October 26, 2005

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Publication Date: Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Parks commission: Slow down on Bayfront Park

By Rory Brown

Almanac Staff Writer

The Parks and Recreation Commission is sending a clear message to members of the City Council and city staff regarding potential plans for a golf course at the 160-acre Bayfront Park: Slow down.

Instead of recommending one of two proposals to build golf facilities on park grounds, the commission voted 5-0 on October 19 to recommend that the council delay any decision on the project, and that the city allow more opportunity for public comment.

Of some 30 people who attended the parks commission meeting, many expressed opposition to development at the park, located adjacent to the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay Wildlife Refuge.

The day after the meeting, the city announced that the proposals would be bumped from the council's October 25 meeting, to be held in the senior center in Belle Haven, and be placed on the agenda of the November 1 meeting in the council chambers at the Civic Center.

Mayor Mickie Winkler said the change was made, not because of recent criticism, but because meetings in the senior center cannot be televised.

"We wanted to give the public the opportunity to be heard on television, and the resources and space for that aren't available at the Belle Haven location," said Mayor Winkler.

She said gathering more public input "wasn't really the motivating force" behind the schedule change.

At the October 19 parks commission meeting, the city unveiled proposals by Buena Park-based Highlands Golf and San Francisco-based Pate International to build golf facilities at Bayfront Park.

City staff plans to present the proposals to the council at its November 1 meeting. The staff recommends that the council authorize the city manager to enter into a financial agreement with Highlands Golf to prepare designs and environmental studies associated with building an 18-hole golf course, driving range and three playing fields at the park.

If approved by the council, an agreement would not bind the city to developing the park, said city public works director Kent Steffens. Stages of review and public input can still alter development plans, he said.

City staff says a golf course is the best option to cover the $187,000 annual cost to maintain the park -- expenses currently covered by the $1.6 million Bayfront Park Maintenance Fund. But the only revenue to the fund is interest earnings, which aren't enough to sustain maintenance costs, said Mr. Steffens.

At current maintenance costs, the fund will only last eight or nine years, said Mr. Steffens at the October 19 parks commission meeting.
Why so fast?

But parks commission chairman Richard Cline said more public input -- about 60 days' worth -- is needed before the council authorizes an agreement.

"The city and public officials should be making decisions based on feedback," said Mr. Cline. "Everything begs the question, 'Why are we moving so fast?'"

More than 50 people have sent e-mails to the council challenging plans for developing the park. Many of the e-mails question why detailed public outreach is scheduled to appear after, rather than before, the council gives direction on a specific proposal.
The proposals

The Highlands Golf proposal would occupy 82 acres -- 75 total acres for the public golf course, course trails and driving range, plus seven acres for two soccer fields and one baseball/softball field.

The Buena Park-based company is applying for a 55-year lease, and would pay for the design, the environmental impact report (EIR) and construction costs of both the golf course and the playing fields. The cost of an EIR could range from $200,000 to $400,000, said Mr. Steffens.

Approximately 38 acres of the park would be irrigated to make way for the fairways and greens of the 3,575-yard, par 62 course.

Public access would be allowed through the park for walking, jogging and bicycles, and the west side of the park would remain open space, said Mr. Steffens.

The three proposed athletic fields would be lighted and have artificial turf. Since Highlands Golf proposes to pay for building the fields, the city would save upwards of $4 million on that cost, said Mr. Steffens.

Parks commissioner Heyward Robinson pointed out that the sports fields would be built in the southern section of the park, an area filled by wetlands.

Mr. Steffens said the costs and environmental effects of filling wetlands would be studied in an EIR.
Revenues

Estimated revenue for the city from the Highlands golf course ranges from $24,000 per year for each of the first two years to as high as $260,000 per year after 20 years, according to the city's projections. The city would get a percentage of the take and the amount it gets depends on the success of the business.

Although revenue estimates for the Highlands Golf proposal may be lower than Pate International's, the willingness of Highlands to cover all of the EIR costs and pay to build playing fields makes it a more fitting candidate, according to Mr. Steffens.

Pate International is proposing a "GolfTrack" facility, in which golfers hit at different targets located in a common area. Golfers can hone different parts of their game by teeing off from any of the 25 tee areas in the facility. Golfers take a bucket of balls, and can visit whatever tee area they please.

The GolfTrack facility would occupy 45 acres, and Pate International would pay for the design and construction, and half of the EIR.

Annual revenue estimates for the city range from $100,000 to $450,000, but the construction of sports fields are not included in the proposal, said Mr. Steffens.
Sports fields

Councilwoman Lee Duboc, a former member of the parks commission, spoke at the October 19 meeting about the importance of adding sports fields in a city that is running out of quality space for growing sports leagues.

"Our fields are overused," said Ms. Duboc. "No matter how much we benefit from Measure T (the city's recreation bond measure), we'll never have enough fields."

Although the council has received, in the wake of the Bayfront Park proposals, more than 60 e-mails addressing the need for additional sports fields in Menlo Park, no residents -- with the exception of Ms. Duboc -- who spoke at the commission meeting mentioned field space as a top priority at the park.

Mr. Cline said sports fields are one of the most important issues to the parks commission, but user groups often communicate directly with the council rather than through the commission.
Open space

Advocates for preserving the park as open space had specific concerns with the proposed development.

"There are 60 confirmed breeding bird species in Bayfront Park," said Robin Smith, of the San Mateo County chapter of the Sequoia Audubon Society. "Any facilities with lights would finish off the songbirds that migrate at night."

Bruce Shapiro, the regional coordinator for the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) in Menlo Park, said regardless of the playing field situation, Bayfront Park should remain undeveloped.

"Once we develop this land, we can never get it back," said Mr. Shapiro. "I'm sure people would be willing to pay their fare share to use the park -- friends of Bayfront Park. I think we can raise $180,000, and I'll lead the effort."

Bayfront Park timeline

** 1957 to 1984: Area is used as a solid waste landfill.

** 1995: Current park finished, built over landfill.

** May 2001: Annual cost for maintaining Bayfront Park estimated at $445,000. About $230,000 is spent to drain contaminated water and recover methane gas. The city explores options for covering the cost, including a possible power plant or golf course.

** February-March 2002: Parks and Recreation Commission, Planning Commission and City Council discuss alternative recreation options for the park. In public hearings, people and interest groups suggest such options as a dog park, golf course, sports fields, and keeping the park as open space.

** January 2003: City Council unanimously approves a 5.4 percent garbage fee increase to cover the environmental cleanup costs associated with the park. The increase pays approximately $290,500 of $450,000 total costs of park.

** 2003-04 fiscal year budget included studying potential "active recreation" uses for the park.

** 2003: City Council authorizes staff to solicit qualified developers to work with the city in evaluating "active recreational" uses for the park.

** September 2003: Panel of council members Lee Duboc and Chuck Kinney, Parks and Recreation commissioner Richard Cline and members of city staff interview four potential developers.

** March 2004: City staff issues a request for proposals to three of the four developers.

** May 2004: The panel recommends staff negotiate an agreement with Big League Dreams, a company proposing sports fields for the park. Staff was unable to reach an agreement with the developer, citing a failure to reach a cost-sharing agreement.

** January 2005: Staff contacted golf developers that had previously shown an interest in park.

** February 2005: Golf considered best option to pursue for Bayfront Park in a staff report by Ruben Nino, director of engineering services. The report is listed on the council agenda as an informational item.

** March 2005: At a project priority setting session, the council includes further study of Bayfront Golf as a priority project for fiscal year 2005-06.

** October 19, 2005: More than 30 people attend a Parks and Recreation Commission meeting to see proposals from Buena Park-based Highlands Golf and San Francisco-based Pate International for golf facilities at Bayfront Park. Many of the people in attendance oppose development.

** October 24, 2005: More than 120 e-mails have been sent to the council regarding the future of Bayfront Park. Of the e-mails, more than 60 support athletic fields at the park, and just over 50 oppose any kind of development.

** November 1, 2005: Council plans to discuss development of the park, including city staff's recommendation to authorize the city manager to enter into an agreement with Highlands Golf to prepare phases of design and environmental review for an 18-hole golf course and three athletic fields.

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