Title
Recommendation to Select a Name for the New Park Known as Alameda Marina Park.
The proposed action is 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. (Recreation 10051400) Staff report revised on 1/3/23 at 4 p.m.
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Alameda Marina Park (Park) is being built by a private developer and is not yet open to the public. This park will serve new and existing Alameda Marina residents as well as the broader community but will be privately maintained and not maintained by the City of Alameda (City). The Recreation and Parks Commission (Commission) followed the four-step process detailed in the 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 recommended two names for City Council to consider: Svendsen Maritime Park or Riveter’s Waterfront Park.
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 Park’s location, background and identifying features. Ultimately, the Commission approved the naming criteria for this park as “Reflection and history of working waterfront shipyards.”
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. On November 6, 2022, City Council approved names for the first three parks. 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 Park names are listed below in alphabetical order. A brief explanation is provided for names that may not be self-evident.
• Alameda Boatworks Park - Name based on Svendsen’s Boat Works and Marine, however Alameda Boatworks is a residential development located east of the park.
• Dockside Park
• Riveter’s Waterfront Park - For Rosie the Riveter, a symbol of WWII representing women who worked in factories and shipyards
• Shipbuilder’s Park
• Shipyard Harbor Park
• Shipyard Landing Park
• Tibbitt’s Shipyard Park - Barnes & Tibbitts was a shipbuilding company based at this location
• Waterfront Park
• Waterway Park
On July 14, 2022, the Commission voted to recommend two final names to City Council. The names are Svendsen Maritime Park and Riveter’s Waterfront Park. The final public process step in the City Naming Policy is for the City Council to consider the Commission’s recommendation 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 Marina Park is located on the Alameda/Oakland Estuary between Grand Street and Willow Street along the Alameda Northern Waterfront. The location and park design are detailed in Exhibit 1. This park will be open to the public but will be privately maintained; not maintained or managed by the City. The park includes continuation and realignment of the San Francisco Bay Trail, open lawn areas, waterfront promenade, seating and picnic areas, and a long floating dock to launch, store and instruct on non-motorized watercraft such as kayaks, small sailboats, and paddleboards.
Alameda Marina has a long history as a working waterfront. In 1916 the Barnes and Tibbitts Shipbuilding & Drydock Company opened at the site adjacent to the Alaska Packers. The company built a 360-foot wharf and a number of large slips, known as marine ways. Subsequent owners utilized the site for a variety of activities including large ship repair, building ships - including Golden Gate ferries for the Southern Pacific Railroad, gunboats for the Coast Guard, and boats for the Navy. The Navy purchased a section of the land around 1947, declaring the boat yard surplus property in 1959. [historical information from the Alameda Sun, January 10, 2017]. Since then Alameda Marina has served as a marine maintenance and storage facility. The Alameda Municipal Power headquarters is directly adjacent to Alameda Marina, located at Grand Street and Clement Avenue.
The name recommendation of Svendsen Maritime Park was not in the top 10 names considered by the Commission as part of the Naming Policy’s public process. At the last step in which the Commission was to recommend a final name, the Svendsen family requested the Commission consider the name to honor Sven Svendsen’s contributions to the Alameda and maritime communities. Per the Naming Policy, further historical and background research is required to vet the Svendsen name since it is the name of a specific person. Staff is seeking direction from City Council on whether to pursue this park name given that the name was recommended at the last public process step rather than being vetted through the full public process per the Naming Policy. If directed, staff will conduct the research and bring the park name back to City Council for final approval.
Since the Naming Policy specifically has a focus of names that reflect diversity and inclusiveness, it is important to include context on the lack of diversity of existing parks and park facilities names and the fact that Sven Svendsen and Rosie the Riveter are both white/Caucasian.
Current park and park facility name demographics:
Gender: 17 men, 6 women and 4 not gender specific
Race/Ethnicity: 19 White/Caucasian, 2 Asian American/Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 2 Black/African American, 1 Indigenous/Native American, 0 Hispanic//Latino/Latinx, 3 not race specific (Revised on 1/3/23 at 4 p.m.)
ALTERNATIVES
Alternatives include:
• Conditionally approve naming the Park as Svendsen Maritime Park and direct staff to conduct historical and background research on Sven Svendsen and bring back to City Council for final approval.
• Approve naming the Park as Riveter’s Waterfront Park.
• 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 is consistent with 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 Marina Park as Svendsen Maritime Park or Riveter’s Waterfront Park.
Respectfully submitted,
Amy Wooldridge, Recreation and Parks Director
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Margaret O’Brien, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. Alameda Marina Park Location and Design
2. Alameda Marina Park Name Ideas from Survey
cc: Erin Smith, City Manager