Unity Park Prop 84 Grant Application by Pogo Park

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Contents........................................................................................................................... i Application Form ...........................................................................................................................1 Non-Profit Organization Requirements ......................................................................................... 2 Authorizing Resolution .................................................................................................................. 3 Grant Scope/Cost Estimate .......................................................................................................... 5 Funding Sources........................................................................................................................... 6 CEQA Compliance........................................................................................................................ 7 Land Tenure Requirement ............................................................................................................ 8 Assessor Parcel Maps .................................................................................................................. 9 Willing Seller Letter ..................................................................................................................... 12 Subleases or Other Agreements................................................................................................. 13 Concept Level Site Plan.............................................................................................................. 14 Project Location Maps ................................................................................................................ 15 Photos of the Project Site ........................................................................................................... 16 Project Selection Criteria ............................................................................................................ 21

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

1. APPLICATION FORM

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

2. NON-PROFIT REQUIREMENTS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Not Applicable This application is being submitted by the City of Richmond, CA. The City of Richmond is a local government agency.

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

3. AUTHORIZING RESOLUTION â&#x20AC;&#x201C; PAGE 1

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

3. AUTHORIZING RESOLUTION â&#x20AC;&#x201C; PAGE 2

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

4. GRANTSCOPE/COST ESTIMATE

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

5. FUNDING SOURCES

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

6. CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA) COMPLIANCE PLAN CEQA documentation has not been completed for the project site. Below is the plan for CEQA compliance for the existing parcel numbers 538360XXX, 538380XXX and 540370XXX and the parcel number 540360022 to be acquired at 1605 Ohio Ave., Richmond, CA 94801. CEQA compliance activities would begin shortly after the grant award announcement, to be complete within one year from the grant award date. CEQA compliance would take approximately four months to complete for this site. There are no known obstacles that would delay CEQA compliance for this site. Cost for completing CEQA compliance: $60,000. Plan for CEQA Compliance for Unity Park, Richmond, CA Time Frame Description of Compliance Process 3 weeks Preparation of an administrative draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) document. This would occur concurrently with the rezoning process for the parcel. 2 weeks City of Richmond staff review of administrative draft IS/MND document 2 weeks

Public release of Draft IS/MND document

4 weeks

30 day public review period for Draft IS/MND document

1 week

Preparation of memorandum with responses to public comments received on Draft IS/MND during 30-day public review period City adoption of IS/MND, park plan, and parcel rezoning (Richmond City Council)

3 weeks

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

7. LAND TENURE REQUIREMENT The City of Richmond owns the parcels 538360XXX, 538380XXX and 540370XXX in fee simple. The City received a quit claim deed for these from the Santa Fe Railroad in 1979. Parcel 540360022 is not owned by the City of Richmond and the owner is willing to sell to the City of Richmond should the grant be awarded.

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

8. ACCESSOR PARCEL MAPS AND WILLING SELLER LETTER The following maps were created from Contra Costa County data.

Parcel 538360XXX

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

Parcels 538380XXX and 540370XXX

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

Parcel 540360022

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

8. WILLING SELLER LETTER

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

9. SUB-LEASES OR OTHER AGREEMENTS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Not Applicable There are no sub-leases as part of this project.

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

10. CONCEPT LEVEL SITE PLAN Community Plaza Node

Community Garden Node

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

11. PROJECT LOCATION MAP

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

12. PHOTOS OF PROJECT SITE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; PAGE 1

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

12. PHOTOS OF PROJECT SITE/COMMUNITY PLANNING â&#x20AC;&#x201C; PAGE2

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

12. PHOTOS OF PROJECT SITE/COMMUNITY PLANNING â&#x20AC;&#x201C; PAGE 3

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

12. PHOTOS OF PROJECT SITE/COMMUNITY PLANNING â&#x20AC;&#x201C; PAGE 4

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

13. PROJECT SELECTION CRITERIA 1. Critical Lack of Park Space: The neighborhood surrounding Richmond’s Unity Park, the Iron Triangle, suffers from a critical lack of park space. The neighborhood in proximity of the project site has a ratio of .62 acres of usable park space per 1,000 residents. Source: “California State Parks Community Fact Finder” report, June 18, 2011.

2. Significant Poverty: Richmond’s Iron Triangle is one of California’s most devastated, inner-city neighborhoods whose residents suffer the effects of persistent, chronic, generational poverty. A. The median household income is $39,893. B. In proximity of Unity Park, 2,512 people live in poverty – roughly 24% of the population. Sources: “California State Parks Community Fact Finder” report June 18, 2011; 2000 Census.

3. Type of Project: This project falls into Category A - creating a new park. Unity Park will be constructed on two “nodes” along a 1.5 mile-long, 100 foot-wide section of the abandoned Santa Fe Railway corridor that runs through the heart of the most critically underserved neighborhoods in Richmond. Hispanic residents call this stretch of land “El Baldio,” the “abandoned terrain.” Today “El Baldio” consists of barren, vacant land with portions of cement sidewalk. Many factors prevent residents within a ½ mile radius from utilizing this space for recreation: it is dangerous (high levels of petty and violent crimes, no functioning lights, few police patrols); dirty (it is littered with debris, broken glass, and dog waste) and dull (there is nothing here to do – no organized activities, bathrooms, drinking fountains, shade or places to sit.) The project site has never been developed as a park and is not adjacent to an existing park.

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

This project proposes transforming “El Baldio” into Unity Park - a “safe, green, and clean” public park that features “a little something for everyone.” (Note: quotes throughout this document are the actual words of local residents, describing how they want their park to be.) After an intensive and extensive community planning process (see 4A-C on page 23), local residents are adamant that Unity Park should be a “community hub with things to do” that provides local residents with a “reason to come.” Central to residents’ vision is a “green space” resplendent with flowers, trees, and plantings; a “Community Plaza;” an open-air “Gazebo;” a “Children’s Playground;” “The Great Lawn” (a large, grass field); a “Bike and Walking Path;” a “Community Garden;” and four iconic “Gateways” that provide Unity Park with a sense of place. The project includes the acquisition of .46 acres of private property adjacent to the site to create a large community plaza at the center of Unity Park that connects to surrounding streets and transportation corridors.

4. Community Based Planning: The focus of the community-based planning effort was the “Festival of Ideas" – an eight-day, all-day, coordinated, intentional, and focused effort to reach as many youth, families, and seniors as possible living within ½ mile of the project site. In partnership with the city of Richmond, the Festival of Ideas was organized by a collaborative of literally every local community organization currently working to improve the project site or that currently serves residents who live in proximity to the project site, including Urban Tilth, Groundwork Richmond, The Watershed Project, Pogo Park, EarthTeam and many others. During the eight-day Festival of Ideas, two 10ft. x 20ft. “Design Tents” were set up at two locations on the

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

actual project site. Each Design Tent was staffed by members of the Community Engagement Team (CET) – a diverse group of local residents (made up of youth, families, and seniors) who were specifically recruited to conduct the community outreach effort in the three neighborhoods that surround the project site (Iron Triangle, Santa Fe, and Coronado). In addition to the meetings listed below, the CET went off-site to interview seniors unable to travel to the event locations. There were nine additional meetings in which the CET met to create the resident surveys, tally all the responses, prioritize the data, select the recreational features and identify their location within the site design. The community outreach effort was incredibly successful: 656 residents participated in the Festival of Ideas to collectively create a unified vision for the design of Unity Park. The process underlying the Festival of Ideas fostered a "bottoms-up" approach to Unity’s Park design: residents themselves drove the vision for this new park. Y-PLAN, a youth project at Richmond’s Kennedy High School that examined the challenges on the site, further corroborated the findings of the Festival of Ideas by identifying the same set of priorities for the park site. The community planning presented in this document represents the most recent efforts to confirm the community’s desires for the development of the project site. These events are by no means the only efforts; Richmond residents have been actively working towards developing a park on this vacant land for over fifteen years. Residents know exactly what they want: a public place that is “safe, green, and clean”; place that provides all residents with a “healthy place to be.” Their solution turns contaminated, abandoned land into a verdant community space that all residents can reclaim as their

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

own; provides a safe, physical space for the community to learn to resolve conflicts and reduce violence; teaches the children as well as adults about the importance of restoring and maintaining the natural environment; engages the community in growing their own food and improving their diet, encourages recreation and physical activity in a comfortable and beautiful green public space; and provides youth with work and volunteer experience to get them started on a job path in Richmond’s emerging “green” industry. The development of Richmond’s Unity Park is a critical step in the healing and revitalization of an entire city. A. How many meetings occurred and why were they convenient for residents? Residents participated in eighteen community-based planning meetings residents to design Unity Park. During the Festival of Ideas, residents could easily walk ½ mile or less to participate at the Design Tents on the project site. For those unable to visit the Design Tents on foot, local organizations provided free transportation. To ensure the meetings were held at convenient times for residents with various employment and family schedules, the Design Tents were open on two consecutive Saturdays and until 7:00 pm on three nights. Meeting

Meeting Type, Venue, Address Y-PLAN (as part of a school project, 60 youth from Kennedy High School examined the challenges of the project site, created a list of recreational features that would transform the site, and designed a layout) Kennedy High School, 4300 Cutting Blvd., Richmond 94804)

Time

Day

Date

1 - 2:30 pm

2 days per week for 12 weeks

Jan - May 2011

Festival of Ideas, Day 1 - two tents set up at project site (at 6th +16th, Richmond 94801)

10 am 7 pm

Saturday

5/28/2011

Festival of Ideas, Day 2, same locations

12 -5 pm

Sunday

5/29/2011

Festival of Ideas, Day 3, same locations

12 -6 pm

Monday

5/30/2011

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

Festival of Ideas, Day 4, same locations

12 -6 pm

Tuesday

5/31/2011

Festival of Ideas, Day 5, same locations

12 -6 pm

Wednesday

6/01/2011

Festival of Ideas, Day 6, same locations

12 -6 pm

Thursday

6/02/2011

Festival of Ideas, Day 7, same locations

12 -7 pm

Friday

6/03/2011

Festival of Ideas, Day 8, same locations

10 -7 pm

Saturday

6/04/2011

11am 4 pm

Tuesday

6/07/2011

11am4 pm

Wednesday

6/08/2011

2-7 pm

Thursday

6/09/2011

1-3 pm

Friday

6/10/2011

11-4 pm

Tuesday

6/14/2011

11-3 pm

Wednesday

6/15/2011

12-4 pm

Thursday

6/16/2011

12-2 pm

Friday

6/17/2011

RESIDENT PLANNING MEETING (to plan process of collecting, compiling, and analyzing Design Tent survey data) Nevin Community Center, 598 Nevin Avenue, Richmond 94801 RESIDENT PLANNING MEETING (to compile all Design Tent survey data), Nevin Community Center COMMUNITY MEETING (for CET to share findings from Design Tent surveys with other residents and key stakeholders) Nevin Community Center RESIDENT DESIGN MEETING (to design layouts and discuss possible placement of recreational features to include in new park) at two locations on project site (cross streets 6th and 16th, Richmond 94801) RESIDENT PLANNING MEETING (to continue sorting and recording all Design Tent survey data) Nevin Community Center RESIDENT PLANNING MEETING (to continue sorting and recording all Design Tent survey data) Nevin Community Center RESIDENT PLANNING MEETING (to continue sorting and recording all Design Tent survey data) Nevin Community Center COMMUNITY MEETING (to share with other residents and key stakeholders how the CET identified, selected, and placed the key recreational features in the project site and to distribute CET's drawings and design/layout for the new park) Nevin Community Center

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

COMMUNITY MEETING (to share with other residents and key stakeholders how the CET identified, selected, and placed the key recreational features in the project site and to distribute CET's drawings and design/layout for the new park) Nevin Community Center

1-3 pm

Tuesday

6/21/2011

B. What Methods did the applicant or partnering community based organization use to invite residents? In the combined set of meetings, was there a broad representation of residents? Meeting #

Invitation Method

Part of a mandatory school project at Kennedy High School. Posted 1,600 flyers (in English and Spanish) throughout the neighborhood, blanketed every lamppost, sign, and wall within 1/2 mile of project site; posted flyers in places with high foot traffic (i.e. city buildings, community, youth and senior centers, and churches and businesses) encouraging residents to come to Design Tents and participate. Partnered with 18 local community organizations, 4 neighborhood councils, and 16 churches to assist with intensive, 8-day, outreach efforts to invite and encourage residents to participate. Conducted door-to-door, one-on-one outreach to individual houses within 1/2 mile of project site. Provided incentives to every participant at Design Tents on Day 1: free horse and pony rides and a plant to take home. As above except for horse and pony ride

Number of residents

Description of residents Participants of Y-Plan are a diverse group of high school students who reside in the neighborhood surrounding the project site. Residents who attended the community planning meetings at the Design Tents comprised a broad representation of youth, families, and seniors who live in the neighborhood immediately surrounding the project site. Over the 8-day "Festival of Ideas", 626 residents came to the Design Tents to participate in the community-based planning meetings and, together, represented the generational make-up of this Richmond neighborhood today: 28% "Youth"; 43% - "Adults / Adults with Children"; 29% - "Seniors." (Note: THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM created the surveys and created the generational categories listed here.) Same as described in Meeting #1.

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

As above

As above. Provided a new incentive: free bicycles and a rickshaw so residents could pedal and ride the entire length of the project site.

As above

103

Same as above with new incentives: two live DJ's playing music from different cultures at two Design Tents, free lunch for 400 people, free horse and pony rides. Despite a recordsetting downpour, 126 residents braved the rain to visit the Design Tents on the 8th and final day of the "Festival of Ideas" to participate in the design of Lillie Mae Park.

119

Same as described in Meeting #1. On Day 3, the "Senior Team" conducted one-on-one outreach to three senior housing complexes within 1/2 mile of project site, talking with and gathering ideas from seniors of all genders and races. Many of these seniors were unable to visit the Design Tents because of physical barriers. The Senior Team visited one center for disabled seniors to gather these seniors' vision for how Lillie Mae Jones Park could be welcoming and inclusive for them. Same as described in Meeting #1. Senior Team visited seniors in the community rooms of Richmond's senior recreation complexes, asking questions and taking detailed notes that were later included in the survey data. Same as described in Meeting #1. As part of a school project, a class of 42 students from Gompers High School visited the Design Tents. Same as described in Meeting #1. A local, after-school program brought 39 resident youth to the Design Tents, ages 6-12, who represented the ethnic make-up of the neighborhood. Same as described in Meeting #1. The 8th and final day of the "Festival of Ideas" was incredibly festive. It rained half the day and then, in the mid-afternoon, the sun came out. People heard the great music coming out from the Design Tents and soon, people of every age, race, color, and culture starting coming out of their houses and walking over to the Design Tents to see what was

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

going on. Setting up the Design Tents for 8-straight days at the project site, hiring a dedicated team of residents to engage other residents ensured that a broad representation of residents participated in the community planning process. 10

E-mail, text, and direct phone calls to CET; partnered with local CBO's, businesses, and churches to "get the word out" to their existing networks

E-mail, text, and direct phone calls to COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM (CET)

E-mail, text, and direct phone calls to CET; partnered with local CBO's, businesses, and churches to "get the word out" to their existing networks

E-mail, text, and direct phone calls to COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM (CET)

E-mail, text, and direct phone calls to COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM (CET) E-mail, text, and direct phone calls to COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM (CET) E-mail, text, and direct phone calls to COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM (CET) E-mail, text, and direct phone calls to COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM (CET) E-mail, text, and direct phone calls to CET; partnered with local CBO's, businesses, and churches to "get the word out" to their existing networks TOTAL

1 Asian mother; 2 AfricanAmerican mothers; 1 Hispanic mother; 3 Hispanic youth; 2 Hispanic adults CET comprised of: 2 AfricanAmerican mothers; 1 Hispanic mother; 3 Hispanic youth; 2 Hispanic adults 8 residents from CET, 5 seniors, 6 youth from a local organization CET comprised of: 2 AfricanAmerican mothers; 1 Hispanic mother; 3 Hispanic youth; 2 Hispanic adults CET comprised of: 2 AfricanAmerican mothers; 1 Hispanic mother; 3 Hispanic youth CET comprised of: 2 AfricanAmerican mothers; 1 Hispanic mother; 3 Hispanic youth CET comprised of: 2 AfricanAmerican mothers; 1 Hispanic mother; 3 Hispanic youth CET comprised of: 2 AfricanAmerican mothers; 1 Hispanic mother; 3 Hispanic youth 7 residents from CET, 3 seniors, 9 adults, 3 youth (all diverse races, ages, and cultures)

806

This coordinated effort to reach a broad representation of residents was highly successful: over eight days, 656 individuals came to the Design Tents - 28% Youth; 28

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

43% Adults or Adults with Children; 29% Seniors. This generational mix accurately represents the make-up of the neighborhood surrounding the project site. Additionally, CET residents conducting the survey asked their neighbors to self-identify their race. The results: 41% Black, 42% Hispanic, 8% Mixed-Race, 8% White, 2% Asian - roughly the same ethnic breakdown as the neighborhoods surrounding the project site.

C. During the meetings that occurred in the critically underserved community how were the residents enabled to design the park using goals 1-3? Goal 1: The residents worked together to identify, prioritize and select recreational features and reached a general agreement on the type and design of the recreational features included in the proposed project. Identify: Residents identified the specific recreational features they wanted in the new park by requesting them on individual, open-ended survey sheets during the Festival of Ideas. On the walls of the Design Tents, drawings of possible recreational features that residents had identified in the previous community outreach efforts for the site were displayed. These features were intended for inspiration only - residents were told that "the sky's the limit" - and asked that they should identify any and all recreational features they wanted in the new park. Every request - no matter how small or how outrageous - was recorded by the CET. The CET then collected, compiled and analyzed all the data from 656 resident surveys in order to develop a meaningful list of recreational features requested by local residents. After analyzing the data from the Festival of Ideas, the CET reached a general agreement that virtually all residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

requests fell into two major themes: that Unity Park must be: 1) “safe, green, and clean, and 2) “a community hub with things to do.” Prioritize/Select: On June 9, 2011, the CET met with key stakeholders and City officials to report the recreational features residents identified for Unity Park during the Y-Plan and Festival of Ideas community engagement efforts. At this meeting, experts in park budgeting and City officials provided residents with estimated costs for the major recreational features that residents requested. On June 10, 14, and 15, the CET met to review the budget and to select the recreational features for Unity Park that best met the needs and priorities of the community to include in the proposed project. Every major recreational item listed in the grant scope was selected based on the priorities of the 656 residents surveyed during the eight-day Festival of Ideas. Please see 9B on page 39 for details about these features. Design of Features: During the Festival of Ideas at the project site, an artist worked directly with residents to create “eye-level” perspectives of residents' design ideas for Unity Park. Residents stood in a particular location, looked out at the project site, and described what recreational features they wanted, how they wanted them to look and where they wanted them to be. The artist, on-the-spot, produced a sketch. This process worked extremely well as residents were able to articulate verbally which features they wanted where, and then were able to immediately see their vision reproduced in these quick sketches. The residents and artist worked back-and-forth to create a series of renderings of the key recreational features for Unity Park that accurately reflect the community’s vision. Resident’s ideas that became part of the park’s design include a nature-themed play area constructed without the use of plastic, extensive public art and

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

designing the primary recreational features such as the gazebo as colorful art pieces themselves and incorporating different types of colorful native and ornamental vegetation throughout the park.(The recreational features - and conceptual design of those recreational features - are shown in the photo section of this grant application on pages 17 and 18.)

Goal 2: The residents engaged in a process to reach agreement on the location of recreational features. Location of Features: In addition to the artists sketches, during the Festival of Ideas 122 residents expressed their preference for the location and placement of different recreational features by creating their own design for Unity Park on blank maps of the project site. On June 16-17, 2011, the CET met at the project site and reviewed the list of residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; requests developed from the surveys, sketches and individual designs to decide where key recreational features could be placed. Together as a group, the CET selected the size and location for every major recreational feature included in this proposal. The CET measured every inch of space and determined the size and location of each item. They developed two activity nodes: the first at 16th Street, the current "power spot" and the corridor that residents use to travel across the project site from BART and AMTRAK in Central Richmond to Richmond's Southside. Residents envision 16th Street as Unity Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s central hub - the location for the Community Plaza, open-air, multi-purpose Gazebo and Restroom. Residents want to locate the Children's Playground next to the Community Plaza, as far away as possible away from Ohio Street, a busy and crime-ridden street. Residents placed the Great Lawn on a long

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

stretch of undeveloped land east of the Community Plaza to provide a flexible, "open space" for both passive and active recreation for all generations. Residents located the second activity node at 6th Street as the site for the Community Garden. This location is adjacent to two schools (Lincoln Elementary and Gompers High School) that have emerging community garden projects at this location. Residents want the current efforts of these two schools to be expanded into a large, Community Garden at Unity Park. Residents hand-selected the location of the four artistic Gateways to Unity Park. During the course of all the activities that comprised the community-based planning efforts, residents realized what elements would fit, what wouldn’t, and how these elements could work together to create a vibrant public space that could positively impact the health and quality of life for residents.

Goal 3: The residents engaged in a process to provide other park design ideas, including solutions for safe public use and park beautification such as landscaping and public art. Safety and Park Beautification: During the community engagement and planning process, residents provided clear and compelling design ideas for how to make Unity Park a safe place for public use. Ideas for safety include lighting throughout the park; a police sub-station at the Community Plaza where “police on bicycles” could patrol “all day long;” security cameras with rapid police response; trees and bushes "trimmed low so people cannot hide;" “call-in telephones” throughout the site so that residents had a "hot line" to report problems; “benches with armrests” to deter people from using them at night to sleep; and public art, created by local residents that would “spark neighborhood pride” and “deter vandalism.” Resident ideas for public safety also 32

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

included ways to accommodate the homeless and plans to implement multigenerational, multi-cultural community patrols to watch over the park, steward the land, and provide "eyes on the park" to report undesirable activities. Above all, residents clearly communicated this: the best, most powerful way to make Unity Park safe for public use is to populate the park with people. Providing for the recreational, social, and cultural needs of a wide variety of residents gives people a reason to come. If more people come to the site, Unity Park will become safer. The individual surveys and one-on-one interviews clearly indicate that public art and beautiful things to look at are high on residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; wish list. Residents' design ideas for beautification include murals along the walls facing into the park depicting Richmondâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rich history, community painted tiles for seatwalls, birdhouses decorated and placed throughout the site as part of educational programs, four entry gateways that reflect Richmond's cultural diversity, community-created interpretive signage and native and colorful ornamental plantings throughout the park and the community garden. The Community Plaza will also provide space for performance and visual arts programs, crafts and exhibits. The following items for safe public use and beautification will be included in the proposed project: improved lighting, vegetation planted and sized appropriately so that it does not screen views, a public plaza that will serve as the onsite gathering point for community patrols, artistic gateways, murals, tiled seating walls, and green landscaping.

5. Sustainable Techniques: The design and construction of Unity Park will include as many sustainable techniques as possible. The design itself as well as the planned

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

construction methods and materials will utilize the most up-to-date information about sustainable building processes. The intention of Unity Park is to function as a model for sustainability, environmental education and urban greening at the neighborhood level.

5A. Unity Park - Sustainable Techniques Sustainable Technique

Description of the Sustainable Technique

Water Efficient Irrigation

The irrigation system will include a rain sensor and soil moisture meter. Site design includes pervious concrete, decomposed granite, turf, planting areas and bioswale. Surfaces will be graded to drain into plantings to capture and infiltrate stormwater and irrigation. Recycled materials will be used when possible (recycled plastic lumber, base rock.) Construction waste will be minimized by the recycling of recoverable materials generated during construction. Concrete incorporating recycled fly ash will be selected for all concrete surfaces. Landscaping will exclude invasive species and will include droughttolerant plant species appropriate to Richmond's climate and urban setting. Plantings will be arranged by hydrozones following the WUCOLS Project recommendations. The project maintenance plan will include practices such as Integrated Pest Management to eliminate or minimize toxic pesticides. Biological soil analysis and organic soil amendments and fertilizers approved by OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) such as compost, compost tea and biological inoculants will be used to balance soil biology to eliminate or minimize inorganic fertilizers.

Pervious Surfaces

Recycled Materials

Landscaping

5B. Unity Park-Other Sustainable Techniques Sustainable Technique Description of the Sustainable Technique Energy Efficient Lighting The project includes energy-efficient lighting that activates in low light, with LED/solar fixtures that minimize electrical usage and are Dark Sky compliant. Reduce Heat Island Trees will be added to the site to provide shade. All paved surfaces Effect will be rated at a Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) of 29 or greater, the threshold for LEED certification, in order to reduce heat absorption and contribute to the mitigation of the Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE). Non-paved surfaces including rubberized coverings for the play lot will be light in color to minimize heat absorbance.

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

Low-flow Water Fixtures

Utility Upgrades Wildlife Habitat

Sand and water play the Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Play area will use a low-flow activator for controlled flow. This activator can be disabled during winter or during periods of drought. Restrooms will utilize low-flow fixtures. The project includes upgrades to the local existing water, electrical and sanitary sewer lines, improving efficiency and reducing waste. The project will include areas of native plantings specifically designed to provide food and shelter for local wildlife species as well as for migratory bird species often found in the Bay Area.

6. Project Funding A. Will the requested grant plus the additional committed funds (if any) meet all costs needed to complete the project, or are additional funds needed? The requested grant funds will meet all the needs for the redevelopment of Unity Park. B. Not applicable.

7. Fees and Hours of Operation A. What will be the Monday through Sunday hours of operation to accommodate the various needs of youth, seniors and families? Unity Park will be open every day of the week, from dawn to dusk, to accommodate and provide for the recreational and social needs of youth, families, and seniors. These daytime hours will allow young children to play during the day, school-aged children and youth to meet after school, adults to exercise on weekends, and seniors to visit anytime.

B. Will youth, seniors, and families be charged entrance or membership fees? Park users will not be charged a fee to use the park.

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

8. Youth Outdoor Learning Employment A. What types of employment or volunteer outdoor learning opportunities will be available for residents or corps members during the planning phase or by project completion? Located in the middle of a blighted neighborhood with few trees and little green space, the process of restoring and developing the park site offers great potential for youth outdoor learning and employment. During the planning phase, local youth volunteered to assist with the public meetings and participated in a variety of outreach activities. Several community based agency programs including Groundwork Richmond, Urban Tilth, the Watershed Project, and Earth Team already engage youth in outdoor learning and stipended community improvement projects. During the construction of the project, both youth and adults will be involved in and learn about soil remediation, horticulture, community art and design projects and green building techniques. These opportunities will be sustained after the completion of the project so that community members are fully engaged in learning and stewardship of Unity Park.

B. How many residents or corps members will receive the employment or volunteer outdoor learning opportunities? The figures below reflect a conservative number of volunteer opportunities that will be available in Unity Park. To celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, for the past five years an average of 300 local resident volunteers have taken take part in a Day of Service on the existing derelict site. Based on this figure, it is likely that many more people from the local community will participate in volunteer projects to build and maintain Unity Park.

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

8 A & B. Employment and Volunteer Outdoor Learning Opportunities A. Brief Description of Employment /Volunteer Outdoor Learning Opportunity

B. # of Residents

Community Outreach during the community-based planning phase EMPLOYMENT and VOLUNTEER Project Management (CET will serve as the link between residents, key stakeholders and the City) - EMPLOYMENT Remediation of the Land through local employment training program where youth and adults can learn hazardous waste removal / soil remediation skills EMPLOYMENT and VOLUNTEER

18 8 15

Landscaping (building community garden, planting trees, vegetables, ornamental flowers, bushes and shrubs, installing a bio-swale restoring Baxter Creek) EMPLOYMENT and VOLUNTEER

300

Public Art (Commissioning local artists to create and install murals, mosaics, sculptures, paving, and signs) EMPLOYMENT and VOLUNTEER

Children's Playground (designing, building, installing a playground) EMPLOYMENT

TOTAL

401

9. Community Challenges and Project Benefits A. What challenges are present in the community that contribute to the need for an improved park/new recreational activities? Richmond is home to some of California’s poorest, most violent, and troubled inner-city neighborhoods. Unity Park will be located inside the Iron Triangle neighborhood, one of the toughest neighborhoods in the country. The community challenges of the Iron Triangle neighborhood are well-known and documented (The quotes below came directly from local residents.): UNEMPLOYMENT/POVERTY: “No Jobs.” During World War II, tens of thousands of African-Americans migrated from the South to find work and opportunity in the West at the Kaiser shipyards in Richmond. Here, they found jobs, worked hard, and bought

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

some of the first houses ever sold to African-Americans in this country, many in the Iron Triangle neighborhood. When the war ended, the jobs dried up, and the Iron Triangle neighborhood spiraled from a vibrant, proud, and economically strong neighborhood into one of the most economically disadvantaged in the State. Currently many Iron Triangle residents are either unemployed or under-employed. The unemployment rate within ½ mile of the project site is 20%. Those who are employed typically work in the service, construction, and transportation industries - sectors that suffered the brunt of job losses during the recent economic downturn. Historically low employment rates and low wages for these sectors have added to the “generational, chronic poverty" that plagues this neighborhood. Roughly 24%-30% of adult residents and roughly 40% of children living within proximity of the project site live in poverty. 2000 Census. th VIOLENT CRIME The city of Richmond was identified as the 11 most dangerous city in

the country. (Morgan Quitno Awards 13th Annual America’s Safest (and Most Dangerous) Cities, www.morganquitno.com/safecity.htm) All Iron Triangle residents - all children and families - have been touched by, or live in constant fear of, violent crime. The turf war between the neighborhoods of North Richmond (“North”), the Iron Triangle (“Central”), and the Santa Fe/Coronado (“Southside”) keeps residents “cag[ed]” inside their own homes, because of the persistent and ever-present danger of simply walking the streets surrounding their homes. LACK OF SAFE AND AFFORDABLE RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: “Nowhere to go, nothing to do.” The Iron Triangle neighborhood suffers a severe lack of park acreage - .62 acres of park space per 1,000 residents. It also lacks open space. In addition, the existing parks in the Iron Triangle are in poor condition. According to a

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

study completed by the Pacific Institute of neighborhood park conditions in Richmond, North Richmond and San Pablo, the Iron Triangle had the poorest park conditions ranking. In conjunction with lack of park acreage and poor park conditions, local residents also experience other barriers to recreational opportunities. Poor conditions of city streets prevent them from being used as play spaces and from functioning as safe routes to parks. High crime keeps children and families inside, behind locked doors, away from natural environments. Because most residents lack the means to pay for recreational opportunities, public parks in the Iron Triangle represent their only free play and recreational spaces. Given the extent of these challenges, residents have a profound need for safe, affordable and truly usable recreational opportunities for children, youth, families and seniors in the community surrounding Unity Park. YOUTH AT HIGH RISK: Youth in the neighborhood attend Richmond public schools that are under-funded, beleaguered, and among some of the poorest performing schools in the State. The residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; level of education is low: 49.9% of residents over age of 25 in the community have not completed high school. There is a shortage of activities and job training programs for youth in the neighborhood and a lack of affordable youth programs to meet the critical demand. 2000 Census. ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION: On the western boundary of the Iron Triangle sits an oil refinery, Richmond Parkway, and railroad tracks. All three produce air-born particles that negatively affect the air quality in Richmond. As a consequence of poor air quality and the history of the industrial activity in the city, Iron Triangle residents suffer from some of the highest rates of cancer, asthma, heart disease, diabetes and premature birth in the state. (CCISCO, Measuring What Matters, 2009).

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

B. How will the project benefit the health and quality of life for youth, seniors, and families by improving the community’s recreational, social, cultural, educational and environmental conditions? Residents helped identify the benefits that Unity Park will provide to improve the health and quality of life for all residents. (Note: All quotes shown below are quoted from residents themselves.) Recreational Benefits: In a neighborhood where residents say “there are no healthy places to be,” Unity Park can provide a safe and comfortable outdoor place for residents of every age to sit on a bench, eat a sandwich, and read a book – or be physically active. Creating both active and passive recreational opportunities – for all generations and cultures – was a high priority for residents. Outdoor recreation is also one of the best methods to combat many of the health and wellness difficulties facing the Iron Triangle community, including asthma, diabetes and obesity. Residents specifically designed the Great Lawn as a “multi-purpose open space” that can provide for the widest possible range of recreational opportunities: a place to hold an informal soccer game, play tag, fly a kite, watch an outdoor movie, take an exercise class, or have a picnic. The Children’s Playground will provide children with an enriched play space that is specifically designed to promote muscle development, cardiovascular fitness and foster healthy child development. The Community Garden will provide an opportunity for residents to be physically active while growing and harvesting their own food. Unity Park’s design also includes a delineated path with separate bicycle and pedestrian

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

lanes throughout the confines of the park for the benefit of seniors and families with children who are afraid of being hit by fast-moving bikes. Social and Cultural Benefits: The project site represents THE dividing line between “Central” and the “Southside” – two rival neighborhoods locked for years in a senseless and violent war. Over and over, residents stress that Unity Park could become the “tipping point of change” - a way to create a “neutral space” where families “from both sides of the track” can “come together as one.” In every survey, on every wish list, and in every one-on-one conversation, residents long for a place where they can gather together in a safe, peaceful environment and forge social bonds, make peace, and heal the wounds of a battle-worn and weary community. Residents view Unity Park as the neighborhood’s "Main Street:” an everyday place where residents of all ages and cultures can gather, get to know each other, walk or bike on the pathways, watch their children play, or simply be in the company of other people. Central to this vision is the "Community Plaza and Gazebo," a public commons where residents can shop for locally-grown produce at the farmers' market, watch dance performances, listen to music, sit comfortably on a bench or under the shade of a tree, and enjoy the outdoors in a safe environment. Residents envision the Community Plaza and Gazebo as a shared, public space where the entire community can celebrate its cultural diversity. Residents envision an “international food festival” where people can sample food from other cultures and enjoy music, dance, and theater performances that reflect Richmond’s cultural diversity. The Great Lawn, with picnic tables and barbeques, can host outdoor movies for families on summer nights. The community-based planning process to develop a vision for Unity Park has already begun to establish new

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

social connections and trust between residents, community organizations and the City, creating the foundation for building a true community space.

Educational Benefits: Residents envision Unity Park as a vibrant outdoor educational facility where all residents can participate in an ever-changing array of educational programs. Specifically, residents see Unity Park as a central place for residents to learn how to grow and harvest their own food; many of the organizations that participated in the community based planning are part of Richmond’s Healthy Eating Active Living collaborative and would like to incorporate Unity Park in their ongoing programming efforts. Residents picture the Gazebo in the Community Plaza as a place to “teach peace,” “conflict resolution” and “mediation skills” to residents as a way to “rewire the DNA of the neighborhood.” Residents envision the Community Garden, the Bioswale, and the native planting zones as outdoor classrooms for the four local schools located within three blocks of the project site (elementary schools Lincoln and Coronado and high schools Gompers and Leadership Academy) that would teach children of all ages about urban nature and stewardship of the natural world. Programs onsite for youth and adults could teach many of the sustainability techniques outlined in Criteria 5 (see page 33). In addition, local outdoor learning groups already working on-site, including Urban Tilth, The Watershed Project, EarthTeam and Groundwork Richmond, Gompers Garden and Richmond Police Activities League, will coordinate their activities to design outdoor learning programs that utilize all areas of Unity Park. Environmental Benefits: Unity Park will not only improve the physical and social health of the local community, it will improve the local environment. Residents envision

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

"a green oasis,” an “urban sanctuary" that is "good for the soul" at the very heart of a city where there is virtually no usable green space. The site plan includes drought tolerant and native plantings that will thrive in Richmond’s urban setting and will provide an attractive model for sustainable plantings in the neighborhood. Plants will be selected that can be used for play and support local wildlife. The planting areas, the Bioswale and the Community Garden will be graded to absorb, infiltrate and direct stormwater, with as little runoff as possible going to the storm drains. The addition of shade and fruit trees and light colored paving will help to reduce the Heat Island Effect in Richmond, lowering summertime temperatures. New vegetation and the application of biological inoculants will assist in treating the toxics that are present in the soil as a result of the site’s past use as a railway corridor. As mentioned in the response to selection criteria question 4B on page 25, beautification of Unity Park through public art projects and green landscaping is also a top priority for the community and the site plan incorporates and reflects many of the residents’ design ideas.

Economic Development and Local Employment: The development of Unity Park is also intended as a catalyst for economic growth in central Richmond. The planned weekend farmers’ market and community festivals can create jobs within and around the park. Residents envision transforming the vacant building surrounding the site into businesses (cafés, bike and skate rental shops) supported by thousands of residents coming to Unity Park. Because of the project area’s central location, economic activity in and around Unity Park may well have a stimulating effect that signals Richmond is ripe for business investment.

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

The City of Richmond wants to explore new ways to partner and contract with local community organizations to create jobs for local residents. As much as possible, residents and local Richmond businesses will be employed to build key components of the Unity Park, providing local jobs and developing skills for further employment. As mentioned, several community-based agencies provide training opportunities to help residents develop skills for outdoor employment. The City will work with these agencies and its own Employment and Training Department, to create an ongoing structure for internship, training, and job opportunities for park-related employment. The City anticipates that the development of Unity Park will stimulate further park development along this abandoned rail corridor, improvements in the surrounding streetscapes, and the purchase and renovation of blighted homes in proximity to the park, thereby improving the health and quality of life for the entire neighborhood for many years to come.

C. What administrative and operational experience or capacity does the applicant have to ensure project completion and long-term operation and maintenance of the project? The plans for the development of Unity Park is the product of a long history of partnerships between the Iron Triangle Community, the City of Richmond and many organizations in the public and private sector. At every stage, the local community has been involved, shaping the project to fit their needs and to ensure its long-term success. The partnerships that have made this project so successful to date will continue, guaranteeing Unity Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the successful creation, construction and completion. The City of Richmond is

Richmond Unity Park Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program Grant Application

currently working on many redevelopment projects throughout the City and its staff has extensive experience in the construction and maintenance of City projects. The Richmond Community Redevelopment Agency has also recently successfully completed the renovation of several parks and streetscapes, including Nevin Park, Richmond Civic Center and MacDonald Avenue with assistance from key City staff like the Parks Superintendent. The City will be working in partnership with virtually every non-profit organization currently working on the project site, the Richmond Community Redevelopment Agency, and a qualified design firm to develop construction documents for the project and to implement and monitor the construction process. After construction, an organized consortium of local non-profit organizations will assist the City in providing the logistical and material support for the development of a volunteer network for the long term maintenance of Unity Park. In short, Unity Park is poised to become the organizing project of the city that could be the “tipping point of real change” in this neighborhood. Building Unity Park, a “safe, green, and clean” public park, can become the catalyst for significantly improving the health and quality of life for residents, and revitalizing the surrounding community for decades to come.