Recommendation to receive and file the Drake Chavez Vision Plan; Adopt resolution authorizing City Manager, or designee, to submit a grant application to the California Department of Parks and Recreation for the first phase of the Drake Chavez Vision Plan Implementation Project; accept said grant, if awarded, in an amount of $8,500,000 in Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program funding; execute all documents necessary to accept the funds for the implementation of the Drake Chavez Vision Plan; and Accept Statutory Exemption SE-19-191. (District 1)
Five, six, seven, I eight and nine. Okay. That motion carries for the seat in front of the report. Thank you very much. We're going to item 36 now. Report from Parks, Recreation and Marine and Public Works recommendation received and filed the Drake Chavez Vision Plan Adopt resolutions to submit a grant application to the California Department of Parks and Recreation for the first phase of the Drake Chavez Vision Plan Implementation Project. Accept, said Grant if awarded in an amount of eight 8,500,000 District one. So why don't we let me just have staff maybe kind of briefly go through this. I know I've had a chance to review it already, but if I can just make it brief, please. Gerardo and. Meredith. Yes. We're excited about this opportunity to pass it on to the Meredith friends. Good evening, Mayor. Members. City Council. This item is to receive and file the Drake Chavez vision plan along with authorization to submit a grant for Prop 68 State Park Bond. If you recall, in 2010, the Drake Chavez masterplan was completed. That was followed by a series of community stakeholder discussions, which was really focused on amassing properties for park purposes that would connect Cesar Chavez Park to Drake Park through the development of wetlands and passive and active open space. There was a big effort by the city over the coming years to purchase just over 15 acres of property in the Drake Chavez neighborhood through grants and local funding. This master plan has been in existence for quite some time, but since that those purchases have been made, many new projects have begun to impact the future park parcels , including projects like the Long Beach Must the 710 realignment proposed by the California Department of Transportation and the Schumaker Bridge Replacement Project and the Drake Chavez Vision Plan worked to incorporate all of these new projects in addition to new feedback from the community and this vision plan updates that original plan. This is a guide, kind of a visionary document that guides future improvement at these acquired and undeveloped park parcels, as well as the future improvements to Drake Park and Cesar Chavez Parks to address the needs of the community. So our effort included all of those different things, which is included in your packet as the ultimate vision plan. But there's a one particular parcel we focused on very specifically for the 8.5 million grant dollars, which is the parcel at 970 West Chester, which currently is the home to the MTA bus lot, that was one of the parcels that was previously bought in anticipation of connection of those parcels to those parks. Through this community process, it was inclusive and multilingual. Our Parks Department partnered with the first Council district, the Wilmore Heritage Neighborhood Association, Communities with Power to Change the nonprofit. Katie, who Paola is here as a representative, and we'll speak with you here momentarily, as well as public health advocates, where we conducted this community engagement for the Vision Plan over a series of nine public workshops, the community developed multiple project priorities, three community sourced vision concepts, and ultimately voted on their priorities for the final vision plan . Four That parcel of the MTA lot. The first opportunity for funding for this comes through Prop 68, the State Park Fund, which the grant is due here shortly. And that is what we've been working toward for the vision plan and for this particular property for the first phase of that development. This particular grant is really focused on open, active, outdoor space. So in the plan for this property, in your packet you will see an open grass area, playgrounds, walking, jogging trail, picnic areas, shade structures, outdoor fitness equipment and a variety of sports amenities. Park completion of this grant application. Should we be successful? Those would be the first steps to move forward with our community through a follow up community process. With that, that concludes staff's report. And we're here available for any questions. Thank you. Let me just make some comments. I've been working on the Drake Park Master Plan since I was on the city council or before that, a community community activist. And this is I know this plant obviously very well and I'm very, very excited about us moving forward. A couple of things. I'll just I just want to add, you know, one, I think when we first started this many years ago, it was really important for us to get the active pieces done. And we obviously working with Councilman Gonzales, just getting the soccer field, the the initial soccer field done, the walking the walking paths. We work with Wilmore also to do some landscaping work throughout the area and make some connections, particularly with some of the D.G. we put out there. And there's been so much improvement from where it is today, from where it was ten years ago when a lot of the work initially started, but really glad that we're moving forward on this grant. And in addition to the grant, I know that the port at the port already worked with with our office in being very supportive of our efforts at the Colorado Lagoon. We worked with Councilwoman Price and staff to ensure a substantial investment in the Colorado Lagoon, and that is something we've been working on for a few years and I've already had some preliminary discussions and with the port as well. And so the next what I expect will be important investment from the port will be my request to the to the Drake Chavez vision masterplan for the connection of Cesar Chavez to the rest of of Drake Park. And so I look forward to championing and getting this project done for the community. It connects with our vision for the L.A. River, and it connects with plans and communities and working on for a very long time, at least at least close to a decade since I remember our parks team being there every step of the way . And so with that comes of Pierce. Yes, I. The second park I spend the most time at is actually Drake Park. So while it's not in my district, it's one that's near and dear to my heart. My daughter first went down a slide for the very first time. So congratulations again to a community that's done this work. Congratulations, everybody. It's been building on this for so long. I look forward to the next steps. Thank you accounts from Councilmember Richardson. As for public comment, please come forward. Hello. My name is and I can feel District six. I think this is a, you know, a great, greatly needed an improvement in the neighborhood. I grew up going to the part jam that happens at Drake Park. I know that for. Statewide when Mr. De Leon, when he brought this in to the Senate, you know, Greenspaces are very much a needed necessity in areas that don't have it, such as this part of the First District. But it's also important to note that we don't just build these green mausoleums. That's what I like to call the parks in Long Beach. A lot of them are just green mausoleums, meaning that they're just edifices that are celebrating space. But we don't necessarily provide budgeting or funding towards programing, cultural events, and in particular parkson's in in the city. So maybe if Parks and Recreation, in addition to taking over that lot, that empty lot, which is which is nice, it's bad to look at. We can also provide some funding for programing in this area that isn't just like the municipal used using that space or I know I appreciate the the center there that's named after Mr. Peyser. But, you know, it would be great if we, you know, have programing such as like, you know, there's a lot of graffiti artists in that area. You know, we can utilize them. You know, it could team up with L.A. Metro instead of having people on the trains. Maybe they can around the parking lots there, they could be able to do some of the work that they do in the same places like at MacArthur Park. You know, there's a lot of graffiti artists that use Homeland and teach art and painting to the children and neighborhood. You know, it's great to have children use these spaces, you know, beyond just having these spaces and beyond just having wetlands. It's great to have children outside in the spaces all year long, not just when it's the summer. So great that we're expanding the park and I'm glad the wetlands are being developed. But also I'd like to see more emphasis by Parks and Rec towards providing funding in these parks so that we can have children and adults and everyone outside, you know, whether it's movies in the, you know, movies in the park, a variety of ways to utilize it. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Next week, please. Hi, my name is Mariella Salgado and I'm from the First District. I also serve as a Parks and Rec commissioner and I wanted to say something. That I remember at one of the meetings. I think Meredith might find it humorous, too. Kathleen Irvine, who is the president of the Walmart Neighborhood Association, said, I just want this project to be done before I die. And it really kind of brought to light to me how long people have been working on it. So I appreciate Mayor Robert Garcia mentioning in that because it's been a long collective effort. Um, I wanted to speak. A little bit about. In addition to kind of piggy bank a what this gentleman said is. We know the importance of early education, parks, programing, arts and music and it's proven effect reduce negative health impacts, crime and ability to stimulate growth. Children most in need of arts and music instruction have been the least likely to have access to it. Less fortunate children have been receiving what I'd call the emergency room approach to education, one that addresses. Sorry I lost my place. One that addresses on the parts of a child thought to be the. Most dire need of attention and subject to state exams. Math, reading and writing. I've seen it as a school, say council member at Edison Elementary, the fourth lowest performing. School. In the school district. I've seen it in early education as part of the Long Beach Early Childhood Education Committee. Those in low income communities have less access to high quality childcare in great public spaces, including green space. And I've seen it as a Parks and Rec commissioner where we have the least green. Greenspace per 1000 residents. So I really look forward to this project and like I strongly believe. That equity is the way forward. And I really hope that. This project. And we get. Awarded and moves forward and continues to. Add greenspace for our. Kids and yes, programing. Thanks so much. Thank you. Thanks, Speaker, please. Good evening, Mr. Mayor and council members. My name is Patrick Goddard and I'm a resident of the fifth District. I support the vision plan for the Drake Chavez redevelopment and the authorization to seek grant funding. As a skateboarder and parent of a skateboarder, my interest is in the potential for a new skate park within this project. Drake currently has a skate spot that is old and outdated, so a new skate park as one of the new amenities is very welcome. Skate parks are some of the most well-used features and parks in Long Beach, while we have nine skate parks currently. Long Beach is a large city with a large amount of users of our skate spots. The more terrain, so to speak, the Better Hawaiian Gardens and Harbor City are examples of nearby cities with newer skate parks are very successful. Harbor City's new skate park, in particular, has generated a lot of buzz and has been an instant hit with the skateboard community. I would love to see a well-designed, well built skate park built as part of this project. Goes without saying. But the area surrounding Drake and Chavez is well deserving of all new park amenities, not just a skate park. And I look with great excitement to see what unfolds with this development. Thank you. Thank you. Next week. Hi. Good evening. My name is Paula mendez. I'm here with Concrete Design Initiative, which Meredith mentioned was one of the partners on this project, were new to this long standing community effort that has been going on. But we're very excited about what we've been able to create together in partnership with the Parks Department and with the members of the community and the community groups. I'm here to express support for the park and the broader Tree Harvest Vision plan. And I wanted to reiterate from what Meredith said, the strong role that community members played in this process. We were able to bring together groups in the community that have traditionally been very active and very vocal, along with groups whose voices have not always been heard. And this has allowed us to create a plan together. That will benefit. This diverse community, particularly the youth and families. I also wanted to highlight a couple of additional comments that we heard from community members throughout this process that are outside of the scope of the grant at hand, but that I wanted to make sure we captured moving forward as this longstanding process continues. First, to echo a previous comment that we heard tonight during public comment, programing would really greatly benefit this area and was strongly desired by community members, particularly to keep youth and teens out of trouble. And I would urge members of this council to encourage and support programing, as well as the participatory processes and community based planning processes that have led to the identification of these needs and these ideas. And secondly, particularly as the first Council District is filled, I would also encourage the Council to consider additional measures that could be implemented in this area moving forward to prevent any displacement or potential displacement of residents that could occur as an indirect result of developing this new park. During the process, I heard concerns from many community residents around increasing rents in the area, causing people to have to move further away from the neighborhood, severing local ties between residents and, you know, sometimes causing people to move out of the city. We heard concerns from the very residents are involved in creating this park that they don't know if they will be able to stay around long enough to benefit from this park that they themselves are shaping for their children. Some residents suggested creating a Latino cultural arts district, which could be guided by a local Latino Cultural Arts Council. And I would urge the city council here to consider this or other appropriate solutions to prevent any displacement before it starts. Thank you. You so much. There's emotion in a second. Please cast your votes through roll call, please. District one. I'm sorry. District to District three. II. District. Four, High. District five. Hi. District six. District seven I District eight, District nine Motion carries. Thank you. We'll be doing now. We're going to be moving on to item 38, please.