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It was another packed house at the latest community meeting in Livermore about the Springtown Open Space improvement project plans.
City engineer Joel Waxdeck delivered a presentation last week providing the most current conceptual plans from RRM Design Group, a multidisciplinary design firm working with the city to bring the project to fruition in the neighborhood located in the foothills of northeast Livermore.
Since the last town hall meeting in April 2023, the city has added the Springtown project to its 2023-2028 Capital Improvement Plan. The environmental analysis has also been initiated, according to city officials. Conceptual design plans have been tweaked to address resident concerns as well.
Many of the June 25 meeting attendees expressed excitement that the ball was finally rolling on the project that has been in the works since 2017 but was stalled for several years due to a lack of available funding.
The city first initiated the process to convert the 85-acre former golf course located in the heart of Springtown into an open space when the nine-hole course was closed in 2015. The property was locked into the existing open space designation by voter approval of Measure FF in the 2016 general election.
While the original 2017 plans for the open space have largely remained intact over the years, the city — in partnership with the Livermore Area Recreation and Park District — have taken feedback from residents and looked at similar projects in other communities to modernize and further improve upon the project.
Following these efforts and input received at the April 2023 meeting, the city has determined that the first phase of improvements are set to include constructing a park at the southern end of the Springtown Open Space between the Springtown Library and Springtown Homeowner Association facilities. The park, around three to four acres in size, will include an active play area, a large shade structure and smaller shade structures, picnic benches, a multipurpose field and a community garden.
The project is also set to include a disc golf course and shaded seating areas throughout the entire open space and tennis/pickleball courts at the neighboring Marlin Pound Park.
“One of the things we noticed is that a nine-hole golf course makes for the perfect 18-hole disc golf course,” Waxdeck said. “So, one of the amenities as we’re looking at this and looking at the layout – and we’re also working with the local disc golf club that’s here – is the layout of this disc golf course so that it’s not impacting the residents and that it’s buffered and it flows around the open space,” he added.
Waxdeck also highlighted a number of pedestrian safety improvements they plan to make in the area such as accessible crossings with ADA ramps and crosswalks with flashing lights in multiple locations.
The addition of public restrooms to the plans was also the result of community feedback, but in response to concerns over potential nefarious activities taking place inside the facilities, Waxdeck assured residents the restrooms would be on a timed and censored automated lock schedule.
Phase 1 is estimated to cost about $8 million, according to Waxdeck.
“For me this is kind of exciting because normally these size parks – like six to seven-acre parks – come in with a developer to fund it but this is very rare that you’re looking at a six or seven-acre park that’s not developer funded. And working with LARPD, together, we’re looking at funding the construction and the maintenance and everybody’s on board and for me as a city engineer, that’s kind of fun,” he said.
Some of the lingering concerns raised by Springtown residents at the meeting include parking and traffic impacts, noise impacts particularly related to the pickleball courts, maintenance and upkeep of the facilities and some components from the original plans that appear to be missing such as a bike pump track.
Waxdeck reiterated a number of times that the plans are flexible, leaving room for more amenities like additional parking spaces and a bike pump track in a future phase. He also assured residents that LARPD would be maintaining the facilities and keeping them in the same pristine condition as other city parks and the police department would keep an eye on any potential illegal activity.
The next steps for the project include circulating the environmental document for comments this summer before being presented to the Planning Commission and City Council for approval, along with the planning entitlement. Final design will commence after that.
The disc golf improvements are scheduled for construction in late 2024 with the park improvements and pickleball/tennis courts scheduled for construction in summer/fall 2025.
The online hub with updates on the project’s progress and timeline is available on the city’s website.
