City of RPV Vision Plan

The Annenberg Foundation Grant

In 2005, the Annenberg Foundation provided a $1,067,000 challenge grant towards the acquisition of the Portuguese Bend property. This grant enabled the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy (PVPLC) to succeed in meeting its commitment to provide $4 million in private funding toward the acquisition. Impressed by the City’s commitment to create a habitat preserve and the beauty of the City’s coastal area, the Annenberg Foundation expressed an interest in assisting the City to create a master plan that would link the Preserve properties with the remaining undeveloped land as one planning area.

In March 2006, the Annenberg Foundation followed through on its interest and awarded a grant to the PVPLC to work with the City of RPV and create an RPV Vision Plan for the City’s coastal open space areas.

The Vision Plan Goal

The goal of the Vision Plan is to create a coordinated master plan for the areas noted below, with public access, interpretive materials, recreational amenities, and other facilities to improve the experience of the coast and open space for residents of and visitors to the Peninsula. The Plan will identify program, design and linkage concepts for the entire area.

The Vision Plan Project Area

The Vision Plan will encompass the following key open space areas:

• The entire Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve (NCCP Preserve)
• The “developable” (non-NCCP Preserve) portion of Upper Point Vicente
• The “developable” (non-NCCP Preserve) portion of Lower Point Vicente
• The Point Vicente Lighthouse property (U.S. Government owned)
• Portions of the Terranea property (for trail connection purposes)
• Del Cerro Park
• The 25-acre Active Recreation Area (gateway to the NCCP Preserve)
• The Coastal Zone (for the purposes of establishing a coastal trail)

These properties were selected because they serve as key open space parcels and/or because they provide ideal public use opportunities. Although several of the identified properties have had some planning and community input on their uses, there has never been a public process to consider all of the properties together. The Vision Plan will focus its planning effort on the following key open space sites which are not part of the City’s NCCP Preserve:

• The civic center portion of Upper Point Vicente (possible expansion/renovation of city hall complex with other cultural or recreational amenities)
• The area around the Palos Verdes Interpretive Center (PVIC) on Lower Point Vicente (possible companion animal care facility and docent interpretative park)
• Del Cerro Park (possible open space acquisition donor recognition site)
• The 25-acre Active Recreation Area which (possible gateway to the NCCP Preserve and equestrian park)

The Overall Vision Plan Process
Melendrez, a landscape architecture and urban planning firm with which the Annenberg Foundation has worked to implement many of its grants and projects, will be taking the lead with respect to integrating the existing planning documents, soliciting public input and working with the City/PVPLC staff to create the RPV Vision Plan. Melendrez will lead the planning process, with coordination and input provided by PVPLC and City staff and oversight provided by the City Council open space acquisition ad hoc subcommittee of Councilmen Clark and Stern. Click here to view a flow chart of the overall preparation process. Essentially, the planning process will involve the following steps:

Current Status of the Vision Plan

Vision Plan
Workshop No. 1

The first public workshop on the Vision Plan was held on Saturday, June 3, 2006 at Ridgecrest Elementary School from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Approximately 80 individuals attended the workshop to share their vision for the City’s nature preserve and associated open space, recreation area and civic places. In addition, groups and individuals made presentations on projects that will be addressed by the Vision Plan.

Workshop No. 2

Based on the public feedback received at the June 3rd workshop, Melendrez prepared alternative design schemes for the four key open space sites covered by the Vision Plan and shared the concepts with the public at a Vision Plan Open House workshop held on Saturday, October 21, 2006 at the City’s of RPV’s Point Vicente Interpretive Center. The purpose of the workshop was for the public to review the draft Vision Plan concepts and share their thoughts on the direction of the Vision Plan. The second public workshop was attended by approximately 60 individuals. To view the design schemes presented at the October workshop, click on the links below.

To view the October 21, 2006 conceptual design schemes for the Vision Plan, click on the links below:

- Framework Plan-PDF
- Image Board-PDF
- Abalone Cove-PDF
- Del Cerro-PDF
- Lower Point Vicente-PDF
- Upper Point Vicente -PDF
- Active Recreational Area-PDF

Comments on the above schemes should be submitted to the City no later than Monday, December 1, 2006. Click here for a public comment form.-PDF

To view the power point presentation given by Melendrez at the October 21st workshop, click here

Workshop No. 3

As a result of public input from the previous two public workshops and on-going discussions with City Staff, the Council Sub-committee, and Melendrez, the final design schemes for the Vision Plan have been completed and were presented to the City Council at a public workshop on Saturday, November 10, 2007.  The workshop began promptly at 9:30 am at the Point Vicente Interpretive Center (PVIC) located at 31501 Palos Verdes Drive West. To view the materials for the workshop click here including the proposed Annenberg Companion Animal Facility

• To view the video from the November 10, 2007 workshop click here.
• Comments on the final design schemes for the Vision Plan can be submitted to the City, via email or U.S. Mail, until Friday, December 14, 2007.  Click here to download a public comment form.  

At the November 10, 2007 public workshop, questions and/or concerns raised by members of the public regarding specific components of the Vision Plan design schemes, including the Annenberg Companion Animal Facility, prompted the City Council to direct Staff to prepare a matrix identifying the outstanding issues for consideration before the adoption of the final Vision Plan document. On May 6, 2008, the City Council will be presented with the Issues Matrix, prepared by the Melendrez, is for review.  The issues identified in the matrix are based on public testimony at the November 10th workshop and comment letters submitted to the City up through December 14, 2007.  

• Click here to view the Issues Matrix
• Click here to view the May 6th City Council Staff Report

Del Cerro Donor Recognition Site Improvements (Conceptual Proposal)

At its October 16, 2007 meeting, the City Council was scheduled to review will be asked to approve the improvement plans and authorize the construction of a donor recognition site at Del Cerro Park.  However, this item was continued to a date uncertain (without Council discussion) so that Staff could address public concerns raised during the comment period.  Although the Council will be presented with the design scheme for the Del Cerro Park improvements, including the donor recognition site, as part of the November 10th Vision Plan Public Workshop, the ultimate review and approval of the Del Cerro Park improvements will be brought back to the City Council at a later date.  It should be noted that the donor recognition site was conceptually approved by the City Council at its January 24, 2005 meeting with the intent to recognize private donors who assisted in the City’s acquisition efforts for the creation of the Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve.  The recognition site at Del Cerro Park will consist of the following improvements:

• The construction of an overlook at the southern edge of the park consisting of donor recognition signs, bench seating, and landscaping.  The design of the recognition site will utilize natural materials consisting of local stone and will respect the surrounding terrain by maintaining views and minimizing grading.
• The construction of a pedestrian trail connecting the existing parking lot with the proposed overlook.
• The installation of bench seating along the proposed trail route.
• The installation of an “entry welcome” sign and a donor recognition sign.

To view the project plans for Del Cerro Park click here.

For further information about the RPV Vision Plan and/or the PUMP Committee, please contact Ara Mihranian with the City of Rancho Palos Verdes at 310-544-5228 or via email at aram@rpv.com or Barbara Dye with the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy at 310-541-7613 or via email at barbaradye@cox.net.

If you would like to be placed on an interested parties list to receive public notices or other periodic updates on the RPV Vision Plan via e-mail, you may subscribe by joining the list server group here.