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Council weighs EIR and rare‑plant relocation for North Crest View Park as costs rise
Summary
Staff told council a rare tar plant on the North Crest View Park site requires a full Environmental Impact Report and a five‑year adaptive management plan for relocation; the estimated EIR and monitoring scope is $300,000 but construction is unfunded and could cost $8–10 million.
City parks staff told the San Carlos City Council on Sept. 22 that biological surveys for the proposed North Crest View Park identified a rare tar plant listed on the California rare plant list within the project footprint, a discovery that triggers the need for a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and a required adaptive management program if the city proceeds with relocation.
Parks Integration Director Amy Newbie said consultants concluded relocation cannot be assumed to fully mitigate impacts; under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) the city therefore needs a full EIR and a statement of overriding considerations to approve relocation and the project plan. Newbie summarized the relocation work that would be required: seed harvesting and storage, replanting at a permitted nearby site, and five years of post‑relocation monitoring and maintenance.
Staff presented a professional services proposal from consultants for EIR preparation and adaptive management services priced at about $251,773 plus a 20% contingency, for a total not‑to‑exceed of $300,000. Newbie told council the project’s construction cost is currently estimated at $8–10 million because extensive grading, retaining walls and an on‑site restroom are required; she said the EIR would take roughly one year to complete and, if certified, construction would follow only once design funding and construction funds are secured.
Council members were divided. Some raised the risk that preparing an EIR now — without an identified construction funding source — could mean redoing environmental work later if site conditions or legal requirements change; others said delaying the EIR risks the plant spreading and losing the opportunity to relocate successfully. Several council members asked whether Vista Park could host many of the same program elements at lower cost; public commenter David Crab urged that alternative.
No vote was taken to execute the EIR contract. Staff recommended folding the park into the city’s broader parks master plan prioritization and returning with options and timing once funding or direction is clearer.
What’s next: staff will include North Crest View Park in the parks master plan prioritization and provide council options for funding and alternatives in coming months.
