TO: COMMUNITY AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION
FROM: JEREMY SWAN, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
DATE: APRIL 2, 2025
SUBJECT:
Title
PARK FACILITIES IMPROVEMENT PLAN
Body
SUMMARY
At its meeting on April 23, 2024, the City Council approved the 2024-26 City Council Priorities and Objectives document. In keeping with the City Council’s priority to “Invest in the Maintenance and Improvement of Our Infrastructure,” the City Council directed staff to develop a Park Facilities Improvement Plan. Following discussion among the City Council and staff, specific direction was provided with regard to the scope of the Park Facilities Improvement Plan. The City Council-approved Objective is as follows:
(i) Assess the age and condition of park facilities,
(ii) Prioritize park facility improvements,
(iii) Identify current and future sources of funding for proposed park facility improvement, and
(iv) Outline a public engagement process for the development of park facility improvement projects.
Staff completed a draft Park Facilities Improvement Plan, and the Plan was made available for public review and comment through the month of February. The draft of the Park Facilities Improvement Plan is included as Attachment A to this report.
This report will provide an overview of the Plan, as well as public comment received to-date.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the Community and Human Services Commission review and approve the Park Facilities Improvement Plan, and forward the Plan to the City Council for approval.
Body
ALTERNATIVES TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the staff recommendation, there is the following alternative:
• Request additional information from staff.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Approval of the Park Facilities Improvement Plan has no direct financial impact. The Plan provides a framework for necessary improvements to park facilities over the next ten years. As individual projects proceed, necessary allocations and budget expenditures will be brought before the City Council for approval.
Over the next ten years, it is anticipated that the City will invest $9.1 million in park replacements and upgrades. The upgrades include playground equipment, prefabricated restrooms, safety and security lighting, pedestrian pathways and parking lots (hardscape), sports courts, and sports field lighting. The recommended park priorities are funded through Park Dedication Funds, Los Angeles County Measure A Funds, the General Fund, awarded grants, and donations. Over the next ten years, the City is projected to have approximately $8.2 million in funding available specifically for park improvements. The City will actively pursue available grant opportunities and partnerships for the additional necessary funding.
The staff cost to prepare this plan and report is estimated to be $19,695. These costs include staff time allocated to the project and are included in the operating budget of the Community Services Department.
ANALYSIS
During the development of the 2024-26 City Council Priorities and Objectives, a group of concerned citizens spoke out about the need for better parks and park amenities. The group challenged the City’s “like-for-like” replacement policy for playground equipment and lack of long-term vision for park improvements. As a result, the City Council added an Objective for 2024-26. The City Council directed staff to develop a Park Facilities Improvement Plan that will:
(i) Assess the age and condition of park facilities,
(ii) Prioritize park facility improvements,
(iii) Identify current and future sources of funding for proposed park facility improvement, and
(iv) Outline a public engagement process for the development of park facility improvement projects.
Staff spent the last several months evaluating all City parks, and the amenities at each location. In developing the Plan, staff focused on long-term amenities that require significant funding and resources. The amenities evaluated included:
(i) Playground equipment,
(ii) Restroom buildings,
(iii) Safety and security lighting,
(iv) Pedestrian pathways and parking lots (hardscape),
(v) Sports courts, and
(vi) Sports field lighting.
The assessment did not focus on maintenance items that are completed as part of routine maintenance; however, maintenance concerns were identified. The Plan also does not address sports field maintenance. Sports field maintenance is not considered routine; rather, it is handled and funded separately. In response to concerns about the condition of some of the playing surfaces on the City’s sports fields, the City Council directed staff to perform an analysis of the condition of sports fields and put forward recommendations, including a funding plan for the maintenance and upgrade of sports fields. Staff will begin this process in the coming months.
Once the Park Facilities Improvement Plan Objective was established, staff developed a ten-year funding plan with anticipated fiscal year start dates for proposed improvements. Staff anticipates re-evaluating the Plan on an annual basis to ensure completion of proposed projects and assess meeting community needs. Staff will continue to identify new and innovative funding sources, including grants, to fully fund the Plan as well as future park improvements.
The final element of the Plan is the implementation of an expanded community engagement process for park improvements. The new community engagement process was launched with the development of the Lewis Park Playground Improvements project. The community engagement process may be modified, depending on the unique characteristics of each park and each project. Moving forward, staff will host at least two community meetings for each project in addition to the approval process involving the Community and Human Services Commission and City Council.
The goal of the Plan is to develop a framework for prioritization and funding of park improvements over the next ten years. Staff will present on an annual basis an update to the Community and Human Services Commission on the status of the Plan, including a work plan for park improvements for the year ahead. This will allow staff the ability to align the City’s and community’s goals and objectives for park projects.
The Plan
The City identifies eighteen parks that have park facilities or amenities. These parks are divided into four different categories: (i) mini or pocket parks, (ii) neighborhood parks, (iii) community parks, and (iv) sports parks.
Mini or pocket parks serve the immediate neighborhood and address limited recreation needs, offering fewer amenities. Neighborhood parks are the basic unit of the City’s Park system, generally accommodating spaces for informal activities and active recreation. Community Parks serve a broader purpose than neighborhood parks and meet recreation needs for more formal and programmed activities. Sports parks consolidate heavily programmed athletic fields and associated facilities at larger sites.
A public comment was submitted asking why the Blaisdell Ranch Preserve was not included in the Plan. Since the Preserve was developed with no amenities, it was not included in the inventory and document. The Plan focuses on parks that have amenities which could require replacement over the next ten years.
The Plan calls for over $9.1 million dollars in upgrades over the next ten years.
|
Breakdown by Category |
Amount |
|
Playground Equipment |
$ 3,600,000 |
|
Restrooms |
$ 600,000 |
|
Safety and Security Lighting |
$ 1,935,000 |
|
Pedestrian Pathways and Parking Lot Repairs |
$ 1,425,000 |
|
Sports Courts (Basketball, Tennis, Pickleball) |
$ 565,000 |
|
Sports Field Lights |
$ 600,000 |
|
Park Amenities |
$ 400,000 |
|
TOTAL |
$ 9,125,000 |
Playground Equipment:
The City has playgrounds in fifteen of the eighteen identified parks, with the oldest playground installed in 1996. Over the next ten years, the City plans to replace eight playgrounds and install one new playground in a park that does not yet have a playground. The proposed ten-year fiscal plan includes $3.6 million dollars in playground replacements. On average, playground equipment is replaced after 25-30 years. For each playground, the City will follow the new community engagement process outlined in the Plan. In addition, the City may host interactive discussion groups online and conduct surveys.
The City has heard from Community groups about the desire for a flagship playground. The discussion for a flagship playground and specific details for each playground will be discussed at the community workshops for each project. The goal for playground development and enhancement is to create an innovative, inclusive, and sustainable playground system that considers how the playground fits into the broader parks system.
Restrooms:
Over the last several years, the City has replaced and improved several restroom facilities. There are only two park restroom facilities that still require replacement. Over the next ten years, the Larkin Park and Lewis Park restrooms are proposed to be replaced with prefabricated restrooms at an estimated cost of $600,000.
Safety and Security Lighting:
The City commissioned a park lighting assessment project in 2015. An outside consultant assessed all parks for safety and security lighting needs, and the consultant developed a matrix that prioritized park lighting needs. Fourteen parks still require the removal and replacement of safety and security lighting at a total cost of $1.9 million dollars. In the ten-year fiscal plan, there is currently $1 million of the $1.9 million scheduled for recommended lighting improvements at four City parks.
Pedestrian Pathways and Parking Lot Repairs:
As part of the conditions assessment, staff assessed the pedestrian pathways and parking lots at all parks. While all of the park parking lots would benefit from a slurry seal, two of the lots require complete removal and replacement. In addition, several of the parks require removal and replacement of different sections of walkways. In the ten-year fiscal plan, there is currently $1.43 million in pedestrian pathway and parking lot repairs scheduled.
Sports Courts:
Several City parks are home to sports courts, whether tennis courts, basketball courts, or pickleball courts. As part of the condition assessment, each court’s current condition was assessed, and an anticipated timeline for resurfacing or complete removal and replacement was developed. The anticipated budget for sports courts improvements is $565,000.
Sports Field Lights:
As lighting technology changes, and older, less-efficient lights are being replaced with LED technology, there is a need to replace the lights at all sports fields. There are currently field lights at five different parks that are used for baseball, softball, or soccer. The cost to replace the complete lighting system at the existing lit sports fields is $600,000.
During the public comment period, staff received several requests and comments about the need to install additional sports lighting at the La Puerta Sports Park. At La Puerta, only the soccer fields have lights. When La Puerta Sports Park was developed, an extensive Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was completed. As a result of the EIR and extensive public input process, Chapter 11.08 of the Claremont Municipal Code (La Puerta Sports Park) was introduced. Chapter 11.08.010 (Lighting of athletic fields) restricts light use at La Puerta to youth soccer practice sessions only and stipulates specific dates and times the lights may be used. In addition, Chapter 11.08.030 outlines the process for any future amendments to this chapter of the Code. Claremont Municipal Code Chapter 11.08 is included as Attachment B.
Park Amenities:
Park amenities cover all other park features that do not currently fit in the aforementioned categories. These amenities could include additional park benches, and shade structures for picnic areas or play structures. Park amenities can change over time as new features are introduced and not included elsewhere in park budgets. Many park amenities are unfunded due to costs and/or other park priorities. The Plan calls for the expenditure of $400,000 to address the improvement and/or replacement of items that fall into this category over the next ten years.
Ten Year Funding Plan
Park Improvements are funded through Park Dedication Funds, Los Angeles County Measure A Funds, the General Fund, awarded grants, and donations. Over the next ten years, the City is projected to have approximately $8.2 million in funding available specifically for park improvements. The total estimated expenditures of $9.1 million for the next ten years exceed available resources by approximately $900,000. To make up the difference, the City will actively pursue available grant opportunities and partnerships. As individual projects are initiated and a scope of work is developed, the anticipated budget for each project, as well as the availability of funding may change. These changes may impact the timelines for the completion of proposed projects.
Public Comment Received
The City released the draft Plan around the end of January for public comment. The public was encouraged to review the draft Plan and submit comments to staff by the end of February. All public comment received prior to 3:00 pm on Wednesday, March 26, has been included as Attachment C.
There were several comments received regarding the condition of sports fields, specifically baseball and soccer fields. As previously mentioned, the City Council has directed staff to develop a similar plan for sports field maintenance. This plan is early in the development process. Over the next several months, staff will be working on creating a sports field maintenance plan that will address the concerns of the community. Staff will work with the community and sports groups to develop the plan. In addition, there was one comment received regarding sports equipment (e.g. goals and nets). Goals and nets are owned and maintained by the individual sports leagues. The City does not purchase, own, or maintain sports equipment such as goals or nets. Since 2011, organizations who are members of the Youth Sports Committee have elected to self-impose a $5 per participant fee which is paid into an improvement fund that member organizations can utilize for field and facility projects, such as replacement of nets and goals.
As previously mentioned, members of the community submitted comments regarding the need for additional lighting at La Puerta Sports Park. This topic was addressed under the sports field lighting section of the report.
Better Claremont Playgrounds submitted public comment regarding adding guiding principles to the Plan. Staff incorporated a few of the recommended goals from the guiding principles into the Plan. As staff moves forward developing individual park projects and works with the community, the guiding principles will be incorporated into the individual projects.
There was one comment received about the Higginbotham Park playground. Because the Higginbotham Park playground is not scheduled to be replaced in the next ten years, staff will evaluate the area to see if the concerns can be addressed through normal maintenance.
One comment was submitted regarding the dirt parking area for Padua Park. The dirt parking area was included in future plans for Padua Park. As the future plans are currently unfunded, the City will continue to look for additional funding to fully fund all elements at Padua Park.
One comment was submitted regarding Griffith Park. The Griffith Park playground is scheduled to be replaced during the 2029-2030 fiscal year. The recent replacement of the damaged slide was completed as part of regular maintenance and is not considered an upgrade. When the public engagement process begins for Griffith Park, the concerns discussed will be addressed in the new playground design. The community will have input into the selection of the final design.
One public comment was received suggesting creating a policy that requires a provision to donate equipment that can be re-used. During the recent Lewis Park playground project, staff discussed this idea with the contractor. Unfortunately, due to liability concerns, the contractor was unable to facilitate a donation. The City is always willing to facilitate a donation of used playground equipment if the company is able to meet the City’s insurance requirements.
At the conclusion of the public comment period, additional language was added to the draft Plan to incorporate community feedback regarding Claremont’s commitment to ensuring parks remain vibrant, exceptional, accessible, and well-maintained community spaces. In addition, Claremont’s commitment to incorporate inclusive play principles, multi-age play equipment, nature play elements and engaging dynamic play structures was added to the Plan. Language reinforcing Claremont’s commitment to sustainable playground design and elements was also incorporated.
RELATIONSHIP TO CITY PLANNING DOCUMENTS
Staff has evaluated the agenda item in relationship to the City’s strategic and visioning documents and finds that it applies to the following City Planning Documents: Council Priorities, Sustainable City Plan, General Plan, 2024-26 Budget, and the Youth and Family Master Plan.
COMMITTEE REVIEW
At its March 13, 2025, meeting, the Parks, Hillsides, and Utilities Committee unanimously approved the Park Facilities Improvement Plan and recommended forwarding the item to the Community and Human Services Commission for review and approval. An excerpt from the draft meeting minutes is included as Attachment D.
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
The agenda and staff report for this item have been posted on the City website and distributed to interested parties. If you desire a copy, please contact the City Clerk’s Office.
Submitted by:
Jeremy Swan
Community Services Director
Attachments:
A - Draft Park Facilities Improvement Plan
B - Claremont Municipal Code Chapter 11.08
C - Public Comment
D - Excerpt from the Draft 03-13-25 PHU Committee Meeting Minutes