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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-10-08 - AGENDA REPORTS - ANAWALT SITE FEASIBILITY STUDY (2)CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT NEW BUSINESS City Manager Approv;'� Item to be presented by: Frank Ferry DATE: October 8, 2002 SUBJECT: UPDATE ON THE FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR THE NEWHALL COMMUNITY CENTER AT THE ANAWALT SITE DEPARTMENT: Parks, Recreation, and Community Services RECOMMENDED ACTION City Council receive report and direct staff to proceed with the future Community Center at the Anawalt site. BACKGROUND The City Council has identified the Newhall Community Center as one of its tap priorities. At the City Council Study Session of September 3, 2002, RRM Design Group, consultants to the City for the Community Center Feasibility Study, reported to the City Council on the progress to date on the Study for the Newhall Community Center. At that meeting, staff received direction to continue its evaluation of the Anawalt site in detail. It is the intent of staff and Council to provide the community with a new Community Center that will meet the needs of both the users and the City. This facility will be the first new community building constructed by the City of Santa Clarita in the Newhall area of the City. To date, the City has only completed new construction on park sites, the McBean Transfer Station, and the JoAnne Darcy Canyon Country Library, and ground has been broken for the Santa Clarita Aquatics Center. All of the other City facilities have been purchased, renovated, or inherited from Los Angeles County. Staff has been asked to put together a comprehensive report on the Newhall Community Center, and had hoped to provide the Council with the report later this fall. At the request of Mayor Ferry, this report has been placed on tonight's agenda. Staff has made every effort to provide thorough information on all issues, however, some information is still being researched. This information will be provided to the Council as it becomes available. Staff and RRM has continued to aggressively identify the potential costs and relevant issues as they relate to the Anawalt site. Issues that have been discussed and researched include the following: DECEIVED Agenda IteM 1W Location Evaluation A discussion of the location evaluation has included such issues as parking, water connection and other utility hook up fees, soils evaluation, survey, and stormwater permits. Since the Anawalt site has been in use, costs associated with utility hook up will be less than other sites that are vacant. RRM has designed a conceptual site and floor plan for Anawalt, based upon the feedback obtained at the August community meeting. The floor plan encompasses the amenities likely to be included in a future Center, and the conceptual location of the building on the site plan is sensitive to the concerns raised by Council at the September study session. The building has been sited toward the creek, removing direct frontage away from the train tracks. This allows commuter access to the parking areas without having Community Center users traverse large expanses of parking before entering the Center. A copy of both the conceptual plans is attached. Staff has conducted preliminary research on the vacant parcel adjacent to the Anawalt site, as an opportunity to add outdoor play space to the site. This parcel is less than 4,500 square feet in size, and is adjacent to the creek. This parcel is located close to the suggested siting of the building, and would provide a good play area for Community Center users. Staff has not contacted the property owner at this time. Downtown Newhall Redevelopment There has been some concern that turning the Anawalt property into the Community Center would harm the revitalization of Old Town Newhall and remove the land from the tax base. Publicly owned properties are excluded from tax increment financing. The City currently owns the Anawalt site; therefore, redevelopment funds will not be generated on this property unless it is sold to a non-government entity. Other sites that have been considered for the future Community Center are all in private ownership, and currently have the ability to generate revenue for redevelopment. Economic Issues in Downtown Newhall The siting of a Community Center in Newhall would likely stimulate investment in the area. Significant public sector improvements in the area including Railroad Avenue, the Metrolink Station, fagade improvements, and the Community Center demonstrate confidence in the area, and have the ability to attract private investment. These positive investments act as an anchor stimulus which then reverse disinvestment. While the Anawalt site is located close to the mainstream downtown Newhall area, it has the potential to further increase the concept of Newhall as a destination. Parking Based upon the preliminary site plan, the City's Unified Development Code requires 375 parking spaces for the proposed Community Center. The high number of spaces is due to the Code's requirement of 1 parking space for every three persons of the occupancy load of the multi purpose room. 150 spaces are being provided by the Metrolink parking area, however, additional spaces will need to be provided. Discussions with staff from the Planning Division have indicated the possibility that, through the Conditional Use Permit process, the parking requirement could be reduced due to the timing when the parking lot will be in demand, allowing joint use of the parking areas. Community Center staff reports that peak parking hours for the Center are weekdays from 4:30 — 8:30 p.m. Major events programmed in the Community Center's multi purpose room will take place on weekends and after commuter hours when the Metrolink patrons are not using the parking lot. Further analysis of the parking demand and requirements will be conducted. Cost Estimates RRM has been preparing cost estimates and a conceptual project budget based upon the preliminary building and site plan. The following costs will be incurred to build a new 16,872 square foot Community Center at the Anawalt site: Building Construction Costs $2,109,000 Site Construction Costs (Parking and access) $300,492 Fees (Design and permits) $337,893 Administration and Contingency $455,832 Mitigations $21,500 Escalation Costs $139,971 Total Project Construction Costs $3,364,688 Furnishings, Fixtures, and Equipment $293,303 Operational Expenses, including staff Unknown Total Costs $3,657,991 Flood Control Status and Limitations Most of the existing Newhall Metrolink site (former Anawalt property) is located within a designated floodplain. While there are considerable constraints upon building above -grade structures (nearly anything other than parking) on the majority of the site, the southerly 150 feet of frontage along Market Street can be developed under current conditions. In that area, the "finished floor" of the building must be raised above the level of the aforementioned floodplain. There is ample opportunity for all above ground improvements outside the floodplain. Staff is currently working with a consulting engineer on methods to reduce the floodplain limits in the greater Newhall Creek area. If upstream improvements (south of State Route 14) are eventually approved and constructed, most of the area flooding hazards will be greatly reduced, providing a substantial area wide benefit. Site Development Schedules The schedule for the design of any City facility begins with the location. Siting and procuring a final location for City facilities has, in the past, taken more than a year due to the many different characteristics and advantages of each site, including purchase negotiations or condemnation procedures (if negotiations failed), relocation efforts, environmental studies and clearances, and matters of title and escrow. In the past, design schedules for facility projects once a site has been finalized have taken between 12 and 18 months. These schedules have allowed for comprehensive community input, design contract competitions that have high levels of participation from a range of qualified consultants, and inter -departmental input and cooperation that takes into account ongoing implementation of standing Council priorities. The existing Community Center has been identified as having significant facility issues that cannot be completely mitigated. In order to begin construction of a quality permanent replacement facility on the Anawalt site, all of the component activities of design will have to be significantly accelerated. Every City department will have to be aware of the need for a very tight schedule and have complete buy -in on the steps necessary to reach the goal. If the Council should direct staff in this manner, a cross-sectional team of staff representatives would prepare a more detailed schedule including overlapping and critical path tasks. That schedule would need to be adhered to very closely by all involved in order to reach this considerable goal. Demolition of Existing Building and Storage Shed Because the Community Center and Newhall Metrolink Station will, to some extent, be sharing a parking lot, in order to provide the maximum amount of spaces for both uses it will be necessary to replace the existing structures on the site with surface parking. Should the City Council choose to direct staff to further develop this site for the shared uses, the removal of the warehouse and outdoor storage sheds would effectively shift additional spaces closer to the easterly loading platform. Since Metrolink will soon be operating trains on both sets of existing tracks (the west platform for southbound traffic, and the east platform for northbound), many of the additional spaces will become more convenient for transit users. Other Locations Staff has made preliminary investigations of the alternate site at the Kronen property. The following table outlines the same costs incurred to build a new 16,872 square foot Community Center at the Kronen site: Building Construction Costs $2,109,000 Site Construction Costs (Parking and access) $1,303,698 Fees (Design andpermits) $417,602 Administration and Contingency $1,488,840 Mitigations $34,700 Escalation Costs $224,494 Total Project Construction Costs $5,578,334 Furnishings, Fixtures, and Equipment $293,303 Operational Expenses, including Staff Unknown Total Costs $5,871,637 For several reasons, many of the costs to construct the Community Center are higher at the Kronen site than at Anawalt. First, the site construction costs would be higher due to the need to locate the building deep into the property, resulting in increased access, and landscaping costs. There would also be the requirement that all 375 required parking spaces be built by the City, as there is no opportunity for shared parking at Kronen. Second, fees would be higher at Kinnen to allow for utility connection, which currently exists at the other site. Third, the Krnnen site would need to be acquired, resulting in increased administration costs. Finally, the escalation costs are based on total project costs, and are therefore more costly. The one cost that remains consistent between the sites is the building cost itself. Staff and RRM continue to evaluate the Anawalt location, and will provide updates to the City Council as more information becomes available. Through the public participation process, the community has indicated a high level of interest in moving forward quickly with the Community Center. Selection of the Kinnen site as the location for the Community Center would add between 12 and 18 months to the time line for the project. ALTERNATIVE ACTION 1. Other action as determined by City Council. FISCAL IMPACT There is $200,000 currently budgeted for this project. Staff is working to identify funds in the Fiscal Year 2002-03 budget to allocate for construction of the Newhall Community Center. Staff is pursuing additional funds for construction of the Center, with as minimal impacts to the General Fund as possible. Staff will return to the Council with a request to fund the furnishings and equipment for the Center once the plans have been finalized, and an accurate assessment of those needs can be formulated. Staff will also need to request additional funds to operate the Center once construction is complete. This amount is unknown at this time and will depend on the Center's programming. ATTACHMENTS Copies of conceptual site and floor plans. council \ agnrepts \ 2002 \ comm. ar. update. doc D 0 D Ma Mol 0 0 4w 3 1�o ollIN Eve I NMIIME FAIN 23920 Valencia Blvd. Suite 300 Santa Clarita California 91355-2196 Website: www.santa-clarita.com City of Santa Clarita October 8, 2002 Mayor Frank Ferry Santa Clarita City Council 23920 Valencia Boulevard Santa Clarita, CA 91355 Dear Mayor Ferry and City Council: Phone (661)259-2489 Fax (661) 259-8125 RECEIVED AND MADE A PART OF THE RECORD AT 1 o iS 1'0,2 MEETING ITEM N0. I q FROM: Lc -ora wo Qpc t The Newhall Redevelopment Committee met at its regular monthly meeting on October 7, 2002 and unanimously approved the following resolution that the Santa Clarita City Council delay a vote for 60 days on the use of the property commonly known as the Anawalt property for the Santa Clarita Community Center and direct staff to do the following: • Survey the community as to the appropriate location for the Community Center • Survey the business owners as to the best usage of the Anawalt property • Contact the Newhall Redevelopment Committee to hear its vision for the downtown area and subsequent usage of the Anawalt property • Analyze the fiscal impact of the Community Center at the Anawalt property • Continue to study the feasibility of the Kronen property • Study other potential uses for the Anawalt property including a possible private/public usage The Newhall Redevelopment Committee also requests that the Economic Development Division be included in the above actions to work in partnership with the Parks, Recreation and Community Services staff on this project. On August 4, 2002 the Committee received a presentation from a private business for a special events facility to occupy the Anawalt property. The Redevelopment Committee voted to approve the concept of this usage with the proviso that the parking requirements would be met. The Newhall Redevelopment Committee requests that the City Council delay its decision so that the best possible site for the Community Center and for the revitalization of the downtown Newhall area is selected. Sincerely, on Worden, Chairman Newhall Redevelopment Committee PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER