Boys & Girls Club parking lot added to CDBG plan - Other items also funded

The Fallbrook Boys & Girls Club Teen Center parking lot was added to the 2008-09 annual funding plan for Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnerships, Emergency Shelter Grant, and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS programs.

The construction of Clemmens Lane Park and the construction of sidewalks on East Alvarado Street, both of which had previously been on the list for recommended funding, were also on the final list approved May 6 by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.

The East Alvarado Street sidewalks project received an additional $25,000 from CDBG funding, bringing the total amount to $278,174. The Clemmens Lane Park construction and Boys & Girls Club parking lot will be funded with $250,000 apiece of CDBG revenue.

A preliminary hearing was held March 11. Approval of the recommended plan included a 30-day public review and comment period before final approval and submittal to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which provides funding for the programs.

Changes between the preliminary and final recommendations often include reallocation of CDBG funding from previous years for projects which have been cancelled or completed with funds remaining.

The total amount of funding from cancelled and completed projects which was reallocated was $1,058,502.

One of the projects cancelled was the preliminary engineering and design for the East Elder Street sidewalks. That $35,000 CDBG allocation was approved in 2007, but parking concerns created opposition from Fallbrook Hospital and the project was dropped.

Community Development Block Grant projects are intended to revitalize lower-income communities. The proposals were selected based on criteria which include benefit to lower-income residents, health and safety considerations, the ability to leverage block grant funds into additional revenue, and availability of alternate funding sources.

The Fallbrook Boys & Girls Club provides a variety of recreational activities for youth in Greater Fallbrook. The CDBG funding would help construct a parking lot and related access improvements on the east side of the property, creating an additional 30 parking spaces.

The work will also involve road widening, retaining walls, storm water protection, and removal of basketball hoops as well as permitting and project inspection.

The initial recommendations had placed the Boys & Girls Club parking lot on the alternative list, noting that after a review of the application the original request of $109,307 might have been insufficient due to the additional work required.

The county’s Department of General Services recommended obtaining a second cost estimate and determining if completing the project in phases would be more feasible.

At the time the county’s Department of Housing and Community Development indicated that if feasibility was established the recommendation would likely be made to add the project to the final list.

The additional work has not changed the current estimated completion date of November 2008.

The county had approved $100,000 of Fiscal Year 2006-07 CDBG funds to assist with the purchase of the 0.56-acre site for Clemmens Lane Park, and in April 2007 the Board of Supervisors authorized the site purchase agreement.

The total construction costs for Clemmens Lane Park are estimated at $500,000, and in addition to the $250,000 CDBG allocation the County Service Area No. 81 advisory committee has recommended the use of $250,000 in Park Land Development Ordinance funds, paid by developers to fund park facilities in the development’s community, for construction costs at Clemmens Lane Park.

Current PLDO funding of $45,000 is being used for the design expenses of the park.

The amenities at Clemmens Lane Park will likely include a small soccer field, a sand volleyball court, a playground area, and a picnic area. The park construction has an estimated completion date of March 2009.

The East Alvarado Street sidewalk project will fund the construction of sidewalks, curbs, gutters, and minor drainage improvements on the south side of East Alvarado Street from Potter Street to Mercedes Road.

The 2006-07 CDBG funding included $35,000 for preliminary engineering for the installation of sidewalks on the south side of Alvarado Street from Potter Street to one-half mile west of Mercedes Road, and the 2007-08 funding provided $100,000 for design and right-of-way acquisition between Potter Street and Mercedes Road.

The total construction costs are estimated at $585,000, and upon Board of Supervisors approval the county’s Department of Public Works will use gas tax revenue for the remaining money, which was reduced from $331,826 to $306,826 when the cancelled and completed projects allowed for the additional $25,000 of CDBG funding.

The extension of sidewalks on Alvarado Street will provide a continuous walking path for pedestrians using Alvarado Street for La Paloma School, Fallbrook Hospital, and the health clinic. The sidewalk construction has a completion estimate of June 2009.