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CC - ACTION ITEM: (1) Discussion Regarding a Potential Request for Proposals for a Feasibility Study for Bill Botts Fields and Veterans Memorial Park; (2) Discussion Regarding a Potential Request for Proposals for a Parks Master Plan; and (3) Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate.
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Meeting Date: May 8, 2023
Contact Person/Dept: Armando Abrego/Parks, Recreation, and Community Services
Phone Number: (310) 253-6682
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Attachments: Yes [X] No []
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (05/03/2023); (E-Mail) Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department Updates (05/04/2023); (E-Mail) Community Gardens Updates (05/04/2023); (E-Mail) PRCS Renter Group (05/05/2023)
Department Approval: Armando Abrego, PRCS Director (04/06/2023)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) discuss a potential Request for Proposals (RFP) for a feasibility study for Bill Botts Field and Veterans Memorial Park; (2) discuss a potential RFP for a Parks Master Plan; and (3) provide direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.
BACKGROUND
At the March 6 meeting, Council Member O’Brien received support to agendize a discussion concerning the creation of an RFP for a feasibility study for Bill Botts Fields and Veterans Memorial Park.
A park feasibility study is a financial study that determines the viability of a specific park and/or facility. The study can include a vision for the park and/or facility, what the organizational success looks like for the park and/or facility, and the community needs in support of the project. An assessment of the park and/or facility would take place and recommendations for needed changes would be offered.
DISCUSSION
A sample RFP (Attachment 1) has been created to show the details of what would be included in a feasibility study. This sample RFP is currently designed to encompass all City parks, but if desired by City Council, the RFP could be tailored to address only Bill Botts Fields and Veterans Memorial Park. This sample RFP is similar to RFPs created by other municipalities such as the City of Belmont, the City of Santa Ana, the City of Menifee, and the City of Temecula. PRCS staff also used resources on master plans and feasibility studies from the California Recreation and Parks Society’s document library. Staff utilized articles and resources on adding equity and accessibility to master plans from the National Parks and Recreation Association.
Type of Upgrades
A feasibility study of a specific park and/or facility depends on the level of analysis and change that is being requested. There are three primary levels of change that can be proposed in a feasibility study or parks master plan:
• General Upgrade: This level focuses on improving what already exists with cosmetic upgrades. It can include upgrading all the irrigation systems and sod in the park and creating walkable paths using decomposed granite. Playground upgrades and an evaluation of the usage of the current fields and courts would also occur. No trees would be removed in this level. Attachment 2 shows a possible architectural design for Veterans Memorial Park from the company MIG dated November 15, 2008. This is an example of a general upgrade.
• Medium Upgrade: With this level, the layout of the park in question is analyzed and improvements recommended. Slightly invasive changes would be made to the parks and/or facility. Ballfields and courts could be adjusted or moved to new locations. Facilities would be analyzed and plans to add new unaccounted for facilities could be made. These may include an outdoor amphitheater at Culver City Park or the addition of a second pool at the Plunge. This level may also include renovations to existing facilities. This level could possibly require tree removal. In Attachment 3, MIG alters their general upgrade to Veterans Memorial Park by moving the little league field and adding a soccer overlay. The playground is removed, and the courts are moved to a new area allowing the community garden to be at the corner of Culver Boulevard and Elenda Street. In Attachment 4, MIG completes a different upgrade to Veterans Memorial Park adding a splash pad near the existing pool, creating a softball field, and redesigning the picnic areas and playground.
• Overhaul Upgrade: This level would reconsider how each park operates and reorganize it to meet its fullest potential. Being completely invasive, it would contain demolition and/or full renovation of existing facilities in order to meet demands. It may include removing parking lots to build underground parking structures and expanding the footprint of a park. It may include for example consolidating all the ballfields into one area to allow for a baseball/softball park and consolidating all of the soccer fields elsewhere in the city to allow for a soccer park. This level of feasibility study and/or parks master plan would allow for a strong philosophy of how each park would be used and how each park connects to one another. In this level, tree removal would be required. For example, Attachment 5 shows the architectural proposal for combining the teen center and the plunge buildings into one facility that would serve as a larger community center.
Staff seeks the City Council’s direction on the level(s) of change it wishes to see proposed in any feasibility study. A feasibility study that presents a variety of options (General, Medium, and Overhaul) would allow the City Council to compare and eventually choose a cost level that it believes will be feasible and acceptable to the community, should the City Council seek to move forward with the improvements.
Community and Public Meetings
A crucial component to consider with a feasibility study is community input. Community meetings to discuss park user needs would be scheduled, and follow-up meetings with conceptual designs are encouraged so that the community understands not only the changes being made to the park, but also understands the timeline of the project. The community input is crucial to allow the community to tell the City their thoughts on the parks and for the City to relay its plans to the community.
In addition to meeting with the community, meetings with stakeholders will also be necessary. Stakeholders include regular renters who frequently use PRCS facilities, sports leagues who use PRCS ballfields, community development groups, environmental organizations, neighborhood associations, and non-governmental organizations.
Community meetings give the City opportunity to allow for equity and accessibility. Meetings can be offered in-person and virtually to allow different opportunities for residents to participant. They can also be offered with translators and sign language interpreters to widen the scope of who can offer opinions. It is important to remember that community meetings take time and prolong the timeline of the project.
Timeline and Order of Parks
The timeline and order of improvmenets at each park, needs to be determined within the feasibility study. It would not be advisable to have all parks across Culver City under construction at the same time due to the needs of the community. Leagues and renters will need to be moved and adjusted. Therefore, understanding the order of parks to be assessed is crucial in order to start any project.
For example, Syd Kronenthal Park is set to be under construction for a Stormwater Project. This project will limit the use of the ballfield, which needs to be considered when closing the Bill Botts Fields and Veterans Memorial Park. If Veterans Memorial Park’s ballfields are being moved, the renters will need to be placed at another ballfield such as Bill Botts. Navigating the usage of the parks and when they will not be available is crucial to meet the community needs.
City Council Discussion and Direction
If City Council would like to pursue an RFP for a feasibility study for Bill Botts Fields and Veterans Memorial Park, staff seeks direction on what specific improvements, modifications, or changes the City Council would like to incluce in the RFP. The sample RFP, attached, would be tailored accordingly.
• What upgrade level(s) should be considered: General Upgrade, Medium Upgrade, or Overhaul Upgrade, or a combination?
• What specific changes or features does the City Council want the consultant to explore in the feasibility study?
• What currently existing features would the City Council specifically want to remain the same?
• Are there specific stakeholders that the City Council wishes to do outreach to in order to inform the RFP preparation, or during the feasibility study process itself?
These discussion points will help staff with the eventual creation of the RFP.
Parks Master Plan
The Parks and Recreation Department Workplan for the previous and upcoming fiscal year includes development of a parks and recreation facilities master plan. A parks master plan is similar to a feasibility study. However, a parks master plan would expand beyond a feasibility study to include all parks and facilities within Culver City’s parks system. A park master plan RFP would be similar to the attached Sample RFP for Feasibility Study. The difference between the two is simply the scope of what is being assessed.
• The City Council could decide to add certain additional parks to the Bill Botts Fields and Veterans Memorial Park feasibility study RFP.
• Or, the City Council could decide to do an RFP for a parks master plan instead of a feasibility study just for Bill Botts Fields and Veterans Memorial Park.
• Or, the City Council could decide to do a second RFP for a parks master plan, in addition to the RFP for Bill Botts Fields and Veterans Memorial Park, on a different timeline.
• Alternatively, the City Council could decide to not do a parks master plan at this time.
• An increase in the scope of the Bill Botts Fields and Veterans Memorial Park RFP would increase the cost and length of time necessary to complete the study. A master plan for all City parks is estimated to take approximately one to two years. A Feasibility Study for just Bill Botts Fields and Veterans Memorial Park is estimated to take approximately six months, although the actual time will depend to a large extent on the capacity of the RFP respondents.
In addition to including a feasibility study for each park and facility, the master plan would provide direction for consistent future planning, acquisitions, and development. A master plan also creates a philosophy throughout the city that connects the resources of each park and analyzes the entire park system’s potential. In order to understand the breadth of a parks master plan, below is a breakdown of the parks in Culver City’s park system.
Parkettes are defined as small in size and do not have any amenities. Both of Culver City’s specialty parks are located within Culver City park.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
At the City Council’s direction, staff will complete the RFP process and will return to City Council with the selected proposal in order to approve the contract. Also at that time, staff will provide information regarding funding options for the project. There is currently no funding allocated in the Revised Budget for Fiscal Year 2022-2023 for a feasibility study or park master plan.
ATTACHMENT
1. 2023-05-08-ATT 1 Sample RFP for Feasibility Study or Master Plan
2. 2023-05-08-ATT 2 Veterans Memorial Park General Upgrade 2008
3. 2023-05-08-ATT 3 Veterans Memorial Park Medium Upgrade 2008
4. 2023-05-08-ATT 4 Veterans Memorial Park Medium Upgrade 2008
5. 2023-05-08-ATT 5 Teen Center and Plunge Redesign
MOTIONS
That the City Council:
1. Discuss a potential request for proposals for a feasibility study for Bill Botts Fields and Veterans Memorial Park; and
2. Discuss a potential request for proposals for a feasibility study for other Culver City parks, or an RFP for a parks master plan; and
3. Provide direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.