TAMRMS#: B06
8.2
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Paving of St. Albert Botanic Park Parking Lot
Notice given by: Councillor Killick
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BUDGET POSTPONED MOTION:
recommendation
That a project charter be developed for paving of the St Albert Botanic Park parking lot for addition to the 2025 2034 Municipal Capital Growth Plan.
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Administration’s Understanding of the Intent of the Motion:
Administration understands this motion would result in a new growth capital project charter with dedicated scope to complete engineering, design and construction to pave the parking lot of the Botanic Gardens site that will be evaluated through the prioritization matrix for consideration during the 2025 budget deliberation process.
Operational or Organizational Impacts if Motion is Approved:
The direct organizational influence of this motion is minimal, as it relates to staff time to draft and perform the evaluation of a new charter through the prioritization matrix.
Within the provided background there is information shared on the influence of proactively paving this site (or any single site), as applicable to current process and recognition of other existing gravel parking lots and sites that are leased to user groups.
Financial Implications of Motions:
There are no direct financial implications of this motion to initiate the development of a project charter.
Should the project charter advance to approved delivery, it is estimated that $1,310,900 would be required to fund the paving of the Botanic Gardens Parking lot; however, this is a conceptual estimate explained in the background and has not been informed by any preliminary or detailed design work.
Stakeholder Consultations:
No engagements beyond internal department communication have occurred.
Background:
In 2018, a Council charter (COUN-035) was created following direction of Council, which involved scope and cost estimates to perform upgrades and pave existing gravel structure parking lots. This charter was retitled to ENGS-076: City Parking Lot Structure Upgrades in 2019 and maintained the same scope and funding requests. Details of this charter included:
- In total, this charter identified 13 city parking lots in gravel condition that would encompass a program to deliver upgrades to paved structures.
o Note of Update - Recognizing some city parking lots are being leased to user groups, the inventory of gravel parking lots is currently updated to 17.
- The charter captured cost estimates for designing and paving eight of the 13 parking lot sites within the “then 10-year” capital plan.
o The total value of paving these eight sites was estimated at $11,740,545.
- The Botanic Garden site was not captured as part of the initial eight sites which means no preliminary engineering or design work has been performed for this site to date. This means that there are no accurate cost estimates that have formally been developed to create an opinion of probable costs to pave the parking lot. As a first action, engineering and design would be needed to create this cost estimate.
From 2019 to 2022, the project charter did not score high in prioritization and Administration recommended its removal from the 10-year Capital Plan in 2022.
- Administration recommended the elimination of the charter in alignment with recommendations to maintain existing gravel parking structures until such time that site improvements or development occurs on adjacent facilities that would require hard surface parking lots.
The removal of the charter was approved on March 22, 2021 through CB-21-018, and as such the project charter was discontinued.
To provide background on what the Project Charter may report:
- When consideration of paving parking lots is made, a holistic and full scope should be considered regarding the following:
- Storm management systems required with a hard surface parking lot structure (catch basins and storm lines to connect to the system).
- Concrete work for curbing, aligned to storm management and site delineation of the parking lot area and natural area.
- Parking lot stall markings.
- The costs represent previous cost estimates and will require validation through effort of engineering and design specific to this site and are used as preliminary design estimates (+/- 35%). The following cost estimates to pave the parking lot site includes scope of work of construction, engineering & design, construction management and 10% contingency:
- Area of Lacombe Lake Park parking site = 3,370 m2
o Opinion of Cost = $2,149,000
- Area of Botanic Gardens Parking site = 2,050 m2 (61% of Lacombe Lake Park)
o Opinion of Cost = $1,310,900 (61% of Lacombe Lake Park)
For further Council consideration of this motion:
1. To date, Administration (Transportation Engineering, Public Operations, or Recreation and Parks) have received no formal public reports of concern with the state of the gravel parking lot or requests for paving to be completed; although an interest had been expressed in 2023 anecdotally by a leasehold partner.
2. Site improvements to existing gravel parking lots will deliver the benefit of improved mobility accessibility. Gravel structures may be difficult to maneuver on for users facing mobility challenges, who may or may not utilize mobility aids. A hard surface under good conditions better supports ease of movement under such circumstances.
3. Existing gravel sites operate and function well with low maintenance costs in comparison to paved parking lot sites.
- RMR funding associated with asphalt and concrete repair or road marking material replacement are not required with gravel structures.
4. There are multiple gravel parking lot sites that are incorporated into lease agreements with tenants using the City space and parking lots. Within these site lease agreements:
i. The tenant has accepted they are leasing the site on an “as is” basis. This can be interpreted as the lease holders are aware of the parking lot structures state and accepted this in agreeing to the lease agreement.
ii. Specific to the Botanic Garden Lease Agreement - The Landlord (City) will, as available, provide and spread gravel for the parking lot and entrance.
§ typically, the tenant will give notice of concerns to which the City responds to address any areas of issue with the gravel or grading.
§ The Botanic Park is an exception in terms of the lease agreement and associated responsibility with the maintenance of the parking lot. In most agreements the City has, the tenants are responsible for any and all maintenance associated with the parking lot or access.
iii. Any proposed plan for site construction or development would be the responsibility of the tenant (not the City) and necessary actions of applying for the improvements and providing all relevant information and documentation and, if approved, costs associated with implementing improvements would be the responsibility of the tenant.
§ Improving the parking lots from gravel to paved structures is interpreted to fall within this classification and therefore interpreted to be initiated and front ended by the tenant.
§ In all cases, tenants are eligible to apply to the Community Capital Grant Program to assist with capital project costs associated with such site improvements.
It is acknowledged that the results of this motion will not automatically deliver an approved capital project charter or dedicated funding to complete the paving of the Botanic Garden parking lot; however, it will have implications of funding place holders within the 10-Year Capital Plan and Administration resources in developing and updating a project charter for perpetuity until it is approved for funding or approved for removal.
It is also acknowledged that the St Albert Botanic Park is operated by a not for profit organization who provide a large public garden for the enjoyment of residents and the region.
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Author: Dean Schick, Transportation Manager
Department: Engineering
Department Director: Dawny George, Director Engineering
Managing Director: Diane Enger
Chief Administrative Officer: William Fletcher