Title
Adoption of Resolution to Apply for the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority Measure AA Grant to Fund Planning and Design of De-Pave Park and Allocate $50,000 in Matching Funds, if Awarded. (Recreation 10051400)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
De-Pave Park is an ecological park that was originally envisioned in the Alameda Point Waterfront and Town Center Precise Plan. The concept is a park in which all existing concrete (from the former Naval Base airfield/runway system) is removed or inundated over time to create a tidal wetlands and wildlife habitat. The park adapts to sea level rise through gradual inundation while still offering public access and environmental education as described in the approved De-Pave Park Vision Plan (Vision Plan), Exhibit 1. City of Alameda (City) staff is re-applying for a San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority (SFBRA) Measure AA grant with incorporation of positive and constructive feedback from last year’s grant application. The scope of the work funded by this grant would include a Master Plan process with broad community outreach using the Vision Plan as a starting point and finalizing the design through this public input process; development of 30% complete construction documents; and securing regional permits.
BACKGROUND
On March 3, 2020, the 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 passive parkland and a sustainable ecological area 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.
CMG is a landscape architecture firm that originally envisioned the park in the Precise Plan. CMG generously offered to develop the Vision Plan in a partial pro bono effort with City staff. CMG describes itself as a “mission-oriented studio working to increase social and ecological wellbeing through artful design.”
On September 15, 2020, the City Council approved the De-Pave Park Vision Plan and on October 20, 2020 the City Council heard and commented on a detailed community outreach effort for the De-Pave Park Master Plan effort. That information will be included in this SFBRA grant application.
In October 2020, staff applied for an SFBRA Measure AA grant to fund the De-Pave Park master planning process, detailed design and regional permits. The grant was not awarded but positive feedback was received from SFBRA staff with specific and achievable suggestions to improve the grant application and a recommendation to reapply in 2021.
DISCUSSION
In the spring of 2020, City and CMG staff conducted an input process with local key stakeholders, including representatives from the Alameda Wildlife Reserve, Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda (CASA), SF Baykeeper, the local paddling community, and Alameda chapters of the Golden Gate Audubon Society and Sierra Club. This group had thoughtful discussions about the purpose and design of the park, how to develop wetlands, carbon sequestration, and developing wildlife and aquatic habitat. Staff recognizes that broader outreach is required, particularly with the local community that lives at Alameda Point. A public tour of De-Pave Park and possibly other nearby park development projects is being coordinated in late September with Alameda Point Collaborative and CASA and will include invitations and outreach to Alameda Housing Authority residents, Alameda Point residents, Alameda Unified School District families and students, Youth Activist Alameda, Alameda Youth Committee, Disability Commissioners, the Center for Independent Living, Alameda Boys and Girls Club, Girls Inc. and other local non-profit organizations.
The De-Pave Park Vision Plan envisions a park that embraces sea level rise and creates new habitats and tidal inundation. Over the next 50 or so years, the park will become a tidal marsh with a planned elevated boardwalk built on the existing concrete walk and bikeway.
Starting on the north side of the park design, it includes a parking lot and restroom at the corner where this park intersects with the future waterfront promenade park. Adjacent to that is an elevated shaded picnic area which will be Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible and well signed and managed for trash collection. It will provide an area for people to view and enjoy the habitat without a long walk in the park. A portion of the existing concrete will be repurposed for a bicycle and pedestrian trail that runs the length of the park with pedestrian-only pathway offshoots throughout the park made of decomposed granite or other natural materials. The bicycle/pedestrian path also serves as access for park maintenance and emergency vehicles. At the far end of the park by the bay is an elevated resting area and view deck looking into Seaplane Lagoon and fishing pier into the bay. Throughout the park design, there are several observation points including some with bird blinds to view birds across all of the wetlands. Habitat decks on the bay side are included for seal haul outs and other wildlife, plus habitat jetties and floating wetlands on the lagoon side. This design plans for crushing all existing concrete into gravel that will be used onsite to create these habitat jetties and build up the observation points.
This park design creates inner tidal habitats by connecting to the San Francisco Bay and existing Veteran’s Affairs (VA) wetlands. Staff met onsite with the VA, Army Corps, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife staff to discuss their current project to expand the VA wetlands. Staff from all agencies agreed to collaborate to maximize the overall wetlands habitat in the area and ensure that both projects connect and work together, wherever feasible. De-Pave Park also creates subtidal and aquatic habitats with an increased amount of shoreline, habitat jetties and floating wetlands. There will be abundant environmental educational opportunities for this park for students and the public.
De-Pave Park is an innovative park design that has the potential to be a climate adaptation model for other communities and is a competitive project for grant funding.
ALTERNATIVES
• Adopt the resolution to apply for the SFBRA grant, including $50,000 of City matching funds.
• Adopt the resolution to apply for the SFBRA grant with no city matching funds.
• Not adopt the resolution to apply for the SFBRA grant and direct staff to focus grant application and fundraising on other park projects.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact to the City from applying for the SFBRA grant for De-Pave Park. The grant resolution is authorization to match $50,000 and, if the grant is awarded, a budget appropriation will be brought to City Council for final approval for the $50,000 match.
The cost estimate for the remaining construction of De-Pave Park after completing the grant scope is approximately $12,800,000. Staff will seek additional grants and funding sources for construction. There is potential for a collaboration with the Navy that is seeking wetlands mitigation locations and this could provide significant funding for the project if confirmed. The project may require financial contributions from the City that would be subject to future City Council appropriations approval.
The Vision Plan includes options for removal of Building 25 and 29. Building 29 demolition cost is included in the total construction estimate. This building generates $60,000 annually in lease revenues. Demolition of Building 25 would cost an additional $1 million that is not included in the total estimated construction cost. This building generates $275,000 in annual lease revenues. The public discussion of whether to remove one or both of these buildings will be included in the Master Plan process with an in-depth analysis on the impacts of removing the buildings, potential benefits and broad outreach to the businesses leasing the buildings.
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 (2019).
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
In 2014, the City Council certified the Alameda Point Environmental Impact Report (EIR) 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. No further environmental review is required.
CLIMATE IMPACT
The proposed 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.
De-Pave Park directly applies to two initiatives within the Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Plan (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 beauty and 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
Adopt a resolution to apply for the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority Measure AA Grant to fund planning and design of De-Pave Park and allocate $50,000 in matching funds if received.
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
City Council approval to apply for the grant is required. This item is requesting authorization to apply for the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority Measure AA Grant.
Respectfully submitted,
Amy Wooldridge
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Annie To, Finance Director
Exhibit:
1. De-Pave Park Vision Plan
cc: Eric Levitt, City Manager
Gerry Beaudin, Assistant City Manager