parks and recreation master plan county of kern parks and recreation department PREPARED BY: MIG, Inc. 801 North Harbor Boulevard Fullerton, California 92832 P: 714.871.3638 F: 714.871.1188 www.migcom.com MAY 2010 acknowledgments We would like to thank the many citizens, staff, and community groups who provided extensive input for the development of this Parks and Recreation Master Plan. This project was truly a community effort, ensur- ing that this plan will meet the needs and desires of all residents in Kern County KERN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Jon McQuiston, District 1 Don Maben, District 2 Mike Maggard, District 3 Ray Watson, District 4 Michael J. Rubio, District 5 COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER John Nilon KERN COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION Bob Jamison, District 1 Ted Hodgkinson, District 2 Carl Park, District 3 Richard Walters, District 4 Nanette Brightwell, District 5 KERN COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT Robert Lerude, Director John Wilbanks, Planner John Laybourn, Planner KERN COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN KERN COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN table of contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 Key Issues 1 1.2 Planning Process 4 1.3 Goals and Key Recommendations 6 1.4 Park Standards and Level of Service 7 1.5 Organizational Reform 9 1.6 Funding Recommendations 10 CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Plan Purpose 1 1.2 How the Plan Was Developed 2 1.3 Relationship to Other Planning Activities 5 1.4 Plan Organization 11 1.5 Plan Overview 12 1.6 Implementation 14 CHAPTER II: PLANNING CONTEXT 2.1 Regional Context 1 2.2 History 2 2.3 Community Profiles 3 2.4 Local Park Jurisdictions 5 2.5 Other Park and Recreation Providers 8 2.6 Planning Context Implications 9 CHAPTER III: EXISTING PARK AND RECREATION SYSTEM 3.1 Park Classifications 1 3.2 Existing Park Inventory and Conditions 4 Area 1 – North Kern County 6 Area 2 – South Kern County 22 KERN COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN table of contents Area 3 – Greater Bakersfield 34 Area 4 – West Kern County 64 Area 5 & 5B – Valley: North and South of Bakersfield 76 3.3 - Kern County Capital Improvement Plan and Parks and Recreation Master Plan 83 3.4 Parks and Facilities Provided by Others 83 3.5 Recreation Programs 84 3.6 Program Providers 85 3.7 Comparable County Programs 91 CHAPTER IV: PARK, FACILITY AND PROGRAM NEEDS 4.1 Public Involvement Results 2 4.2 Public Outreach Summaries 3 Stakeholder Interviews 3 Telephone Survey 4 Web-Based and Self Administered Questionnaires 6 Focus Groups 10 Community Visioning Workshops 12 4.3 Key Findings 17 CHAPTER V: POLICIES, GOALS AND ACTIONS 5.1 Policy I/Goals 1 to 6 1 5.2 Policy II/Goals 7 to 12 7 5.3 Park Standards 12 5.4 Park Standards and Level of Service 12 5.5 Impact of Population Growth on Level of Service 18 CHAPTER VI: IMPLEMENTATION/CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN 6.1 Observations 1 6.2 Recommended Capital Projects - Overview 4 6.3 Recommendations by Category 11 KERN COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN table of contents CHAPTER VII: ORGANIZATIONAL REFORM OF COUNTY PARK SYSTEM 7.1 Changes in the Institutional and Financial Environments for Parks and Recreation 1 7.2 The Need for Regional Cooperation 4 7.3 Regional Parks and Recreation Authority 6 7.4 Concurrent Need for Local Control of Parks 9 7.5 Establishing Roles and Responsibilities 10 7.6 Building Community Support 14 CHAPTER VIII –FUNDING OPTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 8.1 Relation to Capital Improvement Plan 1 8.2 Existing Funding Sources 2 8.3 Expenditures 4 8.4 Proposed Capital Projects 6 8.5 Estimated Operations and Maintenance Costs 10 8.6 Potential Additional Revenue Sources – Capital 11 8.7 Potential Additional Revenue Sources – Maintenance and Operations 14 8.8 Summary and Recommendations 18 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ES executive summary THE KERN COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT DEVELOPS AND MAINTAINS A SAFE, ACCESSIBLE, HIGH QUALITY REGIONAL SYSTEM OF PARKS, OPEN SPACES, LANDSCAPES, AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES TO SUPPORT AND ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS. KERN COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENT executive summary IN THE SPRING OF 2008, Kern 1.1 KEY ISSUES County began the development of Kern County is facing a number of a Parks and Recreation Master Plan issues that influence the develop- to evaluate the County’s current ment and management of parks, park and recreation resources, as- recreation facilities and recreation sess the needs for the future, and services. The 2010 Kern County develop a road map to achieving Parks and Recreation Master Plan those needs. The development of is designed to respond to these this plan was a collaborative effort issues, positioning the Kern County involving staff from the Parks De- Parks and Recreation Department partment, elected officials, repre- to better serve residents and other sentatives from other park agencies, visitors to the Kern County park and stakeholders and residents system now and into the future. from communities throughout Kern Landscape, Development and County. This plan represents the Population - Scale and Diversity first master plan developed for the The third largest county in the County of Kern Parks and Recre- state of California, Kern County ation Department. is a unique and diverse place in The primary purpose of this master terms of its natural resources, land plan is to help guide decision-mak- use, development and people. Its ers in the development of the Kern widely varied landscape is shaped County park system over the next by mountains, deserts, and valleys, twenty years. The recommenda- include some of the most produc- tions, goals and strategies present- tive agricultural lands in the country ed here were developed based on as well as still active, burgeoning an assessment of all existing County oil fields. Although Kern County parks and public input to identify has been among the fastest grow- community priorities. ing counties in California, much of KERN COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN | ES-1 executive summary that growth has been focused in the for more growth in the future remains Bakersfield metropolitan region. The strong. When the economy recovers, eastern desert and mountain areas, it is anticipated that much of that new as well as the western edges of the growth will be in the form of more County, remain comparatively sparse- compact, dense development, requir- ly populated and rural in character. ing an even greater need for acces- This diversity of conditions coupled sible parks, recreation services and to the sheer geographic size of the trails to serve the residents in these County underlies the operational and communities. management challenge facing the Overlapping Jurisdictions Parks and Recreation Department. In addition to the Kern County Parks Demographic and Socio-Economic and Recreation Department, there are Change many different cities, independent The influx of new residents from other park districts, private organizations, parts of California as well as a grow- and State and Federal agencies, ing Hispanic population has gradually providing parks, open space, and altered the demographic and socio- recreation facilities throughout Kern economic profile of the County. This County. Overlapping jurisdictions, shift in the demographic makeup of goals and strategies have helped cre- the population has gradually led to ate an interesting patchwork of parks, a new set of expectations regarding open space and recreation programs. parks and recreation services that are Some areas of the County have different from what existed in earlier multiple park and recreation provid- decades when much of the present- ers, whereas other areas depend day County park system was devel- almost exclusively on the Kern County oped. In addition, unincorporated Parks and Recreation Department areas in and near the Bakersfield as the major provider. The need for metropolitan area have experienced increased cooperation and coordina- rapid urbanization, creating areas tion between these multiple park and that lack adequate parks and recre- recreation providers to avoid unnec- ation services. Although Kern County, essary duplication, as well as gaps, along with the rest of California, is in facilities and services remains an now experiencing a severe economic important challenge. and housing downturn, the potential ES-2 | KERN COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN executive summary Regional and Local Parks grade its parks and facilities, acquire The Kern County Parks and Recreation and develop new sites, provide more Department manages an extensive trails, and support the maintenance system of large regional parks de- increases that new parks will require. signed to serve the entire countywide The County has relied primarily on population, and small neighbor- its General Fund to support its park hood and community parks intended system which must compete with pub- primarily to meet the recreational lic safety and other County depart- needs of nearby residents in unin- ments for needed funding. Revenue corporated communities where no from other sources such as user fees other recreation providers are present. constitutes a relatively small portion of Over the several decades since the the overall budget. By not adequately Department was established in 1952, implementing the County’s Quimby cities have expanded their territories program or putting in place a system through annexation and independent of development impact fees, a signifi- park districts have been established cant opportunity to generate revenue in many unincorporated areas of the needed for acquisition of park land county. Despite these changes, the and the development of new parks Kern County Parks and Recreation was missed during the growth pe- Department still operates and man- riod of the last two decades. No ages a large number of local parks new County parks have been built located within the geographic jurisdic- in decades despite this population tions of local cities and park districts.