Item 37 - EIR No. 2020-03 and GPA No.2020-06 Santa Ana General Plan Update

Home Browse Search

Memo to City of Santa Ana Planning Commission September 15, 2021 Page 7 traditional parks are not feasible. Encourage public, private, and commercial recreational facilities in areas that are park deficient. Open Space Element at 6. While we support the use of "creative solutions" to address park deficiencies, Policy OS-1.10 requires clarification. We are concerned by the suggestion that there are neighborhoods where "traditional parks are not feasible." The City's long term goal should be to provide public parkland in all park -deficient areas. Moreover, this policy should be revised to make clear that while private or commercial recreational facilities can be a valuable community resource, they are never a substitute for public parkland. The City should not abandon efforts to create public parks in park -deficient areas merely because those areas contain private or commercial recreational facilities. Such private facilities do not always serve the communities in which they are located and do not provide the spectrum of activities that public parks do. For example, some private recreational facilities (such as golf courses) can exclude lower -income people, and thus could fail to serve residents in surrounding neighborhoods. We propose modifying Policy OS- 1.10 as follows: Policy OS- 1.10. Creative Solutions for Deficiencies. Develop creative and flexible solutions to provide greenspace and recreation activities in park -deficient neighborhoods .,.he fe tfaditional rafks afe of feasible. Prioritize public parks and recreational facilities in park -deficient areas. Encourage publie, private, —and commercial recreational facilities in aFeas tha4 aFe park defieien that are open to the public, are physically accessible and affordable to residents of surrounding neighborhoods, and serve communi . needs. The Open Space Element also includes the following implementation action regarding new parkland: Implementation Action 1.10: New parkland. Coordinate with property owners to explore options to provide public access and programming in park deficient areas, including options to acquire land through purchase, land dedication, easements, and land leases that would allow for permanent or temporary use of land for recreational opportunities. Open Space Element at 17. Like Policy OS-1.8, Implementation Action 1.10 should direct the City to acquire new parkland. It should prioritize creation of new permanent public parkland. Other temporary mechanisms can be a helpful supplement. However, these mechanisms will not provide the same level of permanent public benefits or allow the same range of public