City of RPV Vision Plan/Public Use Master Plan (PUMP)

The Annenberg Foundation Grant

In 2005, the Annenberg Foundation provided a $1,067,000 challenge grant towards the acquisition of the Portuguese Bend property. This grant enabled the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy (PVPLC) to succeed in meeting its commitment to provide $4 million in private funding toward the acquisition. Impressed by the City’s commitment to create a habitat preserve and the beauty of the City’s coastal area, the Annenberg Foundation expressed an interest in assisting the City to create a master plan that would link the Preserve properties with the remaining undeveloped land as one planning area.

In March 2006, the Annenberg Foundation followed through on its interest and awarded a grant to the PVPLC to work with the City of RPV and create an RPV Vision Plan for the City’s coastal open space areas.

The Vision Plan Goal

The goal of the Vision Plan is to create a coordinated master plan for the areas noted below, with 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 Plan will identify program, design and linkage concepts for the entire area.

The Vision Plan Project Area

The Vision Plan will encompass the following key open space areas:

• The entire Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve (NCCP Preserve)
• The “developable” (non-NCCP Preserve) portion of Upper Point Vicente
• The “developable” (non-NCCP Preserve) portion of Lower Point Vicente
• The Point Vicente Lighthouse property (U.S. Government owned)
• Portions of the Terranea property (for trail connection purposes)
• Del Cerro Park
• The 25-acre Active Recreation Area (gateway to the NCCP Preserve)
• The Coastal Zone (for the purposes of establishing a coastal trail)

These properties were selected because they serve as key open space parcels and/or because they provide ideal public use opportunities. Although several of the identified properties have had some planning and community input on their uses, there has never been a public process to consider all of the properties together. The Vision Plan will focus its planning effort on the following key open space sites which are not part of the City’s NCCP Preserve:

• The civic center portion of Upper Point Vicente (possible expansion/renovation of city hall complex with other cultural or recreational amenities)
• The area around the Palos Verdes Interpretive Center (PVIC) on Lower Point Vicente (possible companion animal care facility and docent interpretative park)
• Del Cerro Park (possible open space acquisition donor recognition site)
• The 25-acre Active Recreation Area which (possible gateway to the NCCP Preserve and equestrian park)

The PUMP Component of the Vision Plan

The Vision Plan also includes the creation of the Public Use Master Plan (PUMP) for the Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve. Click here for a map of the Preserve properties. The current Preserve consists of the following City owned properties:

• Shoreline Park (52 acres)
• The Switchbacks parcel (94 acres)
• The Trump habitat preserve (71 acres)
• The Forrestal Nature Preserve (154 acres)
• The Portuguese Bend parcel (399 acres)
• The coastal Abalone Cove and adjoining RDA parcels (110 acres)
• The Barkentine parcel (98 acres)
• The Fishing Access parcel (9 acres)
• Portions of Lower and Upper Pt. Vicente (60 acres)
• The Oceanfront habitat preserve (69 acres)
• Agua Amarga Canyon (39 acres)
• Portions of the Crestridge parcel (13 acres)
• PVPLC owned Lunada Canyon (20 acres)

In accordance with the City’s NCCP, the PUMP must be prepared and submitted to the resource agencies within 2 years of the NCCP Implementing Agreement being signed by all parties. Preparation of the PUMP will be a major undertaking and the financial assistance provided by the Annenberg grant will be invaluable for completing the PUMP within the required time line.

PUMP Steering Committee

To assist with development of the PUMP, a PUMP steering committee was appointed by the City Council on June 6, 2006. The PUMP Committee consists of the following 16 community members who bring various points of view to the committee.

Donald Bell
Arlene Block
Barry Bonnickson
Troy Braswell
Eva Cicoria
Al Edgerton
Marc Jacobowitz
Cassie Jones
Gordon Leon
Vic Quirarte
Ann Shaw
John Stevens
Paul Tetreault
John Wessel
Bill James
Kurt Loheit – Ex Officio Advisory Member

The Overall Vision Plan/PUMP Preparation Process

Melendrez, a landscape architecture and urban planning firm with which the Annenberg Foundation has worked to implement many of its grants and projects, will be taking the lead with respect to integrating the existing planning documents, soliciting public input and working with the City/PVPLC staff to create the RPV Vision Plan. Melendrez will lead the planning process, with coordination and input provided by PVPLC and City staff and oversight provided by the City Council open space acquisition ad hoc subcommittee of Councilmen Clark and Stern. Click here to view a flow chart of the overall preparation process. Essentially, the planning process will involve the following steps:

Current Status of the Vision Plan and PUMP

Vision Plan

The first public workshop on the Vision Plan was held on Saturday, June 3, 2006 at Ridgecrest Elementary School from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Approximately 80 individuals attended the workshop to share their vision for the City’s nature preserve and associated open space, recreation area and civic places. In addition, groups and individuals made presentations on projects that will be addressed by the Vision Plan.

Based on the public feedback received at the June 3rd workshop, Melendrez prepared alternative design schemes for the four key open space sites covered by the Vision Plan and shared the concepts with the public at a Vision Plan Open House workshop held on Saturday, October 21, 2006 at the City’s of RPV’s Point Vicente Interpretive Center. The purpose of the workshop was for the public to review the draft Vision Plan concepts and share their thoughts on the direction of the Vision Plan. The second public workshop was attended by approximately 60 individuals. To view the design schemes presented at the October workshop, click on the links below.

To view the October 21, 2006 conceptual design schemes for the Vision Plan, click on the links below:

- Framework Plan-PDF
- Image Board-PDF
- Abalone Cove-PDF
- Del Cerro-PDF
- Lower Point Vicente-PDF
- Upper Point Vicente -PDF
- Active Recreational Area-PDF

Comments on the above schemes should be submitted to the City no later than Monday, December 1, 2006. Click here for a public comment form.-PDF

To view the power point presentation given by Melendrez at the October 21st workshop, click here

As a result of public input from the previous two public workshops and on-going discussions with City Staff, the Council Sub-committee, and Melendrez, the final design schemes for the Vision Plan are currently being prepared.   A presentation on the final design schemes will be given to the City Council at a public workshop on Saturday, November 10, 2007 at the Point Vicente Interpretive Center (PVIC).  The final design schemes will be posted on this site as they become available (late October).   

At its October 16, 2007 meeting, the City Council will be asked to approve the improvement plans and authorize the construction of a donor recognition site at Del Cerro Park.  The donor recognition site was conceptually approved by the City Council at its January 24, 2005 meeting with the intent to recognize private donors who assisted in the City’s acquisition efforts for the creation of the Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve.  The recognition site at Del Cerro Park will consist of the following improvements:

• The construction of an overlook at the southern edge of the park consisting of donor recognition signs, bench seating, and landscaping.  The design of the recognition site will utilize natural materials consisting of local stone and will respect the surrounding terrain by maintaining views and minimizing grading.
• The construction of a pedestrian trail connecting the existing parking lot with the proposed overlook.
• The installation of bench seating along the proposed trail route.
• The installation of an “entry welcome” sign and a donor recognition sign.

To view the project plans for Del Cerro Park click here.

PUMP

The PUMP Committee has been meeting on a regular basis since its first meeting on July 12, 2006 to discuss public issues related to the Preserve, such as trail routes, trail uses, and trail amenities (trailheads, vista points, etc.). In order to facilitate the Committee’s discussion on the overall Preserve, sub-areas were identified by the Committee, referred to as “Ecological Reserves (it should be noted that these properties have not been formally designated as ecological reserves by the resource agencies).” Click here to view a map of the “ecological reserve” properties.

The Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve is comprised of the following ten (10) “ecological reserves:”

• Vista del Norte Ecological Reserve
• Agua Amarga Ecological Reserve
• Vicente Bluffs Ecological Reserve
• Alta Vicente Ecological Reserve
• Abalone Cove Ecological Reserve
• Three Sisters Ecological Reserve
• Canyons Ecological Reserve
• Forrestal Ecological Reserve
• San Ramon Ecological Reserve
• Ocean Trails Ecological Reserve
  
  Thus far, the PUMP Committee has conceptually approved trail routes for each of the “ecological reserves.” Click here to view the maps identifying the trail routes approved by the PUMP Committee. It should be noted that the trail routes are considered “conceptual” at this time because changes may occur as the Committee proceeds with its discussion on trail uses. Such changes may include adding, deleting or re-routing trails.
  
  As of May 2, 2007, the PUMP Committee began to review trail uses for each of the “ecological reserves.” The trail uses proposed by Staff for the Committee’s consideration are based on trail uses identified in the City’s Conceptual Trails Plan and other related documents and City policies. At this time, the PUMP Committee is reviewing the trail uses for the following “ecological reserves:”

• Vista del Norte Ecological Reserve Click here to view map
• Agua Amarga Ecological Reserve Click here to view map
• Vicente Bluffs Ecological Reserve Click here to view map
• Alta Vicente Ecological Reserve Click here to view map
• Abalone Cove Ecological Reserve Click here to view map
• San Ramon Ecological Reserve Click here to view map
• Forrestal Ecological Reserve Click here to view map
• Ocean Trails Ecological Reserve Click here to view map
• Canyons Trails Ecological Reserve Click here to view map
• Three Sisters Ecological Reserve Click here to view map

The trail uses being considered for the overall Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve are as follows:

• Pedestrian Only
• Bicycle Only
• Pedestrian / Equestrian
• Pedestrian / Bicycle
• Multipurpose (pedestrian, bicycle, and equestrian)

At its October 3, 2007 meeting, the PUMP Committee heard presentations from various interest groups regarding the trail uses being considered for the Preserve, specifically the Canyons ER.  To view the presentations, click on the links below:

• CNPS (California Native Plant Society) click here.
• CORBA-PV (Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Association Palos Verdes) click here.
• Equestrian Community click here.
• SUN’P (Stand Up for the Nature of the Preserve) click here for Part 1 or click here for Part 2.

Once the PUMP Committee has completed its review of trail uses, the Committee will begin to review trail amenities that includes parking, trailhead features, signs, and vista points to name a few.

It is anticipated that the PUMP Committee will complete its review by late Winter 2008. At that time, the PUMP Committee’s recommendations will be folded into the Vision Plan concept and presented to the public at a workshop prior to being formally presented to the City Council.

The PUMP Committee meetings are open to the public. The Committee generally meets once a month on Wednesday evenings at 7pm. The meetings are typically held in the Community Room at RPV City Hall (30940 Hawthorne Blvd.), unless otherwise noted. Click here to access the PUMP Committee tentative meeting calendar. If you would like to send any comments or correspondence to the PUMP committee, please send such information to planning@rpv.com. Staff will provide all such comments and correspondence to the PUMP committee at their monthly meetings.

For further information about the RPV Vision Plan and/or the PUMP Committee, please contact Ara Mihranian with the City of Rancho Palos Verdes at 310-544-5228 or via email at aram@rpv.com or Barbara Dye with the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy at 310-541-7613 or via email at barbaradye@cox.net.

If you would like to be placed on an interested parties list to receive public notices or other periodic updates on the RPV Vision Plan and PUMP via e-mail, you may subscribe by joining the list server group here.