HomeMy WebLinkAbout5/4/2021 Item 19, Cross
Wilbanks, Megan
From:Brett Cross <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Public Draft of the Parks + Recreation Blueprint for the Future
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Dear Council Members,
I'd like provide you with an email I sent the Parks and Rec Commission for their meeting of April 7th unfortunately I didn't
realize I had missed the cutoff so I'm not sure if they ever saw it.
Anyway, here is what I had hoped for them to read.
Sincerely,
Brett Cross
San Luis Obispo
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Brett Cross <
To: Advisory Bodies <advisorybodies@slocity.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 7, 2021, 03:36:50 PM PDT
Subject: Public Draft of the Parks + Recreation Blueprint for the Future
Edit:
Sorry I forgot one thing.
I've got a sense that if you bring up the active uses envisioned in the Near Term Planned Improvements for Laguna Lake
park staff is going to tell you lighted fields, tennis courts, swim center, community center, etc. that is shown in the 0-5 year
plan for Laguna Lake park hasn't been approved yet and will be part of the park planning process through a
Comprehensive Update. That's not exactly true because when the Comprehensive Update is developed the guiding
principle will include those uses as shown in the Draft Plan if adopted as written.
Staff will argue, because I've seen it many times, that the Recreation Blueprint for the Future directs the Comprehensive
Update to include lighted multi-use sports fields, basketball courts, picketball courts along with a botanical garden. And
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that is the direction that they've been told to go in. Even though staff proposed it and pushed the language through the
process.
Thank you,
Brett Cross
Mariners Cove
San Luis Obispo
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Brett Cross <
To: Advisory Bodies <advisorybodies@slocity.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 7, 2021, 03:17:22 PM PDT
Subject: Public Draft of the Parks + Recreation Blueprint for the Future
Dear Parks commissioners,
There's a lot I'd like to add to the comments I provided through the Open City Hall portal but I don't know if that is really
necessary. The active vs. passive use of Laguna Lake park has been discussed in great detail beginning with the
community based recommendations that went into the creation of the 1993 Laguna Lake Park Master Plan. I'd suggest
that as commissioners you review that plan.
Just to give you more of an idea of how the discussion continued here are minutes from June of
2004. https://www.slocity.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=3520
What's interesting is that staff hasn't let up on trying to push Laguna Lake Park into an Active Recreation area. Paul
LeSage pushed ball fields and tennis courts during his tenure as Director as well. I found this "warning" in the document
somewhat ironic.
"Reach Beyond the Usual Voices
Several participants spoke about the
need to reach beyond “the loudest
voices and most organized groups”
during the planning process."
What almost immediately came to mind is that statement should be applied to staff as well. Actually in a lot of ways it
describes staff's input perfectly. So keep that in mind when reviewing the document and staff responses. Because
everyone has a bias and belief their ideas are best. And staff gets a lot more than 3 minutes to make their pitch.
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Lastly, and most importantly has been a historic lack of support from your commission to dredging Laguna Lake. I don't
want to say I don't know why because I think it was pretty clear at one of the many meetings I've participated in over the
years that most of you weren't around when Laguna Lake was, what I like to describe, a mini Lopez Lake. Yes, the water
was clear and you could swim in it. And secondly, yeah, it's going to be expensive to remove the silt- upwards of $10
million. The City wouldn't have to spend that kind of money if the silt would have been removed from the Prefumo inlet
properly but that discussion isn't really important because the lake is where it's at now.
It's going to take vision to see what Laguna Lake could be and the uses that would occur if the water was deeper and
clear. You could create a sailing center like at Shoreline Park. And maybe you do build a community center that is
oriented around sailboat racing and other water events- rowing competitions, outrigger canoe racing. Not to mention
rental of Stand Up paddleboards, kayaks, sailboats etc.
It's time that the Parks and Recreation Commission support restoration of the lake.
Sincerely,
Brett Cross
Mariners Cove
San Luis Obispo
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