4.15 RECREATION
SETTING
Morro Bay
Two State Parks are located within the city limits of Morro Bay, including Morro Strand State Beach and Morro Bay State Park. Montaņa de Oro State Park is located adjacent to the city limits to the south, on the Morro Bay sand spit. Portions of the City are within the jurisdiction of the California Coastal Commission (CCC). The CCC promotes state-mandated coastal land use and recreational policies, which involve shoreline access and recreational opportunities. There are a total of 10.75 linear miles of ocean and bay front shoreline that fall within Morro Bay's city limits. Approximately 95% of the shoreline is presently open to lateral access. As a coastal community, Morro Bay has a high tourist demand. Residents and tourists alike enjoy a variety of recreational opportunities including: surfing, diving, fishing, boating, camping in State Parks, and golf. The Morro Bay Golf Course is located within Morro Bay state park. A portion of the Morro Bay site is leased to the city for, and is developed and used as, a baseball park.
Moss Landing
Moss Landing State Beach is located within the community plan boundary of The Moss Landing planning area. Salinas River State Beach is located adjacent to the community boundary to the south. The community is entirely within the Coastal Zone and subject to Monterey County's Local Coastal Program (LCP). The LCP promotes state-mandated coastal land use and recreational policies, which involve shoreline access and recreational opportunities. Residents and tourists enjoy a variety of recreational opportunities including water sports, picnicking, and horseback riding opportunities within the state parks.
Oakland
In response to the Bay Area's urban growth, regional agencies have highlighted the need for an extensive regional open space system. Regional agencies such as the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) seek to preserve undeveloped or predominantly undeveloped land or water that may provide variety of public resources involving recreation, historic sites, scenic areas, natural resources, and agricultural resources.
Ten thousand acres of open space are within the Oakland city limits, or about 28% of Oakland city lands. Flatland neighborhoods contain about 80 percent of the city's population, but only contain about 15% of its open lands. Most of Oakland's open space is in the north and south hills. The Oakland Power Plant is located in a flatland area near Jack London Square, within the Chinatown/Central planning area. Oakland uses a total park acreage standard of 10 acres per 1,000 residents. The City currently has 8.26 acres of park land per 1,000 residents, which is derived from a grand total of 3,073 acres of park land (Oakland, 1995).
CHECKLIST ISSUES
a) Increase the Demand for Neighborhood or Regional Parks or Other Recreational Facilities
Expansion of operations at any of the three PG&E sites could directly result in relatively minor increases in employment at the sites. Such employment increases could cause small increases in local population, which could, in turn, increase demand for regional and neighborhood recreation facilities. Any such increases in demand would likely be small and widely dispersed throughout local communities, and would therefore be less than significant.
Conclusion
Because the project would likely result in minimal and widely dispersed demand for recreational facilities, the impact would be less than significant.
b) Affect Existing Recreational Opportunities
Morro Bay
A trailer/RV park, a community park, the Cal Poly Rowing Club, and the Morro Bay Fisherman's Association are located in the northern portion of the power plant property to be divested. Keiser Park is the community park located at the site. It includes two baseball diamonds maintained by the City. Three other parks are located within one mile of the plant including Morro Strand State Beach (to the northwest), Coleman Park (to the west), and the Morro Rock Natural Preserve (to the west). Morro Bay harbor is also located just west of the site and is used for recreational boating. Off-site parks would not be anticipated to undergo any physical changes as a result of the project. The onsite public and private parks and recreational facilities are subject to existing lease agreements with PG&E. PG&E will convey those leases with the sale of the property to the new owner. PG&E and the new owner will have the same option(s) under the current lease agreements to either renew the leases both under the same terms and conditions, renegotiate, or terminate, since the current terms of and future options with respect to these leases will not change under divestiture, the project would have a less than significant impact on recreation opportunities.
Moss Landing
Three parks and a marina are located within one mile of the plant. Zmudowski and Moss Landing State Beaches are located to the northwest and west; Salinas River State Beach is located to the southwest, and the Elkhorn Yacht Club and Moss Landing Harbor, which are used for recreational boating, are located to the northwest and west. Off-site parks would not be anticipated to undergo any physical changes as a result of the project. It should be noted, however, that PG&E currently pays Moss Harbor boat owners a "Boat Wash" clean up subsidy (Stillwell, 1997). The continuation of the "Boat Wash" subsidy is a condition of the sale of the Moss Landing Plant and will be conveyed to the new owner. Therefore, the project has a less than significant impact on recreation and park resources.
Oakland
Twelve parks and public spaces are located within approximately one mile of the plant. Lowell Park, Marston Campbell Park, Layfayette Square, and Jefferson Square are located to the north and northwest; Lincoln Square Harrison Square, and Madison Park are located to the northeast; Jack London Square and Marina, Estuary Park, Shoreline Park (City of Alameda), and Neptune Park (City of Alameda) are located to the south and southeast of the power plant site (Thomas, 1996). Off-site parks would not be anticipated to undergo any physical changes as a result of the project. Therefore, the project would have no impact related to direct physical effects on existing recreational opportunities.
Conclusion
The terms and conditions of existing leases for recreational facilities and parks would be conveyed to the new owner upon the sale of the Morro Bay Plant, as will the "boat wash" subsidy to the new owner of the Moss Landing Plant. There are no impacts associated with the Oakland plant. Therefore, the project would have a less than significant impact on recreational resources.