C I TY OF GLENDALE, CAL I FORN I A REPORT TO C ITY COUNC IL October 20, 2009 AGENDA ITEM Report regarding proposed grant application to the Los Angeles Regional Park and Open Space District. (1) Resolution supporting the submittal of a grant application in the amount of $123,472 to the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District for the "Catalina Verdugo Trail" project. COUNCIL ACTION Public Hearing ~:ance [ I Consent Calendar [XI Action Item [ I Report Only [ I Approved for bv V ~'2O:?1 calendar. ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION Signature Submitted George Chapjian, Director of Parks, Recreation & Community se ~rv~ic~e~s-l.~~ ~:t:;j":::::~~~r Prepared By Marc Stirdivant, Senior Administrative Analyst.... ' James E. Starbird, City Manager.................. ~~&:'::\=~f-~~ C Approved Rev~~~~~ oward, City Attorney....................... ~~ 5 F
RECOMMENDATION It is respectfully recommended that the City Council: (1) Authorize the attached resolution to approve the submittal of a grant application in the amount of $123,472 to the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District. SUMMARY On August 1, 2009, Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich announced the availability of $1,398, 180 for a competitive trails grant program in the Fifth Supervisorial District. Eligible projects include acquisition, development and/or improvement of real property for trails and public access. Priority will be given to public trails projects in cities and those that provide linkages to regional facilities and/or existing or planned regional trails. After a review of the Trails and Open Space Master Plan maps which were approved by City Council on January 8, 2008, Department staff selected a site surrounding the Glendale Sports Complex as the most viable candidate for grant funding. This site received a very high priority from community residents during the Trail Master Planning process and will provide numerous linkages to other trails and fire roads in the area. Because the trail will overlook the historic Verdugo Valley, site of the Verdugo Adobe which was built in 1828 and is operated by Parks, Recreation & Community Services, it will be named the "Catalina Verdugo Trail" in honor of the first lady of Rancho San Rafael who made the Adobe her home. The purpose of the Catalina Verdugo Trail is to provide a trail of modest difficulty with easy access to community residents. The trail will also offer a connection to the steeper Ridge Motorway fire road at the top of the San Rafael Hills. Together with the previously grant-funded ADA Accessible "Mountain Do" trail, the Catalina Verdugo Trail will offer residents the opportunity to hike trails of easy, moderate, and advanced difficulty from trailheads at the Sports Complex. In addition, the Department is committed to hiring at-risk youth from the Glendale Youth Alliance to assist in the construction of this trail. With the loss of four and half miles of trails at Deukmejian Wilderness Park for an indefinite period of time due to the Station Fire, the addition of the mile and one half Catalina Verdugo Trail becomes a very important addition to the City's trails system. FISCAL IMPACT There is no impact on the General Fund. The Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District Grant Program does not require matching funds. Maintenance of the trail is anticipated to be provided through community volunteers supervised by the Glendale Park Naturalists as part of the Department's Trails and Open Space program. BACKGROUND The voters of Los Angeles County created the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District (the District) when they approved Proposition A in the November 3, 1992 General Election. 2
Proposition A authorized an annual assessment on nearly all of the 2.25 million parcels of real property in the County. Proposition A funded $540 million for the acquisition, restoration, or rehabilitation of real property for parks and park safety, senior recreation facilities, gang prevention, beaches, recreation, community or cu ltural facilities, trails, wildlife habitats, or natural lands, and maintenance and servicing of those projects. On November 5, 1996, the County's voters approved a second Proposition A to fund an additional $319 million of parks and recreation projects and additional funds for maintenance and servicing those projects. The 1996 Proposition identified a process to allocate funds, on an annual basis, that are in excess to the needs of the District. Among these funds are those that are made ava ilable to public agencies, conservancies, and qualified nonprofit organizations on a competitive basis. The proposed Catalina Verdugo Trail project includes the design and construction of a 8,929 foot multi-use trail in the San Rafael Hills surrounding the Glendale Sports Complex in the City of Glendale. The trailhead will be located at the south end of the Complex and will originate from the City's forthcoming ADA-accessible trail which has already been funded by a grant from the State of California's Recreational Trails Program. The trail will meander in and out of canyons at an easy grade and will complete a loop by returning to the north end of the Sports Complex. Along the way, the trail will feature benches, interpretive signage, and rest areas. It will also provide a southern connection to an existing fire road - the Ridge Motorway - at the top of San Rafael Hills. The connection to this fire road will open up numerous linkages to additional trails and fire roads in the cities of Glendale, Pasadena, and La Canada Flintridge. The Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department recently completed a Trails Master Plan Program which was approved by the Glendale City Council on January 8, 2008. At public workshops, residents reviewed the City's existing trail system and analyzed the feasibility and costs of further developing an interconnecting network of trails. Recommendations were made by a variety of trail users including hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians. Detailed trail maps of the Verdugo Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains, and San Rafael Hills were completed which reflected the community's recommendations for new trail locations. The site of the Catalina Verdugo Trail was identified as one of the most important trail connections in the San Rafael Hills, providing hikers and other users with good parking, restrooms, and picnic facilities at the trailhead When completed, the Catalina Verdugo Trail and the Glendale Sports Complex wi ll be linked via a series of trails and fire roads to numerous recreational facilities and resources in the region. These include Descanso Gardens, a 160-acre botanical garden featuring oak forests, a lake, and bird sanctuary; the Arroyo Seco, home to the Rose Bowl, Brookside Park, Brookside Golf Course and the AAF Rose Bowl Aquatics Center; Hahamongna Watershed Park, a 30G-acre park with picnic facilities, restrooms, multi-purpose play fields; and the San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest. EXHIBITS Exhibit 1: Conceptual Plan - Catalina Verdugo Trail 3
CATALINA VE~DUGO T~AIL ~, ~ -. '",I, OCTO BFR L 2009 Proposed Catalina Verdugo Trail -- Future ADA Accessible Trail c
RESOLUTION NO. RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GLENDALE APPROVING THE APPLI CATION FOR GRANT FUNDS FROM THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY REGIONAL PARK AND OPEN SPACE DISTRICT FOR FIFTH SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT EXCESS FUNDING FOR THE CATALINA VERDUGO TRAIL PROJECT WHEREAS, the people of the County of Los Angeles on November 3, 1992, and on November 5, 1996 enacted Los Angeles County Proposition A, Safe Neighborhood Parks, Gang Prevention, Tree-Planting, Senior and Youth Recreation, Beach and Wildlife Protection (the Propositions), which among other uses, provides funds to public agencies and nonprofit organizations in the County for the purpose of acquiring and/or development facilities and open space for public recreation ; and WHEREAS, the Propositions also created the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District (the District) to administer said funds; and WHEREAS, the District has set forth the necessary procedures governing application for grant funds under the Propositions, and WHEREAS, the Distri ct's procedures require the City of Glendale to certify, by resolution, the approval of the application before submission of said application(s) to the District; and WHEREAS, said application contains assurances that the City of Glendale must comply with; and WHEREAS, the City of Glendale will enter into an Agreement with the District to provide funds for acquisition and development projects. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GLENDALE HEREBY: 1. Approves the filing of an application with the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District for Fifth Supervisorial District Excess Funds for the above project; and 2. Certifies that the City of Glendale understands the assurances and certification in the application form ; and 3. Certifies that the City of Glendale has, or will have, sufficient funds to operate and maintain the project in perpetuity; and 4. Appoints the City Manager, or designee, to conduct all negotiations, and to execute and submit all documents including, but not limited to, applications, agreements, amendments, payment requests and so forth, wh ich may be necessary for the completion of the aforementioned project. 5 F 1
Approved and adopted this,day of, 2009 Mayor, City of Glendale Attest: ----;oc-;o;---:------ City Clerk STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTRY OF LOS ANGELES ) CITY OF GLENDALE ) I, Ardashes Kassakhian, City Clerk of the City of Glendale, certify that the foregoing Resolution was adopted by the Council of the City of Glendale at a regular meeting held on this day of, 2009 and that the same was adoped by the following vote: Ayes: Noes: Absent: City Clerk