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City unveils two‑year parks and recreation master‑plan work plan; council emphasizes outreach
Summary
City staff presented a two‑year work plan and public‑engagement strategy for a comprehensive parks and recreation master plan. Council members urged pop‑up outreach at major parks and events, attention to equity and Chumash engagement, and attention to access in rapidly growing neighborhoods.
City parks staff presented a two‑year work plan on Sept. 9 to develop a parks and recreation master plan that will inventory facilities, assess community needs and produce prioritized recommendations for future parks and program investments.
Jill Zachary, Parks and Recreation Director, introduced Bronwyn Bradbury, the department’s new master‑plan project manager, who described the plan’s scope: an inventory and assessment of the park system, a community needs assessment, a funding‑strategy analysis and an action plan tied to goals and potential funding sources. Bradbury said the drafting process will include a robust public‑engagement program with surveys, interviews, workshops and pop‑up events.
The draft timetable allocates about two years for the master‑plan development; staff said they had completed project initiation and the current inventory phase, then will move into evaluation, outreach and formulation of final recommendations.
Council and stakeholder input
Councilmembers offered suggestions for outreach and focus areas. Councilmember Jordan urged pop‑up outreach at high‑use parks such as Shoreline, La Mesa and Douglas Family Preserve and recommended attending city festivals and the farmer’s market to meet users who may not otherwise participate. Councilmember Sneddon praised the plan and suggested attention to downtown park access and cultural engagement with Chumash community members for historically significant sites.
Councilmember Bridle (Bridal in earlier transcript references) and other councilmembers encouraged emphasis on funding strategies and on ensuring program affordability. Councilmember Bridal also urged attention to swimming facilities and neighborhood park needs in rapidly growing parts of the city.
Staff emphasized systemwide planning
Bradbury noted that the master plan will look across 64 parks and open spaces, 18 community buildings and multiple recreation facilities to evaluate where the system can meet identified needs rather than planning park‑by‑park. Staff said the plan will support grant applications by documenting community priorities and analyzing economic impacts of park investments.
Public comment and next steps
Staff accepted public comment but had no speakers for the informational item. The council asked staff to return with the public‑participation plan and to begin outreach in spring 2026 while staging some early pop‑ups in late 2025 events. Bradbury and Zachary said they would proceed with the inventory phase and return to council as milestones are completed.
