Newark City Council held a special workshop to solicit council feedback on proposed amendments to the city’s 2024–2026 capital improvement plan, including playground replacements at multiple parks, a new all‑abilities play area at Newark Community Park, preliminary planning for replacement of two city‑owned fire stations and several street and streetscape projects along Thornton Avenue and elsewhere.

City Manager Banoon opened the meeting, saying, “The purpose of tonight's work session is to solicit feedback from the council on a proposed amendment to the existing CIP.” City Engineer Mickey Sabota told the council the proposals are intended to reinstate projects that could not be reapproved in 2024 because of recusals and absences and to accelerate a few high‑priority items staff believes can be completed before the end of the current fiscal year.

The most immediate park proposals are playground replacements at Birch Grove, Jerry River/Ash Street and Mirabeau Park (three of four parks shown in the presentation) with the three projects combined at about $3,700,000. Sabota said those are “priority 1 projects” identified by the parks master plan after safety inspections and community outreach. Separately, staff presented a fourth parks project: an all‑abilities play area at Newark Community Park estimated at about $2,600,000; staff said that site was selected for existing programming and space and potential future expansion.

Staff proposed using park impact fees as the primary funding source for the parks work; Sabota said the park impact fee account currently has a balance of around $10,000,000 and that, after funding the four play projects, an estimated $3,500,000 would remain.

On facilities, staff asked the council to authorize preliminary planning funds for two city‑owned fire stations the facilities master plan identified as high‑priority: Fire Station 27 (Cherry and Mowery Avenue) and Fire Station 29 (Russian Drive at Newark Boulevard). Sabota said both buildings are operated by the fire district but owned and maintained by the city, and the assessment identified operational and life‑safety issues including inadequate backup generators and a need for significant seismic upgrades. Staff proposed about $3.5 million for preliminary planning (site, soils and environmental assessments). Sabota described the full project timeline as uncertain and estimated four to five years from start to completion because of unknowns such as soils conditions, potential contamination and the need to find interim facilities for crews during demolition and reconstruction. He said staff is collaborating with Alameda County Fire Department and has engaged MAC 5, a consultant working for the county fire district, to identify lessons and design efficiencies.

On transportation and downtown work, staff proposed reinstating several previously deferred projects and adding a larger Old Town (Thornton Avenue) streetscape improvement project and pavement overlays. The Old Town streetscape work includes roadway reconfiguration (reducing four lanes to two narrower lanes), buffered bike lanes, widened sidewalks, additional landscaping and high‑visibility crosswalks; staff presented conceptual renderings and described the project as an economic development and pedestrian/bike safety investment with a much higher cost than routine pavement overlays. A figure shown in the presentation for the Old Town streetscape was substantially larger than the other line items (a figure shown in the meeting materials was approximately $17,100,000). Staff also presented Thornton Avenue pavement overlay phase 1 (I‑880 to Olive Street), with a ballpark cost of $4,070,000 and various regional and local funding sources (regional measure 3 among others). Sabota noted several related projects already in design, and that some pavement work must be coordinated with Alameda County Water District pipeline work before on‑street construction.

Council members and staff framed the workshop as an opportunity to provide direction, not to take formal action. City Manager Banoon noted staff will “incorporate council's feedback into the draft plan, and we will present that to the planning commission for conformance with the city's general plan,” and then bring a final draft back to council later this year (staff said November or December was anticipated for formal adoption). Sabota also outlined staff’s plan to begin the city’s first five‑year CIP process next spring, with a proposed effective date of July 1, 2026, for the five‑year plan if approved.

During discussion, council members raised operational and prioritization concerns: one councilmember asked whether advancing the fire station work would leave other public‑works projects behind and urged staff to identify which projects the city can realistically deliver on time. Another councilmember asked for a clearer timeline and annual milestones in the planned five‑year CIP so the council and public can track start and completion dates and funding sources; Sabota said staff will include fund balances and scheduling in the five‑year plan. Several council members emphasized safety as the primary justification for the playground work. Members also requested staff consider prioritizing railroad crossings likely to reduce the greatest residential impacts when implementing quiet zones (the quiet‑zone work requires both safety improvements and a multi‑agency approval process).

Community members and councilmembers also raised historic and community‑use issues tied to parks work. Recreation Director Nick Cuevas noted the large concrete “caterpillar” sculpture at Newark Community Park dates to the 1960s and discussed options for preserving all or part of the structure; council members urged staff to consider preservation or memorialization as staff develops options for the site. Staff said decisions about the defunct splash pad at Newark Community Park and other amenities would be considered as part of the five‑year CIP.

No formal votes were taken at the workshop. Two council members announced recusals from specific items because of real property leasehold interests: Councilmember Jorgens recused from the Thornton Avenue overlay item and Vice Mayor Little recused from the all‑abilities play area item; the city attorney explained the recusals were made under the Political Reform Act. Staff recorded council comments and said it will transmit the draft amendment to the planning commission for review and return to council for adoption later this year.

Background and funding notes included in staff remarks: Sabota described a typical annual gas‑tax/street fund revenue of roughly $4.0–4.5 million and said capital funds and impact‑fee revenues vary with development activity. Staff named funding sources for proposed items including park impact fees, Measure G excess revenue (mentioned as a potential funding source for the fire station work), Measure BB sales tax, regional measure funds and federal, state and local grants. Sabota emphasized that many grants are one‑time and time‑restricted and that the five‑year CIP would help make projects shovel‑ready for grant cycles.

Next steps listed by staff were to incorporate council feedback into a draft CIP amendment, send the amendment to the planning commission for general‑plan conformance, and return to council in November or December for formal adoption. Staff also flagged that a late potential funding contribution from District 10 State Senator Dr. Ayesha Waha had been communicated to the city and was being acknowledged by staff during the workshop.

Ending: Staff said it would incorporate tonight’s feedback into the draft amendment, present it to the planning commission for conformance, and return to council with a final draft for consideration in November or December. The council did not take action at the workshop and is expected to review the formal amendment later this year.