Master Plan Development for Safety Harbor Waterfront Park

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1 SCOPE OF WORK Master Plan Development for Safety Harbor Waterfront Park 1.0 PROJECT OVERVIEW On February 29, 2012, the City purchased approximately 13 acres of waterfront property from the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa for general public use and enjoyment. The acquisition area is currently unimproved. About six acres of the site is classified as uplands consisting of grassy open space and palm trees. The upland area includes a rectangular shaped (200 ft. x 220 ft.), one acre parcel fronting Veteran's Memorial that will be set aside for partnered development. The balance of the upland area will be transformed into a venue for community events, leisure and recreational activities. The Bayshore Linear Greenway Trail that is being widened along South Bayshore Boulevard will be extended through the property and make a connection to the North Bayshore Trail which leads to Philippe Park. The project will also seek to integrate Veterans Memorial and Marina Park in the overall master planning of the property. The jurisdictional wetland areas along Old Tampa Bay and Mullet Creek will be left in a natural state with exotics and invasive species being removed. Opportunities for enhancing public views and low impact access points will be explored. SITE RELATIONSHIPS [1]

2 The initial focus of the master planning effort will concentrate on removing encroachments and surveying and clearing undesirable vegetation from upland and wetland areas north of the tennis courts and providing suitable access to the site. The second part will be developing a vision for the overall, long range development of the park. The community driven process will be facilitated by a team of City Staff. The goal is to reach a public consensus on the overall vision and preferred conceptual design framework by this fall with construction documents being completed next year. An implementation schedule and funding strategy will be developed for future inclusion into the 5 Year Schedule of Capital Improvement Projects in the City's Annual Budget and Comprehensive Plan. 2.0 PROPOSED WORK PROGRAM 2.1 CITY APPROVAL OF SCOPE OF WORK AND SCHEDULE Key to the project's success will be a shared understanding of expectations at the outset. Prior to beginning, Staff will receive confirmation from the City Commission on the project organization, roles and responsibilities, schedule and scope, and approach to public involvement. 2.2 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT Appointment of Steering Committee Staff recommends that the City Commission appoint a diverse Steering Committee consisting of community stakeholders to guide the process and shape the outcome in the form of a recommendation to the City Commission on the preferred alternative. The membership may include representatives from the City Commission, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, Downtown Redevelopment Board (Planning and Zoning Board), Public Art Committee, Chamber of Commerce, Safety Harbor Boat Club, Safety Harbor Resort and Spa, Tampa Bay Estuary Staff and Pinellas County Establishment of Project Goals and Objectives Staff will facilitate a dialogue with the Steering Committee to arrive at "big picture" goals and specific objectives. This will include broad discussions on the level and focus of activity that is appropriate for the site, intended users and service area, functional and design relationship to surrounding uses and community, and other relevant topics. Staff will research and share best practices and success stories on waterfront park development projects. These initial ideas will be discussed and refined in [2]

3 subsequent workshops to establish a guiding framework for evaluating future proposals Project Webpage The City's Public Information Officer will develop a project webpage that provides information and updates about the project, a feedback loop, and opportunities to get involved Web Survey Staff will solicit community input through the use of a web survey tool that will ask questions on the design and use of the property and how it should be improved Planning and Design Workshops 2.3 SITE ANALYSIS In addition to the continuous feedback that is received through the project website, the City will hold public workshops at major milestones in the planning process to gain insight and opinions on the work completed to date and establishing priorities. Staff will inventory and evaluate the general conditions of the property including natural features, drainage patterns, view corridors, site improvements, access and circulation, etc. Staff will also list the use restrictions attached to the property. The information will be summarized in narrative and graphic form. 2.4 KEY COMPONENTS AND PROGRAMMING ANALYSIS Staff will compile and present survey results and other community input for consideration by the Steering Committee on desired improvements and activities as part of a brainstorming session. The ideas and suggestions will be evaluated in terms of meeting project goals and objectives, recreational needs, site suitability, creativity, cost, revenue generation potential, and other relevant considerations. Following this review, the Steering Committee will rank the desired components of activities. Staff will conduct a programming analysis. [3]

4 2.5 CONCEPT ALTERNATIVES DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC DESIGN REVIEW The planning and design team will develop a conceptual framework to support the desired activities and provide alternative scenarios on how they could be accommodated at various scales and levels of design. This will include an opportunities and constraints analysis. At least three alternatives will be posted on the project webpage and presented at a public forum for review and comment. 2.6 SELECTION OF PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE Staff will present the alternatives along with strengths and weaknesses of each concept for consideration by the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee will decide which alternative, or blend of alternatives, to recommend to the City Commission. 2.7 PRELIMINARY COST ESTIMATES AND FUNDING STRATEGY Staff will prepare preliminary cost estimates for each element of the project and identify current and potential sources of revenue and outside grants that could be used to fund the implementation. 2.8 PHASING PLAN A short and long range implementation schedule will be developed. The first phase of the Master Plan will be added to the City's 5 Year Schedule of Capital Projects. [4]

5 3.0 PROJECT SCHEDULE The proposed project schedule shown in Exhibit "A" provides an aggressive timetable for developing the Master Plan. The Steering Committee and Public Involvement workshops are scheduled throughout the summer. Staff will provide monthly progress reports to the City Commission. EXHIBIT "A" 2012 SAFETY HARBOR WATERFRONT PARK WORK SCHEDULE PROGRAM TASK APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT 2.1 SCOPE OF WORK Commission Approval/Appointment of Steering Committee 2.2 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT Project Webpage and Updates Site Analysis and Review of Best Practices Project Kick-Off and Goal Setting Session Community Survey Key Components and Programming Analysis Preliminary Conceptual Design Alternatives Final Design Alternatives Selection of Preferred Conceptual Alternative Preliminary Cost Estimates and Funding Strategies Phasing Plan City Commission Presentation City Commission Steering Committee Public Involvement [5]

6 4.0 PROJECT TEAM The Master Plan will be developed in house with roles and responsibilities determined by area of expertise. The Steering Committee will serve in an advisory capacity to the City Commission. The Principal In Charge will ensure that the expectations of the City Commission are being met throughout the process. The Project Manager will coordinate the work effort, manage the schedule and facilitate public involvement. The Project Team will serve as technical advisors to the Steering Committee in developing the Master Plan. [6]