Sierra Pine Park - Modification of Public Improvements
David Mohlenbrok, Community Development Director
Approve the Modifications to Public Improvements for Sierra Pine Park (SD2016-0005).
On September 26, 2017, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2017-209, approving the tentative subdivision map for the Sierra Pine Subdivision (SD2016-0005). On December 10, 2019, the City Council approved the final subdivision map for Sierra Pine-Unit 1 by Resolution No. 2019-244. These actions authorized the subdivision of the 13.76± acre site and created seventy-one numbered single-family residential lots, four private HOA maintained lettered landscape lots, one publicly maintained lettered landscape lot, and one lettered lot (Lot H) for a Detention Basin/Public Park (park). The park was designed as a dual use City park and detention basin to collect stormwater runoff from the subdivision and then convey it to Sucker Ravine to the southeast of the park.
The park is located within the southeast portion of the subdivision, southwest of Dominquez Road, and southeast of Ponderosa Pine Lane. The owner is LCD Rocklin LLC and the developer is Lewis Management Corp, a Delaware Corporation. See Attachment 1 for a Location Map.
Per the conditions of approval of the approved tentative subdivision map, the park was to be and subsequent to the City’s approval of the improvement plans, approved on March 29, 2019. Additionally, there was a Revision 1 to the improvement plans/landscape Plans, approved November 10, 2020, which also dictated how the park was to be constructed.
Construction of the subdivision began in spring 2019. During that phase the contractor installed a 30-inch storm drainage pipe within White Fir loop, a street within the subdivision. This storm drainage pipe conveys a large amount of drainage from the subdivision to the park via an outfall pipe structure into the park. Construction of the park improvements commenced in the spring of 2021; homeowners began moving into the subdivision in late 2022.
In late 2024, when the park improvements were close to completion, it was discovered by City inspectors that the southwest end of the park/detention basin failed to completely drain into Sucker Ravine as designed. Water remained in the low area of the park area even in the summer months, and prevented proper drainage and maintenance of the landscaping as well as full use of the area as a park. Staff contacted the developer, Lewis Management Corp, and the design engineer, Burrell Engineers, and instructed them to investigate to try to determine the reasons why the detention basin was not draining properly. A site topographic survey was performed by Burrell Engineers, and it indicated that the storm drain outfall described above was constructed at approximately 0.4-feet (4.8-inches) lower elevation grade than the approved design, due to a utility line conflict encountered in White Fir Loop, impacting proper drainage. City staff was not made aware of this at the time of construction.
The City requested the developer’s design team present design solutions to achieve the drainage as originally designed. During the months that followed, a number of proposals were submitted and discussed with City staff, and it was determined that to achieve full drainage of the park basin area as originally designed, it would require the excavation of approximately 300-feet of street improvements within White Fir Loop, and the reconstruction of the 30-inch storm drain line, as well as addressing the utility conflict that originally caused the vertical shift in elevation. See Attachment 2 for the design of the Existing Storm Drain Outfalls.
Proposed Modifications:
To avoid the significant cost and disruption to the occupied community that a full reconstruction would require and to identify a timelier solution to allow the park to be made available for public use, staff, working with the developer’s design team, have recommended a path forward that would be to include adding design features to separate the southwest end of the park from the remainder of the park in order to isolate the low area that remains wet most of the year. This area is approximately 14,250 square feet (0.327 acres) See Attachment 3 for a design of the Area Proposed To Be Fenced Off From Park. The total area of Lot H, which includes the park and public trail improvements is approximately four acres (174,240 square feet). The developer’s team provided the attached plans (Attachment 4 “Proposed Improvements to Park Plans”), which includes adding concrete mow strips, open view fencing, an earthen berm to separate the area from the usable portion of the park, additional storm drainage infrastructure, and updated landscaping along the entirety of the basin bottom of the park. Staff has reviewed the plans and believes the design is a reasonable solution.
Park Fees:
Because the park is a City-owned and maintained park, the subdivision project was not required through conditions of approval to pay park and recreation fees. With the identified solution discussed above, a portion of the park will remain unusable as a public park and therefore, staff identified that it was appropriate for the developer to pay park fees for the portion of the park that will remain unusable. Based upon the calculations shown below, the developer shall pay park fees in the amount of $34,200 for the 14,230 square foot portion of the park that is no longer functioning as usable park land. The breakdown based on the square footage (SF) numbers are provided below (14,250 SF):
Original Requirement (SD2016-0005):
Park Fee Per Lot: $1,985
Proposal # of Lots: 199
Total Due: $395,015
Original Park Fee Calculated: $395,015 (fee not paid by the developer as park land was to be dedicated and constructed by the developer as a City park)
Original Square Footage (SF) of Park: 164,725 SF
Per SF Fee Breakdown: $2.40 per SF
Current Proposal:
SF of Area of Park Separated from Usable Park Land: 14,250 SF
Per SF Fee: $2.40
Total Park Fee Due for Separate Area: $34,200
Recommendation:
Staff recommends the proposed modification to the originally approved public improvements and the collection of park fees. If this solution is acceptable, staff will provide direction to the developer’s team to commence construction of the additional improvements to the park consistent with the Proposed Improvements to Park Plans and request payment of the additional Park Fee. Once all improvements are completed and inspected, an item will be brought back to the City Council seeking acceptance of the park by the City of Rocklin for ownership and maintenance.
If approved, the staff recommendation would result in $34,200 in park fees being realized by the City.
Prior to the recordation of the final map, the project was annexed into CFD No. 5, to provide for maintenance of public improvements, including the park. City staff reviewed the maintenance costs of Sierra Pine Park and confirmed the changes to construction do not impact the current special tax rate under Community Facilities District No. 5. The City can maintain the Park as constructed, incorporating the City’s punch list items, with no change to the existing tax structure and no impact to the homeowners. Maintenance costs increased for several items, and were offset by reductions to quantities and changes to the assets to be maintained, including:
- Reduction in general park maintenance square feet
- Addition of open space/drainage area maintenance
- Reduction in maintenance costs from rubberized surface to engineered wood fiber
- Increase in play structure and pavilion shade structure replacement costs
As the park is included in CFD No. 5 for the Sierra Pine development, the funding mechanism for park maintenance is in place.