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Home My WebLink About5/12/2021 Item 2, Cross Wilbanks, Megan From:Brett Cross < To:Advisory Bodies Subject:Review of the City’s Draft Parks + Recreation Blueprint This message is from an External Source. Use caution when deciding to open attachments, click links, or respond. Dear Parks and Recreation Commissioners, Unfortunately I missed the cutoff time for providing input at your last meeting. I'm forwarding my comments to your advisory body and those comments I sent to the City Council when they held a Study Session on the document. I'd like to add that I think it would be beneficial to look at all the comments the City received from residents for each park during the workshop that was held at the Ludwick Community Center. Especially with regards to Laguna Lake Park. Additionally the residents along Oceanaire who will be directly impacted from any development in the park, especially noise from building of turf fields and lighting, have not been noticed. That really is unconscionable on the City's part. Sincerely, Brett Cross Laguna Lake Resident San Luis Obispo 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 1 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 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." 2 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. 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 ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Brett Cross < To: emailcouncil@slocity.org <emailcouncil@slocity.org> Sent: Monday, May 3, 2021, 01:36:22 PM PDT Subject: Public Draft of the Parks + Recreation Blueprint for the Future Dear Council Members, I'm not sure if you also receive input from the Open City Hall discussion portal. Here is my input through that portal that I'd like you to consider as well specifically with Laguna Lake Park. Glaring absent from the Laguna Lake Park section is any focus on the Lake itself. There wording about natural aquatic improvements. What is the meaning of that phrase and the policy implications for retaining and restoring Laguna Lake. 3 There is an interesting section in the document about Market Potential Index. The data shows canoeing/kayaking at 140 and Fishing 117. Those activities are not occurring at those rates at Laguna Lake which would make sense. Laguna Lake use to be used for sailing, fishing, and later windsurfing. Now some Stand Up Paddle boarding. The restoration of Laguna Lake should be a primary goal of the Laguna Lake Park. If you look at page 74 in Community Parks "For Laguna Lake Park, we asked participants to rank a list of 11 potential improvements. The most popular: a bike pump track, an adventure playground, a botanical garden, a walking path, an outdoor learning area, and additional picnic areas. So how did the responses go from the above to the proposals in the 5 year plan on page 121. + Evaluate this site for a future community center with both indoor and outdoor activity areas and architecture and/or as a site for a second pool or aquatics center. Consider incorporation of a nature center, youth day camp programming, and educational materials, presentations, docent walks, and concessions. Plan and park development will be supported by dedicated funding available through development agreements. + Incorporate more active uses, such as basketball courts, pickleball courts, a bike pump track, adventure playground/ obstacle course, exercise walking path, and lighted or unlighted multi-use sports fields and courts. A botanical garden was also well-supported as a passive use. + Implement Phase 1 of Laguna Lake Park Plan, which should include lighted and/or unlighted sports fields (these may be diamond, rectangular, or multiuse fields). These recommendation are not consistent with community input. Sincerely, Brett Cross 4 San Luis Obispo 5