Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Nicholas J. Calderon, Parks Director
Subject: Submittal of an application to the California Department of Parks and Recreation’s Proposition 68 Per Capita Grant Program for funds to construct a portion of the Tunitas Creek Beach Improvement Project
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing the Parks Director, or the Parks Director’s designee, to submit an application to the California Department of Parks and Recreation’s Proposition 68 Per Capita Grant Program seeking $828,430 in grant funds to construct a portion of the Tunitas Creek Beach Improvement Project.
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BACKGROUND:
The Tunitas Creek Beach Property (“Property”), located approximately eight miles south of the City of Half Moon Bay in unincorporated San Mateo County, totals approximately 58 acres in size and includes almost one mile of sandy beach, steep coastal bluffs, and the mouth of Tunitas Creek.
In May 2019, this Board authorized the execution of a grant agreement with the California State Coastal Conservancy (“SCC”) for $3,000,000 to plan, permit, and design a series of visitor amenities necessary to convert the Property into a County park. This effort has been branded the Tunitas Creek Beach Improvement Project (“Project”). Any grant funds not used during the planning, permitting, and design phase of the Project can be used for construction. On March 10, 2020, this Board established the Tunitas Creek Beach Trust Fund by depositing $2,000,000 into a designated account for the purpose of constructing the Project’s visitor amenities and maintaining the future County park. Lastly, through its involvement in the protection of the Property, the Peninsula Open Space Trust (“POST”) committed $3,245,000 to the construction of the Project’s visitor amenities and future maintenance of the County Park.
Beginning in April 2020, the Project Advisory Team-comprised of representatives from the San Mateo County Parks Department (“Department”), the County’s Department of Public Works, POST, and the SCC-initiated a robust community engagement process consisting of paper and online surveys, online learning modules and videos, and virtual public workshops. Throughout this process, members of the public provided input regarding their vision and preferred uses for the future county park. The Department made all outreach materials available in English and Spanish, and co-hosted its first all-Spanish language public workshop on October 22, 2020 with its community partner, CARON. As a result of the public engagement process, the Department received almost 1,300 survey responses and 2,100 views of videos posted to the Department’s website. Throughout the process, the public advocated for improved access for people of all abilities and for limiting development to maintain the Property’s natural character.
The Project’s preferred plan was prepared based on: (i) the core values identified by the Community Advisory Committee; (ii) data collected during the public engagement process; (iii) impacts to natural and cultural resources; (iv) environmental permitting requirements; (v) known Property constraints; and (vi) the Department’s ability to efficiently and effectively manage the Property for coastal access and recreation and habitat restoration and preservation.
On February 23, 2021, this Board approved the Project’s preferred plan and directed the Department to proceed with the preparation of Plans, Specifications, and Estimates, and a California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) review. The CEQA document-an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (“IS/MND”)-is also being considered at the December 14, 2021 Board of Supervisors meeting. The 100% Design Plans, Specifications, and Estimates will be completed in early 2022. Construction is anticipated to commence in Summer 2022; the new park is estimated to open to the public in Summer 2023.
The Department’s design contractor estimates that construction of the Project will cost $9,507,384.15. This does not include management and oversight by the Department of Public Works, inspections, or unforeseen change orders. In total, the Department has $8,245,000 to construct the Project.
DISCUSSION:
The California Department of Parks and Recreation (“State Parks”) administers the Proposition 68 Per Capita Grant Program, which originates from the Parks and Water Bond Act of 2018 (Proposition 68) and makes grant funds available to local governments for local park rehabilitation, creation, and improvement on a per capita basis. Projects are eligible if they can be completed by June 30, 2024. Projects not serving a “severely disadvantaged community (median household income less than 60% of the statewide average)”-such as the Project-require a 20 percent match.
In accordance with the Per Capita Grant Program requirements, grant applicants must provide an authorizing resolution from their governing body using the language in the Per Capita Grant Program form of resolution. Therefore, the Department is seeking this Board’s authority to submit a grant application for $828,430 in grant funding to be used for the construction of unspecified visitor amenities at Tunitas Creek Beach. The Tunitas Creek Beach Improvement Project is an eligible project for Proposition 68 funding, and by applying the funds to construction of the Project, the Department can minimize delays in opening the Property to the public and ensure adequate funding exists to properly maintain the park in the first years of operation. The Department will use the Tunitas Creek Beach Trust Fund to serve as the local match.
FISCAL IMPACT:
As required by the Proposition 68 Per Capita Grant Program the County will need to provide a 20 percent match for all Per Capita Grant Program funds received. Although the County has secured $3,000,000 from the California Coastal Conservancy, the State grant requirements do not allow for matching funding from the State. The County has secured $3,245,000 for construction from POST, and the County also has committed $2,000,000 for construction of improvements and long-term maintenance, which totals $5,245,000 to match Proposition 68 Per Capita Grant Program funds by more than 20 percent.
There is no Net County Cost associated with approving this recommendation.