CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN

The City of South San Francisco (“City”) is requesting a response (“Proposals”) from qualified firms to manage, facilitate, and prepare a comprehensive Parks and Recreation Master Plan (“Master Plan” or “Plan”), focusing on improving and expanding the City’s parks and recreation opportunities. The Master Plan will develop a clear set of goals, policies and objectives that will provide direction to decision makers and staff in the planning, development, improvement and maintenance of the City’s park and recreation facilities for the next 10 to 15-years aligning with the City’s General Plan.

The Parks and Recreation Master Plan will become part of the Parks, Public Facilities, and Service Element of the current South San Francisco Comprehensive General Plan and will require the approval of the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Planning Commission, and the City Council.

The Parks and Recreation Department manages 21 parks; two linear parks (17.5 acres); 70 acres of open space at Sign Hill Park with trails; a section of the Bay Trail; a community garden. In total South San Francisco has 319.7 acres of parks and open space (approximately 5.4 acres per 1,000 residents).

The Parks and Recreation Department also operates several facilities, including two general purpose recreation centers (Library | Parks and Recreation Center, Joseph A. Fernekes Recreation Building, Alice Pena Bulos Community Center); a gymnasium / recreation center (Terrabay Recreation Center and Gymnasium); a pool (Orange Aquatic Center); three preschools (Siebecker, Little Steps and Westborough); a senior center (Roberta Cerri Teglia Center); and operates before and after school daycare programs on six elementary school campuses (Buri Buri, Ponderosa, Monte Verde, Spruce, Los Cerritos, and Martin Elementary Schools).

The City maintains a Joint Powers Agreement with the South San Francisco Unified School District for the use of 11 parks and playfields for school sports and City Recreation programs. This agreement for use includes the maintenance of these sites as well.

Also included in the City’s total open space inventory are approximately 60 acres of public grounds in the Common Greens, as well as sites such as the gardens and open space surrounding the City Hall and Civic Center campuses.

The Department is also responsible for maintenance of City facilities under its Building Maintenance Division.

The City of South San Francisco adopted a Park, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan (PROS) in 1990,1997 and again in 2015.

The Master Plan will be used as a resource for future development and enhancement of the City’s parks, open spaces, recreational facilities, and recreation system. The Master Plan will provide:

• Background and context for evaluating the existing parks system.
• An inventory of existing parks and facilities, amenities present in each venue, acreage/square-footage.
• An analysis existing services levels and staffing, gaps in service and access, and the need for new, expanded or renovated parks and facilities, and changes in recreational programming with an equity and age-friendly lens,
• Strategies for improving and maintaining the existing park and recreation system.
• Recommendations for acquiring or obtaining access to additional properties for future park uses.
• Undertake CEQA and related components.
• Update the General Plan Parks and Recreation Element for consistency with the new Master Plan.
• Strategies for meeting the need for, managing and maintaining recreational facilities; and
• An approach for implementation of improvements and long-term maintenance.
• Consideration of the SB1425 requirements related to the City’s Open Space Element and strategies to further connect and implement these required policies and actions.
• Recommendations for compliance with AB 1572 restrictions on irrigating nonfunctional turf – identify areas of nonfunctional turf and recommend appropriate and cost-effective conversion strategies
• Recommendations of appropriate staffing and resources to accomplish the Master Plan.

The Parks and Recreation Master Plan will be presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission and to the City Council for final approval and adoption. The City previously completed a Parks Recreation and Open Space Master Plan in 1990, and updated the Plan in 1997 and again in 2015. Additionally, numerous specific plans for specific park sites, activities, and program areas have been developed in recent years.