LEGISLATIVE ACTION ITEM
SPONSOR: Grover C. Robinson, IV, Mayor
SUBJECT:
title
CITY OF PENSACOLA/YMCA REAL PROPERTY EXCHANGE
end
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
That City Council authorize the Mayor to exchange a portion of City-owned property adjacent to the Vickrey Center located at 2130 Summit Boulevard (Attachment #1) with real property owned by the Young Men’s Christian Association of Northwest Florida, Inc. (“YMCA”) located at 3215 Langley Avenue. Further, that City Council authorize the Mayor to take all actions necessary to execute all contracts and related documents to complete the transaction.
end
body
HEARING REQUIRED: No Hearing Required
SUMMARY:
The City desires to expand its ability to provide additional athletic facilities to meet the growing popularity of soccer. The YMCA no longer desires to use its property on Langley Avenue, and wants to secure a location to build a new health, wellness, and exercise facility. Both parties desire to exchange properties.
Below is an outline of the progression and timeline of this project:
City Parks and Recreation Director Brian Cooper met with the residents of Scenic Heights Neighborhood Association (SNHA) at the January 2019 SHNA meeting to discuss improvements to Hitzman Park. These improvements will include adding field space, improving existing field space, adding a walking path, improving parking, and replacing the existing restroom/concession building. At that time, the residents expressed both support for and concerns with the proposed project/concept (Attachment #2). The primary concerns were as follows:
1. Increased traffic on Langley Avenue.
2. Ingress and egress from the park to Langley Avenue.
3. Decreased parking at Hitzman Park with soccer located there.
4. Number of trees to be removed for the project.
5. Increased noise with soccer located there.
6. Light intrusion on surrounding houses.
7. Projectiles (soccer balls, lacrosse balls, etc.) going into surrounding properties.
8. Future protection of remaining portion of Hitzman Park wooded area.
Mr. Cooper and Mott-MacDonald Engineering firm took the concept and incorporated many changes to address the items listed above. Mayor Robinson and Mr. Cooper took the following changes to the concept to the SHNA in February 2019.
1. The Mayor’s office and the Public Works and Facilities Maintenance Department would work with the SHNA to make improvements along Langley to address these concerns. The removal of the YMCA’ afterschool program, swimming program, and sports programs, coupled with the removal of City youth football and cheerleading from this location will also help resolve this concern.
2. Ingress and egress from Hitzman will be addressed as the concept goes into design.
3. Parking will be addressed as the concept goes into design. Additional parking will be made available. The existing YMCA parking will be improved to add additional parking in a more structured manner. Land adjacent to the YMCA is being looked at for even more parking.
4. The number of trees to be removed has decreased from approximately 200 (34 of which are protected) to approximately 70 (8 of which are protected, with none being heritage trees).
5. Noise will decrease dramatically with the elimination of the YMCA afterschool program, swimming program, athletic programs and the City sponsored football and cheerleading programs located at this park. Furthermore, a buffer zone will be provided in the design phase that will allow for a hill with evergreen trees along the back edge of the park, between the fields and the adjacent properties, which will further reduce noise to the neighborhood.
6. The buffer zone will provide a reduction in light pollution into the neighboring properties. Also, new LED light technology will allow for improved directional lighting as will fenders on the lights.
7. The buffer zone along with netting, between the fields and the properties, will decrease the number of balls going into adjacent properties.
8. The Mayor has agreed to submit a future item requesting that the remaining wooded area be set aside from future development of fields and parking.
The YMCA Executive Director, Michael Bodenhausen, and Mr. Cooper have worked diligently over the past three months to negotiate and formulate two agreements:
1. This Real Property Exchange Agreement (Attachment #3).
2. YMCA Use and Program Agreement for the Vickrey Resource Center (Item #19-00274).
The Real Property Exchange Agreement will call for the YMCA to deed its real property at 3215 Langley Avenue, approximately +/- 5 acres (Attachments #4 & #5) to the City in exchange for a portion of the City’s real property located at 2130 Summit Boulevard, approximately 4/10’s (.408) of an acre (Attachments #6 & #7). The YMCA property will be utilized by the City to expand Hitzman Park to make the above referenced improvements. The City property will be utilized by the YMCA to construct a new health, wellness, and exercise facility. Furthermore, Mayor Robinson has submitted a letter to City Council requesting future action be taken to ensure that the remaining wooded area at Hitzman Park be protected from future development (Attachment #8).
The summary of the YMCA/City agreement is:
1. YMCA deeds its park on Langley to the City, with the YMCA retaining the Verizon cell tower lease and the income from it.
2. YMCA will pay the City $2,000 per month for the benefits of the Use Agreement.
3. Duration of the YMCA’s use of the Vickrey Center facility and adjoining outdoor property will be 30 years, with two ten-year extensions at the YMCA’s option.
4. In the summer months, the YMCA shall have shared use of the Vickrey Center and the Roger Scott pool for the use of its DCF-licensed summer camp programs.
5. City deeds to YMCA property immediately adjacent to the Vickrey Center for YMCA to construct a health and wellness facility and a swimming pool for YMCA patrons.
6. City to construct an additional 60-space parking lot in the vicinity and YMCA will have perpetual easement for all parking facilities. The YMCA will have no independent on-site parking on its property.
7. City will construct a playground and grant YMCA a perpetual easement to it and exclusive use of it when DCF-licensed activities are occurring in the playground.
8. City will construct a stormwater holding pond and grant YMCA perpetual use of it for its property’s use.
9. City will grant YMCA exclusive use of the Vickrey Center during specified times and dates for YMCA’s operation of a DCF-licensed after-school program for a minimum of 135 children. This will occur from 2 - 5:30 pm during the school year and 7 am to 5:30 pm on holidays and teacher workdays.
10. City will pay for all maintenance and janitorial costs and utilities of the Vickrey Center.
PRIOR ACTION:
On November 8, 2018 - City Council authorized a land exchange of a portion of city-owned property located at 2130 Summit Boulevard with property owned by the YMCA located at 3215 Langley Avenue to further the development of a soccer complex. Council further declared the city-owned property to be surplus, and deemed such exchange a valid municipal purpose. Council also authorized the Mayor to take all action necessary for the exchange of the properties including, but not limited to dividing, and obtaining an appraisal and survey of the properties.
FUNDING:
N/A
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The YMCA Property is valued at $520,000 and the City Property is valued at $196,000, a difference of $324,000. The YMCA has agreed to accept the commitment of the Use and Program Agreement as satisfactory consideration for the real property exchange, with the understanding that the City will make previously planned LOST and capital improvements to the Roger Scott Complex including installing additional parking next to the Tennis Center, installing a playground next to the Vickrey Center, and installing a new sign along Summit Boulevard. These improvements have been planned within the Local Option Sales Tax Plan and would have been made regardless of the agreement.
CITY ATTORNEY REVIEW: Yes
6/4/2019
STAFF CONTACT:
Christopher L. Holley, City Administrator
Brian Cooper, Parks and Recreation Director
ATTACHMENTS:
1) Proposed City Parcel to be Exchanged
2) Soccer Field Concept
3) Real Property Exchange Agreement
4) YMCA/Langley Appraisal
5) YMCA/Langley Survey
6) City/Roger Scott Appraisal
7) City/Roger Scott Survey
8) Letter from Mayor requesting future protection of remaining portion of Hitzman Park wooded area.
9) Summary of Changes
PRESENTATION: Yes end