CITY OF NAPA - File #: 256-2024

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Action Details	Meeting Details	Video
8/20/2024	1	CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NAPA	received and filed		Action details	Meeting details	Video

To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council

From: Breyana Brandt, Parks and Recreation Services Director

Prepared By: Breyana Brandt, Parks and Recreation Services Director and Ali Koenig, Management Analyst II

TITLE:

Title

Community Sports Fields Discussion

LABEL

RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation

Receive a presentation and discuss the anticipated planning steps and resources required to analyze three specific locations as potential project sites for additional community sports facilities.

Body

DISCUSSION:

Purpose:

City Staff will provide a presentation that includes information and preliminary research on the feasibility and options for additional community sports fields in Napa. This is in follow up to the April 2, 2024 Council report by the Parks and Recreation Services Department regarding community interests in expanded City recreational facilities. The contents of this report include background on the current inventory of recreational facilities in Napa, followed by the anticipated resources and timelines to further analyze three locations as potential project sites for additional community sports fields.

The potential project sites evaluated within this report include (1) South Jefferson, an undeveloped 58.2 acre parcel outside of City limits (South Jefferson Street and CA-29); (2) John F. Kennedy Park, a developed 203.7 City Community Park (2295 Streblow Drive); and (3) the former Harvest Middle School property (2449 Old Sonoma Road). These sites were selected based on community input and their capacity to support at least three multi-use sports fields.

Existing Community Sports Fields in Napa:

Community sports field planning in the City of Napa has had several noteworthy milestones. As a result of the following, the City has developed a lower quantity of recreation facilities within City property relative to comparable communities.

Beginning in the early 1980s, leadership from the City of Napa (City), Napa Valley Unified School District (NVUSD) and Napa Valley College (NVC) made the joint determination that NVUSD and NVC would provide the athletic fields-as well as other recreational facilities such as indoor gymnasiums or pools-for school sports and youth recreation programs in Napa; and the City would primarily provide neighborhood parks for passive recreation. This arrangement was determined to be the most efficient use of community resources and tax dollars as it avoided developing limited land across the City for the same purpose.

In the 1980’s, two City bond measures that would have provided City-owned facilities for youth sports along with other recreation improvements were defeated by City voters. There was insufficient community support for the bond measures given the existing arrangements with NVUSD and NVC.

This policy direction has been documented in significant City planning documents including the 1998 General Plan, 2000 Youth Sports Strategic Plan, the 2010 Parks & Facilities Master Plan and most recently in the 2040 General Plan. To implement these policies, the City has entered into a series of existing operating agreements (“Master Agreement”) with NVUSD since 1988. In these agreements, NVUSD authorizes the City to use NVUSD-owned recreation facilities across 18 school sites.

Over the past 30+ years, there have been 11 addendums to the Master Agreement and significant investment by the City at school sites. In particular, the City has contributed staffing and financial resources towards recreational facilities at numerous NVUSD sites including sports fields at Silverado Middle School, Harvest Middle School and the Napa Valley Language Academy. Additionally, the City has made annual monetary contributions to the maintenance and improvements of NVUSD sports fields since 2000. Overall City contributions to NVUSD sports and recreation facilities between 2000 - 2024 totals an estimated $7.3 million.

Finally, the community has passed (3) three NVUSD bond measures since 2000, that have supported additional investments in recreational facilities on NVUSD property: Measure M (2002), Measure G (2006), and Measure H (2016).

With those public improvements, as well as City recreational facilities, the overall quantity of public recreation facilities in Napa include:

City of Napa: • 3 Softball • 4 Baseball • 3 Turf Areas

NVUSD: • 10 Softball • 10 Baseball • 6 Artificial Turf Fields • 24 Turf Areas

NVC: • 1 Softball • 1 Baseball • 2 Soccer

School facilities continue to be heavily utilized by the City as well as by numerous local sports organizations for recreational purposes. In recent years there has been a definitive shift in laws and efforts around campus safety, making open access to school sites an increasing challenge. To meet the rising demand for recreational amenities, specifically around sports fields, the City will need to take an active role. There is an increasing expectation from the public that the City provide recreational amenities for the greater community. Napa residents continue to advocate for improved or expanded park amenities including aquatics facilities, sports courts, and sports fields.

Costs to Develop Community Sports Fields:

Planning and construction costs to build sports fields is dependent upon numerous factors and many site-specific conditions. As outlined in the April 2, 2024 report to City Council on Conceptual Park Projects a standard per field construction cost for full-size synthetic turf sports fields is estimated at $2 million per field. Lighting is estimated at an additional $500,000 per field. Additional site development associated with the overall project are scalable based upon the size of the potential project sites:

• Pedestrian and Traffic Circulation - driveways, parking lots, pathways, sidewalks, emergency access, and ADA site work;

• Sports Field Infrastructure - sports field amenities, restroom, concession, and maintenance buildings; and

• General Site Development - site fencing, lighting, and general pedestrian amenities and landscaping

•

Projected soft cost percentages (of overall project costs) associated with typical projects include:

• Mobilization, Bonding, Staking (3%)

• Construction Planning / Documents (15%)

• Construction Admin / Inspection (5%)

• Contingency (10%)

Overall, community or regional sports complex developments are estimated at $850,000 to $1,000,000 per acre, excluding land acquisition and on-going annual operations, maintenance and management costs. This is based on industry standards and research related to recent planning projects in the Northern California area. The cost threshold range is site-specific and can exceed this spectrum if land complexities require specialized planning or engineering. Additional resources and staff time to manage these planning efforts are considered by site if additional facilities such as aquatic facilities or sports courts are possible.

Potential Project Sites for Additional Community Sports Fields:

In communities comparable in size or makeup to the City of Napa, public recreational facilities are primarily developed and operated by the local municipality. This structure provides for equitable community access, ensures limited resources serve the highest and greatest need, and supports long-term maintenance and investment. The City has emphasized the importance of investing in open access and fair distribution of public resources per the Department’s Financial Sustainability and Social Equity Policies to advance the “Health in All Policies” approach in the 2040 General Plan.

Agencies such as the City of Petaluma, Sonoma County Regional Parks, and Cosumnes Community Services District provide examples of municipal-owned sports fields and the anticipated needs for infrastructure investments. Additionally, public investment in recreational facilities could be supplemented by private investment through a Public-Private Partnerships (P3), provided that the partnership meets the interests of all parties, the legal obligations as outlined in the Surplus Lands Act (SLA) and follows a competitive public process.

The three potential project sites evaluated in detail below include:

	South Jefferson Property	John F. Kennedy Park	Harvest Middle School
Address	South Jefferson Street and CA-29	2295 Streblow Drive	2449 Old Sonoma Road
Existing Zoning	Agricultural, Watershed & Open Space	Community Park	Public-Quasi Public Schools and Health Facilities
Existing Use	Environmental wetlands	City Community Park	School Campus & Rec Facilities
Sports Field Capacity	Unknown / Estimated at 3-5* Multi-Use Fields	(2) Multi-Use Fields + 3 Ballfields with Multi-Use Field Overlays	(3) Multi-Use Fields + Rec Facilities (e.g. Aquatic Facilities / Gym)

*Based upon preliminary environmental and conceptual site work completed in 2004

Background information on the prospective locations will be organized as follows:

• Property Map: Aerial view of property and surrounding uses;

• Property Description: Information on property acquisition, current uses and unique characteristics;

• Previous Sports Field Planning: Information on any previous planning efforts related to sports fields; and

• Anticipated Initial Planning Stage: Summary of anticipated initial site planning given the above-mentioned information.

South Jefferson Property

Property Map: South Jefferson Street and CA-29

Property Description:

South Jefferson is an undeveloped 58.2-acre property owned by the City but located outside of City boundaries and Rural Urban Limit lines. This property is characterized by environmental wetlands and was purchased with grant funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 2000 through their Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant Program. When the entire property was acquired (111.5 acre area), a portion was reconveyed to Napa County Flood Control and the Water Conservation District for the purpose of constructing improvements for the Napa River Flood Control Project and the remainder (58.2 acre area) was retained as outlined in red in the Property Map. The entire sale was determined to be exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) given that the land would preserve open space, restore natural conditions, and prevent encroachment of development into floodplains.

Given that the property was purchased with FEMA grant funds, the property has a number of Deed Restrictions that are recorded against the land, which restrict the use and development of the land in perpetuity, including the following:

• The property shall be maintained for open space, recreational, or wetlands management purposes only;

• No new structures shall be built on the property other than a public facility that is open on all sides or is a restroom which is functionally related to open space;

• No transfer of the property to private citizens or corporations will be approved, and all development rights to the property shall be retained by the City in perpetuity; and

• Allowable uses can include parks, nature preserves, cultivation and grazing.

Previous Sports Field Planning:

On January 20, 2004, City Council authorized City Staff to initiate park master planning for the addition of sports fields at the South Jefferson property. The process included initial environmental studies, community engagement with youth sports organization and adjacent property owners, and ultimately conceptual planning to develop site layout options. In March of 2005 a Notice of Preparation of CEQA documents was submitted; however, the project was subsequently put on hold given current work by the Napa County Flood Control District.

As a result of this process, opportunities and constraints were evaluated. Key factors that are relevant to property constraints include:

• Development restrictions preclude inclusion of permanent buildings that are not restrooms; as well as pervious surfaces (e.g. asphalt).

• Multiple buffers and setbacks are identified given noise and environmental constraints, and several utility easements exist on the property;

• The most active recreational use should be located on the central portions of the project site and passive recreational use and circulation areas should be located along the sites northerly, easterly and southerly boundaries.

Anticipated Initial Planning Stage:

Given the level of environmental considerations related to the deed restrictions and existing conditions, critical path work prior to commencing site planning includes:

• Annexation of Property to the City to be approved by the Napa County LAFCO (to follow master planning) and amendment of the City’s Rural Urban Limit to include the Property;

• Legal Analysis of existing FEMA Deed Restrictions / Negotiation with FEMA;

• Coordination with Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District regarding adjacent Flood Control Project;

• Coordination with the California Department of Fish & Wildlife regarding adjacent South Wetlands Opportunity Area; and

• Complete CEQA review and other Environmental Studies to study and determine developable land.

Overall, completion of planning tasks is anticipated to take upwards of 24 months. The timeline following these planning steps for annexation would be determined by Napa County LAFCOs timeline for review and approval. Project costs for South Jefferson are unknown given the level of environmental investigation and sensitive areas. Overall project costs are estimated at $40 million given the costs of sports field development, costs to build the necessary supporting infrastructure at the site, and projected costs for land management related to anticipated environmental work. Initial planning costs are estimated to be upwards to $350,000.

John F. Kennedy Park Property

Property Map: 2295 Streblow Drive

Property Description:

John F. Kennedy Park (Kennedy Park) is a developed 203.7-acre City-owned and managed Community Park within City limits. It is Napa’s largest park and currently operates as a recreation location for a variety of youth sport and family-oriented uses. Kennedy Park, along with the Kennedy Park Golf Course, were constructed together on 340 acres of land. The City acquired this land primarily through the Land & Water Conservation fund which retains the land as a permanent park and allowed uses include parks and recreational facilities and conservation of natural resources.

Previous Sports Field Planning:

In 2015, the City completed a Master Plan for Kennedy Park, as recommended by the 2010 Parks and Facilities Master Plan, to define additional amenities at Kennedy Park. The Master Plan was not intended to redesign the entire park but to enhance and modify portions of the park to meet the needs of the community. The Master Plan divided the park into seven distinct zones with unique amenities and functions: (1) Entry, (2) Gardens, (3) Center, (4) Arrival, (5) Family, (6) Community and (7) Sports Destination.

The Sports Destination area is located above the flood plain, allowing for development of structures and synthetic fields. The Master Plan proposed new facilities in the Sports Destination zone including additional softball fields, batting cages, a multi-use field for soccer, football and rugby, a sports complex building, parking, and a sports-themed playground. It was recommended that sports fields be added in clusters to ensure that the investment in support facilities, restrooms, concession buildings and parking can be shared by multiple fields.

This zone is designed to support different field configurations to program Napa’s many sports groups and to remain flexible as community needs change over time. Phase I improvements included enhancement of the park’s presence on the highway and installation of sports fields.

The Kennedy Park Master Plan was reviewed and accepted by City Council in December of 2015. It was recommended that the plan be considered in future planning conversations regarding sports field needs in the community and potentially amended to ensure the recommended sports field configurations in Zone (7) are maximized to meet the existing and future needs of the community.

Anticipated Initial Planning Stage:

Since the Master Plan process, the City has built the Napa Skate Park within the Sports Destination zone. To complete that project, an Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) was completed for compliance with CEQA. The IS/MND determined that with mitigation the project did not have the potential to degrade the quality of the environment, have a detrimental effect upon short- or long-term environmental goals or cause substantial adverse effects upon the local population either directly or indirectly.

Additional sports fields at Kennedy Park may qualify for a CEQA Categorical Exemption. However, depending on what is ultimately proposed to be developed, the project could require an Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration or an environmental impact report. As such, the likely first step would be site specific planning for sports fields guided by the parameters provided in the Master Plan.

Overall, planning tasks are expected to range from 12 to 18 months. Project costs for Kennedy Park are estimated around $19 million given known costs of sports field development and findings from the Kennedy Park Master Plan. Initial planning costs are estimated to be upwards to $150,000.

Harvest Middle School Property

Property Map: 2449 Old Sonoma Road

Property Description:

The Harvest Middle School property is a 26.62-acre developed property within City limits that is owned by NVUSD. Harvest Middle School formerly operated as a dual-emersion public school and opened in August of 2003. Prior to operating as Harvest Middle School, the property was the site of Ridgeview Junior High from 1954 to 1982 amid falling enrollment at the time. In the two decades prior to opening as Harvest Middle School, the campus acted as the Ridgeview Community Education Center, hosting various vocational and alternative-school programs.

For the school’s re-opening as Harvest Middle School, the original Ridgeview Junior High classrooms and gymnasiums were fully renovated, and the school grounds were overhauled with 13 acres of sports fields and an all-weather track. Funding for these improvements was provided by both NVUSD and the City of Napa.

In April of 2021, the NVUSD board approved closing Harvest Middle School after the 2021-22 school year due to falling enrollment. The property’s school facilities remain in place and the recreational areas are currently still utilized for recreational purposes by the City of Napa and other user groups, as well as the general public. The future of the property is unknown and will be determined by the future sale by NVUSD.

Previous Sports Field Planning:

NVUSD hosted three public input meetings in February and March of 2022 to develop the preferred vision for the future of the Harvest Middle School property. As a result of these meetings, the community communicated strong support for retaining the school’s athletic fields, gymnasiums and swimming pool, along with the on-site Playground Fantástico, for neighborhood use. Future constraints set by NVUSD for the future sale of the property are focused on developing housing and meeting the desires to retain public recreational space, including sports fields.

Anticipated Initial Planning Stage:

To own and operate the existing recreational fields at Harvest Middle School, the City would need to initiate steps to acquire the property from NVUSD and would need to identify a funding source to pay for the acquisition. Additional revenue available in the City’s General Fund or future regional funding opportunities could be considered.

Preliminary site analysis projects approximately 18 acres of land could be retained for public recreational amenities, which could include up to three full-size sports fields, in addition to retaining the existing pool, track and indoor gymnasium for community use. Full-size sports fields provide flexibility and may be utilized as up to 8 smaller fields.

Given the site’s existing configuration of sports fields, conceptual planning could begin relatively quickly. Overall, planning tasks are anticipated to range from 12 to 18 months following the potential acquisition of the property. Project costs for Harvest Middle School are estimated around $21 million given known costs of sports field development and other recreational facility improvements. Prior to initiating a master plan, the City would complete a study to define potential recreational elements and circulation.

Summary of Potential Project Sites:

For reference, the main points for each site are summarized below:

	South Jefferson Park	Kennedy Park	Harvest Middle School
Sports Field Capacity	Unknown / Estimated at 3-5 Multi-Use Fields	(2) Multi-Use Fields + 3 Ballfields with Multi-Use Field Overlays	(3) Multi-Use Fields + Rec Facilities (e.g. Aquatic Facilities, Gym)
Timeline (Est.)	5+ years	2 - 3 years	2 - 3 years
Cost Estimate¹	$40+ million	$19 million	$21 million²
Ownership Status	City owns the property, which it acquired with a FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant	City owns the property, which it acquired with Land and Water Conservation Fund	City would need to acquire the property from NVUSD.
Existing Land Use	Environmental wetlands	City Community Park	School Campus & Recreation Facilities
Surrounding Land Use	The Meadows of Napa Valley Retirement Community; Napa Yacht Club; Flood Control Project.	Napa Valley College; Napa Golf Course; Residential	Multi-Family and Single-Family Residential
Census Block Group Youth Population	25.08%	30.83%	35.91%
Census Block Group Population Density	1,209.73	233.27	9,536.71
Existing Sports Fields	No	Yes	Yes
Previous Sports Field Planning	2004 South Jefferson Specific Plan	2015 Kennedy Park Specific Plan	2022 NVUSD Community Input Sessions
Opportunity for Open Access	Yes. Assumes City-led project.	Yes. Assumes City-led project.	Yes. Assumes City-led project.
Feasibility	Dependent on development restrictions.	Confirmed in Kennedy Park MP.	Dependent on acquisition.
CEQA Environmental Review	Environmental impact report; Coordination with LAFCO, FEMA, FCD/WCD and F&W	May qualify for CEQA Categorial Exemption or IS & MND	May qualify for CEQA Categorial Exemption or IS & MND
Initial Planning Stage	Environmental Review	Conceptual Planning	Conceptual Planning

Notes:

1. Costs assume 2024 dollars. To maximize the usability of community sports fields, it is anticipated that synthetic turf fields with lighting would be pursued in all of the options.

2. Cost does not include acquisition costs.

Next Steps and Future Potential Financial Impacts:

City staff is seeking direction from Council whether to proceed with feasibility and planning studies for one or more of the sites outlined above based on the opportunities and constraints for each potential location.

Next steps to advance the Community Sports Fields Project would include site-specific analysis by either initiating due diligence work or completing site master planning and environmental work. Anticipated costs outlined below do not include fees for construction documentation, bid management or construction administration.

Project Site	Anticipated Planning Costs	Use
South Jefferson Park	$350,000	Site Specific Master Planning and CEQA analysis
Kennedy Park	$150,000	Site Specific Master Planning and CEQA analysis
Harvest Middle School	Phase I: $25,000 Phase II: $100,000	Phase I: Due diligence site analysis to prepare for potential future acquisition discussions with NVUSD following November 2024 ballot measure(s). Phase II: Site Specific Master Planning and CEQA analysis

FINANCIAL IMPACTS:

The work described in this Agenda Summary Report is not budgeted or scheduled in the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) which serves as the official mechanism to organize and prioritize capital projects across all City departments. Should Council direct staff to proceed with analyzing one or more locations prior to the upcoming CIP cycle beginning July 1, 2025, use of available funds in the City Manager’s contingency account would be necessary to initiate site-specific planning services for any recommended project site.

CEQA:

The Parks and Recreation Services Director has determined that the Recommended Action described in this Agenda Report is not in-and-of-itself a “project” (pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378) since it does not result in a physical change to the environment. However, the Recommended Action is potentially part of a larger “project” that will be subject to environmental review in accordance with CEQA at the earliest feasible time prior to approval, consistent with CEQA Guidelines Sections 15004 and 15352. The larger “project” may include physical changes to city property as described in future project plans.

DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:

None.

NOTIFICATION:

None.