WATSONVILLE—The Watsonville City Council on Tuesday will be asked to approve the final plans for Ramsay Park and the City Plaza, as well as a giant, all-encompassing roadmap for the city’s 26 parks.
Prepared over the course of several months, the 2020 Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan is a first-of-its kind project for the City of Watsonville that spells out a path for much-needed improvements and additions to the city’s parks, programs and relationships.
The changes to Ramsay and the Plaza, called the city’s “Gems” in the plan, are at the forefront of the document. More than $21 million of repairs and upgrades are lined up for Ramsay, and the Plaza is set for a $3.3 million facelift.
The meeting begins at 4:30 p.m. The plan will be discussed in the evening session, which begins at 6:30 p.m.
The full 200-plus page plan can be seen here: https://bit.ly/3bvVGTk.
Along with descriptions of more than $18 million in capital improvements to the city’s parks, the plan also includes funding strategies for the city to move forward on those projects. Those strategies include hiking fees for parks and other city facilities, a future sales tax measure and various grants.
If all three plans are approved, the city would continue its work on the construction of a permanent restroom at the City Plaza and a bicycle pump track at Ramsay. The former is set for a Summer 2020 construction date and the later will begin construction in Fall 2020.
The full council agenda can be seen here: https://watsonville.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx.
•••
Council to weigh building, planning fee hikes
The City Council on Tuesday will also weigh more than 150 proposed building and planning fee hikes recommended by an in-depth study of the City’s rates.
According to the study from Willdan Financial Services, the City should increase the price of 155 fees and add 34 new fees to further offset the financial burden on Community Development Department staff while reviewing and inspecting projects and plans. The study also recommends the City decrease 23 fees associated with building and planning.
