Parks and Recreation Commission - August 27, 2024

Commission recommends flood basin tide gate retrofit

The Parks and Recreation Commission voted 4-0 to recommend that City Council approve Valley Water’s seismic retrofit and rehabilitation of the Palo Alto Flood Basin tide gate structure, along with the associated Park Improvement Ordinance. The recommendation calls for additional consideration of structure heights, colors and the possible incorporation of art as final details are prepared.

The project would add deep foundations, resurface the bridge deck, raise fencing and improve maintenance access at the structure, which was built in 1957. Valley Water said the design is intended to withstand a magnitude 7.0 earthquake and add 30 to 40 years of service life while preserving flood protection and trail use.

Fence height and appearance drew much of the commission’s attention. Commissioners weighed possible art and lower-profile design choices against safety for bicyclists and pedestrians. Valley Water agreed to review fence height with city staff and public-safety officials and said color could be addressed while final bid documents are prepared.

Construction is planned to begin in September 2025 and could continue through January 2026, potentially closing less than one mile of trail during that period. Valley Water’s board is tentatively scheduled to consider the environmental addendum Oct. 8, and a public design update is planned for Nov. 20 at Mitchell Park Library with a virtual option. The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to City Council.

In a related update, city staff said the city-controlled sluice gate has been nonoperational for four years. Staff is pursuing maintenance work, regulatory review and possible coordination with Valley Water to restore it.

First Tee expansion negotiations move ahead

City staff said a short-term use agreement with First Tee Silicon Valley is nearing completion while negotiations continue over a multi-year partnership at Baylands Golf Links. The commission took no formal action but supported moving the longer-term agreement forward and requested regular progress reports.

First Tee’s proposal seeks to expand from about 300 annual participants, with the existing program at capacity and carrying a waitlist, to about 800 children and teens each year. It also calls for outreach to approximately 5,000 students through schools. Commissioners asked for more information about the basis for the expansion target and efforts to reach children who might not otherwise consider golf.

About 70% of the proposed programming would occur in the youth area between the driving range and Embarcadero Road, where safety netting is being considered. The proposal also includes use of the driving range and putting greens and limited Tuesday-through-Friday course access. Staff said the interim agreement could be completed within weeks, while negotiations over a multi-year arrangement are expected to take months rather than years.

Restrooms open as Bower Park work advances

The renovated restrooms at Rinconada Park opened the day before the meeting, while staff said the Ramos Park restrooms were in the final stages of completion and expected to open by mid-September. Planting around the Ramos facility is planned at or shortly after its opening.

At Bower Park, most concrete work was complete and final grading was underway. The contractor was expected to begin installing playground footings the following week. Staff also plans to add pickleball court striping at Fletcher Middle School and Terman Park after coordinating the schedule with the Palo Alto Unified School District; court-closure notices will be issued once a work date is confirmed.

Baylands e-bike access signs go up

Staff reported installing 14 signs prohibiting e-bikes and 11 signs permitting them across the Baylands, along with trail-courtesy markings where space allowed. The work is part of nature preserve access policy implementation, which remained under consideration after staff received input.

Two mapped signs remained uninstalled while staff worked with East Palo Alto to confirm the location of a sewer line near a bridge. Bike racks have also been purchased, and staff was seeking installation bids before providing another update to the commission.

Primary sources

Watch the meeting on YouTube · Read the official meeting agenda