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o Lions Wayside Park — Cover the entire stretch of drainage swale within the park by installing an underground culvert. This will improve the park's safety and overall use, as was consistently requested during public hearings held on this project. o Delucchi Park— Install decorative safety guardrails; enhance the esthetics by removing debris and invasive plants; establish native and riparian planting and protect existing native vegetation. The swale will not be covered, although appropriate screens should be installed to prevent access. Several elements (water feature, rose garden and an adventure play area) that were included in prior planning documents were eliminated for a variety of reasons. These reasons include potential distraction making proper supervision of children at play during special events difficult and the State and City's recent mandate to restrict water usage. Ultimately, the public's strong desire to emphasize other aspects of the parks (e.g. larger lawn area, definitive gateway elements, etc.), the importance of the overall appearance and circulation of the two parks, and the need to integrate the Firehouse Arts Center, the Regional Trail and the new plaza areas, were given preference. Mr. Richard Larson, the City's consultant who prepared the Master Plan, will be in attendance at the City Council meeting. In addition to providing additional details on the above elements of the Master Plan, he will be able to respond to questions related to the guidelines provided on topics such as circulation, safety and material and design elements. CEQA and Permitting: Undergrounding the existing swale, as proposed by the Master Plan, will require the City to secure permits from government agencies with jurisdiction over natural resources, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Regional Water Quality Control Board. In addition, review of the potential environmental impacts of the project is required pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act. In June of this year, the City retained AECOM Technical Services (AECOM) to assist staff in securing the necessary permits and completing the environmental review document. Although the permitting process is expected to be challenging, staff and AECOM are collaborating closely to prepare a permitting package and environmental review document that will best position the City to obtain the necessary approvals and permits, and move forward with the Master Plan design. Based on the current schedule, the permits would be granted and the environmental documentation completed in the latter part of 2015. CONCLUSION The Master Plan for the Lions Wayside and Delucchi Parks incorporates the community's desires for enhancements and improvements to the two parks; and the direction provided by the Parks and Recreation Commission and the City Council. The result is an integrated community space that supports popular special events and Page 4 of 5