Title
ACCEPT: Shoreline - Marina Committee Meeting Highlights of May 1, 2012 (Continued from May 21, 2012)
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION: Approval of a 21-person subset of the Shoreline Development Citizens Advisory Committee to continue to serve as an advisory group to the City and Cal-Coast to assist in refining the plans and studies for the shoreline development project including the harbor basin redevelopment (listed as Consent Calendar Item 8.E.)
Body
CITY OF SAN LEANDRO
CITY COUNCIL SHORELINE - MARINA COMMITTEE
May 1, 2012
4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
San Leandro City Hall
835 East 14th Street
San Leandro, California
Sister Cities Gallery Room
HIGHLIGHTS
Committee Members: Vice Mayor Gregory and Councilmember Prola (Councilmember Reed, excused)
City staff present: City Manager Zapata, Public Works Director Bakaldin, Business Development Manager Battenberg, Facilities and Open Space Manager Pollart, Marina Supervisor Snodgrass, Senior Planner Barros, Senior Development Specialist Penaranda
Public present: None
Councilmember Prola called the meeting to order at 4:05 p.m.
1. Discussion Regarding Committee Chair and Future Committee Meeting Day and Time
Committee Members concurred that Councilmember Prola be appointed as the Committee’s Chair. Business Development Manager Battenberg stated that the Committee meetings would be quarterly or on an ‘as needed’ basis. City Manager Zapata asked if there was a preference to have the meetings in the City Council Chambers, a room that is equipped to digitally record the meetings so they can be available to the public. The Committee replied that if there were to be high priority items or important issues for the Committee to discuss, perhaps those meetings can be recorded. As it currently is, City staff provides the meeting’s highlights to the public by posting them on the City’s website.
2. Discussion Regarding Continued Community Input from a Subset of the Shoreline Development Citizens Advisory Committee
Manager Battenberg provided the Committee with an overview of the Shoreline Development Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC); see attached. Initially it was a 33 person committee. The Mayor added three additional persons last year. The CAC comprised a broad cross-section of stakeholders. The CAC has been a dedicated and knowledgeable group that provided valuable input to the master developer with respect to the landside development and the future of the harbor basin. Although the CAC’s responsibility to review the future master plan for the shoreline and the harbor basin concluded last year, 21 of the individuals are interested in continuing to participate in providing feedback on future iterations of the master plan. As the master plan is revised or refined they could comment on issues such as harbor design, architectural design, traffic and other environmental mitigation measures, and other issues that arise.
Manager Battenberg stated that the future meetings of the advisory group would be held on third Wednesdays of the month, as needed. Some meetings might be held at City buildings such as the Marina Community Center or the Senior Community Center, to save costs on facility rental fees.
The Committee concurred that some meetings should be held in City buildings to save money and commented that the success of the CAC is likely because it was modeled after the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) CAC which was also a very dedicated group and instrumental with substantive recommendations for the City’s TOD strategy.
Committee Recommendation:
The Committee recommends the City Council approve a 21-person subset of the CAC to continue to serve as an advisory group to the City and Cal-Coast to assist in refining the plans and studies for the shoreline development project including the harbor basin redevelopment.
3. Update on Redevelopment Plans for the Harbor Basin
Manager Pollart provided an update on the redevelopment plans for the harbor basin. City staff met with Bay Conservation Development Commission (BCDC) staff in January 2012 to receive input on the harbor basin alternatives. BCDC staff recommended that the future master plan for the harbor basin either be for recreational purposes or habitat restoration. BCDC further advised that any plan should include very little fill and that dredged materials could not be used as a fill material.
Staff recommends that the City explore the possibility of creating a harbor basin plan that promotes hand-powered watercraft uses in the north and south basins including a boat rental facility and casual dining option that builds on the boat launch ramp and San Leandro’s location on the Bay Water Trail.
Staff further recommends the City retain a consultant to provide technical expertise and create a harbor basin redevelopment plan for Cal-Coast to include in the entitlement application. The projected cost for this work is $20,000 or less and there is sufficient funding available in the FY 2011-12 Shoreline Enterprise Fund budget to complete the work. As time is of the essence and the cost of the study is within the City Manager’s purview to approve, staff requests direction from the Committee to proceed in retaining a consultant to expand upon the existing conceptual plans for the harbor basin.
Vice Mayor Gregory would like to see both recreational and wildlife habitat components in the harbor plan as the two together would have synergy. The City should consider a consulting firm with more vision and successful history in providing a plan with the two components. Perhaps there should be a competition to find a creative person or firm that can deliver both in an acceptable manner to the permitting agencies.
The Committee concurred with staff’s recommendation that the City enter into a Consultant Services Agreement for approximately $20,000 with a qualified firm for design and environmental work to create a redevelopment plan for the harbor basin emphasizing recreational uses.
4. Public Comments
None
5. Committee Member Comments
There being no Committee Member comments, City Manager Zapata stated that there are other components to the Shoreline project such as improvements to Marina Boulevard, renegotiation of shoreline businesses’ leases, the impact of East Bay Regional Park District’s Measure WW improvements, and that an update on these items as well as the Shoreline Enterprise Fund will be brought to future meetings. Manager Battenberg stated that the next Committee meeting will likely be in July.
6. Adjourn
Councilmember Prola adjourned the meeting at 4:35 p.m.