In 2015, the City Council approved a comprehensive Recreation Needs Assessment Report, which provided recommendations to enhance the quality of life in Goleta. A copy of the adopted Recreation Needs Assessment Report can be found HERE. Section four of the report entitled, “Recreation Facility Recommendations” identifies needs related to a comprehensive Parks Master Plan.

The need and funding for this project was supported in the adopted FY 2017/18 and 2018/19 Capital Improvement Project Budget, the 2017/19 City of Goleta Strategic Plan and outlined in the Open Space Element (OS 6.9) in the General Plan.

On October 6, 2017, a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Master Plan was issued and closed on Monday, November 7, 2017. On December 19, 2017, the City Council approved a Professional Services Agreement between the City of Goleta and KTUA for preparation of a Parks, Facilities and Playgrounds Master Plan (Plan).

The Draft Plan was reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Commission at its meetings on June 5 and August 7 of 2019.

The Draft Plan does not address open space in detail, but rather recommends a reference to the area-specific management plan for each open space. For example, concerns related to Ellwood Mesa would be identified in the Ellwood Mesa Management Plan, or specifically in the Monarch Butterfly Habitat Management Plan. The Draft Plan does recommend that these plans, specific to open space, should be reviewed and updated regularly.

Description

The Parks, Facilities and Playgrounds Master Plan (Master Plan) creates a roadmap for upgrades, expansions and potential additions to the City parks system to meet current and future community needs for parks, open space, and urban respite areas that contribute to the public’s health. The Master Plan includes an overview of the City’s existing parks, facilities, playgrounds and policies, recommendations to improve access to parks and park facilities, detail maintenance strategies specific to each site, and the identification of funding sources to implement the recommendations.

The goal of this work effort was to complete a comprehensive assessment of Goleta’s parks and playgrounds system, considering future growth in the community. The Plan is designed to be a working document to guide maintenance, improvements and development for the City of Goleta over the next 16 years. The scope of work for the Plan included the following components:

• Inventory and Historical Information
• Data Collection and Evaluation of Existing Conditions
  • ADA evaluation
  • Community Outreach Meetings
  • Stakeholder Interviews
  • Pop Up Events
• Gap Analysis
• Findings and Recommendations
• Document Preparation of the Goleta Parks, Facilities & Playgrounds Master Plan
• Recommendations and Opinions of potential funding opportunities

A variety of methods and tools were utilized for public engagement and analysis. The spectrum of different methods including bilingual Spanish translation, ranging from direct interviews and workshops to surveys and community events, has provided a high degree of community feedback and has helped ensure that the Plan process was as inclusive as possible. Section 4.3 of the Plan presents the results of the outreach methods, and highlights the specific facilities needed or desired by the community (identified by outreach methodology) and provides a means for prioritization.

The table below outlines the components of the Plan, displayed to coincide with the contents of the document.

The Parks, Facilities and Playgrounds Master Plan was approved with adjustments on January 16, 2020.

The Parks and Recreation Commission developed a recommendation of priorities for Council consideration at their regularly scheduled meeting on February 5, 2020.  This list will assist the City Council in decision related to projects, staffing needs and direction for the City of the next 16 years.  Ultimately, the City’s role and approach in meeting the identified needs and recommendations will be dependent on City Council direction as well as the City’s budgetary resources.

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the list of recommended priorities has not yet been reviewed by the City Council.  It is estimated that this item will be reviewed at some point during the first quarter of 2021.

A copy of the Council Presentation can be found HERE. To view the City Council item being presented, you can watch HERE. The Draft Parks Master Plan can be accessed below. 

Draft Parks Master Plan

• Tables of Contents and Figures
• 1 - Executive Summary
• 2 - Planning Context
• 3 - Existing Level of Service
• 4 - Trends Analysis
• 5 - Recommendations and Action Plans (broken out below)
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6
• Part 7
• Part 8
• Part 9
• Appendix A - City Park Accessibility and Compliance Assessment
• Appendix B - Stakeholder Interviews
• Appendix C - Survey Results