January 26, 2007 

Dear Youth Sports Representatives, 

Last night there was a special meeting of the Belmont Redevelopment Agency to report on the Economic Development Enhancement – Targeted Site Strategy Phase 2. 

The Belmont Redevelopment Agency held a public meeting to discuss and hear public comments on the multi-phase process related to the City’s Economic Development Enhancement Strategy.  A large representation of the Youth Sports Community attended the meeting, and expressed concern that the Island Park Sports Complex was on the list as a  potential redevelopment site as presented in the City’s Economic Development Enhancement Strategy.  

The intention of this email is to invite you to continue this discussion with the City and attend the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting on Wednesday, February 7th at 7 PM in the City Council Chambers.  The Parks and Recreation Commission will focus the discussion specifically on Island Park. Thomas Fil, City of Belmont’s Finance Director and a representative of the of the consulting team will present information and answer specific questions from the community as it relates to the City’s Economic Development Enhancement Strategy.  The Parks and Recreation Commission will also look for input from the community on how best to proceed. 

I am encouraging you to attend the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting for many reasons…the first being that each of the five proposed sites have benefits and impacts to our Department.  The second reason is that the Parks and Recreation Commission will be actively participating in the process as this item moves forward, and the third reason, and clearly the most important, is to  provide  more information to the community and actively seek the community’s input in an effort to avoid misinformation and improve communication with the public as the process continues. 

I have attached last nights Staff Report for your review, and have highlighted a few excerpts from the Staff Report (below) in an effort to clarify the process and recommendations as presented at last nights Redevelopment Agency’s meeting. 

Excerpts from the Staff Report presented at the January 25, 2007 Special Meeting of the Belmont Redevelopment Agency: 

Island Park - Page 5, Number 7:

1. Island Park – The development concepts proposed for this site would offer the great bulk of potential new sales and/or TOT revenues to the City. Island Park also has very significant land value potential. However, specific issues that will need resolution are:

a. Much, possibly all, of the lands owned by the City and used as Sports Fields have land use restrictions that were imposed by the State of California; therefore, negotiation with the State Lands Commission will be necessary, and State Lands might insist that at least some of the value of the land flow to the State;

b. Given the current use of the property as sports fields, it is recommended that Belmont’s Open Space and Athletic Fields Task Force and Parks and Recreation Commission be activated to consider how potential revenue from the sale of the property might be used for a variety of upgrades and expansions to existing facilities west of Hwy 101 as a means of replacing the fields that would be lost to higher financial value use. Staff recommends the City pursue this option only if it is determined that equal/better recreational facilities can be provided elsewhere in the City without diminishing existing recreational opportunities for Belmont residents. 

Public Contact – Page 7, Paragraph 2:

Successful implementation of Phase 3 – RFQ Preparation of the Targeted Site Strategy will require public outreach and the coordinated involvement of the City Council, Commissions, various Task Forces and staff. All commissioners received notification of the meeting. Additionally, members of the Economic Development Task Force and Open Space and Athletics Fields Task Force also received notification. Additionally, local newspapers were alerted to the matter. Lastly, there was posting of City Council agenda. 

Recommendation – Page 7 Paragraph 3:

Given our findings and conclusions, Keyser Marston and Field Paoli recommend that the project proceed to Phase 3 (Clarify Vision and Prepare RFQ’s), which includes the following: 

1. For each of the other geographic areas discussed herein, given the complexities associated with each, staff recommends that developers be sought using the RFQ process. Staff believes there are too many uncertainties to issue RFP’s, which require specificity in development program and land price. Where there may be reluctance on the part of many developers to involve themselves when a number of key issues need resolution, staff thinks the Agency would be best served to have developers working side by side with the Agency to resolve the issues. Therefore, staff recommends early issuance of RFQ’s to owner participants and developers, with the goal of entering into Exclusive Negotiation Agreements for each area, i.e.:

a. Central Village (Firehouse Square and Village Center);
b. Belmont Station;
c. Shoreway Place.

The Agency should reserve in the RFQ’s the right to select individual developers for each geographic area or possibly one developer for all areas. Additionally, the Agency should make clear that Owner Participation will be given fair consideration if owner participants wish to respond to Agency-issued Request for Qualifications (RFQ’s) to developers.

2. Three simultaneous actions should occur with respect to the Island Park site:

a. Prepare a recreational assessment to determine if the possibility exists for the replacement of the same/equal sports facilities elsewhere in the City without diminishing existing recreational opportunities for Belmont residents.

b. Reconvene the City’s Open Space and Athletic Fields Task Force and Parks and Recreation Commission to produce a recommendation in a defined period of time for how potential proceeds from the sale of the property could be used to “replace” the existing fields with a program of upgrades and expansions to other existing facilities within the City;

c. Initiate discussions/negotiations with State Lands to achieve the right to use the lands for non recreational use and capture significant value therefrom; and

d. Engage adjacent land owners holding vacant and/or underutilized land in identifying opportunities for a comprehensive development proposal for the area.

3. Therefore, the recommendation is for the Agency to direct staff to undertake the following:

a. Bring to the Agency Board for consideration a resolution designating the areas in question as unified development areas under the Agency’s “Amended and Restated Rules for Business Tenant Preference and Owner Participation in the Los Costanos Community Developer Project Area” (the “OP Rules”) and to give notice to property owners of the Agency consideration of the unified development area in accordance with the OP Rules; If the Agency does designate one of more of these areas as a unified development area, then

b. Issue requests for qualifications for the development of those designated areas (Firehouse Square, Village Center, Belmont Station and Shoreway Place). The request would be sent to all property owners in the designated areas and, if the Agency so directs, to other interested developers;

c. Initiate actions on a separate track for Island Park, as above.

4. In a parallel process, the City should initiate efforts to: 1) define a community participation process to involve stakeholders, and 2) update and/or amend the City’s General Plan, associate Downtown Plan, Zoning Ordinance, E.I.R., and other City documents to align City policies with implementation for the five priority sites.

Please be assured that the City of Belmont values your participation and encourages you to share this information with other interested parties in an effort to engage the community in important decisions that have long lasting benefits and impacts on the generations to come.

I look forward to your participation and welcome your phone calls and emails if I can help answer any questions or if you would like additional background on this item. 

Respectfully, 

Adam Politzer
Director of Parks and Recreation
City of Belmont
650.595.7442
apolitzer@belmont.gov