PREPARED BY: MATT RODRIGUEZ DATE OF MEETING: 02/05/2024
SUBJECT:
TITLE
CONSIDER RESOLUTION (1) AMENDING THE FY 2023-25 CITY COUNCIL PRIORITY WORKPLAN UNDER, UNDER MAJOR POLICY GOAL: IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY, TO ADD POLICY NO. 516 - EXPLORE FEASIBILITY OF PURSUING A PUBLIC INTEREST LAND CONVEYANCE ON HUNTER HALL U.S. ARMY RESERVE CENTER (SAN PALO ARMORY) - 2600 CASTRO ROAD, SAN PABLO (NEW PW CORP YARD SITE), AND (2) AUTHORIZING TRANSMITTAL OF OFFICIAL LETTER OF INTEREST FROM SAN PABLO MAYOR PONCE TO U.S. CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE JOHN GARAMENDI (D-8TH)
CEQA: This proposed action is not a project as defined by CEQA; although, particular projects in the Workplan may be subject to CEQA and require additional review in the future.
Label
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Adopt Resolution
BODY
Compliance statements
FY 2023-25 Council Priority Workplan Compliance Statement
Proposed Policy No. 516 - City of San Pablo formal request to pursue a public interest land conveyance on Hunter Hall US Army Reserve Center - 2600 Castro Road, San Pablo (New PW Corp Yard Site) is not currently contained in the FY 2023-25 City Council Priority Workplan, effective May 1, 2023.
BACKGROUND
The City Manager’s Office is coordinating efforts with the City’s lobbyist, Townsend Public Affairs (TPA), to pursue official interest in a public interest land conveyance (or property transfer) of the Hunter Hall U.S. Army Reserve Center (San Pablo Armory), located at 2600 Castro Road (APN No. 416-140-003) in San Pablo, adjacent to Contra Costa College.
For years, the City has failed to directly communicate with U.S. Army officials on the current status of the Hunter Hall U.S. Army Reserve Center (i.e. San Pablo Armory) to determine its active or surplus status. Given its current location, the San Pablo Armory herein presents an opportunity for the City to explore the feasibility of a public interest land conveyance of said property with assistance of the City’s Congressional Representative, John Garamendi (D-8th District) who may be able to guide the City forward on its formal interest in the property through a federal required real property disposition process.
Preliminary discussions with TPA have yielded a potential process through the federal government via the General Services Administration (GSA) which is the agency responsible for federal assets including disposal of real property that is no longer mission-critical to federal agencies. The process to dispose/transfer/sell federal assets is mandated by federal law. When federal real property is no longer needed by a landholding agency to fulfill its mission, the agency reports the property as “excess” to GSA. Unless the agency (1) has independent statutory disposal authority or (2) plans to demolish the property, then GSA handles the disposition.
The main steps may include:
1. Federal agency reporting the property as “excess”
2. Federal transfer: GSA must first offer excess property to other federal agencies that may have a need for it. In FY2022, GSA oversaw the transfer of 35 excess federal buildings and six (6) excess parcels of land from one federal agency to another.
3. Surplus Property: If no federal agency acquires the excess property, GSA declares it “surplus” and offers it to state and local governments, and qualified nonprofits, which may acquire it at up to no cost, provided the property is used for one of the following public benefits:
• Correctional facilities
• Education
• Emergency management
• Highways
• Historic monuments
• Homeless assistance
• Law enforcement
• Port facilities
• Public airports
• Public health
• Public parks/recreation areas
• Wildlife conservation.
*Homeless conveyance: If a property is suitable for homeless use, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, we must first consider transferring the property as a homeless conveyance before any other public benefit conveyance can be considered.
4. Negotiated sale: If the surplus property is not conveyed for statutorily defined public benefits, GSA offers it to state and local governments, at fair market value, for other public purposes. Acceptable public purposes generally fall into two categories: direct use and economic development.
Following evaluation of these options, City and TPA staff initially agree that a public interest land conveyance may be the most optimum option available to the City to dispose of said real property through the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) process.
Future City Corporation Yard Use
For many years, the City’s Public Works Corporation Yard, located at 1515 Folsom Avenue (adjacent to Davis Park) has exceeded its operational capacity as a viable City public facility to currently meet all City Public Works Operations, Programs and Services. The current location adjacent to a public park also presents future expansion opportunities of park and recreation facilities in Davis Park in the future.
The City is considering a new project site that is centrally-located within City limits that is a more cost-effective option rather than construction of a new PW Corporation Yard initially estimated to cost the City between $13-15M, with limited and suitable vacant project sites within City limits for this scale of project. Alternatively, the San Pablo Armory site is suitable in size and already has previous motor pool/fleet uses associated with its current military use in addition to existing under-utilized building structures which could be potentially retrofitted and upgraded with a tenant improvement plan ranging between $5-$7M, respectively.
Note: The former City-owned Chelsea Avenue property adjacent to the Rumrill Blvd. corridor was a previous project site initially considered for a new PW Corporation Yard project. However, the City intends to re-purpose this site for a future EV Sustainability Project to meet the City’s SB 375 Climate Reduction Goals, and for meeting future 2035 State EV mandate demand for local EV Charging Infrastructure within the San Pablo community which currently lacks these resources.
City of San Pablo Official Interest
The City’s lobbyist, TPA, has been in consultation with the US Congressional Representative Garamendi Office (D-8th) since November 2023 on this process, and recommends an initial letter of interest from the City to be transmitted to explore the potential for a public interest land conveyance. Once federal procedures are identified through the NDAA process, future discussions on real property disposition with the federal government may require future Closed Session discussions in accordance with State law, when warranted.
ED, Housing and Program Management Standing Committee Review
On January 29, 2024, an informational item was discussed with EDHPM Standing Committee (Ponce; Cruz). A DRAFT letter was also reviewed with the Standing Committee for initial feedback. Standing Committee members acknowledged that an amendment of the FY 2023-25 Council Priority Workplan would be required to formally express interest on exploring a formal public interest land conveyance option for the San Pablo Armory with the US federal government via US Congressional Representative John Garamendi’s Office (D-8th).
Currently, US Congressional Representative Garamendi (D-8th) serves as a Democratic Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee. Preliminary discussions with his office indicate the potential for a legislative text to include the San Pablo Armory conveyance in the NDAA process for 2024-25.
Therefore, the EDHPM Standing Committee along with the City Manager recommends the City Council amend the FY 2023-25 City Council Adopted Workplan to include the following policy item via Resolution, as follows:
UNDER MAJOR POLICY GOAL: IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY
Add Policy Item No. 516: EXPLORE FEASIBILITY OF PURSUING A PUBLIC INTEREST LAND CONVEYANCE ON HUNTER HALL US ARMY RESERVE CENTER - 2600 CASTRO ROAD, SAN PABLO (NEW PW CORP YARD SITE)
Official Letter of Interest to US Congressional Representative Garamendi (D-8th)
Following adoption of said Resolution amending the FY 2023-25 Council Priority Workplan with Policy Item No.516, a letter has been prepared for City Council authorization to enable Mayor Ponce to express the City’s formal interest in a public interest land conveyance on the San Pablo Armory site, located at 2600 Castro Road in San Pablo (See Attachment).
FISCAL IMPACT
None associated with this report.
ATTACHMENTS
Att A - Resolution
Att B - Proposed Amendment No. 5 - FY 2023-25 City Council Priority Workplan (REVISED)
Att C - Letter from San Pablo Mayor Ponce to US Congressional Representative John Garamendi (D-8th) re: Request to pursue a public interest land conveyance on Hunter Hall US Army Reserve Center- 2600 Castro Road, San Pablo
Att D -Parcel Map (APN No.416-140-003)