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BACKGROUND The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) operates the Iron Horse Regional Trail throughout Contra Costa and Alameda counties. The Trail, which currently extends for more than 30 miles from Concord to the Livermore border, currently ends at the Dublin- Pleasanton BART station. With the recent completion of the Santa Rita Road to Busch Road segment of the trail by the City of Pleasanton and East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD), the only significant gap remaining is a 1.6 mile segment extending from the Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station to Santa Rita Road. Following completion of the Santa Rita/Busch segment in 2007, the City Council approved a temporary connector from the BART station to Santa Rita Road and directed City staff to work with EBRPD to explore the feasibility of developing a permanent, Class 1 Trail within EBRPD's licensed corridor. On March 1, 2011, following a process that included review by the general public, the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Bicycle, Pedestrian and Trials Committee, the Council approved the Feasibility Study and Master Plan for the project. The Iron Horse Trail Feasibility Study and Master Plan concluded that it was feasible to develop a Class 1 segment of the Iron Horse Trail within EBRPD's licensed corridor, but that it would be necessary to relocate a few recreational amenities within its existing HOA linear park area. By necessity, the plan included the relocation of a tennis court and basketball court from the Valencia Homeowner Association's linear park into the nearby Owens Plaza Park. Since March 2011, City staff from the Community Services Department has been working closely with EBRPD and its consultant, Callander Associates Landscape Architects, to prepare a plan which comfortably and attractively incorporates the new sport courts into the Park. On October 13, 2011 at the regular meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission, the final design was reviewed and approved unanimously by the Commission. DISCUSSION Staff believes that the design of the new basketball and tennis courts is attractive and will be a well-received addition to the Park. Grouped together at the southern end of Owens Plaza Park in a large, existing, open turf area, the new courts will be very close to the location of the existing courts that will be displaced by the Iron Horse Trail. The new courts will be surrounded by a generous planting area that will include a number of shrubs and trees which are intended to attenuate sound and accommodate the necessary grade transition between their northern edge and the existing lawn. The new courts, designed and built to City standards, will be oriented in the proper "solar north" direction, but they will not be lit — as staff believes that this would have a significant impact on the adjacent neighborhood. Page 2 of 3