Important note: The following recommendation was approved by the Board of Supervisors on July 21, 2015:

To:             Honorable Board of Supervisors

From:         Marlene Finley, Parks Director

Subject:     Measure A Funding agreement with Coastside Land Trust for Wavecrest Trail Phase 2

Recommendation:

Adopt a resolution authorizing the County Parks Director to enter into a funding agreement with Coastside Land Trust to provide design services for plans, specifications and permits for the Wavecrest Trail, Phase 2 Project, for the term of July 21, 2015 through June 30, 2016, in an amount not to exceed $260,000.

Background:

In November 2012, San Mateo County voters approved Measure A, a ten-year half-cent general sales tax, to maintain the quality of life for all County residents by providing essential services and maintaining and/or replacing critical facilities. The Board addressed these critical needs in the initial two-year cycle by allocating Measure A funds to the Big Lift and Prevention and Early Intervention for At Risk Children; a new Public Safety Dispatch Center; procurement of new fire engines and safety equipment; after school and summer reading programs; capital improvement projects and maintenance of county parks and more.

Using the Shared Vision 2025 guiding principles, the San Mateo County Manager’s Office established a FY 2015-2017 Measure A application process to enable County Departments and community-based organizations to submit letters of intent for programs and projects.

In March 2015, the Measure A Subcommittee reviewed all the letters of intent and made recommendations to the Board of Supervisors. Through this process, San Mateo  County Parks (Parks) received $5 million for FY 2015-2016 and for FY 2016-2017 from Measure A. Parks was asked to develop a prioritized list to include six grants for $2,632,000 in the two-year budget. This proposed funding agreement is the first of the six Measure A grants being brought to your Board.

The California Coastal Trail is a network of public trails for pedestrians, cyclists, and equestrians along the 1,200-mile California coastline. The Trail is now more than halfway complete. San Mateo County Parks has built Coastal Trail segments at Devil’s Slide, Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, and Mirada Surf. Upcoming County Park Coastal Trail projects include Green Valley Trail and Pedro Point Headlands. In addition, County Planning has recently completed the plans for the Surfer’s Beach Trail segment that will connect Mirada Surf along Surfer’s Beach.

San Mateo County Parks also took the lead in submitting a Priority Conservation Area application to the Association of Bay Area Governments for the California Coastal Trail within San Mateo County. At the April 9, 2015 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting, the Commissioners recommended that your Board support the proposed designation of California Coastal Trail.

Discussion:

The Wavecrest Property is a 206-acre open space located west of Highway 1 between Seymour Street and Wavecrest Road in Half Moon Bay. Wavecrest was purchased by Peninsula Open Space Trust and Coastside Land Trust for habitat protection, open space protection and public access. An active volunteer stewardship program was developed to maintain trails and remove invasive species. One of the initial goals was to develop a conceptual trail design for the four-mile section of California Coastal Trail through the Wavecrest property. This section of Coastal Trail will connect Poplar Beach and Redondo Beach.

The 1,700-foot-long Wavecrest Trail, Phase I was built to connect Half Moon Bay’s Poplar Beach and Half Moon Bay State Beach. San Mateo County Park staff helped with the Phase I construction. This funding agreement for the Wavecrest Trail, Phase II Project (Project) will result in the design of an additional two-miles of Coastal Trail, including designs, plans, specifications, permits and cost estimates.

Performance Measures:

Measure

FY 2015-16 Actual

FY 2016-17 Projected

Number of New Miles of County Trail Constructed

N/A

2 miles

County Counsel has reviewed and approved the resolution and agreement as to form.

Approval of this resolution will contribute to the Shared Vision 2025 outcome of an Environmentally Conscious Community as design of the California Coastal Trail increases the number and quality of natural experiences of park and open space visitors. Each visitor that experiences the County’s natural and recreational resources gains a greater appreciation of the need for their preservation.

Fiscal Impact:

The funding agreement has a not-to-exceed amount of $260,000 which will be used for all design services including the preparation of construction documents, specifications, permits and cost estimates. Funding for the agreement comes from the Parks Measure A List previously approved by your Board. Construction and construction services will be a future project undertaken by the Coastside Land Trust. There is no impact to the General Fund.

Important note: This is a copy of the official report -- item 34 on the Board's agenda.