REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Status on the Branch Library Project and Deferral of Fair Oaks Park Project (Information Only)
Report
BACKGROUND
In 2013, the City released a Request for Qualifications for solicitation of parties interested in purchasing the Raynor Activity Center property. The goal of the sale of the property was to re-purpose an underutilized City asset and to use the proceeds to fund a new branch library located at Lakewood Park. Seven proposals were received with Stratford School ranking the highest. A lawsuit was filed against the City in January 2014 alleging that the City did not properly perform environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act prior to the sale of the Raynor property, and that the Park Preservation Act was not properly followed by the City. Both the Superior Court and the Sixth Appellate District Court ruled in favor of the City on both causes of action. The sale of Raynor Park closed escrow on June 2, 2016, which made the funds available to proceed with the branch library project.
DISCUSSION
Initially the sale of the Raynor Activity Center was scheduled to occur in 2014, however the ensuing litigation delayed construction of the new library. Due to the uncertainty of the timeframes associated with the delay, during the 2015 Capital Project Budget cycle, staff identified three other major projects to move forward with, including: Washington Community Swim Center, Fair Oaks Park Renovation and Enhancement, and Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement. These are all major projects requiring significant staff hours with a combined budget of approximately $22 million that will require the development of conceptual design options, council and commission actions, and appropriate community outreach.
As the litigation has been resolved and the sale of the Raynor property is complete, the new Lakewood Branch Library Facility project has again become a priority. In order to accommodate this proj...
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