Transcript Bidwell Park Presentation

BIDWELL
PARK
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
WITH THE PAST IN MIND
Friends of Bidwell Park Goals
• Protect the natural qualities of Bidwell Park
• Encourage responsible park use
• Facilitate the development, funding and
implementation of the Bidwell Park Master
Management Plan
• Help educate the public about their natural
environment and important issues regarding
park management
Topics of Discussion
• Brief human history of Bidwell Park
• Details of funding and management
• Development of the Bidwell Park
Master Management Plan/EIR
• Threats to Bidwell Park
• Future of Bidwell Park
Brief Human History of Bidwell
Park
•
Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the Konkow and Mechoopda Maidu Indians ranged throughout
large portions of the region. The Mechoopda tribe, with its own distinct dialect of the Maidu
language, had a village along Butte Creek, ~3.5 miles from the current site of Chico at the time
when John Bidwell arrived.
•
John Bidwell purchased a Spanish Land Grant, Rancho Arroyo Chico, from the Dickey brothers in
1849. Impressed with the magnificent scenery of the Big Chico Creek canyon, he and his wife
Annie would later deed over 2000 acres to the City of Chico in order to preserve the natural
beauty for future generations to enjoy.
•
In 1905, the City of Chico accepted this gift from the Bidwells and promises to “preserve this one
spot to nature, inviolate and through all time”. The Bidwell Park and Playground Commission was
formed in 1918 with “..the power and the duty to operate and maintain all of the parks and
playgrounds owned by the City…”
•
With the purchase of several additions over the years, Bidwell Park has grown to 3670 acres.
•
Today, several hundred thousand people visit Bidwell Park every year to transverse the trails
through nature, enjoy Big Chico Creek, and to use the various existing recreational facilities.
City of Chico
General Services
Department—
Park Division
The Park Division’s
responsibilities include:
• Bidwell Park -- 3670 acres
• Creekside Greenways and Open Space:
– Annie’s Glen
– Bidwell Ranch (long-term management proposals currently being
solicited)
– East 20th St at Notre Dame Open Space
– First and Verbena Open Space
– Little Chico Creek Creekside Greenway
– Lost Park
– Mud Creek Creekside Greenway
– Sycamore Creek Creekside Greenway
– Comanche Creek Linear Park
– Sandy Gulch (Lindo Channel)
The Park Division’s
responsibilities include: (cont.)
• Developed Parks:
– Bidwell Bowl Amphitheater
– Camellia Way Park
– Children's Playground
– Depot Park
– Humboldt Park
– Plaza Park
– Ringel Park
– Skateboard Park
– Wildwood Park
The Park Division’s
responsibilities include: (cont.)
• Undeveloped Neighborhood Parks
– Baroni Park (master plan recently approved)
– Ceres Park (master plan under development)
– Henshaw Park
• Maintenance of 30,000 street trees
• Management of more than 130 maintenance districts
Park Lessees
• Bidwell Park Golf Club
• Chico Area Recreation and Park District
(Sycamore Field, Hooker Oak Recreation Area)
• Chico Creek Nature Center
• Chico Equestrian Association
• Chico Rod and Gun Club
• Kiwanis Chico Community Observatory
Personnel Summary
Funded Allocated Positions:
Park Administration
Hourly Positions:
0.08
Administrative Secretary
1
Administrative Secretary
1.15
Maintenance Worker
1
Park Director
1.15
Maintenance Aide
2
Total
0.64
Landscape Inspector
0.42
Head Lifeguard
Parks and Open Spaces
1
Field Supervisor
0.36
Assistant Head Lifeguard
6
Maintenance Worker
1.44
Lifeguard
1
Park Ranger/Volunteer Coordinator
0.72
Special Project Worker
Seasonal Park Ranger
5.32
Total Hourly Positions
27.73
Department Total
0.81
2
Senior Maintenance Worker
1
Senior Park Ranger
11.81
Total
Street Trees/Public Plantings
1
Field Supervisor
3
Maintenance Worker
0.6
Seasonal Maintenance Worker
3
Tree Maintenance Worker
1
Urban Forester
8.6
22.41
Total
Total Funded Permanent Positions
City of Chico
2005-06 Annual Budget (proposed)
Park Division
Expenditure Category
Salaries and Employee Benefits
Materials and Supplies
Purchased Services
Other Expenses
Allocations
Department Total
General Fund
$1,805,174
$225,561
$537,550
$148,122
$226,684
$2,943,091
Department Summary by Fund-Activity
Title
Park Administration
Parks and Open Spaces
Street Trees/Public Plantings
Department Total
General Fund
$350,148
$1,528,306
$1,064,637
$2,943,091
Other
0
0
0
0
0
$0
All Park Division operating expenditures are paid
from the Chico General Fund whose income
sources are:
 Sales tax 43%
 Utility user’s tax 15%
 Motor vehicle in-lieu fees 12%
 Interfund transfers 10%
 Property taxes 8%
 Other 8%
 Transient occupancy tax 4%
Additional funding sources for operating
expenses in other municipal parks include:
 Fixed percentage of sales tax (requires voter
approval)
 Parcel tax (requires voter approval)
 Fixed percentage of the transient occupancy tax
(requires voter approval)
 Donations from individuals and businesses
 Foundations
Volunteer Organizations Working in Bidwell
Park on a Regular Basis
(about 15,000 hours in 2004)
Big Chico Creek Watershed Alliance—water quality testing & grant-writing for fish ladder repairs
Butte Environmental Council—annual Bidwell Park and Creeks of Chico cleanup
California Native Plant Society, Mt. Lassen Chapter—removal of invasive Spanish broom in Upper Park
and Lindo Channel
Chico Cat Coalition—rescue, care for, spay & neuter and find homes for cats and kittens that are dumped in
the park (more than 600 so far)
Friends of Bidwell Park—invasive plant removal, mapping, trash pickup, oak tree restoration, Annie’s Glen
Centennial restoration project
Kids and Creeks—invasive plant removal and riparian restoration by K-12 students
Park Watch—the “eyes and ears” of the park, report problems to ranger, provide information to park visitors
Streaminders—riparian restoration at One Mile and in Upper Park
VIPs—Chico Police Dept. volunteers patrol Upper Park
Recent Major Capital Projects in
Bidwell Park
Description
Funding Sources
Clean-up of former rifle/skeet/pistol
ranges
Park Operating Fund (Fund 2)
$130,258
Transportation Equity Act (Fund 311)
$614,474
One Mile Recreation Area Irrigation &
Lighting
Bidwell Park Master Management Plan
Amount
Remediation Fund (Fund 312)
$1,310,145
Total Cost
$2,054,877
Park Operating Fund (Fund 2)
$66,908
Proposition 12
$101,622
Total Cost
$168,530
Park Operating Fund (Fund 2)
$103,627
Community Park (Fund 330)
$320,238
Total Cost
$423,865
Caper Acres Waterline Extension
Park Operating Fund (Fund 2)
$41,006
Big Chico Creek Flood Plain Restoration
In-lieu payment for non-compliance fine
by RWQCB
$27,041
Major Upcoming Funded Capital
Projects
Description
Funding Sources
Chico Creek Nature Center--New
Building (plus an additional $100,000
needed to outfit building, of which
$50,000 has been raised so far)
Proposition 40 per-capita funds
Amount
$200,000
Private (individuals and organizations) donations
$57,000
Insurance payment from 1998 fire
$30,000
Loan from City of Chico
$185,000
Total
$472,000
One Mile Dam Replacement
Proposition 40 (additional funding of about
$200,000 needed)
$382,353
Wildwood Ave. Bike Path (to Golf
Course)
Chico’s bikeway improvement fund
$269,360
Day Camp Bridge
Proposition 12
$222,000
Bidwell Park Centennial Prints
Merged Art (Fund 382)
$11,673
Major Proposed Unfunded
Capital Projects
Description
Proposed budget year
Amount
Allocated
Annie’s Glen Bike Underpass (possible partial funding
from Caltrans Safe Routes to School grant)
2008-09
$585,800
One-Mile Recreation Area Bike Bridge (most funding to
come from Chico’s bikeway improvement fund)
2009-10
$319,000
Bridge near Brown’s Hole
Cedar Grove Improvements (to be funded from future
grants)
Unknown
2007-08
Horseshoe Lake Area Improvements
Permanent bathrooms on north side of One Mile (to be
funded from future grants)
$188,832
Unknown
2008-09
$203,840
Potential Bidwell Park
Redevelopment Projects in
2005-06 Budget
Description
RDA Funds
Other Funds
Total
Big Chico Creek Greenway Downtown
(Lost Park)
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Sycamore Pool Reconstruction
$400,000
$1,200,000
$1,600,000
Parks and Open Space
Acquisition Funds
Description
Bidwell Park Land Acquisition Fund
Linear Parks/Greenways Fund
Fund Balance
06/30/05
Expected
Revenue
2005-06 *
Exp. Fund
Balance
06/30/06
($2,000,181)
$148,000
($1,852,181)
$298,450
$89,937
$387,387
*Income to these funds is from development impact fees
Bidwell Park and Playground
Park Commission
Commissioners apply for these volunteer positions, are appointed by the City Council and
serve four year terms.
Commissioner
Occupation
Term
Expiration
Tom Barrett
Energy & toxics consultant
1/09
Michael Candela
Deputy District Attorney
1/09
Stephen Lucas
Butte County Planner
1/07
Russell Mills
CSUC Engineering Professor
1/07
Richard Ober
Software company employee
1/07
Jim Walker (Chair)
Physician Assistant (PA-C)
1/07
David Wood
Owner of security alarm business
1/09
Development of the Bidwell Park
Master Management Plan/EIR
 Why the Update?
 Contract with EDAW – scope and content
 Where is the update process now?
 Key issues and proposed changes
Why the Update?
 1990 MMP recommends an update about
every 5 years
 15 years had lapsed
 In 1995, the City purchased two parcels as
an addition to Bidwell Park, totaling
approximately1420 acres, that had never
been subject to inclusion in the MMP
Contract with the Consulting Firm
EDAW
•
Total estimated cost: $423,865.
•
Highlights from the ‘Project Scope’ language:
° Create a user-friendly GIS database using existing information about Bidwell Park
° “ A field guide or manual for invasive weed removal is the desired outcome of the
planning process.”
° Create a Cultural Resource Plan
° “ A trail plan for Upper Bidwell Park is one of the desired outcomes of the Updated
Plan.”
° Develop Goals and Guidelines
° Develop other specific project plans:
a) Cedar Grove
b) Horseshoe Lake
c) One Mile Recreation Area
d) CEQA compliant project plan and EIR for Proposed Disc Golf Courses in
Upper Park
Contract with the Consulting Firm
EDAW (cont.)
• EIR:
“…existing conditions section ( section 2 of the Draft ) of the updated
plan shall serve as the setting section of the EIR.”
“ Up to two alternatives will be analyzed in addition to the ‘no project
alternative.’”
• Draft EIR
• Project Specific EIRs (EDAW): Annie Bidwell Trail, Disc Golf
Where is the Update Process
Now?
•
Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC) activity is formally complete
•
A Draft of the Updated Plan has been submitted to the BPPC for review, comment
and input
•
The BPPC has scheduled a series of public meetings to discuss various components
of the Updated Plan (draft):
September 29th (regular BPPC meeting)
October 3rd, 12th, 17th, Nov 2nd, 3rd 10th, 14th (specially scheduled)
November 7th & 28th (regular BPPC meetings)
•
BPPC approves a version of the Draft Plan
•
‘Administrative Draft EIR’ goes to City staff
•
A Draft EIR will then be presented to the public for a comment period of 45 days.
•
Final Draft BPMMP and the Final Draft EIR are presented to City Council for
approval/adoption
Key Issues and Proposed
Changes
Format of the Plan:
1990 BPMMP
Park-Wide Goals and Objectives
Issue Specific Recommendations
Zone Specific Recommendations
Management Units
Design Standards
Appendices
Draft MMP
Existing conditions
Vision
Goals & Objectives and
Implementation Strategies & Guidelines
Lower, Middle, Upper Park ‘ Zones’
Appendices:
CRMP
NRMP
Regulatory Framework
Gen. Plan Policies
Key Issues: Potentials for
Significant Change
• Loss of Language
• Alteration of wording
• Loss of clarity / rearrangement into new contexts
• Loss of the specific Zone concept
• User friendliness?
• Defensibility?
Key Issues: Potential
Improvements
• Section 2; Existing Conditions – the BPMMP as a
learning tool
• Clarification of the roles of the BPPC, Park Director,
and the BPMMP
• Creation of the Bidwell Park Sphere of Influence
Overlay Zone
• Clarification of Bidwell Park’s role as a recreational
facility
Two Very Key Issues:
• Degree to which the terms of Annie
Bidwell’s Deed of Conveyance plays a role
• Development of recreation inside and
outside of Bidwell Park
Annie Bidwell’s Deed of
Conveyance
1990 MMP
Recent draft references to 1990 MMP:
5.1.1 Decision Making and Management
3.1.1.1 Park wide Goals and Objectives;
Decision Making and Management.
Issue 4: The intent of Annie Bidwell’s gift to
the City of Chico is held in high regard
among park managers and park users.
Recommendations:
A) Annie Bidwell’s requirements as noted
in the Deed of Conveyance must
always remain a primary consideration
in all decision making related to Bidwell
Park.
B) The Deed of Conveyance should be
used to maintain the City’s dedication to
stewardship of Bidwell Park.
C) The Goals, Objectives and
Recommendations in the MMP should
be considered as a supplemental policy
statement for management of Bidwell
Park.
3rd Objective: Annie Bidwell’s
requirements as noted in the Deed of
Conveyance for the original Park
area should be a consideration in
decision-making related to Bidwell
Park, especially as it relates to Park
stewardship.
4th Objective: The Goals and Objectives
of the BPMMP should be considered
the primary policy statement for
management of Bidwell Park and
future revisions or amendments to
those will be subject to review and
approval by the City Council.
Recreational Uses Plan
1990 Plan:
Current Draft:
Two general mechanisms
that address impacts to BP
as a result of recreation
Still forming language around
this issue
1) Use-Intensity
2) Location of ‘Developed
Recreation to areas outside
of Bidwell Park’
Threats to Bidwell Park
Threats From Adjacent Development
Building next to natural areas without providing adequate buffers leads
to…
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Habitat fragmentation and increased edge effect
Increased invasions of invasive plant and animal species
Reduction of native biodiversity through displacement and predation
Increased extinction rates of local populations
Hydrological alterations
Destruction of functioning corridors between habitats
Diminution of the majestic views for park users
Threats from lack of adequate
information
• Detailed information about Bidwell Park’s natural communities and
their associated functions is limited
• Specific information regarding sensitive plant and animal species
and their habitat requirements is limited
• Incomplete documentation of cultural resources
• Identification of active soil erosion sites has never been conducted
by qualified soil scientist
Threats From Lack of Management
• Bidwell Park’s new Draft Master Management Plan fails to clearly
define the priority of management tasks and identification of funding
sources
• City lacks ability to provide enforcement to stop illegal uses of the
park (bootleg trails, alcohol consumption, seasonal smoking ban,
camping)
• City proposes more development of Bidwell Park, without attempting
to outline a maintenance plan for existing park trails and existing
facilities
• During the update process the City is questioning the General Plan
Resource Conservation Area designation for all of Bidwell Park
Suggestions for the Advocacy of
the Conservation of Bidwell Park
Help Commissioners, Councilors and fellow citizens understand :
• The significance of Bidwell Park as a historically and currently intended
natural park
• The significance of Bidwell Park’s size, quality and location in reference to
statewide/regional preservation of species/natural habitats
• The sustainable ecosystem needs of Bidwell Park
• Bidwell Park as the worst choice for locating developed recreation
• Bidwell Park as a quality of life issue
• Bidwell Park as an economic influence
• Bidwell Park as an educational resource
Questions and Comments