MEMORANDUM
November 12, 2009
TO:
Recreation & Cultural Affairs Council Committee Members
FROM:
Joan Carrico, Director of Community & Recreation Services
SUBJECT: Bocce Ball Court Expansion
At the October 19, 2009 Recreation & Cultural Affairs council committee meeting, Director of
Public Works/Engineering, Alex Pascual, presented various alternatives for expansion of bocce
ball courts at Baldwin Park, Concord Community Park and Newhall Community Park. A packet
of information summarizing the costs of the alternatives was distributed at the meeting and a
copy is provided with this memo.
The alternatives were reviewed and the Baldwin Park location was found to be the least
expensive to construct and also provided the greatest benefits. The benefits of locating the
courts at Baldwin Park include, adequate parking, minimal site work with very few trees
requiring removal, adjacent to the Concord Senior Center where the courts could provide
opportunities to expand senior programs during the day, close proximity to park restrooms, and
increased healthy, positive use of the park property.
The Council Committee requested that staff return in November to review the proposal with the
Concord Bocce Federation Commissioner, Cosmo Tedeschi.
Enclosures:
Bocce Ball Court Cost Alternatives
October 19, 2009 Review Bocce Ball Court Expansion Staff Report
October 19, 2009 Review Bocce Ball Court Expansion Annotated Agenda
AGENDA ITEM NO._________
REPORT TO COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON
RECREATION & CULTURAL AFFAIRS
TO HONORABLE COMMITTEEMEMBERS:
DATE: October 19, 2009
SUBJECT:
REVIEW BOCCE BALL COURT EXPANSION
Report in Brief
The City of Concord and the Concord Bocce Federation (CBF), a non-profit organization, have a
partnership in the development and organization of bocce leagues for the community at Newhall Park. The
terms of this partnership were formalized through a written agreement entered into on July 23, 2002 and
amended on April 5, 2005 (Attachment A).
At the request of the Council Committee on Recreation & Cultural Affairs, a review of the current
status of bocce court use and possible expansion of courts has been requested. Staff recommends that the
Council Committee review the information contained in this report and provide comments and direction to
staff.
Background
In 1991, the A. J. Seeno Corporation approached the City of Concord and offered to construct six
bocce courts in Concord for use by the community. An agreement between the City and A. J. Seeno was
negotiated that enabled the bocce ball courts to be constructed at Newhall Park. Included in the agreement
was formation of a community based non-profit organization to develop and operate the bocce ball league.
The Concord Bocce Federation was established in 1991 under the direction of Cosmo Tedeschi. The
Federation had 25 teams in the inaugural season. Since the first season, the league has grown to 90 teams,
with 10 teams on a waiting list this year. In 2000, the City completed a capital improvement project that
added two bocce ball courts. Fencing was installed around the bocce ball facility as part of the 2001 dog park
project to provide security and prevent vandalism. The CBF provided significant financial contributions that
supported each of these projects.
A formal agreement outlining the terms and conditions for operation of the Bocce League at Newhall
Park was approved by Council on July 23, 2002, with an amendment approved on July 12, 2005 (Attachment
A).
REVIEW BOCCE BALL COURT EXPANSION
October 19, 2009
Page 2
Discussion
The CBF has approached staff with a desire to donate materials and labor from their membership to
construct two additional bocce courts at Newhall Park. Staff met with CBF and reviewed the current park site
layout and the footprint of the current bocce courts and parking lots. Staff expressed concern regarding the
impacts of additional courts on the current parking capacity, vehicle ingress and egress and the impact of
additional vehicle traffic on the condition of the decomposed granite access road and parking lot. During the
CBF league season, there are a number of other park user groups heavily utilizing the park facilities. These
include youth and adult soccer, group picnic site customers, dog park visitors, and general public use of the
park amenities. It is not uncommon during the peak season to find the parking lots full and overflow parking
on Turtle Creek road. Staff indicated that expansion of bocce courts at Newhall Park would require additional
capital infrastructure improvements, including a new park entry point on Turtle Creek Road, a paved access
road, and expansion and paving of the parking lot currently utilized by CBF. Attachment B reflects an
estimate of soft and hard costs totaling $854,700 to construct the capital improvements at Newhall Park.
Included in the approved 2009-10 to 2017-19 Capital Improvement Program & Transportation
Improvement Program is Project 2044, Concord Community Park Bocce Ball Courts. This project was
approved for funding in fiscal year 2017-18 through Parkland Fees – Zone B in the amount of $136,000.
Attachment B reflects an estimate of soft and hard costs for this project with a revised estimate of $383,000.
Currently, the existing bocce courts at Concord Community Park have been fenced to deny access due to their
deteriorating and unsafe condition. This portion of the park has become a visual eyesore and a potential
liability if someone were to enter the facility and become injured.
Staff has spoken with Cosmo Tedeschi, Commissioner of the CBF, regarding the courts at Concord
Community Park (CCP). Mr. Tedeschi stated that renovation of the courts at CCP would be beneficial to
assist the league in addressing the current waiting list of teams, as well as alleviate some of the pressure of
scheduling the courts at Newhall Park. Mr. Tedeschi stated that he understands the current fiscal challenges
the City of Concord is facing, and that renovation of the courts at CCP would be a more economical decision.
Staff reviewed with Mr. Tedeschi the current complexities at Newhall Park for vehicle access, parking
impacts, and the more extensive capital improvements that would need to be made to address any expansion
of bocce courts at Newhall Park.
Fiscal Impact
Approval of expansion of bocce courts and necessary entry, road and parking improvements at
Newhall Park would require the allocation of funding in the amount of $854,700. Approval of CIP project
2044, Concord Community Park Bocce Ball Courts, prior to the project funding in 2017-18 would require an
allocation of funding in the amount of $383,000.
Public Contact
Posting of the Council Committee agenda. Copies of the agenda and report were mailed to the
Concord Bocce Federation.
REVIEW BOCCE BALL COURT EXPANSION
October 19, 2009
Page 3
Recommendation for Action
Staff recommends that the Council Committee review the information contained in this report and
provide comments and direction to staff.
Prepared by:
Joan Carrico
Director of Community & Recreation Services
Daniel E. Keen
City Manager
Enclosures:
Reviewed by: Valerie Barone
Assistant City Manager
Attachment A: Agreement Between City of Concord and Concord Bocce Federation for Use
of Bocce Courts at Newhall Park
Attachment B: Estimated Cost Comparison for Bocce Court Improvements
CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE
RECREATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS
Mark Peterson, Chair
Bill Shinn, Committee Member
5:30 p.m., Thursday, September 10, 2009
Garden Conference Room
1950 Parkside Drive, Concord
- A N N O T A T E D A G E N D AROLL CALL: Committee member Shinn present. Mayor Hoffmeister substituted for Committee
Chair Peterson who was absent.
STAFF PRESENT: Valerie Barone, Assistant City Manager; Joan Carrico, Director of Community
& Recreation Services; Alex Pascual, Director of Public Works & Engineering; Bruce Stanley,
Program Manager; Steve Voorhies, Senior Program Manager; Florence Weiss, Downtown Program
Manager
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO ADDRESSED THE COMMITTEE: Jay Bedecarre;
Virginia Thomas; Mark Sinclair
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD: None.
1. REVIEW – Bay Area KidFest Event Review – report by Joan Carrico, Director of Community &
Recreation Services.
ACTION: Staff presented the details from the Bay Area KidFest Event Review report.
Committee members asked questions about the financial details of the event. It was noted that the
City subsidy of this event is actually greater than the $16,626 stated in the staff report, as City
costs for staff time spent on the pre-planning efforts for the event, and charges for use of City
special event equipment, are actually not captured in the Special Event Billing detail. Virginia
Thomas, President of the Todos Santos Business Association (TSBA) presented details of
concerns that have been expressed by the business association members as well as other
merchants in the Todos Santos Plaza vicinity. She also presented ideas for ways to restructure the
event to address merchant concerns and help to reinvigorate the event for greater success. Ms.
Thomas indicated that the TSBA would like to be involved in giving input and review of the event
structure with a long-term goal to have the event promote Concord businesses through a
collaborative involvement with the TSBA. Ms. Thomas indicated that in recent years, some Plaza
merchants have actually documented a loss of business revenue during the course of Memorial
Day weekend when the event is held.
Jay Bedecarre, answered questions from the Committee members with regards to an event
production proposal that he submitted for taking over as the Event Producer of KidFest. Mr.
Bedecarre indicated that he would gladly receive vendor applications from Plaza merchants as
well as other Concord businesses and that it is not his intent to have an emphasis on vendors
outside of Concord. He did, however, emphasize that the securing of a sufficient number of
vendors is critical to the financial bottom-line of the event and that his involvement and interest in
producing the event would be to make an income. Mr. Bedecarre said that he would be open to
discussing other ways of structuring the event as long as the gate admission revenue is retained as
a key component of the event as, in his opinion, this is key to the financial profit of the event. Mr.
Bedacarre also mentioned he has met with the City of Walnut Creek and they have expressed
interest in conducting a KidFest type event at Heather Farms Park.
Staff received the following comments and direction from the Committee members. Mayor
Hoffmeister indicated that if the event is to continue, the City can no longer subsidize the event to
the extent it has in the past, a cost neutral proposal for the event is preferred. The event needs to
be scaled back in size and fit into the confines of the Plaza perimeter sidewalk. There needs to be
a different mix of activities with a de-emphasis on the over commercialization of vendor booths
that do not pertain to children’s interests. The Mayor was very specific that the event needs to
address the safety of the children in attendance both through pedestrian enclosures and adequate
police presence.
Committee member Shinn suggested that taking a break from the event for a year might be wise.
It would give adequate time to plan and consider an alternative event structure, the opportunity to
seek the input/proposals of several interested event producers, and would allow the downtown
merchants to experience a Memorial Day weekend (the first in 20 years) without the impact of
KidFest. He also expressed recognition that the City has lost 16% of the workforce and
supporting the event may be more challenging in the future, both from a staffing and financial
outlook.
2. REVIEW – Bocce Ball Court Expansion – report by Joan Carrico, Director of Community &
Recreation Services.
ACTION: Staff presented the analysis of the expansion of bocce ball courts at Newhall Park and
the renovation of courts at Concord Community Park. Mayor Hoffmeister asked if the cost
estimate for Newhall Park included environmental review. Alex Pascual indicated that it did not.
The Mayor stated that environmental review at Newhall would be required given the additional
construction of a park entrance, roadway paving and parking lot expansion /paving within close
proximity to the creek and pond. The committee members commented that the impacts of
expansion at Newhall are significant and the costs prohibitive. Mayor Hoffmeister asked if four
courts could be fit into the current site at Concord Community Park. The Committee Members
directed staff to research other potential sites for the location of four bocce courts and analyze the
associated costs.
3. ADJOURNMENT – 6:55 p.m.
Distribution: City Council
Dan Keen, City Manager
Valerie Barone, Assistant City Manager
Craig Labadie, City Attorney
Joan Carrico, Director of Community & Recreation Services
Steve Voorhies, Sr. Recreation Program Manager
Bruce Stanley, Program Manager
Florence Weiss, Downtown Coordinator
Alex Pascual, Director, Department of Public Works and Engineering
Mark Migliore, Associate Civil Engineer
Scott Vasquez, Horticultural Advisor
Administrative Services
Press