CC SR 20190903 01 - Civic Center Land Use UpdateRANCHO PALOS VERDES CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 09/03/2019
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Regular Business
AGENDA DESCRIPTION:
Receive and file a land use update regarding the Civic Center property
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1) Receive and file a land use update regarding the Civic Center property
FISCAL IMPACT: None
Amount Budgeted: N/A
Additional Appropriation: N/A
Account Number(s): N/A
ORIGINATED BY: Gabriella Yap, Deputy City Manager
REVIEWED BY: Same as above
APPROVED BY: Doug Willmore, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
A) Map of area under the Department of Justice and the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (page A-1)
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION:
Since the Civic Center property was acquired from the federal government as part of the
National Park Service's (NPS) Federal Lands to Parks Program, it has been under
oversight of the NPS and significant conservation easements have been in place on
part of the property, thus limiting the uses of the property. At the Council’s direction,
Staff has been addressing these limitations with the federal government.
Attachment A shows the Civic Center property. The area in yellow is restricted to
“general government use.” The area in red has been restricted to “passive recreational
use.”
Over the past 25 years, the City reached out to the NPS numerous instances attempting
to lift the existing deed restrictions on the red outlined area, but to no avail. Due to the
public safety priorities of the City Council, the City requested the NPS allow the
placement of public safety facilities, such as a fire station, Sheriff’s Department
substation, updated helipad, and emergency operations center, on the Civic Center
property. Though the City fully believes these were allowable as supporting amenities to
the open space area in the event of a fire or major disaster , and because the area is a
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gravel parking lot and existing helipad — meaning no recreational value would be lost —
NPS refused to qualify these as such. Staff was directed by the City Council to
concurrently pursue legislative and administrative options.
Councilwoman Brooks and Mayor Pro Tem John Cruikshank served on the Civic Center
subcommittee, and Mayor Duhovic, Councilwoman Brooks and City Manager Willmore
attended a number of meetings with Congressional representatives, and members of
different agencies in Washington, D.C. to discuss the deed restrictions on the property
and potential uses in depth. City Manager Willmore made eight separate trips to
Washington, D.C. over the past two years to continue work on this issue. Based on the
recommended direction of Ralph Conner of the General Services Administration (GSA),
and Dan Smith, Acting Director of the NPS, staff filed paperwork with the GSA to
convey the oversight of the property to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for public safety uses.
Rancho Palos Verdes has now received formal approval from all agencies involved —
GSA, DOJ, FEMA and NPS — to transfer oversight of the subject property from NPS to
DOJ and FEMA (with GSA acting as their agent). Thus, the allowed use of the property
has changed from passive recreation to public safety uses. Again, attachment A shows
the area with general government use restrictions in yellow, and the area that is
reverting to DOJ, FEMA, and GSA oversight for public safety use outlined in red. This
additional 9.48 acres would allow for much needed public safety improvements and
facilities.
GSA has informed the City that it expects the new deeds to be recorded within the next
several weeks.
It is important to acknowledge the entire City Council, and especially Councilwoman
Brooks, for its commitment and tireless work on this initiative. Also, Tim Stewart of
American Capitol Group, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn and her Chief of
Staff Nick Ippolito, Senator Dianne Feinstein and her staff, Rep. Ted Lieu and his staff,
Rep. Rob Bishop, the House Committee on Natural Resources staff, Ralph Conner of
the GSA, NPS Acting Director Dan Smith, Elena Gerli of Aleshire & Wynder, and all City
staff who worked tirelessly on this project, but especially Gabriella Yap and Kit Fox.
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03/13/19
City of Rancho Palos Verdes: Proposed Boundaries
0.045 Miles
¯Id
Total = 17.27 AC
Proposed Civic Center Boundary = 9.48 AC
Exisiting Civic Center Boundary = 7.79 AC
A-1