IceRink - Construction Access, Bids, Design, Landscaping

Ice Rink Information Updates
Construction Access, Bids, Design, and Landscaping
December 2007

Construction access

PCC has reportedly forbidden the city to use the easement for access to the ice rink site by construction vehicles. While it is understandable that PCC wouldn't want the traffic through it's parking lot and next to its buildings, it would be the least impactful route. This leaves the city in a quandary.
We similarly don't want the traffic through our neighborhood streets. (It's bad enough that the PWP and its contractors have been taking advantage of us with little recourse the last seven months.) At our urging, the Conditional Use Permit for the Ice Rink forbids use of the Alameda entrance. Councilman Haderlein has also reportedly told city staff that this is not an acceptable option.
The road that comes from Maple next to the PWP plant is reportedly too unstable to be used and not feasibly capable of being upgraded. (Presumably why PWP hasn't been using it for its construction traffic.)
Thus the city is reportedly looking at building a temporary road from Orange Grove Blvd through Viña Vieja Park. This would enter on the north through the Edison gates (the former nursery entrance). It would then proceed south through the eastern portion of the park, probably exiting out the existing utility access gates at the southern end.

Clearly this would wipe out the usability of the eastern portion of the park for the year+ duration of ice rink construction and could not help but impact the environment of the rest of the park with lots more noise and dust then would be the case just from the construction to the south.
It would undoubtedly require removal of many trees in the eastern area. (Hopefully they could be saved for replanting afterward.)
It would likely cause lots of noise and dust (once again) for the residences whose backyards face the park.
It would cause a traffic hazard on Orange Grove, especially with the curve right there. (The reason the nursery didn't like using that driveway.) Have been told the city would probably require a flagman be present at Orange Grove whenever trucks are coming or going.
It would dramatically increase truck traffic on Orange Grove, primarily a residential street, plus Sierra Madre Villa or Altadena Dr, as trucks come from / go to the freeway.
Was told the city expects to limit truck traffic to non-peak hours for both traffic and the park.
City is looking at surrounding temporary construction road through the park with orange snow fence (like was present where white fence is now when park opened).
Certainly must add significant cost to the project.

Construction Bids

Construction for the Ice Rink project were put out to bid. Reportedly city staff was really concerned the bids will be higher then the current budget. They were perhaps wishfully thinking construction costs have fallen some and a bid would come in that would fit within budget, but if not hoping to get insight into where the costs lie so the design might be revised or construction phased or something.
According to brief non-agendized discussion in a City Council meeting, requesting bids may have been discussed by the Finance committee. But it has never been discussed by the Council itself in public session and it hasn't appeared as an agendized item for private session.
Ice rink construction bids were received on 12/28/07. Best bid reportedly exceeds the budget by about $5 million. (Considering the construction budget was only about $12 million, that is a huge amount.)
Planner expects they will have figured out their options for going forward by the end of January.
We can only speculate until then. The city, specifically the Civic Center expansion project, has already sunk a lot of money into this proposed location and design on the basis of moving the current rink out of the ballroom prior to the expiration of the ice rink operator's lease in 2011. Instead of just buying the operator out, the City Council decided to try to build a new better ice rink facility. All along it has been promised that funding would come from future revenues, not out of taxpayer pockets, and the existing budget was based on projections of those revenues.

Design

Told that the design hasn't changed except for a few minor materials issues since the initial design presented to Design Commission. The notion of spectator enclosures next to the walkway on top the locker rooms is out. Will just be walkway with windows. Although some folks would like the building to be a presentation venue, that isn't the charter and the city can't make the financial case to spend a lot extra on spectator seating.
City Council has never been presented the ice rink design. Now told that it will not be presented to them until staff brings the "whole package" to them for approval, which will be when they are to approve the construction contract.

Landscaping

We were now told by city planner at November District 4 meeting that instead of putting a landscape buffer immediately east of the access road that runs along the east side of the building, that area (which is on Edison land) will not be landscaped. Instead they have returned to the original idea/promise of landscaping the city land on the west side of Avocado Ave. This is reportedly in the ice rink project budget. Although promised, have not yet seen anything in print on this though.
There isn't actually any design doc or developed landscape plan for Avocado Ave. This is as we thought prior to being told otherwise at the District 4 meeting. City planner still says they plan to provide a landscape screen along Avocado. Says will work with us to select a planting scheme once they finalize ice rink construction plans.