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CC SR 20241106 02 - PVIC Museum Annex Dyda Proposal CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 11/06/2024 AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Regular Business AGENDA TITLE: Consideration and possible action to receive a status update report on a proposed Point Vicente Interpretive Center Museum Annex. RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION: 1) Receive and file a status update report on a proposed Point Vicente Interpretive Center Museum Annex from former Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor Ken Dyda. FISCAL IMPACT: None Amount Budgeted: N/A Additional Appropriation: N/A Account Number(s): N/A ORIGINATED BY: Matt Waters, Senior Administrative Analyst REVIEWED BY: Dan Trautner, Recreation and Parks Director APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, City Manager ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS: A. Museum Annex Proposal by Ken Dyda (page A-1) B. February 21, 2023 City Council staff report C. November 15, 2022 staff report BACKGROUND: The Palos Verdes Historical Society (PVHS) was founded in 1976 and manages an extensive collection of artifacts and documents, pursues recognition of historical sites in the Palos Verdes area, and conducts educational lectures and tours. PVHS operated a museum occupying three rooms at Malaga Cove School until the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District closed the facility in 2006. Since that time, PVHS has kept its artifacts in storage, with a significant portion currently stored in a trailer at the Ken Dyda Civic Center. The PVHS approached the City on October 31, 2022 about identifying a City park location, specifically Lower Point Vicente next to the Point Vicente Interpretive Center (PVIC), for an approximately 5,000 square foot museum to permanently house its collection. The City 1 Council received a report on a proposal from the PVHS on November 15, 2022, regarding a potential location for a museum at a City park (Attachment C). The City Council reviewed a table showing City parks that had sufficient space to accommodate a 5,000 - square-foot museum. The table examined the following factors: • Sufficient space • Slope/grade issues • Parking availability, particularly whether there was existing parking or a need to build additional parking • California Coastal Commission review, if required • Land use designation • Constraints and comments Based on the factors above, the Ken Dyda Civic Center and Lower Point Vicente Park were identified in the report as the most feasible locations for the Museum. PVHS President Dana Graham also made a presentation to the City Council that evening that included details about its proposal and the organization’s strong preference for the Lower Point Vicente site. He stated that PVHS was seeking City Council endorsement to proceed with submitting a development application for the construction of an approximately 5,000-square-foot museum at Lower Point Vicente Park, adjacent to PVIC. PVHS would pay for the construction and the building would then be deeded to the City. PVHS would manage and maintain the exhibits while the City would cover all costs relating to staffing, operation, and ongoing maintenance of the facility. Mr. Graham stated that it had a major anonymous donor, who had promised to fund the project if built at Lower Point Vicente Park. Mr. Graham stated that the existing Los Serenos Docent program that operates out of the PVIC may expand and lead tours of the new facility. He also noted that many South Bay cities have historical museums, including Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, and Torrance, but not the Palos Verdes Peninsula, although the PVIC does have many historical exhibits on display currently. The following is PVHS’ conceptual museum floorplan showing galleries devoted to Native American, Spanish, archeological, geologic, and other exhibits that was presented to the City Council in November 2022. 2 An aerial identifying the proposed location for the museum, located to the north of PVIC, is shown in green below. The City Council directed Staff to return with an update that included feedback from public outreach efforts to determine the level of support for a historical museum and an analysis of the estimated staffing and operations and maintenance costs for a 5,000 square foot 3 facility. The following information was presented to the City Council at its February 23, 2023 meeting (Attachment B). Public Outreach and Feedback The Recreation and Parks Department hosted a public workshop on the proposed museum on February 1, 2023 at Hesse Park, which consisted of presentations by Staff and PVHS President Graham, followed by a question-and-answer period. 22 people attended and were generally positive about the proposal. The following is a summary of 14 comment card responses and general comments received at the public workshop: Yes No Is it important that the City of RPV have a historical museum? 12 2 1 2 3 4 5 AVG. How likely would it be that you would visit a historical museum in RPV? 1 lowest 5 highest 1 0 2 1 10 4.4 Lower Point Vicente Ken Dyda Civic Center No Opinion What is preferred location for a potential historical museum? 10 3 1 1 2 3 4 5 AVG. Indicate your level of support for a historical museum if it was paid for with private funds but operated and staffed at City expense. 1 lowest 5 highest. 2 0 0 1 10 4.3 In addition to the workshop, 50 emails were received, of which forty were opposed to locating a historical museum at Lower Point Vicente Park, and 10 were in favor. Below is a brief summary of the emails: • Concern about a museum’s impact to habitat and animals • Desire to maintain open space • Desire to examine other locations • Consider adding another room at PVIC • Duplication of PVIC exhibits • A history museum is a great idea • Parking concerns • Historical concepts could be captured on video or on YouTube • Overlap with Los Serenos de Point Vicente outdoor exhibits. 4 Financial Analysis: Estimated Staffing and Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Costs The following estimated costs were presented to the City Council at its February 21, 2023 meeting. As mentioned previously, PVHS indicated that it would cover the cost of construction, relying on grants and fundraising with the primary funding coming from an anonymous donor. PVHS did not provide an estimate for the cost of construction. PVHS’s proposal called for the City to cover the costs of staffing, operations and maintenance after construction. Below are estimated annual expenses based on comparisons to other City facilities. Proposed Historical Society Museum Estimated Annual Cost Water $22,700 Gas $1,100 Electricity $14,200 Telephone $1,500 Total Utilities $39,500 1 Recreation Supervisor I $101,100 1 Rec Specialist (28 hrs/wk) $34,200 1 Recreation Leader II (28 hrs/week) $30,800 3 Recreation Leaders I (20 hrs/week) $76,300 Total Staffing Costs (Salary and Benefits) $242,400 Janitorial Services $9,500 Landscaping $37,000 Emergency Repairs/Misc. Repairs $7,000 Alarm Services and Security $14,000 Janitorial Services $4,000 Total Maintenance Costs $71,500 Operating Materials and Supplies $19,000 Exhibit Repairs $6,000 Total Recreation Operation Costs $25,000 Total Staffing and O&M Annual Estimated Costs $378,400 Response from Los Serenos de Point Vicente The proposal from PVHS called for Los Serenos de Point Vicente to consider expanding their education and docent services. PVHS President Graham made a presentation to Los Serenos de Point Vicente in November 2022 about their proposal. Los Serenos de Point Vicente sent in a response letter on February 7, 2023, stating its formal position on PVPHS’ proposal, as summarized below (Attachment B): • Los Serenos de Point Vicente does not oppose PVHS’ wish to build a museum. 5 • Expressed concern that the topics covered in the proposed museum would be a duplication of displays at PVIC. • The proposed Lower Point Vicente location overlaps with the outdoor exhibits proposed by Los Serenos de Point Vicente and adopted by the City Council in 2017 (discussed in more detail later in this report). • Los Serenos de Point Vicente supports consideration of the Ken Dyda Civic Center at City Hall, noting that the area has sufficient area to accommodate the museum, including the possible re-purposing of the Nike missile silos. • Los Serenos de Point Vicente cannot commit to providing a new museum with docent support since it is not part of the organization’s mission. • Los Serenos de Point Vicente suggests that if a new museum is approved, the two organizations should collaborate on the type of exhibits to be displayed to minimize duplication. The City Council received and filed the status update report and provided no additional direction. DISCUSSION: On October 1, 2024, Councilmember Bradley requested staff bring back an update on the PBVS’ proposed museum. In response, former Mayor Ken Dyda, who is also the founder and former President of the PVHS, is being asked to make an updated presentation to the City Council regarding locating a historical museum next to PVIC (Attachment A). Mr. Dyda informed staff that his presentation was being made as an individual, not as a representative of the PVHS. He noted that the project is titled the Point Vicente Interpretive Center Museum Annex, not the Palos Verdes Historical Museum. Below is a depiction of the exterior of the proposed annex: Excerpt from Presentation 6 The proposed 5,000 sf annex has a different configuration but is the same approximate size as the 2023 PVHS proposal. Both proposals include six galleries focusing on the same topics: • Flora and Fauna • Geology • Archeology • Early American Era • Spanish Era • Contemporary Era Excerpt from Presentation Below is a depiction of the entrance to the proposed annex: Excerpt from Presentation 7 A notable difference between 2022 and current proposal, is that the original proposal was designed as a subterranean structure with most of the building tucked into the grade. As proposed, the building would be open four days a week (Tu/Th/Sat/Sun) from 9am-5pm and would be an annex to the existing Point Vicente Interpretive Center . Mr. Dyda informed staff that he is flexible about the precise location for the annex at the Lower Point Vicente site, but he would not be interested in any other park site. The building would be run by Recreation and Parks staff and volunteers, and Los Serenos docents would lead programs and tours. The historical society would retain ownership of all artifacts and would be responsible for their curation. The annex would be financed by donations. Mr. Dyda notes that City Council’s endorsement of both the design concept and a location would be crucial to securing sufficient funding to develop construction ready documents for City entitlements and build the facility. Once the building is constructed, the City would accept title to the building and would be responsible for its maintenance and operation. Mr. Dyda states that his proposed design which includes a photo-voltaic roof and cisterns, would result in reduced costs. Mr. Dyda will be available to address any concerns and questions from the City Council after his presentation. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Site Analysis The following is a site analysis of Lower Point Vicente Park as a possible location for a museum annex. The site has sufficient space for a 5,000-square-foot museum, the existing grade is relatively flat, the site has sufficient space for additional parking, and the site already has a museum (PVIC). However, a number of constraints and concerns would need to be addressed. First, Lower Point Vicente is on the site of a former U.S. Army base and is still subject to a federal Program of Utilization (POU). The National Park Service and the State Office of Grants and Local Services (OGALS), which oversees the POU, would need to review and approve the addition of a new museum. While PVIC’s initial construction in 1984 and subsequent expansion in 2006 were approved by NPS, a 2008 proposal by the Annenberg Foundation to develop an educational public use facility featuring companion animals to be located at Lower Point Vicente was not approved. After several years of pursuing this project, the Annenberg Foundation formally withdrew its proposal in August 2011. The Annenberg proposal faced community opposition due to the site’s unique open space feel and desired passive recreational use of the site, as well as the deed restrictions in the POU for passive recreation. It is worth noting that the Annenberg proposal was significantly larger in scope than the annex proposal (approximately 51,000 sq. ft.). The City has a long and established history going back to its incorporation efforts in 1973 to proceed carefully in regard to coastal development. Community concerns about any 8 proposed coastal development would be anticipated, and nearby residents would likely express concerns about any proposed building development and its potential impacts as it relates to view obstruction, noise, traffic, light and glare. A museum annex would also be subject to California Coastal Commission review. The expansion of PVIC was delayed for several years due to the discovery of lead contamination at the site from an Army firing range. The museum annex would need to be located outside of a lead-contaminated area. This would need to be confirmed by a geotechnical investigation and approval by Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) who have deed restrictions over the property. The proposed annex site may impact a City Council approved location for Los Serenos de Point Vicente docent historical exhibits. The City Council approved modifying the Parks Master Plan on April 18, 2017, to include a variety of improvements, including outdoor interactive exhibits at Lower Point Vicente Park. This plan was the result of several years of planning and coordination with Los Serenos de Point Vicente docents, Oceanfront Estates residents, City Staff, a representative from the California Native Plant Society, resident Eva Cicoria, and then-Mayor Jim Knight. A plan that included an array of outdoor exhibits was reviewed by the NPS and OGALS and determined to be consistent with the POU and Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) related deed restrictions. The historical exhibits consisted of outdoor interactive stations to be sponsored and funded by Los Serenos de Point Vicente. They consisted of the following exhibits and signage: • Tongva village • Geology fossil exhibit • Archaeological dig • Spanish rancho exhibit • Dry farming (Annie’s Stand) • WW II exhibit An excerpt of the conceptual plan with locations for exhibits is shown on the following page: 9 The exhibits and signage have not been constructed to date. It should also be noted that this project would require entitlements from the City’s Planning Division including but not limited to a Conditional Use Permit, Grading Permit and Coastal Development Permit. Said entitlements would be reviewed by the Planning Commission in an advisory role with a recommendation to the City Council for its consideration. CONCLUSION: Staff recommends the City Council receive and file this report and, if desired, provide direction on whether and how to proceed with this proposal. ALTERNATIVES: In addition to the Staff recommendation, the following alternative actions are available for the City Council’s consideration: 1. Do not direct staff to proceed with the proposed project. 2. Direct Staff to provide more analysis on the proposed project. 3. Take other action, as deemed appropriate. 10 A-1 A-2 A-3 A-4 A-5 A-6 A-7 A-8 A-9 A-10 A-11 A-12 A-13 A-14 A-15 A-16 A-17