Beaumont committee accepts parks master plan; feasibility study for community center and aquatics recommended

The Parks and Community Services Committee on Wednesday accepted a final Parks and Community Services Master Plan and directed staff to present the draft to the City Council on June 3.

The plan, prepared with consultant RHA, recommends pursuing additional parkland to meet projected demand, developing about 5 miles of Southern California Edison easement trails, modernizing existing parks and facilities, and conducting a feasibility study for a community center that would evaluate indoor recreation and an aquatics component. The committee approved the report by voice vote; no council members voted against the motion.

The master-plan presentation, led by Doug Grove of RHA and introduced by Doug Story, the city’s community services director, summarized community input, inventory and a level-of-service analysis. Grove said the plan’s statistically valid mailed survey returned 416 responses — “which is a good number” — and reported that 48% of Beaumont residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, compared with a national median of 55%.

Why it matters: committee members and staff said the plan will guide capital investments and development…