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Commission's support focused on the additional lawn space that would be provided for concerts and events, and the accessibility and safety issues the members felt would be addressed with the undergrounding of the drainage channel. On July 16, 2013, the schematic park designs were presented to the City Council. Staff provided a status report on the project, including the input that was received during the Parks and Recreation Master Plan process that identified the renovation of Lions Wayside and Delucchi Parks as one of the most significant improvements that the City should pursue. Staff also identified the potential regulatory challenges in undergrounding the drainage channel. The City Council directed staff to pursue the option that proposed undergrounding the channel and the City Council adopted the master plan on October 7, 2014. Design After Adoption of Master Plan The City contracted with AECOM to provide the necessary environmental and permit application consulting services. Undergrounding the channel required the City to secure permits from government agencies with jurisdiction over natural resources and review the project pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). To satisfy permitting and CEQA requirements, the City, with consultant assistance, prepared a draft initial study/mitigated negative declaration (IS/MND) to accompany the permitting package for the project. Upon receiving the IS/MND, the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), Army Corps of Engineers, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife all expressed concern regarding the proposed undergrounding of 533 linear feet of Kottinger Creek in Lions Wayside Park. The agencies were concerned with the potential loss of riparian habitat and impacts on surrounding watersheds. Due to these concerns, each of the agencies indicated they would not issue permits based on the submitted design and plans for Lions Wayside and Delucchi Parks. In November 2017, in response to the permitting agencies' feedback, the City substantially revised the conceptual design to reduce impacts on Kottinger Creek and enhance segments of the channelized stream while still meeting the master plan's objectives of augmenting the appearance and use of the parks, upgrading an important downtown recreational amenity, and improving park safety. Compared to the previously submitted design, the new design significantly reduced impacts on Kottinger Creek but upon review by the RWQCB, this redesign was also determined to be unacceptable for meeting the objectives and standards of the agency, and therefore, the RWQCB did not support the redesign. Taking into consideration the feedback and perspectives of the various permitting agencies regarding the section of Kottinger Creek in Lions Wayside Park, staff modified the originally adopted design of Lions Wayside Park again to achieve the intended goals outlined in the Master Plan, while conforming to the standards and guidelines that would be necessary to secure permits from the various local permitting agencies. Page 3 of 9