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Parks commission recommends Arch Street pocket park concept for city CIP
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Summary
The Larkspur Parks and Recreation Committee on Nov. 20 recommended that the city council add a proposed pocket park at the base of the Arch Street steps to the city's five-year capital improvement program, after hearing design, safety and funding details from the Larkspur Community Foundation and the city's public works staff.
The Larkspur Parks and Recreation Committee recommended on Nov. 20 that the city council add a proposed pocket park at the base of the Arch Street steps to the five-year capital improvement program as an unfunded project.
Laura Anderson, president of the Larkspur Community Foundation, told commissioners the foundation's objective is to secure the commission's recommendation and bring the concept to the city council in January. "Our objective this evening is to secure the commission's recommendation to present this mini park concept to the city council in January," Anderson said.
The concept team said the site sits partly on city-owned fee land and partly in the Arch Street right-of-way. The foundation's volunteer landscape designer, Jenny Tibbett, described a design that emphasizes accessibility and a modest raised plaza: "Accessibility is a key priority," Tibbett said, noting a 5-foot ramp, multiple railings and benches that would allow people of all ages to use the space.
Alicia Alexander of the foundation said the group is estimating an early project cost around $250,000 and currently holds about $30,000 in seed money. The foundation plans fundraising events, including a Rose Bowl fundraiser slated for Sept. 19, 2026, and donor outreach before seeking direct city funding. "We're, in our minds, estimating the $250,000," Alexander said, adding that final costs will depend on engineering and materials.
City public-works staff provided budget context and said the city plans capital projects in five-year cycles. Staff noted the CIP can spike in years with large projects and that routine cyclical projects average roughly $1.5–$2 million a year; parks funding can come from county parks measure aid (staff estimated $90,000–$120,000 by formula in typical years), park-impact fees from new development and periodic state grants.
Commissioners pressed the design team on safety and street setbacks. One commissioner voiced concern about children running down the steps toward Magnolia Avenue and asked whether entries could be reconfigured to reduce that risk. The designer replied there is a tradeoff between visibility, seating and accessibility: narrowing stair entries can reduce the welcoming character of the plaza even as it mitigates egress risks.
After discussion the commission moved to recommend the concept be added to the CIP as an unfunded park project and to consider it under the commission's purview as the foundation continues fundraising and advances a formal design. The motion carried.
Next steps: staff will forward the commission's recommendation to the city council for inclusion in the five-year CIP; a future, formal design would return to the commission for review of specific elements such as stairs, tables and railings.
