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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-04-2017 Staff Correspondence1 Subject:FW: Correspondence for October 4 PRC Meeting Attachments:Page 7 from Project Plan PRMP_PRC_10.4.17 edits.pdf; Agenda Correspondence memorandum 10.4.17.pdf; Page 2 from Project Plan PRMP_PRC_10.4.17 edits.pdf From: Reynolds, Marti   Sent: Wednesday, October 04, 2017 12:17 PM  To: 'Douglas Single' < ; 'Greg Avakian' < ; 'Jeff Whitener'  < ; 'Keri Schwab' < ; 'Rodney Thurman'  < ; 'Susan Olson' <smomk@yahoo.com>; 'Suzan Ehdaie' <   Cc: Stanwyck, Shelly <sstanwyck@slocity.org>; Mudgett, Melissa <mmudgett@slocity.org>  Subject: FW: Correspondence for October 4 PRC Meeting    Commissioners: Attached please find staff response to correspondence regarding an agenda item on tonight’s Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting. Thank you, Marti Reynolds Supervising Administrative Assistant Parks & Recreation Administration 1341 Nipomo Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-3934 E mreynolds@slocity.org T 805.781.7298 slocity.org  Parks and Recreation Department Memorandum Date: October 4, 2017 To: Parks and Recreation Commission From: Shelly Stanwyck, Parks and Recreation Director sstanwyck@slocity.org Rebecca Gershow, Associate Planner, Community Development rgershow@slocity.org cc: Robert Hill, Natural Resources Manager, Administration Re: Response to Public Comments Submitted Relating to The October 4, 2017 Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC) Agenda Item 2 – Consideration of the Project Plan for the Parks and Recreation Element and Master Plan Update On October 2, 2017, the City received correspondence with multiple residents listed. In preparation for the PRC meeting, and as requested by a commissioner, staff has reviewed the materials and provides the following comments in response. The draft project plan, presented on September 6, 2017, and the revised project plan for consideration tonight, was reviewed by Robert Hill, the City’s Natural Resources Manager, who provided his concurrence. Mr. Hill works closely with the Parks and Recreation Director and Parks and Recreation Ranger Service communicating on all aspects of natural resource protection on a daily basis. He reviewed the project plan to ensure consistency with existing city policies (i.e. Conservation and Open Space Element; Open Space Regulations) in his area of specialty, the City’s Open Space. As requested, below are staff comments to the actions items numbered one through six beginning on the third page of the correspondence: 1. As articulated in the proposed project plan the main focus of the Parks and Recreation Element and Master Plan update relates to City parks and recreation facilities. From page 2-4 of the agenda packet, “The purpose of the update of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and Parks and Recreation General Plan Element is to address current and future needs for the City of San Luis Obispo’s parks, recreation facilities, programs and services.” As noted on page 2-6, the update will also examine, through the community needs assessment, active and passive recreation in City (and partner agency, to a lesser degree) parks and recreation facilities and open spaces. As noted in COSE 8.5.5, “Passive recreation activities may include: hiking, nature study, bicycle use, rock climbing, horseback riding or other passive recreational activities as permitted and regulated in the Open Space Ordinance.” The plan will also look at connections via multi-use paths between parks, open spaces and neighborhoods (e.g. Bob Jones Trail). City of San Luis Obispo, Title, Subtitle 2. The Parks and Recreation Element of the General Plan will be consistent with the Conservation and Open Space Element. To alleviate the residents’ concerns and clarify the meaning, staff recommends beginning Goal and Policy Criteria number 9 (page 2-5 of the agenda packet) with the word “Consistent” and striking out Is intended to be. 3. As part of the work scope, staff will discuss with the Consultants selected how changes in General Plan policy language will be presented and, as requested by the City, it will be in accordance with industry best practices. 4. It is the intention of the planning process to include resident input in all aspects of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and Element. As that was not conveyed adequately to the reader, staff recommends adding the word “residents” on page 2-10 as shown in this revised page 2-10. 5. As noted in #2 above, the Project Plan states that it will be consistent with existing City General Plan elements including the Conservation and Open Space Element, therefore survey language will also be consistent. Survey instruments will be reviewed by the PRC prior to publication. 6. Staff share the residents’ enthusiasm of the suggestion to explore “creative new large parks.” Staff has retained this correspondence and will include it with the public input as the planning process gets underway. Lastly, staff recommends replacing the stakeholder group erroneously described on the Preliminary Stakeholder List on page 2-11 as “Open Space Working Group” with “Natural Resources Roundtable.” Feel free to contact either of us with questions. Thank you. 2 4. Supports the Housing Major City Goal by identifying resident and community needs and supporting the implementation of new facilities and new programs in new City neighborhoods. 5. Supports the Parks and Recreation Commission’s longstanding goal to update the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and Element to best serve the community 6. Supports implementation of the General Plan through the update of the Parks and Recreation Element and accompanying policies and programs. 7. Supports the City’s recently updated Land Use Element of the General Plan, including policies such as: “Areas preserved for open space should include public trail access, controlled to protect the natural resources, to assure reasonable security and privacy of dwellings…” (LUE 1.10.3); downtown green space and public parks, including pocket parks and parklets should be increased (LUE 4.10); walking paths along San Luis Creek in the downtown should be included (LUE 4.15); and public art in projects should be included (LUE 5.2.4), among others 8. Supports the City’s recently updated Circulation Elements of the General Plan, by identifying how: parks and recreational areas can be conveniently reached by pedestrians or bicyclists (CE Goal 1.7.3.7); and completing a continuous pedestrian network connecting residential areas with major activity centers as well as trails leading into city and county open spaces (CE Policy 5.1.2), among others 9. Is intended to be Consistent with the City’s Conservation and Open Space Element of the General Plan, including: (COSE 8.5.1) “Public access to open space resources, with interpretive information, should be provided when doing so is consistent with protection of the resources, and with the security and privacy of affected landowners and occupants. Access will generally be limited to non-vehicular movement, and may be visually or physically restricted in sensitive areas” and (COSE 8.5.5) “The City will consider allowing passive recreation where it will not degrade or significantly impact open space resources and where there are no significant neighborhood compatibility impacts, in accordance with an approved open space conservation plan. Passive recreation activities may include: hiking, nature study, bicycle use, rock climbing, horseback riding or other passive recreational activities as permitted and regulated in the Open Space Ordinance.” 10. Supports the goals and policies in the Public Art Master Plan 11. Implements the 2015 Open Space Maintenance Plan 12. Implements the adopted 2020 Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan (Action 1.4.4) 13. Considers implementation strategies in the Downtown Concept Plan (adoption expected in September, 2017) PROJECT STRATEGY AND SCOPE The primary objectives for this project are to assess the existing parks and recreation facilities in the City; identify the community’s needs, including levels of service and geographic service area deficiencies; and update goals, policies and programs that relate to providing parks and recreation services within the City. The planning process will include four major components: 1. Setting the Stage: Planning Framework 2. Determining Community Needs 3. Developing the Parks and Recreation Master Plan (Plan) 4. Updating the General Plan Parks and Recreation Element (Element) 7 to the Cultural Heritage Committee, Jack House Committee, and Bicycle Advisory Committee. Additional meetings will be scheduled as necessary. See the Project Tasks and Schedule section for more information. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN A detailed Community Engagement Plan will be developed in coordination with the selected consultant. As described on page 2 of the project plan, early Community Engagement will be a critical part of the Community Needs Assessment. Early input will be solicited from stakeholders, residents and the general public regarding their needs, preferences and priorities related to parks, facilities, open space, programs and activities, including active and passive recreation. As the plan is developed, stakeholders, residents and the general public will be re-engaged to provide input along the way. The communication objective will be to collaborate with the community. This includes an interactive process where the project team partners with the public to identify needs, preferences and priorities, and identify preferred solutions. Engagement activities will be planned to ensure the participation of a diverse cross-section of the population, as described in the preliminary stakeholder list below, as well as residents and the general public. This list will be refined after consultant selection, when the Communit y Engagement Plan is developed. Components of the community engagement plan may include the following: • Development of a project logo and branding • Development of a social media communications plan • E-updates—email outreach to generate interest, maintain participation, and develop mailing list • Media Outreach—news releases on the key project milestones and key elements of the update • Special event cross marketing by P&R Staff—distribution of project materials, postcards and intercept surveys at special events • City web page/project page regular updates • On line survey: web-based, possibly graphic-based (using mapping software) with broad distribution/publicity/incentives to ensure high participation and diverse representation • Open City hall updates with questionnaires or strategic questions • Stakeholder focus groups or interviews • Outreach to schools for youth participation • Workshops/open houses/pop-up events, depending on the phase of the project and the input needed, including neighborhood meetings, or meetings in parks Refer to the Public Engagement and Noticing Manual for more outreach tools and information on the levels of engagement. PRELIMINARY STAKEHOLDER LIST Beyond residents and the general public, stakeholders are organized groups of people we want to make sure we reach out to and hear from as part of our public engagement process. After consultant selection, a detailed Community Engagement Plan will be developed, and appropriate input opportunities will be identified.