Title
Workshop to Provide Direction on De-Pave Park Design Options, including the Proposed Removal of Building 29 and Whether to Keep or Remove Building 25.
The environmental effects of the design options have been addressed previously in an approved Environmental Impact Report and therefore no additional environmental review is necessary concerning Council direction on this item. Section 15162 and 15163, California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines. (Recreation 10051400)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jennifer Ott, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
De-Pave Park is located on the western edge of Seaplane Lagoon at Alameda Point designed as a publicly accessible ecological park created by removing all existing concrete, re-purposing it onsite and creating significant and varied habitat to support a wide range of wildlife. Following two rounds of inclusive community input on the De-Pave Park design, staff is presenting three options of the De-Pave Park design (Exhibit 2).
The park designs all include a wide pedestrian and bicycle promenade the length of the park, overlooks and an educational gathering space, tide pools, a beach, picnic area, parking lot and restroom, areas to fish in the bay, seating throughout the park, tidal wetlands, habitat and nature play.
There are two existing buildings located within the defined De-Pave Park area and how to address the buildings is a key decision point for this phase of design. All three options include the assumption that Building 29, which has a variety of small artist and maker tenants, will be removed. This decision was made due to two primary factors including: 1) the additional cost to keep the building would be nearly $6 million that includes utilities and a levee to protect the building from sea level rise and 2) the building’s total required footprint reduces the available wildlife habitat to a minimal area which is counter to the park’s goal as a natural wildlife habitat. Additionally, the key difference between the design options is whether to keep Building 25, which currently houses businesses including Dashe Cellars, Urban Legends, St. George’s Spirits, Alameda Point Craft Soda/Brix Beverage and a number of smaller area wineries. Staff is seeking input on all aspects of the design, including the key decision of whether to keep or remove Building 25.
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 adapt to climate change by welcoming sea level rise through inundation over time with continued public access and by creating a tidal ecology system, which has notable carbon sequestration benefits. The existing site includes two buildings built by the Navy (known as Buildings 25 and 29) and is adjacent to the Veterans Administration (VA) wetlands. Nearly all of the site is currently covered with concrete or these buildings. See Exhibit 1 for project location and existing conditions.
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 San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority (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 the Alameda Point Collaborative (APC) to develop a community stewardship program framework for plant propagation and long-term maintenance by volunteers and staff through a workforce development program.
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.
On January 17, 2023, City Council approved an agreement with CMG Landscape Architecture for design services for De-Pave Park.
The first round of community input on De-Pave Park design was held in April 2023 with an in-person workshop held onsite at De-Pave Park, attended by approximately 50 people, an in-person workshop held at APC specifically for their residents with approximately 30 people in attendance, and an online survey with 693 respondents. Extensive outreach included marketing on social media and flyers in multiple languages distributed to a wide variety of organizations such as APC, Alameda Housing Authority, Alameda Unified School District, Communities for a Sustainable Alameda and other local non-profit organizations. This first round of input focused on education about the De-Pave Park concept and Vision Plan, information about existing conditions and context of the natural habitats, as well as soliciting high level community input about design and recreational ideas, the two buildings onsite and feedback on anything the design team should be considering.
The design team then conducted an extensive evaluation of existing conditions including, but not limited to, soils, contaminants, habitat opportunities and options, wave analysis, and the cost and benefit analysis of the two buildings located onsite. That information was utilized to develop the three options presented in the second round of community input.
On September 30, 2023, two in-person community meetings were held to solicit input on these three designs, as shown in Exhibit 2. One meeting was a tour specifically for Alameda Point Collaborative residents with approximately 15 participants and the second meeting was for the broader community with approximately 30 attendees. An online survey was open for several weeks with 451 respondents. In addition, on September 15 and 16, staff and the design team solicited input on the design options during the Bandaloop dance group’s working rehearsal onsite at Building 25 at the De-Pave Park site with over 100 people commenting on the design. And on October 13, staff shared the design options and received community input during the Starlight Movies in the Park event.
The following details the compiled community input.
Preferred Concept
Option 1: 88
Option 2: 194
Option 3: 202
In total, 282 people preferred to keep Building 25 and 202 people preferred to remove Building 25.
Overall, the key interests expressed included parking, a restroom, and central walking / biking path. Other supported components include observation areas, educational signs and programs, picnic areas, beach, kayak/stand up paddle informal launch area, tide pools, nature play with logs and rocks, Seasonal Bay San Francisco Bay Trail connection and the eelgrass and oyster bed pilot projects.
This is a small sampling of Alameda residents but provides a high-level sense of community interests.
Buildings 25 and 29 are located within the De-Pave Park area, managed by the City with existing tenants. Building 25 businesses include Dashe Cellars, Urban Legends, St. George’s Spirits, Alameda Point Craft Soda/Brix Beverage and a number of smaller area wineries. . Building 29 tenants include a number of local makers and artisans. Staff met directly with the tenants of each the buildings during the two rounds of public input. This included meeting with Building 29 tenants in April and September plus Building 25 tenants in separate focused meetings during the same time periods.
On October 12, 2023, the Recreation and Parks Commission reviewed and commented on the design options and provided the feedback described below.
The Recreation and Parks Commission discussed the three options for De-Pave Park with the primary focus on Building 25. The commission recommended the following:
• If Building 25 is removed, the City should work to find new locations for the existing tenants.
• Study the long-term financial impacts of removing or keeping Building 25.
• Consider the long-term impact of increased ecological value when deciding to keep or remove Building 25.
• The City should work to find new locations for the current tenants of Building 29.
• Provide for the ongoing maintenance of the new park.
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 VA wetlands that are not accessible to the public but will be viewed from De-Pave Park and provide additional habitat connectivity.
Buildings
The primary decision for this phase of design is whether to keep or demolish Buildings 25 and 29. Staff recommends removal of Building 29 and is seeking public and City Council input on whether to keep or demolish Building 25. Building 29 is located furthest south at De-Pave Park near the San Francisco Bay. The building is not included in the Alameda Point Master Infrastructure Plan (MIP), <https://www.alamedaca.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/departments/alameda/base-reuse/final-planning-documents/mip-final.pdf>. Therefore, none of the associated infrastructure costs, such as utilities and a levee to protect the building from sea level rise, are included in the amortized per acre cost for building and land purchases at Alameda Point which funds all other projects that are included in the MIP. In today’s dollars, the cost to keep and protect Building 29 is at least $5,895,000 for a levee, utilities, emergency and vehicular access. In addition, keeping Building 29 leaves very little room for habitat space within De-Pave Park, which is the purpose and intent of the park. Bird species, in particular, require a 50-foot buffer from humans and associated infrastructure for appropriate habitat. The dark green area shown in Exhibit 3 is the remaining ideal habitat area if Building 29 remains. Alternatively, the cost to demolish Building 29 and create 4.4 acres of nature in place of the building is $1,090,000 and would be included in the De-Pave Park construction budget. All building tenants would have the option to remain until construction begins, which is not for at least five years, given that no construction funding is yet identified and the project requires significant regional permitting. The building tenants are aware of this staff recommendation and are interested in working with City of Alameda (City) staff to identify other potential locations at Alameda Point for a maker community. In summary, Building 29 costs and revenues are as follows:
Building 29
|
Expense |
Amount |
Description |
|
Removal |
$1,090,000 |
Demolition, grading, adds 4.4 acres of nature |
|
Preservation |
$5,895,000 |
Levee, utilities and vehicle access |
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue |
|
|
|
Annual total lease revenue |
$59,861 |
2023 total with 3% annual increase anticipated |
Building 25 is a newer building that is included in the Alameda Point MIP. If the building remains, the local business would remain in place, pending their continued interest and future City Council lease approvals. If the building is removed, the tenants could remain until construction starts, at least five years from now, or City staff would work with the tenants to identify options for relocation sooner to another building at Alameda Point. Conceptual Plan Options 1 and 2 (p. 1 - 2 in Exhibit 1) show the park designed around Building 25. In Option 1, the bicycle/pedestrian trail is located on top of the levee and moved closer to the building to maximize the area for natural space and habitat. In Option 2, the trail and levee are moved further south from the building to create a natural play and gathering space with climbable logs and rocks. Option 3 (p. 3 in Exhibit 1) shows the park design without the building which maximizes the natural space and opportunities for wetlands and habitat. Building 25 costs and revenues are as follows:
Building 25
|
ExpenseAmountDescription |
|
|
|
Removal |
$2,494,000 |
Demolition, adds 3 acres of nature |
|
Preservation |
$1,150,000 |
Levee to park boundary and utilities |
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue |
|
|
|
Annual total lease revenue |
$428,905 |
2023 total with 3% annual increase anticipated |
Urban Legend and Dashe Cellars are two of the seven Spirits Alley makers on Alameda Point. From October 2022 through September 2023, there were nearly 24,000 visitors to Building 25 and its vicinity, and between 12 and 16% of these visitors also visited a local bar or restaurant in the area before or after their visit. The economic benefits of Building 25 could be retained elsewhere in Alameda Point if the tenants were relocated, but may potentially displace future growth from new tenants who might otherwise have located here.
Park Components
Other than the above described differences, all three options have more activated areas near the corner of Monarch Street and the western end of Seaplane Lagoon Promenade that ultimately will extend across and connect with De-Pave Park. The existing concrete will be ground up onsite and reused to create varying elevations for viewing, picnicking and seating. All three options include the following design details and amenities:
• Parking area
• Restroom
• Seating throughout the park
• Extensive wetlands and wildlife habitat. More detail available on p. 5 of Exhibit 1
• Picnic area, elevated at 9-feet
• Bicycle/pedestrian path running the length of the park. This path and others within the park will be made of the existing concrete and as sea level rises, boardwalks will be built upon the concrete walkways to retain public access as the park transforms into wetlands (p. 4 of Exhibit 1)
• Expanded beach area at the corner with an accessible ramp that can be an informal kayak/stand up paddle board launch area. This beach will be surrounded with large reused concrete blocks to serve as a retaining wall and seating area
• Education and observation overlooks, Learning Lab and gathering spaces, all of which can be used for outdoor education classes and wildlife viewing areas
• Fishing spots where anglers can bring their gear out and fish in the open Bay waters along the shoreline
• Some of the rip rap (rocky shoreline) will be removed on the upper portions and transitioned into gravel habitat that attracts different types of species. In addition, a section of the rip rap will be removed to allow the water to naturally ebb and flow into the De-Pave Park marsh, salina and other habitats
• Boulder tide pool area which provides an urban location for children, adults and families to explore tide pools and marine life at different water levels
• Eel grass trial and potential oyster beds. These are both extremely beneficial to the health of the SF Bay and in addressing climate change through carbon sequestration. Staff and the CMG team are coordinating with the Wild Oyster Project, a regional non-profit organization that is applying for grants to plan for oyster beds in the water adjacent to De-Pave Park in Seaplane Lagoon.
Next Steps
Staff is seeking input from City Council on all aspects of the design, particularly regarding whether to keep or remove Building 25 and to affirm staff’s recommendation to remove Building 29.
City Council feedback and all other compiled information will then be incorporated into a draft final design for the public to comment on in January 2024. Staff will bring that draft final design and feedback to the Recreation and Parks Commission and City Council in February/March 2024. The design team will then complete 30% design documents which will be used to apply for required regional permits. Staff is also working with the SF Bay Restoration Regulatory Integration Team (BRRIT) which is comprised of all regional regulatory agencies for which this project will need permits. Through this process, the design team receives feedback throughout the design development with the goal to improve the efficiency of the regulatory permit process.
Upon completion of the design documents, staff will seek and apply for grant funding to fund the permit applications as well as project construction.
ALTERNATIVES
• Comment and provide feedback on all aspects of the De-Pave Park design
• Retain Building 25 in the final De-Pave Park design
• Remove Building 25 from the final De-Pave Park design
• Direct staff to include Building 29 in the final De-Pave Park design
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact from providing direction on design options. Funds are available for design planning to 30% design documents from the $800,000 San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority grant plus $50,000 General Fund match that are included in the De-Pave Park Capital Improvement Project (C55200) budget.
Additional funding will need to be identified to complete the design and construct the project. The cost estimate for the final design will be included when that design is brought to City Council for approval in early 2024.
Once De-Park Park is fully constructed and open to the public, it will require ongoing park maintenance funding. The annual maintenance cost is yet to be 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.
If Building 25 is retained, the cost of $1,150,000 to preserve the building will be amortized across less than three years of lease revenues. If Building 25 is removed, the cost of $2,494,000 will be added to the De-Pave Park budget and there will be an annual reduction of Alameda Point lease revenues as shown below.
Building 25 Annual Lease Revenues
2023 $428,905
2024 $503,429
2025 $518,532
2026 $534,088
2027 $550,110
If Building 29 is retained, the cost of $5,895,000 to preserve the building will be amortized over 89 years from lease revenues. If Building 29 is removed, the cost of $1,090,000 will be added to the De-Pave Park budget and there will be an annual reduction of Alameda Point lease revenues as shown below.
Building 29 Annual Lease Revenues
2023 $59,861
2024 $61,657
2025 $63,506
2026 $65,412
2027 $67,374
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 (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. Pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (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 four (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
Workshop to provide direction on De-Pave Park design options, including proposed removal of Building 29 and whether to keep or remove Building 25.
Respectfully submitted,
Amy Wooldridge, Assistant City Manager
Justin Long, Recreation and Parks Director
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Margaret O’Brien, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. Project Location and Existing Conditions
2. De-Pave Park Design Options
3. Building 29