Discussion and possible action to approve a conceptual improvement plan for the renovation of Cayuga Playground and Clubhouse

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1 DATE: September 4, 2009 TO: THRU: FROM: RE: Recreation and Park Commission Philip A. Ginsburg, General Manager Rhoda Parhams, Capital Program Manager Marvin Yee, Landscape Architect Commission Calendar Item Agenda Item Wording: Discussion and possible action to approve a conceptual improvement plan for the renovation of Cayuga Playground and Clubhouse Background/Description: Cayuga Playground and Clubhouse is located in District 11 at Cayuga and Naglee Streets. This acre site includes a 2,500 SF clubhouse, a play area, tennis and basketball courts, and grassy field for practice soccer play and T-ball. Elevated BART tracks skirt the northern edge of the site. More significantly, Cayuga Playground is known for its vast collection of hand-carved wooden sculptures that dot the landscape. The wooden sculptures are the innovations of Demetrios Braceros, a long-time Recreation and Park Department gardener who retired in Two unique thematic gardens, titled the Garden of Eden and the Trail of Hope, are incorporated into the landscape. The clubhouse was built in 1950 and last renovated in The mechanical and electrical systems are original to the building, and are past their useful life. The clubhouse does not contain a fire sprinkler system, nor is it wheelchair-accessible throughout. Storage space is woefully lacking. A 2008 condition assessment on the clubhouse determined that it would cost 64% more to repair the building than to build an exact replica. Therefore the recommendation is to replace the clubhouse and to redesign it to meet today s building codes and to better meet the needs of the operations and programming. As with all play areas built prior to 2000, the play equipment at Cayuga Playground does not comply with ADA nor playground safety guidelines. The tennis and basketball courts are in adequate condition, but require resurfacing. The grassy field exhibits poor drainage and the irrigation system is past its useful life. The first of the wooden sculptures was carved in wooden sculptures were documented through an inventory and condition assessment of them by the Arts Commission at the request of the Recreation and Park Department. Approximately half were determined to be in fair condition while the remainder was found to be in poor condition.

2 A portion of Cayuga Street extends westward beyond Naglee Street and then deadends into the park. This short section of Cayuga Street is reported by both residents and SFPD to be a problem area due to illegal drug dealings occurring there Parks Bond and BART Earthquake Safety Program (ESP): In 2008, voters approved the $185 million Clean and Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond. An intent of the 2008 Park Bond is to modernize and improve specific aging parks through repair and replacement. Cayuga Playground and Clubhouse is a recipient of the 2008 Parks Bond with an allocation of $7.3 million. Concurrently BART is planning seismic improvements under its Earthquake Safety Program (ESP). BART intends to occupy a portion of Cayuga Playground during its 11-month seismic retrofit work, and shall compensate the City for impacts to the Recreation and Park Department s bond project as approved by the Recreation and Park Commission on July 16, BART s monetary compensation to be added to the bond program budget for Cayuga Playground and Clubhouse is $1,355,676. Therefore, the total project budget to renovate Cayuga Playground and Clubhouse is $8,655,676. BART and the Recreation and Park Department is coordinating its respective projects to minimize the overall impacts to the community by tailgating the timelines of both projects. Planning Process and Proposal: The Recreation and Park Department assembled a Project Team consisting of RPD staff from Capital and Operations, architects, landscape architects, and representatives from the Cayuga Neighborhood Association (CIA). A series of 3 community meetings was held to develop a conceptual improvement plan that was supported by the community participants. The proposed conceptual plan depicts a reconfiguration of the recreational elements to improve pedestrian circulation. Specifically the play area and the basketball court have swapped locations to centralize the children s play area, while tucking the basketball court below the noisy BART tracks. The tennis court is maintained in its current location to take advantage of an opportune opening into the Garden of Eden to improve access and circulation. The tennis court will be resurfaced. The clubhouse will also remain in approximately its same location. The footprint of the clubhouse has increased from 2,500 SF to 3,400 SF to provide additional interior storage, to incorporate dedicated spaces for custodial and maintenance services, and for restroom wheelchair-accessibility. The restrooms may be accessed from the interior or the exterior. Building massing options were presented at the community meetings. The community meeting participants selected a scheme that depicts a series of sloping, living roofs that would emphasize the natural setting of the park. The living roof would contribute to mitigating the BART noise within the building as well as provide added insulation and extending the life of the roof. The proposed clubhouse would incorporate other green design principles to achieve a LEED rating equivalent to silver or better. The deadend section of Cayuga Street that is west of Naglee Street is proposed to be incorporated into Cayuga Playground via vacation and transfer to the Recreation and Park Department. This addition to the park would be designed as a welcoming entrance into the park.

3 Environmental Evaluation: This project is categorically exempt (pending) from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under Class 1. Sources of Funding and Project Budget: Source Amount 2008 Clean and Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond $7,300,000 BART ESP Impact Compensation $1,355,676 TOTAL $8,655,676 Estimated Project Schedule: Phase Start Finish Design 09/17/09 07/19/10 Bid/Award 07/20/10 12/19/10 Construction 01/01/11 02/29/12 * Close Out 03/11/12 06/30/12 * Open to the Public Supported By: Chris Dillon, President of the Cayuga Improvement Association (CIA) Barbara Fugate and Josie Porter of the Cayuga Improvement Association (CIA) General public support Opposed By: None known Recommendation: RESOLVED, That this Commission accepts the recommendation of the General Manager and Staff and hereby approves a conceptual improvement plan for the renovation of Cayuga Playground and Clubhouse People to Notify: Cayuga Playground and Clubhouse mailing list Attachments: 1. Location Map 2. Photos Existing Site Conditions and Various Wooden Sculptures 3. Proposed Conceptual Improvement Plan 4. Proposed Clubhouse Layout Plan 5. Proposed Clubhouse Exterior (Scheme B)

4 Location Map Cayuga Playground and Clubhouse

5 View from Cayuga and Naglee Streets (looking west) View of elevated BART tracks along edge of Cayuga Park (looking north) View of grassy field (looking west) Photos Existing Site Conditions

6 Photos Various Wooden Sculptures

7 Proposed Conceptual Improvement Plan

8 Proposed Clubhouse Floor Plan

9 Proposed Clubhouse Exterior (Scheme B)