COUNCIL INFORMATION
April 30, 2002
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Weldon Rucker, City Manager
Subject:
OVERVIEW OF STAFF’S COMMENTS AND CONCERNS ON THE DRAFT PARK CONCEPT PLAN FOR
EASTSHORE STATE PARK
STATUS:
Staff has attended each of the three Eastshore State
Park (ESP) public workshops to-date and the two previous local briefings, and
has discussed issues of potential concern with the ESP planning team. Staff has
also convened several meetings with representatives from various departments
and with both the Waterfront Commission and the Parks & Recreation
Commission. Based on all of these meetings and discussions, staff has
identified the following as key issues of potential concern related to Draft
Park Concept Plan. Staff believes that all of these concerns can be addressed
as the park plan is further developed.
1.
Resource Protection
A large portion of the Berkeley Meadow has been identified as a
conservation area. Proposed enhancements include protection of seasonal
wetlands and re-vegetation of coastal scrub habitat. Access will be
accommodated specifically to enhance public enjoyment of the setting’s natural
values.
Staff supports the idea that
the Meadow is, primarily, a conservation area that will include public access
trails and interpretive areas.
2.
Recreation
The Draft Park Concept Plan facilitates the public’s enjoyment of this
shoreline by providing for a wide range of recreational activities, from more
passive nature appreciation to active sports activities, and from
water-oriented to land-oriented facilities. Areas with less significant habitat
value have been designated for more intense recreational use, and will be
improved with facilities that enhance the public’s enjoyment of the shoreline
and its open space resources. Visitor support facilities such as restrooms,
water fountains, benches, picnic tables, and parking will be provided in
convenient locations throughout the park unit.
Staff also supports the concept of a recreational designation along
Marina Boulevard to allow for parking and picnicking. This area of Eastshore
State Park will establish a valuable setback to the conservation area, provide
a wind-protected use area, and a place for the public to picnic and recreate
along the Marina Boulevard. The proposed recreation corridor will expand the
opportunities for bicyclists and pedestrians traversing the area to Cesar
Chavez Park, as well as providing an attractive eastward view focusing on the
Berkeley Hills.
In addition, because the Marina already serves as a
regional park, it is experienced an ever-increasing demand for medium and large
group picnic areas. To meet this growing regional need, picnic areas provided
by Eastshore State Park should be of sufficient size to accommodate medium
and/or large groups
Within Berkeley, the Draft Park Concept Plan
designates the North Basin Strip, the western edge of the Meadow along Marina
Boulevard, and portions of the Brickyard for recreational use, but not specifically
as sports fields. Sports fields are planned for the Albany Plateau and are
discussed in greater detail later in this report.
3.
Interpretation and Education
Proposed educational and interpretive facilities include interpretive
centers, observation platforms, vista points, interpretive signage, and public
art.
Staff supports the above
policy and encourages the State to work with the City to coordinate and
complement the educational and interpretive services already offered by the
Shorebird Nature Center and the Marina Experience. Coordination efforts should
include signage.
4.
Shoreline/Water Access
5.
Visitor Services/Operations Facilities
Visitor-serving and operations
facilities, such as park headquarters, interpretive center(s), a hostel,
boathouse, café/restaurant, café/restaurant/deli, and recreational equipment
rentals will be provided throughout the park. The largest concentration of
these facilities will be located in the recreational zones in Berkeley.
Staff supports providing enhanced visitor services, provided that
adequate parking is provided so the existing Marina parking areas will be not
adversely impacted by the increased activity.
6.
Enhancement and Facilities
Proposed resource enhancements
include daylighting Schoolhouse Creek and shoreline re-contouring at the mouth of Strawberry Creek, if feasible,
depending on the outcome of site-specific environmental analysis. Soil
suitability and water quality protection as well as scenic considerations and
other factors will be considered.
Enhancement: The proposed
treatment of the creek outfalls is consistent with Council policy to daylight
creeks wherever possible. Staff has noted that additional signage, clean up and
litter removal may be needed in these areas.
Facilities: The category of
facilities is very broad and undetermined at this time, as described by the
planning team. Uses from restrooms to and including major structures, with a
variety of programs, have been described as possibilities. Depending upon what
is actually proposed, there could be objections to a facility at a particular
location. It will be very important to resolve the type and scale of facilities
envisioned at each location prior to accepting the designation as indicated on
the Draft Park Concept Plan.
7.
Shoreline Protection
A comprehensive program of shoreline enhancement is proposed. The
shoreline will either be “softened”, (i.e., removal of structural elements and
re-graded) to re-establish more natural shoreline contours and enhance habitat
values, or structurally reinforced to protect the shoreline and allow for more
intensive public use.
Staff supports shoreline
improvements that protect the resources and provide public access, where
appropriate.
8.
Art
A public art program is
proposed.
Staff supports this program
and recommends that the State consult with the City’s Civic Arts Commission.
9.
Circulation and Access
The plan proposes to add
facilities that support multiple modes of transportation to the park, including
pedestrian, bicycle, bus, boat and car. The plan also proposes to complete and
expand the Bay Trail. Within the park unit, the primary modes of transportation
will be walking, biking, and non-motorized boating. Adequate parking will be
distributed strategically throughout the park to support proposed activities
and facilities, and public transit will be encouraged.
In Berkeley, parking areas are
shown in the North Basin Strip, at the west end of the Meadow along Marina
Boulevard and in the Brickyard.
Staff has expressed a number
of concerns about the potential impacts of the Eastshore State Park development
on the traffic congestion and parking. In this regard, staff has the following
comments and recommendations:
§ Evaluate
potential impacts on existing road capacity, particularly at major
intersections such as I-80, Frontage Road, Gilman, Ashby, and University
Avenue.
§ Provide
adequate parking to accommodate the demand from the proposed facilities so
there will not be a significant impact on the streets and parking areas that
are already congested during peak use times.
§ Locate
the gateways and much of the parking closer to Frontage Road and I-80, rather
than bringing the additional traffic into the Marina area.
§ Provide
secondary emergency vehicular access to and from the Marina at the Virginia
Street extension, in case the University Avenue overpass fails during a natural
disaster.
10.Sports
Fields
In 1996, Council determined that the City must provide additional
playing fields to meet the existing needs for youth and adult sports. Staff
explored several potential sites for the development of new fields, including
possible locations within the area that is now part of the Eastshore State
Park. When those options came to Council on April 30, 1996, all recommended
measures were adopted by Council except one - At that time, the recommendation
authorizing the City Manager to work with various agencies to “explore the
development of existing Waterfront property for a City sports complex” was
deleted from the motion adopted by Council.
The result of the 1996 and subsequent 1998 study has been the expansion
of existing facilities by the addition of field night lighting at Berkeley High
and Willard Middle School, as well as the purchase and development of two
fields at Harrison Park. In the current planning process for the Eastshore
State Park, considerable discussion has taken place in Berkeley about sports
fields in both the Brickyard and North Basin Strip.
Should playing fields now be considered by the City Council for areas
in Berkeley west of I-80, the staff recommends that the preferred location be
along the North Basin Strip and not in the Brickyard. The primary reasons for
this are:
§ Minimize adverse impacts of
adding parking to the Brickyard and Meadow areas. The North Basin Strip already
provides direct and easy access to parking. Placing parking at the Brickyard or
Meadow would increase congestion along University Avenue.
§ The importance of
maintaining public views to the west, including the San Francisco Bay. Playing
fields, with the associated development including fencing, lighting and
restrooms, would detract from the unique vista of the Bay, particularly from
the new bicycle/pedestrian bridge.
Active sports facilities, such as playing fields, are
planned for the Albany Plateau. These fields would be operated by an outside
agency or group and would include requirements to provide and maintain adequate
parking and to provide adequate protection for sensitive habitats.
11.
Dogs
Off-leash dog use will be allowed to continue at Point
Isabel Regional Shoreline and North Point Isabel, with appropriate
environmental protections in place. Dogs will be prohibited from Preserve areas
and other sensitive habitat areas, such as Albany Beach and Brickyard Cove
Beach.
Staff supports continuing the off-leash dog area at
Point Isabel. Staff also supports prohibiting off-leash areas from sensitive
habitat zones.
BACKGROUND:
The planning process for the
new Eastshore State Park (ESP) began in December 2000. Since that time, the ESP
Planning Team has met with City staff and held several workshops and public
meetings for local community members, including the following:
§ Stakeholders Group Meetings
§ Public Workshop No. 1:
Issues and Opportunities
§ Local Briefings on Workshop
No. 1
§ Public Workshop No. 2:
Exploring Alternatives
§ Local Briefings on Workshop
No. 2
§ Public Workshop No. 3:
Preferred Park Concept
At the third public
workshop, which was held on March 21, 2002, the consultants presented the
“Preferred Park Concept” based on the input received during the earlier
workshops, local briefings and follow-up communications.
The next steps are:
§ Public Workshop No. 4:
Presentation of Draft General Plan & EIR (May 2002)
§ Public Review Period for
Draft General Plan and EIR (June-July 2002)
§ Final Draft General Plan and
Final EIR (September 2002)
§ State Parks & Recreation
Commission hearing to certify EIR and adopt General Plan (October 2002)
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
CONTACT PERSON:
Lisa Caronna, Director of Parks Recreation and
Waterfront, 981- 6700
Deborah Chernin, Project Manager for Eastshore State
Park, 981-6334
Approved:
_____________________________
Lisa Caronna, Director
Parks Recreation and Waterfront