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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05 - Santa Ana River ParkwayCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT Agenda Item No. 5 March 28, 2006 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: City Manager's Office Dave Kiff, Assistant City Manager 949/644 -3002 ordkiff @city.newport - beach.ca.us SUBJECT: Resolution 2006 - Participating in Resource Planning for the Santa Ana River Parkway ISSUE: Should the City accept a small grant to participate in resource planning along the Santa Ana River, concurrent with the activities of other River - adjacent communities? RECOMMENDATION: Adopt Resolution 2006- accepting a grant and relating to planning for passive recreational activities and habitat protection in and adjacent to the Santa Ana River. DISCUSSION: The City has participated in planning for the Orange Coast River Park (OCRP), a park that would link Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, and Newport Beach via the Santa Ana River. The OCRP would be one of the largest parks in Orange County, but as yet it is still in the conceptual design phase, with land that must be purchased and amenities that must be constructed if the OCRP is to come to fruition. The City has given about $10,000 in direct donations or staff time to the OCRP's planning process. In recent months, a group called The Wildlands Conservancy ( "TWC ") (www.wildIandsconservancy.or_g) out of Oak Glen, CA, has coordinated a regional planning effort to maximize habitat restoration and passive recreational opportunities all along the Santa Ana River (SAR), from San Bernardino County to the coast. According to TWC: When the Santa Ana River Trail was envisioned in 1915, no one could have imagined that it would take nearly 100 years to complete. The constant encroachment by urban growth and development since that time has diminished the breadth and flow of the river, but it has not extinguished the vision of a 110 -mile trail stretching from the mountains to Resolution Relating to Santa Ana River Planning March 28, 2006 Page 2 the Pacific. Through time, countless dedicated groups and individuals have advanced the river trail. Recently, staff time and financial contributions from The Wildlands Conservancy have started a Santa Ana River renaissance, which has enlarged the tri- county trail concept to a tri- county natural lands parkway. The Santa Ana River passes through the urban core of Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Via the bike path, national forests, state parks, county parks, and the Pacific Ocean will become readily accessible to urban residents, especially children. TWC's private- sector funding has done wonders in convincing officials that they have a real partner, dedicated to the Santa Ana River Parkway's successful completion. In Orange County, TWC gave a planning grant to the County to design the last unfinished section of the parkway through Santa Ana Canyon. TWC also gave the City of Santa Ana a $350,000 grant to restore habitat and enhance outdoor education programs at Santiago Park. TWC also started scenic raft tours through Santa Ana Canyon. In Riverside County, TWC gave a $100,000 grant for an Eam -a -Bike program in which underserved children performed ecological restoration work in parks along the river while learning about nature from TWC naturalists. At the end of the program each child learned bike safety and received a helmet and a lock to go with the brand new bicycle. In 2005, TWC donated $3.3 million to Riverside County to be matched by county funds to help complete the Prado Basin tri- county linkage. In San Bernardino County, TWC is building a wetlands park on Hospitality Lane in downtown San Bernardino. TWC has also granted in excess of $1.5 million to the county to leverage additional monies for designing and building the Santa Ana River Trail. TWC is also spending $1.2 million to purchase land along the river in the City of Colton. This land will be donated to San Bernardino County for the creation of a new regional park, the first one in 23 years. TWC has offered up to $5,000 to assist cities with planning "their portion" of the Santa Ana River for habitat restorative and passive recreational uses. Those agencies that have accepted the grant — including the City of Santa Ana and the County of Orange — have agreed to form a small committee including mernbers of the public to work on these plans. The Santa Ana River passes by Newport Beach along our western border. The river carries stormwater and sediment from as far away as San Bernardino County and the foothills of the Redlands area. Only about one mile of the SAR is within the City's boundaries (see Exhibit 1). But given that this mile includes the mouth of the River, it is an important mile for habitat restoration and passive recreation. Members of the OCRP planning team and the Coastal /Bay Water Quality Committee have discussed having the City of Newport Beach form a committee and accept a planning grant from TWC to plan habitat and passive recreational opportunities along our small stretch of the Santa Ana River. If the Council adopts the attached resolution, pt Resolution Relating to Santa Ana River Planning March 28, 2006 Page 4 RESOLUTION 2006 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH AUTHORIZING PARTICIPATION IN AND ACCEPTING A GRANT FOR SANTA ANA RIVER HABITAT AND RECREATIONAL PLANNING WHEREAS, residents of the City of Newport Beach value the habitat and recreational value of the Lower Santa Ana River; and WHEREAS, the City of Newport Beach has long supported the planning and formation of the Orange Coast River Park, which would abut and include the Santa Ana River; and WHEREAS, The Wildlands Conservancy has worked to coordinate and encourage planning along the Santa Ana River to create a consistent plan across the three - county region; and WHEREAS, these planning efforts may be supplemented by a $5,000 grant from The Wildlands Conservancy or one of its partner funders if River - adjacent communities form committees to conduct this planning and if such planning is consistent with habitat - protective and passive recreational uses; and WHEREAS, community representatives to the Orange Coast River Park Planning Committee and the City's Coastal /Bay Water Quality Committee are supportive of the City's participation in the Wildlands Conservancy's efforts; now, therefore be it RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Newport Beach that it hereby: 1. Authorizes the Mayor to execute any document that accepts a planning grant from the Wildlands Conservancy for Santa Ana River planning; and 2. Authorizes the City Manager or his designee to research the formation of a planning advisory committee to comply with the terms of the Wildlands Conservancy's grant; and 3. Expresses the City's support of planning activities along the Santa Ana River that protect habitat, encourage passive recreational vases, and that are consistent with the goals of the Orange Coast River Park and the City's General Plan. ADOPTED this 28`h Day of March, 2006. DON WEBB Mayor of Newport Beach ATTEST: LAVONNE HARKLESS City Clerk