Title
a. Consider options for the use of the former site of the County modular buildings 1, 2, 3, and 6 located at the southwest corner of Gabilan and Church Streets in Salinas; and
b. Provide direction to staff.
(Board referral 2018.22)
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Support Option 4 for the former site of the County modular buildings 1, 2, 3, and 6 located at the southwest corner of Gabilan and Church Streets in Salinas; and
b. Provide direction for further actions, including but not limited to: preparing a more detailed site plan of the Preferred Option, obtaining cost estimates, evaluate funding options and process that through the Capital Improvement Committee and Budget Committee before returning to the Board of Supervisors. In addition, staff would prepare an agreement with the City of Salinas committing to a timeline while the County considers a long term plan for a shared parking facility.
SUMMARY:
Modular buildings 1, 2, 3 and 6 were demolished and removed in September 2018 as part of the Monterey County Government Center East/West Wing Renovation Project. Board referral 2018.22 seeks to provide immediate direction to staff for short- and long-term plans for the property located behind the Superior Court at 240 Church Street (southwest corner of Gabilan and Church Streets). Questions have been presented on whether to create park and open space, expand parking, or something else.
Staff has developed options for the former site of the County modular buildings 1, 2, 3, and 6, including conceptual sketches and rough order of magnitude project estimates. Short term options for the Board to consider include:
- Option 1. Provide landscaped open space and buffer areas next to paved off-street parking in approximately equal parts (Attachment A).
- Option 2. Maximize off-street parking and circulation behind the Government Center and convert Alisal Street off-street parking to open space (Attachment B).
- Option 3. Return the entire area where the modular buildings stood to landscaped open space (Attachment C).
- Option 4. Option 2 modified pursuant to comments from the Capital Improvement Committee (Attachment D).
The long-term vision for the County campus that staff previously shared with Board of Supervisors is a shared (City, County, Courts) parking garage at the southwest corner of Gabilan and Church Streets and replacing visitor parking from Capitol Street/Alisal Street with open space to satisfy the open space condition of the Government Center EIR. This proposal would require a subsequent environmental assessment. If that long-term vision does not occur, then the EIR contemplated the subject site returning to open space. As such, the City requests that the County commit to completing this assessment within a reasonable timeline (e.g. 1-2 years).
DISCUSSION:
Immediately following the removal of the modular buildings, woodchip mulch was placed throughout the open space as a temporary cover and the construction fencing removed. Mulch was selected as an inexpensive and low maintenance short-term measure, short of leaving it as dirt, while the Board of Supervisors weighs options for a long term permanent development of this site.
All options require full design, engineering and environmental review. These options include components like grading (exporting and importing soils), new electrical service (lighting), irrigation, landscaping and hardscape. Staff has developed rough-order-of-magnitude (ROM) project estimates for these options as an aid for comparing their fiscal impacts (Attachment E). Based on the Board’s selection, staff will provide a more refined cost estimate and an evaluation of whether further environmental review will be needed before returning to the board.
The EIR for the government center identifies the corner of West Gabilan and Church as green space. A condition requested by the City of Salinas was to return this area to open space. Subsequently, the City of Salinas adopted, and the Board of Supervisors accepted, the Vibrancy Plan that identifies Gabilan and Church Streets on the Government Center campus as the best location for a shared parking facility (City, County, Courts), subject to environmental review and further decision-making processes.
City and County staff continue to coordinate efforts toward accommodating the need for increased parking in this area. Some of these considerations include, but are not limited to:
- Transportation Authority of Monterey County (TAMC) is preparing the train station for redevelopment, which will affect the County’s leased parking at that location for jurors and staff.
- County is required to provide adequate parking for the courts (e.g. jurors) and currently, the cost of operating a shuttle is $232K, of which the General Fund contributes $182K annually.
- A temporary warming shelter at 111 W. Alisal has been extended to April 2020, so that parking lot is not available while the facility is located there.
- City of Salinas completed a parking study that recommends changing on-street parking around the Government Center from 4hours (unmetered) to 90 minutes (metered).
- City of Salinas is considering converting surface parking lots to affordable housing.
All of these are contributing factors for more space allocated for parking.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County staff has consulted City of Salinas staff and will work together on the long term vision consistent with the City’s Vibrancy Plan. The City requested an agreement that allows for temporary use with a commitment to a timeline to complete an assessment of the long term vision for a shared parking facility.
This report was presented to the Budget Committee on October 10, 2018 and Capital Improvement Committee (CIC) on October 19, 2018. The CIC supported Option 2 and, based on discussion with staff and the public, provided input for modifications, including: gravel versus paved, access through to Church for correctional vehicles, and parking for judges. Staff created a new plan (Option 4) to reflect the CIC comments.
County has an agreement with the courts for parking that needs to be considered relative to what is provided and any compensation.
FINANCING:
No funding sources are identified for any option at this time. Staff will return to the Budget Committee, Capital Improvement Committee and Board of Supervisors with a more refined scope and cost estimates once an Option is selected.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
Project is part of the Government Center Master Plan Implementation.
_ Economic Development
_ Administration
_ Health & Human Services
X Infrastructure
_ Public Safety
Prepared by: Dave Pratt, Project Manager II (831)796-6091
Approved by: Neville Pereira, PE, CBO, Interim RMA Deputy Director for Public Works, Parks & Facilities
Approved by: Carl P. Holm, AICP, RMA Director
The following attachments are on file with the Clerk to the Board:
Attachment A - Option 1 Concept
Attachment B - Option 2 Concept
Attachment C - Option 3 Concept
Attachment D - Option 4 Concept
Attachment E - Rough Order of Comparison
Attachment F - Location Map