TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL

FROM: DIRECTOR OF PLANNING, BUILDING, AND CODE ENFORCEMENT

DATE: JUNE 6, 2006

SUBJECT: PUBLIC USE MASTER PLAN (PUMP) COMMITTEE

RECOMMENDATION

Approve the selection of the 14 members and 1 Ex Officio advisory member that are being proposed by City and PVPLC staff to make up the Public Use Master Plan (PUMP) Committee that will advise Staff on the preparation of the PUMP for the NCCP created Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve.

BACKGROUND

By approving the City’s Natural Communities Conservation Plan (NCCP) and acquiring open space in support of the NCCP, the City and the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy (PVPLC) have created the Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve that provides about 1,200 acres of natural open space for the community to enjoy. In order to manage public use of the Preserve, the City’s NCCP requires that a Public Use Master Plan (PUMP) for the Preserve be developed jointly by the City and PVPLC for approval by the state and federal wildlife agencies. In accordance with the NCCP, the PUMP must be developed within 2 years of final approval of the NCCP by the resource agencies. Final approval of the NCCP by the resource agencies is expected later this year.

In 2005, the Annenberg Foundation provided a grant of $1,067,000 toward acquisition of the Portuguese Bend open space properties. While touring the City, Wallis Annenberg was impressed by the City’s unique coastal areas and expressed an interest in assisting with the creation of a master plan that would address the City’s remaining undeveloped land as one planning area. In March 2006, the City Council approved the submittal of a grant application for an Annenberg Foundation grant to fund such a planning effort. In March 2006, the Annenberg Foundation followed through on its interest and awarded a $175,000 grant to the PVPLC to work with the City of RPV and create an RPV Vision Plan. The goal of the Vision Plan is to create a coordinated master plan involving key open space areas that would provide public access, interpretive materials, recreational amenities, and other facilities to improve the experience of the coast and open space for residents of and visitors to the Peninsula. The scope of the Vision Plan also includes the preparation of the PUMP for the Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve.

In approving the scope of work for the Annenberg Foundation Grant application on March 7, 2006, the City Council endorsed the idea of creating a PUMP steering committee to assist with development of the PUMP. City and PVPLC Staff are now presenting its PUMP Committee selection recommendations for the City Council’s review and approval.

DISCUSSION

From April 7 to May 19, 2006, City and PVPLC staff solicited applications from candidates interested in serving on the PUMP Committee. The City received applications from the following 28 individuals (listed in alphabetical order):

Gloria Anderson
Donald Bell
J. Ralph Black
Arlene Block
Barry Bonnickson
Troy Braswell
Joe Castaldo
Eva Cicoria
Al Edgerton
Martin Ginsburg
Andrew Hajduczek
Marc Jacobowitz
Cassie Jones
Gordon Leon
Kurt Loheit – Ex Officio Advisory Member
Jean Longacre
Robert Nelson
Henry Ott
Chris Pisano
Vic Quirarte
Ann Shaw
Richard Smith
Jeanne Smolley
John Stevens
Sunshine
Paul Tetreault
Christopher Venn
John Wessel

The PUMP is intended to address issues such as public access, trailhead locations, parking, trail use, fencing, and signs for the Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve. Additionally, the PUMP is to address and mitigate impacts to neighborhoods abutting the Preserve through public involvement. The NCCP Preserve includes the following properties:

- Shoreline Park
- The Switchbacks parcel
- The Trump habitat preserve
- The Forrestal Nature Preserve
- The Portuguese Bend parcel (former Hon property)
- The coastal Abalone Cove and adjoining RDA parcels
- The Barkentine parcel
- The Fishing Access parcel
- Portions of Lower and Upper Pt. Vicente
- The Oceanfront habitat preserve
- Agua Amarga Canyon
- Portions of the Crestridge parcel
- Lunada Canyon (PVPLC owned)

With the purpose of the PUMP in mind, City and PVPLC Staff reviewed the applications looking for individuals with qualifications related to the issues noted above and for individuals representing HOA’s surrounding the Preserve. Although all the applicants possessed impressive qualifications worthy of selection into the PUMP Committee, City and PVPLC Staff are proposing that the PUMP Committee be made up of the 14 individuals noted above in bold highlight.

Attached is a table that lists the 14 individuals along with their geographic relationship with the Preserve, their trail use experience and their special interest or group affiliation. As summarized in the table, the 14 selected individuals represent a broad spectrum of trail users, possess multiple points of view and have affiliations or experience with groups or issues that are directly related to the use of the Preserve. No one on the committee will represent any specific group, but the goal is to have a broad range of backgrounds, experience and points of view on the committee. City and PVPLC Staff are seeking the City Council’s concurrence with the proposed make up of the PUMP Committee.

One of the PUMP Committee applicants is Kurt Loheit, who has previously served on the City’s Forrestal Preserve Steering Committee. As the City Council is aware, Mr. Loheit has an extensive professional background in trail design, construction and maintenance. As a result, Staff has used Mr. Loheit’s expertise for resolving trail construction related issues. Given Mr. Loheit’s valuable contributions in the past, City and PVPLC staff is proposing to appoint Mr. Loheit as an Ex Officio member of the PUMP Committee. In this capacity, Mr.
Loheit will be able to provide feedback to Staff and the PUMP committee on trail design, construction and maintenance issues on an as needed basis.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

PUMP Committee Relationship with the RPV Vision Plan

The goal of the Vision Plan will be to create a coordinated master plan that links the Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve with other key coastal open space areas. The plan will
identify these areas, with public access, interpretive materials, recreational amenities, and other facilities to improve the open space experience for residents and visitors to the Peninsula. Since the PUMP will have its own unique set of access and habitat issues, the preparation of the PUMP will be on a separate track as the remainder of the Vision Plan. It is envisioned that when preparation of the PUMP is completed, it will be merged into the greater Vision Plan. Attached is a flow chart of the Vision Plan that summarizes this process.

The first public workshop on the Vision Plan is scheduled to occur on Saturday, June 3, 2006 at Ridgecrest Elementary School from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. In this first session, comments on the proposed PUMP are expected and encouraged. While the proposed PUMP Committee members are not being asked to attend the workshop, they have been advised about the workshop and invited to attend.

CONCLUSION

In order to manage the public use of the recently created Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve Preserve, the City’s NCCP requires that a Public Use Master Plan (PUMP) for the Preserve be developed jointly by the City and PVPLC for approval by the state and federal wildlife agencies. In March 2006, the Annenberg Foundation awarded a grant to the PVPLC to work with the City of RPV and create an RPV Vision Plan. The scope of the Vision Plan also includes the preparation of the PUMP. In approving the scope of work for the Annenberg Foundation Grant application, the City Council endorsed the idea of creating a PUMP steering committee to assist with development of the PUMP. City and PVPLC Staff are now presenting its PUMP Committee selection recommendations for the City Council’s review and approval.

FISCAL IMPACT
The preparation of the PUMP is covered by the $175,000 grant awarded to the PVPLC by the Annenberg Foundation. Therefore, other than Staff time, the cost of the PUMP preparation is not being borne by the City’s General Fund.
Respectfully submitted,

Joel Rojas
Director of Planning, Building,
and Code Enforcement

Reviewed by:

Les Evans
City Manager

Attachments:
Summary table of proposed PUMP committee members
Vision Plan Flow chart