HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-09-26 Parks & Recreation Commission Agenda PacketPARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
Regular Meeting
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Council Chambers & Hybrid
7:00 PM
Parks and Recreation Commission meetings will be held as “hybrid” meetings with the option to
attend by teleconference/video conference or in person. To maximize public safety while still
maintaining transparency and public access, members of the public can choose to participate
from home or attend in person. Information on how the public may observe and participate in the
meeting is located at the end of the agenda. Masks are strongly encouraged if attending in
person. The meeting will be broadcast on Cable TV Channel 26, live on
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/cityofpaloalto, and streamed to Midpen Media
Center https://midpenmedia.org. Commissioner names, biographies, and archived agendas and
report are available at https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Community‐Services/Other‐
Services/Commissions/Parks‐and‐Recreation‐Commission.
VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION CLICK HERE TO JOIN (https://cityofpaloalto.zoom.us/j/99937899745)
Meeting ID: 999 3789 9745 Phone: 1(669)900‐6833
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Public comments will be accepted both in person and via Zoom for up to three minutes or an
amount of time determined by the Chair. All requests to speak will be taken until 5 minutes
after the staff’s presentation. Written public comments can be submitted in advance to
ParkRec.commission@cityofpaloalto.org and will be provided to the Council and available for
inspection on the City’s website. Please clearly indicate which agenda item you are referencing
in your subject line.
PowerPoints, videos, or other media to be presented during public comment are accepted only
by email to ParkRec.commission@cityofpaloalto.org at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.
Once received, the Clerk will have them shared at public comment for the specified item. To
uphold strong cybersecurity management practices, USB’s or other physical electronic storage
devices are not accepted.
CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALL
PUBLIC COMMENT
Members of the public wishing to address the Board on matters within the jurisdiction of the City, but not on this agenda, may
do so during the Public Comment period for up to three (3) minutes.
AGENDA CHANGES, ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS
This is the point in the meeting where a vote may be taken to add or change the order of the agenda to improve meeting
management.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
1.Approval of the Draft Minutes from the August 22, 2023, Parks and Recreation
Commission Regular Meeting ‐ Action – Attachment – (5 min)
CITY OFFICIAL REPORTS
2.Department Report – (20 min)
BUSINESS ITEMS
3.Environmental Volunteers Update – Toby Goldberg – Discussion – (30 min)
4.Dog Park Update – Daren Anderson – Discussion – Attachment – (75 min)
5.Ad Hoc Committees and Liaison Updates – Chair Greenfield – Discussion – (15 min)
COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS OR FUTURE MEETINGS AND
AGENDAS
ADJOURNMENT
PUBLIC COMMENT INSTRUCTIONS
Members of the Public may provide public comments to teleconference meetings via email,
teleconference, or by phone.
1. Written public comments m a y b e s u b m i t t e d b y e m a i l t o
ParkRec.Commission@cityofpaloalto.org.
2. Spoken public comments using a computer will be accepted through the
teleconference meeting. To address the Council, click on the link below to access a Zoom‐
based meeting. Please read the following instructions carefully.
You may download the Zoom client or connect to the meeting in‐ browser. If using
your browser, make sure you are using a current, up‐to‐date browser: Chrome 30 ,
Firefox 27 , Microsoft Edge 12 , Safari 7 . Certain functionality may be disabled in
older browsers including Internet Explorer.
You may be asked to enter an email address and name. We request that you
identify yourself by name as this will be visible online and will be used to notify you
that it is your turn to speak.
When you wish to speak on an Agenda Item, click on “raise hand.” The Clerk will
activate and unmute speakers in turn. Speakers will be notified shortly before they
are called to speak.
When called, please limit your remarks to the time limit allotted. A timer will be
shown on the computer to help keep track of your comments.
3. Spoken public comments using a smart phone will be accepted through the
teleconference meeting. To address the Council, download the Zoom application onto
your phone from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and enter the Meeting ID
below. Please follow the instructions B‐E above.
4. Spoken public comments using a phone use the telephone number listed below. When
you wish to speak on an agenda item hit *9 on your phone so we know that you wish to
speak. You will be asked to provide your first and last name before addressing the
Council. You will be advised how long you have to speak. When called please limit your
remarks to the agenda item and time limit allotted.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN Meeting ID: 999 3789 9745 Phone:1‐669‐900‐6833
Americans with Disability Act (ADA) It is the policy of the City of Palo Alto to offer its public
programs, services and meetings in a manner that is readily accessible to all. Persons with
disabilities who require materials in an appropriate alternative format or who require auxiliary
aids to access City meetings, programs, or services may contact the City’s ADA Coordinator at
(650) 329‐2550 (voice) or by emailing ada@cityofpaloalto.org. Requests for assistance or
accommodations must be submitted at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting, program, or
service.
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSIONRegular MeetingTuesday, September 26, 2023Council Chambers & Hybrid7:00 PMParks and Recreation Commission meetings will be held as “hybrid” meetings with the option toattend by teleconference/video conference or in person. To maximize public safety while stillmaintaining transparency and public access, members of the public can choose to participatefrom home or attend in person. Information on how the public may observe and participate in themeeting is located at the end of the agenda. Masks are strongly encouraged if attending inperson. The meeting will be broadcast on Cable TV Channel 26, live onYouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/cityofpaloalto, and streamed to Midpen MediaCenter https://midpenmedia.org. Commissioner names, biographies, and archived agendas andreport are available at https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Community‐Services/Other‐Services/Commissions/Parks‐and‐Recreation‐Commission.VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION CLICK HERE TO JOIN (https://cityofpaloalto.zoom.us/j/99937899745)Meeting ID: 999 3789 9745 Phone: 1(669)900‐6833PUBLIC COMMENTSPublic comments will be accepted both in person and via Zoom for up to three minutes or anamount of time determined by the Chair. All requests to speak will be taken until 5 minutesafter the staff’s presentation. Written public comments can be submitted in advance toParkRec.commission@cityofpaloalto.org and will be provided to the Council and available forinspection on the City’s website. Please clearly indicate which agenda item you are referencingin your subject line.
PowerPoints, videos, or other media to be presented during public comment are accepted only
by email to ParkRec.commission@cityofpaloalto.org at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.
Once received, the Clerk will have them shared at public comment for the specified item. To
uphold strong cybersecurity management practices, USB’s or other physical electronic storage
devices are not accepted.
CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALL
PUBLIC COMMENT
Members of the public wishing to address the Board on matters within the jurisdiction of the City, but not on this agenda, may
do so during the Public Comment period for up to three (3) minutes.
AGENDA CHANGES, ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS
This is the point in the meeting where a vote may be taken to add or change the order of the agenda to improve meeting
management.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
1.Approval of the Draft Minutes from the August 22, 2023, Parks and Recreation
Commission Regular Meeting ‐ Action – Attachment – (5 min)
CITY OFFICIAL REPORTS
2.Department Report – (20 min)
BUSINESS ITEMS
3.Environmental Volunteers Update – Toby Goldberg – Discussion – (30 min)
4.Dog Park Update – Daren Anderson – Discussion – Attachment – (75 min)
5.Ad Hoc Committees and Liaison Updates – Chair Greenfield – Discussion – (15 min)
COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS OR FUTURE MEETINGS AND
AGENDAS
ADJOURNMENT
PUBLIC COMMENT INSTRUCTIONS
Members of the Public may provide public comments to teleconference meetings via email,
teleconference, or by phone.
1. Written public comments m a y b e s u b m i t t e d b y e m a i l t o
ParkRec.Commission@cityofpaloalto.org.
2. Spoken public comments using a computer will be accepted through the
teleconference meeting. To address the Council, click on the link below to access a Zoom‐
based meeting. Please read the following instructions carefully.
You may download the Zoom client or connect to the meeting in‐ browser. If using
your browser, make sure you are using a current, up‐to‐date browser: Chrome 30 ,
Firefox 27 , Microsoft Edge 12 , Safari 7 . Certain functionality may be disabled in
older browsers including Internet Explorer.
You may be asked to enter an email address and name. We request that you
identify yourself by name as this will be visible online and will be used to notify you
that it is your turn to speak.
When you wish to speak on an Agenda Item, click on “raise hand.” The Clerk will
activate and unmute speakers in turn. Speakers will be notified shortly before they
are called to speak.
When called, please limit your remarks to the time limit allotted. A timer will be
shown on the computer to help keep track of your comments.
3. Spoken public comments using a smart phone will be accepted through the
teleconference meeting. To address the Council, download the Zoom application onto
your phone from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and enter the Meeting ID
below. Please follow the instructions B‐E above.
4. Spoken public comments using a phone use the telephone number listed below. When
you wish to speak on an agenda item hit *9 on your phone so we know that you wish to
speak. You will be asked to provide your first and last name before addressing the
Council. You will be advised how long you have to speak. When called please limit your
remarks to the agenda item and time limit allotted.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN Meeting ID: 999 3789 9745 Phone:1‐669‐900‐6833
Americans with Disability Act (ADA) It is the policy of the City of Palo Alto to offer its public
programs, services and meetings in a manner that is readily accessible to all. Persons with
disabilities who require materials in an appropriate alternative format or who require auxiliary
aids to access City meetings, programs, or services may contact the City’s ADA Coordinator at
(650) 329‐2550 (voice) or by emailing ada@cityofpaloalto.org. Requests for assistance or
accommodations must be submitted at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting, program, or
service.
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSIONRegular MeetingTuesday, September 26, 2023Council Chambers & Hybrid7:00 PMParks and Recreation Commission meetings will be held as “hybrid” meetings with the option toattend by teleconference/video conference or in person. To maximize public safety while stillmaintaining transparency and public access, members of the public can choose to participatefrom home or attend in person. Information on how the public may observe and participate in themeeting is located at the end of the agenda. Masks are strongly encouraged if attending inperson. The meeting will be broadcast on Cable TV Channel 26, live onYouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/cityofpaloalto, and streamed to Midpen MediaCenter https://midpenmedia.org. Commissioner names, biographies, and archived agendas andreport are available at https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Community‐Services/Other‐Services/Commissions/Parks‐and‐Recreation‐Commission.VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION CLICK HERE TO JOIN (https://cityofpaloalto.zoom.us/j/99937899745)Meeting ID: 999 3789 9745 Phone: 1(669)900‐6833PUBLIC COMMENTSPublic comments will be accepted both in person and via Zoom for up to three minutes or anamount of time determined by the Chair. All requests to speak will be taken until 5 minutesafter the staff’s presentation. Written public comments can be submitted in advance toParkRec.commission@cityofpaloalto.org and will be provided to the Council and available forinspection on the City’s website. Please clearly indicate which agenda item you are referencingin your subject line.PowerPoints, videos, or other media to be presented during public comment are accepted onlyby email to ParkRec.commission@cityofpaloalto.org at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.Once received, the Clerk will have them shared at public comment for the specified item. Touphold strong cybersecurity management practices, USB’s or other physical electronic storagedevices are not accepted.CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALLPUBLIC COMMENT Members of the public wishing to address the Board on matters within the jurisdiction of the City, but not on this agenda, maydo so during the Public Comment period for up to three (3) minutes. AGENDA CHANGES, ADDITIONS AND DELETIONSThis is the point in the meeting where a vote may be taken to add or change the order of the agenda to improve meetingmanagement.APPROVAL OF MINUTES1.Approval of the Draft Minutes from the August 22, 2023, Parks and RecreationCommission Regular Meeting ‐ Action – Attachment – (5 min)CITY OFFICIAL REPORTS2.Department Report – (20 min)BUSINESS ITEMS3.Environmental Volunteers Update – Toby Goldberg – Discussion – (30 min)4.Dog Park Update – Daren Anderson – Discussion – Attachment – (75 min)5.Ad Hoc Committees and Liaison Updates – Chair Greenfield – Discussion – (15 min)COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS OR FUTURE MEETINGS ANDAGENDAS
ADJOURNMENT
PUBLIC COMMENT INSTRUCTIONS
Members of the Public may provide public comments to teleconference meetings via email,
teleconference, or by phone.
1. Written public comments m a y b e s u b m i t t e d b y e m a i l t o
ParkRec.Commission@cityofpaloalto.org.
2. Spoken public comments using a computer will be accepted through the
teleconference meeting. To address the Council, click on the link below to access a Zoom‐
based meeting. Please read the following instructions carefully.
You may download the Zoom client or connect to the meeting in‐ browser. If using
your browser, make sure you are using a current, up‐to‐date browser: Chrome 30 ,
Firefox 27 , Microsoft Edge 12 , Safari 7 . Certain functionality may be disabled in
older browsers including Internet Explorer.
You may be asked to enter an email address and name. We request that you
identify yourself by name as this will be visible online and will be used to notify you
that it is your turn to speak.
When you wish to speak on an Agenda Item, click on “raise hand.” The Clerk will
activate and unmute speakers in turn. Speakers will be notified shortly before they
are called to speak.
When called, please limit your remarks to the time limit allotted. A timer will be
shown on the computer to help keep track of your comments.
3. Spoken public comments using a smart phone will be accepted through the
teleconference meeting. To address the Council, download the Zoom application onto
your phone from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and enter the Meeting ID
below. Please follow the instructions B‐E above.
4. Spoken public comments using a phone use the telephone number listed below. When
you wish to speak on an agenda item hit *9 on your phone so we know that you wish to
speak. You will be asked to provide your first and last name before addressing the
Council. You will be advised how long you have to speak. When called please limit your
remarks to the agenda item and time limit allotted.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN Meeting ID: 999 3789 9745 Phone:1‐669‐900‐6833
Americans with Disability Act (ADA) It is the policy of the City of Palo Alto to offer its public
programs, services and meetings in a manner that is readily accessible to all. Persons with
disabilities who require materials in an appropriate alternative format or who require auxiliary
aids to access City meetings, programs, or services may contact the City’s ADA Coordinator at
(650) 329‐2550 (voice) or by emailing ada@cityofpaloalto.org. Requests for assistance or
accommodations must be submitted at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting, program, or
service.
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MINUTES 4
PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION 5
REGULAR MEETING 6
August 22, 2023 7
In-Person & Virtual Conference 8
Palo Alto, California 9
10
Commissioners Present: Chair Greenfield, Vice Chair Brown; Commissioners Anne Cribbs, 11
Nellis Freeman, Shani Kleinhaus, Joy Oche 12
Commissioners Absent: Commissioner Bing Wei 13
Others Present: Vice Mayor Stone 14
Staff Present: Daren Anderson, Javod Ghods, Michael Warner, Peter Jensen 15
CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALL 16
Chair Greenfield called the meeting to order and asked for a roll call. 17
PUBLIC COMMENT 18
None. 19
AGENDA CHANGES, ADDITIONS, AND DELETIONS 20
None. 21
APPROVAL OF MINUTES 22
1. Approval of Draft Minutes from the June 27, 2023, Parks and Recreation 23
Regular Meeting 24
Commissioner Cribbs questioned the term “bike blender” on page 7. 25
Chair Greenfield and Vice Chair Brown agreed that it was a bicycle-powered kitchen 26
appliance. 27
Commissioner Cribbs suggested that when they get to the reports from the different 28
committees and the ad-hocs at the end of the meeting, that they mention the subject 29
spoken about such as “Golf – Commissioner Freeman”. 30
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Mr. Anderson suggested that during the meeting Mr. Ghods do a marker verbally as each 1
ad-hoc or liaison goes. 2
Vice Chair Brown moved to approve the minutes seconded by Commissioner Cribbs. 3
The motion passed by a 5-0 by a roll call vote with Chair Greenfield abstaining. 4
CITY OFFICIAL REPORTS 5
2. Department Report 6
Daren Anderson, Assistant Director of Community Services, provided a PowerPoint 7
presentation addressing recruitment, recreation programs and events, project and other 8
updates and capital improvement projects updates. 9
Commissioner Freeman asked if there were any numbers to track if the wait list number 10
for the summer programs were going up every year and, if so, were they reaching out to 11
some of the local nonprofits that have tennis or aquatics looking for a partnership. 12
Mr. Anderson answered the numbers have gone up each year. He mentioned part of it 13
was due to folks being double booked in the camp but that did not explain all of it. He 14
did not know if they were looking at other partnerships. He did know Staff mentioned 15
they were going to contact PAUSD about additional space. He had also heard that they 16
were interested in looking to see if it would be feasible to have more volunteers willing 17
to lead camps. 18
Chair Greenfield asked if there was a place for the recreation program review ad-hoc to 19
play a role in working with Staff to further analyze these numbers to come up with 20
potential solutions. 21
Mr. Anderson though that would be fully appropriate. He said it sounded like they met 22
once with Kayla who is running the Enjoy! process to help the ad-hoc find more 23
innovative solutions. 24
Commissioner Kleinhaus stated a lot of letters had been received by City Council about 25
Cubberley and the land swap. She wondered if the Commission had ever been asked 26
about this. 27
Mr. Anderson answered they were not asked, and it had not been discussed by the 28
Commission. He stated there was a lot of concern about the land swap. He believed it 29
was part of the Council’s thinking that they would defer the closed session on Cubberley 30
for an open session because of how important it was to the Community to weigh in on 31
different options that would be considered. 32
Commissioner Kleinhaus if Council did not look for the Commission’s input in their 33
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discussion the previous night. 1
Mr. Anderson stated that was not mentioned, it was just deferred. 2
Chair Greenfield felt this might be an opportunity to reach out to Vice Mayor Stone to 3
ask for any perspective or direction in terms of what role the Parks and Rec Commission 4
might look to play at this point or in the future waiting for more specific direction from 5
City Council related to development in general at Cubberley and the land swap 6
discussion regarding Terman Park. 7
Vice Mayor Stone thought the Commission would likely have a role to play in the 8
Cubberly discussions at some level. He felt the reason the Commission had not been 9
given the concept of a land swap was that it was too early in the process to start vetting 10
the idea. Council felt like the closed session discussion was premature and they wanted 11
to have a more transparent open session on the various policy options. If a land swap 12
continued to be on the table at that point, it would not surprise him if that were referred 13
to the Commission for further study. 14
Chair Greenfield asked if there were thoughts about attracting more chili cook-off teams 15
or if Staff considered not continuing the event if more teams did not participate. 16
Mr. Anderson stated it was his impression that they fully intend to continue the chili 17
cook-off next year. 18
Commissioner Freeman commented that some of the entrants said it was sort of last 19
minute and he felt maybe people did not have enough time to get organized and a couple 20
of teams were from other cities. He felt they might do a better job putting the word out 21
earlier. 22
Mr. Anderson stated he would get more information on that. 23
Commissioner Cribbs opined that the low participation on the chili cook-off could be an 24
effect from coming out of COVID and she felt there would be a bigger uptake next year. 25
She thought the Parks and Recreation Commission should enter a team for next year. 26
Mr. Anderson answered he would investigate that. 27
Chair Greenfield wondered about the thought of park rangers versus preserve rangers 28
since the rangers are patrolling preserves instead of parks. 29
Mr. Anderson stated the park ranger title was long held and has history to it. He was 30
reluctant to give it up. 31
Mr. Warner agreed with Mr. Anderson that park ranger was a long-held term and added 32
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it was codified in the State of California’s laws and regulations. He suggested open space 1
ranger would be more appropriate. 2
Chair Greenfield asked if open space ranger were something they would consider. 3
Mr. Anderson stated he would not budge on the term park ranger. 4
Chair Greenfield asked for a review of the action note regarding the skate park. 5
Mr. Anderson answered that was the contract to do the parking analysis. 6
Commissioner Freeman wondered if there was or could be signage showing what the 7
park improvements are and the timing that would be involved in that process. 8
Mr. Anderson said that there is usually a fact sheet. 9
BUSINESS 10
3. Foothills Nature Preserve Draft Improvement Plan – Daren Anderson & Peter 11
Jensen - Discussion 12
Mr. Anderson gave a presentation starting with the purpose behind this improvement 13
plan. Next, he showed a slide giving details of the planned improvements. 14
Peter Jensen, Public Works Landscape Architect, began presenting slides discussing the 15
goals of the plan but asked for a break. 16
Mr. Anderson took up where Mr. Jensen left off discussing the goals of the plan and 17
overall access improvements. 18
Mr. Jensen returned to present slides discussing the proposed Vista Hill improvements, 19
proposed Boronda Lake Parking improvements and improvement amenities. 20
Mr. Anderson presented a slide to discuss the project’s next steps. 21
Chair Greenfield asked if the PIO timing would be in the next one to three months. 22
Mr. Anderson clarified he would love to meet with the liaisons to talk through this but 23
needed a couple more check-ins with planning. He did not want the ARB review to alter 24
what was done at the PRC. The planner he spoke with said they could run concurrently. 25
Ms. Oche wanted to find out how often they did these access improvements and when 26
the last one was done. 27
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Mr. Anderson answered it has been routine maintenance. The last significant capital 1
investment was repaving the roadway. The last improvements were before his time. 2
Ms. Oche thought it might be helpful to see trends of capital improvement projects that 3
had happened over the years. She suggested a link on the website where residents could 4
access that information. 5
Mr. Anderson stated he could find links to the Staff reports and post them. 6
Foothills Nature Preserve Park Ranger Michael Warner thought they could post the 7
project information sheets on the website as they move forward with projects. 8
Commissioner Kleinhaus questioned if he said stop signs or stop lights at the crossroads. 9
She wanted to know what the ARB were reviewing and if he had done any CEQA on 10
this. 11
Mr. Anderson answered that it was signs. He added the ARB would look at this plan, 12
particularly parking and fencing. He included what he had received from the planner in 13
the Staff report regarding CEQA and it is exempt from CEQA. The one part he thought 14
needed additional environmental assessment was the new trail that goes from Boronda. 15
Commissioner Kleinhaus stated if no CEQA was needed, how would they make sure 16
there was no impact to a sensitive species. 17
Mr. Anderson answered the only natural area where they would be going off trail would 18
get an assessment. 19
Chair Greenfield asked if they would be able to move forward with a PIO 20
recommendation before that assessment had been completed. 21
Mr. Anderson believed they would, but he needed to consult with Claire Raybould, 22
Senior Planner. 23
Commissioner Kleinhaus felt the work itself could cause temporary disturbance and she 24
did not know if they were looking at that. 25
Mr. Anderson stated they wanted to time any work to avoid nesting species, wildlife 26
migrations or whatever else was going on. 27
Chair Greenfield asked for clarification on making sure all I’s are dotted and T’s are 28
crossed regarding environmental requirements, particularly for the new trail area before 29
something was put in front of them to make recommendation on and if it was necessary 30
to split that out as a separate item for expediency then he wanted to consider a parallel 31
path. 32
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Commissioner Cribbs inquired if they had any thoughts about the difficulty of going 1
through the bidding process, if there was anything to be done to make that go faster, 2
about when the improvements would be starting and if there was any thought about 3
improvements or changes to the Interpretive Center an any partnerships with the local 4
environmental groups that have interest. 5
Mr. Anderson stated the two challenge points he could foresee were the bidding process 6
and Staff capacity to do the construction drawings. His colleagues advised him they were 7
at capacity with current projects, and they needed to be hiring a consultant to do that 8
part. He thought he would have a better-informed guess as to when the improvements 9
would start at the next meeting. He added improvements or changes to the Interpretive 10
Center were on the long-term list. 11
Chair Greenfield wanted Mike Warner’s thoughts about the Interpretive Center being 12
outdated. 13
Mike Warner, Foothills Supervising Ranger, answered it was on their radar for this year 14
coming up but there were no solid plans yet. 15
Chair Greenfield encouraged that they avoid being too constrained in the potential vision 16
they are thinking about to reshape it. He added putting some handicap parking on the 17
roadside by the lake edge might be worth more discussion and suggested putting together 18
some means for a turnaround. He mentioned there was discussion about potential bus 19
parking at Vista Hill, but that idea was not pursued. He was interested in hearing more 20
specific details about the bike parking that would be provided. 21
Commissioner Freeman asked how they came up with the number for new parking 22
spaces that would be added and how it was determined where speed bumps and stop 23
signs would be. 24
Mr. Anderson stated the parking changes. Baronda was the most popular parking area 25
closely followed by Orchard Glenn on the weekend. This was being increased by six 26
spots. They were keeping an eye on the net increase for the entire preserve. It was being 27
increased where it made the most sense and not impact the habitat. He stated the speed 28
bumps and stop signs were tools to address a longstanding speeding problem and 29
strategically targeted in areas where there are long straightaways often heading downhill. 30
Vice Chair Brown was struck by the balance of adding clarity and convenience while 31
maintaining the natural environment of the preserve. She suggested doing time limits for 32
parking in high-traffic areas. 33
Mr. Anderson stated they were interested in exploring time-limit parking spots. 34
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Chair Greenfield questioned if the reverse traditional flow on Vista Hill parking was new 1
resulting in cars encouraged to drive on the opposite side of the road that they normally 2
operate on which he felt was problematic. 3
Mr. Jensen stated it still exists, just angles the other way and it would be studied with 4
Transportation. 5
Commissioner Kleinhaus asked why the loop was planned in the opposite direction. 6
Mr. Anderson did not know why. 7
Mr. Jensen believed it was probably two lanes that got changed into a one-way. 8
Commissioner Kleinhaus stated any place it was possible to narrow the road would be 9
good because it is the best way to control traffic and speeding. 10
Chair Greenfield wanted to confirm that all this plan would go to City Council for PIO 11
and there were no aspects of the plan that Staff would take on without City Council 12
approval. 13
Mr. Anderson confirmed this. 14
Chair Greenfield asked if there was further discussion or ideas about how to potentially 15
handle a turnaround by the lake. 16
Mr. Anderson answered there are, and they had hoped to have the exhibit as a backup but 17
did not get there yet so he thought they would have to wait until they get together as the 18
liaisons and would be ready for that in a couple of days. 19
Chair Greenfield suggested Mr. Anderson to reach out to the stakeholders group. 20
Mr. Anderson stated they could invite them to the next liaison meeting. 21
22
4. Detailed Ad Hoc and Liaison Status Updates and Planning, Process, and 23
Reporting – Chair Greenfield - Discussion 24
Chair Greenfield mentioned that he and Vice Chair were looking to have a meeting with 25
the director and assistant director of Community Services to check the resources 26
available from Staff based on the action plan commitments they have given changes in 27
staffing available in the department. 28
Bicycle/E-Bike Access Policy Ad-Hoc (Commissioners Freeman and Kleinhaus) – 29
Commissioner Freeman stated they were meeting every other week. They have a 30
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walkthrough scheduled for the following week but there was not a lot of traction on this 1
at this time. They have had two meetings since the last PRC meeting. Commissioner 2
Kleinhaus added they brought up the issue of bicycle parking with the Foothills Park 3
plans. They are waiting for the following week’s visit to the Baylands and other things 4
and to receive information from Staff about recommendations for trails at Arastradero 5
and whether some of them should be limited to some uses. 6
Chair Greenfield asked for clarification on the feedback they were looking for from 7
Staff. 8
Commissioner Kleinhaus said the direction was to look at narrow trails at Arastradero 9
and see if bicycles and/or horses should not be able to use them. They had no opinion on 10
that and are waiting for Staff to give them some of the impression of the rangers and 11
others as to whether some of those trails should be closed to some of those uses. 12
Mr. Anderson added they have been working to identify the parking areas both at 13
Arastradero and Baylands. This tour would help fine-tune that. On the discussion about 14
allowing bicycles and horses on the narrow trails, the rangers are already thinking there 15
are spots in both Baylands and Arastradero that may not be appropriate for certain uses 16
like bikes and horses. He will have a more thoughtful discussion with the Staff and then 17
pull on the ad-hoc and work on that together. 18
Chair Greenfield asked when it would be appropriate to share potential findings or 19
recommendations with the full Commission for Staff to provide feedback the ad-hoc is 20
looking for and for the ad-hoc to fully develop this. 21
Mr. Anderson thought they would be wrapping up the bike parking element in two to 22
three weeks pending the tour. He wanted to dig deeper into the other question of trails 23
that are no longer appropriate for certain uses, and he thought maybe another month on 24
that for Staff to have an opinion. 25
Mr. Warner said it would take time to get the full Staff opinion on it. He wanted to make 26
sure they were aware that Arastradero has the trail maintenance and management plan 27
that was created in 2001. Any changes to the Arastradero Preserves Trails must be in line 28
with that plan. If they want to go down that route in the future, he highly suggested they 29
re-evaluate conducting a new plan, so a bigger discussion was the reworking of that plan 30
or getting more public opinion on that plan. 31
Commissioner Kleinhaus stated they were looking to map a direction for Council to look 32
at some trails and see whether they should be limited for horse and bicycle use. She was 33
not sure they wanted to recommend opening that plan unless they had major changes that 34
would not be consistent with it. She asked Mr. Anderson to send her the plan. 35
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Chair Greenfield requested Mr. Anderson forward the plan to the full Commission. He 1
added some national parks have some plans where class 2 E-bikes must be pedaled and 2
while there are a lot of things about E-bikes that are difficult to enforce, this would be 3
very straightforward to enforce. He thought this was a commonsense guideline that 4
would be useful for the ad-hoc to consider for future policy updates. He asked if there 5
was a target date range for presenting a discussion to the Commission. 6
Mr. Anderson answered there was not yet a date, but it was conceivable that they would 7
have this before the end of the year. 8
Grant Opportunities Ad-Hoc – Commissioner Cribbs stated due to vacations, 9
schedules, and the budget, they had not yet been able to meet with their Staff Liaison, 10
Kristen O’Kane, but they would do that on Thursday at 1 o’clock. The purpose of the 11
meeting for Commissioner Wei and her would be to understand the history in terms of 12
the department grants that have been obtained in the past and what would be possible to 13
go after now given the current staffing levels and how the Commission could help. She 14
did not think they would be ready until the end of the year. She felt like there would be 15
more to comment after the meeting. 16
Commissioner Kleinhaus wondered if there was any chance that Staff would consider 17
trying to get funds for the Buckeye Creek restoration. 18
Mr. Anderson answered that had not been done yet. He could foresee the regular 19
maintenance plan the rangers are working on dominating the open space focus for the 20
next six months or longer. He agreed that it deserves attention, but it was a matter of 21
having the resources to do so. 22
Chair Greenfield asked for a comment about the ongoing increasing need for dealing 23
with some of the problems on Buckeye Creek they had outlined a number of years ago, 24
to what extent they had gotten worse and if the urgency was increasing. 25
Mr. Anderson stated the urgency is not increasing from his perspective, but it has the 26
potential to become a very serious problem. 27
Chair Greenfield felt there could potentially be a discussion update in November or 28
December or may not be something that rises beyond a normal ad-hoc update. 29
Commissioner Cribbs believed that was probably true, but she thought they would know 30
more after the meeting on Thursday. She added she agreed about Buckeye Creek. 31
Chair Greenfield stated they would look forward to an update next month. 32
Master Plan Review – Vice Chair Brown said they met 1.1 times doing an inventory 33
and beginning the effort to look at the Master Plan and work with Staff to determine 34
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what is done and relevant and looking at adding to that discussion some prioritization 1
because it is a lengthy list. She thought they would need a little bit more work to get 2
something that could be brought back to the full Commission in terms of a status update 3
and more of a progress report on where they are with the inventory of projects from the 4
Master Plan. The agenda topic would be a report back on the status of those projects 5
maybe in a summary level of items in the plan. She thought December at the earliest for 6
a formal report back and potentially pushing that out to spring if they cannot get through 7
the full list. 8
Chair Greenfield wanted her thoughts on aiming for a discussion item of general status to 9
bring the full Commission up to date in the October timeframe. 10
Vice Chair Brown believed they could make a commitment to bring a discussion item 11
with the progress so far back every other month. 12
Chair Greenfield said they would aim tentatively for October but could push it to 13
November. 14
Mr. Anderson commented that will be a challenge as there is a lot of cross-referencing 15
with other Staff on where they are at with different things and what has been 16
accomplished. They would need to pick and choose which ones they want to get done at 17
what time. He would be glad to work on that and do his best to make the October 18
timeframe work. 19
Chair Greenfield thought one important discussion they had was being mindful about 20
taking on efforts and putting together summaries that would be useful and actionable. 21
Park Dedication FY24 – Vice Chair Brown stated they have met several times to go 22
over the list of previously discussed park dedication opportunities and prioritized these 23
successfully. She thought they could bring something back to the Commission for 24
consideration for some of the top priority park dedication initiatives in November or 25
December pending Staff availability. She did not know if they wanted to include 26
discussion on the feature sites or leave that as part of the regular update process or 27
background. 28
Chair Greenfield thought they could share the target sites that were recommended by 29
Staff as the best options to pursue. He shared they are looking at the Water Well Park, 30
across the street from El Camino Park soccer field, and Rinconada Community Gardens, 31
and discussed concerns about these. 32
Mr. Anderson thought November was a realistic option for bringing this to the 33
Commission. 34
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Chair Greenfield thought they would have a discussion first and then a recommendation 1
a month or two later. 2
Playing Field Policy and Projects Ad-Hoc (Commissioners Cribbs and Freeman and 3
Chair Greenfield) – Commissioner Cribbs stated they had met several times. They had 4
made some contacts with some important experts in the field both at Stanford and the 5
City and County of San Francisco who has extensive turf playing fields and a special 6
crew of maintenance people who only do turf fields. Next up for them will be a tour to 7
look at some of the sites. The goal is to avoid some of the issues they have had in the 8
past with different vendors. The business of artificial turf is described as the Wild West 9
with people coming and going. They have created a list of questions to ask vendors and 10
received the list of questions from San Francisco they use when they go out to bid and 11
information on environmental concerns and disposal of the materials when they have to 12
be replaced. 13
Commissioner Freeman stated part of this was to make sure it was done right, look at 14
some of the long-term maintenance that will be involved and tapping into some of the 15
institutional knowledge that exists in their surrounding areas. 16
Chair Greenfield commented the focus and work plan goals of this ad-hoc were two-fold 17
and separate. The first task was working with Staff on a recommendation for how to 18
move forward with the next generation of synthetic turf field updates. They have 19
financing for that this fiscal year for El Camino Park. They are working with Staff on a 20
Staff decision and helping them make recommendations. Beyond ad-hoc updates, he did 21
not believe they needed to come to the Commission with this as a discussion item. There 22
would be no plan for this ad-hoc to present this calendar year. When they get into the 23
field policy review and potential updates, that will be appropriate to present to the full 24
Commission to weigh in on. That would happen in March or April. 25
Recreation Program Review Ad-Hoc – Commissioner Oche spoke on behalf of herself 26
and Commissioner Wei. They had a one-on-one meeting and met with the City Staff in 27
charge. They had discussions with Kayla to discuss how to best close the gaps that were 28
identified during their meeting and make the Community more inclusive because they 29
believe that part of the deliverables ad-hoc comes up with would also serve as a resource 30
for the Master Plan Ad-Hoc. They also discussed leveraging on untapped resources and 31
opportunities and find how they could make a stakeholder list and collate list of 32
volunteers to find ways to provide free and almost free programs to feel the gaps. They 33
identified a couple of target volunteers they thought would be helpful to provide skills or 34
things to help fill the gap. Part of the desired outcome from that meeting was to start an 35
analysis of what they currently have as vendors, corresponding services that are currently 36
provided and their target audience and try to see how they can fill the gaps they can see 37
from their analysis and prepare a handover doc of all the findings to the Master Plan Ad-38
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Hoc team. Their next steps will be working with Kayla to do a deeper dive. They have 1
developed a walk-back schedule. There will be more updates in the meeting next month. 2
She believed they would present the plans in November or December. 3
Chair Greenfield asked if they are looking at a single update every deliverable or if a 4
discussion item with the full Commission with the direction, they are going would be 5
appropriate. 6
Commissioner Oche expressed that she would like to circle back on that with 7
Commissioner Wei. Speaking just for herself, she thought it might help to prepare a 8
summary doc that would be an agenda item. 9
Chair Greenfield asked if the October to November timeframe at the same time the 10
Master Plan update would be happening. 11
Commissioner Oche was not sure if they had agreed on the dates for the Master Plan Ad-12
Hoc updates. 13
Chair Greenfield stated he would like to do it in October or maybe November. 14
Vice Chair Brown did not think that means this needs to present in September so they 15
could have the initial discussion update and then have the summary document from this 16
ad-hoc following that to help inform future discussion items for the Master Plan Ad-Hoc. 17
Chair Greenfield thought they were talking about multiple discussions agendized at 18
multiple meetings. 19
Commissioner Kleinhaus wanted explanation as to why volunteers needed to provide 20
their own insurance. 21
Commissioner Oche stated City Staff confirmed the volunteers had to provide their own 22
insurance and go through a vetting process set up by the City. 23
Commissioner Kleinhaus stated that put a huge hurdle in terms of doing the programs 24
they were hoping to do and was there any way the City could provide insurance for some 25
of the professionals wanting to volunteer in their own scope. 26
Commissioner Oche stated she could talk to Cayla Koga to see if it could be worked 27
around at their next meeting. 28
Commissioner Kleinhaus stated the nonprofit she works for has insurance they provide 29
for volunteers and most places require $2M or more and a person just trying to provide a 30
yoga class in the park would not have that kind of insurance and the City should find a 31
way to sponsor those things. 32
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Recreation Wellness Center Ad-Hoc – Commissioner Cribbs stated they were able to 1
schedule a meeting on July 18 with Director Kristen O’Kane who invited Peter Jensen to 2
go with her. Mr. Jensen had put together a draft discussion about criteria but also about 3
siting for the Wellness Center. Based on the conversation with Commissioners Oche and 4
Freeman and her, he went back to the drawing board overnight and brought that 5
presentation their meeting the next day. Everyone was happy with the work he had done. 6
In terms of next steps, he will be checking with a couple of people but looking forward 7
to a Zoom on September 6 at 7 p.m. for the Community and a walking tour of the site on 8
September 9 to get Community input. Based on that, it was their hope that they would 9
come back to the full Commission at the September meeting and have a discussion 10
where the goal would be to get the Commission and any Community who wants to speak 11
and get a unanimous approval to go to the Council with that goal to be to formalize the 12
agreement between the City and the Friends group. 13
Commissioner Kleinhaus asked if they were still looking at Greer Park. 14
Commissioner Cribbs answered it was various locations in Greer Park in the draft 15
presentation. If there were to be another place that pops up, they would love to look at 16
that. 17
Commissioner Kleinhaus asked how this would be advertised. 18
Mr. Anderson answered the typical notification process was through websites, updates 19
through the City Manager’s office, signage in the park and mailers to the surrounding 20
community. 21
Mr. Jensen stated the mailing area would encompass all the neighborhoods around the 22
park and they would reach out to all the neighborhood community reps to have an email 23
sent out about the meeting. 24
Chair Greenfield felt it would be appropriate to include all sports groups in the outreach 25
list. 26
Commissioner Cribbs clarified the dates she provided were draft dates. 27
Mr. Jensen answered the potential locations in Greer Park were being reviewed to make 28
sure they were 100% potential locations. He said he would have more information back 29
that week to solidify the dates. He stated the dates were a little aggressive and may slip 30
one week but the meeting would happen sometime at the beginning of September. 31
Chair Greenfield asked to hear from any liaison who would like to try to get their group 32
on a Parks and Rec Commission agenda this calendar year. 33
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Aquatics Update – Commissioner Cribbs stated they typically have an aquatics report in 1
December or January that comes from the Staff and Tim Sheeper. Mr. Sheeper reported 2
for the summer they had great success in filling the Lifeguard Camp Counselor and 3
Customer Service roles. Training the swimming instructors is the biggest challenge 4
because it requires a very special skill. He feels like there will be a bigger base of swim 5
instructors next year. He wants to do more lessons in the future and both pool space and 6
qualified instructors are limiting factors. She stated there is discussion in the Community 7
about a need for another pool in South Palo Alto. Mr. Sheeper added the Rinconada 8
Camp Level for 5 to 7-year-olds that was very popular. Through Beyond Sports, they 9
provided a record number of scholarships for kids who could not afford the price of 10
swimming lessons. She added there is new plaster on the big pool and the play pool. 11
Dog Parks Update – Vice Chair Brown gave an update on dog parks. They have been 12
meeting with multiple stakeholder groups and having conversations with the North Palo 13
Alto group on potential locations as well as conversations with Barron Park stakeholders 14
about strong Community interest in a dog park in that neighborhood. They are looking at 15
bringing back a discussion for the full Commission in September, pending Staff 16
availability to help summarize where they are at, for a recommendation from the ad-hoc 17
in terms of next steps and offer opportunity for the stakeholder groups to speak directly 18
to the Commission on their interest and clarification on the City process for getting a dog 19
park in their neighborhood. 20
Mr. Anderson said it would be helpful for Staff and liaisons to talk through that and Mr. 21
Jensen offered to participate, as well. 22
Racquet Sports Update – Mr. Freeman gave an update on pickleball and tennis 23
evaluation. He felt pickleball seemed happy with the space at Mitchell as the courts were 24
typically very full. No individual feedback had been received from individual tennis 25
community members. They were looking at doing a survey in a month or so. More tennis 26
teams were requesting to play in Palo Alto, so they needed to possibly look at a policy to 27
require a Palo Alto resident requirement or provide the residents a window to reserve 28
prior to non-residents. That would require more information. With Mitchell Park out of 29
the equation for USTA Match Play, there were not enough tennis courts to fulfill some of 30
the USTA requests for tournaments. They have made more requests for Rinconada and 31
Cubberley but there are no bathrooms at Gunn or Paly on the weekends or evenings, so 32
they have to steer clear of those locations. Noise complaints had been received from 33
neighbors around Rinconada Park where there appears to be drop-in pickleball play on 34
some of the tennis courts and he felt they needed to come up with a resolution about that. 35
They would be surveying court usage for the next couple of months and then can go over 36
that information in the public meetings which would allow for public input. He felt they 37
might reach out to more of the private clubs that might have pickleball facilities available 38
they might be able to use as a resource. 39
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Commissioner Cribbs asked if there would be a way to work with the districts at the 1
Gunn and Paly tennis courts to either open bathrooms or provide Porta Potties. She also 2
wondered about the possibility of finding out some projected cost for lighting at 3
Cubberley of the six tennis courts and then working with the tennis community to help 4
raise the money to cover the cost of lights. 5
Golf Update – Commissioner Freeman stated it came up at the last meeting about 6
golfers not paying attention where they were walking. Golfers were being reminded to 7
either check in depending on Staff availability at the Wetland Habitat and to follow the 8
local course rule on scoring when playing is impacted by the Wetlands. Although there 9
are ropes and fencing throughout the course to aid golfers in identifying Wetland 10
Habitats, they have installed 40 signs in the last week advising of the sensitive areas to 11
keep people out. They indicated additional fencing is being added, as well. 12
Commissioner Kleinhaus inquired about the negotiations with the Water Board. 13
Commissioner Freeman answered the Water Board wants them to stay with the original 14
plan. They are trying to negotiate with the Water Board to adjust as there has been 15
additional vegetation that has grown. 16
Mr. Anderson added the request they had sent to the Water Board with their consultants’ 17
recommendations was not considered. The next step would be to sit down with Water 18
Board staff and give them what they want and show them the game plan they have. 19
Commissioner Kleinhaus inquired what is being done about the paspalum that is 20
invading the Wetlands. 21
Mr. Anderson answered that is part of what must be done in the analysis by the 22
consultant. He understood that the consultant did not find that encroachment. 23
Commissioner Kleinhaus asked if there would be any replacement or additional 24
irrigation for the trees that were planted there. 25
Mr. Anderson stated there were some replacement trees. He stated the trees never thrived 26
there because of salty soil and it has always been a challenge. He did know they had 27
adjusted some heads to irrigate trees they thought they could encourage to survive. 28
Commissioner Kleinhaus stated some of the oaks that were planted as part of the 29
reconfiguration were planted on soil that was imported but they did not seem to have 30
grown. She wondered if giving them more water would work. She did not see that the 31
canopy goal was being met. 32
Mr. Anderson stated they continued to strive for that and taking better care of the trees 33
they have was one step and adding more where they have irrigation made sense. 34
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Youth Liaison Update – Commissioner Oche updated that Commissioner Wei and she 1
had a one-on-one and met with Christopher Sanchez. They talked about the processes 2
involved and priorities for the youth. Part of what was identified was the fact that they 3
may have an area of opportunity to increase public awareness. On average, they receive 4
30 applications for the Youth Council or Teenager Advisory Board positions, but they 5
have between 2000 to 3000 high schoolers in Palo Alto. They feel that is a great 6
reflection of how many youths may not be aware or completely informed or involved. 7
They also think there is an area of opportunity to increase the diversity ratio of the youth 8
leaders. They also do not have a limit to the tenure that students can apply which puts a 9
restriction to people who are not already involved to be able to serve on the boards. They 10
put up the recommendations that using the youth might be an opportunity to fill the 11
Recreation and Summer Programs and to find a way to link the Youth Council with the 12
Age-Friendly liaison because there is a mentorship opportunity. Their next steps will be 13
to further discuss with Mr. Sanchez how they can best fill those gaps. Another area of 14
opportunity is to investigate revising the Youth Master Plan. 15
Urban Forestry Update – Chair Greenfield stated they were looking to come to the 16
Parks Commission with a review of the tree ordinance updates as had been directed by 17
City Council. The current working plan was to go to the Planning and Transportation 18
Commission in September and the Parks and Rec Commission in October. The 19
Hawthorns Stakeholder Group has been formed including 13 community members. The 20
initial meeting was last month and there is a tour on the following Saturday at the 21
Hawthorn site. The general focus is to recommend siting for trails, parking, and other 22
access points in conjunction with the Community. 23
Age Friendly Liaison Update – Commissioner Oche had a meeting with Minka van der 24
Zwaag, the Senior Community Services Manager and Adam Howard to discuss the 25
efforts that had been made so far. Since the pandemic hit, nothing concrete has been 26
done. She is hoping to get feedback from City Staff on the next steps to revive the 27
Community and make the city more age friendly. 28
Cubberley Update – Commissioner Freeman stated there were three different 29
invitations for bids for the remediation work and floor repair on the Cubberley gyms. 30
The first closed on July 28 and the bids are being reviewed. The second will go out late 31
August. The floor repair will be last. That is expected to take approximately nine months 32
to complete the work; however, even when the work is done, there will be no heat in the 33
gyms until the HVAC system is replaced. The City Council approved the project for this 34
fiscal year to replace the system but there is no timeframe on it. It will be nine months to 35
a year before Gym A and B will be available. 36
Funding Partners Recreation Foundation Update – Commissioner Cribbs stated they 37
did not meet this summer and would meet in September. They are supporting Adam 38
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Howard’s programs and providing funds as requested for the Chili Cook-Off and May 1
Fete Parade and traditional things they have done in the past. 2
Friends of the Park Update – Commissioner Cribbs stated according to Roger Smith, 3
they were looking forward to hearing about when they might open a bucket for funding 4
for the Skate Park. The thought was to wait until after the traffic parking study was done. 5
Mr. Smith was anxious to get it done because the young man who came to them with the 6
plans is now a senior at Paly and would like to see something happen before he goes off 7
to college. Mr. Smith wanted her to tell the Commission that the Friends of the Park 8
board went to the MSC Open House and thought it was terrific. 9
Sustainability Liaison Update – Commissioner Oche stated to promote sustainability 10
and help the capital improvement projects be more sustainable, resilient, and equitable, 11
she started a conversation with the Institute of Sustainability Infrastructure. She was 12
going to drop a link in case anyone wanted to find out more about them. They are 13
nonprofit and have a criteria list that most projects go through to preassess themselves. 14
She sees it as a win-win for the City because they will be able to get free training for 15
City Staff and get global awards for their projects if they qualify. She met with Jeanette 16
Serna, and they were able to review the preassessment criteria list. They discussed that it 17
was something they could leverage on. They identified good candidates for getting 18
awards. The next step would go through the preassessment checklist to see the top three 19
projects that might qualify and find out if the City is involved in progressing that further. 20
She started conversations with the ISI and Envision Team before and they were happy to 21
give a free presentation. As they are on the East Coast, she was not sure if a regular 22
monthly meeting would be appropriate. Once they would be able to give potential dates, 23
she would send that on and find a preferred time and get more information about the 24
awards. She also had a meeting with Christine Long to discuss what the City had been 25
doing about sustainability. She shared some of the priorities with her and the plan was 26
for them to have a follow-up meeting to see how she can best support the priorities and 27
see how they could add corresponding timelines to see how that could be progressed 28
forward. 29
Chair Greenfield asked if they should schedule the Youth Liaison in sometime this fall or 30
aim for next spring. 31
Mr. Anderson stated he reached out to Adam Howard to ask if they would be available 32
this October and he was open to that and would get back to them soon. 33
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COMMISSIONER/BOARD MEMBER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, 35
ANNOUNCEMENTS, OR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 36
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Mr. Anderson said that potential items for September could be the Foothills Nature 1
Preserve improvements coming back for discussion and the dog park. 2
3
Chair Greenfield asked if the Wellness Center might be a potential item. 4
5
Mr. Anderson stated the Wellness Center might be but would be cutting it tight 6
depending on when the public meeting happens, but it was worthy to aim for it. 7
8
Commissioner Cribbs stated if the meetings were not early and needed to be pushed 9
back, she did not think they would have enough information to do the September 10
meeting. 11
12
Mr. Anderson also mentioned pushing for the park dedication as one with the least 13
obstacles. 14
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ADJOURNMENT 16
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Meeting adjourned at 9:43 P.M. 18
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TO: PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
FROM: DAREN ANDERSON DEPARTMENT: COMMUNITY SERVICES
DATE: SEPTEMBER 26, 2023
SUBJECT: DOG PARK UPDATE
RECOMMENDATION
Informational Report.
BACKGROUND
The 2017 Parks, Trails, Natural Open Space and Recreation Master Plan (Parks Master Plan)
discussed the dog parks and identified a policy and program to pursue adding dedicated, fenced
dog parks in multiple neighborhoods, equitably distributed between north and south Palo Alto.
Policy
2.D Actively pursue adding dedicated, fenced dog parks in multiple neighborhoods, equitably
distributed between north and south Palo Alto. The size of the dog parks will vary but should strive
to be at least 1/4 acres. Dog parks should not be placed in open space preserves.
PROGRAMS 2.D.1 The City will evaluate and select at least six dedicated, fenced dog parks,
equitably distributed across north and south Palo Alto, from the following list of potential
locations:
• Eleanor Pardee Park (North, .41 Acres)
• Bowden Park (North, .37 Acres)
• Greer Park (Improve existing) (South, .87 Acres)
• Peers Park (North, .73 Acres)
• Hoover Park (Improve existing) (South, 1 Acre)
• Robles Park (South, .47 Acres)
• Mitchell Park (Expand existing) (South, 1.2 Acres)
• Kingsley Island (North, .27 Acres)
• Werry Park (North, .31 Acres)
• Juana Briones Park (South, .47 Acres)
• Heritage Park (North, .27 Acres)
Locations with at least .25 acres that are not currently used for active or programmed recreation
were prioritized. Eleven sites were identified as potential locations for dedicated dog parks in the
Parks Master Plan. Six of the locations are in north Palo Alto, and five are in south Palo Alto.
Three of these sites have existing dog parks, although there are recommended changes to improve
those areas. The dog park at Mitchell Park would be expanded. The dog parks at Hoover Park and
Greer Park could be expanded or relocated to larger areas within those parks.
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2
When the Parks Master Plan was adopted in 2017, the City had three dog parks:
• Greer Park (approximately .09 acres)
• Hoover Park (approximately .14 acres)
• Mitchell Park (approximately .56 acres)
These three dog parks are all located south of Oregon Expressway. The Parks Master Plan noted
that since dog owners prefer to use dog parks near their residences, adding dog parks to north Palo
Alto parks will improve residents’ dog exercise opportunities. The lack of dog parks on the north
side of the City, together with the prevalence of people allowing dogs to run off-leash outside of
designated dog parks in parks and on school property, underscores the need for more off-leash dog
parks in the near term.
Peers Dog Park
In December 2016, Staff hosted public meetings to get feedback on the potential for adding a dog
park in Eleanor Pardee Park and Peers Park. Many neighbors around Eleanor Pardee Park
expressed concerns about adding a dog park. The main concern was the proximity to neighbors’
homes. The neighbors around Peers Park supported adding a dog park at Peers Park.
On November 28, 2017, the Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC) recommended that City
Council adopt a Park Improvement Ordinance to add a dog park at Peers Park (Staff Report).
The Peers Dog Park (.84 acres) opened on June 14, 2018. Peers Park is in north Palo Alto.
Off-Leash Pilot Program
In November 2020, an on-line community survey enquired about community interest to include a
dog park in the overall renovation plans for Ramos Park. Of the 198 residents that responded to
the survey, 117 (58%) supported the addition of a dog park to Ramos Park. Several residents next
to the proposed dog park location voiced concerns about fencing restricting their access to the park
and potential noise from an established dog park. To address these concerns, staff proposed a pilot
off-leash dog park area.
On December 15, 2020, the Parks and Recreation Commission discussed Ramos Park off-leash
pilot program (Staff Report). An off-leash pilot program would identify an unfenced section of a
park that would serve as a place where dogs are allowed off leash for limited hours of a day. There
was mixed feedback from the commissioners and community regarding the off-leash pilot. Some
commissioners supported the idea, while others expressed concerns about unfenced dog parks
(potential conflicts with field users, dog waste, dog attacks on humans and other dogs, people not
paying attention to their dog, and lack of enforcement). There were several emails to the PRC from
neighbors expressing their objections to an off-leash pilot program at Ramos Park. An off-leash
pilot program was not pursued.
DISCUSSION
Dog Parks in Process
On July 28, 2022, PRC approved PIO for Mitchell Dog Park expansion (Staff Report). The existing
dog park will increase the area to (.82 acres) and add a new small dog park area (0.1 acres). Staff
anticipate the project will go out to bid in the fall of 2023 and be completed early 2024.
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On July 27, 2021, PRC approved PIO for Boulware Park, which includes a new dog park (.5
acres) (Staff Report). The project started in August 2023 and will be completed in the fall of
2024.
Options for Dog Park in North Palo Alto
Staff, PRC Dog Park Liaisons, and several dog park stakeholders explored the feasibility of adding
a dog park at Hopkins Park (near the Hale Well site). While the location complies with the City’s
five-foot set back requirement from the adjacent San Francisquito Creek, the proximity to the creek
raise environmental concerns. The group has also discussed the potential of a fenced dog park at
Johnson Park, El Camino Park, and Rinconada Park. Some of the challenges in finding an
appropriate location for a dog park include proximity to creeks, proximity to neighborhood homes,
adequate space, and displacing existing park uses.
Community Interest in Adding a Dog Park in the Barron Park Neighborhood
Several members of the Barron Park Neighborhood have expressed interest in adding a dog park
to their area. They suggested three potential locations: Bol Park, Briones Park, and Strawberry
Hill. The PRC dog park liaisons have been in communication with members of the neighborhood
and communicated that staff and the PRC dog park liaisons are currently focused on finding a dog
park location in north Palo Alto, but will keep Barron Park Neighborhood on the list of important
locations to add a dog park.
NEXT STEPS AND TIMELINE
• Boulware Park Dog Park: Park renovation project started August 2023 and will be
complete in fall 2024.
• Mitchell Dog Park expansion: Out to bid in the fall of 2023 and be completed early 2024.
• The PRC dog park liaisons will continue analyzing potential dog park locations in north
Palo Alto. Staff would conduct community outreach prior to making a recommendation to
the PRC regarding dog park locations.
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