Progress: Follow The Development

• October 14, 2017 Ground Breaking Ceremony For Cross Alameda Trail. City Council, Recreation & Parks Commissioners, Bike Alameda Officials, Jean Sweeney Open Space Park Fund board members and the community all came together in the Jean Sweeney Park for a ground breaking ceremoney for the Cross Alameda Trail.
  Music was provided by the Franz-Nichols Band.
  Coffee was provided by Starbucks on Park Street.
  Link to the story and video of the Ground Breaking event page here.
  
  


• September 16, 2017    Volunteers Cleaned up the South Side Of The Jean Sweeney Park.
  Before the clean up day on September 16th was scheduled, the park was cleared of vegetation and trash left from years when the park had been vacant pending plans for the park construction. During that time 20-30 homeless people were living in the park. Larger items were cleaned from the park during the early part of construciton but it was not possible for smaller trash to be cleared using large construction machinery.
  
  So the Alameda Recreation & Parks Department scheduled a volunteer clean up day for the park. The north side of the park is presently under construction by McGuire and Hester Construction so that area was clean. The south half of the park had trash left over that was small and needed to be picked up by hand. Link to story with video here.
  
  



• On August 2, 2017 Denis Gasti, President of the Alameda Kiwanis Club, presented Amy Wooldridge, Alameda Recreation & Parks Director, with a check for $50,000 for building the natural playgrounds in the East end of the Jean Sweeney park. The donation is a combination of $25,000 from Alameda Kiwanis Club members and $25,000 from the Alameda Community Fund (ACF).
  
  
  Present at the check presentation were, left to right, Dave Hewitt: ACF Board & Kiwanis member, Pat Kofman: ACF Board & Kiwanis member, Jim Franz: ACF Board & Kiwanis member: Ed Kofman: ACF Board President & Kiwanis member, Kari Thompson: Kiwanis President Elect, Amy Wooldridge: Alameda Recreation & Parks Director, Dorothy Freeman: ACF Board member, Kiwanis member, and board member Jean Sweeney Open Space Park Fund, Alameda Mayor Tris Spencer: Kiwanis member, Jim Sweeney: Kiwanis member and board member Sweeney Open Space Park Fund, Denise Gasti: Alameda Kiwanis Club President.
  
  
• On July 18, 2017 The City Council authorized the City Manager to Execute a First Amendment to an Agreement with Placeworks to Add the Amount of $98,129 for a Total Agreement Amount of $763,957 for the Design of the Jean Sweeney Open Space Park.



• On July 15, 2017 the California Department of Toxic Substance (DTSC) published a DTSC Work Notice for the Jean Sweeney Park. There are some toxic substances in the park that are left over from the working rail yard days but the following plans are in place to mitigate the toxic substances.
  What is the work?
  • Digging up, consolidating, and capping 1900 cubic yards of soil (low concentrations of hydrocarbons, PAHs, and lead) under a proposed trail.
  • Transporting 450 cubic yards (25 truckloads) of soil (hydrocarbon saturated) to a permitted disposal facility.
  • Covering excavated area with clean soil.
  • A medium-sized truck mounted drill rig will sample groundwater at approx. 30 locations.



• On June 20, 2017 The City Council authorized the City Manager to Execute a Second Amendment to an Agreement with BKF Engineers to add the amount of $42,461 for a Total Agreement Amount of $297,964 for the Design of the Cross Alameda Trail, Webster Street to Sherman Street through Jean Sweeney Open Space Park.
  BKF_Engineering_Second_Agreement_Staff_Report.html BKF_Engineering_second_amendment.html BKF_Engineering_Original_Agreement_and_First_Amendment.pdf
  
• On March 21, 2017
  
  The City of Alameda and the Alameda Rotary finalized a donation of $100,000 Rotary & City of Alameda Agreementto the City toward the construction of the Picnic Pavilion at the Jean Sweeney Park. The agreement is the Rotary will make the donation over a five year period in equal installments of $20,000, with the first installment to be made by June 30, 2017 and each subsequent installment to be made by June 30th of each thereafter until Rotary has donated the full $100,000.
  
  On October 13th Recreation and Park Commission recommended this naming and agreed that it is appropriate to include the Rotary name and logo on a permanent recognition feature on the picnic pavilion as a way to recognize their donation.

The following documentd are associated with the aggrement between the City Of Alameda and the Alameda Rotary Club.
Rotary Pavilion Location
Rotary Pavilion Staff Report
Resolution Presented by Mayor Spencer


• March 16, 2017 All Legal hurdles have been surpassed for the park section of the Cross Alameda Trail to start construction.
  On March 16th, Mayor Trish Spencer, ARPD Director Amy Wooldridge, Jean Sweeney Open Space Park Fund board members Jim Sweeney and Dorothy Freeman traveled to Los Angeles to appear before the California Transportation Commission to request additonal time on the grant to build the Alameda Cross Alameda Trail through the park. The trip was successful as the CalTrans Commission vote to give Alameda the additonal time needed on the grant. This was the last approal required for ARPD to start the search for a construction company for the park.


• On December 6, 2017 The City Council Authorized the City Manager to Execute an City of Alameda Page 3 Printed on 12/21/2016 City Council Meeting Agenda December 6, 2016 Amendment to the Consulting Agreement with BKF Engineer for Construction Administration Services for an Amount Not to Exceed $50,000, for a Total Amount of $255,503, for the Cross Alameda Trail through Jean Sweeney Open Space Park. the Consulting Agreement can be found
here. For information on the origional agreement, scroll down to April 15, 2015.


• On November 15, 2016 the City Council authorized the City Manager to issue a notice to proceed with Macks Craic Inc. (dba Mack5) for Construction
  Management Services for the Cross Alameda Trail through Jean Sweeney Open Space Park and to Appropriate $160,000 to the Cross Alameda Trail Project Budget.


• On July 5, 2016 the Alameda City Council voted to accept the park design created by Placeworks. With the design approval, ARPD can start the construction phase by requesting bids for Phase I, the Cross Alameda Trail. After a company is selected, construction will start on the Cross Alameda Trail through the park. Start of construction is planned for fall 2016. Alameda City Council presentation and the Placeworks design of the park can be found here.
  
  The City Council also authorized the City Manager to execute an agreement with Macks Craic, Inc. for Construction Management services for several city parks including the Jean Sweeney Park.
  
  Jim Sweeney spoke of his wife, Jean Sweeney, and her dream of an open space park in the Alameda Belt Line switching yard. He asked the City Council to vote to finalize the design phase of the park so the construction phase can begin. Listen to Mr. Sweeney's comments here


• Spring 2016   The official survey of the Jean Sweeney Open Space Park has brought some good news. For 18 years the Belt Line switching yard was thought to be 22 acres in size. The survey has confirmed that the Belt Line yard, that will become the Jean Sweeney Open Space Park, is actually 27 acres in size.


• On March 1, 2016 the City Council approved a Memorandum of Understanding between the City and The Alameda Food Bank. The Food Bank, presently located in the park on the West end, is planning to double its present size and build a permanent building. View information about the planned expansion MOU Click Here.


• On March 1, 2016 the City Council approved two contracts that will start the process of building the park. SLR International Corporation will provide site investigation and Environmental Report Services. Placeworks Landscape Architects will provide design services for the entire park following the master plan design approved for the park. Additional information and contracts with both companies can be viewed Click Here.


• On February 9, 2016 Amy Wooldridge, ARPD Director, announced that the official survey of the Park land determined that the park space is not 22 acres as believed but is actually 27 acres. So we have gained 5 acres.


• On October 29, 2015 the Alameda Recreation & Parks Commission voted to approved the design for the Cross Alameda Trail that will pass through the Jean Sweeney Park. View ARPD Director Amy Wooldridge's report Click Here..


• July 13, 2015 Press Release by Amy Wooldridge, Recreation and Parks Directory. The California Department of Parks and Recreation announced a $2 million grant for the Jean Sweeney Open Space Park from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The LWCF program provides funding to public agencies for acquisition and development projects that create outdoor recreational resources. Read the press release here.


• April 21, 2015 Contract for design of the Cross Alameda Trail's approximatly 4000" park section has been awarded to BKF Engineers. This contract will be for the Jean Sweeney Park trail but will also cross Constitution Way and Webster Street where the trail will connect with the Ralph Appezzato Memorial Pkwy section. The trail will become part of the Bay Trail and will adventually extend from Alameda Point to the Fruitvale Bridge.


• January 27, 2015 Jean Sweeney Park Receives $2 Million From Developer Fees
  Amy Wooldridge, Alameda Recreation & Parks Department Director, announced the recently approved agreement with Tim Lewis Communities for the development of the Del Monte building stipulates a $2 million payment for the Jean Sweeney Open Space Park. Click Here.


• October 6, 2014 Press Release by Amy Wooldridge ARPD Directory City Wins $2.2Million For Jean Sweeney Park to construct the protion of the Cross Alameda Trail that runs through the Jean Sweeney Park. Click Here.


• On July 15, 2014 the Alameda City Council voted unanimously to approve the Draft Master Plan for the Park. Documents related to the presentation by Amy Wooldridge, Alameda Recreation & Parks Director, plus a video of the City Council meeting can be reviewed Click Here.


• On June 23, 2014 the Planning Board reviewed the park Draft Master Plan and the Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration. The Planning Board approved the design developed by community input and designed by Kristoffer Köster of KKDesign. The Master Plan approvel cleared the design to be presented to the Alameda City Council.


• May 14, 2014 The Jean Sweeney Open Space Park Fund received a grant for $2781.57 from the Alameda Community Fund to purchase tools for the park. Tools are needed for community clean-up events and the grant will provide most of the tools needed. The future Community Gardens will also need tools once they become active and the tools will be useful there. Click here.


• On January 18, 2014 the first community volunteer workday was held at the Jean Sweeney Open Space Park. The event was held to clean up the area where the future community gardens will be located. Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan sponsored the event that 315 volunteers of all ages came out to help with. Click here.


• In April 2013 the Church of Christ Latter Day Saints renovated the exterior of the Belt Line Railroad building on the East end of the Jean Sweeney Open Space Park. Click here.


• Tom Schweich: Botanist, has cataloged the plants that are found on the 22 acres of the park and has produced a report on what he found. The report is titled: An Initial Assessment of the Plants in the Jean Sweeney Open Space Preserve. Read the plant survey here. This report is an important step in planning for the parks development.


• Press Release: First Grants Received September 30, 2013 Click Here.

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Published on:   August 15, 2017