Albany staff launch parks master-plan addendum with survey, outreach to athletic groups

Dina Tassini, the City of Albany’s new community development director, briefed the Parks & Recreation Commission on a rapid addendum to the 2022 parks master plan and described outreach steps designed to identify underused green spaces and programming needs.

"We're going to be sending [the survey] out as a mass email," Dina Tassini said, adding the survey should go live on Monday and that staff plan workshops, targeted meetings with athletic groups and neighborhood outreach to gather input. The kickoff team will include Mark Hurley and Sid Shonfeld from recreation.

Tassini said staff plan to analyze sites such as the Albany Bulb, Peralta corridor/Greenway, Pier Street Park and Ocean View to determine where concessions, new programming or landscape changes could fit. Commissioners pressed staff to show a clear map and timeline before broad community engagement; Tassini said staff will return with refined materials and a schedule for public workshops in May–June.

Commissioners repeatedly raised volleyball and sand-volleyball placement as the issue that prompted the addendum. "Part of the impetus here was the sand volleyball," one commissioner said; staff told the commission the analysis will include regular (non-sand) volleyball needs and outreach to the middle and high schools.

Tassini said the consultant Groundworks — the same team that did the original plan — will help with outreach and analysis. She asked residents to watch the e-news and contact her directly for follow-up. "If people wanted to outreach to myself, I would be more than happy to do that," she said.

The commission did not make policy decisions at the session; staff said the next formal update to the commission will present survey results, outreach schedules and recommended programming priorities.