For City Council Meeting [October 8, 2019]
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Rod Foster, City Administrator
FROM: Sean Grayson, Acting Public Works Director
Title
Request City Council to 1) Approve Recommendations for a City of Rialto Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan Covering Six (6) Rialto City Parks, and 2) Authorize the City’s Design Consultant, IDS Consulting, to Begin Phase II Final Design Activities for the Six (6) City Parks, City Project No. 170301.
Body
BACKGROUND:
Within the City of Rialto, usage of recreational park facilities has increased over the last decade and the demand for such facilities has expanded to include both active and passive sports, recreational activities and community facilities.
The Federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) stipulates requirements that govern the geometry and layout of access within public facilities. ADA requirements stipulated the need for agencies (cities, counties and states) to craft a Self Evaluation Report and Accessibility Survey, often referred to as an ADA “Transition Plan,” by July 26, 1992. Subsequent Federal rules amended the requirements of the timing and implementation improvements of the various agency plans. In 1992, the City crafted a plan addressing ADA compliance covering city-owned facilities.
In 2016, the City retained Willdan Engineering to identify ADA and other structural deficiencies in existing concession buildings, restroom facilities, announcing booths, paths of travel and parking areas, and to assess other support buildings at the seven (7) City park sites (including Frisbie Park at the time). The assessment reports provided a general inventory of deficiencies and recommendations for improvements to the respective facilities. The reports used current governing building codes for reference in summarizing required upgrades and improvements to address code requirements. The assessment reports addressed the following technical categories from a high-level approach:
A) Health and safety (building, mechanical, plumbing, electrical);
B) Accessibility, path of travel, parking (ADA);
C) General maintenance and repair; and
D) Overall appearance and need for user benefit improvements.
Following completion of the initial preliminary reports, the City released Request for Proposals (RFP 17-047) on November 19, 2016. The RFP requested firms to propose for design of comprehensive ADA and facility improvements to seven (7) City of Rialto Parks. On October 10, 2017, the City selected IDS Group to undertake the necessary Phase I analysis of the seven City parks and subsequent Phase II design activities.
The original RFP covered seven City parks, including Frisbie Park. Frisbie Park is currently undergoing an expansion, and on November 14, 2017, Council approved transferring the then proposed ADA work for Frisbie Park, from the seven (7) City Parks project, to the Frisbie Park Expansion project. All future references to this ADA Transition Plan project will reference only the six (6) remaining parks.
Project goals for all six parks include ADA compliance for identified structures, access to and within new and existing structures, security of restroom/concession/storage buildings (whether as individual or combined facilities), ease of maintenance, resistance to vandalism, and optimal site location and orientation of access.
This action covers the modification, renovation and ADA improvement of six (6) City parks, including:
• Rialto City Park - 130 East San Bernardino Avenue
• Birdsall Park - 2601 North Linden Avenue
• Jerry Eaves Park - 1485 Ayala Drive
• Andreson Park - 726 South Lilac Avenue
• Flores Park - 1020 West Etiwanda Avenue
• Fergusson Park - 2395 West Sunrise Drive
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
Following project initiation, IDS Group (IDS) conducted detailed document review and field reconnaissance of all six parks, and generated separate summary analyses, per park, of the ADA impacts within both the existing site improvements, and building improvements (see Attachments 1 & 2).
IDS then conducted a series of informal meetings with Community Services and Public Works staff, to discuss the existing ADA park facility deficiencies, and make recommendations for addressing the ADA deficiencies through site and building improvements. These recommendations consisted of the following:
1) For existing site ADA deficiencies, per park:
a) the minimum ADA work required, and
b) supplemental non-ADA work that should be done in conjunction with the minimum ADA work; and
2) For existing building ADA deficiencies, per park:
a) the minimum recommended repair work required, and
b) the cost, if practicable, to replace the respective buildings
More specifically, these recommendations considered and covered:
1. Minimum ADA path of travel between the buildings, park amenities and to and within the parking lots (minimum ADA circulation within the park)
2. Need to construct walkways to park facilities with no current defined ADA access (new ADA access to park amenities such as picnic tables, drinking fountains, etc.)
3. Whether additional path(s) of travel should be constructed (would new ADA compliant paths of travel complement the circulation within the park)
4. Existing building ADA improvements (repair or replace recommendations for each restroom or concession buildings)
5. Maintenance of non-ADA repairs (optional-repair or replace non-ADA amenities, such as trash receptacles, tree well grates, etc.).
For the site deficiency corrective measures, IDS considered and recommended the following:
1. Reconstruct non-compliant access ramps, sidewalks, parking lot parking stalls, etc.
2. Reconstruct/replace select facilities including playground equipment, picnic tables, drinking fountains, stage access
3. New walkways to facilities with no access, including to picnic tables in dog park areas, to baseball and football fields, to playgrounds
4. Walkways with non-compliant slopes, walk level gap, concrete damage
5. Optional-additional walkways provide enhanced ADA path of travel circulation beyond minimum required
6. Maintenance, non-ADA optional work - replace tree well covers, damaged curb, damaged planters-minimize trip/ fall hazard
For the building ADA deficiency corrective measures, IDS considered and recommended the following:
1. Repair the building - conduct relatively minor building repairs, where life cycle costs support expenditure, such as repair/ replace leaking/ broken pipes, plumbing, fixtures, etc.
2. Remodel the building - implement improvements that address existing building components, when the existing building does not meet ADA, while keeping the structure intact. Such work would extend the lifespan of building elements and includes moving partitions or fixtures, increasing walkway widths to accommodate ADA, replacing light fixtures, etc.
3. Replace the building - When a building needs significant repair, is past its lifecycle, the cost to repair or remodel the building exceeds 40% or more of replacement, the building’s character does not contribute to a positive community impression, or significant plumbing, existing structural condition, ADA clearance, or path of travel issues exist.
During their analysis, IDS worked under the following assumptions and constraints:
1. Respective park roadway frontage (access ramps, driveway approaches and sidewalk) is excluded from the ADA Transition Plan (to be addressed as part of the City’s roadway ADA Transition Plan);
2. City maintenance forces may implement minor portions of work, pending self-work limits and timing;
3. A working constraint that considers whether a building’s repair costs are estimated to exceed roughly 40% or more of replacement, and if so, replacement recommended;
4. A 25% contingency was applied to the initial estimated construction work cost, reflecting preliminary project scoping; and
5. Rialto City Park work includes the estimated costs to replace an existing concessions/ office/ restroom building located at the football field in the s/e corner of the park (shelf-ready plans previously prepared by Community Works Design Group).
IDS applied the above technical criteria to all six parks, and developed separate matrices for each park, outlining the different recommended ADA deficiency corrective measures.
Staff presented the preliminary findings to the EDC on August 29, 2018. Thereafter, IDS further evaluated and refined its estimated costs for the site and building work, and presented this information to the Recreation and Parks Commission, via PowerPoint, in May 2019. Guidance at that time was then to present the information, once again, to the EDC, followed by a presentation to Council. On July 24, 2019, at their regularly scheduled meeting, the EDC elected not to consider the recommended ADA Transition Plan, and recommended instead that the plan be presented to the Council directly.
The estimated total cost to correct the ADA deficiencies to the existing park site and building improvements, at all six (6) parks, varies from a low of approximately $5.4M (minimum ADA site improvements and minor repair/ fix of building ADA deficiencies), to a high of $9.9M (all site ADA improvements, supplemental ADA enhancements and replace all buildings).
The attached Executive Summary (Attachment 3) discusses each individual park, and the respective estimated cost to address ADA deficiencies for both existing site improvements and buildings. It is important to note that the estimated costs from the preliminary numbers generated by IDS are lower than more recent per park estimates. This reflects the addition of construction-related costs of mobilization, clearing and grubbing, traffic detouring, phasing of the work, utility modifications, and other as yet unforeseen project elements that are customarily identified during the final design phase.
Following the analysis and recommendations conducted by IDS for the six city parks, the construction work to address ADA deficiencies, using available budgeted funds, is recommended to occur in this order:
1. Birdsall Park-full recommended (max) improvements (path of travel and one building replacement)
2. Andreson Park-minimum required ADA path of travel improvements-no building work is necessary
3. Flores Park-minimum required ADA path of travel improvements
Phasing of the remaining work in follow up construction contract(s), is as suggested below, and should occur over multiple years and/ or as funding becomes available:
1. Rialto City Park-minimum required ADA path of travel improvements
2. Jerry Eaves Park- minimum required ADA path of travel improvements
3. Fergusson Park- minimum required ADA path of travel improvements
4. Rialto City Park - restroom/concession building repair or replacement (three buildings),
5. Flores Park - restroom building replacement (one building)
6. Jerry Eaves Park - restroom/concession building repair or replacement (two buildings)
7. Fergusson Park- restroom/concession building repair or replacement (two buildings)
Final recommendations on repair or replacement of the buildings will be confirmed during final design activities.
The following Table 1 identifies total estimated construction costs to implement site and building ADA deficiency corrective measures at the six (6) City of Rialto Parks:
Table 1
The requested action approves the ADA transition plan and authorizes IDS to begin Phase II work consisting of the design of all identified improvements in the plan. The total project costs for each park will be refined during final design; this information will be reported back to Council for approval as funds become available to implement the ADA work at each respective park.
The construction documents for each park are to generally include:
• Design for the modification, rehabilitation, replacement and/or removal of identified individual and combined restroom/ concession/ storage/ press buildings and other onsite structures.
• Assessment and design of ADA access improvements for park areas adjacent to modified buildings, between buildings and parking lots, within the park proper, and within parking lots.
• Assessing and providing ADA compatible public viewing areas.
• ADA compatible and security lighting of paths, common areas and parking lots.
• All utility connections and services, landscaping, signing and striping.
• National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requirements.
• All site improvements necessary to accommodate ADA facilities and improvements.
Depending upon available funding and the cost of the recommended work at the six (6) parks, staff will return to the Council for approval to advertise the bids for the work at the six (6) parks, over multiple fiscal years.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:
The requested approval of the design of the Phase II work and the professional services resulting from it do not constitute a “Project” as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Pursuant to Section 15378(a), a “Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. According to Section 15378(b), a Project does not include: (5) Organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY:
This action is consistent with Guiding Principle 3A in the General Plan:
Our City government will lead by example, and will operate in an open, transparent, and responsive manner that meets the needs of the citizens and is a good place to do business.
Approval of this action also complies with the following City of Rialto General Plan Goals and Policies:
Goal 2-24: Take advantage of opportunities to increase and enhance open spaces throughout Rialto.
Goal 2-27: Provide a variety of park facilities that meet the diverse needs and interests of the community.
Policy 2-27.1: Establish a Master Plan for Parks and Recreation that achieves a park ratio of 3.0 acres per 1,000 residents, evenly distributes park facilities throughout the community, and contains strategies for funding facilities and maintenance.
Policy 2-27.2: Plan for and designate adequate funding to maintain new and existing parks and facilities.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed and supports this staff report.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Operating Budget Impact
There are no operating budget impacts from this action.
Capital Improvement Budget Impact
In FY2017, City Council appropriated $2,438,650 from General Capital Fund Account No. 300-500-7304-3001-170301 for the Six City Parks Project. To date, expenditures and encumbered amount total $572,300.40, leaving a remaining $1,866,349.60 for construction activities.
The total recommended maximum proposed work addressing ADA deficiencies in both site improvements, and building improvements of $9,860,000, far exceeds the existing remaining budget. Current recommendations for the Birdsall, Andreson and Flores Parks would completely exhaust the remaining budget. The remaining work would need to be implemented as additional City and/or other funding sources, such as grant funds, are realized and phased over subsequent multiple fiscal years.
Licensing
Prior to execution of the Professional Services Agreement, the vendor shall submit a business license application and pay a Business License tax, as well as Administration and State fees.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff requests that the City Council:
• Approve Recommendations for a City of Rialto Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan Covering Six (6) Rialto City Parks
• Authorize the City’s Design Consultant, IDS Consulting, to Begin Phase II Final Design Activities for the Six City Parks, Project No. 170301.