Redwood City New General Plan 4.13 Recreation, Parks, and Open Space

4.13 RECREATION, PARKS, AND OPEN SPACE This section describes existing public parks, recreation facilities, and open space areas in Redwood City and the sphere of influence area, including the regulations and policies affecting these facilities. Impacts to these facilities that could result with adoption of the New General Plan are evaluated and mitigations identified for any potentially significant impacts. Information in this section was obtained from City publications, including the Parks and Facilities Needs Assessment (2008).

4.13.1 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING Redwood City has approximately 226 acres of active developed parkland and approximately 700 acres of designated open space. Parks in the sphere of influence area contribute an additional 7 acres to the plan area, for a total of about 233 acres of developed parkland in the plan area (the City plus sphere of influence areas) as a whole.1 Approximately 19 percent (or about 43 acres) of the City’s active parkland is associated with school facilities (including athletic fields and playgrounds). Other public park and recreational facilities in the plan area include community centers, trails, and swimming pools, which may be within City parks. The open space areas provide passive recreational opportunities, but have other primary purposes, such as habitat protection, that preclude the areas from being considered as active developed parkland.

Parks Parks in the plan area are classified in several subgroups: mini parks, neighborhood parks, community parks, special use parks, and active land on public school property. The City completed a Parks and Facilities Needs Assessment (PFNA) in 2008, which assessed the quality and quantity of parklands in the plan area. The PFNA noted that existing parklands are not evenly distributed throughout the City. Some portions of the City have a relative “excess” of parkland when compared to other portions.

Table 4.13-1 provides the acreage for each park subgroup within the plan area, which includes school related parklands. As identified in the PFNA, because wider public use of school parks is not formalized through any usage agreement, there is no certainty that school parks could continue to be relied upon in the long-term to help fulfill park and recreation demands; however, the City has been actively pursuing longer term assurances.

Figure 4.13-1 shows the location of these parks in the plan area.

1 Redwood City Parks and Facilities Need Assessment, October 2008.

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Redwood City New General Plan 4.13 Recreation, Parks, and Open Space

Table 4.13-1 Public Park and Recreation Lands within the Plan Area

Park Type Acres Within City Limits Mini parks 8.5 Neighborhood parks 26.7 Community parks 94.7 Special use parks 52.5 School-related parklands 43.0 Subtotal, City Limits 225.4 Parklands in Sphere of Influence (Outside City Limits) 7.5 Plan Area Total 232.9

Source: Redwood City Parks and Facilities Needs Assessment, 2008.

Excluding the school-related facilities, the total amount of developed parkland provided by the City is 182.4 acres. When considered in the context of the City’s 2008 population of 77,071, the 182.4 acres of developed parkland equates to 2.37 acres of parkland per 1,000 persons. Should the City formalize a use agreement with the schools to ensure continued public use of their facilities, the additional 43 acres would increase the total assured acreage to 225.4, equating to 2.92 acres of parkland per 1,000 persons. Both figures are below the City’s park standard of 3.0 acres of developed parkland per 1,000 persons.

Excluding the school-related facilities, the total amount of developed parkland provided in the plan area is 189.8 acres. When considered in the context of the plan area’s 2008 population of 99,913, the 189.8 acres of developed parkland equates to 1.9 acres of parkland per 1,000 persons. Including school-related parklands increases the plan area parkland total to 232.9 acres, equating to 2.33 acres of parkland per 1,000 persons. Both figures are below the City’s developed parkland standard.

The City’s park standard of 3.0 acres of developed parkland per 1,000 persons was incorporated into Section 30.143 of the Redwood City Municipal Code. In the event that a proposed new development does not meet the park standard, a fee is calculated by subtracting the dedicated acreage from the parkland requirement and then multiplying the result by a per acre land and site improvement cost. This is consistent with the Quimby Act, which allows parkland acquisition and development fees to be assessed on new development at an amount proportionate to attaining the standard of 3 acres per 1,000 persons. The following describes the various types of parks within the City and the plan area.

May 2010 Draft EIR 4.13-2 BUIL D I N G CO MMU N I T Y

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Legend Source: Redwood City Draft General Plan, 2009

Park Facilities Community Facilities Base Features # Mini Park # Community Centers City Boundary Sphere of Influence # Neighborhood Park ORTH Freeway/Highway N # Community Park Major Roads # Special Park Railroad 1 inch equals 5,000 feet # School Parks Waterways Feet 0 2,500 5,000

Redwood City G I

General Plan EIR Public Parks in the Plan Area F 4-13.1 Geografika Consulting 03.03.10

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Redwood City New General Plan 4.13 Recreation, Parks, and Open Space

Mini Parks Mini parks are generally intended for use by small children, typically including play structures and picnic tables. These types of parks are usually less than one acre. Redwood City has 13 mini parks within City limits totaling 8.5 acres.2 Table 4.13-2 identifies each park and its acreage.

Table 4.13-2 Redwood City Mini Parks

Map Reference Number Recreational Facility Name Total Acres 1 Davit Lane 1.2 2 Dove Beeger Park 0.7 3 Jardin de Niños Park 0.3 4 John S. Roselli Memorial 0.6 5 Linden Park 0.4 6 Little River Park 0.1 7 Main Street Park 0.1 8 Palm Park 1.0 9 Portside Park 0.8 10 Sandpiper Point Park 0.9 11 Starboard Park 0.6 12 Wellesley Crescent 1.4 13 Westwood Park 0.4 Total 8.5

Source: Redwood City Parks and Facilities Needs Assessment, October 2008.

Neighborhood Parks Neighborhood parks are typically a combination of a playground and park area generally used for non-organized activities. A number of these parks also have restrooms. Redwood City has 11 neighborhood parks totaling 26.8 acres.3 Table 4.13-3 identifies each park and its acreage.

Community Parks Community parks are typically designed for organized activities; users are typically both local residents and non-residents. These parks may include sports fields, picnic areas, BBQ pits, off-street parking, and restrooms. Redwood City has five community parks totaling 94.7 acres.4 Table 4.13-4 lists details of each community park.

2 Redwood City Parks and Facilities Need Assessment, October 2008. 3 Redwood City Parks and Facilities Need Assessment, October 2008. 4 Redwood City Parks and Facilities Need Assessment, October 2008.

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Redwood City New General Plan 4.13 Recreation, Parks, and Open Space

Table 4.13-3 Redwood City Neighborhood Parks

Map Reference Number Recreational Facility Name Total Acres 14 Andrew Spinas Park 1.8 15 Dolphin Park 2.5 16 Fleishman Park 0.6 17 Garrett Park 6.3 18 Maddux Park 0.9 19 Mariner Park 4.0 20 Mezes Park 1.4 21 Sandpiper Park 2.1 22 Shannon Park 1.8 23 Shorebird Park 3.7 24 Stafford Park 1.6

Total 26.7

Source: Redwood City Parks and Facilities Needs Assessment, 2008.

Table 4.13-4 Redwood City Community Parks

Park Reference Number Recreational Facility Name Total Acres 25 Hoover Park 10.5 26 Marlin Park 10.9 27 Red Morton Park 30.9 28 Stulsaft Park 42.4 Total 94.7

Source: Redwood City Parks and Facilities Needs Assessment, 2008.

Special Use Facilities Special use facilities are parks or facilities that do not fit into any other category. These facilities are generally used for recreational purposes, such as a skate park or dog park, but they can be used for other purposes, such as a cemetery. Per the PFNA, Redwood City has a total of nine special facilities parks, as listed in Table 4.13-5.

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Redwood City New General Plan 4.13 Recreation, Parks, and Open Space

Table 4.13-5 Redwood City Special Use Facilities

Map Reference Recreational Facility Name Total Acres Amenities Number 29 City Center Plaza 0.2 Benches, landscaped area 30 Courthouse Square 0.6 Tables, performance space 31 Cringle Park 1.2 Open space access point 32 Easter Bowl 8.8 Outdoor amphitheater 33 Fair Oaks Community Center* 2.4 Human services center, conference spaces 34 Hawes Park 2.7 Ball fields, restrooms 35 Lido Assessment District 29.8 Picnic areas, restrooms 36 Shores Dog Park 1.1 Off-leash dog area 37 Union Cemetery 5.7 Historic grounds Total 52.5 Source: Redwood City Parks and Facilities Needs Assessment, 2008. * Note: The PFNA identifies the Fair Oaks Community Center as having parkland acreage.

School Parks A substantial percentage of parklands in the plan area are associated with schools. Within the plan area, school parks (playgrounds, playing fields, and other portions of school property expressly related to park and recreational uses) comprise 43 acres, constituting about 19 percent of all plan area parkland.

The PFNA notes that wider public use of school parks is not formalized through any usage agreement. As a result, there is no certainty that school parks can continue to be relied upon in the long-term to help provide fulfill park and recreation demands.

Table 4.13-6 identifies school parks within Redwood City.

Other Plan Area Parklands All of the previously described parklands are located within Redwood City limits. Adjacent neighborhoods in the plan area, specifically North Fair Oaks and Emerald Lake Hills, include additional public parklands, many associated with school facilities. Table 4.13-7 lists these parklands and their acreages.

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Redwood City New General Plan 4.13 Recreation, Parks, and Open Space

Table 4.13-6 Redwood City School Parks

Map Reference Number Recreational Facility Name Total Acres 38 Adelante Elementary School 1.5 39 Hawes Elementary School 0.7 40 Henry Ford Elementary School 2.7 41 John Gill Elementary School 1.5 42 Kennedy Middle School. 5.2 43 McKinley Middle School 3.9 44 Orion Elementary School 0.6 45 Redwood High School 0.5 46 Roosevelt High School 2.3 47 Roy Cloud Elementary School 2.6 48 Sandpiper Elementary School 0.9 49 Sequoia High School 17.6 50 Taft Elementary School 3.0 Total 43.0

Source: Redwood City Parks and Facilities Needs Assessment, 2008.

Table 4.13-7 Other Plan Area Parklands

Map Reference Number Recreational Facility Name Total Acres 51 Garfield School Field 3.2 52 Fair Oaks School Field 1.7 53 Friendship Park 0.2 54 St. Anthony’s Church Field 1.5 Subtotal 6.6 55 Clifford School 0.9 Subtotal 0.9 Total 7.5

Source: Redwood City Parks and Facilities Needs Assessment, 2008.

Recreation Facilities Redwood City recreation facilities include five community centers, two swimming pools, and bicycle and hiking trails. The community centers provide a range of programs, including aerobics, art, dance, sports activities, and childcare depending on their location. The two swimming pools are open in summer months only. As part of the Pacific Shores Center development on Seaport Boulevard, the original developer

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Redwood City New General Plan 4.13 Recreation, Parks, and Open Space constructed 4.6 acres of sports fields and courts as an amenity for tenants. The facilities are available to the City for City-sponsored sports activities on a limited basis.

Community Centers Community centers provide spaces for classes, community gatherings, and other related activities. Table 4.13-8 summarizes the programs offered at each of the City’s community centers.

Table 4.13-8 Redwood City Community Centers Map Recreational Facility Name Amenities Reference Number 56 Community Activities Building Classrooms, department offices, facility rentals, park information 57 Red Morton Community Pool, aerobics, fitness center, classrooms, Lil’ Center Learners Preschool, childcare, gymnasium, facility rentals, teen program, registration 58 Fair Oaks Community Center Human services, Fair Oaks Senior Center Programs, facility rentals, classrooms 59 Sandpiper Community Center Aerobics, after school program, classrooms, facility rentals, youth and teen center, registration 60 Veterans Memorial Senior Senior programs, fitness center, theater, Center nutrition program, Senior services and referral, accessible recreation, facility rentals, classrooms

Source: Redwood City Parks and Recreation Department, 2008.

Swimming Pools Redwood City has two public swimming pools: the Herkner Memorial Pool and the Hoover Pool. These pools provide swimming lessons for all ages and levels during the summer months, recreational swim and space for youth swim teams. The Herkner Memorial Pool is located at the Red Morton Community Center, and was remodeled and opened in 1981. Hoover Pool was built in 1967 to help meet recreational needs for Redwood City’s eastside residents. Hoover Pool is a part of Hoover Park.

Bicycle and Hiking Trails Redwood City maintains several bicycle paths and routes, which are discussed in detail in Section 4.14, Transportation. Other trails serving the plan area include the San Francisco Bay Trail (Bay Trail), a proposed 400-mile trail that would connect communities to each other and the Bay through nine counties and 47 cities.5 The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)

5 San Francisco Bay Trail. http://baytrail.abag.ca.gov/generalfacts.html. Accessed April 1, 2009.

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Redwood City New General Plan 4.13 Recreation, Parks, and Open Space has been overseeing planning and construction of the Bay Trail, in cooperation with local jurisdictions.

Within Redwood City, the trail provides connections to Seaport Center, Inner Bair Island, and Redwood Shores. In the southeast, the trail connects to Menlo Park’s Bayfront Park and to Foster City in the northwest. A major local gap in the Bay Trail exists in the vicinity of the Cargill Property, through the bay-side industrial area, and across Redwood Creek.6

Other trails in the plan area include the Edgewood Trail, which connects the Crystal Springs Trail to Edgewood County Park and Natural Preserve, providing a route for hiking and equestrians. The Edgewood Trail connects to a larger network of trails within Edgewood County Park. These trails are maintained by San Mateo County.

The Bair Island Trail is a natural pathway that rings Inner Bair Island. This trail provides access to open spaces along the Bay. Bair Island is under the stewardship of the Don Edward San Francisco Bay Wildlife Refuge, which is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Redwood Shores master-planned community has a comprehensive network of urban and nature trails that link neighborhoods. Several multi-use (walking and bicycle) trails loop around Redwood Shores and Marine Parkways. Other trails connect neighborhoods to parks and schools. The trails along the Steinberger Slough and Belmont Channel offer views of San Francisco Bay.

Open Space In the context of the New General Plan, open space refers to lands that are generally unimproved and used for resource conservation and/or the managed production of resources.

As shown in Table 4.13-9, Redwood City has approximately 700 acres of designated open space that can be used for passive recreation (walking, boating, exploring, etc.).7 The majority of Redwood City’s open space can be found on the Bayfront lands, including Bair, Bird, and Greco Islands, which comprise portions of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay Wildlife Refuge. Edgewood County Park, owned and operated by San Mateo County, is located in the plan area; about half the park’s area is within the City limits. The Redwood Shores Lagoon (Lagoon) is located on the Redwood Shores

6 According to ABAG, mid-term goals (to be built within the next 6-10 years) for the Bay Trail within the plan area include: 2,466.7 feet of trail between Whipple Road and Bair Island Road, 1,541.8 feet of trail on Bair Island Road, and 10,724.1 feet of trail by the Cargill Levee between Seaport Boulevard and Bayfront Park. Long-term goals (to be built within the next 11-15 years) within the plan area include: 2,455 feet by Redwood Creek, crossing between Bair Island Road and Blomquist, and 1,929.7 feet by Blomquist between Maple Boulevard and Seaport Boulevard. Overall, 19,117.3 feet (approximately 3.62 miles) still remains to be completed within Redwood City. 7 Sustainability Indicators Report, August 2008.

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Redwood City New General Plan 4.13 Recreation, Parks, and Open Space

Peninsula along the west shore of the San Francisco Bay. The Lagoon is used for both recreational purposes and stormwater detention.8 Garrett Park is created by the linear area in the so-called “Hetch Hetchy 2” right-of–way. This area is used by residents for bicycling and walking.

While these open space facilities play a role in supplementing active recreation and park facilities in the City, each have other major purposes and are thus not considered in calculations of developed parkland.

Table 4.13-9 Redwood City Open Space Areas

Map Reference Number Open Space Site Acres 61 Redwood Shores Lagoon 122.0 62 San Francisco Water Department Right 9.3 of Way (Hetch Hetchy pipelines) 63 SFWD Hetch Hetchy Westide Pipeline 13.2 64 Bair Island 315.8 65 Edgewood County Park 241.2 Total 701.5

Source: Redwood City Parks Department, 2008.

4.13.2 REGULATORY SETTING

Quimby Act: California Government Code Section 66477 California Government Code §66477, commonly known as the Quimby Act, was intended to help local communities generate the resources necessary to provide park and recreational facilities. The Quimby Act allows cities to enact fees on new development to be used in the acquisition and/or preservation of park, recreation, or open space facilities as well as improvements on those facilities.

City of Redwood City Municipal Code Chapter 30, Article XII, of the City Municipal Code is the Quimby Act Implementation Ordinance, applicable to subdivisions within City boundaries. Section 30.143 – Parkland Standard requires new subdivisions provide active parkland at the ratio of 3.0 acres to each new 1,000 people that the new development would potentially house.9 Section

8 City of Redwood City Public Works Services Department. Draft Management Plan Redwood Shores Lagoon. July 2003. 9 For the City’s park ordinance, adopted in 2007, the expected population is calculated based on the following standards: a) Single Family Residences (1-7 units/acre) 2.84 persons per dwelling unit; b) Condominiums (8-20 units/acre) 2.38 persons per dwelling unit; c) Rental multifamily (8-20 units/acre) 2.55 persons per dwelling unit; e) Condominiums (>20 units/acre) 1.87 persons per dwelling unit; f) Rental multifamily (>20 units/acre) 2.48 persons per dwelling unit. For planning purposes throughout the City including the General Plan projections, the City will continue to use persons per dwelling unit as defined in

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Redwood City New General Plan 4.13 Recreation, Parks, and Open Space

30.145 establishes a fee requirement that is calculated by subtracting any dedicated acreage from the parkland requirement and multiplying the result of the calculation by a per acre land and site improvement cost. Proponents of new development must either provide the required parkland acres/resident ratio as part of their proposal or pay the in- lieu fee to the City for use in the acquisition or maintenance of park, recreational, or open space facilities. So-called “Quimby fees” established by local jurisdictions are based on two factors: 1) the estimated cost of land acquisition in a given community and 2) the jurisdiction’s required ratio of parkland acreage to people (ie 1.0, 2.0, or 3.0 acres per 1000 people). Redwood City has set its fee at an amount equal to 50 percent of the maximum allowable under the Quimby Act. The City has discretion to adjust this fee.

Chapter 18, Article XVI, the Parks Impact Fee Ordinance, imposes a fee upon residential development projects not covered by Chapter 30, Article XII. Fees imposed upon development pursuant to the fee ordinance are deposited into a Parks Impact Fund, which is used exclusively for the installation, acquisition, construction and improvement of park improvements identified in the Impact Fee Project list, including the acquisition of land necessary for such improvements.

Redwood City Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Strategic Plan 2004 The Redwood City Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Strategic Plan (Strategic Plan) provides a framework of principles and policies to help guide the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department (Department) in the proper direction. The Strategic Plan identifies the purpose, vision, and values the Department uses, along with the goals and objectives that implementation of this document will achieve.

Parks and Facilities Needs Assessment, 2008 The Parks and Facilities Needs Assessment (PFNA) was prepared in response to the goals and objectives set out in the City’s Strategic Plan and Annual Report. The PFNA is an inventory and qualitative assessment of the City’s current and anticipated needs for parks and recreational facilities. The PFNA identifies next steps to help the City expand and maintain its parkland.

The PFNA includes many specific recommendations that would help realize the goal of having 3.0 acres of parkland per 1,000 persons while also ensuring the appropriate distribution of such parklands throughout the City. Specific recommendations include a program of land acquisition, formalizing partnerships with school districts to ensure

Attachment Q (water demand projections sheet). The persons per dwelling unit in Attachment Q is as follows a) Single Family residences (1-7 units/acre) 2.8 persons; b) Multi-Family (8-20 units/acre) 2.5 persons per dwelling unit; and c) High Density (21+units/acre) 2.2 persons per dwelling unit. The differences are minor. Persons per household will be monitored over time as new development occurs to ensure the best projections possible.

May 2010 Draft EIR 4.13-12

Redwood City New General Plan 4.13 Recreation, Parks, and Open Space long-term availability of school recreational facilities to the community at large, and identifying/dedicating adequate resources to achieve the City’s parkland goals. In terms of maintenance, the PFNA acknowledges that many of the City’s parks and facilities have become outdated, or will, in time, otherwise be in need of replacement. The PFNA includes recommendations for ongoing review and assessment of facilities and development/implementation of a long-range replacement plan.

Project Consistency Analysis The New General Plan restates the City’s commitment to providing adequate parkland and facilities. General Plan policies and programs (discussed in 4.13.4) would perpetuate and strengthen the City’s goal of providing 3.0 acres of parkland per 1,000 persons. While the New General Plan land use map does not designate any new lands as parks, the New General Plan includes programs that would implement the recommendations of the PFNA, which focus on parkland acquisition, operation and maintenance.

4.13.3 THRESHOLDS OF SIGNIFICANCE Redwood City has not established local CEQA significance thresholds as described in Section 15064.7 of the State CEQA Guidelines. Therefore, significance determinations are from Appendix G of the CEQA Guidelines. A significant impact related to recreation, parks, and open space could occur if development allowed by the New General Plan would: a) Increase the use of existing neighborhood and regional parks or other recreational facilities such that substantial physical deterioration of the facility would occur or be accelerated. b) Include recreational facilities or require the construction or expansion of recreational facilities which might have an adverse physical effect on the environment.

4.13.4 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES This impact analysis is based on a review of the plan area’s existing parkland in comparison to the project’s projected parkland in order to meet the City’s parkland requirements.

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Redwood City New General Plan 4.13 Recreation, Parks, and Open Space

Project Impacts Impact 4.13-1: Adoption of the New General Plan would not increase the amount of active parkland in the plan area. Although the City does not currently meet its park standard, the additional demands on existing parkland from the increased population allowed by adoption of the New General Plan would not cause a substantial physical deterioration of existing facilities. (Less than Significant) Within the City limits, adoption of the New General Plan would allow for construction of an additional 8,227 dwelling units by the plan horizon year (2030), resulting in an estimated population increase of 14,942 people for a total 2030 population of 92,013 residents. Applying the City’s parkland standard (3.0 acres per 1,000 residents) to the anticipated total City 2030 population translates into approximately 276.04 acres of park and recreation areas. As the current parkland in the City ranges from 225.4 acres (with school facilities) to 182.4 acres (without school facilities), an additional 50 to 94 acres of parkland would be needed to meet the parkland standard. Within the plan area as a whole (including the sphere of influence areas), adoption of the New General Plan would allow for construction of an additional 9,103 dwelling units by the plan horizon year (2030), resulting in an estimated population increase of 16,819 people, for a total 2030 population of 116,732 residents. Applying the City’s parkland standard of 3.0 acres per 1,000 residents to the anticipated total plan area, 2030 population translates into a demand of approximately 350 acres of park and recreation areas. As the current parkland within the plan area ranges from 232.9 (with school facilities) to 189.8 (without school facilities), an additional 117.2 to 350.2 acres of parkland would be needed to meet the parkland standard.

Continued application of the City’s parkland dedication/in lieu fee program, assuming the current fee structure, could potentially raise funds to offset 50 percent of required parkland within individual developments. Use of such funds could help contribute additional parklands in the City as a whole. Although Program H-10 exempts qualifying affordable housing projects from the City’s park impact fee, at the Citywide level, the continued application of along with adherence to the above policies and implementation programs could result in the acquisition of additional park facilities.

Further, the New General Plan includes a number of policies and programs that are intended to improve the quality and increase the quantity of parkland in the City.

Policies BC-1.1 through BC-1.3 and BC-1.6 maintain the current City requirements for parkland dedications and/or provisions of public space for new residential construction, maintain development fee programs to fund additional parkland or parkland improvements, enhance street corridors between buildings to serve as recreation and green space, and coordinate with the school districts to supplement City park facilities. Although the actual locations are not specifically designated, policies BC-2.1 through BC- 2.3 promote the introduction of additional parkland into the plan area to meet the City goal. These policies prioritize the acquisition of land for active parks where population is

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Redwood City New General Plan 4.13 Recreation, Parks, and Open Space anticipated to grow and there is an identifiable need, including Downtown and the adjacent neighborhoods, and to investigate the feasibility of using portions of the Hetch Hetchy easement for public park space.

Several New General Plan programs would implement the above referenced policies and thus act to increase parkland within the plan area. Programs BC-1, BC 2, BC-5, and BC-7 encourage the City to pursue alternative parkland options, all programs set forth in the 2008 PFNA, and continue to implement the land dedication program and park impact fees for new development. The New General Plan also promotes cooperation between the City and federal, state, and local agencies to acquire, preserve, and restore existing and future open space lands, per Program NR-37.

Policies BE-22.2, BE-22.4, and NR-5.1 also provide opportunities to secure new parkland, including the acquisition of flood zone property, utilizing building rooftops, and incorporating public access to creeks, streams, and sloughs, where feasible. Since the City’s current ordinance addresses only active parkland, such lands and sites were not counted in the most recent inventory of active parkland. The addition of such lands and sites could, therefore, increase available parkland in the City. Consistent with the primary recommendation of the PFNA and Program BC-7 in particular, the City is currently investigating numerous creative parkland options to augment parkland supply. As of May 2010, these options include but are not limited to the following:

ƒ San Francisco Public Utility Commission (Hetch Hetchy) right-of- way. The City estimates that there are 22 acres of Hetch Hetchy right-of-way land in Redwood City, and that roughly one third (7-8 acres) may be available for park space use. The City will pursue an agreement with the San Francisco Public Utility Commission to obtain this land for park space. ƒ Downtown Precise Plan: Besides the existing plazas and parks in Downtown, the Downtown Precise Plan proposes Depot Circle near Broadway and Hamilton Street. Depot Circle will be an urban plaza consisting of a generous traffic circle, relating to the train station, and public park space. ƒ School Sites: The City has entered into formal and informal agreements to share parks and playgrounds on various school sites. The City has a formal written agreement with the Redwood City Elementary School District to allow for public use of Hoover Park which consists of 10.5 acres. The City has informal agreements to use other school sites which total approximately 180 acres. The City is in the process of establishing formal agreements which would lower the parkland deficit to a range of 25 to 59 acres. ƒ Underutilized City Sites: The City will investigate the possibility of preserving underutilized sites such as the 4.2 acre Brewster Avenue water tank site and other underutilized public properties that may be appropriate for parkland.

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Redwood City New General Plan 4.13 Recreation, Parks, and Open Space

ƒ Private Commercial and Residential Development: The City will continue to negotiate to secure public open space in private development having done so in the past and having current opportunities to do so with proposals for larger sites being considered in entitlement review. ƒ Creek and Waterfront Open Space: The North Main Street and Peninsula Park Precise Plans include requirements for new linear waterfront oriented open space along Redwood Creek as development progresses in those areas. The City also supports regional efforts for the extension of the Bay Trail would also add to linear usable open space in Redwood City. In addition to undertaking the strategies identified above to increase the amount of available parkland, the City will continue to maintain its existing parks and facilities now and into the future, in accordance with the policies and goals in the City Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department Annual Report and the Department’s Strategic Plan, along with the Parks and Facilities Needs Assessment. The documents state the need for expanding facilities to match growth in population and program trends, and also emphasize maintenance of existing facilities and operation levels. Table 4.13-10 enumerates past, present, and anticipated future City activities associated with the ongoing implementation of these goals and policies.

Table 4.13-10 Redwood City Park Maintenance and Improvement Activities

Park Facility Improvements Time Period Fleishman Park Past 5 years Hoover Park Renovation Andrew Spinas Park Sandpiper School Field Past 5 years Marlin Park Griffin Bechet Field Installation of synthetic turf Mitchell Field McGarvey Field Westwood Park Current Dove Beeger Park Replacement of play area equipment Marlin Park Fair Oaks Child Care area Red Morton Park Replacement of covered picnic area Current Hawes Field Replace turf, bleachers, and restrooms Current Mezes Park Future Jardin de Niños Park Replacement of play area equipment Linden Park Dolphin Park Veterans Memorial Senior Center Design and construction of a replacement facility Future Skate Park Construct Bike park Future

Source: Redwood City Parks Department, 2010

May 2010 Draft EIR 4.13-16

Redwood City New General Plan 4.13 Recreation, Parks, and Open Space

The application of the New General Plan goals and policies and strategies to be employed by the City to expand the amount of parkland, in combination with the on-going maintenance of and improvements to existing facilities undertaken by the City through their park planning and implementation programs, would ensure that the increased demands on existing facilities from the additional population allowed by the New General Plan would not cause a substantial physical deterioration to these park facilities. The impact would therefore be less than significant. Impact 4.13-2: Adoption of the New General Plan and its associated land use map would not provide any new parks and recreation areas within the plan area. While the New General Plan policies and programs do not preclude the ultimate development of new parks and recreation areas, in the absence of any new lands or any park projects within the New General Plan, the consideration of impacts from construction or expansion of recreation facilities would be speculative. (Less than Significant) Environmental impacts from the construction of new parkland or expansion of existing park and recreation facilities in the plan area cannot be determined at this level of analysis because no designs for specific park projects are included as part of the New General Plan. Future development of park and recreational facilities encouraged by the policies and programs contained in the New General Plan could potentially result in significant impacts in such areas as aesthetics, biology, geology, hazards and hazardous materials, and water quality. As required by City programs for project design and approval as well as by CEQA, these potential impacts would be addressed prior to the construction of any such new facilities. The actual impacts of new park facilities would depend upon the precise type and location of such facilities and would therefore be required to undergo project-specific environmental review and mitigation measures would be identified to reduce any potentially significant environmental impacts, as necessary.

May 2010 Draft EIR 4.13-17

Redwood City New General Plan 4.13 Recreation, Parks, and Open Space

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May 2010 Draft EIR 4.13-18