BMX Park And a Revitalized Plaza Way Get a Boost From the Lafayette City Council

The Lafayette City Council shifted into another gear on the proposed despite rising expenses that have more than tripled the initial estimated cost.

By a vote of 3-0 late Tuesday, the council approved $25,800 for an additional environmental study of the park — a decision that was met with applause from some and opposition from others.

The park would be at the south end of the Lafayette Community Park, which was designated for recreational activities, the council said.

The bike park fills a hole in the city’s offerings, said Vice Mayor Carol Federighi. Several bikers said they travel to Pleasanton, San Ramon or Santa Cruz to ride.

But community members questioned shelling out a projected $320,226 on the park.

“We’re spending money like drunken sailors,” John Briggs of Lafayette said.

It would cost about $3,000 to $5,000 a year to maintain the park once built, said Jennifer Russell, parks, trails & recreation director.

For a number of bikers, it’s money well spent.

“(A park) forces a community to bond together, which doesn’t happen much anymore,” said Anthony Goryl of Orinda, who has been biking most of his life. “Because of video games, people are staying inside."

The council also jumpstarted plans to make over Plaza Way by bringing in new retailers and eateries, including Oakland-based .

That means removing the major hurdle to these efforts – fewer parking spaces than the city requires.

Greg Woehrle, owner of the Park Theatre, has been trying to locate additional parking for six years, but was never successful. And when the adjacent park was created, it ate about 20 parking spaces, said Michael Poy, whose family owns a number of Plaza Way properties.

As a result, storefronts have been empty for several years.

City leaders will meet with developers to find a solution within two months, keeping Fentons on track to open in summer 2012.

Using other parking lots or creating a historic district in the area, which would relax parking requirements, are on the table. Woehrle also suggested implementing a trolley system to shuttle patrons to and from the area.

The council also ruled on another parking issue, approving $67,500 from the general fund for a lot at the Lamorinda Skate Park, over calls from community members to use park funds instead.

The city’s park fees cannot go toward projects outside Lafayette, according to the city ordinance.

Several at the meeting said that money from the general fund could be spent more wisely – on smoothing roads, for example. They also pointed out that Orinda is using park money to pay for its share.

But breaking the ordinance could lead to challenges from the developer, and amending the rules would rack up expenses, city officials said.

Building the lot eliminates the safety hazard of cars parking on Moraga Road next to the skating arena, said Jay Ingram, Moraga parks and recreation director.

Earlier in the evening, the council also ruled that an $89 parcel tax to fix roads, which will be extended over 10 years, would appear on ballots in November. 

If the tax garners two-thirds approval, the city will contribute $3 million over the first three years and $1.7 million annually to mend streets.

The Fix Our Road Committee cited overwhelming support for the tax, with more than 1,500 signatures on a petition.

“There’s no other way to do this. You don’t have the money,” George Burtt, from the Acalanes Valley Homeowner Association, told the council.

The tax is a pared-down version of one that voters turned down several years ago. That one was twice as expensive and lasted 30 years.

Mayor Carl Anduri proposed amending a component of the current tax, which makes it more reasonable for businesses.

The council also rescinded a $1 million loan to the city’s redevelopment agency that would have covered a cash shortfall from library construction and other expenses.

The loan would likely not be paid back after Gov. Jerry Brown enacted a pair of bills eliminating redevelopment agencies earlier this month, a staff report said. A lawsuit claims that the legislation violates Proposition 22, which prevents Sacramento from pilfering local funds. 

Maintaining Lafayette’s redevelopment agency would require making so-called “ransom” payments, an option the council is looking into. If these payments aren’t made, the agency will be shuttered.