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City staff is asking the Council to authorize the City Manager to submit grant applications to CA Resources Agency for the "Cesar E. Chavez Park Wetlands" and the "South of Willow Street Habitat Restoration Projects" (in the 1st and 4th Council districts, respectively.
A written staff report from LB Dept. of Parks, Recreation & Marine Director Phil Hester says earlier this year, the CA Resources Agency asked the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy (RMC) to recommend projects for funding consideration under the River Parkway Program through the Safe Drinking Water, Clean Water, Watershed Protection, and Flood Protection Bond Act of 2000 (Proposition 13).
In March, LB's Dept. of Parks, Recreation and Marine submitted two requests to the RMC for competitive funds for development projects for the Cesar E. Chavez Wetlands project and the South of Willow Street Habitat Restoration project.
The RMC recommended the City's projects to the state for funding and the CA Resources Agency recently asked LB's Dept. of Parks, Recreation & Marine to submit full applications for funding.
LBReport.com requested, and LB's Dept. of Parks, Recreation & Marine promptly provided, a copy of City Hall's March funding request re the "Cesar E. Chavez Wetlands" project. The document is a public record, although not part of the Council's agenda package. We post it on a link below.
It follows salient portions of city staff's memo to Councilmembers, which we reproduce immediately below.
[Begin city staff memo salient text]
The Cesar E. Chavez Park Wetlands project will create a four-acre wetland along the Lower Los Angeles River, near the 23-acre Cesar E. Chavez Park, and adjacent to the river bike path. The requested $999,781 in grant funding will provide for the construction, development, and three-year maintenance of the site. Currently, the site is a denuded area with scattered exotic vegetation and a pump station. Once restored, the site will be a place for native, threatened and endangered species, both plant and animal,to find food, water, shelter and nesting sites. A bike path rest area, bird watching, and other passive recreational pursuits will be offered at the site. The City will provide all long-term maintenance of the site. Included in the grant package is reference to previous grant funding approved by the City Council and received through both the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the California Coastal Conservancy. The MTA grant project will cost approximately $500,000 and will provide for the construction of the Cesar E. Chavez Park bike path connection to the Los Angeles River. The Conservancy grant will provide for $82,500 in grant funds for a feasibility study of the Cesar E. Chavez Park Wetlands.
The South of Willow Street Habitat Restoration project will create a four-acre passive recreational site adjacent to the El Dorado Nature Center, near the San Gabriel River. The requested $995,110 in grant funding will provide for the construction, development, and three-year maintenance of the site. Located south of the El Dorado Nature Center, an underpass located under Willow Street will connect the community through the Nature Center to the site. It is anticipated that future phases of the project will completely link the area to the San Gabriel River bikepath. Currently, the site is a denuded area with exotic vegetation and sits north of both a reclamation plant and ground water injection plant. The restored site will provide food, shelter and nesting sites for native, threatened and endangered species. Walking, bird watching, and other passive recreational pursuits will be offered at the site. In addition,educational programs and tours will be provided year round by staff through the El Dorado Nature Center. The Coastal Conservancy will provide $35,000 in funds for a feasibility study.
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TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
Approval of the resolutions is requested on August 21, 2001, in order to submit the grant application in a timely manner.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total development cost for the Cesar E. Chavez Wetlands is estimated at $1,582,281. The River Parkway program grant monies will offset $999,781 of the development. A combination of funding sources provided through the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in the amount of $500,000 and $82,500 in funding from the Coastal Conservancy will complete the project. The MTA funding will provide for the construction of a bicycle trail connection to the L.A. River. The funding from the Coastal Conservancy will pay for the Cesar E. Chavez Park Wetlands Feasibility Study. The MTA grant was authorized by the City Council on January 5, 1999, and the Wetlands Feasibility Study was authorized by the City Council on May 30, 2001. Sufficient funds are budgeted in Capital Improvement Project No’s. P.W. 3320 and P.W. 5350 in the Capital Project Fund (CP 201) in the Department of Public Works (PW) to support the City’s commitment. Upon approval from the Resources Agency, the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine will request City Council approval to accept and appropriate the funds.
The total development cost for the Willow Street project is estimated at $1,032,110. The River Parkway program monies will offset $997,110 of the development. City awarded funds in the amount of $35,000 for the El Dorado Master Plan will cover the remaining cost. Sufficient funds are budgeted in PR60001 in the General Fund (GP 105) in the Department of Parks,Recreation and Marine (PR) to support the City’s commitment. Upon approval from the Resources Agency, the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine will request City Council approval to accept and appropriate the funds. ...
LBReport.com has posted LB City Hall's underlying March, 2001 funding request for the "Cesar E. Chavez Wetlands" project in pdf form. Our readers can access it while on line by clicking: Chavez Wetlands funding request.