Title
Recommendation to Name the New Park Known as Alameda Point Waterfront Park as Seaplane Lagoon Promenade. (Recreation 10051400)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Alameda Point Waterfront Park (Park) opened in 2022 and serves new and existing Alameda Point residents as well as the broader community. The Park is the first of three phases of parkland to be built along this promenade. The Recreation and Parks Commission (Commission) followed the four-step process detailed in the City of Alameda (City) Facilities and Street Naming Policy (Naming Policy), which included holding naming discussions at three Commission meetings and administering two community-wide surveys. The Commission unanimously recommended the name Seaplane Lagoon Promenade to the City Council.
BACKGROUND
In October 2021, the City Council updated the City Naming Policy, with the goal of the updated Naming Policy to broaden the naming criteria, allowing for greater diversity, equity and inclusion as well as broader community input at public Brown Act meetings. As a result, standing criteria is written into the Naming Policy clearly stating that names should reflect diversity, equity and inclusion to intentionally broaden the representation of people in our community.
The Naming Policy provides for a four-step public process that was followed by the Commission that begins with a Commission meeting and ends with a presentation of the Commission recommendation to the City Council.
On December 9, 2021, the Commission received a presentation describing the Parks location, background and identifying features. Ultimately, the Commission approved the naming criteria for this park as “Aviation - Alameda history, people and park features.”
Staff then conducted a community-wide survey to solicit name ideas for the Park based on the established criteria. The community survey included four new parks for efficiency. These included Alameda Point Waterfront Park, Alameda Point Neighborhood Park, Alameda Landing Waterfront Park and Alameda Marina Park. The first three of these parks are being presented tonight for final approval. The name recommendation for Alameda Marina Park will come to City Council for approval at a later date because it includes the name of a specific person and per the City Naming Policy, further historical and background research is required. During the public outreach, efforts were made to reach a broad and diverse representation of the Alameda community. Exhibit 2 includes all name ideas generated from the survey (excluding inappropriate or offensive names) as well as a shorter list of vetted names based on the identified Park name criteria and parameters of the City Facility Naming Policy.
On March 10, 2022, the Commission reviewed the entire list of names generated from the survey as well as previously created park name lists and the shorter list of names that met the established Park criteria. The Commission then approved a list of 10 Park names and a second community wide survey was conducted to solicit feedback on the approved list of the top 10 Park names.
The top 10 Park names are listed below in alphabetical order. A brief explanation is provided for names that may not be self-evident.
• Alameda Point Promenade
• Bessie Coleman Promenade - The first African-American woman and Native American to hold a pilot’s license
• Captain Frank McCrary Waterfront Park - Served as the first Commanding Officer of the Naval Air Station Alameda
• Liwa Promenade - The word “water” in the Coast Miwok language
• Maritime Waterfront Promenade
• Navy Veteran’s Waterfront Park at Alameda Point
• Naval View Promenade
• Pacific Fleet Park
• Seaplane Lagoon Promenade
• Waterfront Promenade
On July 14, 2022, the Commission voted to recommend the final name of Seaplane Lagoon Promenade to the City Council. The final public process step in the City Naming Policy is for the City Council to consider the Commission’s Park name recommendation of Seaplane Lagoon Promenade and approve the final Park name.
The Naming Policy includes the following requirements:
• A focus on local Alameda significance but may reflect California or a national lens as appropriate.
• A person must be deceased for at least three years to be considered.
• Names must reflect values of inclusivity and diversity.
DISCUSSION
The Alameda Point Waterfront Park is located at the turn of Ferry Point and is intended to be a passive waterfront promenade park. It boasts incredible views of Seaplane Lagoon, naval ships- including the U.S.S. Hornet - and the San Francisco Bay. The first phase, of three, is completed and the final result will be a waterfront promenade park built along the entire northern edge of Seaplane Lagoon and connecting at the western edge with De-Pave Park, an ecological habitat park.
This park was first envisioned in the 2013 Alameda Point Town Center and Waterfront Precise Plan. The site consists of a large concrete promenade along the water’s edge with three tiers of landscaping and seating. The top area includes many picnic areas, public art, grass areas and a synthetic turf lawn for classes and play area. The tiered design is intended to adapt with expected future sea level rise.
Historically, Alameda Point was the Naval Air Station (NAS) Alameda. This was an active military facility starting before World War II. “The base provides berthing for Pacific Fleet ships and is a major center of naval aviation. The facility includes an airfield, seaplane lagoon, hangars, repair facilities, and residential areas for military personnel. The most dominant feature of the base is the intersecting runways in the airfield area. The runways are visible from the Bay Bridge and other vantage points around San Francisco Bay.” [Excerpt from the 1996 NAS Alameda Community Reuse Plan]. The Navy closed the base in 1997 and this park is within the first major Alameda Point redevelopment site known as Site A. Prior to the NAS, this land was primarily tidelands and marsh lands and was traditional Ohlone land. A large shellmound was located at Alameda Point and was dismantled with the shells and bones being used for the runway construction.
It is important to note that since the park name criteria, Aviation - Alameda history, people and park features, is specific to Alameda, this eliminated numerous names of people of color and women who had major achievements in the U.S. military or other naval and maritime efforts.
ALTERNATIVES
Alternatives include:
• Name the park known as Alameda Point Neighborhood Park as Seaplane Lagoon Promenade.
• Consider an alternate name for the Park from the names submitted.
• Identify a new alternate name for the Park.
• Send back to Recreation & Parks Commission to consider further ideas based on specific direction from the City Council.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact from naming this park. The signage for the park is funded by the developer responsible for building the park and will be updated with the final approved name.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action has no effect on the Alameda Municipal Code. It is consistent with the City’s Facility Naming Policy.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Approval of naming this Park is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15301, Existing Facilities, as a minor alteration of an existing public facility.
CLIMATE IMPACT
There are no identifiable climate impacts or climate action opportunities associated with the subject of this report.
RECOMMENDATION
Name the new park known as Alameda Point Waterfront Park as Seaplane Lagoon Promenade.
Respectfully submitted,
Amy Wooldridge, Recreation and Parks Director
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Margaret O’Brien, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. Alameda Point Waterfront Park Location and Design
2. Alameda Point Waterfront Park Name Ideas from Survey
cc: Nancy Bronstein, Interim City Manager