TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Steve Powers, City Manager
FROM: Peter Fernandez, PE, Public Works Director
SUBJECT:
title
Grant application for Bill Riegel Park Phase 2 Development.
Ward(s): Ward 3
Councilor(s): Councilor Nanke
Neighborhood(s): SEMCA
Result Area(s): Welcoming and Livable Community.
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ISSUE:
Shall Council adopt Resolution 2020-12 authorizing the City Manager to apply for and, if successful, accept an Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Local Government Grant to provide funding for constructing the final phase of Bill Riegel Park?
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Adopt Resolution 2020-12, authorizing the City Manager to apply for and, if successful, accept an Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) Local Government Grant to provide funding for constructing the final phase of Bill Riegel Park.
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SUMMARY:
Bill Riegel is a four-acre neighborhood park located north of Kuebler Boulevard SE and west of Highway 22. It is bounded by Highway 22 / Mission Street SE to the east; Cordon Road SE to the south; and Lancaster Drive SE to the west. (See Attachment 1.)
The park is partially developed. This grant will fund additional improvements to Bill Riegel Park and provide much needed recreational opportunities for this neighborhood.
The park’s original master plan is dated 1999 with an update in 2007 (Attachment 2).
If awarded, the grant will assist in final improvements to the park, including the following ADA accessible features (Attachment 3):
• Hard paths around the perimeter of the park;
• Five- to 12-year-old age appropriate play equipment;
• Picnic shelter and plaza area;
• Site lighting and irrigation improvements; and
• Site furnishings such as picnic tables and benches.
The grant application requires a resolution from the City authorizing the application and indicating a commitment to providing the necessary match for the project. (See Attachment 4.)
FACTS AND FINDINGS:
This project is eligible under the Local Government Grant Large Grant category. For large projects, the maximum grant request is $750,000 for development or rehabilitation projects. This grant may fund up to fifty percent of the project cost. The project is estimated at $700,000. The City will provide required matching funds from Parks System Development Charges. The application will seek up to a 50 percent match from the State.
On February 13, 2020, the Salem Parks Foundation endorsed the grant application and wrote a letter of support to be submitted to ORPD (Attachment 5). The City is also in receipt of a letter of support from the Salem Parks Foundation (Attachment 6). Additional support will be requested from Southeast Mill Creek Association and from the Colonia Libertad Farmworker Housing Corporation, a housing development within walking distance of the park.
The grant application will score well owing to the park location and the number of multi-family and single-family residences bounded by Highway 22, Cordon Road SE, and Lancaster Drive SE. Additionally, this project is attractive for grant assistance because it transitions the park from a partially completed status to a fully complete development.
Projects must adhere to the goals and objectives of the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, the 2013 Salem Comprehensive Park System Master Plan, and any local master plan such as the Bill Riegel Park Master Plan. Although the park master plan includes a splash pad, the 2013 Comprehensive Park System Master Plan states splash pads are not appropriate for neighborhood parks. The grant application does not include a splash pad.
Recommendations for funding are presented to the OPRD Commission in September. If this grant is approved by the Commission, the City will sign an agreement and receive a Notice to Proceed by October 2020. Grant applications are due April 1, 2020. The ORPD Local Government Grant stipulates that grant projects must be completed within two years from award, September 2022. Staff is confident that the project will be constructed by the designated timeframe.
BACKGROUND:
Bill Riegel Park is named for a former City Councilor and Chair of Southeast Mill Creek Association who was a strong advocate for the acquisition of the four-acre park in southeast Salem. The property was acquired in 1996. In 2010, the City received a $30,000 small grant from OPRD Local Government Grant program for minimal improvements that included tree plantings, hard and soft surface paths, play equipment appropriate for two- to five-year old children, a drinking fountain, and site furnishings. In 2012, a half-court basketball court was added. In 2019, the City and the nonprofit Friends of Trees planted 50 trees around the perimeter of the park.
The Local Government Grant Program helps local government agencies fund outdoor park and recreation areas and facilities, and acquire property for park purposes. Approximately six million dollars in reimbursement funds are available each year.
Robert D. Chandler, PhD, PE
Assistant Public Works Director
Attachments:
1. Bill Riegel Park Location
2. Bill Riegel Park Master Plan
3. Aerial image of proposed improvements
4. Resolution 2020-12
5. Salem Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Letter of Support and Action Sheet
6. Salem Parks Foundation Letter of Support