Title
Approval of Cammarano Park Land Donation
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
At their meeting on October 15, 2015, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee (PRAC) voted unanimously to accept the proposed land donation. The PRAC Letter of Recommendation to City Council is attached.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to accept the Cammarano land donation as City park open space.
Report
Issue:
Determine whether to accept or reject the proposed park land donation by David and Sharon Cammarano.
Staff Contact:
Dave Okerlund, Program & Planning Supervisor, Parks, Arts & Recreation Department (360) 570-5855.
Presenter(s):
None. Consent calendar item.
Background and Analysis:
The proposed property donation consists of nine small lots that, in aggregate, comprise 2.39 acres. The parcels are located in Southeast Olympia, south of the Olympia Woodland Trail (OWT), approximately 1/3 mile east of the Eastside Street Trailhead. They are close to, but not contiguous to the trail right-of-way. The parcels have frontage on unimproved rights-of-way for 18th, 19th and 20th streets. The property is undulating, heavily vegetated, and suitable for wildlife habitat. There are no improvements on any of the parcels, and the topography renders the lots undevelopable. The Thurston County Assessor has placed the current value of the combined properties at $78,150.
As Olympia’s population grows, the City will need to both acquire additional open space acreage and develop trails and support facilities within its existing open space inventory to maintain the current Level of Service for Open Space.
Multiple goals in the Parks, Arts and Recreation Plan and the City of Olympia Comprehensive Plan support the acquisition of open space and the expansion of the park system via donations.
A title report for this property and has been reviewed by the City Attorney and the legal description for the parcel has been reviewed by the City Surveyor. The attached Quit Claim Deed was prepared by the City Attorney and has been reviewed, approved and executed by both David and Sharon Cammarano.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
The Woodland Trail Greenway Association supports the acceptance of this donation. They also support a strategy of expanding the OWT open space corridor and constructing neighborhood connections to the trail by various means.
Options:
1. Council accepts the donation as a City park open space.
2. Council rejects the parcel donations.
Financial Impact:
Based upon an average annual maintenance cost of $590/acre for similar open space properties, the financial impact of accepting this donation will be approximately $1,410 per year. Maintenance would consist primarily of hazard tree removal, noxious weed control and transient encampment monitoring and enforcement.