City Council to Review Parks and Rec Recommendations, Recognize Arbor Day

City Council tonight will receive recommendations from the Parks and Recreation Commission on how to utilize funds from a $3.5 million bond.

Through Measure WW, an East Bay Regional Park District bond, Union City can receive approximately $3.5 million to be used by 2018 for park and recreation projects.

The funds became a topic of debate when the city green-lighted the planning of a $3.8 million aquatic facility project in January. However, council members to EBRPD for Measure WW funding for the project in March, in part because of budget concerns and uproar from community members.

The commission has since come up with alternative projects to be funded by EBRPD dollars and included in the city’s five-year Capital Improvement Plan.

Among the renovations and improvements identified by the commission are completing a Veterans Memorial, maintenance projects including restroom replacement, and fence repairs. The total estimated costs for the recommended projects would not exceed $1.8 million, according to a staff report.

The projects include:

• Restroom improvements at Seven Hills Park, Kennedy Park, Town Estates Park, Contempo Park and Old Alvarado-Cesar Chavez Park.
• Building new bleachers, resurfacing the basketball court, building new storage sheds, making irrigation repairs and converting the practice ball field to a regulation T-ball field at Town Estates Park.
• Also resurfacing the basketball court, building storage sheds and making irrigation repairs at Contempo Park.
• Completing the Veterans Memorial at Veterans Park by constructing a pathway, adding lighting and seating, and landscaping.
• New lighting at the Arroyo Park tennis courts.

Included in the commission’s staff report is a proposal for an agricultural preserve of five to 10 acres made by members of the citizens' group Save Our Hills, who will be present at tonight’s meeting.

The proposal calls for an acquisition of land from the Masonic Homes Flatland property, located adjacent to Dry Creek Cottage and Gardens, that would eventually be developed into agricultural space. The land could be used to start a “farm-to-school” program where locally harvested produce would be served at local school cafeterias, according to Elizabeth Ames, a Save Our Hills member.

However, the proposal would require a discussion with the Masonic Homes, which has not yet taken place, and may exceed he available Measure WW funds, according to the commission’s staff report.

The commission also listed other potential projects, such as using the Measure WW funds to make improvements to the William May Teen Center at Kennedy Park and revisiting the aquatic facility proposal.

Also on tonight’s agenda, the city will recognize today (May 24) as Arbor Day, receive an update on the station district parking program and hear a presentation from the Northern Silicon Valley Partnership, among other items.

The city council will meet at 7 p.m. in council chambers located at 34009 Alvarado Niles Road.