Landscape & Lighting

January 2012:

Message from the President of your Advisory Committee

Many years ago, when I lived in San Francisco, the head of SF Muni was asked about his role there. He replied, in effect, by saying, “I just watch the buses go out in the morning and then make sure they all come back at night”(!).

Sadly, before the formation of the Marina Bay Lighting & Landscaping District – and the near simultaneous hiring of present Parks and Recreation Superintendent Chris Chamberlain – it was much the same situation here in Marina Bay. But when it became clear that each resident of Marina Baywould have to pay some extra tax dollars for our “enhanced” landscaping, all of us became more focused on where our money was being spent.

So, in addition to the special accomplishments already detailed below by Chris Chamberlain, it is the primary task of the Advisory Committee to make sure our money is spent wisely…. and to make sure it is all spent here in Marina Bay.

You might think that last point is obvious, but – as noted in the first paragraph – at the beginning there was no system in the City of Richmond that could tell us exactly where our money was going, or how many workers were actually working here in Marina Bay, or how many hours they were putting in working in our Marina Bay parks and other common areas.

Luckily, when Chris Chamberlain took over Parks & Rec., reforming the budgetary process was one of his first priorities and your Advisory Committee wholeheartedly endorsed this effort. Insofar as the City of Richmond has a certain amount of bureaucratic inertia, it has been a challenge, from remaking the software to requiring the workers to punch more detailed time cards. But it is almost done, and by the beginning of the next fiscal year (July 1, 2012), we will know exactly where and how long and on which project each worker has been, for every hour of every workday. It sounds elementary, but it will give us unprecedented control and information with which to more efficiently use your tax money.

Thank you, Chris Chamberlain and all the members of the Advisory Committee!

Jonathan Taylor, President
Advisory Committee / Marina Bay Landscape & Lighting Maintenance District
 
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ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND OVERVIEW OF THE LAST YEAR IN YOUR LANDSCAPING & LIGHTING MAINTENANCE DISTRICT

Greetings and Happy New Year Marina Bay Residents! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Chris Chamberlain and I am the Parks and Landscape Superintendent for the City of Richmond. As the Superintendent of the Parks and Landscape Division I oversee the maintenance and operation of the City’s 54 parks as well as the urban forest, streetscapes and public right of ways. I am also the District Administrator for the City’s two special assessment districts,the Hilltop Landscape Maintenance District and the Marina Bay Landscape and Lighting Maintenance District (MBLLMD). I have been with the City for 14 months now and with each passing day I feel a bit more comfortable with the roles and responsibilities afforded to me as your Parks Superintendent and District Administrator. Since my arrival I have worked very closely with the Marina Bay Landscape and Lighting Maintenance District Advisory Committee (MBLLMDAC) headed up by President Jonathan Taylor. This committee has worked aggressively to identify and address the needs within the District. I would like to take this time to recap the past 6 months which encompass the first half of the fiscal year 2011-2012 as well as outline the goals for the second half of the fiscal year.

The single biggest accomplishment over the past 6 months has been the Bay Trail rehabilitation project that took place along the Bay Trail from Shimada Park to the Meeker Slough Bridge. The renovation project included new L.E.D. lighting bollards, widening of the existing asphalt pathway, the addition of decomposed granite on either side of the asphalt trail, restoring an irrigation system that had not operated in over a decade as well as installing a Bay friendly plant palette. The Richmond Community Redevelopment Agency led the project in close partnership with the Parks and Landscape Division and the MBLLMD Advisory Committee. One of the key points of this project aside from the lighting restoration and asphalt work was the addition of a permeable landscape fabric which will allow water to permeate and irrigate the plants but will suppress the growth of weeds. This fabric will allow the desirable plants to mature without competition from non-desirables. This fabric will also drastically reduce the need for herbicide use as we grow and manage the new landscape. As a part of this project we also added new benches and restored the lawn at Promontory Point. As a finishing touch, we planted native California wildflower seed along the waterfront side of the trail. With a few rain showers and warming temperatures of spring we will be seeing a fantastic show of poppies and other natives. This project began in August and was completed in early December. There are still a few items that we have to work on but we are extremely pleased to have this project significantly completed.

In addition to the Bay Trail efforts, your assessment dollars also went to restoration efforts along the Esplanade adjacent to the Sailing Club at “D” Dock. As with the Bay Trail project, staff resurrected a dilapidated irrigation system, installed a landscape weed barrier, installed Bay friendly plants and added a layer of organic mulch. This project resulted in a vast aesthetic improvement as well as a manageable landscape. We look forward to watching this newly renovated landscape grow this spring and summer and hope you enjoy the show.

A third project that I would like to highlight is one that was completed this fall at Shimada Park. Staff installed “no mow fescue” sod, renovated the irrigation system and planted several trees and shrubs transforming the front segment of Shimada Park along Peninsula Drive.

In addition to the above projects staff has spent significant hours performing “routine” maintenance including turf mowing and edging,  landscape pruning, litter and weed abatement, tree maintenance, graffiti and vandalism repair, lighting and electrical work including restoring the lights in the seat wall along the esplanade, replacing bulbs and damaged lenses at various sites throughout the assessment district. We are proud of our accomplishments over the first half of this fiscal year and understand that there is still much to be done moving forward.

We will be performing some much needed tree work in Marina Bay Park in the coming weeks. The focus will be along the fence line adjacent to The Beach Town Homes subdivision. Work will include removal of six cypress trees along the fence and the pruning and cleanup of an additional twenty trees. In addition we will also do some aggressive pruning on the two cypress trees adjacent to the “E” Dock restroom building. It is also our goal to perform a renovation to the turf at Marina Bay Park as well. This effort will include aeration, over-seeding, top dressing with organic compost, and irrigation adjustments and improvements. Other projects we look to complete will include restoring the vandalized light bollards along the esplanade across from the entrance to Sunset Pointe as well as replacing the missing bollards at the entrance to Vincent Park.

With the uncertainty surrounding the Richmond Community Redevelopment Agency we will need to look closely at the two phases of the Bay Trail Rehabilitation project that remain incomplete. Efforts to restore the lighting and improve the landscape in these areas remain a priority and a plan to accomplish this will be developed and put into play as your Assessment District moves forward.

As your District Administrator I hope you find this update informative and please know that I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to work with you. Please feel free to contact me or your representatives on the MBLLMD Advisory Committee as your input is respectfully appreciated. Happy New Year and here’s to a successful and productive 2012!

Respectfully,

Chris Chamberlain
District Administrator
Marina Bay Landscape and Lighting Assessment District

(510)231-3073

 

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June 21, 2011:  Start of Summer and the longest day of sunlight hours in the year….seems a perfect day to update the community on what the “Advisory Committee” is up to with the Landscape & Lighting Maintenance District vis-a-vis the City and Parks Staff.

Significant progress was made during the first half of this year toward establishing a meaningful cost reporting and budgeting system for the Marina Bay Landscaping & Lighting Maintenance District – the LLMD. Prior to the LLMD’s creation in 2009, Marina Bay parks and other common areas (median strips, etc.) were maintained by the Richmond Redevelopment Agency. However, the Agency did not track maintenance expenses for Marina Bay in a way that could provide a reliable baseline for future expenses for the proposed District. Consequently, the initial budget offered by the City in the “First Engineer’s Report” for fiscal 2009-2010 were based on estimates unsupported by hard empirical data.

Of course, reliable operating cost data is essential for responsible financial management. Since the commencement of the LLMD, the Advisory Committee has strongly advocated establishment of mechanisms required to reliably gather actual operating data.

Fortunately for the District, Richmond hired Chris Chamberlain mid-2010 as the new Richmond Parks & Landscaping Superintendent, following the retirement of his predecessor. Chris shares the Advisory Committee’s commitment to an accurate, transparent and effective reporting and budgeting system and has been a dedicated partner to the Advisory Committee. Chris has worked hard to create such a system, and he intends to roll it out July 1, the beginning of the new fiscal year (2011-2012).

The new system features a detailed Scope of Services, Maintenance Interval Guidelines and an employee time card reporting system. Together, they will enable compiling a detailed record of the LLMD’s actual expenses of operation according to expense type (materials vs. labor), functional category (e.g., mowing, weed abatement, tree pruning, repairs, etc.) and area (e.g., Bay Trail, Shimada Friendship Park, etc.). This data will then be utilized for budgeting and operations in subsequent years.

However, until that data is accumulated and quantified, the LLMD will need to operate based on the fiscal year 2011-2012 budget which is essentially an extrapolation of the estimates comprising the first two budgets for fiscal years 2009–2010 and 2010–2011.

Attentive readers will have noticed an apparent substantial shift between the two earlier budgets and the current one consisting of reductions in the amounts budgeted for “Direct Costs” and “Repairs and Rehabilitation” and an increase in the amount budgeted for “Administration”. The shift is more apparent than real. It resulted from re-categorizing certain items previously shown as direct costs and repairs and rehabilitation to more accurately reflect their true character as administrative. While the apparent reduction of money available for “hard” maintenance is disappointing, the improvement in accuracy and transparency is welcomed and appropriate.

Members of the Advisory Committee continue to regularly ”patrol” the 320 acres of common area in greater Marina Bay and report items needing maintenance attention to Parks Staff. Staff will prioritize work items and address them as quickly as resources permit. For additional information about the LLMD and the Advisory Committee and past accomplishments, please read the rest of this webpage.

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February 16, 2011: The Advisory Committee is hard at work updating the Annual Budget so that everyone will be able to see and understand how your annual Landscaping & Lighting Assessment dollars (refer to your Property Tax bill…it’s listed as LLMD) are being utilized. The A.C. is working with Chris Chamberlain, the fantastic new Parks & Landscaping Director, to provide transparency, accountability, detailed information, etc. in an effort to keep the neighborhood informed about our public common areas and what goes into taking care of them.

November 26, 2010: Some of 2010′s efforts, accomplishments, etc. for our special assessment/maintenance district include the following items (this is not a complete list, but is a list of highlights):

  •  New irrigation controllers (scroll down to previous article to see photos) have been installed throughout area. Functional test for the Master Irrigation system was completed on Nov. 9 and attending Parks staff were briefed. Once the new underpass is completed, the entire neighborhood irrigation system will be a state-of-the-art system, interconnected and integrated.
  • All benches in area inventoried with plans underway to refinish, replace, refurbish (based upon conditions of each grouping or the types in the specific park, etc.). Due to the variety of bench designs, materials, etc., different approaches are needed. Please be patient as this is a long process but all benches will be spruced up and made safe.
  • Graffiti is being removed as fast as we can get it reported on monuments, benches, tables, concrete risers, etc. You are encouraged to report it when you see it. It is common knowledge that when taggers see that their graffiti is removed quickly, they tend to move on to other areas.
  • Numerous trees have been pruned to provide better view corridors (such as in Vincent Park) and to prevent hiding by any criminals; eight cypresses in Marina Green near The Beach subdivision’s northern fence are slated for complete removal due to severe disease conditions (8 new trees will be planted elsewhere).
  • Diseased and infested Ceanothus, debris and overgrowth have been removed to create a safety/view corridor just north of the public tennis courts, along MB Parkway where the Bay trail meets the street, so that pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists can all better see each other; 15 yards of mulch have been laid down over the newly exposed area. We also had appropriate City personnel restripe the crosswalk where the trail crosses the four lanes of MB Parkway connecting the Marina Green and the Bay Trail (not part of our budget but a simple email produced a result and cost us nothing). We have also asked for the small, faded stop sign where the trail meets the street to be lowered for bicyclists to better see it, and enlarged OR repainted for visibility.
  • The flax plants in this same location are in very poor shape and discussions are in the works to decide how to handle the flax.
  • Large amounts of weeds have been removed from shoreline areas in Vincent Park.
  • Concrete walls in Lucretia Edwards Park are receiving attention. Skateboards have severely marred these walls, creating eyesores and black wax buildup. Anti-skateboarding cleats will be installed and wax removal is in the works.
  • The “Shipyard Stories” monument, at end of Vincent Park, is severely corroded, faded, etc.; while not in our purview, it has been slotted for refurbishing, repairing and repainting because we contacted the appropriate personnel (not part of our dollars, but it is in our neighborhood, it is an important monument, and we all agree it should be properly maintained due to its historical importance).
  • This past summer the Parkway medians south of Bayside Drive were completely refurbished and replanted. Eventually all medians on Marina Bay Parkway (north of Bayside) will be redone but the plan is to create an integrated look with the landscaping that will be part of the new Grade Separation project. Until then, please be patient as we coordinate with the landscape architects. 
  • Other areas (e.g.: berm near Amini’s) have also been replanted with beautiful flowering plants.
  • All newly planted areas are being weeded on an ongoing basis; plans to place weed barriers are being made as we do not want our hardworking City crews spending all their time down here weeding (we’d rather they spend our dollars doing more important work).
  • We noted the severe drop-off between the Vincent Park perimeter sidewalks and the “rip rap” adjacent to the harbor, and requested infilling of these severely eroded areas. The erosion of the last couple decades could have led to pedestrians or bicyclists slipping off the edge of the concrete and hurting themselves; soil has been brought in and the process is underway to smooth it out, make it level with the sidewalks, remove any large rocks or other similar content in the soil.
  • Shimada Park is named for our sister city, Shimada, in Japan. A rose garden is being planned in conjunction with Shimada.
  • The old concrete phone monument on the Esplanade between Trailwinds Sailing Club and the entry to Dock D is an eyesore since the phone was removed, exposing the conduit, and we are working on plans to repurpose and beautify this concrete monument.
  • Water fountains throughout the entire area are repaired and several beautiful new ones have been installed (if you walk along the Esplanade you will see them prominently placed).
  • Copper wire theft as we all know only too well, has been an ongoing problem in our area. All the junction boxes (“Christie” boxes) around Vincent Park have been rewired AND huge boulders or 1000 pound concrete trash receptacles placed over them to thwart the thieves. This has helped provide lighting again along the trail near this park. The rest of the trail, slated for a major rehabilitation project (see the “Related Projects: Trail Rehab” link on this site), will have new lighting installed, broken bollards replaced, etc. once the trail rehabilitation project is completed. Unfortunately, this means the bayside portion of the Bay Trail adjacent to Sunset Pointe, The Breakers, Promontory and Marina Bay Condos, remains unlighted.
  • Many tree grates along the Esplanade have no trees in them because they either died or were diseased and subsequently removed; weeds are growing through these grates. We have requested these be cleaned up and new trees planted.
  • The hardworking staff has notified other City personnel where other departments are needed (such as replacing the stolen stainless steel from Lucretia Edwards Park bathrooms).
  • Power washing of tables and adjacent concrete is ongoing in areas where public grills exist; in Vincent Park the trees above those grills have been pruned to prevent fires.
  • Several of the blue light poles will be repainted in the Lucretia Edwards area as they are faded and in some places unpainted.
  • Concrete ashtray receptacles were discovered and are being removed as they were eyesores and garbage collectors.
  • Regatta Boulevard median strips are under discussion as they have no source of irrigation and we want to beautify them as well.
  • Suggestions for replacing the “highway lighting” fixtures on the Parkway are being made; photos of the beautiful pole lighting on Pinole Valley Road, just off I-80, were taken and submittted to appropriate City personnel for consideration for our main thoroughfare.
  • For the current fiscal year we worked hard to not have any increase in the LLMD assessment that you pay (over last year’s amount) on your property tax bill.
  • These are just a few of the items we are working on, or have accomplished, and we reiterate to all of you, please be patient. The Parks & Rec crews have numerous other locations they are responsible for and spend a very substantial amount of their time in our area. But every task takes time to complete and we have given them very long TO DO lists.
  • Finally, we ask for everyone’s help in disposing of litter when you see it. We regularly pick up items and carry them to the numerous trash bins and are noticing other residents doing the same. We know that many people think nothing of dropping litter so we ask for your help in keeping the area clean and beautiful.

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10/4:  A few of the new irrigation controllers:  

Pretty soon you can expect to see some of the dry, brown areas start to turn green again. Thieves have been hard at work for a long time in our neighborhood stealing copper wire from the electrical boxes and as we all learned in school in our science classes, copper wire conducts electricity. This means not just the trail lights (many of which are still “out”) are affected, but also the irrigation system. These new boxes which are cropping up all over the area will begin to alleviate the irrigation problem. If you should see ANY suspicious behavior near any of them, immediately call Richmond PD: 510-233-1214. They will need location information and clear descriptions of the suspicious persons.

   

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The much anticipated “weather station” for the new irrigation system has just been installed in Shimada Park. The City will install a fence around the unit to protect it from vandalism, animals, etc. Various issues such as electrical power, uneven water distribution (you may have noticed both some very wet muddy areas and some dry, brown patches) are being addressed and will be remedied. Meantime, when you’re out walking stop by Shimada Park and take a look at this new unit to the right of the concrete block restroom structure.  September 15.

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For your viewing pleasure: as promised previously, here are some photos of the new plantings on the Esplanade near Saluté Ristorante and Amini’s General Store. The recent hot weather (late August, early September) has caused a little wilting but our new plantings are a beautiful addition to our neighborhood. Work is currently underway on a new irrigation system but at this point we do not have a timeline with specific benchmarks to share yet (it will be part of the new system going in for the landscape architecture that will be part of the new grade separation). Stay tuned to this website for regular updates.

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Good news from the City Council Meeting, July 20, 2010…following is the agenda item addressed at City Council during Open Hearing, followed by the results of the meeting.

“I-2. CONSIDER approving the proposed annual assessments for the Marina Bay Landscaping and Lighting Maintenance District for the 2010-2011 Fiscal Year and consider adopting a resolution approving the levy and collection of the proposed annual assessments – Public Works Department (Yader A. Bermudez 231-3009).”

The Advisory Committee (“AC”) is happy to announce that this coming fiscal year there will be NO increase in the budget for the Landscaping & Lighting Maintenance District (“LLMD”)!  Therefore, you will not have to pay a higher assessment than you did last year (2009-10 was the first year for our assessment district). When you receive your 2010-11 Property Tax statement, you will see that your LLMD assessment is the same dollar amount as last year’s – i.e., NO increase.

The AC was hard at work for the last several months with Parks and Recreation Superintendent, Tony Norris, on the “2010-11 Engineer’s Report for Marina Bay’s Landscaping & Lighting Maintenance District” (the Engineer’s Report defines the scope, governance, and most importantly, it details the fiscal year budget for this special assessment district; it explains terms such as “General Benefit” and “Special Benefit”, “enhanced” versus “basic” upkeep, includes charts, tables, maps of the various areas being addressed, etc.). Last year, Marina Bay property owners voted two to one in favor of establishing the district and the funding for it by assessments.  Based on the community vote, the City Council approved the 2009-2010 Engineer’s Report and formed the MB LLMD. This year, following property owner notification and the Public Hearing, the City Council approved the Engineer’s Report for 2010-2011. NOTE: as soon as the “Final” version is available in pdf format, it will be uploaded to this site for you to study so that you can be fully informed about the budget, the scope of work, etc.

If you own a detached single family home, you pay slightly more than owners of town homes and condominiums.  The Marina Yacht Harbor pays a different amount for its hundreds of boat slips, and owners of businesses in the district pay unique amounts as well.  Additionally, there is a healthy and growing Reserve Fund that was established in the original Engineer’s Report (last year’s Reserve: $43,000+; this year’s addition to the Reserve: nearly $60,000).

More good news: the actual City contribution (first determined in last year’s Engineer’s Report) will not change in the coming fiscal year (the City contributes slightly over $303K for the fiscal year).  It is worth noting that the Hilltop Landscape Maint. Distr. was also on the City Council Public Hearing agenda for an INCREASE in its assessments (“I-1. CONSIDER approving the proposed increase in annual assessments for the Hilltop Landscape Maintenance District for the 2010-2011 Fiscal Year, and consider adopting a resolution approving the levy and collection of the proposed annual assessments – Public Works Department (Yader A. Bermudez 231-3009)”.  Unfortunately, Hilltop homeowners will have an increase in their assessments. So when you see your Marina Bay neighbors who fought the good fight last year and those who are carrying on the work this year, make sure you thank them for cutting a good deal for you for two years running!

Without these assessment dollars at work here in the Marina Bay Neighborhood, the City would simply not have the money in this difficult economic environment to do more than very basic upkeep in our beautiful parks, medians, etc. For those who are new to the area and may not know about any of this, or who might have forgotten, 12/31/09 marked the end of 25 years’ contribution by the Redevelopment Agency to our area’s enhanced maintenance above and beyond what other areas of the City received from the City operating budget. Transfer taxes funded those contributions to Redevelopment’s budget for our parks, medians, irrigation systems, etc. but the “sunset” date on the 25 years of contributions was the last day of last year. The only way the area can be maintained and thereby help maintain property values, curb appeal, neighborhood beauty, etc. is by means of this assessment.

Older news on your assessment dollars at work:  July 1, 2010
This page will display a rotating selection of photos, documents, and other useful information to keep you current on the work of the Advisory Committee (“AC”) to the Marina Bay Landscaping & Lighting Maintenance District (“LLMD”).  The purpose is to inform you as to how your yearly special assessment dollars are being spent (refer to your property tax statement for fiscal 2009-2010 for the specific amount your household must pay).

As of June 2010, new median plantings have been completed along Marina Bay Parkway from Bayside Drive, south to Shimada Friendship Park. Additional future median work north of Bayside Drive up to Regatta, will be coordinated with the planned redesigned landscaping of the rest of the Parkway, once the overall railroad grade separation landscaping plan is finalized. This will provide a smooth visual transition from the “gateway” experience which will be an integral part of the new vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle corridor (important note:  your tax dollars and assessment funds are NOT being used in any manner on the underpass, or any of the related features; all funding for the grade separation, underpass, associated lighting and landscaping, was secured from other sources).

Please also note the newly planted entry area of Shimada Friendship Park, as well as a newly planted berm along the Esplanade near Amini’s General Store. Stay tuned and we’ll be getting photographs of the Esplanade area as well.

(For additional information on the grade separation / underpass, please refer to the underpass article on the “Minutes & Archives” page on this website. See also, under Landscaping & Lighting menu, submenu “Related Projects-Grade Separation”.)

The AC – comprised of homeowners, a homeowner-representative for the MBNC, the Harbor Master, and commercial property interests – is hard at work in regular meetings with City representatives to prioritize repairs and maintenance and discuss future plans and coming budgets. At this time, park maintenance and other common areas are starting to receive enhanced upkeep (please see Enhanced-basic maint chart). Soon the irrigation and lighting will be restored on our trail as well; new, improved, more energy-efficient lights are under consideration at this time. New irrigation controllers will be connected later this summer via “Evolution System” gauges to a weather station that is calibrated to our particular micro-climate; these controllers and gauges will help to conserve water.

This photo alerts you to the presence of thieves having been here. This is one of many electrical junction boxes where copper wiring was stolen. If any individuals look suspicious, and appear to be removing copper wire along the Bay Trail or the Esplanade, etc., please call the Richmond Police immediately, dialing 911 if the suspects are on site, otherwise call 510-233-1214. Legitimate electricians or Parks & Recreation workers wear identification badges, their trucks have i.d. numbers on them along with the City of Richmond logo, and the license plate numbers start with an “E”. Report any suspicious persons to the police along with a description and license plate number if possible. Only uniformed City employees, driving marked City vehicles, during normal business hours would have any legitimate reason to be at the junction boxes that control the trail lights and irrigation controls. Copper wire transmits the electrical current that operates irrigation and lighting systems, so it is an essential component of the whole enterprise. Please also note that County Supervisor John Gioia (who also lives in this neighborhood) is working with District Attorneys throughout the County to address the copper wire theft problem, from penalizing the thieves who steal the wire, to trying to get the metal shops buying the stolen copper wire to stop doing so.

Return to this page and all the other pages on the website often for current information and updates on completed projects, scheduled projects, projects under way and additional photos of our beautiful neighborhood.

 

 

Click on thumbnail photos above for wider views. Use your “back” arrow to return to this page.

Photo of Vincent Park/Brooks Island, courtesy of Ellen Gailing. All other photos this page courtesy of Ruth Zablotsky.