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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/25/2005 - Study SessionCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH City Council Minutes Study Session January 25, 2005 - 4:05 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Rosansky, Webb, Ridgeway, Daigle, Mayor Bromberg (Heffernan arrived at 4:15 p.m.; Nichols arrived at 4:20 p.m.) Absent: None CURRENT BUSINESS 1. CLARIFICATION OF ITEMS ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR - None. 2. NEWPORT VILLAGE PARK PROJECT. Principal Civil Engineer Stein stated that good progress has been made on the Newport Village Park, and that one of the reasons for this is that the parks committee has spent three years on community outreach and looking at different concepts and options. Using a PowerPoint presentation, Jess Harris, Hall & Foreman, stated that the park area is approximately twelve acres, with the Central Library on the southern boundary. The park design respects the view planes that were established many years ago by the City. He displayed photos of the property and stated that the northern half includes three primary habitats, which include riparian, scrub and a fresh water marsh. He stated that this part of the property will be preserved in its natural condition to protect these habitats. The central part of the park will be primarily turf grass and will be defined by a paved walkway that will go on both sides of the property. He displayed photos illustrating this, as well as photos illustrating the parking lot, which would be adjacent to the library. Mr. Harris described some of the details of the parking lot layout and lighting. The focal point of the park would consist of an amphitheater and an arbor structure. He displayed an artist's rendering and stated that the idea is to have turf terraces, which will act as seating areas, and an arbor structure and benches behind these seat terraces. Mr. Harris noted that the location of the structure would be on the southwest corner of the site, which provides an attractive setting in terms of the view and is a quieter part of the site. In response to Council Member Rosansky's question, Mr. Harris stated that the occupancy of the amphitheater would be approximately 100 people. City Manager Bludau asked if the grass seating would be difficult to maintain. Mr. Harris stated that it would just be a part of the overall park turf maintenance, but noted that if the site were to be used every day, additional maintenance might be necessary. In response to Council Member Rosansky's question, Mr. Harris added that irrigation would occur during the night and that popup sprinkler heads would be suggested. Continuing with the PowerPoint presentation, Mr. Harris stated that when the Volume 57 - Page 33 INDEX (100 -2005) City of Newport Beach Study Session Minutes January 25, 2005 11013a.1 project is completed, the library and park will appear connected from an architectural design perspective. He displayed an artist's rendering and photos to illustrate this. Additionally, he displayed photos of the "garden within a garden" concept and explained that the idea of adding some detail to the edges of the walkways was discussed. He stated that such areas could also provide an opportunity for funding sources, and that funding sources and donations could also be considered for the amphitheater and arbor structure. Mr. Harris stated that the total development of the park is estimated to cost $1,280,000, with Phase 1 costing $660,000 and consisting of the parking lot area and the grading of the slope adjacent to it. Phase 2 would consist of the turf area, walkways, amphitheater and arbor structure at a cost of $560,000, and Phase 3 would extend the walkways into the natural area and refurbish the area at a cost of $60,000. Council Member Rosansky asked for more information on how the Phase 3 money would be used. Mr. Harris stated that approximately one third to one half of the money would be used to put in the walkways, and the balance would be used to refurbish the areas that need plantings. He stated that the majority of the natural area doesn't need any work. In response to Council Member Rosansky's additional question, Mr. Harris stated that Phases 2 and 3 could be combined. In response to Council Member Webb's question, Mr. Harris showed where the walkways would be constructed and where access to the park would be. Mayor Bromberg asked if a similar PowerPoint presentation had been given to the residents in the Harbor View community. Principal Civil Engineer Stein stated that the presentation had been given to the parks committee, and the Parks, Beaches & Recreation (PB &R) Commission. In response to City Manager Bludau's questions, Mr. Harris showed how the handicapped would be accommodated and confirmed that the arbor structure would be below the established view planes. Val Skoro, Chairman of the PB &R Park Development Committee, stated that he's very pleased with the conceptual plan for the park and the extensive outreach that was done. He stated that the park was developed according to what the residents wanted and that no external agencies dictated what should be included. He noted that the Harbor View community had been involved. Mr. Skoro stated that the proposed design also satisfies several requirements, including additional parking for the library, preservation of much of the natural area and a large turf area that can be used for various purposes. Bernie Svalstad stated that he would like to establish a committee and a tax deductible trust account with the City to raise private funds for the park. He stated that the committee would not be involved in any other aspect of park development. He announced that he'd like to raise the necessary funds in time for the City's centennial in 2006. Mr. Svalstad suggested that the committee consist of members from the Board of Library Trustees, the PB &R Commission and the City Arts Commission, residents and homeowner associations, representatives from Fashion Island, The Irvine Company, Stop Polluting Our Newport (SPON), Newport Beach and Corona del Mar Chambers of Commerce, Mayor Bromberg, Recreation & Senior Services Director Knight, and other community leaders. He stated that in addition to private donations, outside sources for grant funding Volume 57 - Page 34 City of Newport Beach Study Session Minutes January 25, 2005 INDEX would also be pursued and hopefully the City would also contribute. In response to Mayor Bromberg's questions, Mr. Svalstad stated that he plans to form the committee as a private committee with City participation and has already discussed the idea with Recreation & Senior Services Director Knight, City Manager Bludau and Principal Civil Engineer Stein, but was waiting to proceed further until the City Council had the opportunity to comment on the park. Council Member Ridgeway explained that a 501(c)(3) would not need to be set up for the trust fund and Mr. Svalstad expressed his understanding of this. Debra Allen, PB &R Commission and Park Development Committee member, stated that the plan for the park is fantastic. She stated that it incorporates the needs of the library for additional parking and the community for passive recreation space, and addresses the concerns of the neighbors. She stated that the park has something for everyone and she's looking forward to it happening. Harry Hamilton, Board of Library Trustees Chairman, commended the planners of the park. He stated that the Central Library is currently short of parking, which limits what the library can offer. He stated that the proposed parking will allow the library to be utilized more efficiently and effectively. Mr. Hamilton suggested that any private funding be utilized as backup funding and that the City perform its function of providing parks for public use. In response to Council Member Rosansky's question, Mr. Hamilton stated that the proposed parking is expected to meet the needs of the library and would allow the library to better serve the community. Mayor Bromberg stated that private funding would not mean that the park would not be a public park. He stated that private participation is encouraged, and is sometimes necessary. In response to Council Member Daigle's question, Mr. Hamilton stated that there would be a number of creative ways that the library could use the amphitheater. Laura Curran stated that the park has many positive features, but there are additional improvements that could be made. She listed these as including the use of sedge or other native groundcover in the turf area, and the use of permeable walkways. Ms. Curran expressed her support for the use of signage and events for interpretation of the native habitat. Lastly, she encouraged community outreach to a broader area. Council Member Nichols stated that the proposed park plan doesn't provide for active uses and that, because it's outside the coastal zone, it could. He stated that the City is lacking in active park sites and that he'd rather see a passive park put in a coastal zone area and the proposed park provide for active uses. Council Member Ridgeway stated that he doesn't want to discourage anyone from contributing money to the park, but that it would be appropriate for the City to provide the greater share of the funding. Volume 57 - Page 35 City of Newport Beach Study Session Minutes January 25, 2005 Mayor Bromberg thanked those involved with the project and encouraged the community to begin their fund raising efforts. 3. POTENTIAL PARKING STRUCTURE AT 23RD STREET AND BALBOA BOULEVARD (109, 111, 115, 117, 119, 123, AND 125 23RD STREET AND 2301, 2307 AND 2309 BALBOA BOULEVARD). Assistant City Manager Wood displayed an aerial photo of the site for a potential parking structure near McFadden Square. She noted the supplemental information distributed prior to the meeting, which provided a correction to the costs given in the staff report. Land acquisition costs are estimated at $3 million and construction costs at $3 million for a total project cost of $6 million. She stated that the decision for the City Council is to determine if the benefit that the parking structure would provide balances out with the long term costs. Additionally, she displayed a site map that showed the potential development in the area. The annual parking revenue from the structure is estimated to be $250,000 and the annual debt service is estimated to be $425,000. Council Member Ridgeway stated that a number of business owners in the area have approached him about the inadequacy of parking in the area. He stated that the public parking in the Newport Pier area can accommodate approximately 330 vehicles. In comparison, the Balboa Pier area can accommodate 550 vehicles. He noted that the Balboa Pier area has three to four restaurants, while the Newport Pier area has a significantly greater number of restaurants and bars, and a greater demand for parking. Council Member Ridgeway stated that the businesses in the area lose potential customers due to the lack of parking stalls and the poor traffic circulation. The potential site was chosen because it has access off of Balboa Boulevard at a traffic signal, which diverts traffic from the existing parking lot. In closing, Council Member Ridgeway stated that the Newport Pier is at the heart of tourism for the City, along with Mariners Mile and Balboa Island. Mayor Bromberg asked if the property owners of the potential site are open to selling their parcels. Assistant City Manager Wood stated that she has only had contact with the property owner at 111 2314 Street and he did express some concerns. She believed he was at the current meeting to express his viewpoints. Council Member Heffernan noted that the proposal for a possible new City Hall includes a parking structure. He asked if the use of this, in conjunction with a shuttle service, had been considered, noting that City Hall is about three blocks from the Newport Pier area. He stated that it would be difficult to justify the expenditure for an additional parking structure and that it might make more sense to utilize the parking structure that may be built at City Hall. Ken Ricamore, owner of Renato Ristorante and the parcels at 111, 115 and 117 23*1 Street, and 2306 Ocean Boulevard, stated that the estimate for the cost of the parking structure is low. He explained that the 115 and 117 23rd Street sites are currently appraised at $1.9 to $2.2 million, which means that an estimate of $3 million for acquisition of all of the parcels is not enough. Secondly, Mr. Ricamore noted that there is a conceptual problem with the configuration of the 109 and 111 Volume 57 - Page 36 INDEX (100 -2005) City of Newport Beach Study Session Minutes January 25, 2005 INDEX 23M Street sites. He stated that in July and August, it is almost impossible to find parking and the businesses suffer. He felt, however, that the parking structure would be a very expensive way to deal with a two -month problem. Adele Mann stated that she would like an idea of the impact on traffic that the potential parking structure would have. She noted that traffic is a big problem in the area, and asked how traffic would flow in and out of the structure. Additionally, she stated that the potential structure seems extremely expensive. Mayor Bromberg explained that the City Council is only looking at the concept of a parking structure in the area, at this point. If the City Council does decide to go forward with the idea, the issues brought up by Ms. Mann would be addressed. Louise Fundenberg expressed her concern for the possibility of the City using the power of eminent domain to acquire the subject parcels. She expressed her objection to doing so. Mayor Bromberg stated that he didn't see the City Council supporting eminent domain in this situation. Bob Rubin, Crab Cooker, stated that parking benefits everyone and helps to relieve congestion. He expressed his gratitude that the City was looking at the issue. Steve Lewis, owner of the Blue Beet and Alta Coffee, agreed that parking is needed. He offered his assistance in addressing the issue. Domenico Maurici, owner of Caffe Il Farro, agreed that a parking structure is needed in the area. He stated that he loses many potential customers in the summer because they can't find parking. He also agreed that a parking structure would be expensive, but felt that something was needed. He suggested that another location that might be considered is the site where the Spaghetti Factory is located. Lloyd Ikerd stated that in the mid- 1990's, he worked with the City of Long Beach on a parking structure. He explained that he put together a package where he would be leasing a portion of City property and building a parking structure, at no cost to the City of Long Beach. He additionally explained that he would lease it, operate it and maintain it for a 25 to 35 -year period, and then at the end of the lease, he would sell the parking structure to the City for $l. He stated that this opportunity is also available to the City of Newport Beach through Diversified Financial, a company that does municipal financing. Mayor Bromberg asked if the package with Diversified Financial could include acquisition of the properties. Mr. Ikerd responded in the affirmative. Council Member Ridgeway confirmed with Mr. Ikerd that an assessment district could also be a part of the package. In response to Council Member Nichols' question, Mr. Ikerd stated that Diversified Financial would not get involved with condemnation. Additionally, Volume 57 - Page 37 City of Newport Beach Study Session Minutes January 25, 2005 INDEX Mr. Ikerd stated that there are different ways to handle the financing and that if the City is interested, Diversified Financial could put together a package. Council Member Nichols confirmed with Mr. Ikerd that the project does have some feasibility, but that the numbers would have to be looked at. Mayor Bromberg stated that there is a need for additional parking in the area and that the first thing he would want to do is talk with the property owners and determine if it is feasible to do it without using eminent domain. Council Member Rosansky asked how the annual revenue of $250,000 was calculated. Assistant City Manager Wood stated that it was based on the revenue currently received from the Ocean Front parking lot. He questioned the accuracy of the estimate and noted that each parking space would have to generate $5 per day to meet the estimate. He stated that this would be unrealistic to assume. Secondly, Council Member Rosansky stated that the project costs are also unrealistic, and that the project would likely cost over $10 million, with the land acquisitions alone probably costing over $6 million. He stated that each parking space would end up costing $90,000 to $100,000, which he couldn't support. Council Member Daigle asked if any studies had been done on when the parking problems occur. Assistant City Manager Wood stated that a parking study and a parking management plan were done a few years ago. She didn't have the details, but stated that the problems exist in the summer. Council Member Ridgeway stated that Council Member Heffernan's suggestion of using a parking structure at City Hall might make some sense. He stated that when the potential parking structure location was considered, the idea was to limit the number of vehicles that would access the existing surface parking lot. He also believed that by getting the vehicles into the parking structure, it would improve the traffic flow on the peninsula. Council Member Ridgeway agreed that the project will cost more than estimated in the staff report, but felt that the idea should still be studied. He agreed with the suggestion to consider the Spaghetti Factory site and suggested that the owner be contacted. He also felt that the suggestion by Mr. Ikerd should be considered. In regard to eminent domain, Council Member Ridgeway stated that it can be the proper tool if not abused. He stated that a parking structure could regenerate the area and felt that the concept should be kept alive. Mayor Pro Tem Webb asked if the City had fully paid for the parking lot on 30th Street. Assistant City Manager Wood believed that it had been paid off. Mayor Pro Tem Webb stated that a parking structure in the Newport Pier area could be valuable, and might be feasible if an assessment district funded 50% of the costs and revenue from parking the other 50 %. He expressed his concern for the project receiving funding priority over such things as a parking structure in Mariners Mile or some of the City's park projects. Additionally, Mayor Pro Tem Webb noted that the proposal for the potential structure in the Newport Pier area at 90 feet wide is not efficient. He stated that a 70 -foot wide or 120 -foot wide structure would utilize the space more efficiently. In closing, Mayor Pro Tem Webb stated that the potential structure could work, but it should be self- funded by the businesses in the area and the revenue that would be generated. Volume 57 - Page 38 City of Newport Beach Study Session Minutes January 25, 2005 INDEX Council Member Heffernan asked if the idea of adding a deck, or decks, on the existing parking lot had been considered. He stated that he was specifically referring to the parking lot between 21 Oceanfront and Baja Sharkeez. He stated that it would eliminate the cost of acquiring additional land and utilizes an area that already has a circulation pattern and is set up for parking. Council Member Rosansky asked if there was a Business Improvement District (BID) established for the area. He received a negative response. Council Member Nichols stated that a parking structure would be providing parking to those who do not supply adequate parking for themselves. He expressed his concern for the fairness of this to those who do provide adequate parking, which are the newer businesses that weren't grand£athered in. He felt that the City should consider equity. Council Member Ridgeway stated that the proposal is fair, creates a safe environment and additional commerce for the entire City, and improves access to the beach for the public. Council Member Nichols stated that a burden is still being placed on the businesses that are already providing adequate parking. In response to Mayor Bromberg's question regarding the City Council's desire to continue looking at a potential parking structure in the Newport Pier area, Council Member Daigle stated that if the potential for a parking structure is going to be considered, she would like the parking demand to be studied further. Council Member Webb stated that he could support the continued study of a parking structure if it will be funded by private sources or an assessment district. Council Member Rosansky agreed that the structure could be looked at further, but it would have to be self- funded or funded by private sources. He stated that he would also like to see the calculations redone for the revenue and expenditure estimates. Council Member Heffernan stated that it would be more efficient to utilize the potential City Hall parking structure. Mayor Bromberg stated that the first thing that needs to be done is for the City to talk with the owners of the parcels that would need to be acquired. If they're not interested in selling, he felt that the issue should probably be dropped. He stated that funding for the structure is also an issue and that it might be worthwhile to consider some of the options mentioned earlier in the meeting. 4. TSUNAMI PREPARATION. (100 -2005) Using a PowerPoint presentation, Fire Chief Riley stated that the City does recognize the fact that a tsunami is one of the natural phenomenons that could have an impact on Newport Beach. As part of the General Plan update, Earth Resources Consultants completed a hazard analysis for the City in 2003. He displayed the eleven hazards that were identified, which were listed by order of priority based on the chance of occurrence and the effect of each. Fire Chief Riley noted that a tsunami is eleventh on the list. Fire Chief Riley described a tsunami as a series of traveling ocean waves of great length and long period, usually generated by disturbances that are associated Volume 57 - Page 39 City of Newport Beach Study Session Minutes January 25, 2005 INDEX with large shifts of land. In the past 100 years, there have been 27 recorded tsunamis in California, with the most significant one occurring in 1964. He stated that in the past twenty years, ten tsunami warnings have been issued by the West Coast and Alaska Warning Center. Fire Chief Riley listed some of the facts associated with the 1964 Alaskan earthquake and tsunami, and reported that it was the impetus for the creation of the West Coast and Alaska Warning Center. Fire Chief Riley reported that the two tsunami categories are Pacific -wide and local. He stated that Pacific -wide tsunamis are usually attributed to earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions or explosions throughout the Pacific Ocean. Since the water in the ocean wants to return to a state of equilibrium, a huge wave is created when there is a major earth shift. The warning system is operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the warning time given would be anywhere from one hour to several hours. Fire Chief Riley stated that there would be no time to send out a warning in the event of a local tsunami. A local tsunami occurs when there is a major earth movement in the immediate area. Any response to such an event would be after the fact only. Fire Chief Riley stated that studies show that, annually, there is a 1% chance of a tsunami 4.9 feet in height occurring in Newport Beach and a .2% chance of a 6.5- foot tsunami occurring. Fire Chief Riley stated that a tsunami occurring during a mean sea level tide would impact small vessels and docks inside the harbor, and some properties adjacent to the bay. He displayed a map showing the estimated inundation levels. If a tsunami occurred during a high tide, the impacted areas would be greater and include the peninsula, Balboa Island, the harbor and upper bay and homes in the low -lying areas. He displayed a map showing these inundation levels, as well. Mayor Bromberg asked how quickly the water from a tsunami travels. Fire Chief Riley stated that tsunamis travel at high speeds and are long in length. He stated that the water can keep coming for 10 to 20 minutes. Continuing with the PowerPoint presentation, Fire Chief Riley stated that a tsunami occurring during an extreme high tide would impact nearly everything on the ocean side of Coast Highway and in the bay. He displayed a map illustrating the impacted areas. In response to Council Member Heffernan's question, Fire Chief Riley stated that the experts say the water will follow the existing water path and the peninsula is not expected to have extraordinary damage. Fire Chief Riley stated that the City's police dispatch center would receive warning of a Pacific -wide tsunami from the State. As soon as that would happen, the City would begin its normal notification procedure and activation of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). He stated that the police department would take the lead since the event would entail resident notification and evacuation. Council Member Daigle asked if the second and third waves of a tsunami would have more impact than the first. Fire Chief Riley didn't believe that they would. Volume 57 - Page 40 City of Newport Beach Study Session Minutes January 25, 2005 INDEX Council Member Heffernan asked how the warning system works. Fire Chief Riley explained that the State emergency operations personnel would receive the first notification and it would branch down from there. Continuing with the PowerPoint presentation, Fire Chief Riley stated that the City would respond in the same way to a local tsunami as it would to the warning of a Pacific -wide tsunami. He noted that the warning system has improved and will continue to improve due to the recent tsunami. He listed some of the facts associated with the Asian tsunami, which occurred on December 26, 2004, and the lessons learned, which included the lack of an emergency plan or predetermined evacuation routes. Fire Chief Riley stated that Newport Beach does have an Emergency Management Plan (EMP) and has identified predetermined evacuation routes. He listed the evacuation routes and displayed a map showing their location. He noted that when a street is determined as an evacuation route, the street is managed as a one -way street in the event of an evacuation. Council Member Heffernan asked how the residents are notified. Fire Chief Riley stated that radio broadcasts are done. In addition, emergency personnel drive through the streets with sirens blaring and bullhorn announcements to evacuate. He stated that the method used also depends upon the size of the notification area. If the area is small, door -to -door notification can even occur. Fire Chief Riley stated that the City has been working on its disaster preparedness activities, there is an EOC exercise every year, bi- monthly emergency- preparedness committee meetings are held, Community Emergency- Response Team (CERT) training is conducted, the Amateur Ham Radio Operators (RACES) work with the police department on a routine basis, and disaster preparedness presentations are given to schools and businesses. Council Member Heffernan noted the preparedness of the Japanese and asked if they are a resource. Fire Chief Riley stated that there is an organization called Tsunami Ready Cities, which has a guidebook on how to prepare for a tsunami. He noted that Newport Beach would most likely not consider many of the specific suggestions because a tsunami has been listed as the least likely event to hit and other disasters that have been given a higher priority also need to be prepared for. Council Member Webb noted the tsunami information that was presented in the January 7, 2005, City Manager's Newsletter and suggested that this type of information be made available to the community. Mayor Bromberg suggested that it be placed on the City's website. Fire Chief Riley added that the fire department's community relations personnel can also be contacted at 949 - 644 -3110 with any concerns or questions. He stated that they specialize in teaching and preparing the community for all types of disasters. Louise Fundenberg stated that it could be difficult for everyone to make it off the peninsula in the event of an evacuation. She suggested that alternatives be given, such as going to the highest point of one's home. Council Member Ridgeway stated that Newport Elementary- might be a safe evacuation point because it's poured in place concrete and has eighteen -inch Volume 57_ Page 41 City of Newport Beach Study Session Minutes January 25, 2005 foundations. He felt that it would withstand a tsunami. Ms. Fundenberg suggested that such information be provided to the public. PUBLIC COMMENTS - None. ADJOURNMENT - at 6:05 p.m to Closed Session. The agenda for the Study Session was posted on January 19, 2005, at 2:00 p.m on the City Hall Bulletin Board located outside of the City of Newport Beach Administration Building. City Clerk 0 Recnrdine'ierretary Volume 57 - Page 42 INDEX