Residents urge Upland council to fix promised park work, cut daytime irrigation and increase outreach on Sycamore Hills

Two public commenters at Upland's Sept. 9 special workshop pressed the City Council to finish promised maintenance and to involve residents more in planning for the large undeveloped Sycamore Hills Park.

Brian Taylor, introduced by the clerk as the first speaker, said previous council-approved contracts for restroom flooring and plumbing appeared incomplete when he inspected five parks that morning. He criticized daytime irrigation during a declared conservation level and urged the city to audit park watering schedules and to correct posted park hours on the city website. "I think it's kind of stupid to have the water going when the park is open," Taylor said, urging irrigation to be scheduled after parks close to reduce evaporation.

Natasha Walton, co-founder of People for Upland Parks, thanked staff for recent upgrades and asked the city to advertise workshops more widely and to hold some meetings in the evenings to increase attendance. Regarding Sycamore Hills Park, Walton asked council to remove the previously discussed "land swap option number 1," said the land-swap idea was unpopular with the public, and recommended pursuing a passive-nature plan that fits the city's budget. She also urged avoiding new parking within park boundaries and requested shielded lighting to comply with municipal code.

Both speakers' comments were taken into the public record and informed the council's subsequent discussion about park priorities and community engagement. Staff said they will consolidate resident and council input for future budget and planning steps.