Yorba Linda updates parks, recreation master plan

A two-year project to update Yorba Linda's 32-year-old Parks and Recreation Master Plan has resulted in a 330-page document that recently received 5-0 approval from the otherwise often- feuding City Council members.

The document – “a planning tool...for future facility improvements and...parks and recreation services” through 2030 – becomes part of a General Plan update that also started two years ago but continues, guided by a council-appointed advisory committee.

Led by a city-hired consultant, the master plan's overhaul involved city staff, the Parks and Recreation Commission and such stakeholders as youth, sports and business groups, service clubs, equestrian and arts organizations, senior citizens and the local school district.

Naturally, such a lengthy document can't be summarized in one newspaper column, but following are items I found especially noteworthy:

--The city exceeds a parkland standard of 15 acres per 1,000 residents with a 1,071-acre total because of three nearby regional parks, school fields and other joint-use recreational facilities and the 219-acre Black Gold Golf Club.

But the city is 101.2 acres deficient of a 260-acre standard for local parkland based on four acres per 1,000 residents. The city's total is 158.8 acres, including 86 acres in 14 neighbor-hood parks (up to five acres) and 72.8 acres in eight community parks (five-plus acres).

Earlier this year the council increased parkland dedication (or in-lieu fee payments) required from developers from two to three acres per 1,000 population and dropped a 50 percent credit previously allowed for private space devoted to parks and recreation.

And the council now allows fees to be used outside of the neighborhood of a development from which they were collected, which is consistent with recent changes in state law.

--A recommendation to “identify new sources of funding” that could include expanding mechanisms for gifts and donations; bonds, user fees, assessment districts “at a future date”; transferring an annual amount from the general fund; and voter-approved bonds or assessm-ents for specific facilities.

--Recommendations for a 20-year Capital Improvement Program include “current needs” for $5.3 million, “current demand” for $5.8 million and “community desired” for $60 million.

Current needs are on-going improvement and rehabilitation projects, lighted basketball courts at Bryant Ranch Park, Paxton Equestrian Center improvements, Rio Del Oro playground equ-ipment, Fairmont Knolls-Gun Club parkway design and Vista Del Verde I playground.

Current demand includes a dog park, Vista Del Verde II construction, Eastside Park phase III, Bryant Ranch Park phase II, Fairmont Knolls-Gun Club parkway construction and a Community Center wedding and events plaza.

Desired are a park-gym-sports complex, community-senior center with 200-seat theater, tennis center, competition pool complex, outdoor amphitheater, equestrian boarding and events center and athletic field and facility lighting.