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County presents parks master plan draft: consultants flag maintenance backlog and funding gap
Summary
County staff and consultants presented Phase 1 of a systemwide parks and recreation master plan, identifying a large inventory of parkland, deferred maintenance, staffing and cost‑recovery shortfalls and community support for trails and a possible dedicated funding measure; staff will return with a financial sustainability plan.
San Luis Obispo County officials on Tuesday gave supervisors a first look at Phase 1 of a systemwide parks and recreation master plan and outlined a path to a financial sustainability plan this year.
Tanya Richardson, director of Parks & Recreation, introduced consultants from BluePoint Planning who said Phase 1 establishes an inventory, engagement findings and an initial needs assessment. Mindy Craig of BluePoint said the county has unusually large acreage in regional parks compared with peers and carries a substantial deferred‑maintenance and operations burden; at the same time communities across the county told consultants they want more trails, improved coastal access and easier maintenance of existing local parks.
Survey work included a statistically valid poll and supplemental online outreach; results indicated broad public support for parks and trails, sensitivity to user‑fee increases, and about 58% general support for a future funding measure depending on details. BluePoint said the county’s regional parks operate with a cost‑recovery model that has not achieved the intended revenues, and that staffing capacity is insufficient to maintain the system’s footprint.
Supervisors asked staff and consultants about comparables (Santa Barbara, Sonoma, Larimer), the role of trails in acreage accounting, and whether state and federal funding (including Prop 1/4‑type coastal access grants) could be applied to some coastal access sites. Staff said Phase 2 will include mapping, prioritization criteria (critical / important / nice‑to‑have), and an implementation plan that ties recommended projects to staffing and funding implications. The parks director said the county will return with a short‑term action (April 7) on specific regional park work and with a broader financial sustainability plan later in the year.
What’s next: staff expects to complete the master plan this summer and will follow up with a financial sustainability plan and possible implementation options (maintenance contracting, targeted capital investment, or community funding measures).
