REPORT TO PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Initiate Review and Public Comment Period on the Central Park Master Plan Administrative Draft
Report
BACKGROUND
The City of Santa Clara's 52-acre Central Park was designed in the early 1960s and built out in several phases with federal, state and local funding. Since 2000, there have been various studies and projects proposed that would improve, enlarge, or replace different park and recreational assets and facilities in the park. In October 2017, Gates & Associates was contracted to assist the City with a Central Park Master Plan Update ("Plan"). The focus of the Plan is to create a coherent vision that will integrate and guide Central Park's future improvements by establishing a set of principles, community supported priorities, and appropriate professional design criteria. The intent of the Plan is to provide guidance on how to realistically best meet increased community needs and address aging facility and infrastructure issues over the next 20 years while maximizing green space within the park, improving access, circulation and parking, envisioning new park facilities and recreation elements that serve all ages, abilities and interests.
Extensive community input was solicited from October 2017 to March 2018 and included a review of existing studies and data, hosting of community input meetings and events, conducting an online survey, interviewing stakeholders, and soliciting Commission input. On March 22, 2018 the Parks & Recreation Commission recommended to Council the Plan's Guiding Principles. On August 28, 2018, Council approved the Guiding Principles and directed staff to move forward with the development of the Central Park Master Plan. Following continued development of replacement, rehabilitation and/or renewal project scopes and schematic design options, cost estimating and prioritization of areas of Central Park, in April 2019, a community meeting was held and the Draft Plan and presentati...
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