DEPARTMENT: Pre-K 4 SA
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Kathy Bruck, CEO
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Lease Agreement
SUMMARY:
This item includes Board consideration of a five-year lease agreement between the City of San Antonio and the San Antonio Early Childhood Education Municipal Development Corporation beginning upon Council approval and ending June 30, 2021 at no annual amount to be paid to the City of San Antonio for a 4.476 acre parcel of land located at 1243 Enrique M. Barrera Parkway (State Highway 151) to be utilized for additional playground area and staff parking for the Pre-K 4 SA West Education Center.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
In August 2014 the Pre-K 4 SA West Education Center opened to provide a full-day high quality pre-k program to the San Antonio community. The West Education Center utilizes 21,000 square feet of outdoor playground compared to 24,000 square feet at the South Education Center, 45,000 square feet at the East Education Center, and 24,000 square feet at the North Education Center.
The West Education Center, which houses three training rooms, is a popular location as City departments, Pre-K 4 SA, surrounding Independent School Districts, and community organizations regularly use the training rooms. As a result of the desired training location, the West Education Center parking lot fails to provide enough parking spaces for training events held during the school day.
Pre-K staff met with the City’s Transportation and Capital Improvements Department to potentially lease the City’s 4.476 acre former right-of way (ROW) property located at 1243 Enrique M. Barrera Parkway (State Highway 151) adjacent to the West Education Center for additional outdoor playground and parking area. The property is currently not being utilized by the City and is eligible to be leased to Pre-K 4 SA.
ISSUE:
This item includes a briefing and Board consideration of a five-year lease agreement between the City of San Antonio and the San Antonio Early Childhood Education Municipal Development Corporation beginning upon Council approval and ending June 30, 2021 at no annual amount to be paid to the City of San Antonio for a 4.476 acre parcel of land, approximately 194,000 square feet, located at 1243 Enrique M. Barrera Parkway (State Highway 151) to be utilized for additional playground area and staff parking for the Pre-K 4 SA West Education Center. The cost of the capital projects for the playground and staff parking are estimated to cost approximately $500,000.00.
The West Education Center currently has approximately 3,000 fewer square feet of outdoor playground area than the identically designed South Education Center. The West Education Center’s current outdoor playground area meets the Texas Department of Family & Protective Services Minimum Standards for Child-Care Centers (Licensing Requirements); however, as student enrollment increases to 500 students for the 2016-17 school year beginning in August, the West Education Center would need to spread the outdoor learning activities to begin earlier and end later. Additionally, outdoor learning activity times per classroom would need to be reduced to ensure that all 25 classrooms may continue in daily outdoor learning activities while remaining in compliance.
Licensing Standards require 80 square feet of outdoor activity space for each child using the outdoor activity area. While changing and shortening the daily outdoor activity timeframe remains within Licensing Requirements, it brings the West Education Center out of compliance with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) standard of curriculum-based physical, social and emotional development, as a result of the earlier and shortened timeframe, thereby reducing the quality of daily outdoor learning activities according to NAEYC standards.
In an effort for the West Education Center to remain in compliance with both Licensing Requirements and NAEYC best standards and practices, Pre-K 4 SA staff met with the City’s Transportation and Capital Improvement Department and Real Estate Division to obtain a five-year lease for the former ROW property located at 1243 Enrique M. Barrera Parkway (State Highway 151) adjacent to the West Education Center. Staff plans to demolish the current on-site building structure and utilize the land for additional outdoor playground area. Staff also plans to potentially construct an additional parking area to be used for staff parking.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board can disapprove the lease agreement between the City and San Antonio and Pre-K 4 SA and request additional land options; however, all other available land by the West Education Center would cost Pre-K 4 SA at least $102,000.00 to obtain and would result in a much smaller acreage.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the Board approve a five-year lease agreement between the City of San Antonio and the San Antonio Early Childhood Education Municipal Development Corporation beginning upon Council approval and ending June 30, 2021 at no annual amount to be paid to the City of San Antonio for a 4.476 acre parcel of land located at 1243 Enrique M. Barrera Parkway (State Highway 151) to be utilized for additional playground area and staff parking for the Pre-K 4 SA West Education Center only forwarding the lease agreement between the City of San Antonio and the San Antonio Early Childhood Municipal Development Corporation to City Council for approval.