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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09.20.2022 PR Comm Minutes CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES FROM TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 I. CALL TO ORDER: 7:00 p.m. A regular meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission of the City of South San Francisco was held on Tuesday, September 20, 2022, via teleconference due to the COVID-19 pandemic and local health orders. II. ROLL CALL: Present: Commissioners Battaglia, Burgo, Camacho, DeNardi, Uy, Vice Chair Firpo and Chair Lock Staff: Greg Mediati, Director of Parks and Recreation Angela Duldulao, Acting Deputy Director of Parks and Recreation Joshua Richardson, Parks Manager Kari Jung, Management Analyst I Laura Armanino, Recreation Supervisor Devin Stenhouse, Acting Recreation Manager Erin O’Brien, Business Manager Philip Vitale, Deputy Director of Capital Projects Jeanette Yoshida, Administrative Assistant II Ercie Santos, Cultural Arts Specialist III. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Skipped. IV. AGENDA REVIEW: There were no changes to the agenda. V. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE August 16, 2022, MEETING: Approved by motion. Motion: Commissioner Camacho / Seconded: Commissioner Battaglia. VI. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION: None were present. VII. Old Business A. 2022/23 Annual Co-Sponsorship Renewals Business Manager O’Brien shared the third report on annual co-sponsorship renewals. The following list identifies groups whose renewal applications have been approved. Approved • Historical Society of South San Francisco • Italian American Citizens Club • South San Francisco Aquatics Club • South San Francisco Shetland Pinto Mustang/Pee Wee Baseball • South San Francisco United Youth Soccer League • San Mateo County Athletic Club Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of the Meeting of September 20, 2022 Page 2 Manager O’Brien provided a program overview for the South San Francisco Youth Baseball Managers Association. The organization practices and has games through the months of March through June. The league is for ages eleven through fourteen. Manager O’Brien introduced current President of the Association, Cliff Callero. Cliff Callero provided an overview of the Association. It has been part of his life for 40 plus years; from being a player, to a coach and now president. They started the league at what is now called Mike Callero Field, which was named in honor of his father. No comments from the Commission. Motion to approve by Commissioner DeNardi and seconded by Commissioner Uy. The item unanimously passed. B. Capital Projects Update: Centennial Way Trail Improvements Deputy Director Vitale stated that funding opportunities came up earlier this year through the Department of Transportation through the Clean California Grant Program which seeks to reduce litter along state highways and other blight prone areas. The City applied earlier this year for the grant and was awarded $2.4 million dollars to improve Centennial Way Trail between Spruce Ave. and Huntington Ave. Included in this area would be a skate park, lawn area, children’s play area, picnic areas, interpretive signage, and outdoor classroom. As a bid alternate staff are including a bike pump track. Roughly 130 trees and 6,000 drought tolerant shrubs and plants will be planted. Community engagement with a focus group on the bike and skate community for this segment of the design provided a wealth of feedback. The first community workshop of two will be held on October 4 at the Municipal Services Building along with future focus groups from the skate and bike community. Construction is anticipated to be completed in 2024. Commissioner Burgo asked about her past suggestion of restrooms along Centennial Trail. Director Mediati responded that this feedback was captured in the Master Plan, and that the future restroom building would be on Spruce but closer to Francisco Terrace Park. It’s currently not within project budget but the City would like to install one in the future. Deputy Director Vitale added that staff is exploring additional funding opportunities. Orange Memorial Park Sports Field Project Deputy Director Vitale gave an update on the project which will include two youth baseball fields, two adult soccer fields, two junior soccer fields, four youth soccer fields, adult baseball diamond and a softball diamond. Construction started earlier this year. While most improvements so far have been below ground, staff are starting to see some improvements above ground. Seat walls have been formed and sports light bases have been installed. A building pad also being installed for the concession building that will include the Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of the Meeting of September 20, 2022 Page 3 concession space, restrooms, and storage area for leagues. Most of the sidewalk is completed. The project remains on time and on schedule. Commissioner DeNardi asked if the concession building was going to be built from the ground up or was there something already built being put in. Deputy Director Vitale responded that the building was acquired from Genentech a few years ago, pending a final location. It’s been in storage behind the old Corp Yard. Director Mediati stated that it’s never been used and in good condition. Orange Memorial Park Aquatic Center Deputy Director Vitale shared that the concept design was submitted to the Commission last month. Staff received a lot of great feedback from the Commissioners as well as the public. Some modifications were done on the concept design. Staff is preparing to take this concept design to City Council on September 28. That concept design includes: • An outdoor pool (25 meters by 25 yards) • An indoor pool with 7 lanes • Beach entry area • Two sets of locker rooms • Activity room • Windscreen A multi-purpose room will be designed as part of the project but likely bid as an add- alternate for budgetary purposes. A wind study to show what the wind impact would be to the outdoor pool and how to remediate that with a windscreen was performed and reviewed with Commissioners. Commissioner Camacho shared that she felt like all her questions were answered and the meeting was very informative. She also shared that she’s heard that there is a large group of people who want the outdoor pool and with the study that was performed she feels comfortable with moving forward with the outdoor pool. Commissioner Uy stated his questions were answered for the most part. He agreed, though in protest, to the outdoor pool concept, further noting the relatively small percentage of the budget spent toward the outdoor pool. Commissioner Burgo stated that the meeting was very informational. She asked for clarification on the plan if the multi-purpose room is included in the $49 million budget. Deputy Director Vitale clarified that the multi-purpose room that is shown in the plan is slightly shaded. That is because staff are including it in the design, but currently does not fit within the $49 million budget. Instead, the design team are adding an additional indoor lane, and further increasing the size of the locker rooms as they are higher priorities for the community. Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of the Meeting of September 20, 2022 Page 4 Commissioner DeNardi feels she was provided some clarity with moving forward after the hearing the information from the professionals on the wind study, and believes it made people more comfortable with their concerns about having an outdoor pool in South San Francisco. Commissioner Battaglia shares that the wind study helped address her concerns. She spoke to people who swim outdoors, and they would rather swim outdoors because it’s a much comfortable swim for them. She appreciated the additional detail and thought by staff and the design team. Chair Lock stated that he shares his concern about the wind, but the list of positives associated with this project outweigh the negatives. He would like to know if there are benefits associated with increasing the glass screen to the height of the building so that more of the outdoor pool is more protected. He also shared that he thrilled about the extra indoor lane being added and the consideration for increased sizing of the locker rooms. Deputy Director Vitale responded that in the next phase of design, the team will be able to dive deeper into how much taller they could make the windscreen and understanding any associated benefits, and how much larger the team can make the locker rooms and still stay within budget. Commissioner Firpo gave thanks to staff for the study sessions provided to ask questions and get them answered. Some of his concerns were relieved by the fact that if there isn’t programming in the indoor pool lanes it would be available for people to use for rec and lap swim in the event they didn’t want to swim in the outdoor pool. He shares that he’s also spoken with people who prefer to swim outdoors. Director Mediati thanked all the Commissioners for participating in the small group meetings, and the public for their invaluable feedback. The design will continue to improve because of all the feedback staff is receiving from the Commission and public. VIII. New Business A. Cultural Arts Program Update Ercie Santos, Cultural Arts Specialist, was introduced by Manager O’Brien. Her primary goal as the Cultural Arts Specialist is to be the staff liaison to the Cultural Arts Commission. Some responsibilities include attending meetings, presenting the four annual art gallery exhibits, maintaining the Cultural Arts webpage, coordinating public art projects, maintain a database promotion of all art events, and staging the rotating temporary exhibits. More recently she’s been involved in supporting the efforts towards the creation of the first Public Art Master Plan. Goals of the Cultural Arts program • Public Arts acquisitions – which involves the selection and installation of the art in public and private locations. It also includes renovation of Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of the Meeting of September 20, 2022 Page 5 treasured icons. Currently there is approximately fifty public art pieces which includes both permanent and temporary installations. Arts Gallery and Extended Exhibit Program • Art gallery programs included four annual art gallery exhibits in a year. Exhibits are open to local and bay area artist. A diverse range of media has been showcased. These are two-day events with opportunity for selected pieces to be on extended exhibit. Covid obligated the arts program to go virtual and as a result, a virtual component to the live in-person exhibits has continued as a part of the extended exhibit program. Ercie speaks about Día De Muertos / Day of the Dead, this celebration in art is scheduled for October 14 and 15. It was very well received when it was done for the first time back in 2018. Youth Art Programs • The Youth and Arts program is sponsored in partnership with the South San Francisco Unified School District. It features visual artwork by students and youth performing arts groups. The show was suspended during Covid but next year the live co-partnered event is scheduled to return on March 10 and 11. • The Scholarship Program, titled the Jack Drago Cultural Arts Commission Scholarship, is an annual financial award provided to eligible South San Francisco Unified School District high school seniors giving them opportunity for continued education in the arts. This scholarship was created in 1999 and the current name was approved in 2002 to honor former Mayor Jack Drago. Since 1999, there have been forty recipients of the scholarship. The scholarship is exclusively funded by fundraising. This past August, the Commission held its annual fundraising BBQ, the first live one since the pandemic, and it was very successful. Manager O’Brien shared that staff would appreciate feedback on the information shared by Ercie Santos regarding the Public Arts Master Plan. Staff started the Public Art Master Plan in June and are working with consultant, Art Builds Community, who were present at Movie Night. She also provided means for the Commission and community to participate by giving input via filling out the survey and attending upcoming outreach events. Manager O’Brien provided timing on the Day of the Dead art show being held at the Municipal Services Building -- on Friday, October 14, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, October 15, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Commissioner DeNardi thanked Ercie for the presentation and spoke about how wonderful the barbecue event was. She also suggested looking into what other events are going on at the same time when planning exhibits, so there is no conflict in schedules for community members if possible. Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of the Meeting of September 20, 2022 Page 6 Manager O’Brien responded that they are aware of the scheduling conflicts. With so many other events also on calendar it can be difficult to schedule events but will do their best moving forward. Commission Burgo enjoyed the presentation and stated she will take the survey to relay her feedback and comments. She will also share the information with others so that they can also give their feedback. Commissioner Camacho also thanked Ercie for a great presentation and all the things she is doing for the Cultural Arts program. Commissioner Uy gave thanks for the presentation and is looking forward to the Day of the Dead art show. Commissioner Firpo said it was a great presentation and he enjoys seeing art around the city. He spoke about the mural at Gardiner Park and wanted to know if it’s being checked on to make sure that it hasn’t been vandalized. Manager Richardson responded that they have staff that visit that park every day and there have been no incident reports about the mural. Chair Lock thanked the staff for all the diversity of activities that they bring to the community. The richness of life in community is a direct result of having a very active Cultural Arts Program. He enjoys the colorful artwork on his walks. B. Tree Inventory Update Manager Richardson gave a brief overview on our updated tree inventory. In 1989, the City adopted a tree preservation ordinance, which put it into municipal code that certain trees of a certain sizes are protected. In 2000, the ordinance was updated and then again in 2016 it was updated to stay current. The last tree inventory was conducted in 2016, which had some errors and became out of date. It’s recommended that tree inventory be done every five to seven years with a professional service. Staff are currently in that five-to-seven-year period and have contracted with Davey Resource Group to perform the work. Manager Richardson shared his screen of the new software program used to take inventory. The public will also be able to go to City’s website to view the tree inventory. The program has a mobile component which allows staff on the back end to see entire work history, health rating of the tree, and dispatch work through the system. Crews will have a tablet in the field and once work is completed on the tree, they will update it on the tablet allowing us to see them working through these trees real time. The software also includes metrics, such as environmental benefits of the urban forest. The inventory does not currently cover Sign Hill as tree work there is not complete. Commission DeNardi asked if input from the community was received as far listing trees that may induce allergic reactions. Manager Richardson replied that it wasn’t part of this Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of the Meeting of September 20, 2022 Page 7 project but that during the public meetings for the Urban Forest Master Plan, they tried to address those concerns. Commissioner Battaglia asked if all the trees on the map are City-owned trees. Manager Richardson replied that all the trees on the map are City owned. He stated the City also has roughly 5,000 vacant tree wells. Through the years staff has found having trees on private property that the City maintains creates a bit of conflict. He also shared that he and Director Mediati have spoken about using the tree fund sometime in the future to offer to supply residents with a tree to plant in their front yard that the City will pay for, but the resident would be responsible for maintaining. This will help reach our goal of 22.6% canopy coverage and provide many environmental benefits. Commissioner Camacho shared that she had sent Director Mediati a website that shared trees that do well in San Francisco and was wondering if that was something we could eventually provide in South San Francisco because of all the microclimates. Manager Richardson shared that South San Francisco has something like that on our website that was created during the Urban Master Plan. It shows the city in zones mapped out and certain trees have a number designation depending on that zone. Vice Chair Firpo asked when the public facing part of the program will be made public. Manager Richardson replied that he’s hoping it will be ready to launch mid to late October. Chair Lock asked how will questions from the public be answered when they start asking why trees are being planted throughout the city but there aren’t any in their area. Manager Richardson responded that the main goal of the inventory is to identify which neighborhoods are very low on canopy. There are some neighborhoods that don’t have any public right of way or public space to plant trees, so that’s when they’ll engage residents so that they want to plant on their properties. C. Skate Park Renovation Update Manager Richardson gave a brief update on the Skate Park. Minor adjustments are being made. The interior fence around the skate park has been removed creating more open area. The entire area has been repaved, increasing the skateable area about two times greater than it was before. The existing ramps that were in the park have been pushed back to help open the flow allowing the skaters to move through and hit different obstacles as they skate. After engaging the skating community of South San Francisco, staff held a meeting at the park with them and laid out this plan which they seemed excited about. Staff also collected some data from them about what they’d like to see in the future to help us inform the design of the future Centennial Way skate area. The park will have two grind ledges at different heights, a manual pad/fun box, which is a low-lying concrete box with steel edging and a sixteen-foot-long square rail. These pieces are in production now. K-rails will act as barriers to keep cars from driving in the skate park and skaters can use them to do tricks on. The k-rails should be delivered shortly. The paving portion of the project has been completed. Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of the Meeting of September 20, 2022 Page 8 Commissioner Battaglia asked if the park will be locked at night. Manager Richardson answered that the gate at night will be closed. Commissioner DeNardi asked if you can drive a car in that area. Manager Richardson answered that you could not drive in there. The k-rails will be blocking the park. Commissioner Burgo stated that she liked the simplicity of the park and that she agrees with Manager Richardson on the trend of what skating is now. Vice Chair Firpo shared that his only concern with the park would be signage. He suggested “use at your own risk” or “skate with a partner” signage. Director Mediati noted that there was a law passed reducing city liability for activities that are inherently dangerous but there is still public benefit for providing, for example skate parks. The City is held harmless if something were to happen that wasn’t out of obvious neglect. However, signage may still be a good idea because we do care about people being safe. Manager Richardson added that he’s hoping that the new paving will help make it safer to skate on, but also agrees that some signage should be installed. Commissioner Uy added that having signage outside of the skate park would be beneficial too. It will help deter people from skating in other areas at the park if they know that Orange Park has a skate park and where it’s located. He stated that the new obstacles look great, and he likes the idea of keeping the fence down so that its more inviting to people. Chair Lock likes Commissioner Uy’s suggestion of signage to let people know not to skate in certain areas and where to find the skate park. IX. Friends of Parks and Recreation: Kimberly Morrison, Child Care Supervisor, stated that Friends of Parks and Recreation will be operating the beer and wine booth at the Concert. Volunteers are welcome. X. Beautification Committee: Director Mediati reported that there are no updates at this time. XI. Items from Commission: Vice Chair Firpo had no items. Commissioner DeNardi shared some concerns from community members that feel that they don’t want to join a club to play bocce ball in a league. In other cities, they have bocce courts in which you play league games without joining a club. She suggested this could be offered by Parks and Recreation. Commissioner DeNardi also brought up a resident concern regarding the condition of the men’s bathroom by the tennis court. Although she knows that Parks staff is doing their routine in the morning and again in the evening, the community members are asking if there could be a little more upkeep. She also shared that she enjoyed the renaming ceremony at the Community Learning Center, Hispanic / Lantinx flag raising, and Movie in the Park. Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of the Meeting of September 20, 2022 Page 9 Commissioner Uy shared that he still has significant concerns about the same bathroom but seems like the staff is doing what they can. He believes the bocce ball situation should be looked into, especially if multiple people are speaking about it and it’s deterring regular members of the community. He shared that people he’s been talking to have shown interest in bringing reservations back to the tennis courts, especially at Orange Park, even having one or two courts reservable would help. Commissioner Uy also commented that he’s looking forward to the new fields and to our new Recreation Center and noted he thinks the Department is doing a great job. Commissioner Camacho shared details about the Improving Public Places Committee’s event held a couple of weeks ago. The turn out was great. She complimented the lights being installed in the breezeway. Commissioner Burgo said the breezeway looks beautiful and makes it feel safer at night with the lights. She asked about the artworks in the breezeway, and their disposition. Director Mediati responded that the artist has first right of refusal to come in to repair them, but unfortunately, they might be beyond repair. Commissioner Burgo also asked on any updates on Paradise Valley Kids Club. Acting Manager Stenhouse gave update that the first class was on Monday. There was a total of three enrollees for the baseball clinic. The Tuesday through Thursday programs didn’t have enough enrollment. There was only one enrollment for Thursday. After Concert in the Park is done, staff will further study program offerings for the three days with low enrollment, but the Mondays will pull through and hopefully have more enrollment. Director Mediati noted that we’ve begun to advertise more broadly to Martin School and those displaced when Boys and Girls club left, as well to the broader neighborhoods. Chair Lock asked how much water the storm drain is providing for irrigation. Director Mediati explained that for the first four months, the City is required by the State Water Board to monitor the water quality before using it for irrigation. So currently the water being captured is being treated, tested, and released in Colma Creek to make sure it is at a safe enough level to use. Chair Lock asked Manager Richardson about the slides at Alta Loma and at the small kids’ structure at Orange Park, and when can the public expect them to be open. Manager Richardson responded that the slide at Alta Loma was ordered many months ago and is scheduled to ship out on September 28. It will be installed as soon as it is received. The slide at Orange Park itself is not damaged, but the decking in front of the slide had a couple of cracks in it and was a tripping concern. Manager Richardson will reinspect it tomorrow. Recent timeframes for delivery of playground pieces is anywhere from three to seven months or more, unfortunately. Chair Lock reports that in the Genentech parking lot north of the multi-colored poles there are two spots there for public parking and a pathway from the parking lot to the bayside trail. The pathway has a sign on it that says “Genentech Private Property” which would Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes of the Meeting of September 20, 2022 Page 10 make people apprehensive about parking there. Sign should be moved, and their security should know that its ok for the public to use those two spots. Director Mediati said they can try to reach out to their head of security. Chair Lock asked about the canopy area at Concert in the Park. How big is it? Will it have enough room for the public? He is concerned that the people who are the to publicize will take up all the room before any families get there. Director Mediati responded that the canopy area will be around 100 feet long by 50 to 60 feet wide. Unfortunately, this year the event footprint is small because the baseball fields not being available. Next year the fields will be open, so they’ll have a much larger area to work with. XII. Items from Staff: A. Calendar of Event Director Mediati provided a brief update of the Calendar of Events. B. Administrative Updates Deputy Director Duldulao provides staffing updates on the rotating acting assignments for Acting Recreation Manager. Laura Armanino completed her term and beginning September 12, Devin Stenhouse took the role of Acting Recreation Manager. Manager Richardson gives update on the Westborough Park pathway project. Repairs are out to bid and bid period should close next week and reward of that contract will be taken to Council on October 12. Should everything go smoothly, notice will be given to proceed, and work should hopefully start by the end of October. Substantial closure of the upper field will happen during the time of the work being done. Vice Chair Firpo asked if there was an update regarding the SSFUSD’s vacant field above the park. Director Mediati responded that a meeting with SSFUSD was held earlier in the month and the discussion was very open ended. It was a discussion of whether the District want to partner with the City in doing something with the land. It’s a great opportunity site for the community. XIII. Adjournment: 9:42 p.m. Respectfully submitted by Jeanette Yoshida, Administrative Assistant II Next Meeting: October 18, 2022