The Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department has been engaged in the development of an updated Parkland Acquisition Plan since early 2010. An overview of the most recent activity followed by the chronological history of the process and activities is outlined below.
August 2012:
At the August 21, 2012 meeting of the Board of Supervisors, the Santa Clara County Parks Department presented an updated version of the Parkland Acquisition Plan: Urban Trails, Parks and Open Space Program report and policy recommendations. The staff presentation, along with the final memorandum including the full text of the updated recommendations (item 14) can be found through the links below.
After consideration, the Board of Supervisors took the following actions:
- Accepted the draft report relating to the Parkland Acquisition Plan: 2011 Update and 2012 Update, which in part directed the Parks and Recreation Department to strengthen and expand its focus and role in completing the Countywide Trails Master Plan and to formalize the urban partnership process by increasing our outreach to cities and other partners,
- Accepted the modifications to the staff recommendations from the Housing, Land Use, Environment and Transportation Committee (HLUET) meeting on April 12, 2012, including a modification of the countywide analysis utilized to measure unincorporated island residents access to park like features (parks, trails, schools) to reflect the benchmark of the annexing city, and the retention of “regional parks” as a focus for urban parkland acquisition, and
- Directed Parks and Recreation Department staff to prioritize the search for property to be developed into trails and parks of countywide significance within or near each unincorporated island.
CHRONONOLOGICAL BACKGROUND:
The County of Santa Clara Parks and Recreation Department has conducted a public input process to help guide the County’s future parkland acquisition efforts. The voters approved the current Park Charter in 2006, ensuring funding through 2021 for acquisition, development, operation, and maintenance of the County’s 46,000-acre 28-park system.
Five general public meetings were held in July and August of 2010.
An Acquisition Plan update was presented to the Housing, Land Use, Environment, and Transportation Committee of the Board of Supervisors on August 12, 2010.
A Board of Supervisors Study Session was held on September 28, 2010 at which time a draft plan was scheduled to come back to the Board for consideration during the first quarter of 2011.
On March 29, 2011 the Board of Supervisors considered recommendations relating to the County of Santa Clara’s Parkland Acquisition Plan: 2011 Update, adopting the following:
a. Accepted status report relating to Parkland Acquisition Plan.
Accepted policy recommendations, as amended, based on input from Supervisors at the September 28, 2010 Board of Supervisors' Study Session, affirming the following:
The County's role in providing park services to park-deficient urban and suburban areas in the County; and,
The County's role in land acquisition, at both the regional level and in partnership with other park and recreation service providers in the County's urban core.
Referred to the Administration at the request of Supervisor Yeager for report to the Housing, Land Use, Environment, and Transportation Committee, and subsequently to the Board for consideration on date uncertain: Preparation of a report on the development of a formalized acquisition program to address urban and suburban park needs, consistent with the County's historical role, while still maintaining the County's commitment to the acquisition of regional parklands.
The Draft Acquisition Plan 2001 Update, March 1 staff report, a subsequent March 1 memorandum from President Cortese and Supervisor Shirakawa, a memorandum from Supervisors Kniss and Wasserman, and a memorandum from Supervisor Yeager, are provided below.
Santa Clara County Parkland Acquisition Plan : Urban Phase
In conformance with the action taken by the Board of Supervisors on March 29, 2011, staff planned, implemented and completed a focused community process seeking additional community input on the development of a formalized acquisition program to address urban and suburban park needs. The process included the following steps:
Hosted 4 community-wide meetings,
Held 2 focus group meetings with City and land agency representatives,
Discussed the item at a standing meeting of City Parks Directors,
Collected information via an on-line survey open to the public,
Collected information via an on-line survey to school district representatives,
Collected e-mail comments.
On April 12, 2012 the Housing, Land Use, Environment and Transportation Committee was presented a report on the Parkland Acquisition Plan: Urban Trails, Parks and Open Space Program. The following general recommendations presented to HLUET are listed below.
Enhance County leadership and support of urban trails through a variety of actions,
Enhance County coordination with cities to address urban park needs,
Assess and where necessary provide park services to the Alum Rock and Burbank unincorporated urban islands through a variety of measures,
Amend the Parkland Acquisition Plan :2011 Update, and General Plan as needed.
The HLUET presentation and staff report can be found at the following link (see agenda packet p. 175):
At the June 5, 2012 meeting of the Board of Supervisors, the Santa Clara County Parks Department presentation regarding the Parkland Acquisition Plan: Urban Trails, Parks and Open Space Program report and policy recommendations, was rescheduled at the Board’s request to August 21, 2012. The staff memorandum including the full text of the recommendations can be found below.
At the August 21, 2012 meeting of the Board of Supervisors, the Santa Clara County Parks Department presented an updated version of the Parkland Acquisition Plan: Urban Trails, Parks and Open Space Program report and policy recommendations. The staff presentation, along with the final memorandum including the full text of the updated recommendations (item 14) can be found through the links below.
The report called out the following recommendations for Board of Supervisor consideration and action:
Accept the draft report relating to the Parkland Acquisition Plan: 2011 Update and 2012 Update,
Accept the modifications to the staff recommendations from the Housing, Land Use, Environment and Transportation Committee (HLUET) meeting on April 12, 2012, and
Provide direction to staff on the provision of park services within the large unincorporated urban islands of the County.
After consideration, the Board of Supervisors took the following actions:
Accepted the draft report relating to the Parkland Acquisition Plan: 2011 Update and 2012 Update, which in part directed the Parks and Recreation Department to strengthen and expand its focus and role in completing the Countywide Trails Master Plan and to formalize the urban partnership process by increasing our outreach to cities and other partners,
Accepted the modifications to the staff recommendations from the Housing, Land Use, Environment and Transportation Committee (HLUET) meeting on April 12, 2012, including a modification of the countywide analysis utilized to measure unincorporated island residents access to park like features (parks, trails, schools) to reflect the benchmark of the annexing city, and the retention of “regional parks” as a focus for urban parkland acquisition, and
Directed Parks and Recreation Department staff to prioritize the search for property to be developed into trails and parks of countywide significance within or near each unincorporated island.
If you have questions related to the Acquisition Plan, you can email parkinfo@prk.sccgov.org, or contact Tim Heffington, Senior Real Estate Agent, Santa Clara County Parks, 298 Garden Hill Drive, Los Gatos, CA 95032 (or by fax to 408-355-2290). If there are further questions or concerns, please call 408-355-2215.
Background Documents
These source documents were utilized in the update process and are provided for reference.
County General Plan (1995-2010)
(Navigate to Table of Contents, Part 2. Link to “Parks and Recreation Chapter") Board-approved Master Plans, Trails Master Plans, Site Plans, and Natural Resource Management Plans
(There are numerous master plans which are not available in PDF format at this time)