Park. After a submittal period of 24 days, four timely submitted proposals were received. The written proposals were reviewed and scored by the Public Works City Engineer, a Project Manager for the East Bay Regional Parks District who is familiar with ecological park design, and the Recreation and Parks Director. The top two firms were then interviewed by SFEI staff, the Public Works Project Manager who works on park projects, the Parks Manager and Recreation and Parks Director. CMG was selected as the firm that best meets the City’s needs for the De-Pave Park project. CMG created the De-Pave Park Vision Plan with input from local key stakeholders and provided the landscape architecture design for the Alameda Point Town Center and Waterfront Precise Plan. CMG is highly qualified for this project and their team includes subconsultants that have worked on numerous projects at Alameda Point, including utilities and the adjacent Veteran’s Administration wetlands. The team is committed to an inclusive design conversation with the community.
The Master Plan process will include public input at three different points during design development with at least four meetings (a combination of virtual and in-person) at each of the three design points. Staff will conduct significant outreach in multiple languages including direct outreach to APC residents, Alameda Housing Authority residents, Alameda Unified School District families and students, Youth Activist Alameda, Alameda Youth Committee, Commission on Persons with Disabilities, the Center for Independent Living, Alameda Boys and Girls Club, Girls Inc., Communities for a Sustainable Alameda (CASA) and other local non-profit organizations. There will be onsite meetings with some of these organizations to bring the design review directly to their constituents. This planning process will also include broad community discussions regarding whether Buildings 25 and 29 should remain or be removed as part of the park design. Outreach will include businesses in those buildings, the Chamber of Commerce, and both Alameda Business Associations.
ALTERNATIVES
• Authorize the City Manager, to execute an agreement with CMG Landscape Architecture for design services for De-Pave Park in an amount not-to-exceed $729,967.
• Direct staff to negotiate with a different design team that submitted a qualified proposal in the Request for Proposals process.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Funds are available for this contract from the $800,000 SFBRA grant funds plus $50,000 General Fund match that are included in the De-Pave Park Capital Improvement Project (C55200) budget. The remaining funds are allocated for agreements with SFEI and LEJ as required by the grant scope of work.
The existing funding allocations will cover development of the 30% design documents. Additional funding will need to be identified to complete the design and construct the project.
Once De-Park 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.
De-Pave Park directly applies to two initiatives within the CARP. One identified CARP action is to apply compost to parks and open spaces throughout Alameda. Compost used in soils have numerous benefits such as flood reduction, organic enrichment to soils which promote soil moisture retention and decreases soil erosion. These benefits allow amplified carbon sequestration to occur and safeguards previously sequestered carbon sinks to remain in the soil which ultimately brings the City closer to overall carbon neutrality. De-Pave Park will include a significant amount of compost and planting of native species.
The second initiative is sea level rise and storm surge protection. De-Pave Park has the capacity to reduce tidal flooding due to the creation and enhancement of wetlands which protect shoreline from impeding tides and storm surges. Wetlands produce a natural barrier for rising tides and vegetation can quickly utilize the additional water content. Carbon sequestration is an added benefit through plant photosynthesis and sedimentation traps for runoff which allows atmospheric carbon to continually be mitigated. The innovation of De-Pave Park is that the design welcomes and adapts with sea level rise while continuing to function as a useable open public recreation area for the community to enjoy.
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the City Manager, to execute an agreement with CMG Landscape Architecture for design services for De-Pave Park, located on the western edge of Seaplane Lagoon at Alameda Point, in an amount not-to-exceed $729,967, funded by a grant from the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority. The City previously certified an Environmental Impact Report for the Alameda Point Waterfront and Town Center Precise Plan. Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines sections 15162 and 15163, none of the circumstances necessitating further CEQA review are present.
Respectfully submitted,
Amy Wooldridge, Recreation and Parks Director
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Margaret O’Brien, Finance Director
Exhibit:
1. Agreement
cc: Jennifer Ott, City Manager