East Palo Alto City Council
April 4, 2023

EAST PALO ALTO

PARKS, RECREATION,

AND OPEN SPACE

MASTER PLAN

FINAL DRAFT
MARCH 24, 2023

EAST PALO ALTO
City of
California
2 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

CONSULTANT TEAM

CITY OF EAST PALO ALTO
Melvin Gaines / City Manager
Patrick Heisinger / Former Interim City Manager
Humza Javed/ Public Works Director
Azalea Renfield / Assistant to the City Manager
Maurice Baker / Acting Community Services Manager
Planning Commission
Senior Advisory Committee
WRT
Prime Consultant / Planning / Urban Design / Engagement SFEI
Ecology + Public Health Technical Advisor
PROS
Recreation Programing + Operations

ENVIROCOM COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIES
Strategic Engagement Lead

NUESTRA CASA
Local Community Engagement / Environmental Justice + Climate 4 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
Acknowledgments ........................................................... 03 Executive Summary ......................................................... 06

1. Understanding East Palo Alto ...................................... 17

1.1 East Palo Alto in Context

1.2 The Role of Park Classifications

1.3 Existing Parks System

1.4 Assessment of City-Owned Facilities

1.5 Overview of Future Planning Efforts

2. Community Priorities ...................................................... 81

2.1 Community Engagement Plan

2.2 Engagement At A Glance

2.3 Community Workshops

2.4 Focus Groups

2.5 Engaging Hard to Reach Populations

2.6 Pop-up Events

2.7 Survey and Online Feedback

2.8 Community Priorities

3. Needs Assessment ....................................................... 99

3.1 General Plan Park Needs

3.2 Existing Park Needs

3.3 Community Priorities

3.4 Recreational Trends

3.5 Levels of Service

TABLE OF CONTENTS
5 4. Recommendations & Implementation ........................ 117

4.1 Improving our Parks

4.2 Expanding our Parks

4.3 Recreation in our Communities

4.4 Capital Costs and Funding Opportunities

4.5 Operations, Park Maintenance and Staffing Proposals

5. Design Guidelines .......................................................... 215

5.1 Site Planning

5.2 Public Safety

5.3 Trail Design

5.4 Shared Schoolyards

5.5 Privately Owned Public Open Spaces

5.6 Parks & Stormwater Management

5.7 Urban Landscape Ecology
Appendix
A.1 Community Survey Summary
6 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT THE EPA PRIMARY SCHOOL
7 A VISION FOR EAST PALO
ALTO’S PARK SYSTEM
The City of East Palo Alto (EPA) has compiled its
first-ever Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Master
Plan to guide its park improvements and growth
to an equitable and resilient future ahead. Through
robust engagement, the plan was developed to
evaluate the strengths and areas for improvement
of the existing parks, to prioritize the community’s
parks and recreation needs, and to recommend best
practices for future growth of parks in terms of capital improvements, recreational programming, funding,
and operations and maintenance practices. The
overall goal of the plan is to ensure that EPA residents can safely access parks and open space and that the
plan is reflective of the community’s vision for the
future.

Over the past year and a half, various groups including residents, coaches, recreation program leaders,
school officials, students, community elders, regional
parks managers, environmental justice advocates,
and others participated in many parks planning
conversations. These discussions emphasized the
proud and abundant history of local leaders and
organizations that have supported the community
over the years. This tradition continues today across
a range of parks and recreation organizations and
program providers that serve youth and seniors,
provide after-school academic support, distribute
fresh food, advocate for environmental justice, and
teach performing arts, among other initiatives. As the
City plans for its future, we acknowledge the strength
and resilience of our community. The strategies
and recommendations that have emerged from the
community engagement and parks and recreation
needs assessments highlight the importance of
continued partnerships and collaboration to provide
the highest level of service to the community.
8 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
FIGURE ES-1:

EXISTING PARK ASSETS
9 UNDERSTANDING EPA
Today’s parks and recreation options in EPA are
rooted in local neighborhoods across the city. While
many parks are well-loved and well-used by some
users, there is a growing sense that many people
do not visit and may even avoid visiting their local
parks. Some have pressing safety concerns, while
others may be unfamiliar with existing offerings. There is a major deficit in park space overall in terms of
public park acreage, and there is a perceived service
gap between existing park amenities and citywide
community needs. In order to fill some of these gaps
in services, many of the existing park amenities, and
all the local recreation programs are provided by
private organizations and individuals. The Existing
Park Assets diagram highlights the full range of both
public and privately sponsored amenities provided
across the city.

FIGURE ES-2:

MEETING PARK NEEDS IN

EAST PALO ALTO
In recent years, and especially since the COVID
pandemic, many community members have taken a
renewed interest in parks. The City has undertaken
many initiatives, including new summer activities,
expanding senior program offerings, initiating
individual park master plans, and spearheading this
citywide roadmap for park improvements.

MEETING PARK NEEDS
The needs assessment for EPA parks is based on the
existing inventory, the unmet needs identified by the
community, and the acreage and inventory needed to
provide an effective parks system. The approach to
meet EPA’s park needs has four parts: improved and
expanded city parks, a shared use agreement with
the Ravenswood Unified School District, new park
opportunities in conjunction with private development,
and long-term land acquisition strategies.
















































  






1 2
3 4
10 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

COMMUNITY PRIORITIES
Seven major community priorities for EPA parks
emerged through the multilingual engagement
process and are used as guiding principles to inform
the recommendations throughout the plan.
1 Connect People
to Parks
Ensure all EPA residents have safe
access to parks and open space, and
access to all facilities and programs.
2 Create Diverse &
Inclusive Parks
Celebrate the unique history of people
and place in EPA. Provide residents
with parks that are reliable, free, and
serviceable-for-all.
11 3 Promote Public Health
& Sustainability
Establish and promote community
health through parks and open space,
reduce the impact of facilities on the
environment, and encourage sustainable
practices.
4 Reconnect the EPA community to the
Bay by enhancing and improving safe
and equitable access to all natural
preserves and resources.

Celebrate The Bay
Activate East Palo 5 Alto Parks
Provide programs and amenities that
reflect the desires and needs of the
community while improving safety and
energizing parks.

Improve Park 6 OperationsGrow Programming 7 & Partnerships Create new partnerships and
programming opportunities and
strengthen existing relationships with
local nonprofits and nongovernmental
organizations.

Maintain and improve park operations
by expanding and diversifying staff
resources.
12 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations developed in collaboration with
community members provide guidance for City
leaders and staff to define actions needed to achieve
the community’s goals. Although the City today
lacks the resources needed to implement all the
recommendations identified in the plan right away,
many of the goals are achievable through partnerships
and long-term strategies.

DESIGN GUIDELINES
Finally, in the Design Guidelines chapter, key design
opportunities and challenges identified as priorities
by the community are explored with guidance for
planners and designers responsible for implementing
successful parks in the City.

TOP PARKS MASTER PLAN OUTCOMES

1. Improves safety in existing parks

2. Connects the community to shared schoolyards

3. Reduces critical gaps in park acreage through private development

4. Complements much-needed housing without open space

5. Supports seniors with improved access to parks and programming

6. Provides design guidelines to ensure new parks meet community need

7. Promotes equitable access to parks, trails and open spaces

8. Enhances effectiveness of City services to residents The plan includes analysis and recommendations addressing the comprehensive parks and recreation needs of the community. Community Priorities are well documented. City leaders can champion this plan because it:
13 FIGURE ES-3:

MASTER PLAN

RECOMMENDATIONS

CONNECT SHARED

SCHOOLYARDS

IMPROVE EXISTING

CITY PARKS

DEVELOP NEW PARK

OPPORTUNITIES
1 2
3 14 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

ENGAGEMENT AT A
GLANCE:
524 survey responses from
individual households in English and
Spanish
189 online comments and visions for
the future of parks and recreation
4 Pop-up Events
Over 15 focus group meetings with
numerous groups and stakeholders
3 Community Workshops
2 City Council Meeting Presentations

BUILDING EQUITY

THROUGH ENGAGEMENT
It was critical for our team to hear from as many
people as possible while recommendations and
strategies were being developed. Community
members have the best local insight and creative
ideas for the fit their parks and open spaces. The
broad multi-lingual community engagement effort
was an exciting opportunity to learn about the history
of the park system in EPA and brainstorm future
needs and solutions tailored to the growing needs of
residents and families in the city.

ENGAGEMENT EVENTS AROUND EPA PARKS
Pop-up events and Community Workshops
Community Priorities 15
16 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

JOEL DAVIS MEMORIAL PARK
Understanding East Palo Alto
1 17

UNDERSTANDING

EAST PALO ALTO

1.1 East Palo Alto in Context

1.2 The Role of Park Classifications

1.3 Existing East Palo Alto Parks System

1.4 Parks Assessment of City-Owned Facilities

1.5 Overview of Future Planning Efforts
18 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
FIGURE 1-1:

REGIONAL PARKS SYSTEM
Understanding East Palo Alto 19
East Palo Alto lies along San Francisco Bay on the
Peninsula. It is adjoined by the cities of Menlo Park,
Palo Alto, and unincorporated San Mateo County. EPA
is in the center of Silicon Valley, home to the world’s largest high-tech corporations and thousands of
startup companies.

The inequity between EPA and its surroundings can
be traced back to a history of racist housing policies
leading to segregation and disinvestment. The City’s
long time history as an unincorporated area hindered
development, as the city missed out on infrastructure
improvements and development capital for years.

Further, annexation of its land from Menlo Park and
Palo Alto lowered the tax base, and created longterm difficulties in funding essential community open spaces.

Despite these historical challenges, the City of EPA,
and its residents have risen above all obstacles and
have built an active and engaged community. EPA’s
residents care about their open spaces and share an
aspiration to develop a Parks Master Plan that will
improve public health, bring community equity in
access to parks, improve the environment, and better
prepare for climate change.

VIEW TOWARD SAN FRANCISCO BAY FROM COOLEY LANDING

1.1 EAST PALO ALTO IN CONTEXT
20 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
FIGURE 1-2:

POPULATION DENSITY
Source: U.S. Census Bureau; American
Community Survey, 2019 American Community
Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003
Understanding East Palo Alto 21

DIVERSE PEOPLE AND

NEIGHBORHOODS
Historically EPA has always been a diverse city. The
land where East Palo Alto is today was originally home
to Ohlone and Costanoan Indigenous communities
and later to Spanish ranchers who used the land for
agricultural purposes. During the period between
industrialization and World War II, the city had large
Italian and Japanese populations that contributed
to EPA’s growing flower economy. The 1950’s saw
a boom of middle-class Caucasian and AfricanAmerican residents looking for housing. As the city approached the new millennium, tremendous
population growth occurred, primarily led by the
Hispanic/Latinx community.

Today, according to 2019 American Community
Census, EPA is an ethnically diverse city, with
Hispanics/Latinx, African American’s, and Pacific
Islanders making up more than half of the population
and contributing to the remarkable diversity in the city.

The city has a sizable young population, with over
a quarter of residents under 18 and close to half
between 18 and 44, making the need for parks and
open space ever more important.

EPA is a dense community in relation to many of
its neighbors: 11,880 people per square mile, in
comparison to Palo Alto, which has a density of
2,871/square mile and Menlo Park with a density of
3,473/square mile. Given this high concentration of
people and the number of large multi-generational
households, the need for accessible park and open
space are especially needed.

RACE AND ETHNICITY
Source: U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001 AGE
Source: U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01001 White Under 18 Years Old
Asian
Black or African American 18 to 44 Years Old
Native Hawaiian and Other
Pacific Islander 45 to 64 Years Old
American Indian and
Alaska Native
Hispanic and Latino Over 65 Years Old
Other Race
Two or More Race
22 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
FIGURE 1-3:

MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Source: U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey,
2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table
B19013
Understanding East Palo Alto 23

A RESILIENT COMMUNITY
Given its history as an unincorporated community,
the City of EPA primarily had relied on San Mateo
County for many of its resources and support. After
its incorporation in 1983, the City struggled to stay
afloat financially as it faced revenue issues and
funding shortages. The city’s history of poverty and
inequality can be traced back to numerous housing
and real estate policies that fostered the segregation
of minority communities into EPA and concentrated
poverty in one area of the region.

Explicitly discriminatory policies such as redlining
made it hard for residents to get loans for
homeownership or maintenance of existing properties.

Other actions such as blockbusting, where African
American’s were introduced into previously white
neighborhood to spark rapid white flight exacerbated
segregation in EPA. The construction of the
Bayshore Freeway (Highway 101) in 1962 further split
communities apart by creating a physical barrier.

These cycles of disinvestment fostered by the policies
mentioned above combined with the growing drug
epidemic of the 1980’s led to historic problems of
violence and crime in EPA. These are some of the
reasons why we see dramatic disparities between
the City of EPA and its neighbors, as Figure 1
demonstrates with median household income.

EPA has made tremendous strides over the last 30
years and continues to be a beacon of hope, progress,
and resilience. The city has seen considerable crime
reduction and major improvements have been made
due to the strong City leadership and a plethora of
organizations and faith-based groups working to
improve the livelihood of EPA residents.

HIGHWAY 101 BIFURCATES THE EAST PALO ALTO COMMUNITY FROM ITS NEIGHBORS Source: Embarcadero Media file photo by Veronica Weber
24 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
FIGURE 1-4:

TREE CANOPY

COVERAGE
Source: USDA 2018 Urban Canopy Data
Understanding East Palo Alto 25

TREE CANOPY AND

COVERAGE
Trees are an important part of the city’s infrastructure, benefiting the community by making the urban
environment cleaner, cooler, more attractive, and
healthier. Trees can reduce air pollution, which in turn can reduce rates of cardiovascular and pulmonary
disease and asthma (McDonald et al. 2016; Ulmer et
al. 2016). The urban forest can also cool the city and
generate shade, improving human thermal comfort
and reducing the risks of heat-related injury and
death (McDonald et al. 2016; Eisenman et al. 2021;
Graham et al. 2016). Trees improve neighborhood
walkability and promote greater physical activity and
active transportation, which has cascading benefits
for health, including reduced rates of obesity and
associated conditions (Ulmer et al. 2016; Eisenman
et al. 2021). The urban forest has also been shown
to significantly reduce stress, fatigue, confusion,
anger, anxiety, and depression, and promote greater
cognitive restoration and vitality (Elsadek et al. 2019; Wolf et al. 2020). Tree canopy cover between 25%
and 50% has been shown to have the greatest level
of stress reduction benefits (Jiang et al. 2014; An et al. 2004).

The City of East Palo Alto currently has about 13.5%
tree canopy coverage, and is pursuing a goal of
reaching 20% tree canopy cover by 2062 (Urban
Forest Master Plan, pending adoption). The city’s
parks currently have between 7% and 36% tree
canopy cover, lower than the average 37% tree canopy
cover found in neighboring Palo Alto’s parks. Martin
Luther King Jr. Park has particularly low tree canopy
cover at only 7%, which is partially explained by its
location near the Baylands tidal marsh. Increasing
tree canopy cover in this park could be achieved by
restoring areas of native willow groves to create a
transitional space between the marsh and the city,
generating valuable wildlife habitat and environmental
services for neighboring communities.

TREE CANOPY COVER BY NEIGHBORHOOD
Source: SFEI, Urban Forest Master Plan

TREE CANOPY COVER BY PARK
Source: SFEI, Urban Forest Master Plan
Jack Farrell
Park
36%
25%
25%
Acres
Bell Street
Park
Joel Davis
Park
Martin
Luther King
Jr. Park
7%
26 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
FIGURE 1-5:

URBAN HEAT
Source: SFEI. USGS Earth Explorer. Landsat
8 Provisional Surface Temperature. Landsat
Analysis Ready Data.

Understanding East Palo Alto 27

URBAN HEAT
Extreme heat is a growing concern in cities due to
increases in the number and frequency of heat waves
with climate change, exacerbating the already warmer
conditions found in urban areas compared to rural
areas—a phenomenon known as the urban heat island
effect. Even in regions with relatively cool climates,
heat waves can be deadly for unprepared residents
(Graham et al. 2016). In addition to the availability of technological and social solutions, such as access to
air conditioning and cooling centers, the design of a
city can help reduce the risk of extreme heat events
for residents.

Parks can provide an escape on hot days, and can
even cool temperatures in surrounding areas. Larger
parks are the most impactful, with parks larger than
5 acres in size providing some cooling benefits
and parks more than 30 acres in size consistently
acting as cool islands (Cao et al. 2010, Chang et al.
2007, Wang et al. 2018). Trees also play an important
role in keeping cities cool by providing shade and
generating evaporative cooling. Even small parks can
be significantly cooler than surrounding streets when
they have enough tree canopy cover (Lin et al. 2017,
Sodoudi et al. 2018). Furthermore, providing shade
over playgrounds and parks can protect children from
harmful heat and UV exposure (Olsen et al. 2019).

Because of the city’s low tree canopy cover, few parks, and high impervious cover, East Palo Alto residents
have few natural escapes from extreme heat events.

As the average global climate warms in the coming
decades, the region is expected to experience more
frequent high-heat days, which greatly increases the
risk of heat-related illness and worsening pre-existing conditions for vulnerable residents.

CANOPY COVERAGE IN EPA PARK STREET WITH LITTLE CANOPY COVERAGE Source: Google Earth
28 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
FIGURE 1-6:

SEA LEVEL RISE
Source: 2017 ART Bay Area Sea Level Rise Data
- MHHW +77”
Understanding East Palo Alto 29

SEA LEVEL RISING AND

FLOOD HAZARD
As greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase,
sea level rise projections pose a significant economic, environmental, and social risks to communities along
the San Francisco Bay Shoreline. Sea level along
the U.S. coastline is projected to rise, on average,
10-12 inches in the next 30 years. By 2050 flooding
is expected to occur, on average, more than 10 times
as often as it does today (NOAA). One third of the
City’s area has been designated by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as Special
Flood Hazard Area, EPA will continue to be exposed
to sever flooding and coastal inundation, particularly
for residents near the mouth of the San Francisquito
Creek.

The County of San Mateo’s Sea Level Raise
Vulnerability Assessment noted that nearly 60%
of EPA’s population is susceptible to sea level rise.

A particularly high risk of flooding and permanent
inundation, storm surges, and saltwater intrusion to
groundwater resources will adversely affect residents.

The report also noted that approximately 66% of EPA’s
protective shoreline infrastructure is vulnerable and
34% of local roadways may be affected in the event of
a flood in the mid-level scenario.

Several projects are underway to better protect
residents of EPA from rising tides. A new, high levee
that will be separating a portion of the city from the
San Francisquito Creek has been under construction
and should replace the old levee entirely by 2030.

The San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority
is leading The Strategy to Advance Flood protection,
Ecosystems and Recreation along the San Francisco
Bay (Safer Bay), that aims to protect against a sea
level increase of up to ten feet about today’s daily
high tide. Phase 1 of the project is being implemented
in EPA and Menlo Park, it will protect almost
1,6000 properties, and will enable restoration of
approximately 600 acres of marsh.
1998 FLOODS IN EAST PALO ALTO
Source: Teodros Hailye - KQED

SAN FRANCISQUITO CREEK BY EAST PALO ALTO
Source: Veronica Weber - Palo Alto Online
30 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
FIGURE 1-7:

HISTORICAL ECOLOGY
Source: SFEI.

Understanding East Palo Alto 31

HISTORICAL ECOLOGY
The area now known as East Palo Alto is the
homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone tribe known as
the Puichon. The Puichon lived along and around
the lower San Francisquito Creek and lower Stevens
Creek (Milliken et al. 2009). One Puichon village
named Ssiputca was situated at the mouth of the San
Francisquito Creek, likely near today’s Ravenswood
neighborhood of East Palo Alto (Milliken 1983).

Before Euro-Americans colonized the region in the
late 18th and early 19th centuries, East Palo Alto’s
landscape was characterized by a mix of woodlands,
savannas, and seasonal wetlands, fringed by a
vibrant tidal wetland (Figure XX). Most of the area
was composed of wet meadows and possibly alkali
meadows. Wet meadows and alkali meadows are
both seasonal wetlands, where soils are saturated
and support low-lying wetland vegetation throughout
the wet season. These seasonal wetlands were found
across much of East Palo Alto’s lowlands because of
its fine soils and high water table.

Alongside these seasonal wetlands, willow groves
occupied much of the city’s low lying land adjacent
to the tidal Baylands. Today’s Gardens neighborhood
of East Palo Alto contained the largest willow grove,
spanning 140 acres. Willow groves are densely
forested areas associated with high groundwater,
dominated by arroyo willow (Salix lasiolepis)
intermixed with a diversity of other moisture-loving
trees and shrubs.

On the drier soils towards the inland portion of the
city, the landscape was dominated by oak woodland
and oak savanna. Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia)
dominated East Palo Alto’s historical oak woodlands,
with valley oak (Q. lobata) frequently interspersed.

Along the San Francisquito Creek in particular, a
wide variety of other riparian tree species were also
commonly found among the oaks. In contrast to these
densely forested oak woodlands, oak savannas were
more open with oaks dotting a grassy landscape.
32 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

COMMUNITY HISTORY
1500
BCE
1850S 1932
1900S
1940-
60S
European Settlement
Agriculture And Ranching
Expansion
Construction of
Highway 101
Native Inhabitants
- Ohlone
Exclusionary
policies
shape racial
segregation
across the region
Housing expands
in the area
Understanding East Palo Alto 33
1993
1983 2000
2007
2004 2021
City of East Palo Alto
is incorporated.

Boys & Girls
Club
Current YMCA
facilities built.

Jack Farrell Park
Renovation
Martin Luther
King Jr. Park
Renovation
City of East Palo Alto
begins first-ever Parks
Master Planning Process.
34 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

BUILDING ON OTHER
PLANS
2035 GENERAL PLAN
The update to the General Plan, adopted in 2016,
represents a long-term vision for the physical,
economic, and social growth of the City of EPA.

Major strategies were identified by the community
through extensive community engagement process.

This Plan update seeks to respond to growing socioeconomic and demographic changes, update policies for land use, transportation, infrastructure, and quality of life, incorporate the vision and policies for the
implementation of the Ravenswood/4 corners TOD
Specific Plan, amongst others.

As it relates to the future Parks Master Plan, synergies include goals to implement citywide greening through
the expansion of the urban forest, greening public
spaces, drought-tolerant planting, protecting habitat.

Fostering a safe and healthy community through
active transportation, access to parks, healthcare,
and healthy foods. The General Plan highlights major
opportunities for increased park acreage through the
Ravenswood/ 4 Corners TOD Specific Plan, improved
access to the Don Edwards SF Bay National Wildlife
refuge and other connections to the Bay Trail.

RAVENSWOOD/ 4 CORNERS TOD

SPECIFIC PLAN
The Ravenswood/ 4 Corners “transit oriented
development” plan arose out of extensive community
input and engagement from 2009 through 2011. The
plan area, which encompasses 350 acres, has the goal
of successfully turning into a thriving district that will provide places for EPA residents to have access to
housing, employment opportunities, and additional
parks and open space. The document serves as the
primary reference and guide for future development
and redevelopment of the area.

The largest open space expansion to be undertaken
in East Palo Alto is found within the Ravenswood/ 4
Corners district, therefore it was fundamental for the
Consultant Team to understand community design
goals and developments planned within the district.

A key part of the open space vision is a network
of public amenities available to residents, workers,
and visitors. Community members desire enhanced
protection of access and views to the bay, improved
circulation within the district, and the creation of Bay Road as the spine and “heart” of East Palo Alto.

FINAL CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
The East Palo Alto Climate Action Plan (CAP), creates
a high-level roadmap document and framework of
actions the City of EPA can take to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions. The CAP provides a prioritized list of
measures for the city. As it relates to parks and open
space, the CAP brings forth actions that overlap with
goals of the Parks Master Plan. For example;
• Promoting water efficiency, which may be linked
to long-term park improvements connected to lowimpact development standards. • Supporting efforts to plant more trees in EPA, also
tied to the Urban Forest Master Plan.
• Developing a master pedestrian and bicycle plan
to promote walkable streets, bike lanes, and bike
parking, to better connect residents to parks and open
space.

Lastly, the CPA recommends the continued
implementation of the Ravenswood/ 4 corners TOD
plan.
35 36 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

SAN MATEO COUNTY

COMPREHENSIVE BICYCLE AND

PEDESTRIAN PLAN
The 2021 update to the Countywide Bicycle and
Pedestrian Plan (CBPP) provides a framework to help
City/County Association of Governments to improve
walking and bicycling conditions within the county.

The goal of the plan is to make biking and walking
safer and more comfortable for all, and improve
health, accessibility, and livability throughout the
county.

Within EPA the plan identifies several major streets
within the city that as good candidates for complete
street/multimodal improvement projects. These
include Bay Road, University Avenue, and Woodland
Avenue, which all provide access and connections to
existing and future parks.

URBAN FOREST MASTER PLAN
The Urban Forest Master Plan intends to support
the City in effectively managing and improving their
urban forest infrastructure. The City if EPA is facing
numerous environmental challenges such as increase
flooding, heat risks, health disparities, and limited
potable water. Planning for a robust urban forest can
address these numerous concerns.

The goals of the plan include, growing canopy
coverage to 20% by 2062 and 30% by 2122, defining
responsibilities and improving maintenance practices,
and lastly, connecting with engaged and informed
community members to provide stewardship for the
urban forest. The Parks Master Plan seeks to align
with the Urban Forest Master Plan and support
and encourage canopy growth through new park
acquisitions and existing park improvements.

SAFER BAY PROJECT
The San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority
(SFCJPA), is a regional government agency founded
by several mid-peninsula cities that plans, designs,
and implements capital projects to reduce flood
threats, enhance ecosystems, create recreational
opportunities, and connect communities.

SFCJPA is leading the Strategy to Advance Flood
protection, Ecosystems and Recreation along the San
Francisco Bay (SAFER Bay) Project, an initiative that
aims to reduce the risk of flooding within the cities of East Palo Alto and Menlo Park. The project will enable
adaptation to our changing climate by utilizing tidal
marsh areas for flood protection in a way that sustains marsh habitat and facilitates marsh restoration. The
project seeks to expand opportunities for recreation
and community connectivity in collaboration with the
Bay Trail Program and efforts to enhance local trails
and connections.

There is tremendous synergy between the SAFER Bay
Project and the EPA Parks Master Plan as numerous
opportunities for park growth exist within the reach of the project. Making sure there is alignment between
community desires and aspirations for open space
and climate change preparedness, adaptation, and
resilience will be fundamental to The Plan.
37 38 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF PARKS

1.2 PARK CLASSIFICATION

COMMUNITY PARKS

NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS

POCKET PARKS
Community parks are larger parks that serve the recreational and open space needs of the broader community. These parks may contain athletic courts, aquatic amenities, playground, walking paths, picnic areas and various other active and passive amenities depending upon community needs and site suitability.

Community parks are appropriate for special facilities like event spaces, community centers and indoor recreation complexes. They usually serves two or more neighborhoods within a one-half mile to over three miles radius which is why amenities like parking lots and restrooms should be included.

Neighborhood parks fulfill the daily recreation needs of residents within one-half to one-mile walking distance. The primary recreation use is informal leisure and free play. These are limited active recreation in these parks such as hard surface playing courts (basketball, tennis, etc.), multipurpose sports fields and playgrounds.

Passive recreational amenities such as picnic benches, trails, informal play areas and nature areas dominate these parks. Amenities like restrooms, if added, will make these parks more accessible to all age groups.

Pocket Parks serve a concentrated population area and provide for the limited recreation needs of residents. Their primary use is informal leisure and free play. The recreational amenities that can be provided will be restricted by the size and configuration of the park. Examples of amenities could include a playground, benches, picnic tables, gazebos, turf areas for free play, etc. They typically serve an area within a quarter-mile radius.

Each park type within East Palo Alto’s park and open space system presents different design, planning, and recreation opportunities, as outlined in the following section. These guidelines should be used in tandem with Chapter 5, Design Guidelines.

Understanding East Palo Alto 39

SCHOOL YARDS

OPEN SPACE AND TRAILS
School yards provide joint-use amenities and access to active amenities like sports courts as well as playgrounds. This helps fill service gaps for neighborhood or community parks in the system.

Open Spaces are areas with few or no built amenities that provide natural areas for passive recreation. These parks may have a trail, picnic tables and benches, but are dominated by open areas.

Park trails are multipurpose trails that provide safe and readily accessible connections between neighborhoods and other City parks. They encourage walking, jogging, bicycling and other forms of non-motorized recreational travel by connecting people to where they need to go, helping make exercise a daily part of people’s routines.

SPECIAL USE PARK/FACILITY
Special Use Parks include spaces that do not fall within a typical park type and usually serve a single purpose. These sites can be either stand-alone (i.e. not located within a Pocket Park, Neighborhood Park, Community Park, Regional Park, Greenbelt/Trail, or Open Space/Natural Area) or may be located within another park (typically found at Community or Regional Parks).
40 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
FIGURE 1-8:

EXISTING CITY-OWNED

PARKS & PARK SPACES
Understanding East Palo Alto 41

CITY-OWNED PARKS &

SCHOOL FACILITIES

CITY-OWNED PARKS

1. Jack Farrell Park

2. Pocket Park at Newbridge

3. Bell Street Park

4. Joel Davis Memorial Park

5. Martin Luther King Jr. Park

6. Cooley Landing
EPA’s parks system reflects its unique history, culture, climate, and geography. Each individual park is an
important asset to the city and the surrounding
community. The parks and open space system is
diverse and spaced throughout the community, with
six individual City-operated parks making up 23
acres of open space, the San Francisco Bay Trail, the
Ravenswood Open Space Preserve, and the Baylands
Nature Preserve. This network of parks, open spaces,
and trails can be understood as an entire system.

Before planning for the future, it is fundamental to
understand how the park system currently functions
and how it serves its users.

1.3 TODAY’S PARK SYSTEM
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. PARK
42 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
FIGURE 1-9:

EXISTING SCHOOLS &

SCHOOL FACILITIES
Understanding East Palo Alto 43

SCHOOL FACILITIES

1. Costano Elementary School

2. Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle
School

3. Eastside College Preparatory School

4. East Palo Alto Academy

5. Los Robles Ronald McNair Academy

6. East Palo Alto Charter School

7. KIPP Esperanza High School
School facilities and the open space and amenities
found within them make up an important part of
the open space network in the City of EPA. The
Ravenswood City School District manages five district
run sites, and two charter schools. It also collaborates with several local organizations such as the Boys and
Girls Club of the Peninsula and The Primary School.

The School District also manages large areas of open
space in the city.

Sports and athletic facilities managed by The
Ravenswood City School District contribute
significantly to recreation in EPA for children and
youth. Currently there is no joint-use agreement
between the school district and the City that
designates community use at school recreational
facilities, but this will be a recommended strategy for the future.

C0STANO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Source: Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula
44 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
FIGURE 1-10:

OTHER RECREATIONAL
ASSETS
Understanding East Palo Alto 45

OTHER RECREATIONAL
ASSETS

INDEPENDENT RECREATION

FACILITIES

1. Rich May Memorial Field

2. Lewis and Joan Platt East Palo Alto
Family YMCA

3. Boys and Girls Club

EXISTING PRIVATELY-OWNED,

PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE PARKS

4. Boom Pop-up Park

5. Bridge Pop-up Park
The City of EPA has several additional recreational
assets managed by independent entities that
complement the existing park systems. These spaces
are valuable and well-used by EPA residents and
visitors.

The Rich May Field was created to honor the life
of officer Rich May and is run by the Rich May
Foundation. The field gives young athletes in EPA a
world-class athletic field to practice and compete
equal to those across the highway in Menlo Park
and Palo Alto. The Lewis and Joan Platt EPA Family
YMCA and the Boys and Girls Club provide additional
recreational amenities and numerous programs for
residents of EPA to participate in at low costs.

Small privately ran pop-parks, such as Boom Pop-up
Park, and Bridge Pop-up Park transformed 0.7 acres
of vacant land in EPA’s Woodland Park neighborhood
into lively spaces for residents to enjoy the outdoors.

Woodland Park Communities have partnered with
EPA’s YMCA to provide exercise classes and host
community events.

BOOM AND BRIDGE POP-UP PARKS
Source: SiteLab Urban Studio
46 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
FIGURE 1-11:

TRAILS & BIKE NETWORK
Access to the Bay
Trail via Rutgers St
is currently blocked
Understanding East Palo Alto 47

TRAILS & OPEN SPACE
A successful park system is connected to its
community by safe and well-defined routes that offer
mobility choices to its residents. This can include
walking, biking, transit, and vehicular options. The
San Mateo County Comprehensive Bicycle and
Pedestrian Plan provides a framework to help the
City of EPA improve walking and bicycling in the city.

Here we map existing bike lane networks within the
city in relation to the existing park system. Bell Street, the Pocket Park, and Jack Farrel Park are connected
by existing bike networks. Possibilities to create
additional connections to Martin Luther King Jr. Park
and Joel Davis Memorial Park exist.

Trail networks are also an important part of a park
system, these spaces connect people to different
attractions, commercial areas, cultural landmarks, or
recreational elements. Trails are intended to be used
for leisure, exercise, and commuting purposes. The
San Francisco Bay Trail outlines the Bay side of EPA
and accommodates pedestrian, bicycle, and other
non-motorized activities. Our map shows where
access to the San Francisco Bay Trail is accessible
and inaccessible within the community.

BAY TRAIL BY COOLEY LANDING RAVENSWOOD OPEN SPACE PRESERVE Source: Lance Chen via Google Images
48 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
FIGURE 1-12:

EXISTING PARK SERVICE
AREAS
Understanding East Palo Alto 49

COMPOSITE OF PARK

SERVICE AREAS
This composite map of existing park services area
shows access within ½ mile and a ¼ mile to existing
city-owned parks, privately-owned publicly accessible
parks, and school facilities. This map demonstrates
that there is decent access within a ½ and a ¼ of a
mile to most residents in EPA.

There are clear areas where there are gaps and a lack
of access appears, primarily within the neighborhoods
of Weeks, Kavanaugh, Willow, and Woodland Park.

EAST PALO ALTO ACADEMY
Source: CAW Architects

POCKET PARK AT NEWBRIDGE
50 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
FIGURE 1-13:

EXISTING PARK ASSETS
Understanding East Palo Alto 51

COMMUNITY PARK
ASSETS
This composite map combines all of the community
park assets in EPA regardless of ownership. It shows
privately-owned parks, private recreation facilities,
City-owned park assets, and school facilities. It also
shows all available amenities throughout the city, from soccer fields to basketball courts. This map is useful, as it shows the congregation of amenities throughout
the city and their ownership. It helps to see where
gaps exists and where improvement can be made.

JACK FARRELL PARK EPA YMCA
Source: Carrasco Associates
5 3
3 1
7 1
1 1
1 2
9 1
5 7
52 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
The EPA parks system has six existing parks of varying
sizes and programs, each one plays a specific role
within the park system.

Jack Farrell, Joel Davis, and Bell Street Park are all
general use parks with a variety of programming,
including playgrounds and multi-use lawns. There is a
range of amenities that serve all different age groups.

Two are within a residential setting, but the size of
these parks can accommodate users from all over the
East Palo Alto community.

The other three parks, Cooley Landing, Pocket Park at
Newbridge, and Martin Luther King Jr. Park, all have
different specific uses. Cooley Landing and Martin
Luther King Jr. Park are gathering places, the former
for events, trail access, and wildlife viewing while
the latter for active recreation and sports fields. The Pocket Park at Newbridge is not a gathering place but
a small landing place as people commuted by bus or
walked through the neighborhood.

Overall, parks had ample seating, mature shade
trees, well maintained lawns, and trash was removed.

There were many users at each park, including those
using the walking loop at Jack Farrell Park, volunteers at Cooley Landing, and YMCA campers on the
playground at Bell Street Park.

Parks also showed challenges, most restrooms were
locked and not accessible, though this is potentially
part of a COVID restriction. Signage or messaging was

JOEL DAVIS MEMORIAL PARK

1.4 ASSESSMENT OF

CITY-OWNED FACILITIES
Understanding East Palo Alto 53
TABLE 1-1: PARK ASSESSMENTS OVERVIEW
Park ID Park Name
Park
Classification
(Recommended by
WRT)
Park Area
(Acre)
Park
Assessment
Score
1 Jack Farrell Park Community Park 3.73 Fair: 2.9
2 Pocket Park at Newbridge Pocket Park 0.14 Good: 3.9
3 Bell Street Park Neighborhood Park 2.56 Poor: 1.9
4 Joel Davis Memorial Park Neighborhood Park 1.94 Good: 3.5 5 Martin Luther King Jr. Park Community Park 5.49 Fair: 2.7 6 Cooley Landing Regional Park 10.02 Great: 4.2
Poor: 1-2 points Fair: 2.1-3 points Good: 3.1-4 points Great: 4.1-5 points not strong to communicate to when the restrooms
would be open. Wayfinding signage was not adequate,
especially with connections to the Bay Trail. In all
parks, there is a need for clear, welcoming accessible
entrances to invite the community in to the public
space.
54 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
Basketball Court
Playground
Baseball Fields
Walking Loop
Lighting
Bike Racks
Picnic Area
Restroom
Fitness Equipment

MAJOR AMENITIES

1. JACK FARRELL PARK
ADDRESS: 2509 Fordham street
SIZE: 3.73 Acres
PARK TYPE: Community Park
0 100 200 ft ±
Understanding East Palo Alto 55

2.9 POINTS
FAIR
ACCESS + CONNECTIVITY
CONDITION + FUNCTIONALITY

MAINTENANCE
TRAILS
SAFETY + COMFORT
=
Edge Permeability
Signage, Maps, and City Branding
ADA Accessibility
Presence of Crosswalks Signals
Sidewalks and Surrounding Circulation
2 2
1 3
3 4
4 3
4 3
2 2
3 3
3 3
4 2
1 4
5 2
5 3
4 4
3 2
5 4
2 3
4 Diversity of Uses
Paving Conditions
Vegetation Condition
Tree Canopy Coverage & Condition
Restroom/ Building Condition
Adjacent Derelict Features
Evidence of Illicit or Unauthorized Use
Traffic Calming Measures Around Park
Line of Sight / Openness
Level of Activation
Broken or Vandalized Park Elements
Availability of Trash Cans
Available Bike Facilities
Directional Signage
Path Connectivity Within Park
Sufficient Parking
Nearby Bike Lanes and Bike Parking
Public Transportation Nearby
Playground Condition
Recreational Amenities Condition
Lighting Condition
Furnishing Condition
Security Presence
Ease of Navigation
Nighttime Safety
Mitigation of Surrounding Views/ Noise
Variety of Vegetation
Vegetation Maintenance

3.0 POINTS

3.6 POINTS

2.9 POINTS

3.5 POINTS

1.5 POINTS
Poor: 1-2 points Fair: 2.1-3 points Good: 3.1-4 points Great: 4.1-5 points 56 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

1. JACK FARRELL PARK
A DIVERSE MIX OF USES IN ONE PARK: SPORTS, ART, PICNIC, AND WALKING LOOP, ALONG

WITH ADEQUATE SUPPORT FEATURES
Jack Farrell Park sits low in a basin under mature
shade trees, surrounded by residential areas. One
side is open to the street, while the three other three sides are lined with fences to separate the park from
backyards. The site is easily navigated and there was
a steady stream of residents taking a walk around the
loop.

Its program consists of mostly active recreation
features, including ball fields and a perimeter walking loop, alongside a playground and dispersed picnic
areas. There are murals on the walls lining the south
side of the park, adding art into the EPA park system.

SUCCESSES
• New fitness equipment donated by All-Pro
Wide Receiver Davante Adams
• Amenities, including sports facilities and the
playground, are all maintained and in good
condition, including restrooms.
• The murals are a distinctive feature and could
potentially be expanded to other vertical
surfaces around the park to highlight the talent
and culture within EPA.
• A robust tree canopy provides plenty of shade
in the daytime and the abundance of light
poles makes the park safe for nighttime use.
• The baseball field is well-maintained but
replacing the outfield fence with a retractable
fence would allow for a greater variety of
recreational uses.

CHALLENGES
• Existing access to the site is difficult, especially
at the entrance at Fordham Street, parking
spaces are typically full. The entrance is
regularly chained off to keep cars from driving
into the park, a measure meant to enhance
safety but impedes the main accessible
entrance.
• Around the perimeter of the park, areas of the
fence have been broken for people to access
the park from adjacent neighborhoods. There
are signs of vandalism on the murals and a few
adjacent buildings are in disrepair.
• Fordham Street is a busy street with several
bus stops. In front of the park, traffic calming
measures could enhance the safety for park
goers and commuters alike.
• Some slopes are bare and need to be planted
to avoid erosion. The low elevation of the
park may also be an issue but could be an
opportunity for implementing stormwater
management measures.

Understanding East Palo Alto 57

POPULAR WALKING LOOP, AMPLE LIGHTING, & SHADE
TREES

FENCING BROKEN AS PEOPLE TRY TO ACCESS THE

PARK FROM THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD

WELL MAINTAINED AMENITIES, INCLUDING BASEBALL

FIELD AND PLAYGROUND

ACCESSIBLE ENTRY USUALLY CHAINED OFF
See
Chapter 4.1
for Park
Recommendations
58 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

MAJOR AMENITIES
Benches
Lighting
Bike Racks

2. POCKET PARK AT NEWBRIDGE
ADDRESS: Bay road and Newbridge street
SIZE: 0.14 Acres
PARK TYPE: Pocket Park
0 50 100 ft ±
Understanding East Palo Alto 59

3.9 POINTS
GOOD
ACCESS + CONNECTIVITY
CONDITION + FUNCTIONALITY

MAINTENANCE
TRAILS
SAFETY + COMFORT
=
Edge Permeability
Signage, Maps,and City Branding
ADA Accessibility
Presence of Crosswalks Signals
Sidewalks and Surrounding Circulation
4 3
3 3
4 4
5 4
5 5
2 4
3 4
5 3
3 4
4 4
3 5
5 2
5 4
Diversity of Uses
Paving Conditions
Vegetation Condition
Adjacent Derelict Features
Evidence of Illicit or Unauthorized Use
Traffic Calming Measures Around Park
Line of Sight / Openness
Level of Activation
Broken or Vandalized Park Elements
Availability of Trash Cans
Accessible by Bike Route
Available Bike Facilities
Path Connectivity Within Park
Sufficient Parking
Nearby Bike Lanes and Bike Parking
Public Transportation Nearby
Tree Canopy Coverage & Condition
Lighting Condition
Furnishing Condition
Security Presence
Ease of Navigation
Nighttime Safety
Mitigation of Surrounding Views/ Noise
Variety of Vegetation
Vegetation Maintenance

4.0 POINTS

4.2 POINTS

3.8 POINTS

4.5 POINTS

3.0 POINTS
Poor: 1-2 points Fair: 2.1-3 points Good: 3.1-4 points Great: 4.1-5 points 5 5
4 5
60 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

2. POCKET PARK AT

NEWBRIDGE

NICE SHADE TREES WITH LAWN AREA
Wedged into the corner at Newbridge Street and
Bay Avenue, the Pocket Park at Newbridge provides
a green space adjacent to a SamTrans bus stop. The
adjacent roads have bike lanes for easy access. It
is not a gathering place, but it provides a respite
between the busy streets and its scale is appropriate
for people to wait for their bus. People are consistently coming and going from the bus stop, so the park sees
a lot of use.

SUCCESSES
• The park is neatly defined and clean.
• Sufficient lighting and seating.

CHALLENGES
• Crossing from the other sidewalks to and
from the park can be difficult, with awkwardly
placed crosswalks at the top of the triangle
that occurs at a bend in the road.

Understanding East Palo Alto 61

POPULAR WALKING LOOP, AMPLE LIGHTING, & SHADE
TREES

EXCESS TRASH, ENCAMPMENT, AND LACK OF DEFINED

PATHWAYS

WELL MAINTAINED AMENITIES, INCLUDING BASEBALL

FIELD AND PLAYGROUND

ENTRY PROMENADE HARD TO FIND FROM STREET
See
Chapter 4.1
for Park
Recommendations
62 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

MAJOR AMENITIES
Skate Park
Playground
Lighting
Bike Racks
Picnic Area
Shade Structure

MAJOR AMENITIES

3. BELL STREET PARK
ADDRESS: 2159 University Avenue
SIZE: 2.56 Acres
PARK TYPE: Neighborhood Park
0 100 200 ft ±
Understanding East Palo Alto 63

1.9 POINTS
POOR
ACCESS + CONNECTIVITY
CONDITION + FUNCTIONALITY

MAINTENANCE
TRAILS
SAFETY + COMFORT
=
Edge Permeability
Signage, Maps,and City Branding
ADA Accessibility
Presence of Crosswalks Signals
Sidewalks and Surrounding Circulation
1 2
1 2
2 1
2 2
3 1
1 1
1 2
3 1
1 3
3 1
1 1
3 4
4 2
2 1
1 2
1 2
2 3
Diversity of Uses
Paving Conditions
Vegetation Condition
Tree Canopy Coverage & Condition
Restroom/ Building Condition
Adjacent Derelict Features
Evidence of Illicit or Unauthorized Use
Traffic Calming Measures Around Park
Line of Sight / Openness
Level of Activation
Broken or Vandalized Park Elements
Availability of Trash Cans
Available Bike Facilities
Directional Signage
Directional Signage
Path Connectivity Within Park
Sufficient Parking
Nearby Bike Lanes and Bike Parking
Public Transportation Nearby
Playground Condition
Recreational Amenities Condition
Lighting Condition
Furnishing Condition
Security Presence
Ease of Navigation
Nighttime Safety
Mitigation of Surrounding Views/ Noise
Variety of Vegetation
Vegetation Maintenance

1.9 POINTS

2.0 POINTS

1.6 POINTS

1.8 POINTS

2.3 POINTS
Poor: 1-2 points Fair: 2.1-3 points Good: 3.1-4 points Great: 4.1-5 points 64 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

3. BELL STREET PARK

POPULAR, EXPANSIVE PLAYGROUND
Bell Street Park has a prominent location along
University Avenue. It has a large multiuse lawn and
large, significant palm trees dotted throughout the
site. The new-looking playground has the capacity
for many children. However, Bell Street Park scored
the lowest of all parks in East Palo Alto for several
reasons.

SUCCESSES
• The Park is in a central, highly visible location,
making this an opportunity to be a landmark
when entering EPA. Adjacent bike lanes and
sidewalks allow access for many different
uses.
• The Park provides open space to neighboring
community centers, including the YMCA and
the Senior Center.
• The large playground provides a generous
amount of space for whole classrooms full of
children. The structures seem new and are
well-maintained.

CHALLENGES
• Aside from the playground, most amenities
were in disrepair, such as the small shade
structure and uneven paving surfaces.
• The park does not have a cohesive layout. The
navigation of the park is not clear and there
is not a defined path from the playground to
the main entrance off Bell Street. The main
entrance is obscured by the large shade trees,
though the promenade creates a distinct entry
once it is found.
• A network of closed gates and fences parses
the space into confusing sections. The path
surfaces are traversable by in disrepair.
• There are other safety issues, including the
adjacent empty lot next to the playground that
is littered and an absence of lighting anywhere
other than the main entrance.

Understanding East Palo Alto 65

CLEAN SKATE PARK WITH FENCE

EXCESS TRASH, ENCAMPMENT, AND LACK OF DEFINED

PATHWAYS

SHADE STRUCTURE IN DISREPAIR

ENTRY PROMENADE HARD TO FIND FROM STREET
See
Chapter 4.1
for Park
Recommendations
66 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

MAJOR AMENITIES

4. JOEL DAVIS MEMORIAL PARK
ADDRESS: 1960 Tate Street
SIZE: 1.94 Acres
PARK TYPE: Neighborhood Park
Playground
Lighting
Bike Racks
Benches
Picnic Area
BBQ Pits
Restroom
0 100 200 ft ±
Understanding East Palo Alto 67

3.5 POINTS
GOOD
ACCESS + CONNECTIVITY
CONDITION + FUNCTIONALITY

MAINTENANCE
TRAILS
SAFETY + COMFORT
=
Edge Permeability
Signage, Maps,and City Branding
ADA Accessibility
Presence of Crosswalks Signals
Sidewalks and Surrounding Circulation
4 2
3 4
4 3
4 4
5 2
2 3
3 3
4 2
4 3
4 4
2 3
1 4
4 2
2 5
4 2
4 5
Diversity of Uses
Paving Conditions
Vegetation Condition
Tree Canopy Coverage & Condition
Adjacent Derelict Features
Evidence of Illicit or Unauthorized Use
Traffic Calming Measures Around Park
Line of Sight / Openness
Level of Activation
Broken or Vandalized Park Elements
Availability of Trash Cans
Available Bike Facilities
Directional Signage
Path Connectivity Within Park
Sufficient Parking
Nearby Bike Lanes and Bike Parking
Public Transportation Nearby
Restroom/ Building Condition
Playground Condition
Lighting Condition
Furnishing Condition
Security Presence
Ease of Navigation
Nighttime Safety
Mitigation of Surrounding Views/ Noise
Variety of Vegetation
Vegetation Maintenance

3.3 POINTS

3.4 POINTS

3.8 POINTS

3.8 POINTS

3.5 POINTS
Poor: 1-2 points Fair: 2.1-3 points Good: 3.1-4 points Great: 4.1-5 points 68 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

4. JOEL DAVIS MEMORIAL
PARK

BENCHES AND LIGHTINGS ALONG THE WALKING PATH
Joel Davis Memorial Park is a well-maintained
park that is popular because of the walking loop,
playground, picnic tables, vast lawn, shade trees, and
proximity to residential homes. The EPA Engineering
building is on site, though there is little connection
between the two.

SUCCESSES
• At the time of site observation, there were
many different user groups around the site,
from young children playing in the lawn,
teenagers spending time together in the picnic
area, and adults congregating around the
perimeter under the shade trees.
• The park feels like an extension of the
neighborhood instead of a separate element,
without being obtrusive to neighbors.
• Amenities and planting were all in great
condition throughout the site.

CHALLENGES
• The connection between the park and the
offices is not strongly defined. Removing
fences may cause security issues but could
provide a closer relationship between users
and City officials.
• Seating was abundant, but not always
used when needed. Since some users were
remaining close to their cars, providing seating
around the edges could be more useful than
the central picnic areas.
• Only port-a-potties are on site. For the
popularity of this park and its function as more
of a community park for the rest of EPA, a
more permanent bathroom may be more ideal.

Understanding East Palo Alto 69

PICNIC AREA WITH SHADE TREES AND LIGHTING

TEMPORARY RESTROOM SOLUTION
WELL MAINTAINED PLAYGROUND WITH RUBBER SURFACING AND LIGHTING

SHADED WALKING LOOP AND STREET PARKING
See
Chapter 4.1
for Park
Recommendations
70 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

MAJOR AMENITIES

5. MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR PARK
ADDRESS: 435 Daisy Lane
SIZE: 5.49 Acres
PARK TYPE: Community Park
Playground
Baseball Fields
Soccer
Walking Loop
Lighting
Bike Racks
Picnic Area
BBQ Pits
Restroom

MAJOR AMENITIES
0 100 200 ft ±
Understanding East Palo Alto 71

2.7 POINTS
FAIR
ACCESS + CONNECTIVITY
CONDITION + FUNCTIONALITY

MAINTENANCE
TRAILS
SAFETY + COMFORT
=
Edge Permeability
Signage, Maps,and City Branding
ADA Accessibility
Presence of Crosswalks Signals
Sidewalks and Surrounding Circulation
3 4
4 3
3 2
3 2
3 1
3 3
3 3
1 1
4 4
4 3
4 2
4 3
1 3
3 2
3 3
3 2
2 3
2 1
3 Diversity of Uses
Paving Conditions
Vegetation Condition
Tree Canopy Coverage & Condition
Restroom/ Building Condition
Adjacent Derelict Features
Evidence of Illicit or Unauthorized Use
Traffic Calming Measures Around Park
Line of Sight / Openness
Level of Activation
Broken or Vandalized Park Elements
Availability of Trash Cans
Connectivity to Regional Trail
Access by Bike Route
Available Bike Facilities
Path Connectivity Within Park
Sufficient Parking
Nearby Bike Lanes and Bike Parking
Adjacent Trails or Trailhead
Public Transportation Nearby
Playground Condition
Recreational Amenities Condition
Lighting Condition
Furnishing Condition
Security Presence
Ease of Navigation
Nighttime Safety
Mitigation of Surrounding Views/ Noise
Variety of Vegetation
Vegetation Maintenance
Directional Signage
Surface Condition

3.0 POINTS

2.4 POINTS

2.6 POINTS

2.5 POINTS

3.0 POINTS
Poor: 1-2 points Fair: 2.1-3 points Good: 3.1-4 points Great: 4.1-5 points 72 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

5. MARTIN LUTHER KING

JUNIOR PARK

POWER LINES ALONG THE EDGE OF PARK
Martin Luther King Jr. Park lies at the edge of the Bay Trail, linking it to the homes of the Gardens community of East Palo Alto. While the park is a gateway to the
trail, it also has its own active recreation with ballfields and a playground.

SUCCESSES
• The views over the marsh are a straightforward
way to experience the shoreline of EPA without
making a trip out to Cooley Landing.
• Lighting around the field enables nighttime
use for sports although it provides limited
coverage.

CHALLENGES
• The connection between park and trail is not
immediately clear and could be enhanced
by implementing wayfinding elements and
educational signage.
• Utilities block some views out over the marsh
and people must cross under power lines to
get to the trail.
• Kiosk is locked and there is limited signage for
park facilities.
• There is little shade outside of the playground
area.
• The park is facing problems with a rodent
infestation, making it unsafe for children to
play and congregate.

Understanding East Palo Alto 73

PICNIC AREA ADJACENT TO SPORTS FIELDS

SEATING AT SPORTS FIELDS AND BIKE FACILITIES

ENTRY AND PLAYGROUND

BUILDING FOR RESTROOMS AND CONCESSIONS

UNMARKED
See
Chapter 4.1
for Park
Recommendations
74 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

MAJOR AMENITIES

6. COOLEY LANDING
ADDRESS: 2100 Bay Road
SIZE: 10.02 Acres
PARK TYPE: Regional Park
Community Center
Walking Loop
Lighting
Bike Racks
Benches
Picnic Area
Shade Structure
Restroom
0 200 400 ft ±
Understanding East Palo Alto 75

4.2 POINTS
GREAT
ACCESS + CONNECTIVITY
CONDITION + FUNCTIONALITY

MAINTENANCE
TRAILS
SAFETY + COMFORT
=
Edge Permeability
Signage, Maps,and City Branding
ADA Accessibility
Presence of Crosswalks Signals
Sidewalks and Surrounding Circulation
4 4
5 3
3 4
4 5
5 5
4 4
5 4
4 5
5 4
5 5
4 4
5 1
4 5
4 4
5 4
4 4
4 3
4 Diversity of Uses
Paving Conditions
Vegetation Condition
Tree Canopy Coverage & Condition
Adjacent Derelict Features
Evidence of Illicit or Unauthorized Use
Traffic Calming Measures Around Park
Line of Sight / Openness
Level of Activation
Broken or Vandalized Park Elements
Availability of Trash Cans
Connectivity to Regional Trail
Access by Bike Route
Available Bike Facilities
Path Connectivity Within Park
Sufficient Parking
Nearby Bike Lanes and Bike Parking
Adjacent Trails or Trailhead
Public Transportation Nearby
Restroom/ Building Condition
Lighting Condition
Furnishing Condition
Security Presence
Ease of Navigation
Nighttime Safety
Mitigation of Surrounding Views/ Noise
Variety of Vegetation
Vegetation Maintenance
Directional Signage
Surface Condition

3.8 POINTS

4.4 POINTS

4.3 POINTS

4.3 POINTS

4.2 POINTS
Poor: 1-2 points Fair: 2.1-3 points Good: 3.1-4 points Great: 4.1-5 points 76 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

GROUP PICNIC AREAS ARE A POPULAR DESTINATION

6. COOLEY LANDING
Cooley Landing is the newest addition to the EPA
parks system. Located along the Bay Trail and
separated from the rest of the city by vast swaths
of lands, it features new buildings, seating, and
educational signage. It provides a distinct experience
that allows residents to connect more with the natural
resources of the shoreline.

SUCCESSES
• The location offers many opportunities for
wildlife viewing at the water’s edge and out
over the marsh.
• Because the park has a segment of the Bay
Trail running through it, residents and visitors
regularly use the site.

CHALLENGES
• The long road leading to the park is best
for cars. Pedestrians and bikers must share
the road with passing cars, making it less
comfortable compared to separated, defined
paths.
• Though the facilities are new, there is still
evidence of markings on the furniture and
wear on the concrete seatwalls.
• Nearby airfields are loud and can be disruptive
to some outdoor activities or gatherings. The
indoor gathering spaces may be best for
focused presentations or performances.
• The City has had difficulty finding an operator
to manage Cooley Landing and continues to
work with partners to address the need.

Understanding East Palo Alto 77
EPACENTER: NEW COMMUNITY CENTER LOCATED

DOWN THE ROAD FROM COOLEY LANDING

SEATING AND EDUCATIONAL SIGNAGE WITH

EXTENSIVE VIEWS FACING THE BAY

AMPHITHEATER AND COVERED STAGE FRAME VIEWS

OF THE BAY

BAY TRAIL ACCESS DIRECTLY FROM COOLEY LANDING
See
Chapter 4.1
for Park
Recommendations
78 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
FIGURE 1-14:

FUTURE PLANNING

EFFORTS
Understanding East Palo Alto 79

PROPOSED PARK

IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
WORKS
Various partners across the City of East Palo Alto
are involved in parks planning efforts to date. The
following map includes an overview of improvements
planned in existing parks, in schoolyards, and
in various private developments including the
Ravenswood Business District.

1.5 OVERVIEW OF FUTURE PLANNING

EFFORTS
80 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

2.1 Engaging the Community

2.2 Community Workshops

2.3 Focus Groups

2.4 Engaging Hard to Reach Populations

2.5 Pop-up Events

2.6 Survey and Online Feedback

2.7 Community Priorities
Community Priorities 81

COMMUNITY

PRIORITIES
2 82 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

2.1 ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY
The community engagement plan evolved throughout
the process to include a range of tools and meeting
types to accommodate both virtual and in-person
conversations - all with the goal of gathering feedback and input from as many community members as
possible. The range of meeting settings around
EPA allowed the team to hear from a wide range
of community voices, from park users that are very
familiar with the facilities and existing programs
across the city, to people who currently do not
frequent the city parks and trails and are unfamiliar
with those resources.

This chapter outlines the numerous engagement
activities that informed the plan and summarizes
key take-aways and priorities that arose out of the
process.

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
At each step of the Parks Master plan process, input
was sought through a range of activities to engage
EPA community members on the future park system.

Community Workshops: Both in-person and virtual
options for workshops invited stakeholders to
participate in presentations, question-and-answer
sessions, and numerous activities. Workshops were
designed to encourage active engagement and
provide a space for discussion and input.

Pop-Up Events: Local, in-person opportunities to
share project information at existing community
events with people, who may or may not be familiar
with the project. This approach allowed the team to
meet people where they are gathered (e.g. churches,
parks, libraries, schools, special events).

Surveys: A multilingual, citywide survey available
online and in-person – with the support of outreach
partners at Nuestra Casa and others – was conducted
to inform the plan recommendations. Survey results
are summarized in this report and in Appendix A.1.

Project Website Updates: Online resources including
presentation materials and schedule information
allowed residents to provide feedback at their
convenience. This allowed for wider participation of
community members who were unable to attend inperson due to family or COVID-19 constraints.

Community Priorities 83
City Council Meetings: The plan updates were
presented at a number of City Council meetings
where the public could ask questions and provide
feedback alongside City Council members. A joint
session was also conducted to present the plan with
the Planning Commission.

Focus Groups: Small group conversations, often with
hard-to-reach groups, allowed people who share
common interests to reflect and provide input on the
EPA Parks Plan. Meetings were also held in Spanish.

Stakeholder Meetings: To round out the
engagement, the team conducted numerous
stakeholder group interviews and meetings. Groups
included both City and non-City staff. Discussions
ranged on topics from athletics programs,
maintenance, partnerships, to outreach and
communications techniques.

WORKSHOP 1
The first workshop took place online on September 2021. 84 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

2.2 COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS
The series of three community workshops included
an introduction to the Parks Master Plan, its purpose,
and its goals. The meetings presented a review of the
existing conditions of East Palo Alto parks, a park-bypark assessment, and an overall summary of future and ongoing opportunities citywide.

Additionally, the workshops consisted of mapping
activities and interactive exercises that actively
engaged community members.

WORKSHOP 1
The first community workshop, held on September
30, 2021, was a virtual meeting hosted on Zoom. It
included an introduction from the mayor and the
consultant team, and a presentation on existing
conditions at EPA parks. Numerous polls were
conducted and a break-out group activity for visioning
was prepared. Seventy-nine community members
attended.

WORKSHOP 2
The second community workshop was hosted
at Cooley Landing Center on February 26, 2022.

The Consultant Team reviewed survey results,
and presented an initial assessment of facility and
program needs. The presentation was followed by a
collective mapping activity encouraged participants to
work in small groups to determine the best location for future programs and amenities.

Numerous themes arose during the second
community workshop. The key themes are
summarized below:

1. Communication and Outreach: Participants
suggested numerous ideas for successfully reaching
disadvantaged and working class communities.

Ideas included; using larger banners and other visual
advertisements at key city points and landmarks;
conducting outreach at locations that are heavily
used by community members, e.g., churches and
markets; installing community boards in all parks;
lastly connecting with existing organizations and
community leaders.

2. Access: Important conversations took place
regarding the improvement of connections to
existing parks by upgrading pedestrian and bicycle
connections so that residents can have access to a
park within a 10-minute walk. It was also discussed
that gates to parks should be open and accessible.

Some participants expressed a desire to reduce fees
that may prevent low-income residents from renting
spaces and hosting larger events. Additionally, there
was a desire among residents for a more clear and
transparent process for renting City facilities, as well as a clear understanding of costs and fees for different types of organizations.

WORKSHOP 2 PHOTOS
The second workshop took place at Cooley Landing in February 2022.

Community Priorities 85

3. Park Identity and History: Community members
want to acknowledge and highlight the rich history
of parks in EPA and suggest developing wayfinding,
plaques, and other informational graphics to highlight
existing parks and their histories. The community
shared a need for building an overall park identity.

4. Facility and Program Needs: Below, we list some
of the items that a majority of participants discussed; • Open, clean and accessible restrooms
• Community gardens
• Theater and performing spaces
• Improved citywide tree canopy
• Free, or low-cost community pool
• Spaces for local food vendors and local shops
• Establishing a “Friends of EPA” group to
support with funding, stewardship, and
programming
WORKSHOP 3
The third community workshop will be hosted online
and in person at the City Council Chambers on
February 28, 2023.

FOCUS GROUP
Nuestra Casa focus group with the Environmental Justice Academy 86 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

2.3 FOCUS GROUPS
As part of the insight gathering process, the
consultant team conducted a series of focus group
meetings and interviews over the span of a year. The
subjects for these focus groups included: recreation
and programming, park usage for seniors, ADA
accessibility, health and wellness, education and
personal development, environment and ecology, and
other important topics.

Health and Wellness Developer, Business
and Other Consultants Philathropy Groups Media
• Ravenswood Health
Center
• Fresh Approach
• Sandhill Development
• Harvest Properties
• Harrison Street - Social
Infrastructure Fund
• 2020 Bay Road
Development
• Emerson Developer -
EPA Waterfront
• Ravenswood Business
District
• Sobrato
• Magical Bridge
• Verde Design
• Raimi + Associates
• Emerson Collective
• Goldman
Foundation
• EPA Today
• EPA/Belle Haven
Info
• PA Online

ENGAGED GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS
Community Priorities 87
Recreation Environment and
Ecology
Other Community
Based
Education/Personal
Development
• EPA Boxing Club
• MPAA Mastodons
Youth Football
• Razorhawks Youth
Rugby
• Greyhounds Track
Club
• Ravenswood Youth
Rugby
• Swagger Baseball Club
• EPA United Soccer
Club
• EPA Junior Golf
• RYAA - Ravenswood
Youth Soccer
Association
• EPATT Tennis and
Tutoring
• YMCA
• Boys and Girls Club of
Mid Peninsula
• Baseball Ravenswood
Little League
• EPA T-Ball & Pitching
Machine
• My Gym
• Palo Alto Vikings
• Roadrunners
Basketball Club
• Police Athletic League
• Silicon Valley Bicycle
Coalition
• MidPeninsula Open
Space
• Aceterra
• Bay Trail (MTC)
• BCDC
• Committee for Green
Foothills
• YUCA
• Canopy
• San Mateo Flood
Control Agency
• San Francisquito
Creek JPA
• SFPUC
• EPA Senior Center
• One EPA
• Ecumenical Hunger
Program
• Bayshore Christian
Ministry
• Project We Hope
• Bread of Life
Outreach
• St. Francis de Assisi
Church
• Community Church
• Walls of Faith
COGIC
• Peninsula Interfaith
Action
• Tongan Interfaith
Council
• Tongan Assembly of
God
• Ravenswood City
School District
• East Side Academy
• College Track
• Job Train
• Foundation for
College Education
• Able Works
• Girl to Women
• EPA Center
• The Primary School -
EPA
88 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

2.4 ENGAGING HARD TO REACH

POPULATIONS
To engage with hard-to-reach populations and ensure
that the community feedback we received was as
broad and inclusive as possible, the Consultant
Team participated in focus groups with three key
stakeholders. Nuestra Casa is an organization with a
long history of building community power in East Palo
Alto; Nairobi Advisors – a group of resident elders with abundance institutional knowledge; and the East Palo
Alto Senior Center – which offers a variety of activities and assistance to seniors.

NUESTRA CASA
On April 5, 2022, the Consultant Team joined 20
participants at Nuestra Casa’s office to discuss the
Parks Master Plan. Major themes that arose from our
discussion included;
Improve Safety by:
• Increase lighting in many parks.
• Curb illegal activities such as alcohol and drug
consumption to alleviate concerns of families
visiting parks.
• Implement ways to increase surveillance
in parks, such as installing cameras or
‘community watch’ programs.

Access and Communication:
• Ensure that all park improvements remain free
and accessible.
• Make announcements about events through
multiple platforms, both online and in-person.
• Ensure that public meetings have translation
services for non-English speakers.

Facility and Program Needs:
• Outdoor workout stations for all ages.
• Low-cost or free access to a pool.
• Food stalls or food trucks in parks.
• After-school program for kids.
• A stage or amphitheater space.
• Farmers market.

NAIROBI ADVISORS
On May 20, 2022, the Consultant Team met with
community leaders that make up part of the Nairobi
Advisors group. These are community elders who
have been part of a political, social, and cultural
movement in EPA since the 1960s. The focus group
discussions yielded specific feedback and ideas:
• Memorialize the people and the history of EPA
and its parks.
• Provide resources to empower community
members to run certain programs and
initiatives that the City may not have capacity
to do.
• Further partnerships between local
organizations and the City.
• Establish ‘Community Benefits Agreements’
to guide development of existing and future
parks.
• Encourage more events and festivals.

FOCUS GROUP
Nuestra Casa focus group with the Environmental Justice Academy Community Priorities 89
• Keep bathrooms open and clean so the
community can use park space and host
events.
• Install more water fountains.
• Facilitate low-cost or free accessible pool
access, especially during warm summer
months.
• Establish cooling centers.

EPA SENIOR CENTER
On June 13, 2022, the Consultant Team hosted a
meeting with the East Palo Alto Senior Center, an
institution that has been present in the city for over
30 years. The Senior Center provides food delivery
services and other resources to the city’s seniors.

Given its close proximity to Bell Street Park, the
Center has a significant role to play in shaping the
future of this park. Their general comments included:
• Provide more benches, picnic tables, and other
seating options for people to rest.
• Install exercise equipment and space for active
play.
• Organize the return of programming and
events, such as the Collard Green Festival and
the Jazz Festival.
• Create an opportunity for more joint-ventures
between the City of EPA and the Senior Center
– especially around programming.
90 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

EPA LEGENDS EVENT

TREE LIGHTING EVENT

EPA LEGENDS EVENT

EPA TREE LIGHTING EVENT
The Consultant Team hosted a pop-up event during
the tree lighting ceremony at the EPA Senior Center
on December 4, 2021. We collected feedback using
two methods: a visual preference survey on different
themes related to parks design, a more detailed online
survey for which we had paper copies.

LEGENDS EVENT
On December 17, 2021, the team participated in the
“Legends Event” at Costaño Elementary School, we
engaged with students and parents who were present
at the basketball camp as well as the people who
joined for the celebration of EPA community members.

Feedback on the Recreation and Open Space Master
Plan was collected using detailed paper surveys as
well as visual preference surveys on larger project
boards.

2.5 POP-UP EVENTS
Community Priorities 91

BASEBALL OPENING DAY AT JACK FARRELL PARK

CESAR CHAVEZ SUMMER FAIR AT PRIMARY SCHOOL

CESAR CHAVEZ SUMMER FAIR AT PRIMARY SCHOOL

CESAR CHAVEZ DAY AT EPA PRIMARY
SCHOOL
The third pop-up event was held at the East Palo
Alto Primary School on March 25, 2022. We were
invited to participate in a Cesar Chavez Celebration
and Summer Program Fair, where multiple local
organizations and partners shared their work and
provided information on their services and programs.

We met with numerous parents and kids and were
able to discuss the Parks Master Plan and the ongoing
work that has been completed thus far. The team
provided participants with surveys and gifted crayons,
coloring books, and snacks.

BASEBALL OPENING WEEKEND
The fourth pop-up was hosted at Jack Farrell Park
during the Baseball Season Opening Day on March
26, 2022. We were invited by the City of East Palo Alto to set up a table during the opening day ceremonies
and provide information on the ongoing project and
receive feedback from community members.

We met with numerous parents, kids, and teens
from the community and discussed the ongoing
Parks Master Plan. We provided printed surveys for
community members to fill out. The team had coffee
and pastries for the community members.
92 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

ONLINE SURVEY
An online survey was conducted between September
30, 2021 through January 31, 2022.

The survey asked participants a range of things
including, the reasons why they visited EPA parks,
reasons that deterred them from going to parks, as
priorities for program and facility improvements.

There were a total of 524 responses from individual
households, a statistically significant sample. The
racial and ethnic demographics of survey respondents
is representative of and closely aligns to the overall
city population.

Outreach for the survey was supported by Nuestra
Casa’s Promotoras group at food distributions centers
and pop-up events, announced on the City Newsletter,
and posted on several local Facebook groups and
via City-sponsored Facebook ads. Printed posters
and flyers were distributed through the community at
grocery stores.

See the Appendix A.1 for full survey results.

WHO TOOK THE SURVEY

HOW WE GOT THE WORD OUT

2.6 SURVEY AND ONLINE FEEDBACK
Community Priorities 93

MOST VISITED PARKS

PRIMARY REASONS YOU AND YOUR

HOUSEHOLD USE PARK AND REC
FACILITIES IN EPA?

PRIMARY REASONS THAT PREVENT

YOU AND YOUR HOUSEHOLD FROM
USING EPA FACILITIES?
48% Do not feel safe using parks/trails
37% Parks/trails are not well maintained
36% Lack of facilities to use
29% No park close to home
22% Lack of quality programs
18% Lack of parking to access parks/trails
1 94 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

SEVEN MAJOR PRIORITIES
The community identified seven major priorities
throughout the various engagement activities
identified in this chapter. Each priority includes a brief description and various quotes from pulled from the
wide range of community conversations throughout
the planning process. The recommendations chapter
further elaborates on the summary of community
priorities and their relationship with our final
recommendations.

Connect People
to Parks
Ensure all EPA residents have safe
access to parks and open space, and
access to all facilities and programs.

Clean restrooms that
are open.

Cleaner parks that are
well maintained, more
garbage cans.

Amenities like water
fountains, bike racks, Wi-Fi,
and phone charging
stations.

Multi-use fields with
event and performance
spaces.

Continue supporting
baseball and other
sports programs at Jack
Farrell and MLK Park.

A free or low-cost pool
for the community, swim
lessons.

Amenities like local food
trucks, kiosks for coffee,
and events such as music
and art festivals in parks.

2.7 COMMUNITY PRIORITIES
2 Artwork and interactive
murals to present history
and community culture.

Community Priorities 95
3 Promote Public Health
& Sustainability
Create Diverse &
Inclusive Parks
Celebrate the unique history of people
and place in EPA. Provide residents
with parks that are reliable, free, and
serviceable-for-all.

Establish and promote community
health through parks and open space,
reduce the impact of facilities on the
environment, and encourage sustainable
practices.

Enhance connectivity and
provide safer access for
people walking and biking.

Develop interactive
mobile app for history
and art.

Amenities like local food
trucks, kiosks for coffee,
and events such as music
and art festivals in parks.

Better signage and
markings for trailheads
to understand public
access.

Access to Bay Trail
for the community by
unlocking gate from
Rutgers Street.
4 Reconnect the EPA community to the
Bay by enhancing and improving safe
and equitable access to all natural
preserves and resources.

Helping and providing
services to homeless
encampments in the
Additional volunteers parks.
and paid staff to
manage the parks
system.

Unlock gates to MLK Jr.

Park Path.

Better bike trails and
shared bike facilities.

Outdoor education
about the environment
and ecology.

Blue light emergency
station.

Community gardens for
parents and children.
96 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
Celebrate The Bay Activate East Palo 5 Alto Parks
Provide programs and amenities that
reflect the desires and needs of the
community while improving safety and
energizing parks.

Native planting for urban
greening.

Green infrastructure like
permeable paving and
water capture along trails
and in parks.

Flood announcement
systems.

Additional staff in parks,
park ranger, concession
employees, and volunteers
or ambassadors.

Well lit parks so
people can frequent
them at the end of the
day.

More access to afterschool programs to keep
kids out of trouble.

Community Priorities 97
Improve Park 6 Operations
Grow Programming 7 & Partnerships
Create new partnerships and
programming opportunities and
strengthen existing relationships with
local nonprofits and nongovernmental
organizations.

Maintain and improve park operations
by expanding and diversifying staff
resources.
98 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

COOLEY LANDING
3 Needs Assessment 99
NEEDS

ASSESSMENT

3.1 General Plan Park Needs

3.2 Existing Park Inventory

3.3 Community Priorities

3.4 Recreational Trends

3.5 Levels of Service
In order to understand the park needs for the City
of East Palo Alto a comprehensive overview of City
goals, community priorities and current inventory
is needed. This chapter looks at each of those
components in detail.
• The General Plan 2035 has identified park
acreage required to meet the needs of
East Palo Alto’s growing populations. It
also provides guidance on the appropriate
standards for walksheds to parks as well as
the amount of parkland the City will seek to
provide per 1,000 people.
• The existing park inventory summarizes the
key deficiencies in the City’s park system in
regards to amenities and acreages.
• The next component that feeds into needs
assessment is the community priorities derived
from what we heard through numerous
community conversations. The community
needs have been rated as high, medium and
low based on a Priority Ranking created from
the summarized feedback.
• Lastly, the levels of service standards
projections for East Palo Alto’s population in
2035 guide which park type and amenity is
deficient in the City. The standards are based
on General Plan goals as well as regional and
national resources.

NEEDS ASSESSMENT
100 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
Needs Assessment 101
The General Plan (YEAR) reported a total of 33 acres
of usable park land in EPA, translating to less than one acre of park land per 1,000 residents. (The General
Plan also recognizes another 225 acres of open space
along the Bay shore.) The City currently maintains a
parkland dedication in/lieu fee standard of 3 acres per 1,000 residents.

With a projected increase in population of 7,515 by
2035, 79 acres of new parkland will be needed to meet
the 3 acre standard. East Palo Alto’s demographics
– with more children and larger household size than
the County average – highlight the high demand for
parks in comparison to neighboring communities.

Furthermore, many residents are located more than
a 10-minute walk from a park--and in some cases the
closest park lacks recreation amenities

GENERAL PLAN POLICIES

FOR PARKS
• New parks and open space. Maintain a
park standard of 3 acres per 1,000 residents.

Undertake a program to add 79 acres of new
formalized park spaces, prioritizing the areas
of the City currently underserved by parks
(Weeks, Kavanaugh, Willow, and Woodland).
• Bay Access Master Plan. Implement the park
and trail improvements and expansions called
for in the EPA Bay Access Master Plan.
• Ravenswood Plan. Implement the parks
and trails identified in the Ravenswood TOD
Specific Plan.
• Park access. To increase resident access
to open space, strive to locate park facilities
within ¼ mile walking distance of all
residences in East Palo Alto.
• Parks and open space. Establish a range
of parks and open spaces, including tot lots,
neighborhood parks, community parks, plazas/
greens and/or greenways/parkways within all
new Neighborhoods, Centers and Districts.
• New trails and paths. Construct new trails
or multi-use paths, particularly along the San
Francisquito Creek or in the Baylands.
• Gap closure. Work to fill critical gaps in the
City’s trail network, particularly completing the
Bay Trail and other planned connections in the
Ravenswood Employment District, and along
San Francisquito Creek between O’Connor
and University Avenue.
• Connections to Bay Trail. Explore new and
improved connections to the Bay Trail in key
locations.

3.1 GENERAL PLAN PARK NEEDS
FIGURE 3-1: GENERAL PLAN EXISTING AND PROPOSED

OPEN SPACE NETWORK
102 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
The City of East Palo Alto presently has 6 City
operated parks that provide the residents with
approximately 24 acres of parkland. This leaves a large deficit that needs to be covered to reach the 3 acres
per 1,000 people General Plan goal. From the park
assessment we also learn that not all of these 24 acres of parkland are in good condition with the 2.56 acres
of Bell Street Park ranking Poor with only 1.9 out of 5 in the park assessment. Additional 9.32 acres parkland
in Jack Farrell Park and Martin Luther King Jr. Park
only received a Fair score. The present park locations, as seen in Figure 3-2 leave major gaps in the park
service areas if we look at the 10-minute walkshed for
the parks. This points towards a need to fill these gaps with new park acreage to achieve park equity.

3.2 EXISTING PARK INVENTORY
TABLE 3-1: PARK ASSESSMENTS OVERVIEW
Park ID Park Name
Park
Classification
(Recommended by
WRT)
Park Area
(Acre)
Park
Assessment
Score
1 Jack Farrell Park Community Park 3.73 Fair: 2.9
2 Pocket Park at Newbridge Pocket Park 0.14 Good: 3.9
3 Bell Street Park Neighborhood Park 2.56 Poor: 1.9
4 Joel Davis Memorial Park Neighborhood Park 1.94 Good: 3.5 5 Martin Luther King Jr. Park Community Park 5.49 Fair: 2.7 6 Cooley Landing Regional Park 10.02 Great: 4.2
Poor: 1-2 points Fair: 2.1-3 points Good: 3.1-4 points Great: 4.1-5 points Existing Parks Acerage
Jack Farrell Park 3.73
Pocket Park at Newbridge 0.14
Bell Street Park 2.56
Joel Davis Memorial Park 1.94
Martin Luther King Park 5.49
Cooley Landing 10.03
Total 23.89
Open Space Acerage
Don Edwards SF Wildlife Preserve 5.50
Shoreline Park 13.00
Total 18.50
Martin Luther King Jr. Park
Needs Assessment 103
FIGURE 3-2:

EXISTING PARK SERVICE
AREAS
104 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
During the planning process the community was
consulted using multiple avenues as noted in chapter
two. Based on what was heard from the community,
especially from the community survey a Priority
Ranking list was developed for both park amenity/
facility and for park programming. The purpose of
this is to provide an objective tool for prioritizing
investments based on the results. The Priority Ranking
equally weighs (1) the importance that residents place
on a facility/program and (2) how many residents
have unmet needs for the facility/program.

From Figure 3-3 we can see that the amenities with
highest priority in the community are:

1. Outdoor workout stations

2. Restrooms

3. Indoor basketball courts

4. Community gardens

5. Splash pad

6. Volleyball court

3.3 COMMUNITY PRIORITIES
FIGURE 3-3 - HIGHEST AMENITY/FACILITY PRIORITIES (ALL SURVEYS) Source: Collected from all surveys to date (online, pop-ups, and focus group)

HIGHEST

COMMUNITY
NEEDS
MEDIUM

COMMUNITY
NEEDS
LOW

COMMUNITY
NEEDS
Needs Assessment 105
Similarly, Figure 3-4 shows us that the highest
programming priorities are:

1. Adult fitness and wellness programs

2. After school programs for youth of all ages

3. Youth swim programs

4. Adult swim programs

5. Cultural enrichment programs
FIGURE 3-4 - HIGHEST PROGRAMMING PRIORITIES (ALL SURVEYS) Source: Collected from all surveys to date (online, pop-ups, and focus group)

HIGHEST

COMMUNITY
NEEDS
MEDIUM

COMMUNITY
NEEDS
LOW

COMMUNITY
NEEDS
106 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

3.4 RECREATIONAL TRENDS
The Recreational Trends Analysis provides an
understanding of national and local recreational
trends. Trends data used for this analysis was
obtained from Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s
(SFIA), National Recreation and Park Association
(NRPA), and Environmental Systems Research
Institute, Inc. (ESRI). All trend data is based on current and/or historical participation rates, statistically-valid survey results, or NRPA Park Metrics.

NATIONAL TRENDS IN

RECREATION

NATIONAL TRENDS IN GENERAL
SPORTS
The top sports most heavily participated in the United
States were Basketball (27.1 million), Golf (25.1 million), and Tennis (22.6 million) which have participation
figures well in excess of the other activities within the general sports category. Baseball (15.5 million), and
Outdoor Soccer (12.5 million) round out the top five.

Five-Year Trend
Since 2016, Pickleball (71.2%), Golf- Entertainment
Venues (51.3%), and Tennis (25.1%) have shown the
largest increase in participation. Similarly, Basketball (21.4%) and Boxing for Competition (20.7%) have also
experienced significant growth. Based on the fiveyear trend from 2016-2021, the sports that are most rapidly declining in participation include Ultimate
Frisbee (-40.4%), Roller Hockey (-26.1%), Volleyball
(Sand/Beach) (-23.8%), Squash (-23.5%), Slow Pitch
Softball (-21.9%), and Gymnastics (-20.7%).

One-Year Trend
The most recent year shares some similarities with the
five-year trends; with Pickleball (14.8%) and Boxing for Competition (7.3%) experiencing some of the greatest
increases in participation this past year. The greatest one-year increases also include Fast Pitch Softball
(15.3%), Gymnastics (10.9%), and Court Volleyball
(8.1%). Basketball (-2.2%), Flag Football (-1.6%), Indoor Soccer (-0.6%) and Baseball ( -0.5%) have shown a
five-year trend increase, but a decrease over the last
year. This is likely a direct result of coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, other team sports
such as Ultimate Frisbee (-5.8%), Slow Pitch Softball
(-5.4%), Roller Hockey (-5%), Racquetball (-4.8%) and
Beach/Sand Volleyball (-3.1%), also had significant
decreases in participation over the last year.

LOCAL TRENDS

GENERAL SPORTS MARKET

POTENTIAL
The following charts show sport and leisure market
potential data from ESRI. A Market Potential (MPI)
Index (MPI) measures the probable demand for a
product or service within the city. The MPI shows
the likelihood that a resident of the target area will
participate in certain activities when compared to
Basketball

27.1 Million
Golf

25.1 Million
Tennis

22.6 Million
Baseball

15.5 Million
Soccer

12.5 Million
Needs Assessment 107
the US National average. The national average is 100,
therefore numbers below 100 would represent a lower
than average participation rate, and numbers above
100 would represent higher than average participation
rate.

Overall, East Palo Alto demonstrates average to
below average market potential index (MPI) numbers.

General sports category has the highest MPI numbers
with several activities having MPI scores that are
above to well above the national average. These
overall MPI scores show that East Palo Alto has the
opportunity to grow participation in recreational
activities. This becomes significant for when the
City considers building new parks and/or facilities or
starting up new programs; giving them a strong tool
to estimate resident attendance. High index numbers
(100+) are significant because they demonstrate that
there is a greater potential that residents of the city will actively participate in offerings provided by the
City.

RECREATION TRENDS

SUMMARY
It is critically important for East Palo Alto to
understand the local and national participation trends
in recreation activities. In doing so, the City can gain general insight into the lifecycle stage of recreation
programs and activities (emerging, stable and
declining) and thereby anticipate potential changes
in need and demand for the programs and activities
that it provides to the residents of East Palo Alto.

Here are some major takeaways for local and national
recreation trends:
• Fitness walking remained the most popular
activity overall nationally, but is well below the
national average locally. This activity will grow
in popularity in East Palo Alto if safe pedestrian
connections are developed.
• All listed aquatic activities have experienced
strong participation growth, nationally, but is
far below average locally.
• Basketball is the most participated in sport
nationally while soccer is the most participated
in sport locally.
• Football is losing participants both locally and
nationally.
• Outdoor recreational activities are on the rise
nationally, but are less popular locally.
• Based on national measurements, income
level has a positive impact on activity rate.

Higher income households tend to have higher
activity rates.
• Age is also a significant factor to inactivity
level. Generation Z (age 6-17) had the lowest
inactivity rate while the Boomer generation
(age 55+) had the highest inactivity rate.
• Specific strategies must be developed to
address the growing and diversifying senior
(55+) population.
• Besides income and age factors, nonparticipants are more likely to join sports or fitness activities if a friend accompanies them.

FIGURE 3-5 - GENERAL SPORTS MPI
108 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

LEVEL OF SERVICE

STANDARDS
Level of Service (LOS) standards are guidelines that
define service areas based on population that support
investment decisions related to parks, facilities
and amenities. The Parks Master Plan presents an
opportunity to take a fresh look at these standards.

Our evaluation of LOS standards considered a
combination of local, regional and national resources,
including:
• General Plan; Parks and Recreation Element
level of service goal of 3.0 acres per 1,000
population.
• National Recreation and Park Association
(NRPA) guidelines.
• Recreation activity participation rates reported
by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s
(SFIA) 2022 Study of Sports.
• Recreation participation as it applies to
activities that occur in the United States and
East Palo Alto area.
• Community and stakeholder input and general
observations. This information allowed
standards to be customized to the East Palo
Alto Parks and Recreation system.
• Planned yet not developed parks within each
park classification system in East Palo Alto.
• The ability for the City to financially sustain a
high-quality park system.

These resources provide LOS guidelines based on
population to inform and support investment decisions
related to parks.

3.5 LEVELS OF SERVICE
Needs Assessment 109

CURRENT LEVEL OF

SERVICE
The chart below provides a snapshot of the current
level of service standards and East Palo Alto’s current level of contribution associated with the current
service levels.

Recreation Component Unit City
Inventory
Existing
Private
Inventory
Total
Inventory
Current % of
Inventory
Provided by
City

DEVELOPED PARKS
POCKET PARKS Acre(s) 0.14 0.74 0.88 16% 0.03 acres per 1,000 NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS Acre(s) 1.94 1.94 100% 0.06 acres per 1,000 COMMUNITY PARKS Acre(s) 11.78 11.78 100% 0.39 acres per 1,000 SPECIAL USE PARKS Acre(s) 10.03 10.03 100% 0.33 acres per 1,000 Total Acre(s) 23.89 0.74 24.63 97% 0.79 acres per 1,000

OUTDOOR AMENITIES
DIAMOND FIELD Field 2.00 2.00 100% 1.00 Field per 15,017 MULTIUSE FIELD Field 1.00 1.00 100% 1.00 Field per 30,034 BASKETBALL COURT Court 1.00 1.00 100% 1.00 Court per 30,034 PICKLEBALL COURT Court - - NA 1.00 Court per NA
TENNIS COURT Court - - NA 1.00 Court per NA
VOLLEYBALL COURT (SAND/GRASS) Court - - - NA 1.00 court per NA DOG PARK Site - - - NA 1.00 Site per NA
PLAYGROUNDS Site 4.00 2.00 6.00 67% 1.00 Site per 5,006 PICNIC SHELTER Site - - - NA 1.00 Site per NA
BIKE PARK/SKATEPARK/PUMP TRACK Site 1.00 1.00 100% 1.00 Site per 30,034 OUTDOOR SWIM CENTER Site - 1.00 1.00 0% 1.00 Site per 30,034 DISC GOLF Site - - NA 1.00 Site per NA

INDOOR AMENITIES
INDOOR COMMUNTY/REC FACILITIES Sq ft` 33,209 8,367 41,576 80% 1.38 Sq ft per Person 2020 Inventory Service Levels
Current Service Level
TABLE 3-2: CURRENT LEVEL OF SERVICE
110 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

LEVEL OF SERVICE

STANDARDS

RECOMMENDATION
The current service levels have served East Palo
Alto well and provide a basis for measuring park
system performance. Coupled with the park
system assessments, community input and analysis
conducted, it is recommended that the City update
its level of service standards to better provide for
the recreational priorities of its residents while
seeking to achieve geographical equity. The following
chart summarizes the recommended service level
standards.

Recreation Component

DEVELOPED PARKS
POCKET PARKS 0.03 acres per 1,000 0.10 acres per 1,000
NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS 0.06 acres per 1,000 1.00 acres per 1,000 COMMUNITY PARKS 0.39 acres per 1,000 1.63 acres per 1,000 SPECIAL USE PARKS 0.33 acres per 1,000 0.27 acres per 1,000 Total 0.79 acres per 1,000 3.00 acres per 1,000

OUTDOOR AMENITIES
DIAMOND FIELD 1.00 Field per 15,017 1.00 Field per 20,000 MULTIUSE FIELD 1.00 Field per 30,034 1.00 Field per 7,500 BASKETBALL COURT 1.00 Court per 30,034 1.00 Court per 7,500 PICKLEBALL COURT 1.00 Court per NA 1.00 Court per 10,000 TENNIS COURT 1.00 Court per NA 1.00 Court per 15,000
VOLLEYBALL COURT (SAND/GRASS) 1.00 court per NA 1.00 court per 15,000 DOG PARK 1.00 Site per NA 1.00 Site per 20,000
PLAYGROUNDS 1.00 Site per 5,006 1.00 Site per 3,000
PICNIC SHELTER 1.00 Site per NA 1.00 Site per 7,500
BIKE PARK/SKATEPARK/PUMP TRACK 1.00 Site per 30,034 1.00 Site per 75,000 OUTDOOR SWIM CENTER 1.00 Site per 30,034 1.00 Site per 50,000 DISC GOLF 1.00 Site per NA 1.00 Site per 50,000

INDOOR AMENITIES
INDOOR COMMUNTY/REC FACILITIES 1.38 Sq ft per Person 1.50 Sq ft per Person Service Levels
Recommended Service
Levels Current Service Level
PLEASE NOTE: Natural Area
parks and trails, were not
calculated in this populationbased service level analysis because they are based
on resource location and
connected networks rather
than the city’s resident
population.

TABLE 3-3: RECOMMENDED STANDARDS FOR LEVEL OF SERVICE
Needs Assessment 111

MEETING RECOMMENDED
SERVICE LEVELS IN 2035
The population of East Palo Alto is projected to
increase by approximately 7,000 by 2035 and with it,
there will be a correlating increase in need for park
and recreation facilities. The following table shows
the magnitude of additional park acreage, amenities,
and facilities that will be needed in 2035 based on the projected population growth and the recommended
service level standard.

Recreation Component Meet Standard/
Need Exists

DEVELOPED PARKS
POCKET PARKS 0.10 acres per 1,000 Need Exists 3 Acre(s) NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS 1.00 acres per 1,000 Need Exists 35 Acre(s) COMMUNITY PARKS 1.63 acres per 1,000 Need Exists 49 Acre(s) SPECIAL USE PARKS 0.27 acres per 1,000 Meets Standard - Acre(s) Total 3.00 acres per 1,000 Need Exists 87 Acre(s)

OUTDOOR AMENITIES
DIAMOND FIELD 1.00 Field per 20,000 Meets Standard - Field MULTIUSE FIELD 1.00 Field per 7,500 Need Exists 4 Field BASKETBALL COURT 1.00 Court per 7,500 Need Exists 4 Court PICKLEBALL COURT 1.00 Court per 10,000 Need Exists 4 Court TENNIS COURT 1.00 Court per 15,000 Need Exists 2 Court
VOLLEYBALL COURT (SAND/GRASS) 1.00 court per 15,000 Need Exists 2 Court DOG PARK 1.00 Site per 20,000 Need Exists 2 Site
PLAYGROUNDS 1.00 Site per 3,000 Need Exists 6 Site
PICNIC SHELTER 1.00 Site per 7,500 Need Exists 5 Site
BIKE PARK/SKATEPARK/PUMP TRACK 1.00 Site per 75,000 Meets Standard - Site OUTDOOR SWIM CENTER 1.00 Site per 50,000 Meets Standard - Site DISC GOLF 1.00 Site per 50,000 Need Exists 1 Site

INDOOR AMENITIES
INDOOR COMMUNTY/REC FACILITIES 1.50 Sq ft per Person Need Exists 13,992 Sq ft Recommended Service
Levels
Additional Facilities/
Amenities Needed
Service Levels 2035 Standards Overall
TABLE 3-4: LEVEL OF SERVICE NEEDS FOR 2035
112 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
FIGURE 3-6:

FUTURE PLANNING

EFFORTS
Needs Assessment 113

FUTURE PARK AND

FACILITY DEVELOPMENT
Several future developed parks and facilities have
been planned and are expected to be constructed
within the next 10-15 years and are shown below.

The table identifies an additional 48.4 acres and park
amenities that, when developed or made publicly
accessible, will be added to the City’s parks system.

Recreation Component Unit
Total
Exisiting
Inventory
Future
City
Inventory
Future
School
Inventory
Future
Developer
Related
Inventory
Total
Future
Planned
Inventory
Total Existing
PLUS Future
Inventory
% of
Inventory
Provided by
City

DEVELOPED PARKS
POCKET PARKS Acre(s) 0.88 2.06 0.90 2.96 3.84 77%
NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS Acre(s) 1.94 9.86 11.62 21.48 23.42 8% COMMUNITY PARKS Acre(s) 11.78 2.50 12.46 9.00 23.96 35.74 40% SPECIAL USE PARKS Acre(s) 10.03 - 10.03 100%
Total Acre(s) 24.63 4.56 22.32 21.52 48.40 73.03 40%

OUTDOOR AMENITIES
DIAMOND FIELD Field 2.00 - 2.00 100%
MULTIUSE FIELD Field 1.00 1.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 33%
BASKETBALL COURT Court 1.00 3.50 2.00 5.50 6.50 15%
PICKLEBALL COURT Court - - - - -
TENNIS COURT Court - 3.00 1.00 4.00 4.00 0%
VOLLEYBALL COURT (SAND/GRASS) Court - - - - -
DOG PARK Site - - 1.00 1.00 1.00 0%
PLAYGROUNDS Site 6.00 4.00 1.00 5.00 11.00 55%
PICNIC SHELTER Site - 2.00 2.00 2.00 0%
BIKE PARK/SKATEPARK/PUMP TRACK Site 1.00 - 1.00 100%
OUTDOOR SWIM CENTER Site 1.00 - 1.00 100%
DISC GOLF Site - - - -

INDOOR AMENITIES
INDOOR COMMUNTY/REC FACILITIES Sq ft` 41,567 0 41,567 100% Inventory
TABLE 3-5: FUTURE PARK AND FACILITY DEVELOPMENT
114 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

PLANNED FUTURE PARKS IMPACT ON

LEVEL OF SERVICE NEEDS
To understand the impact that the future parks and
facilities will have on the City’s ability to meet the
service level standards shown on the previous table,
a comparative level of service table was developed as
shown below.

Recreation Component Meet Standard/
Need Exists
Meet Standard/
Need Exists

DEVELOPED PARKS
POCKET PARKS 0.10 acres per 1,000 Need Exists 3 Acre(s) Meets Standard - Acre(s) NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS 1.00 acres per 1,000 Need Exists 35 Acre(s) Need Exists 14 Acre(s) COMMUNITY PARKS 1.63 acres per 1,000 Need Exists 49 Acre(s) Need Exists 25 Acre(s) SPECIAL USE PARKS 0.27 acres per 1,000 Meets Standard - Acre(s) Meets Standard - Acre(s) Total 3.00 acres per 1,000 Need Exists 87 Acre(s) Need Exists 38 Acre(s)

OUTDOOR AMENITIES
DIAMOND FIELD 1.00 Field per 20,000 Meets Standard - Field per Meets Standard - Field MULTIUSE FIELD 1.00 Field per 7,500 Need Exists 4 Field per Need Exists 2 Field BASKETBALL COURT 1.00 Court per 7,500 Need Exists 4 Court per Meets Standard - Court PICKLEBALL COURT 1.00 Court per 10,000 Need Exists 4 Court per Need Exists 4 Court TENNIS COURT 1.00 Court per 15,000 Need Exists 2 Court per Meets Standard - Court VOLLEYBALL COURT (SAND/GRASS) 1.00 court per 15,000 Need Exists 2 court per Need Exists 2 Court DOG PARK 1.00 Site per 20,000 Need Exists 2 Site per Need Exists 1 Site PLAYGROUNDS 1.00 Site per 3,000 Need Exists 6 Site per Need Exists 1 Site PICNIC SHELTER 1.00 Site per 7,500 Need Exists 5 Site per Need Exists 3 Site BIKE PARK/SKATEPARK/PUMP TRACK 1.00 Site per 75,000 Meets Standard - Site per Meets Standard - Site OUTDOOR SWIM CENTER 1.00 Site per 50,000 Meets Standard - Site per Meets Standard - Site DISC GOLF 1.00 Site per 50,000 Need Exists 1 Site per Need Exists 1 Site

INDOOR AMENITIES
INDOOR COMMUNTY/REC FACILITIES 1.50 Sq ft per Person Need Exists 13,992 Sq ft Need Exists 13,992 Sq ft Recommended Service
Levels
Additional
Facilities/
Amenities Needed
Additional Facilities/
Amenities Needed
Service Levels 2035 Standards BEFORE Future
Inventory Added
2035 Standards Overall AFTER
Future Inventory is Added
TABLE 3-6: PLANNED FUTURE PARKS IMPACT ON LEVEL OF SERVICE NEEDS Needs Assessment 115
The introduction of future parks into the parks system
has a significant impact on the following park, amenity and facility categories as summarized below:
• Developed Parks: The introduction of 48.40
acres of developed parks will reduce the City’s
developed park acreage need in 2035 by 54%
- from 87 acres needed to 38 acres needed.
• Multi-Use Fields: The introduction of two
multi-use fields will reduce the City’s need for
this type of field by 50% - from 4 fields needed
to 2 fields needed.
• Outdoor Basketball Courts: The introduction
of six and a half basketball courts will fully
satisfy the City’s need for this type of sport
court.
• Tennis Courts: The introduction of four tennis
courts will fully satisfy the City’s need for this
type of sport court.
• Off-Leash Dog Area: The development of one
off-leash dog area will fully satisfy the City’s
need for this type of amenity
• Playground: The introduction of five
playgrounds will reduce the City’s need for
this type of park amenity by 83% - from 6 sites
needed to 1 site needed.
• Picnic Shelters: The development of two
picnic shelters will reduce the City’s need for
this type of park amenity by 40% - from 5 sites
needed to 3 sites needed.

CITY CONTRIBUTION

LEVEL TO MEETING

RESIDUAL UNMET NEEDS
The recommended service level standards consider all
publicly accessible parks and facilities and City of East Palo Alto is one of many citywide providers of park
and recreation facilities and services and therefore
generally provides less than 100% of the total public
inventory. For each park and facility type, the City
of East Palo Alto’s share or responsibility to address
resident needs is reflected through recommended
City of East Palo Alto contribution strategy. Several
resources contribute to the determination of the City’s level of contribution, including but not limited to, the following:
• Ability for the City to acquire additional park
land for developed parks.
• The ability for the City to financially sustain
a high-quality park, open space, and trail
system.
• Assumption that redevelopment within the city,
including the provision of publicly accessible
parkland, will complement the publicly
accessible park and recreation offerings in the
city.

The contribution strategy represents the percentage
that the City should be responsible for in meeting
community needs to provide its share of needed
facilities and parkland through 2035. The following
summarizes the level of City of East Palo Alto’s
contribution to support the recommended Service
Level Standards for each major park and facility
type that will be needed through 2035. The plan
recommends that the City be responsible for 50% of
the additional acreages needed after the addition of
the future inventory acreage. This is approximately 20
acres of developed parkland. The City should provide
100% of the remaining indoor community facilities
square feet required which equals 13,992 square feet.
116 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

BELL STREET PARK
4 Recommendations & Implementation 117

RECOMMENDATIONS
& IMPLEMENTATION

4.1 Improving our Parks

4.2 Expanding our Parks

4.3 Recreation in our Communities

4.4 Capital Costs and Funding Opportunities

4.5 Operations, Park Maintenance and Staffing Proposal
118 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

COOLEY LANDING
Recommendations & Implementation 119
This chapter weaves together the evaluation of
existing conditions from chapter 1, the community
priorities identified in chapter 2, and the needs
assessment (based on demographics, economic
and social changes, growth projections and planned
developments) from chapter 3 into concrete actions
and specific improvements aimed to achieve the goals
of the master plan.

These improvements fall into six categories: (1)
improvements to existing parks; (2) new or expanded
parks; (3) recreation partnerships; (4) capital
improvement costs and funding opportunities; (5)
operations and staffing, and (6) park maintenance.

Improvements are described in the sections that
follow.

In each section, general recommendations are
presented, and shown alongside community priorities
learned from the engagement process. More detailed
site-specific enhancements are then summarized.

RECOMMENDATIONS &

IMPLEMENTATION
120 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

COMMUNITY EVENT

EPA TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY
Recommendations & Implementation 121

4.1 IMPROVING OUR PARKS
Existing parks are loved and can be invested in to
better meet the needs of the community through
augmented maintenance, lifecycle replacement of
worn out items, and strategic improvements. Some
parks are identified for major revisioning through
a master plan. Two parks - MLK and Bell Street -
are already undergoing redesign through active
community planning exercises.

This section describes general recommendations for
each existing park based on feedback received though
the Park Master Plan process.

Tables in the appendix list existing facility repairs
and lifecycle replacements needed in each park.

These basic improvements are fundamental for
a functional park. Projects may include repairs to
paving, replanting, repainting, routine maintenance,
as well as removing barriers of access for people with
disabilities.

Strategic park improvements in the table are
characterized as ones that aim to make measured
park enhancement to the existing system. They may
include site redesigns, amenity, and facility upgrades, introduction of new facilities within the park system.

This category describes the extra services or capital
improvements that should be undertaken when
additional funding is available.
122 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

4.1 IMPROVING OUR PARKS
The East Palo Alto community values and has deep ties with their parks. From cultural celebrations, family gatherings, and youth athletics, parks serve a wide cross section of the community. The community’s clear priority is to invest in existing parks to expand experiences, make repairs, and improve safety. The following recommendations will improve existing parks.

1. Increase accessibility to all
existing park restrooms by
ensuring that they are open and
well maintained

2. Create spaces within parks for
locally owned businesses and
food trucks to operate during
special community events and
holidays

3. Ensure all parks are well lit to
provide a sense of safety and
improved surveillance

4. Install community bulletin
boards in all EPA parks to provide
community members with access
to City resources, events, and
other activities

5. Improve signage and wayfinding
markers at entrances and along trails
to help park users navigate with
confidence

6. Incorporate historical markers,
interpretative signage, and
educational panels within parks

7. Aspire to provide universal access
and go beyond minimum ADA
requirements to achieve broader
access for all residents

8. Improve pedestrian access to
parks by advocating for safe street
crossings within a 1/4 mile walkshed
of all parks

9. Improve integration with transit
and bicycle networks to expand
park access and increase active
transportation

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING PARKS
Recommendations & Implementation 123

10. Establish relationships with
organizations such as Downtown
Street Team to support unhoused
communities living in parks and
make parks available for everyone

11. Create greater connectivity to the
Bay Trail - open the gate at Rutgers
Street

REGIONAL CASE STUDY

DOWNTOWN STREETS TEAM
Downtown Streets Team works collaboratively
to restore dignity, inspire hope, and provide a
pathway to recover from homelessness.

Team members are unhoused neighbors or
folks at risk of experiencing homelessness.

They receive access to case management,
system navigation, and employment
placement services from trained DST Case
Managers and Employment Specialists. Teams
engage in community beautification and
clean-up projects that help challenge common
negative perceptions of homelessness.

Downtown Streets Team operates in 16
communities across Northern and Central
California. In the Peninsula, they work with
communities in Redwood City, Sunnyvale, and
Palo Alto.

Some parks in EPA host an unhoused
population who would benefit from the
support of the Downtown Streets Team to
connect them with services and may result in
a more welcoming park atmosphere.

Connect People to Parks
Create Diverse & Inclusive Parks
Promote Public Health & Sustainability
Celebrate the Bay
Activate EPA Parks
Improve Park Operations
Grow Programmings & Partnerships
✓
✓
✓

COMMUNITY PRIORITIES
✓
✓ Celebrate the Bay
✓

MAINTAINING OUR PARKS
124 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

COMMUNITY VOICES & PARK NEEDS
Jack Farrell Park is a wonderful space that sits low
in a basin in north EPA. It has numerous passive and
active recreational amenities such as a basketball
court, a baseball field, a walking loop, picnic and
seating areas, as well as a playground, and recently
installed fitness equipment.

Issues such as safety and disrepair affect Jack Farrell Park, but opportunities exists to make significant
improvements in the short-term and long-term.

Access through Fordham Street can be improved
by removing barriers such as chains and addressing
slopes. The perimeter fence surrounding the park
on the back is in disrepair and should be replaced.

Traffic calming should happen along Fordham for
safer crossings. Other small planting improvements
add to the sense of safety and appeal to residents.

Raising the canopy of existing trees, especially near
the baseball backstop improves sightlines and “eyes
on the park”.

Long term strategies should consider stormwater
storage capacity in large underground chamber under
the park as part of a citywide plan to prevent flooding. • Access to park via Fordham St and Michigan
Ave
• Amphitheater seating
• Multi-use fields for active play
• Seating and picnic areas
• Entrance identity around the park
• Access at park entries
• Raise tree canopy for better sightlines
• Lighting at outdoor basketball court
• Fence replacement at park rear perimeter

LIST OF ENHANCEMENTS
$2,421,000

TOTAL COST

OF LIFECYCLE

REPLACEMENT

JACK FARRELL PARK

EXPANDING OUR PARKS
$1,797,700
Recommendations & Implementation 125
See
Chapter 1.4
for Park
Assessments
126 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
Important strategic park improvements can be
accomplished at Jack Farrell Park to meet both
level-of-service goals and desires from community
members.

The conceptual proposal for strategic improvements
recommends these key moves:
• An improved street entry that is ADA accessible
with stairs and ramps creates a new visible park
entry and gently bringing users down to the level
of the sport fields and playgrounds.
• An improved street edge with parking spaces,
permeable parking surface for storm-water
management, and streetscape improvements.
• New and improved entrance via Michigan Ave
with walking path, signage, and planting.
• Amphitheater seating to address grade changes
along Fordham and provide seating to view
events and performances.
• Replace permanent outfield fence with temporary
fence during games to allow other activities to
use the grass during non-baseball game periods.
• Consider turf improvements in order to ease
maintenance and water usage.
• Additional space for small amenities such as
BBQ area, gathering, skate spot, etc.
• New perimeter fence along the park.
• Raise existing tree canopies to provide clear
sightlines for safety within the park.

Amphitheater steps for event
and performance viewing
Improved play areas
Improved access on
Michigan Avenue
Improve lighting at existing
basketball court
Michigan Avenue
Fordham Street

JACK FARRELL PARK

IMPROVEMENTS
Expand use area for picnics
and gatherings
FIGURE 4-1:

PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS FOR JACK

FARRELL PARK
Recommendations & Implementation 127
Grand new entry with
stairs and ramps
Expand recreational use of
existing field
Renovate bathrooms
with time locking doors
Expand use area for picnics
and gatherings
Improve street edge and
parking
Improve access to
surrounding neighborhood
Raise tree canopy to improve
sightliness
Replace fence
surrounding the park
Gonzaga Street
Illinois Street
Install temporary fence during
baseball games

MAINTAINING OUR PARK
$1,197,000 S

TOTAL COST

OF LIFECYCLE

REPLACEMENT
128 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

COMMUNITY VOICES & PARK NEEDS
Joel Davis Memorial Park is a well-maintained
park that is popular because of the walking loop,
playground, picnic tables, vast lawn, and shade trees.

It is nestled within a residential neighborhood and
cohesively integrated within its context.

Simple moves can enhance the park. Additional
seating options can be placed around the park edges
to offer local residents comfortable places to sit. A
connection can be made between the park and the
City’s governmental offices, to provide employees
with an easier connection into the park and improve
activation. Given the parks popularity and function
as a community park for the southern neighborhoods
of EPA, installing permanent bathrooms is desirable.

More strategic improvements for the long-term
success of the park are discussed in greater detail on
the following spread.
• Direct connection between the park
and EPA’s Community and Economic
Development and Public Works Engineering
offices
• Permanent bathroom (planned)
• Bocce ball courts
• Outdoor putting green
• Seating options around the perimeter of the
park
• Expanded picnic and seating options
• Additional waste receptacles
• Open lawn area for informal games and play

LIST OF ENHANCEMENTS

EXPANDING OUR PARKS
$283,200

JOEL DAVIS MEMORIAL PARK
Recommendations & Implementation 129
See
Chapter 1.4
for Park
Assessments
FIGURE 4-2:

PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS FOR JOEL DAVIS

MEMORIAL PARK
130 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
Existing park playgrounds
can be improved with shade
and small tot-lot

JOEL DAVIS MEMORIAL

PARK IMPROVEMENTS
Tate St
Joel Davis already is a well-maintained and heavily
used park in EPA. It serves its neighborhood by
providing a place for respite and leisure.

The strategic improvements proposed here aim to
maintain the character and aesthetic of the park
as a beloved neighborhood gathering space. Small
recommendations and additions are proposed to
expand recreational opportunities.
• Open lawn area to be enhanced to allow for
spontaneous and informal play such as Frisbee,
soccer, touch football, or lawn picnics. Removal
or phasing out of 2-3 trees over time should be
considered.
• Additional picnic and seating areas by Tinsley St
and Mouton Cir to provide greater connectivity to
adjacent neighborhood.
• Additional benches around the perimeter of the
park to provide residents and visitors with greater
sitting options.
• Two bocce ball courts to expand recreational
opportunities and bring more amenities to the EPA
residents.
• New waste receptacles at corners of the park.
• Small putting green court by Oakes St to enliven
the park and expand amenities for EPA residents.
• Improved access between the park and the
City’s governmental offices to provide better
access to City employees.
• The popular play area can improved by adding
shade canopy or trees. A tot area can also be
considered.

Recommendations & Implementation 131
New gate to provide better
access to City offices
New bocce courts for
added recreation
Additional seating and
picnic options
Open lawn area to remain clear for
recreational activities
Additional seating and
picnic space
New waste receptacles
New waste
receptacles
Putting
green course
McNair St
Oakes St
Mouton Cir
Tinsley St
132 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

COMMUNITY VOICES & PARK NEEDS
The Newbridge Street Pocked Park is tucked between
the corner of Newbridge Street and Bay Avenue. It
contains few amenities and functions primarily as a
passive green space for passerbys. It has a handful
of benches and a bus stop. The area has potential
to provide recreational benefit to residents through
introducing new amenities as described in the next
section.
• Small tot-lot with children’s play area,
mounded turf, small sand play zone, and
other play features
• New small path along west side of the park
• Monument sign at the corner of the park
• Corner beautification with planting and trees
• Additional spaces for seating and resting

LIST OF ENHANCEMENTS

POCKET PARK AT NEWBRIDGE

MAINTAINING OUR PARKS
$30,500

TOTAL COST

OF LIFECYCLE

REPLACEMENT

EXPANDING OUR PARKS
$384,000
Recommendations & Implementation 133
See
Chapter 1.4
for Park
Assessments
FIGURE 4-3:

PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS FOR NEWBRIDGE

POCKET PARK
134 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
The strategic improvements proposed here aim to
expand the possible uses of the park to create a multigenerational space for neighbors to enjoy. Suggested improvements and changes include the following:
• A small tot-lot area (5-years and under), to serve
as a gathering space for parents and their young
children.
• The tot-lot will include play features like low
climbers, cozy houses, small slides, a play
mound with tunnel, and a sand play area.

Peripheral seating helps caregivers watch their
kids.
• A 4’ fence secures the tot lot area.
• The existing lawn and trees remain in place and
can accommodate passive recreational uses, such
as reading, lounging, or having a picnic.
• Additional small gathering spaces around
the children’s area with chairs and tables for
neighbors to enjoy.
• The garden-like tip of the park is enhanced with
new flowering and climate appropriate plants
for beautification.
• New monument signage marks the parks corner
entrance.
• Signage identifies the park name and history.

Tree and planting
beautification
New signage to build
park identity

POCKET PARK

AT NEWBRIDGE

IMPROVEMENTS
Recommendations & Implementation 135
Play mounds and
tunnels
Tot lot area
Sand play zone
Low fence around
children’s play area
Benches
Climbing play
features
Open lawn area to
remain clear for passive
activities
Additional seating area
for seniors
Tot lot gate
Bay Road
Newbridge Street
136 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
• Ensure the correct waste receptacles are
installed on-site to meet Bay Trail standards
• Improve active transportation and public
transit options to Cooley Landing to provide
more safe and equitable access to all
residents
• Hire a third-party operator to run Cooley
Landing and provide educational modules
with the support of MidPen
• Finish implementing Phase Six of the
Cooley Landing Vision Plan which includes
viewing piers, additional parking spaces,
cantilevered overlooks and a fishing pier

LIST OF ENHANCEMENTS

MAINTAINING OUR PARKS

EXPANDING OUR PARKS
$6,578,000

TOTAL COST TO

MAINTAIN OUR
PARK
$762,000

COMMUNITY VOICES & PARK NEEDS
Cooley Landing is the newest park in EPA, its location
offers many opportunities for wildlife viewing at the
water’s edge and out over the marsh. The Bay Trail
crosses through the park and provides a wonderful
amenity for residents and visitors alike. The park’s
community space is great for hosting events and other
educational opportunities.

There are certain strategic improvements that can
make the park more accessible to residents as
the primary means to get to the park is via private
vehicle. Improving active transportation along Bay
Rd and ensuring for a complete street will make it
safer for pedestrians and cyclist to enter and enjoy
the park. Completing the sixth phase of the Cooley
Land Vision Plan will ensure that viewing piers and
fishing piers are built to bring added amenities to
the park and revive a history of fishing along the Bay.

When evaluating Cooley Landing’s additional phases,
reference the Cooley Landing Partnership Agreement
between the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space
District and the City.

COOLEY LANDING ADDITIONAL PHASES
Recommendations & Implementation 137
See
Chapter 1.4
for Park
Assessments
SENIOR
CENTER
YMCA
UTURE

ELOPMENT FUTURE

DEVELOPMENT
BELL ST.

UNIVERSITY AVENUE

UNIVERSITY AVENUE

PARK PEDESTRIAN ENTRIES

ENTRADAS PEATONALES AL PARQUE

LIGHT FIXTURES, DIFFERENT TYPES ACCORDINGLY WITH CONTEXT AND SAFETY REQUIRERMENTS

LUMINARIAS DE DIFERERNTES TIPO DE ACUERDO CON EL CONTEXTO Y REQUERIMIENTOS DE SEGURIDAD

MAIN RECREATIONAL LAWN

CESPED PRINCIPAL PARA ACTIVIDADES RECREATIVAS

ORCHARD COURTYARD

PATIO DE HORTALIZAS
ENHANCED PATH WITH SEATING AND WHEEL STOPPERS AT SENIOR CENTER.

SENDERO PEATONAL MEJORADO CON BANCAS Y TOPES PARA LLANTAS

ACCESIBLE BATHROOMS

BANOS ACCESIBLES

CHESS COURTYARD

PATIO DE AJEDREZ
EXISTING PARKING LOT TO RENOVATE TO BE FLUSH WITH SENIOR CENTER’S SIDEWALK

ESTACIONAMIENTO EXISTENTE A RENOVAR A NIVEL CON BANQUETA DEL CENTRO DE ADULTOS MAYORES

SHADE STRUCTURE

ESTRUCTURA PARA SOMBRA

FEATUREE PLAZA AND DONOR WALL

PLAZA Y MURO DE DONADORES

OUTDOOR SOFAS - CONCRETE BASE WITH RUBBER FINISH

SOFAS EXTERIORES - CONCRETEO CON RECUBRIMIENTO DE GOMA

ACCESSIBLE RAISED PLANTING BEDS - SCIENCE CORRIDOR

CAMAS DE PLANTACION ACCESIBLE PARA VEGETALES - CORREDOR DE CIENCIAS

ENTRY SIGN AND WAYFINDING

SENALAMIENTO DE ENTRADA Y CIRCULACION

BIORETENTION BASIN

AREA DE INFILTRACION DE AGUAS PLUVIALES

CURBLESS DROP-OFF AREA

AREA DE DESCENSO A NIVEL

EAST PALO ALTO PORTAL - THRESHOLD LANDMARKS

HITOS - PORTAL DE ENTRADA A LA CIUDAD DE EAST PALO ALTO

BIKE RACKS

ESTACIONAMIENTO PARA BICICLETAS

SPECIAL PAVING ATP ENTRY PORTAL

PAVIMENTO ESPECIAL EN EL PORTAL DE ENTRADA

EUCLID CORRIDOR

CORREDOR EUCLID

U SHAPE COMMUNITY SEATS

ASIENTOS COMUNITARIOS EN FORMA DE U

OUTDOOR COMMUNITY GATHERING PLAZA WITH FIXED AND MOVABLE FURNISHINGS

PLAZA DE ESTAR COMUNITARIA CON MOBILIARIO FIJO Y MOVIBLE

AMPHITHEATER

ANFITEATRO

HALF BASKETBALL COURTS

MEDIAS CANCHAS DE BASKETBALL

TACTILE GUIDEWAYS AT PAVING

GUIAS TACTILES EN PAVIMENTO
FOCAL ELEMENT - I.E. CONCESSION KIOSK, WATERFEATURE, TBC AT DESIGN PHASE ELEMENTO FOCAL: KIOSKO DE CONCESION, FUENTE. CONFIRMACION EN LA ETAPA DE DISEÑO

OUTDOOR GYM FOR ADULTS AND SENIORS

GIMNASIO AL AIRE LIBRE PARA ADULTOS

POTENTIAL ENTRIES FROM ADJACENT FUTURE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

ENTRADAS POTENCIALES DESDE LOS PROYECTOS DE DESARROLLO COLINDANTES

SKATIE COURT

PISTA DE PATINAJE

BBQ AND PICNIC AREA

AREA DE PICNIC Y BBQ

STUDY OUTDOOR STATIONS POWERED WITH PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS

ESTACIONES EXTERIORES DE ESTUDIO CON CELDAS DE ENERGIA SOLAR

ALL ABILITIES, ALL AGES UNIVERSAL PLAYGROUND

ZONA DE JUEGOS PARA TODAS LAS HABILIDADES Y CUALQUIER EDAD MULTI-USE COURTS: BASKETBALL AND SPEED SOCCER
CANCHAS MULTIUSO: BASKETBALL Y FUTBOL DE SALON

OUTDOOR LEARNING PODS

MINIPLAZAS DE INSTRUCCION AL AIRE LIBRE
1 1
1 1
10 10
10 10
19 19
19 28
2 2
11 11
20 29
3 3
12 12 21
21 30
31 32
33 4
4 7
7 5
7 5
13 13
22 5
14 14 14
23 6
6 6
15 15
24 7
16 16
25 8
8 17
17 17
17 26
9 9
9 18
18 27
all abilities all ages all welcome City of East Palo Alto - Magical Bridge Foundation 138 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

BELL STREET PARK RENOVATION

FUTURE MASTER PLAN
A master planning process was carried out in 2021-
22 to redevelop Ball Street Park along University
Avenue. The project is being led by the Magical Bridge
Foundation, a local nonprofit. The goal is to create
an outdoor recreation space that serves the entire
community.

Improved amenities will include an enhanced
pedestrian entry, a skate park, an activity lawn,
new playgrounds, BBQ stations, outdoor gym, an
amphitheater, picnic area, and gathering spaces.
• Ensure there are clear and easy connections
between the YMCA and the future Bell St
Park
• Ensure there are traffic calming measures to
create a safe crossing space for pedestrians
and cyclist entering the park

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

EXPANDING OUR PARKS
$15 MILLION
FIGURE 4-4:

BELL STREET PROPOSED MASTER PLAN
Source: Magical Bridge Foundation
SENIOR
CENTER

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
YMCA
FUTURE

DEVELOPMENT
FUTURE

DEVELOPMENT FUTURE

DEVELOPMENT
EUCLID AVE.

BELL ST.

UNIVERSITY AVENUE

UNIVERSITY AVENUE
1 1
1 1
10 10
10 19
19 2
11 20
3 12
22 21
4 7
7 5
5 7
5 13
14 14
23 6 6
15 16
8 17
17 10
17 17
17 9
9 18
Bell Street Park 07.19.2022 all abilities all ages all welcome Recommendations & Implementation 139
140 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. PARK RENOVATIO

FUTURE MASTER PLAN
In 2021 and 2022, the City was developing a new
master plan to guide the improvement and expansion
of Martin Luther King Jr. Park to better suit the
needs and desires of residents. As of this writing,
environmental review is underway.

There was community consensus around the
idea of an intergenerational park with a dedicated
baseball field. Key amenities will include a track, an
amphitheater with performance space, accessible
playground, outdoor fitness features, multi-use
courts for soccer, football, and rugby, amongst other
amenities.
• Ensure clear and accessible connections
between the park and the Bay Trail
• Assess future opportunities for watercapture and storm-water management in the park
• Assess possibility of installing cisterns
below the park to mitigate future flooding
• Utilize seasonal wetlands as an opportunity
for nature demonstration and education

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

EXPANDING OUR PARKS
$22 MILLION
FIGURE 4-5:

MLK JR. PARK PROPOSED MASTER PLAN
Source: Verde Design
Recommendations & Implementation 141
ON
142 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

IMPROVING OUR TRAILS

SAN FRANCISCO

BAY TRAIL
The San Francisco Bay Trail – which provides more
than 350 miles of multi-use trails – is a great amenity that residents of EPA are able to enjoy and have
access to as part of their parks and open space
system.

Recent projects in EPA, such as the Ravenswood Bay
Trail project managed by the Midpeninsula Regional
Open Space District, have helped close critical gaps
of the Bay Trail between University Avenue and
the Ravenswood Preserve. Completing this project
continues to bring great benefits and access to
residents of EPA.

Ensuring that EPA residents continue to have safe
access to the Bay Trail is of priority. Opening the gates on Rutgers St will remove a critical barrier between
the community and the trail.

Ongoing trail maintenance and safety patrols are
necessary to promote a safe environment for users.

SAFER BAY PROJECT
The Strategy to Advance Flood protection, Ecosystems
and Recreation along the San Francisco Bay (SAFER
Bay) project aims to reduce the risk of flooding within the cities of East Palo Alto and Menlo Park. The
project will enable adaptation to our changing climate
by utilizing tidal marsh areas for flood protection. Two options were proposed for the area adjacent to the
future RBD/4 Corners development. The preferred
option for the location of the shoreline levee is on the shore side, Option 2, utilizing the levee for a bayside trail and the creation and retention of upland and
marsh habitat while at the same time preserving the
Existing Levee Trail
Option 2 Levee (Retained)
Option 1 Levee (Dropped)
RBD Planned Park Areas
existing Bay Trail levee in Ravenswood Open Space
Preserve for recreational use.

BAY TO SEA TRAIL

FEASIBILITY STUDY
The Bay to Sea Trail is being spearheaded by the
Peninsula Open Space Trust. The project is comprised
of a 40-mile multi-use trail that would begin both
in Redwood City’s Bair Island and the Ravenswood
Open Space Preserve in EPA and extend through the
foothills and into the ocean reaching Half Moon Bay.

The multi-use trail will accommodate a variety of user
groups such as hikers, equestrians, and bicyclist. It
will have a consistent and continuous experience
and aesthetic along the entire corridor. It has the
opportunity to become a destination as it will start
in EPA and extend west all the way to the ridge and
ocean.

FIGURE 4-6:

SAFER BAY LEVEE ALIGNMENT OPTIONS
Recommendations & Implementation 143
• Open gate to SF Bay Trail along
Rutgers Street.
• Ensure all entrances to the SF
Bay Trail are open and have ADA
accessibility.
• Improve integration with transit
and biking networks to expand
access into the SF Bay Trail from
surrounding neighborhoods.

Coordinate activity with RBD
developments.
• Enhance trail security through
partnerships, volunteering,
regular police patrols, and clean
up.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
See
Chapter 5.4
for Trail Design
Guidelines
FIGURE 4-7:

IMPORTANT TRAIL

NETWORK CONNECTIONS
144 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
SOURCE: CITY OF EPA

RENDERINGS FOR THE

EAST PALO ALTO WATER FRONT PROJECT
Recommendations & Implementation 145

4.2 EXPANDING OUR PARKS
As EPA focuses on the need to maintain, improve, and
expand its existing parks system, the City must also
provide new park land to keep pace with population
growth and LOS goals. This section describes
recommendations and opportunities for the City to
deliver new parks as it is able to do so over time.

Identified opportunities include shared school yards
and joint-use agreements; the Ravenswood Business
District/4 Corners development; new city parks
through City owned properties; and future public/
private partnership opportunities.
146 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
As the City continues to assess the best ways to increase park acreage to keep up with population growth and LOS goals, the following recommendations provide a road map for strengthening partnerships with the School District, collaborating with developers to provide access to residents, and exploring other mechanisms to incentivize additional park development.

1. Implement shared-use agreements
with the Ravenswood City School
District.

2. Leverage City-owned property to
create new parks.

3. Evaluate streets as potential open
space assets and identify streets that
could be converted to linear parks or
plazas.

4. Pursue grants for parkland acquisition
and development. For example,
Community Development Block
Grant (CDBG) funds can be an
important source of funding for park
development.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EXPANDING OUR PARKS

INCREASING OUR PARK LAND

5. Establish a Community Space Fund to
collect development impact fees and
accumulate funds for the acquisition
and improvement of parks and open
space.

6. Provide incentives for park land
beyond what is required. The City can
consider offering additional density,
height, and floor area in exchange for
the provision of public open space.

7. Establish Community Benefits
Agreements between EPA and
developers. Community-based
organizations could play an active role
in representing residents’ interests.

4.2 EXPANDING OUR PARKS
Recommendations & Implementation 147
Connect People to Parks
Create Diverse & Inclusive Parks
Promote Public Health & Sustainability
Celebrate the Bay
Activate EPA Parks
Improve Park Operations
Grow Programmings & Partnerships
✓
✓
✓
✓

COMMUNITY PRIORITIES

8. Develop access and operation
standards for parks owned or
operated by developers to ensure
spaces support community needs.

9. Explore greater use of Special
Districts citywide such as a
maintenance or community facilities
district. By implementing maintenance
agreements with developers the long
term longevity and upkeep of new
park facilities can be assured.

Chapter 5.5
for joint-use
agreement best
practices

RENDERINGS FOR THE

EAST PALO ALTO WATER FRONT PROJECT
148 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

CITY-OWNED PARCELS
The City of EPA owns ten parcels around the city that
have the potential to provide additional greening to
fill gaps within the park system. A majority of these
parcels are fairly small, but the City can create small improvements with benches and trees to bring respite
and greenery to residents.

NEW CITY PARK OPPORTUNITIES

SFPUC RIGHT-OF-WAY

LINEAR PARK
There is an opportunity to pursue the creation of
a public linear park atop the San Francisco Public
Utilities Commission’s right-of-way in the University
Village neighborhood. The linear park would create a
direct connection for residents to the Bay Trail, as well as safe access to the future EPA Waterfront. For this
project to succeed there will need to be a conditional
use agreement established with SFPUC to coordinate
the construction and management of the park and
coordination with SFPUC and Midpen on access to
the Bay Trail.

2.06 acres

CITY-OWNED PARCELS
APN: 063042130
APN: 063083020
APN: 063102220

0.1 0.1

0.2 APN: 063210280 0.06
APN: 062243160
APN: 063551410
APN: 063501100

0.1 0.1

0.1 0.2 APN: 063533140
APN: 063680090 0.6

0.5 APN: 114160130

SFPUC RIGHT-OF-WAY PARK
SOURCE: GOOGLE EARTH
Recommendations & Implementation 149

CITY-OWNED PARCEL AT

EAST BAYSHORE RD

CITY-OWNED PARCEL AT

UNIVERSITY ROAD

EXAMPLES OF SEPARATED CLASS I

BIKEWAY

DELAWARE RIVER WATERFRONT IN

PHILADELPHIA, PA
150 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

GREEN SCHOOLYARD

RENOVATIONS
In order to meet the open space goals in the General
Plan, the Plan proposes a set of joint use agreements
or agreements between the City of East Palo Alto
and the Ravenswood City School District (RCSD).

Agreements would provide after-school access to
outdoor portions of school campuses for use and
enjoyment by the community. By opening schoolyards,
there will be more opportunities for residents to
have access to special equipment like courts, tracks,
exercise components, and flexible black top areas.

School grounds can be community hubs for social
gathering, emergency preparedness, play, and
recreation programs.

SHARED SCHOOLYARDS
Shared-use agreements will not only benefit the City
and its residents, but they also have the potential to
benefit the School District.

Shared-use agreements can create deeper
connections between residents of East Palo Alto and
the District, expanding the circle of ownership beyond
those with direct links to the schools.

Shared-use agreements have the potential to broaden
public support for funding improvements to both
schools and parks.

Currently there are planned school renovations at
Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School, Costano
Elementary school, and Los Robles Ronald McNair
Academy. Joint community use of these sites would
add an additional 22 acres to the City’s park system.

COSTANO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

CESAR CHAVEZ RAVENSWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL

LOS ROBLES RONALD MCNAIR ACADEMY
7 12
3 22 acres

SHARED SCHOOL INVENTORY
Recommendations & Implementation 151

EXISTING SCHOOL FACILITIES

1. Costano Elementary School

2. Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School

3. Eastside College Preparatory School

4. East Palo Alto Academy

5. Los Robles Ronald McNair Academy

6. East Palo Alto Charter School
LEGEND
City Boundary
Existing City-owned Parks
Schools
School Yard Improvements

COSTANO

ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL

CESAR CHAVEZ

RAVENSWOOD

MIDDLE SCHOOL

LOS ROBLES

RONALD MCNAIR

ACADEMY
FIGURE 4-8:

SCHOOLYARD IMPROVEMENTS
152 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

BAY ROAD COMMUNITY HUB
In December 2022, the Ravenswood City School
District received a $30 million gift from the SHP
foundation to develop a community hub at the field of
Bay Road at the Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle
School. The Community Hub will have a multitude of
dynamic uses and amenities, including:
• Basketball Gym
• Community Meeting Spaces
• Clinic Spaces
• Other uses directly benefiting families

SHARED SCHOOLYARDS

CESAR CHAVEZ RAVENSWOOD

MIDDLE SCHOOL
As part of a $50 million Measure M bond, Cesar
Chavez Ravenswood Middle School (CCRMS),
two new buildings are being constructed and all
classrooms are being renovated. Recreational
improvements include:
• Forever Young Foundation Partnership to
build an 8to80zone. The 8 to 80 Zones are a
collaboration between Steve Young (#8) and
Jerry Rice (#80), which provide youth living in
underserved communities the skills to pursue
careers in technology, Esports, gaming, and
media.
• Magical Bridge Playpark is developing an
all inclusive outdoor space, that will include,
recreational amenities, spaces for gathering,
and other amenities based on community
input.

BAY ROAD COMMUNITY HUB

PROPOSED PLAN
SOURCE: RAVENSWOOD SCHOOL

DISTRICT
Recommendations & Implementation 153

COSTANO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Funding is being sought after in order to implement
conceptual plans for recreational enhancements at the
Costano School of Arts including:
• New kindergarten playgrounds
• New sports field

LOS ROBLES RONALD MCNAIR

ACADEMY
Los Robles-Ronald McNair Academy is a K-5 SpanishEnglish dual language immersion public school where children learn academic subjects and learn to speak,
listen, read and write in Spanish and English. Funding
is being sought after in order to implement conceptual
plans for improvements to the academy including:
• Two new playgrounds
• A renovated field of off O’Connor St and
Pulgas Avenue
• New community gardens and outdoor
classrooms

CESAR CHAVEZ SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

RENDERINGS
SOURCE: THE ALMANAC NEWS

NEW DEVELOPMENT PARK

OPPORTUNITIES
154 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
Public parks can be built by private developers. With
several major initiatives underway, there is great
opportunity to combine the assets of the public
and private sectors in novel ways to create new
and refurbished parks, greenways, trails, and other
community assets in our cities without direct expense
by the City and current residents. The City and
developers can negotiate capital cost of construction
as well as future operations and maintenance.

The Ravenswood/4 Corners TOD District (RBD)
represents the largest opportunity for park growth in
EPA’s recent history. The four principal projects within RBD hold the potential to contribute an additional 21
acres to the City’s inventory.

The following pages introduce at a high-level the
future projects and their amenities. Strategies and

EAST PALO ALTO WATERFRONT
2020 BAY ROAD OFFICE DEVELOPMENT
1990 BAY ROAD (THE LANDING)
9 4.5
7 21 acres

DEVELOPER RELATED INVENTORY
1675 BAY ROAD 0.9
recommendations for the City are introduced to
improve the outcomes of RBD and to ensure that
residents are able to reap the most benefits out of
these future developments.

The Design Guidelines chapter of this Plan describes
best practices for designing these future parks.

Recommendations & Implementation 155
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RBD/4 CORNERS

1. Develop access and operation
standards for parks owned or
operated by developers to ensure
spaces support community needs.

2. Explore greater use of Special
Districts citywide such as a
maintenance or community facilities
district. By implementing maintenance
agreements with developers the long
term longevity and upkeep of new
park facilities can be assured.

3. Establish Community Benefits
Agreements between EPA and
developers. Community-based
organizations could play an active role
in representing residents’ interests.

4. Ensure privately-owned-publicly
accessible parks within RBD are
clearly marked as accessible to
residents and open from dawn to
dusk.

5. Establish design guidelines for the
linear parks along all RBD sites to
create a cohesive experience of the
trail, furnishings, lighting, and signage
throughout the area regardless of
ownership and operation.

See
Chapter 5.6
for POPOs
Design
Guidelines

EPA WATERFRONT SITE RENDERING
SOURCE: EMERSON COLLECTIVE
2020 BAY ROAD RENDERING
SOURCE: DES ARCHITECTS

6. Create clear public park portals
from neighborhood streets to the
waterfront including Bay, Pulgas,
Purdue, Stevens, and Illinois.

7. Integrate RBD public park
recommendations into the RBD
specific plan.

RAVENSWOOD BUSINESS
DISTRICT /4 CORNERS
156 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

CREATING A COHESIVE

OPEN SPACE NETWORK
The development of the Ravenswood Business
District and the Four Corners Area holds tremendous
opportunity for the growth of parks and open space
in East Palo Alto. The projects planned for the area
have the potential to create vital park area for current residents as well as future residents and workers. The
adjacent diagram and description below identify the
steps to align proposed developments with the goals of
this plan.

The EPA waterfront has the potential to become a
vibrant, resident serving park that provides much
needed amenity in a unique bayfront setting. The plan
recommends each development provide an appropriate
portion of the major recreational amenities needed in
the City rather than redundant passive features such as lawn seating, benches, and picnic areas.

Here, the EPA Parks Master Plan introduces two
“nodes” of activity within the RBD waterfront lands.

These locations include proposals for a new community
park to the north and a new neighborhood park to
the south, each with appropriate amenities serving
local residents and employees alike. Each stand-alone
park is connected via a cohesive linear park and the
Bay Trail. Recreational amenities mentioned on the
diagram are recommended for consideration and are
intented to represent the types of amenities needed and appropriate for each park area. A future park at 1900
Bay Road is also noted. This is not currently planned
as a park within the development proposals however
would significantly expand EPA’s waterfront park
acreage.

FOUR CORNERS
Public City Square
Public Space
Small Park Space
JACK

FARRELL

COSTANO

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Demeter St
FIGURE 4-9:

POTENTIAL PARK

OPPORTUNITIES WITH

PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT
Recommendations & Implementation 157

EPA WATERFRONT
Potential community park
amenities could include:

Football Field
Soccer Field
Tennis Courts
Pickleball Courts
Indoor or Outdoor Basketball
Volleyball
Community Plaza
1990 BAY ROAD
Potential linear park amenities
could include:

Small Picnic Areas
Seating and Resting
2020 BAY ROAD
Potential neighborhood park
amenities could include:

Basketball Court
Outdoor Fitness
Volleyball Court
Bocce
Dog Park

BAY ROAD
Ensure a complete street design
Safe for pedestrian and cyclists

BAY ROAD PARK

COOLEY LANDING
Bay Rd Pulgas Ave
Tara St
Bay Trail

SAN FRANSCISCO
BAY

RAVENSWOOD

PRESERVE
Potential for future park

NEW COMM
U
NITY
PARK

NEW NEIGHBOR
H
O
O
D
PARK
158 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

RBD KEY PROJECTS AS

CURRENTLY PLANNED
The descriptions that follow are a snapshot of what
is proposed at the time of plan publication by the
developers of each site in the Ravenswood Business
District. Proposed amenities are subject to change.

EAST PALO ALTO WATERFRONT
East Palo Alto Waterfront is proposed as a mixed-use
development in the Ravenswood Business District.

The project includes wetland restoration, jobs, and
residential uses, as well as the following park and
recreation amenities.
• 36 acres of open space, which includes
4 acres of a central open space, 5 acres
of recreational open space, 11 acres of
streetscapes, and 16 acres of wetlands.
• Central Pavilion: gathering space (multi-use
lawn and central space for gathering and
events)
• The Orangerie: Public green house
• Play Shed: with fitness classes, playground,
and multi-use courts (soccer, basketball, yoga,
tennis, playgrounds)
• Additional programming mentioned in the
initial documents (picnic and BBQ areas, play
areas, wetland gardens)
• Sports courts
2020 BAY ROAD OFFICE

DEVELOPMENT
2020 Bay Road consists of the redevelopment of a

17.2-acre site at the end of Bay Road with five 8-story office buildings (including civic, retail and business
support service uses), parking garages, landscaping,
plaza and open spaces. The project’s open space plan
is centered around a Waterfront Park with active and
passive zones. A multi-modal pathway will travel along
the park.

Open space enhancements and amenities include:
• Waterfront park with direct entrance and
connection to the Bay Trail
• 12 public parking stalls
• Seating and planting amenities
• Proposes large seating areas
• Educational opportunities to learn about the
bay and the local flora and fauna.
• These educational opportunities find
themselves in the form of interpretive signage
and big binoculars for bird watching, star
gazing or even ship watching.
• Children can play at the flexible open turf area,
graded in such a way this can be used for both
educational events like an amphitheater or for
smaller games of soccer.
• 197,093 SF of open space/landscape space.
1990 BAY ROAD RENDERING
SOURCE: HOOD DESIGN
Recommendations & Implementation 159
1990 BAY ROAD (THE LANDING)
“The Landing” will be a mixed-used development
project that will include ground floor retail, civic uses, offices, laboratories and research and development
spaces. The site will offer 40% open space for site
visitors and residents who will have access to public
accessible open spaces. Amenities include:
• Trail connection to Bay Road
• Dog Park
• Community Garden
• 20’ wide levee – public trail
• Slope Lawn Amphitheater
• Interactive Water Jet Plaza
• Bocce Lawn
• Picnic and Grill
• Playground
• Outdoor Fitness
• Half-Court Basketball
• Civic Plaza
• Roof Terrace with Amenities
1675 BAY ROAD (FOUR CORNERS)
The “Four Corners” projects is a community informed
re-development containing multi-story mixed-used
buildings that will bring retail and community uses in
the ground floor and housing and employment uses
above. Ample community space will be provided.

Additional project amenities will include:
• Public Town Square
• Community Library
• Public accessible connections to adjacent
neighborhood and streets
• Up to 40,000 SF of community spaces

LOOP ROAD/RAIL SPUR
There is an opportunity to complete a linear bike and
pedestrian loop that will connect Bay Road to the
Bay Area Trail and to 1990 Bay Road (The Landing)
mixed-use project with the future RBD area. It will also provide direct access to residents of the future 1804
Bay Road mixed-use development area and the 965
Weeks Street housing project.
1675 BAY ROAD - PUBLIC SQUARE RENDERING
160 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

PRIVATELY OWNED,

PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE

PARKS & COMMUNITY
SPACES
965 WEEKS STREET HOUSING
The vacant site will be developed into 136 units of
multi-family housing for low-income households with
unit sizes ranging from studios to four-bedrooms.

The 136 apartments would be located in a series
of structures connected by interior and exterior
walkways with public pedestrian/bicycle access
through the site from Weeks Street to the public
trail known as the Rail Spur. Outdoor play areas for
residents will also provided.

ADDITIONAL NEW DEVELOPMENT

OPPORTUNITIES
965 WEEKS STREET HOUSING
SOURCE: PLURAL LANDSCAPE

WOODLAND PARK - EUCLID

IMPROVEMENTS
The Woodland Park Project has been approved for a
general plan amendment, zoning, and development
code changes. Once complete the project will entail
the construction of 605 multi-family units and the
demolition of 161 rent stabilized units. A publicly
accessible open space park will be provided by the
developer, additional common spaces will also be
available for community members to use.

BOOM PARK PERMIT EXTENSIONS
Currently the City is reviewing a temporary use permit
to allow for pop-up recreation and a fitness area for
Woodland Park.

BOOM PARK
SOURCE: LMNOP DESIGN
Recommendations & Implementation 161
See Chapter 5
for design
guidelines
The recently
approved Euclid
improvement
project, once built,
will deliver a new
park for residents
on the west side and
WOODLAND PARK RENDERINGS beyond to enjoy.

SOURCE: DAVID BAKER ARCHITECTS
162 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

COMMUNITY EVENT AT EPA PRIMARY SCHOOL
SOURCE: CONSULTANT TEAM
Recommendations & Implementation 163

4.3 RECREATION IN OUR

COMMUNITIES
Recreation programming serves residents of all ages
to engage in individual and group activities hosted
by a provider. Typical programs may address fitness
and exercise, arts and crafts, skills training and
intergenerational education. The City of EPA does not
provide recreation programming, instead relying on
its able partners to organize and execute the work.

The City contributes limited financial support to offset costs or contract outright with providers.

This plan recognizes the positive results achieved by
providers and the City’s role to help align the types
of programming offered to the actual needs of the
community. The cost of services often exceeds the
ability of residents to pay. To serve more people,
expanded sources of funding and new partnerships
are needed. The City should continue to develop
its organizational capacity while strengthening its
partnership agreements.
164 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
establish potential “free days” for
community members.

4. Streamline the reservations and
permit request process in order
to ensure transparency and equal
access to City resources.

5. Continue to provide readily
accessible information regarding
the City’s recreational program
offerings.

The East Palo Alto community is currently served by community partners for recreational programming. The following recommendations will improve existing City partnerships and help fulfill the assessed recreational needs for the community.

1. Continue to develop successful
partnerships by identifying
mutual benefits, setting clear
outcomes, and documenting
agreements to ensure
community programming needs
are met.

2. Establish participation
parameters as the basis of
funding distribution for summer
activation grants to program
partners.

3. Study opportunities to fund
the YMCA to provide residents
with low-cost classes, assess
opportunities to have public pool
days during summer months to
provide residents with access
to cooling spaces. Collaboration
between YMCA and the City to

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RECREATIONAL PROGRAMMING
Connect People to Parks
Create Diverse & Inclusive Parks
Promote Public Health & Sustainability
Celebrate the Bay
Activate EPA Parks
Improve Park Operations
Grow Programmings & Partnerships
✓
✓
✓

COMMUNITY PRIORITIES
✓
Celebrate the Bay
✓

4.3 RECREATION IN OUR COMMUNITIES
Recommendations & Implementation 165
166 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
formally apply to the City for a grant. The program has become increasingly successful each year it has been
offered:
• 2019 – $65,000 was awarded to 5
organizations.
• 2020 – $80,000 was awarded to 7
organizations.
• 2021 – $100,000 was awarded to 15
organizations.
• 2022 – $154,000 was awarded to 17
organizations.

This plan recognizes the overall successful processes
that the City has in place to distribute the funding
to its community partners and the positive results
achieved by providers.

The City of East Palo has a professional staff that
annually facilitates programs and services. City staff
are responsible for the management and oversight of
a diverse array of partnerships that provide recreation programs and special community-wide events.

Employees are engaged year-round in coordination
and evaluation of programs and events.

CORE PROGRAM APPROACH
The mission of the City of East Palo Alto is to ensure
access to outstanding programs, services and
community amenities that contribute to the quality
of life in East Palo Alto. Part of realizing this vision should involve the identification of Core Program
Areas to create a sense of focus around activities and
outcomes of greatest importance to the community
as informed by current and future needs. In other
communities, public recreation is often challenged
by the premise of being all things to all people. The
philosophy of the Core Program Area assists staff,
policy makers, and the public to focus on only what
is most important. Program areas are considered as
Core if they meet many of the following categories:
• Offered to the community for a long period of
time (over 4-5 years)

OVERVIEW OF PRIORITIES

AND CORE PROGRAM
AREAS
Recreation programming serves residents of all ages
to engage in individual and group activities hosted
by a provider. Typical programs may address fitness
and exercise, arts and crafts, skills training and
intergenerational education.

In 2019, City Council tasked the Community Services
Division with the goal of activating every City-owned/
operated park and facility in the City of East Palo Alto with sports and recreation activities for youth and/or
families during the summer months. The purpose was
to activate the parks and facilities with programming
for all residents and improve access to fun activities
that promote wellness and healthy living.

In addition to receiving funding from the City’s
general fund for this City Council initiative, the City of East Palo Alto’s Community Services Division
successfully applied for annual grant funding from
the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) Community
Fund (Community Fund Partners Directory - Chan
Zuckerberg Initiative) in 2021. The CZI Community
Fund is an annual grant-making program that pairs
grants with capacity building resources to support
community organizations in San Mateo County that
are increasing access to the building blocks of social
and economic well-being like housing, healthcare,
education, job, and career skills, and supporting civic engagement so people have the power to shape their
lives and communities. The City has been the only
municipality to receive funding from CZI. Kudos to the
City of EPA!
The funding was primarily targeted to support
community partners to increase participation in
existing summer programming. In order to receive
funding from the City, community partners needed to
Recommendations & Implementation 167

2. Organizational philosophy, mission, and
vision – Programs and services should
support the mission and vision statements,
values, goals, and objectives. These generally
center on promoting personal health,
community well-being, social equality,
environmental awareness, and economic
vitality.

3. Constituent interests and desired needs –
Agencies should actively seek to understand
the recreational needs and interests of their
constituency. This not only ensures an effective
(and ethical) use of taxpayer dollars, but also
helps to make sure that programs perform well
and are valued by residents.

4. Creation of a constituent-centered culture
– Programs and services do reflect a citywide culture where constituents’ needs are the prime factor in creating and providing
programs. This should be reflected not only in
program design, but in terms of staff behaviors,
architecture, furniture, technology, dress, forms
of address, decision-making style, planning
processes, and forms of communication.

5. Experiences desirable for clientele –
Programs and services should be designed
to provide the experiences desirable to meet
the needs of the participants/clients in a
community and identified target markets.

This involves not only identifying and
understanding the diversity of needs in a
community, but also applying recreation
programming expertise and skills to design,
implement, and evaluate a variety of desirable
experiences for residents to meet those needs.

6. Community opportunities – When planning
programs and services, a park and recreation
agency should consider the network of
opportunities afforded by other organizations
such as nonprofits, schools, other public
agencies, and the private sector. Agencies
should also recognize where gaps in service
provision occur and consider how unmet
needs can be addressed.
• Programs/services provided to the community
3-4 seasons per year
• Wide demographic appeal
• Tiered level of skill development available
within the programs area’s offerings
• Full-time staff responsible for the facilitation of
programs and services

THE CITY OF EAST PALO ALTO PARKS

AND RECREATION CORE PROGRAM
AREAS
The City currently facilitates programs and services
through partnerships in six Core Program Areas:
• Art and Culture
• Camps
• Enrichment
• E-Sports
• Fitness, Health, and Wellness
• Youth Sports
Ensuring The Right Core Program Mix
The Core Program Areas provided by the City of
East Palo Alto currently appears to meet some of the
major needs of the City of East Palo Alto community.

The program mix should be evaluated on a regular
and reoccurring basis to ensure that the offerings
within each Core Program Area – and the Core
Program Areas themselves – align with changing
leisure and recreation trends, demographics, and
needs of residents. The National Recreation and
Park Association (NRPA) recommends that six
determinants be used to inform what programs and
services are provided by the City. According to NRPA,
those determinants are:

1. Conceptual foundations of play, recreation,
and leisure – Programs and services should
encourage and promote a degree of freedom,
choice, and voluntary engagement in their
structure and design. Programs should reflect
positive themes aimed at improving quality
of life for both individuals and the overall
community.
168 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

PARTNERSHIP

EVALUATION
The City of East Palo Alto does not directly provide
programs and services to the community. The
approach the City has taken in activating its parks and public spaces is to fund through City Council support,
and, in turn, to utilize this funding to provide grants to public and not-for-profit agencies, as well as private
sector businesses. Table 2 provides a snapshot of the
partnerships that the City entered in the summer of
2022.

In summary:
• 17 partners applied for and received grant
funding from the City.
• Programs and services were provided in six
different core program areas.
• Most programs were provided outdoors.
• Grant funding provided to each agency ranged
from $4,000 to $10,000.
• Number of hours of programming provided by
each grant funded agency ranged from 10 to
120.

GRANT FUNDING PER HOUR OF

PROGRAMMING
An evaluation was conducted to understand level
of funding granted to a partnering agency based on
the number of hours of programming provided to the
community. This can be a useful measuring tool for
recreation providers. Findings indicate this may be a
useful tool for City staff to use in the future to improve the effective-less of funding and reach more residents.

Further analysis, as shown in the table below, reveals
that:
• The average funding received by each
partnering agency per-hour-of-programming
offered to the community is $235.
• The range of funding per-hour-ofprogramming-offered to the community is $83 per hour (Live in Peace) to $800 per hour (Sign
Gypsies).

Survey Findings
As part of the process for developing a Park and
Recreation Needs Assessment, PROS Consulting
conducted a holistic community input process to
identify satisfaction with park and recreation facilities, identify needed park and recreation facilities and
programs, and gain input from citizens that will assist with park and recreation resource allocation, budget,
and policy decisions. Participants rated East Palo
Alto as having a current or anticipated need for the
following recreation programs, ranked in order of
need:

Recreation Program/Service Priority
Adult fitness and wellness programs
After school programs for youth of all ages
Youth swim programs
Adult swim program
Adult sports program
Cultural enrichment programs
Youth performing arts (dance, ballet, etc)
Program for individuals with disabilities
Youth fitness
Youth out of school camp programs
Fitness boot camp
Martial arts program
Youth sports programs
EMT program
Senior program
High
Medium
Low
TABLE 4-1:

RECREATIONAL PROGRAM PRIORITIES
Recommendations & Implementation 169
Agency/Business Core Program
Area Activity Indoor or Outdoor
Activity Grant Funding
# of Hours of
Programming
Provided per
Participant
Per Hour
Subsidy
Bottletree Culture Art and Culture West African dance
instruction for all ages
Hybrid
(Mainly Outdoor for
Program Purposes)
$10,000 45 $222
Camp Doza Camps
Multisport camp
featuring Basketball,
Soccer, and Nature
Outdoor $10,000 80 $125
East Palo Alto Tennis &
Tutoring Youth Sports
Youth focused Tennis
camps and Academic
instruction
Outdoor $10,000 90 $111
EPA T-Ball & Pitching
Machine Youth Sports Host partner for Junior Giants program Outdoor $10,000 64 $156 Fit To the Core Fitness and
Wellness
Multigenerational group
fitness activities Outdoor $10,000 44 $227
GG Leagues E-Sports First time eSports
programming Indoor $7,000 30 $233
Hope Horizon/BCM Camps
Holistic youth camp
catering to Westside
community
Outdoor $10,000 84 $119
Live in Peace Youth Sports
Youth Super
Conditioning Camp (All
land Sports)
Outdoor $10,000 120 $83
MPAA Mastodons
Football Youth Sports
Youth competitive
football training with
holistic approach
Outdoor $10,000 30 $333
My Gym Youth Sports
Gymnastics and Fitness
training at Joel Davis
Park
Outdoor $9,000 28 $321
Paxton Sports Academy Youth Sports
Expert basketball
instruction and sports
challenges
Outdoor $7,000 34 $206
Razorhawks Youth
Rugby Youth Sports Competitive youth rugby Summer Sevens Outdoor $9,000 42 $214 Sign Gypsies Enrichment
Multigenerational
activties such as
Meditation, bingo, paint
by numbers
Indoor $8,000 10 $800
Step It Up Dance Art and Culture Contemporary, Hip Hop, Modern, Praise Dance Indoor $10,000 36 $278
StreetCode Academy Enrichment Tech and Engineering
activities in the Park
Hybrid
(Mainly Outdoor for
Program Purposes)
$10,000 46 $217
The Process Academy Youth Sports
High level Basketball
instruction for youth up
to 18
Outdoor $4,000 18 $222
UEHL Enrichment Literacy and homework
assistance for youth Indoor $10,000 80 $125
2022 Summer Partnership Programming
TABLE 4-2:
2022 SUMMER PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMMING
170 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
Agency/Business Core Program
Area Grant Funding
# of Hours of
Programming
Provided per
Participant
Per Hour
Subsidy
Unique
Participants
Unique
Participant
Subsidy
Per Hour Per
Unique
Participant
Subsidy
Bottletree Culture Art and Culture $10,000 45 $222 24 $417 $9 Camp Doza Camps $10,000 80 $125 42 $238 $3
East Palo Alto Tennis &
Tutoring Youth Sports $10,000 90 $111 27 $370 $4
EPA T-Ball & Pitching Machine Youth Sports $10,000 64 $156 87 $115 $2 Fit To the Core Fitness and
Wellness $10,000 44 $227 38 $263 $6
GG Leagues E-Sports $7,000 30 $233 18 $389 $13
Hope Horizon/BCM Camps $10,000 84 $119 40 $250 $3
Live in Peace Youth Sports $10,000 120 $83 78 $128 $1
MPAA Mastodons Football Youth Sports $10,000 30 $333 26 $385 $13 My Gym Youth Sports $9,000 28 $321 10 $900 $32
Paxton Sports Academy Youth Sports $7,000 34 $206 10 $700 $21 Razorhawks Youth Rugby Youth Sports $9,000 42 $214 46 $196 $5 Sign Gypsies Enrichment $8,000 10 $800 12 $667 $67
Step It Up Dance Art and Culture $10,000 36 $278 29 $345 $10 StreetCode Academy Enrichment $10,000 46 $217 308 $32 $1 The Process Academy Youth Sports $4,000 18 $222 7 $571 $32 UEHL Enrichment $10,000 80 $125 13 $769 $10
$396 $14 Average
2022 Summer Partnership Programming
Average Per Unique Participant Subsidy
TABLE 4-3:

GRANT FUNDING PER UNIQUE PARTICIPANT

GRANT FUNDING PER UNIQUE

PARTICIPANT
The evaluation of the granting process suggests that
in the future, the level of funding should be more
closely tied to number of participants to be served
through the programming provided. This will improve
efficiency and allow more residents to participate.

Further analysis, as shown in the table below, reveals
that:
• The average subsidy received by each
partnering agency per unique participant is
$396.
• The range of funding per unique participant is
$32 per unique participant to $900 per unique
participant.

GRANT FUNDING PER HOUR PER

UNIQUE PARTICIPANT
The evaluation of the granting process suggests that
in the future, the level of funding should be more
closely tied to the unit cost of providing programming
on per hour, per participant basis. Further analysis, as shown in the table on the previous page notes that:

Recommendations & Implementation 171
TABLE 4-4:

GRANT FUNDING PER HOUR PER UNIQUE PARTICIPANT
- OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING
TABLE 5:

GRANT FUNDING PER HOUR PER UNIQUE PARTICIPANT
- INDOOR PROGRAMMING
Agency/Business Outdoor Activity Grant Funding
# of Hours of
Programming
Provided per
Participant
Unique
Participants
Per Hour Per
Unique
Participant
Subsidy
Bottletree Culture Hybrid
(Mainly Outdoors) $10,000 45 24 $9
StreetCode Academy Hybrid
(Mainly Outdoors) $10,000 46 308 $1
Camp Doza Outdoor $10,000 80 42 $3
East Palo Alto Tennis &
Tutoring Outdoor $10,000 90 27 $4
EPA T-Ball & Pitching Machine Outdoor $10,000 64 87 $2
Fit To the Core Outdoor $10,000 44 38 $6
Hope Horizon/BCM Outdoor $10,000 84 40 $3
Live in Peace Outdoor $10,000 120 78 $1
MPAA Mastodons Football Outdoor $10,000 30 26 $13
My Gym Outdoor $9,000 28 10 $32
Paxton Sports Academy Outdoor $7,000 34 10 $21
Razorhawks Youth Rugby Outdoor $9,000 42 46 $5
The Process Academy Outdoor $4,000 18 7 $32
$10
2022 Summer Partnership Programming
Average Per Hour Per Unique Participant Subsidy
Agency/Business Indoor Activity Grant Funding
# of Hours of
Programming
Provided per
Participant
Unique
Participants
Per Hour Per
Unique
Participant
Subsidy
GG Leagues Indoor $7,000 30 18 $13
Sign Gypsies Indoor $8,000 10 12 $67
Step It Up Dance Indoor $10,000 36 29 $10
UEHL Indoor $10,000 80 13 $10
$25
2022 Summer Partnership Programming
Average Per Hour Per Unique Participant Subsidy
172 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
• The average subsidy received by each
partnering agency per hour of programming
per participant is $14.
• The range of funding per hour per unique
participant is $1 to $67.

GRANT FUNDING PER HOUR
PER PARTICIPANT – OUTDOOR

PROGRAMMING
The evaluation of the granting process suggests that
in the future, the level of funding should be more
closely tied to the unit cost of providing programming
on per hour, per participant basis. Further analysis of programs provided outdoors by partnering agencies
as shown in the table below, notes that:
• The average subsidy received by each
partnering agency per hour of programming
per participant is $10.
• The range of funding per hour per unique
participant is $1 to $32.

GRANT FUNDING PER HOUR
PER PARTICIPANT – INDOOR

PROGRAMMING
The evaluation of the granting process suggests that
in the future, the level of funding should be more
closely tied to the unit cost of providing programming
on per hour, per participant basis. Further analysis of programs provided indoors by partnering agencies as
shown in the table below, reveals that:
• The average subsidy received by each
partnering agency per hour of programming
per participant is $25.
• The range of funding per hour per unique
participant is $10 to $67.

KEY FINDINGS
• The Summer Activation Program is the
cornerstone of the parks and recreation
reactivation approach by the City to date.

Despite not having a formal recreation
department, the City is actively ensuring
residents have access to quality recreational
programming opportunities through
partnerships.
• Tracking of direct and indirect cost associated
with the existing partnerships is in place.
• Updating of the partnership principles that
guide the granting program need to be
continually refined and put into place with
a recital of why the City is entering into the
partnership that explains the following - for
what purpose, for what benefit, to achieve
what outcome, at what cost.
• Performance metrics used to evaluate the
impacts of the partnership on the community
currently only track participation numbers.
• Staff training on managing partnerships is
limited.
• Financial audits are completed to show how
the funding provided by the City is being
utilized.
• The City does not have a partnership policy in
place that guides the partnering process.

RECOMMENDATIONS
• Establish unit cost parameters for receiving
grant funding. For example,
• Partnering agencies will receive no
more than $15 per hour of programming
provided to each participant for outdoor
activities and no more than $30 per hour of
programming provided to each participant
for indoor activities.
• Participation Data Analysis: Through ongoing
participation data analysis, refine recreation
program offerings to reduce low enrollment or
canceled programs due to no enrollment.
• Expand programs and services in the areas
of greatest demand: Ongoing analysis of
the participation trends of programming
Recommendations & Implementation 173
and services in East Palo Alto is significant
when delivering high quality programs and
services. By doing so, staff will be able to focus
their efforts on the programs and services
of the greatest need and reduce or eliminate
programs and services where interest is
declining. Specific efforts should be made to
increase programming in the areas of greatest
UNMET need as identified in the community
engagement process.
• Develop and implement recreation program
standards utilizing the best practice guidelines.
• Develop and implement a partnership policy
utilizing the best practice guidelines.

PRINCIPLES FOR SUCCESSFUL

PARTNERSHIPS
FOCUS ON IMPORTANT NEEDS. Partnerships
take time to establish and nurture in order to have
successful outcomes. The decision to establish a
partnership should begin with the belief that an
important need can best be fulfilled through a
partnership. Potential partners will always be knocking at your door suggesting partnering arrangements.

Often, we find ourselves in reactive rather than
proactive situations -- responding to an idea from an
outside party. It is more productive to be proactive.

First determine that a partnership is the best way to
accomplish an important body of work. Then seek
out the partner or partners who might best be able to
help. In some cases, you may need to create the right
partner.

MAKE THE PARTNERSHIPS A WIN-WIN.

Successful partnerships begin and thrive with a clear
understanding that mutual benefits will accrue to
the partners involved. Each partner may not benefit
equally, but each must realize a value-added benefit.

Each partner must constantly assess the needs of
their respective partners and ensure that individual
and collective actions are responsive to those needs.

It is important to tie the partnership and its outcomes to the missions of each partner. Partnership initiatives should not only be a great thing to do but also a

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

GRASSROOTS ECOLOGY
Grassroots Ecology leverages the power of
volunteers to create healthy lands across
Silicon Valley. We restore native plants to open
spaces and neighborhoods, steward creeks
and watersheds, and provide hands-on nature
education.

CANOPY
Canopy prioritizes tree planting and stewardship,
education, and advocacy in communities where
people do not have a thriving urban forest due to
limited resources, competing priorities, historical
development, and urbanization patterns.
174 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
needed, the agreement should be updated or
amended to keep it current.

ENSURE GOOD COMMUNICATION. The success of
every partnership is dependent upon the structure,
frequency, and quality of communication between
the partners. The most successful partnerships
incorporate regularly scheduled meetings or
conference calls to review how the relationship is
working and progress on individual initiatives or
work elements. The work schedule/calendar should
reflect the importance of the work. Even the best
partnerships do not carry their own momentum for
long without a structure for touching base to stay on
task and on schedule. The chief executive of each
partner entity in a relationship must demonstrate
leadership and stay involved to the extent that
executive level interest is re-enforced and policy
direction is provided on a sustained basis. The
executives also are responsible for ensuring that
good communication processes are in place within
and between each partner entity to maintain the
excitement of the collaboration, resolve issues, and
advance the work. No partnership can reach its full
potential without good communication practices as
a core element of the relationship. Partnerships, like
any human relationship, are about communication,
communication, and communication.

ENSURE THE PARTNERSHIP IS OWNED BY YOUR
WHOLE ORGANIZATION. To succeed, partnerships
need to be truly understood and embraced by the
entire staff of the partner organizations. Partnerships often originate as a dream or vision of the CEO
or an individual(s) within an organization and the
compelling reasons and excitement for the potential
outcomes are not shared throughout the organization.

This incomplete organizational buy-in inevitably limits or undermines full success when the rationales and
commitments are not understood and shared by
staff who have responsibilities for implementing the
partnership. It is crucial for the leader to invest time and energy to build ownership of the partnership
benefit to each partner. Sharing resources, benefits
and recognition for successes keeps the partnership
from becoming lopsided or dominated by any one
player. Each partner needs to see their contribution
alongside the benefit gained.

ADOPT A SHARED VISION. Development and
continuing refinement of a shared vision of the work
to be accomplished is key to the success of any
partnership. The shared vision should evolve from the
full engagement of all partners in the relationship. The vision should reflect both the broad body of work and
each project or initiative to be undertaken. Too often, one entity in a partnership independently develops
the vision without full engagement of the other
partner(s). This violates the underlying premise of a
partnership and often results in insufficient ownership or emotional buy-in. Successful partnerships
demonstrate a culture of full engagement from the
very beginning that leads to collective enthusiasm and
achieving results.

NEGOTIATE A FORMAL AGREEMENT. Good
intentions and a handshake are not enough.

Partnerships need formal written agreements
and work plans that define mutual interests and
expectations, the roles and responsibilities of each
partner, and clear accountability for the work to
be performed. The formal agreement serves as a
mutually binding contract to ensure that each partner
acknowledges and fulfills their responsibility. Most
people are overextended with work, and tasks can fall
through the cracks. If a given partnership is important, provide structure for the partnership through a formal
agreement and specific work plans that lay out what
tasks need to be performed for each initiative, by
whom, and when. In a busy world, clearly written
intent, roles, process, schedules, and accountability
procedures guide performance and follow through.

If differences arise or performance lags, the formal
written agreement provides a touchstone for
accountability, revisiting intent and commitments,
reconciliation, and getting back on track. When
Recommendations & Implementation 175
throughout supervisory and staff levels. If the
partnership is not understood or accepted as being
important, it is difficult to sustain over time, especially when the key individuals responsible for its creation
take other jobs or retire. Build a sense of team and
a partnership culture so everyone understands
the importance and value added by working
collaboratively. You need to instill the importance of
continually acknowledging the contributions of each
party to the overall effort. In essence, individualism
needs to be transformed into shared stewardship and
responsibility that is re-enforced by actions as well as words.

MAINTAIN AN ENVIRONMENT OF TRUST. Trust is
an essential ingredient for successful partnerships
and enables collaboration and contribution. Trust must
be demonstrated and earned day by day. A single
betrayal can be costly and make it hard to regain the
same level of trust between the partners. Trust eroding behaviors include independent action by one partner
that has not been shared with the other partner(s);
grandstanding at the expense of another partner; not
honoring one’s word, commitment, or confidentiality;
creating suspicion in terms of one’s motives; or acting in any way contrary to the best interests of the overall partnership. You build trust through the consistency
and integrity of your actions over time. And you have
to trust your partners in order to be trusted.

LEAVE YOUR EGO AND CONTROL AT THE DOOR.

The most insidious impediment to good partnerships
is the unwillingness or inability of a partner to
share power and control. This can be the “Achilles
heel” of partnerships. At their very basic definition,
partnerships are about shared power, shared vision,
and shared responsibility. While one entity may
possess a superior position, larger budget, more
staff, etc. in a relationship, the execution of the work and credit for accomplishments should not reflect
this. This is not about a landlord-tenant relationship.

This is about two or more entities working in unity
to accomplish important work. A “boss – servant”

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

FRESH APPROACH
Fresh Approach is an organization locally-grown
produce, nutrition education, and gardening
skills to Bay Area communities so everyone can
enjoy access to healthy food. They have volunteer
opportunities for folks interested in learning
about food systems and urban farming.

EPA SENIOR CENTER
The East Palo Alto Senior Center offers a variety
of activities and assistance to Seniors. The
staff and volunteers provide information about
resources in such areas as housing, employment,
household help, recreation, financial assistance,
health services and in-home help. Health
education, screenings, and hot meals are served
during the week.
176 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
frustrations and complications in moving desired
work forward in a timely manner. The more entities
in a relationship, the more likely that legal, policy,
attitudinal, and cultural challenges will be part of
doing business. Successful partnerships acknowledge
and address these realities up front and take
satisfaction in resolving them. Convert your stumbling
blocks to steppingstones. Successful partnerships
map out the red tape barriers and mobilize whatever
it takes to overcome them. It is too easy to point
fingers or use these impediments as excuses for
derailments and not achieving success. How partners
overcome adversity and the institutional complexities
of individual partner members will determine, in large
measure, the success of the partnership.

BUILD STEP BY STEP. It is natural for the partners
to want early successes. There is a tendency to look
at similar partnership arrangements and their results
without appreciating all the steps taken that led to the result. You have to invest to get results and process
is important to achieve successful outcomes. Every
situation presents a different set of opportunities
based on the unique social, economic, and political
realities in which a partnership must operate. Much
can and should be learned from the experience of
others. Good partnerships take a steady investment
of time and energy to build and develop. Successful
partnerships are built incrementally by starting at
the beginning and growing gradually and tackling
more complex initiatives based on the competencies
gained from the previous efforts. Successful partners
understand the value of due process and earned vs.
instant gratification. They recognize that investment
in building the infrastructure necessary to achieve
future success is important and are willing to forgo
premature success in order to achieve larger, more
important long-term gains. “Go Slow to Go Fast.”
Partners will grow as far in the partnership as the
other partner(s) are willing to help or let them.

Challenge yourself and your partners to collectively
raise the bar of expectations and advance the
partnership step-by-step.
mentality will lead only to frustration and unfulfilled promise. Partnerships are about “we” not “I.” They
are about creating an equality of importance --
an environment where individual personal egos
are subservient to the interests of the whole. It is
important to help your organization understand
that partnering does not mean giving up control or
influence, nor does it mean that organizations give
up their autonomy. Good partnerships represent a
delicate balance between maintaining one’s own
identity and adding value to a collective effort.

UNDERSTAND EACH PARTNER’S MISSION AND
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE. Every organization
has its own culture that is built over time, based on
its mission, its practices, its people, its governing
values, its traditions, and its institutional history. In any partnership situation, it is important to acknowledge
and understand these different organizational cultures, to respect them, and to find ways that these realities
can contribute to strengthen the mutual endeavor.

The most successful partnerships recognize and value
their differences and find ways to integrate them into a workable overarching partnership culture.

USE THE STRENGTHS OF EACH PARTNER. Each
entity in a partnership brings special capabilities,
unique authorities, and different flexibilities to further the work of the partnership. As specific needs and
tasks are addressed, consider the strengths of
each partner in determining the most cost-effective
approach and who best to accomplish a specific
task. Successful partnerships are characterized by a
flexible approach to how needs and responsibilities
are matched given each partner’s funding, policies,
political connections, and other considerations.

FIND WAYS THROUGH THE RED TAPE. Partnerships
regularly face “red tape” barriers in trying to work
across organization lines, especially with public sector partners, which tend to have more regulations. Getting
through these barriers and complications takes
creativity and persistence. This can lead to heightened Recommendations & Implementation 177
STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE. A partnership ultimately
gains stature and a reputation based on the quality
of the work it accomplishes. The most successful
partnerships understand the importance of doing
everything well. Build an early reputation for
excellence and sustain that reputation. This will be an important factor in how others view your partnership
and what doors will be opened to you. People, and
potential funders, want to associate with important
work and a reputation for excellence. Step back and
analyze what you want people to say about your
partnership’s work and organizations. This standard
then should underscore your strategy, behaviors, and
actions to ensure your desired reputation is achieved.

DIVERSIFY YOUR FUNDING SOURCES. The ultimate
success of any partnership depends on the human
and financial resources it can garner. Successful
partnerships develop multiple and steady sources of
support, particularly for covering basic operational
costs and launching new initiatives. There are many
examples where partnerships become too dependent
on one or too few sources of financial support. When
these sources are reduced or disappear, sustainability
of the partnership is jeopardized. Building a more
diverse funding base is the best hedge against the
vagaries of over reliance on fund sources that may
be problematic or undependable from year to year.

Develop and periodically update a comprehensive
business plan that addresses both near and longerterm public and private funding sources and earned as well as contributed funds that will give your
partnership staying power and adaptability.

CONSTANTLY SEEK OUT AND ADOPT BEST
PRACTICES. The best practitioners are those who
are a sponge for new ideas and always on the lookout
for innovation and creativity that can be adapted to
their partnership. Too often, we hear statements such
as “We don’t do things that way. We’ve always done
it this way.” “It won’t work.” “This is too risky.” “You have to tell them what they need to know.” “Don’t let

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

STREET CODE ACADEMY
StreetCode’s mission is to invigorate innovation
within their community. They provide historically
economically disadvantaged people of color
with the high-tech skills, confidence, and access
to networks needed to enter the technology
industry. They offer free courses in coding,
entrepreneurship, and design. StreetCode
engages communities seeking justice, innovation,
and tech-driven economic opportunities.
178 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
require a shared commitment to each other’s success.

Sustaining any partnership requires that exciting ideas of interest to the participants get executed. Progress
depends on each person in the partnership honoring
their commitment and following up their words with
deeds. When work does not get accomplished, it
suggests that the work was not really that important
to the individual or organization. This, in turn, builds frustration in the other participants and eats at the
mutual trust factor so essential to effective partnering.

Successful partnerships address these realities by
putting in place reliable accountability measures and
regular executive base-touching processes to stay on
top of commitments and actions.

CELEBRATE SUCCESS. It is a mistake to not take
time to celebrate successes formally and frequently.

Successful partnerships look for every opportunity
to celebrate individual project successes or key
benchmarks in the evolution of the partnership. Such
celebrations allow the partners to recognize good
work being done that re-enforces the goals of the
partnership; to gain some outside recognition of the
partnership; and/or to demonstrate possibilities for
the partnership to grow. People often are reluctant to
take the time to celebrate but invariably are pleased
when it does occur. Recognizing and celebrating
accomplishments helps motivate and spur people on
to new challenges. It is a lost opportunity when it does not occur. If one’s goal is to build greater community
awareness of the partnership, then the partners
need to take every opportunity to legitimately “toot
their horns” and market their work and successes.

Besides many people who pitch in on partnership do
so because they believe in the cause and because it
is enjoyable. Celebrating success milestones ensures
everybody’s “fun-quotient” stays high. Especially
when results are going to take time, it is important to have some early successes and milestones to enjoy
and celebrate to build a sense of accomplishment and
momentum.
them set the agenda.” While such cautionary thoughts
need to be considered, successful partnerships are
open to new ideas and better ways to accomplish
their goals. They can readily grasp and adapt best
practices. Overcoming resistance to change is one of
the major challenges to partnership success. Partner
entities need to seek ways to build in greater flexibility and adaptability in their structure and work in order to take advantage of “partnering moments.” Establish a
work environment in which reasoned risk taking and
creativity are encouraged and rewarded, and people
are willing to risk possible failures in order to succeed.

Leaders should act as “champions” with the courage
to support experimentation and risk taking and run
interference when necessary. Resourcefulness also
characterizes successful partnerships. Work together
to identify and engage the abundant human talent
residing in most communities to participate in and
assist your partnership.

ALWAYS BE COURTEOUS AND DIPLOMATIC.

Sustaining successful partnerships involves hard
work, practiced effectively and consistently over
time. It is essential that strong ground rules be
established by the partner entities that will govern
how the organizations and individuals will interact and treat each other. There is no room for disrespectful
behavior. It serves only to tarnish how partners
interact and work together. Honesty, respect,
courtesy, tact, and diplomacy should govern partner
relationships. A useful partnering technique is for
the partners to define all behaviors that are crucial to sustaining good relationships and then ensure that
accountability measures are in place to re-enforce
their ongoing practice. Successful partnerships work
constantly on developing effective relationships built
on trust and a shared commitment to each other’s
interests and success.

HONOR YOUR COMMITMENTS. Partnership work
entails perseverance and follow through by each
participating organization and individual. Partnerships Recommendations & Implementation 179
RESPECT THE RIGHT TO DISAGREE; ACT ON
A CONSENSUS BASIS. There are times and
circumstances in partnerships where honest
differences will surface and where reluctance to act
on a proposal is deeply held and where compelling
reasons are presented on why an action cannot be
supported. It is important that partners respect these
positions with adequate dialogue and understand the
basis of’ the concerns. In successful partnerships,
ground rules are established to give each partner a
veto power over proposed actions. Partnership work
means reaching consensus among the partners.

Homework well done should eliminate most of these
differences before they become contentious. There
simply is too much good work where commonality of
support can be achieved for these situations to erode
the core working relationship.

NETWORK AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS. A core
competency in partnership work is the ability to
network and build relationships. People sell ideas to
others. People lend support because people ask them
to. Partnerships are about people working together
and reaching out to others to gain their emotional
engagement. Successful partnerships establish formal
systems to identify people who can add value and
support. They strategically build new relationships
and expand networks to accomplish their priorities.

Their relationship building work is deliberate and
proactive rather than reactive or coincidental. It is
based on a clear strategy of engaging the specific
organizations and individuals within the broader
community who can advance the work of the
partnership. Systematically match your needs with
potential sources of support and resources to ensure
that effective connections occur.

PUT MECHANISMS IN PLACE TO RE-ENFORCE
THE PARTNERSHIP. To realize its full potential, a
partnership needs: a clear vision, dedicated and
skilled people, a rewards and recognition program,
incentives that stimulate desired partnership activity, sustained management support and involvement,
operational funds, and a clear understanding among
supervisors and staff of the potential benefits that
result from the partnership arrangements. These
are complex, but essential, elements to put in place.

The seriousness with which they are addressed will
determine your degree of success.
180 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. PARK
SOURCE: CONSULTANT TEAM
Recommendations & Implementation 181

4.4 CAPITAL COSTS &

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
The section starts with a framework for improving
existing parks, defining three types of park
improvements: critical, strategic, and visionary. Costs associated to each category of improvements are
described for each park. From the level of service we
understand that East Palo Alto needs to increase its
available parkland. This section identifies the costs
associated with such a system expansion. Finally, we
look at funding strategies available to achieve our
goals. The funding strategies apply not just to capital improvements but also to programming, maintenance
and operations.
182 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

4.4 CAPITAL COSTS AND FUNDING

OPPORTUNITIES

THREE TIERS OF EXISTING

PARK IMPROVEMENT
Park and facility improvements can be understood in
three “tiers”. The first tier is focused on maintenance, the second on strategic enhancements, and the third
on new or transformed parks.

TIER A: CRITICAL IMPROVEMENTS
(OPERATIONS BUDGET)
Tier A includes park improvements critical to
maintaining a functioning park system. They include
lifecycle replacements as well as routine repairs,
replanting, and maintenance. The primary goal and
intention of this category is to make the most of
existing resources and for the parks department to
maintain its services.

TIER B: STRATEGIC PARK

IMPROVEMENTS
(CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS)
These improvements are strategic to make measured
park enhancements to the existing system. Examples
of strategic improvements and redesign may include
upgrades to existing amenities and facilities within
parks, as well as enhancements to existing programs,
introducing new alternative programs, adding new
positions, or making other strategic changes that
would require additional operational or capital funding.

TIER 3: VISIONARY PARK

IMPROVEMENTS (DEVELOPING NEW

OPPORTUNITIES)
Visionary improvements are long-range in nature,
addressing future needs and deficiencies. They
include comprehensive park renovations, acquisitions,
and the creation of new parks. Typically, Tier 3
improvements start with a park or facility-specific
master plan to analyze conditions, explore the needs
Tier A
$

CRITICAL
Maintaining What
We Have
Tier B
$$

STRATEGIC
Improving
What We Have
Tier C
$$$

VISIONARY
Developing
New Opportunities

PARK IMPROVEMENT TIERS
Recommendations & Implementation 183
of the community, and design a new park. This
category represents the complete set of services
and facilities desired by the community. It is fiscally unconstrained but can help provide policy guidance
by illustrating the ultimate goals of the community.

Funding for visionary projects may be derived from
partnerships, grants, private investments and new tax
dollars.

TOTAL COST OF

OWNERSHIP
It is important to view the financial sustainability of the Parks and Recreation System through the concept of
“Total Cost of Ownership”
Total cost of ownership will take into account; 1)
capital investments, the acquisition of physical assets by the City to maintain or expand its park systems; 2)
operation and maintenance costs, to improve sites,
grounds, facilities, and structures of the park system
to provide optimal and enjoyable use; 3) lifecycle
replacement, to maintain the functionality of all park
assets.

LIFECYCLE REPLACEMENT SCHEDULE
The EPA Parks Team will need to closely monitor
the assets of the park system throughout their
lifecycle to ensure the safety of park visitors. The
plan recommends that assets be replaced to ensure
efficient and effective utilization of operational dollars.

In the following pages we provide a lifecycle
replacement schedule per EPA park. This schedule
should be utilized as a guide for the creation of
an asset management system that will guide an
operational budget to maintain level of service.

CAPITAL

INVESTMENT

OPERATION
AND

MAINTENANCE

LIFECYCLE

REPLACEMENT

TOTAL COST
OF

OWNERSHIP
184 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
TABLE 4-5:

LIFE CYCLE REPLACEMENT COSTS PER PARK (TIER A)
Park Critical (Life Cycle Replacement) Costs Unit Count Total Suggested
Lifecycle (in
years)
Outdoor Basketball Court $150,000 EA 1 $150,000 25
Children's Playground $350,000 EA 1 $350,000 15
Walking Loop Surface $40 SF 1000 $40,000 30
Pedestrian Light Pole $10,000 EA 35 $350,000 30
Bike Racks $1,500 EA 1 $1,500 10
Restrooms $500,000 EA 1 $500,000 30
Benches $3,000 EA 1 $3,000 10
Bleachers $2,500 EA 1 $2,500 15
Trash Receptacles $1,500 EA 6 $9,000 10
Baseball/Softball Field $750,000 EA 1 $750,000 25
Picnic Tables $5,000 EA 3 $15,000 15
Fitness Court $250,000 EA 1 $250,000 20
Total: $2,421,000
Children's Playground $350,000 EA 1 $350,000 15
Pedestrian Light Pole $10,000 EA 3 $30,000 30
Bike Racks $1,500 EA 6 $9,000 10
Benches $3,000 EA 8 $24,000 10
Picnic Tables $5,000 EA 5 $25,000 15
BBQ Pits $1,500 EA 2 $3,000 10
Restrooms $500,000 EA 1 $500,000 30
Trash Receptacles $1,500 EA 4 $6,000 10
Fitness Court $250,000 EA 1 $250,000 20
Total: $1,197,000
Benches $3,000 EA 2 $6,000 10
Pedestrian Light Pole $10,000 EA 2 $20,000 30
Trash Receptacles $1,500 EA 2 $3,000 10
Bike Racks $1,500 EA 1 $1,500 10
Total: $30,500
Community Center $1,000 SF 5,800 $5,800,000 50
Walking Loop $40 LF 1600 $64,000 30
Pedestrian Light Pole $10,000 EA 10 $100,000 30
Bike Racks $1,500 EA 2 $3,000 10
Benches $3,000 EA 6 $18,000 10
Picnic Tables $3,000 EA 14 $42,000 15
Shade Structure $50,000 EA 1 $50,000 15
Trash Receptacles $1,500 EA 1 $1,500 10
Restrooms $500,000 EA 1 $500,000 30
Total: $6,578,500
Cooley Landing
Jack Farrell Park
Joel Davis Memorial Park
Pocket Park at Newbridge
Street

IMPROVING OUR PARKS
Recommendations & Implementation 185
TABLE 4-6:

STRATEGIC IMPROVEMENTS TO EXISTING PARKS (TIER B)
Park Strategic (Capital Improvements) Costs Unit Count Total Suggested
Lifecycle (in
years)
Remove site fencing $10 LF 1,000 $10,000
New perimeter fencing at residental lots $40 LF 1,000 $40,000 20 Renovated bathrooms (time locking doors)
Additional Sports Lighting $10,000
EA
4 $40,000 30
Enhanced Entrance Signage $20,000 EA 3 $60,000 30
Park Wayfinding Signage $1,500 EA
2 $3,000 15
Multi-use Field Conversion (soccer) $1,000,000 EA 1 $1,000,000 25 Amphitheater Retaining Wall/Steps
Tennis Court (with lights) $200,000 EA 1 $200,000 20
Improved entry along Michigan Avenue
Rain Garden / Silva Cell - cost based on design
Permeable paving
$1,797,600
Enhanced Entrance Signage $20,000 EA 1 $20,000 30
Park Wayfinding Signage $1,500 EA 2 $3,000 15
Additional benches $3,000 EA 10 $30,000 10
Expanded picnic area $5,000 EA 4 $20,000 15
Additional trash receptacles $1,500 EA 4 $6,000 10
Bocce Ball Courts (12'x60') $60,000 EA 2 $120,000 15
Putting Green $40 SF 1980 $79,200 15
New gate/entrance by City's office $5,000 EA 1 $5,000 20 $283,200
Additional benches $3,000 EA 5 $15,000 10
4' Fence around tot lot $40 SF 400 $16,000 20
Children's Playground $350,000 EA 1 $350,000 15
Picnic Tables $3,000 EA 1 $3,000 15
$384,000
Trash Receptacles $3,000 EA 4 $12,000 10
Fishing Deck $500 SF 1500 $750,000 30
$762,000
Jack Farrell Park
Total:

Cooley Landing
Pocket Park at Newbridge
Street
Joel Davis Memorial Park
Total:

Total:

Total:
$1,000
EA
2 $2,000
$16
EA
SF 13,600
$200,000 LS $200,000 20
$25,000 LS $25,000 20
$217,600
NOTES:

1. COST ESTIMATES DO NOT INCLUDE DEMOLITION OF
EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE.

2. COST ESTIMATES DO NOT INCLUDE DESIGN OR OTHER
SOFT COSTS.

3. THE REPLACEMENT COSTS LISTED IN THIS TABLE WERE
ESTABLISHED IN 2022 AND SHOULD BE ADJUSTED
ANNUALLY FOR INFLATION.
186 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
TABLE 4-7:

VISIONARY PROJECT COSTS PER PARK (TIER C)
Park Visionary Projects Costs
Master Plan - Completed by Verde Design
Multi-use Field
Basketball Courts
Tennis Courts
Renovated Restroom/Concession
Baseball Field
Renovation of BBQ/Picnic Area/Playground
Walking Loop
Lawn for low impact uses
Master Plan - Magical Bridge
Additional bike racks
Outdoor Community Gathering Plaza
Outdoor Gym for adult and seniors
Universal Playground
Recreation Lawn
Shade Structures
Entry signange
Amphitheater
Skate Court
BBQ and Picnic Area
Accessible Bathrooms
Plaza Space
$15 Million
$22 Million
Bell Street Park
Martin Luther King Jr. Park
The City of East Palo Alto is currently developing
master plans for two existing parks, Martin Luther
King Jr. Park and Bell Street Park. Both projects
have their own timelines independent of the Parks
and Recreation Master plan. The Consultant Team
has collaborated with the specif project teams and
accounted for the amenity additions to the city park
system.

Recommendations & Implementation 187
TABLE 4-8:

LIFE CYCLE REPLACEMENT COSTS PER PARK (TIER A)
Types of Providers Acreas Provided to
Meet City Needs
Cost / Acres to
Develop Total
Total acres required to meet
City needs 87
City of East Palo Alto (Planned) 4.56 $1,200,000 $5,472,000 Joint-Use Schoolyard 22.32
Private Developers 21.52
Provider to be Determined 38.6 $1,200,000 $46,320,000
Land Acquisition costs 19.3
Park Development Cost 19.3 $1,200,000 $23,160,000
Based on City and School District Agreements
Based on City and Developer Agreements
Based on City Negotiations
Potential Additional City Responsibility (50%)

EXPANDING OUR PARKS
188 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT

PLAN (CIP) FUNDING

MECHANISMS
Municipal Parks and Recreation agencies across the
United States today have learned to manage revenue
options to support Parks and Recreation, especially
with the limited availability of tax dollars. Municipal Park and Recreation systems can no longer rely on
taxes as their sole revenue option and have developed
new revenue sources/options to help support capital
and operational needs.

A growing number of municipalities have developed
policies on pricing of services, cost recovery rates,
and partnership agreements for programs and
facilities provided to the community. They also have
developed strong partnerships that are fair and
equitable in the delivery of services based on whom
receives the service, for what purpose, for what
benefit, and for what costs. In addition, agencies
have learned to use Parks and Recreation facilities,
amenities, programs, and events, to generate revenue
and support economic development. Municipalities
have also learned to recognize that people will drive
to their community for quality recreation facilities
such as sports complexes, pools, and tournaments, if
the facilities/events are well managed and properly
marketed.

In order to continue to build and maintain the Parks
and Recreation system, funding should be pursued for
the capital investments, such as those presented in
this plan. The following funding approaches represent
a broad range of options that the City can consider
in future implementation for improving its Parks and
Recreation system.

HIGHLY IMPLEMENTABLE FUNDING

STRATEGIES
Grants
Grant funds are used by many agencies to enhance
parks and the availability of grants continues to grow
annually. The City should continue to pursue grant
opportunities. Matching dollars are required for most
federal grants and many state grants.

General Obligation Bond:

A general obligation bond is a municipal bond secured
by a taxing authority such as the City to improve
public assets that benefits the municipal agency
involved that oversee the Parks and Recreation
facilities. General Obligation Bonds should be
considered for park and recreation facility projects,
such as updates to a community or regional park,
trails, recreation centers, aquatic centers, or a sports complex. Improvements to parks should also be
covered by these funding sources because there are
very little operational revenues associated with these
parks to draw from, and some of the city parks need
upgrades and renovations. These parks help frame the
city image and benefit a wide age segment of users
and updating these parks will benefit the community
as a whole and stabilize neighborhoods and other
areas of the city. According to Trust for Public Land
research, over the last 10 years across the United
States over 90% of park and recreation bond issues
have passed in cities when offered to the community
to vote to support the community needs for Parks and
Recreation.

National Recreational Trails Program:

These grants are available to government and
nonprofit agencies, for amounts ranging from $5,000
to $50,000, for the building of a trail or piece of a
trail. It is a reimbursement grant program (sponsor
must fund 100% of the project up front) and requires
Recommendations & Implementation 189
a 20% local match. This is an annual program with
an application deadline at the end of January. The
available funds are split such that 30% goes toward
motorized trails, 30% to non-motorized trails, and 40%
is discretionary for trail construction.

Design Arts Program:

The National Endowment for the Arts provides grants
to states and local agencies, individuals and nonprofit organizations for projects that incorporate urban
design, historic preservation, planning, architecture,
landscape architecture, and other community
improvement activities, including greenway
development. Grants to organizations and agencies
must be matched by a 50-percent local contribution.

Agencies can receive up to $50,000.

Developer Cash-in-Lieu of meeting the Park
Land Dedication Requirement:

Ordinances requiring the dedication of park land
within developments to meet the park and recreation
needs of the new residents often have provisions
allowing cash contribution to substitute for the land
requirement.

Land Leases/Concessions:

Land leases and concessions are public/private
partnerships in which the municipality provides
land or space for private commercial operations that
will enhance the park and recreational experience
in exchange for payments to help reduce operating
costs. They can range from food service restaurant
operations, Cell Towers, hotels, to full management of
recreation attractions. Leases usually pay back to the
City a percentage of the value of the land each year in the 15% category and a percentage of gross from the
restaurant or attractions. They also pay sales tax and
employee income tax to the City.

User Fees:

User fees are fees paid by a user of recreational
facilities or programs to offset the costs of services
provided by the Department in operating a park,
a recreation facility or in delivering programs and
services. A perception of “value” has to be instilled in the community by the Parks and Recreation staff for
what benefits the City is providing to the user. As the Department continues to develop new programs, all
future fees should be charged based on cost recovery
goals developed in a future Pricing Policy. The fees
for the parks and/or core recreation services are
based on the level of exclusivity the user receives
compared to the general taxpayer. It is recommended
that user fees for programs be charged at market rate
for services to create value and operational revenue
for the Department. For services where the City
feels that they cannot move forward on adequate
user fees to obtain the required cost recovery,
consideration of contracting with a not-for-profit
and/or private company to help offset service costs
should be pursued. This would save the City dollars
in their operational budgets while still ensuring the
community receives the service to keep the quality of
life at a high standard.

Permit Fees:

This fee is incorporated for exclusive reservations for picnic shelters, sports fields, special events that are provided by the City, and competition tournaments
held in the city by other organizations who make a
profit off City owned facilities. Permit fees include a base fee for all direct and indirect costs for the City to provide the space on an exclusive basis plus a
percentage of the gross for major special events and
tournaments held on City owned permitted facilities.

Alcohol permits should be explored and if determined
worthwhile, added to these permits which would
generate more dollars for the City for these special
190 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
use areas. These dollars could be applied to the
Recreation and Park Revolving Fund if developed to
help support park improvements and operations.

Business/Resident Donations:

Individual donations from corporations and private
donations can be accepted to support specific
improvements and amenities.

Nonprofit Organizations:

Nonprofit organizations can provide support for green
space and parks in various ways.
• Conservancy or Friends Organization: This
type of nonprofit is devoted to supporting a
specific park. These Park Conservancy’s or
Friends Groups are a major funding source
for parks in the United States and should
be considered for the Parks and Recreation
facilities in the city.
• Community Service Workers: Community
service workers are assigned by the court
to pay off some of their sentence through
maintenance activities in parks, such as
picking up litter, removing graffiti, and assisting
in painting or fix up activities. Most workers
are assigned 30 to 60 hours of work. This
would seem to be a good opportunity for the
parks to work with the sheriff’s or City police
department on using community service
workers.
• Greenway Fundraising Programs: Agencies
across the United States have used greenways
for not-for-profit fundraisers in the form of
walks, runs, bicycle races, and special events.

The local managing agency usually gets $2-$5
per participants in the events to go back to
support the operations and maintenance costs.
• Volunteer Work: Community volunteers may
help with greenway construction, as well as
conduct fundraisers. Organizations that might
be mobilized for volunteer work include the
Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

Concessions:

Concessions can be leased out to a private operator
for a percentage of gross profits. Typically, 15%-18%
of gross profits for concessions of a profit operator,
or a managing agency over a park site could manage
concessions.

Field Permits:

The City can issue recreational use permits for
activities, practice, or games. Permits should cover
the operational cost of each field and management
costs. If a private operator desires to rent the site for a sporting tournament for private gain, the City should provide a permit fee plus a percentage of gross from
the event for the exclusive use of the fields.

Volunteerism:

The revenue source is an indirect revenue source
in that persons donate time to the City to assist in
providing a product or service on an hourly basis.

This reduces the City’s cost in providing the service
plus it builds advocacy for the City.

FUNDING STRATEGY OPPORTUNITIES

FOR CONSIDERATION
Lease Back:

Lease backs are a source of capital funding in
which a private sector entity such as a development
company buys the park land site or leases the park
land and develops a facility such as a park, recreation attraction, recreation center, pool, or sports complex; and leases the facility back to the municipality to pay off the capital costs over a 20-to-30-year period. This approach takes advantage of the efficiencies of private sector development while relieving the burden on
the municipality to raise upfront capital funds. This
Recommendations & Implementation 191
funding source is typically used for recreation and
aquatic type facilities, stadiums, civic buildings, and fire stations.

Corporate Sponsorships:

Corporations can also underwrite a portion or all the
cost of an event, program, or activity based on their
name being associated with the service. Sponsorships
typically are title sponsors, presenting sponsors,
associate sponsors, product sponsors, or in-kind
sponsors. Many agencies seek corporate support for
these types of activities through friends’ groups and
advisory boards.
• Advertising sales on sports complexes,
scoreboards, gym floors, trash cans,
playgrounds, in locker rooms, at dog parks,
along trails, flower pots, and as part of
special events held in the city to help support
operational costs have been an acceptable
practice in Parks and Recreation systems for
a long time and should be considered by the
City to support operational costs.

Maintenance Endowment Fund:

This is a fund dedicated exclusively for a park’s
maintenance, funded by a percentage of user fees
from programs, events, and rentals and is dedicated to
protecting the asset where the activity is occurring.

Park and Recreation Revenue Revolving Fund:

This is a dedicated fund to be used for park purposes
only that is replenished on an ongoing basis from
various funding sources such as grants, sponsorships,
advertising, program user fees and rental fees within
the park system. The City could establish a revolving
fund supported by all of the funding sources identified in this section and kept separate from the tax general
fund. This has worked well in many cities across the
United States.

Parks Foundation:

The utilization of a Parks Foundation is a jointdevelopment funding source with the City. The foundation operates as a non-profit organization,
working on behalf of the public agency to raise
needed dollars to support its vision and operational
needs.
• The dollars that would be raised by the
foundation are tax-exempt. Foundations
promote specific causes, activities, or issues
that the Department needs to address.

They offer a variety of means to fund capital
projects, including capital campaigns, gifts
catalogs, fundraisers, endowments, sales of
park-related memorabilia, etc.
• Private donations may be received in the form
of cash, securities, land, facilities, recreation
equipment, art, or in-kind services.

Private Foundation Funds:

Nonprofit community foundations can be strong
sources of support for the Department and should be
pursued for specific park and recreation amenities.

The Department should consider developing a good
parks foundation.

Nonprofit Organizations:

Nonprofit organizations can provide support for green
space and parks in various ways. Examples include:
• Greenway Foundations: Greenway
foundations focus on developing and
maintaining trails and green corridors on a
City-wide basis. The City could seek land
leases along their trails as a funding source, in
addition to selling miles of trails to community
corporations and nonprofits in the city. The
development rights along the trails can also
be sold to local utilities for water, sewer, fiber
optic, and cable lines on a per mile basis
to support development and management
of these corridors. Indianapolis Greenway
Foundation has a specific Greenway Trail
license plate they have had in place for over
192 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
20 years to help support the development and
maintenance of trails in the city.
• Adopt-a-Park, -Trail, -Stream: In this
approach local neighborhood groups or
businesses make a volunteer commitment
to maintaining a specific area of a park
or an amenity. Adopt-a-Park, or similar
arrangements are particularly well-suited for
the Department.

Local Private-Sector Funding:

Local industries and private businesses may agree to
provide support for greenway development through
one or more of the following methods:
• Donations of cash to a specific greenway
segment.
• Donations of services by businesses and
corporations to reduce the cost of greenway
implementation, including equipment and
labor to construct and install elements of a
specific greenway.
• Reductions in the cost of materials purchased
from local businesses that support greenway
implementation and can supply essential
products for facility development.

Adopt-A-Foot Program:

These are typically small grant programs that fund
new construction, repair/renovation, maps, trail
brochures, facilities (bike racks, picnic areas, birding equipment) as well as provide maintenance support.

The Adopt-A-Foot program is in the form of cash
contributions that range from $2,640 to $26,400 over a
five-year period.

Food and Equipment Sponsors:

Official drink and food sponsors can be utilized for the City. Official drink and food sponsors pay the City a
set percentage of gross. Typically, this is 15%-20%
of costs for being the official product and receiving
exclusive pouring and food rights to the complex.

Likewise, official equipment sponsors work well for
trucks, mowers, and tractors.

Advertising Revenue:

Advertising revenue can come from the sale of ads on
banners in the parks. The advertising could include
trashcans, trail markers, visitor pull trailers, tee boxes, scorecards, and in restrooms.

Catering:

The City has many sites that set up well to have high,
medium, and low-level caterers on contract that
groups can use. Caterers usually provide the parks
with a fixed gross rate on food and beverage at 12%-
15% of the cost of food and 18% of drink back to the
City.

Federal Housing Grants:

Federal Housing Grants can also help support parks
near federal housing areas and should be pursued
if appropriate. Several communities have used
HUD funds to develop greenways, including the
Boscobel Heights’ “Safe Walk” Greenway in Nashville,
Tennessee.

Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention
(Small Watersheds) Grants:

The USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service
(NRCS) provides funding to state and local agencies
or nonprofit organizations authorized to carry out,
maintain, and operate watershed improvements
involving less than 250,000 acres. The NRCS provides
financial and technical assistance to eligible projects to improve watershed protection, flood prevention,
sedimentation control, public water-based fish and
wildlife enhancements, and recreation planning. The
NRCS requires a 50-percent local match for public
recreation, and fish and wildlife projects.

Recommendations & Implementation 193
Tax Abatement
The governing body of a political subdivision may
grant a current or prospective abatement, by contract
or otherwise, of the taxes imposed by the political
subdivision on a parcel of property, which may
include personal property and machinery, or defer
the payments of the taxes and abate the interest and
penalty that otherwise would apply, if:
• It expects the benefits to the political
subdivision of the proposed abatement
agreement to at least equal the costs to
the political subdivision of the proposed
agreement or intends the abatement to phase
in a property tax increase, and
• It finds that doing so is in the public interest
because it will:
• increase or preserve tax base;
• provide employment opportunities in the
political subdivision;
• provide or help acquire or construct public
facilities;
• help redevelop or renew blighted areas;
• help provide access to services for
residents of the political subdivision;
• finance or provide public infrastructure;
• phase in a property tax increase on the
parcel resulting from an increase of
50 percent or more in one year on the
estimated market value of the parcel, other
than increase attributable to improvement
of the parcel; or
• stabilize the tax base through equalization
of property tax revenues for a specified
period with respect to a taxpayer whose
real and personal property is subject to
valuation
Tax Allocation or Tax Increment District:

Commonly used for financing redevelopment projects.

A Tax Allocation District (TAD) involves the issuance
of tax-exempt bonds to pay front-end infrastructure
and eligible development costs in partnership with
private developers. As redevelopment occurs in the
City, the “tax increment” resulting from redevelopment
projects is used to retire the debt issued to fund the
eligible redevelopment costs. The public portion of the redevelopment project funds itself using the additional taxes generated by the project. TADs can be used
to fund park improvements and development as an
essential infrastructure cost. These funds would work
well in the downtown park redevelopment and in trail
development.

Utility Lease Fee:

Utility lease fees have been used to support parks in
the form of utility companies supporting a park from
utility easements, storm water runoff and paying for
development rights below the ground. This funding
source is derived from fees on property own by
the City based on measures such as the amount
of impervious surfacing as well as fees from utility
companies having access through the park. It is used
by many cities to acquire and develop greenways
and other open space resources that provide
improvements in the park or development of trails.

Improvements can include trails, drainage areas, and
retention ponds that serve multiple purposes such as
recreation, environmental protection, and storm water
management. This could be a source for the utilities to contribute to support the parks and trails in the future.

This has been very successful in Houston along their
bayous.

Food and Beverage Tax:

This 1/8% sales tax is currently used by cities across
the United States and usually requires voter approval.

These dollars can come from the local community
as well as visitors to the city to help pay for a
bond to finance future park and recreation related
improvements. Food and Beverage Taxes are very well
accepted in most communities.
194 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
Tax Increment Financing (TIF Funds):

The concept behind the tax increment financing
is that taxes in a designated area are frozen and
the redevelopment that occurs in the blighted,
conservation, or economic development area will
increase the assessed valuation of the property and
generate new property tax revenues. The increase can
be used on an annual basis to retire revenue bonds
issued to finance redevelopment costs. A great deal
of development is required to generate sufficient
revenues to make it work.

Wi-Fi Revenue:

The City can set up a Wi-Fi area whereby a Wi-Fi
vendor is able to sell the advertising on the Wi-Fi
access banner to local businesses targeting the users
of the site. This revenue has amounted to $20,000-
$50,000 in revenue for similar systems.

GRANTS THROUGH PRIVATE

FOUNDATIONS AND CORPORATIONS
Many communities have solicited greenway funding
from a variety of private foundations and other
conservation-minded benefactors. Some of these
grants include:

Coors Pure Water 2000 Grants:

Coors Brewing Company and its affiliated distributors
provide funding and in-kind services to grassroots
organizations that are working to solve local, regional and national water-related problems. Coors provides
grants, ranging from a few hundred dollars to $50,000,
for projects such as river cleanups, aquatic habitat
improvements, water quality monitoring, wetlands
protection, pollution prevention, water education
efforts, groundwater protection, water conservation
and fisheries.

World Wildlife Fund Innovative Grants
Program:

This organization awards small grants to local,
regional, and statewide nonprofit organizations to help implement innovative strategies for the conservation
of natural resources. Grants are offered to support
projects that accomplish one or more of the following:
(1) conserve wetlands; (2) protect endangered
species; (3) preserve migratory birds; (4) conserve
coastal resources; and (5) establish and sustain
protected natural areas, such as greenways.

Innovative Grants:

This funding can help pay for the administrative costs
for projects including planning, technical assistance,
legal and other costs to facilitate the acquisition of
critical lands; retaining consultants and other experts; and preparing visual presentations and brochures or
other conservation activities. The maximum award for
a single grant is typically $10,000.

Bikes Belong:

Bikes Belong coalition is sponsored by members of
the American Bicycle Industry. The grant program is
a national discretionary program with a small budget,
to help communities build trail projects. They like to
fund high-profile projects and like regional coalitions.

An application must be supported by the local bicycle
dealers (letters of support should be attached). Bikes
Belong also offers advice and information on how to
get more people on bikes. Government and nonprofit
agencies are eligible, and no match is required. The
maximum amount for a grant proposal is $10,000.

Applications may be submitted at any time and are
reviewed as they are received.

Recommendations & Implementation 195
Partnership Development Agreement:

Each partner would develop their respective facilities
based on set design guidelines with the City,
managing all the site elements. Partners would work
collectively to promote the site versus individual
amenities. This process was successful for Papago
Park, located in the City of Phoenix, Arizona. The
site included a major league spring training facility
and minor league baseball complex, zoo, botanical
gardens, history museum, and other attractions on
site.

Community Forest and Open Space Program:

Federal Grant with Estimated Total Program Funding
of $3,150,000. Individual grant applications may not
exceed $400,000. The program pays up to 50% of the
project costs and requires a 50% non-federal match.

Eligible lands for grants funded under this program
are private forests that are at least five acres in size, suitable to sustain natural vegetation, and at least 75% forested.

Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality
Program-fund:

This source is for transportation projects that improve air quality and reduce traffic congestion. Projects can include bicycle and pedestrian projects, trails, links to communities, bike rack facilities. Average grant size
$50,000-$100,000.

Community Facilities Grant and Loan ProgramGrant Program:

This source is established to assist communities with
grant and loan funding for the expansion, renovation
and or remodeling of former school facilities and
or existing surplus government facilities that have
an existing or future community use. Facilities may
be space for community gatherings and functions,
recreational athletic facilities for community members, particularly youth. These include space for nonfor-profit offices, childcare, community education, theater, senior centers, youth centers, and after school programs. CFP match requirements for requests up to
$250,000 are 10-% eligible project costs. For requests
over $250,000 to $1 million, the match is 15%.

American Hiking Society:

Fund on a national basis for promoting and protecting
foot trails and the hiking experience.

The Helen R. Buck Foundation:

This foundation provides funding for playground
equipment and recreational activities.

Deupree Family Foundation:

The Deupree Family Foundation provides grants for
Recreation, parks/playgrounds, and children/youth,
on a national basis. This foundation supports building/ renovation, equipment, general/operating support,
program development, and seed money.

The John P. Ellbogen Foundation:

Children/youth services grants as well as support for
capital campaigns, general/operating support, and
program development.

Economic Development Grants for Public
Works and Development of Facilities:

The U. S. Department of Commerce, Economic
Development Administration (EDA), provides
grants to states, counties, and cities designated as
redevelopment areas by EDA for public works projects
that can include developing trails and greenway
facilities. There is a 30% local match required,
except in severely distressed areas where the federal
contribution can reach 80%.
196 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. PARK
SOURCE: CONSULTANT TEAM
Recommendations & Implementation 197

4.5 OPERATIONS, PARK

MAINTENANCE AND

STAFFING PROPOSAL
Parks and amenities that are clean and functioning
efficiently are a critical element to delivering high
quality programs and services. The East Palo Alto
Public Works Department maintains approximately
24 acres of developed parks (not including facility
grounds and right-of-way/median landscape acreage).

The following section provides recommendations
stay ahead of preventative maintenance and limit
breakdowns.

The City of East Palo Alto at present does not have
adequate staff to run recreational programs to meet
the needs of its population. In addition, the shortage
also apply to staffing shortages in regards to park
maintenance. This sections provides an overview of
possible organizational structuring to help bridge
those gaps to meet the needs of East Palo Alto.
198 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

4.5 OPERATIONS, PARK MAINTENANCE

AND STAFFING PROPOSAL

1. Develop a “Friends of EPA”
program to coordinate and
manage volunteer opportunities
for individuals and groups to
engage with EPA Parks. Service
activities may range from ontime projects and events to longer term positions. Actives
may include, litter cleanups,
gardening and landscaping,
weed removal, and neighborhood
park watch.

2. Establish a role for a dedicated
park maintenance staff.

3. Establish a park team which
includes a dedicated parks
director and recreation
coordinator, in addition to part
time staff – all underneath
community service or recreation
division under the administrative
services dept.

4. Establish an additional recreation
coordinator focused on senior
programming and support.

5. Develop a GIS-based asset
management work order system to
streamline park maintenance.

6. Ensure to set aside 3-6% of
capital improvement budget for
replacement and maintenance.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE
Connect People to Parks
Create Diverse & Inclusive Parks
Promote Public Health & Sustainability
Celebrate the Bay
Activate EPA Parks
Improve Park Operations
Grow Programmings & Partnerships
✓
✓

COMMUNITY PRIORITIES
✓
Celebrate the Bay
✓
Recommendations & Implementation 199
200 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

PARKS MAINTENANCE

LINES OF SERVICE
The core lines of service (functions) performed by the
Parks Division are numerous. The lines of service are
as follows:

TABLE 4-9:

LINES OF SERVICES IN PARK MAINTENANCE
Recommendations & Implementation 201

MAINTENANCE MODES

AND STANDARDS
Regular maintenance requires unit-based
quantification for most major resource requirements
and provides the methods for projecting future
resource needs. The City’s maintenance efforts as
detailed are expansive and address diverse aspects
of maintaining high-quality parks, amenities, and
infrastructure to preserve the integrity of public assets and their meaningful use. The prevailing objectives
of a standards-based park maintenance program are
presented below but not in order of importance:
• Maintain and improve the sites, grounds,
facilities, and structures of the City’s parks
system to provide optimal and enjoyable use.
• Provide landscaping and general maintenance
for a multitude of City amenities, including but
not limited to, landscaped beds and turf, urban
open spaces, urban forests, and selected park
buildings and structures.
• Be responsive to maintenance needs of the
City’s open-space tracts. Particular attention
must be paid to access points, trail repair,
erosion control, and trash removal.
• Protect and preserve the value of City assets
so that long-term maintenance costs are
minimal due to extending the service life of
those assets.

Many of the objectives assigned to the Park’s
maintenance teams go beyond the traditional
responsibilities of park maintenance employees.

It is recommended that all park maintenance agencies
adopt a system of grounds maintenance levels
wherein functions are organized into a tiered structure with three different levels of service. These levels are referred to as maintenance modes, and each has a
unique standard that dictates routine maintenance
tasks and their frequency. The appropriate
maintenance mode is assigned to each park or
site, which creates a framework for organizing and
scheduling tasks and responsibilities at each location.

A description of each of the maintenance modes is
provided below:

MAINTENANCE MODE/LEVEL 1
Maintenance Mode/Level 1 (Mode/Level 1) applies
to parks or sites that require the greatest level of
maintenance standard in the system. These parks
or sites are often revenue producing facilities, such
as the athletic fields, where the quality and level of
maintenance has a direct impact on the park facility’s
ability to maximize revenue generation.

MAINTENANCE MODE/LEVEL 2
Maintenance Mode/Level 2 (Mode/Level 2) applies
to parks or sites that require a moderate level of
effort and maintenance standards in the system.

These include developed and undeveloped parks
with amenities that are heavily used such as trails,
community and pocket parks, and special-use
facilities found in the City’s parks system.

MAINTENANCE MODE/LEVEL 3
Maintenance Mode/Level 3 (Mode/Level 3) applies
to parks or sites that require a nominal level of effort and maintenance standards in the system. These
generally include undeveloped parks with minimal
amenities.
202 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

PARKS MAINTENANCE KEY

FINDINGS

MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT PLAN
Through the review of data and workshops with
staff, the PROS Consulting team determined that
the Parks Division does generally try to operate
within the maintenance modes identified above.

Parks maintenance also intuitively follows a set of
routine parks and grounds maintenance standards
with task, frequency, and season of year for each
of the functional work areas, however, a formalized,
documented, detailed maintenance management
plan does not exist. A formalized maintenance
management plan includes not only maintenance
modes and standards for each park but also tracks
the performance of the work against a set of defined
outcomes as well as the costs expended to achieve
each outcome. A maintenance management plan is
typically memorialized within an asset-based work
order management system.

GIS-BASED ASSET MANAGEMENT

WORK ORDER SYSTEM
Parks maintenance in the City of East Palo Alto
does not currently utilize a GIS-based asset
management work order system and should consider
the implementation of such a system to document
maintenance and asset replacement schedules as
well as the track the time and resources required to
perform work in the field. A work order management
system can also determine the level of unproductive
time expended by staff (i.e., travel time to parks).

EQUIPMENT
Staff does not lack the necessary equipment or
resources to perform tasks.

STAFFING LEVELS
Developed Parks: The Parks Maintenance Division is
comprised of approximately 1.5 full-time equivalents
(FTES) dedicated to maintaining the developed parks
system.

Best Practice Staffing Levels
• Level 2 Standard Staffing: Best practice ratio
of FTE per park acres maintained at a Level 2
standard is 1:10 acres.

With the responsibility of actively managing 24 acres
of parks at a level 2 standard, the Parks Maintenance
Division DOES NOT HAVE the staffing capacity to
manage the developed parks system. The following
table indicates that the Parks Division is currently
understaffed by 1 FTE.

PLEASE NOTE: Additional staffing levels shown above does not include staff needed for Right of Way, Median, and Public Facility Grounds Landscape Maintenance. It is recommended that the City consider contracting out these functions.

Recommendations & Implementation 203

ANNUAL PARK OPERATION AND

MAINTENANCE FUNDING
Based on analysis conducted by the project team as
summarized in the table below, unit costs for parks
maintenance are not in alignment with best practice
cost per acre for the maintenance of parks. The
following table indicates that the Parks Division is
currently underfunded by $163,000 annually.

PARK MAINTENANCE KEY

RECOMMENDATIONS

IMPLEMENT A GIS-BASED ASSET

MANAGEMENT WORK ORDER SYSTEM
A work order system should be used to track lifecycle
maintenance requirements that are tied to weekly
and monthly work orders. This will help the staff to
stay ahead of preventative maintenance and limit
breakdowns. Further, utilizing the system will provide
staff the necessary “actual cost” data for work being
performed. The typical components of a work order
management system are as follows:

Schedule Work Activities
Detailed framework for asset management by
incorporating GIS into the asset repository. Allows
for grouping of assets by location, type, age, or other key parameters. These groupings can then be used to
create maintenance activities such as preventive work,
reactive work, tests, or inspections.

Mapping Tools
ArcGIS maps are an integral part of the work
management process. This allows for the creation
of map visualizations of database queries including
open work orders, service requests, or work orders of
a specific type and assignment. These tools empower
both management and staff to interact with asset data.

Data Mobility
A variety of tools to help maintenance staff access and update valuable information while in the field.

Asset Management
Track work performed on any asset at any given time
throughout its lifecycle. Users can easily search for
active work orders and view them dynamically on the
GIS map. Track overdue work orders and monitor work
associated with a specific task, contractor, or project.

Track Unproductive Time
A key component of creating an efficient parks
maintenance operation is to minimize unproductive
time, such as travel time between parks. Travel time
on average should not exceed the maximum threshold
of 2.2 hours for every 8-hour day.
204 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

COST OF SERVICE/SYSTEMATIC

APPROACH TO CONTRACTING

SERVICES
Through the development of management processes,
the Parks Division must begin to track cost of service
at a unit activity level through the implementation
of a work order management system. This, in turn,
would internally analyze the unit cost to perform work
internally against the unit cost to perform work by a
third-party vendor, in particular right-of-way, median
and public facility grounds landscape maintenance.

DEVELOPED PARKS AND TRAILS

MAINTENANCE FUNDING
It is recommended that the Parks Maintenance
Division develop line-item budgets for each functional
area of work, City parks, right-of-way/median
maintenance, and public facility grounds.

ANNUAL PARK MAINTENANCE

FUNDING AND STAFFING
It is recommended that the Park Maintenance
Operation be allocated an additional $163,000
annually for enhanced management and maintenance
of parks. Of this funding, approximately $65,000
should be allocated for the addition of 1 FTE for this
functional work area.

Recommendations & Implementation 205
OTHER

RECOMMENDATIONS

COST AVOIDANCE
Maintenance operations are typically spent in
divisions that do not have direct revenue sources
that can offset expenditures. There are opportunities,
however, to reduce expenditures through the following
strategies: • Park Ambassador Program: This formal
volunteer program provides the City
with “eyes” on the parks that can quickly
provide staff with real-time incident reports.

Additionally, these volunteers provide park
beautification and event assistance to the City.

This program has been in place in the City of
Kansas City, Missouri for the last two decades.
• Adopt-a-Trail Programs: These programs are
similar to the popular “adopt-a-mile” highway
programs most states utilize. Adopt-a-trail
programs can also take the form of cash
contributions in the range of $12,000 to $16,000
per mile to cover operational costs.
• Adopt-a-Park Programs: These are smallgrant programs that fund new construction and provide maintenance support. Adopt-APark programs can also take the form of cash contributions in the range of $1,000 to $5,000
per acre to cover operational costs.
• Operational Partnerships: Partnerships are
operational funding sources formed from two
separate agencies, such as two government
entities, a non-profit and a public agency, or
a private business and a public agency. Two
partners jointly share risk, operational costs,
responsibilities, and asset management based
on the strengths of each partner.
206 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

EAST PALO ALTO CURRENT

ORGANIZATIONAL

STRUCTURE
The City of East Palo Alto does not have a dedicated
Parks and Recreation Department and currently lacks
“dedicated to recreation” staff - only 1.9 FTE (1 FT
Recreation Coordinator as of Fiscal Year 21-22 and
3 PT Recreation Leaders - 0.9 FTE). This inhibits the
City from actively and directly provide programming to
the community and, in turn, only functions to facilitate the process of activating parks with programming,
through partnerships as noted in Section 4.3.

City Manager Office
Community Services
Manager
Public Works Director
Recreation Coordinator
Public Works Maintenance
Manager
Part-time Recreation Leads
Parks Maintenance Worker
Part-time Seasonal
Additionally, parks maintenance is housed within the
Department of Public Works and as noted in Section

4.5 also lacks the necessary staff and funding to
perform maintenance of parks that consistently deliver
high quality experiences for the residents of East Palo Alto.

FIGURE 4-1:

EXISTING ORGANIZATIONAL

STRUCTURE
Recommendations & Implementation 207

CURRENT

ORGANIZATIONAL

STRUCTURE CHALLENGES
The current organizational structure is not aligned
with the primary functions of the department which
are as follows:
• Recreation programs and services
• Facility management
• Parks maintenance
• Administrative services
This lack of alignment has created numerous systemic
and operational challenges for the department.

OPERATIONAL SILOS
Operational silos occur when business units do
not interact with each other. This occurs on many
levels recreation and parks maintenance operate
independently. The operational silos have in turn
created the following issues.
• Silo Mentality – The operational silos have,
in turn, created an organizational way of
thinking often described as Silo Mentality. This
mentality results in management groups not
sharing information, goals, tools, priorities, and
processes with each other.
• Lack of Direct Service and Program Delivery
– The lack of staff and operational silos have
also contributed to a lack of collaboration
and communication on the development of
programs and services that meet the needs
of the residents of East Palo Alto. This has
led to not only a duplication of services
and inefficient use of funding, but also an
unhealthy competition between recreation
facilities to try to outperform each other.
• Inconsistent Park and Facility Management
– The operational silos have also contributed
to a lack of consistent standards in managing
and maintaining park and recreation facilities.
• Program Standards – The silos have hindered
the City in developing consistent operational
and partnership standards that guide the
delivery of programs and services.
• Customer Service – Though staff strives
to provide excellent customer service, the
operational silos have created customer
service standards that are personality driven
as opposed to outcome driven.
208 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

RECOMMENDED

LONG-TERM

ORGANIZATIONAL

STRUCTURE
Parks and Recreation
Director
Public Works
Maintenance Manager
Recreation
Coordinator
(Recreation
Programming)
Recreation
Coordinator
(Senior Programming)
Parks and
Maintenance Worker
(2)
Part-time
Recreation Lead (3)
Part-time
Recreation Lead (3)
Part-time
Seasonal
FIGURE 4-2:

PROPOSED LONG-TERM ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
The following organizational structure is the proposed
functional organizational structure for the longterm development of an East Palo Alto Parks and Recreation Department. This organizational structure
will assist the City in overcoming the challenges
created by the current operational silo structure and
provide the greatest amount of efficiency related to
decision-making and staff capacity to address the
City’s parks and recreation needs.

City Manager Office
Public Works
Director
Parks and Recreation Manager
(formally known as “Community
Services Manager”)
Recommendations & Implementation 209

PRIORITIZATION OF

IMPLEMENTATION
The following table provides an average cost for the
additional personnels proposed in the organizational
structure. This is intended to guide the City’s budget
allocation process.

If funding is available, the consulting team
recommends the following timeline for implementation
of the organizational chart and staffing levels. A job
description for the Parks and Recreation Director
position has been provided in the following pages.

POSITION TITLE
NUMBER
OF

POSITIONS

COMPENSATION
(includes benefits)

NON-PERSONNEL
COSTS

TOTAL COST
Parks and Recreation Director (full-time) 1 $175,000 $52,000 $227,000 Recreation Coordinator (Senior Programming)
(full-time)
1 $99,400 $29,000 $128,400
TOTALS $274,400 $81,000 $355,400
Recreation Staffing Costs

POSITION TITLE
NUMBER
OF

POSITIONS

TIMELINE
Parks and Recreation Director (full-time) 1 Fiscal Year 2026 Recreation Coordinator (Senior Programming)
(full-time)
1 Fiscal Year 2026
TABLE 4-10:

ADDITIONAL RECREATIONAL STAFFING COSTS
TABLE 4-11:

STAFFING PRIORITIZATION TIMELINE
210 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
of City parks and recreational facilities.

Facilitates and promotes ongoing research into
new approaches and trends and recommends
implementation of programs to assist elected
officials and their community plan.

3. Policy Development: Develops, recommends,
and oversees the administration of Parks
and Recreation Department policies and
guidelines. Maintains currency of policies and
practices within the organizational needs of
the City as well as with applicable federal and
State laws and City Charter.

4. Personnel Management: Develops and
maintains a workforce committed to, and
with highly developed competencies in,
customer service, results orientation, and
team work. Directly or through managers,
appoints, supervises, provides for training and
performance evaluation and development,
and ensures accountability of Department
employees. Establishes and maintains a
working environment conducive to positive
morale, quality services, and innovation.

Provides for the training in, promotion of, and
accountability for safe work practices and
working conditions for employees. Ensures
compliance with labor agreements and with
City-wide and Department policies and state
and federal laws and regulations.

5. Program Development and Project
Management: Oversees all Parks and
Recreation programs and projects for the city.

Coordinates programs and activities of the
Department with other City departments, local
and regional agencies, and citizen groups
to ensure that programs and activities are
in place to meet the needs of all segments
of the community. Participates directly in
the planning and development of significant
projects such as those involving multiple
jurisdictions and long-term implementation
and ensures these are consistent with the
City’s goals and objectives. Facilitates
and promotes ongoing research into new
approaches, technologies and trends, and
recommends implementation of programs and
equipment to help the Department achieve its
objectives more efficiently.

6. Fiscal and Business Management: Ensures
the financial well-being of the Department

JOB DESCRIPTIONS -

DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND

RECREATION
The Director of Parks and recreation provides
leadership, direction, and general administrative
oversight to the Parks and Recreation Department
and employees responsible for the development,
maintenance and operation of the City Park system
grounds and structures, preservation of open spaces
and scenic environments and the provision of leisure
activities and services to citizens of all ages. Work
involves significant community engagement and
public involvement with elected officials, other policy makers, and citizens. Serving as a member of the
City’s senior management team, collaborates with
the Executive and other City departments on strategy
and policy to ensure that the City’s mission and core
values are incorporated into operational activities and services.

SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIPS
Reports to the City Manager. Works independently
with general guidance from the City Manager or
designee. Supervises staff, directly, or through
assigned managers. Works under City policies,
procedures, and various State and federal regulations.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE JOB

1. General Management: Plans, organizes,
directs, controls, and evaluates the work
of the Parks and Recreation Department.

Oversees the management of the dayto-day administration of the Department, including budget, capital projects, on-going
maintenance, recreation, stewardship and
development of assets, personnel and labor
relations, and customer service activities.

2. Strategic Planning: Works with advisory
boards, elected officials and other agencies to
develop master plans and long-range plans for
the acquisition, development and maintenance
Recommendations & Implementation 211

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS
(KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND

ABILITIES)
Knowledge of:
• Principles and practice of general business
management and of municipal parks and
recreation administration processes and
management.
• Parks and Recreation Department work and
operations, stewardship and maintenance
of park lands, facilities, and community
infrastructure.
• City legislative processes, fiscal and budget
management processes, and applicable
administrative policies and procedures.
• Current departmental and related city issues
and stakeholders (both internal and external),
including other governmental legislative
and agency processes, neighborhoods, and
institutions.
• Applicable federal, State, and local laws
and regulations, including development
regulations, affecting the work of the
Department.

Skill in:
• Excellent interpersonal skills for establishing
and maintaining effective working
relationships with staff, other departments,
elected officials, the media, and the public.
• Highly effective team-building and leadership
skills including consensus-building to resolve
conflicts, negotiate agreements and gain
cooperation among competing interest groups.
• Strong business and fiscal management skills.
• Problem analysis and decision making,
adaptability/flexibility, and stress tolerance in a
highly visible public environment.
• Excellent strategic planning, organizing, and
time management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communications
skills including public presentation skills.
by establishing cost control measures
and monitoring all fiscal operations of the
Department. Prepares annual budget and
justifies budget requests and amendments.

Projects and procures revenues and funding
for the work of the Department including
management of grants and accessing federal
and State funding sources. Ensures the
efficient and economical use of departmental
funds, manpower, materials, facilities and time.

Ensures effective execution of enterprise fund
cost center within the department.

7. Citizen Involvement and Communications:

Directs planning and presentation of public
involvement programs for neighborhoods,
businesses, and other community groups.

Provides for staff support of the Parks Advisory
Board, Greenway Advisory Committee,
and other parks- related citizen groups,
coordinating work plans and staff assignments
to facilitate efficient and meaningful public
involvement and policy direction. Provides for
City-wide citizen communication programs
to disseminate information on Parks and
Recreation projects and processes and
conservation of assets.

8. Senior Management Team: Provides
information and advice to the City Manager
and City Council on strategic planning and
accomplishment of City goals and objectives.

Participates in organization-wide strategic
planning. Coordinates the Department’s
activities with those of other City departments
and offices to ensure a consistent approach
towards common projects and interests and
the cost-effective delivery of services.

9. Environmental Stewardship: Under policy
direction from the City Manager and Council,
responsible for the protection of the City’s Park
lands and facilities. Promotes and develops
effective facilities and systems to maximize
the public’s enjoyment and use of park lands
in harmony with environmental protection and
stewardship. Works under applicable federal
and State regulation and protection measures
for protection of natural resources such as
streams and forestland. Represents the City
before regulatory agencies which interface
with the work of the Department.
212 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
Ability to:
• Manage by objective and facilitate
achievement of City’s legacies and
performance metrics.
• Conduct self at all times in an ethical,
professional and respectful manner.
• Establish and maintain cooperative and
effective working relationships with citizens
and stakeholders, both internal and external.
• Quickly grasp and manage complex and
technical issues in a fast-paced environment
and in a context of inter-related issues,
systems, projects, and strategies.
• Interpret, explain, and apply complex
guidelines, codes, regulations, policies, and
procedures.
• Articulate the Department’s goals and work in
an understandable and appropriate manner for
the audience or individual.
• Develop and maintain effective organizational
structure, financial control, and management
information systems for the Parks and
Recreation function.
• Identify the Department’s future direction
in response to changing community needs,
and to develop, implement, and monitor
appropriate plans, schedules, and action steps.
• Work independently under general policy and
strategic guidance.
• Maintain consistent and punctual attendance.
• Willingness and ability to demonstrate the
Public Service Competencies of Service
Orientation, Results Orientation and Teamwork
and Cooperation.
• Physically perform the essential functions of
the position, including:
• Correctable visual acuity to read a
computer screen and a typeset page;
• Fine finger dexterity to manipulate
computer keyboard and mouse; and
• Ability to talk and hear sufficiently to
communicate with City officials, employees
and the public.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT
Work is performed primarily in an office setting subject to frequent interruptions with extensive work at a
computer workstation and site visits to various City
and community facilities, both outdoors and indoors.

May be exposed to highly stressful situations and
individuals who are irate or hostile; may be subject
to long hours due to attendance at City Council
and Committee meetings and other responsibilities
required at this executive level. Flexibility to work
evening and weekend hours and occasional overnight
travel to conferences and training sessions required.

Recommendations & Implementation 213

EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING

REQUIREMENTS
• Bachelor’s degree in parks and recreation,
public administration, program management or
a related field. Master’s degree is preferred.
• Five years progressively responsible
experience in parks and recreation
administration including three years in a senior
management position.
• Experience working in a unionized
environment preferred.
• Designation as a Certified Parks and
Recreation Professional (CPRP) desired.
• Preferred qualifications include a significant
record of:
• Responsibility for general fiscal management,
grants procurement, capital budget
management, and strategic planning.
• Experience in a community with active citizen
involvement and experiencing significant
growth.
• Effective work with elected officials, advisory
boards, community and environmental groups.
• Within an ethical framework, exhibiting
creativity and innovation in programs and
processes.
• In place of the above requirements, any
combination of relevant education and
experience which demonstrates the
knowledge, skill, and ability to perform
the essential functions of the job will be
considered.
214 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

JOEL DAVIS MEMORIAL PARK
5 Design Guidelines 215

DESIGN GUIDELINES

5.1 Site Planning

5.2 Public Safety

5.3 Trail Design

5.4 Shared Schoolyards

5.5 Privately Owned Public Open Spaces

5.6 Parks & Stormwater Management

5.7 Urban Landscape Ecology
216 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan
The Guidelines in this chapter are intended as a
resource for use in the planning and design of future
parks and trails. The Guidelines provide performancebased measures that create more sustainable, attractive, user-friendly sites that meet the needs
of the public they serve. The recommendations are
high level, appropriate to the context of a systemwide park master plan, not site-specific design requirements. Categories include site planning, public
safety, trail design , privately owned public open
spaces, flooding and urban landscape ecology. These
general guidelines should be used in tandem with
the park type definitions found in the Typical Park
Classification, Section 1.2, as well as maintenance
and operations standards, to ensure that all parks and
trails owned and maintained by the City of East Palo
Alto are planned, designed, managed, and maintained
to provide the greatest value to the community.

INTRODUCTION
Design Guidelines 217
218 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

5.1 SITE PLANNING

PARK USER

COMPATIBILITIES

1. Care and consideration needs to be given
to the use of each space, the relationship
between activities and future expansion
opportunities in a park.

2. Parks are multi-generational spaces and
consideration of park user compatibility must
be evaluated when determining the adjacency
of site features.

3. Activities should be grouped to maximize
desirable effects (accessibility, control of
participants, multi-uses, maintenance) or
separated to minimize conflicts including noise
and degree of physical activity.

4. Address potential conflicts with passive use
areas when locating active recreational areas,
especially conflicts with children’s play areas.

5. Ideally locate restroom buildings within a 150’
radius of recreation fields and a 100’ radius of
children’s play areas.

6. Locate maintenance yards away from
children’s play areas and screen them from
public view.

7. Sports activities, field lights for evening
sports activities, large group gatherings and
pools are all potential sources of disturbance
to the surrounding community. Consider all
adjacencies when locating such park features.

8. Locate parking facilities near major park site
features to facilitate the park user who may
be carrying equipment and/or coolers to their
destination.

FLEXIBLE USE

9. Indoor and outdoor spaces should be
programmed for multiple functions and should
be designed to allow for flexibility of use.

10. An emphasis should be placed on multi-use
fields to increase the type of uses provided by
the same amenity.

11. Multi-use lawn spaces should be encouraged
to allow more spaces for unprogrammed,
flexible free play as well as programmed
community events.

12. Where possible, passive open play areas
should remain unobstructed by trees, to
support activities such as throwing a ball, a
frisbee, and/or flying kites. Perimeter trees
should be provided for shade.

Design Guidelines 219

ACCESS DESIGN

13. Provide multiple entry points to the parks
where possible to increase the pedestrian and
bike access to the parks.

14. All park entrances and major amenities should
be ADA accessible.

15. Provide a highly visible and distinct park
entry marker or gateway to create a sense of
transition and arrival to the destination.

16. A strong visual access from high traffic streets
to the park entrance and major amenities is
encouraged where possible.

17. Use the shortest, least sight-limiting fence
appropriate for the situation if fencing is
required.

18. Where possible, provide a clear separation
between the park’s vehicular and pedestrian
entrances to eliminate potential conflicts.

19. Direct pedestrian entrances toward public
transit centers to encourage and facilitate
alternative modes of travel to the park when
possible.

USER EXPERIENCE

LEGIBILITY

20. Clearly mark all park entries with park name
and important regulation information.

21. Establish a standardized wayfinding system
to clearly identify amenities and facilities
within the park as well as nearby civic, historic,
cultural or ecological landmarks.

22. Place a standard, legally confirmed set of rules
in a visible and secondary location that does
not negatively impact the welcoming nature of
the park entry.

23. Signage should use lettering sized for visibility,
and include translation where needed.
220 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

ACTIVE & PASSIVE RECREATION

31. Provide both active and passive recreation
opportunities in all park designs.

32. Passive recreation opportunities may include
seating, picnicking, and nature viewing.

33. Active recreation opportunities may include
play areas, jogging/walking loops, aquatic and
sport facilities.

34. In areas with adequate space, provide
pedestrian loops for walking and jogging.

35. Small group picnic areas should accommodate
twenty five to fifty (25-50) people while large
group picnic areas should accommodate fifty
to hundred (50-100) people.

36. Play Areas
• Design play areas to support activities
for children of varied ages as well as
abilities including tots, young children, and
teenagers.
• Create unique play experiences by
including a variety of visual and physical
elements that incorporate sight, sound and
texture exploration.
• Provide opportunities that encourage play
in “unstructured” natural areas within
parks.
• Provide shaded seating near play areas for
adult supervision.
• Provide play areas at a safe distance from
busy streets or provide appropriate barriers
to ensure safety.

COMFORT

24. At least 50% of all seating and picnic areas
should be shaded, either through natural tree
canopy or installed shade structure (from at
least 11 am – 4 pm).

25. At least 75% of all play areas should be
shaded, either through natural tree canopy or
installed shade structure (from at least 11 am –
4 pm).

26. Select non-heat conducting material for all
seating elements, such as wood, concrete,
or recycled plastic products, and avoid using
heat-conducting materials in seating and play
areas when possible.

27. Employ mitigation measures for sound, air
quality, views, and safety at parks located near
highways and major roadways such as:
• Dense tree canopy,
• Dense vegetation buffers,
• Water features,
• Art elements with screening features.

28. Provide restrooms at community and special
use parks.

29. Install drinking fountains near play areas and
sports fields. Add bottle fillers, misters and dog
basins to drinking fountains in order to expand
usefulness.

30. Provide seating elements that are located
to take advantage of hospitable conditions
including shade, views, and sound.

Design Guidelines 221

IDENTITY

37. Tell a story. Interpretive signage can tell us
about native peoples, subsequent history, our
environment, and our current experience.

38. Develop distinct themes for each park in
addition to the overall park standardization
to establish a unique character. Themes
may be expressed through signage, custom
furnishings, plant selections, and characteristic
architectural details.

39. Murals, and local art installations can reduce
unsanctioned graffiti and vandalism by
activating blank walls and surfaces.
222 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

5.2 PUBLIC SAFETY

5. Provide access to information like a website for
parks facilities and other programs offered.

HIGH VISIBILITY

6. Use lighting to promote public safety and
security. When creating lighting design, avoid
poorly placed lights that create blind spots for
potential observers and miss critical areas.

Areas like pathways, entrance/exists, parking,
children’s play area, recreational areas, etc.
should be well lit.

7. Create highly visible spaces by designing park
elements, including pathways, play areas,
picnic areas and benches, to allow for natural
surveillance among users.

8. Design buildings and facilities so that entries,
windows, staffed areas and programmed
activity overlooks populated public spaces.

9. Create clear sight lines into, out of, and within
parks by strategically locating buildings and
other large site elements.

10. Design pathways and sidewalks with
unobstructed sight lines, especially from public
streets.

11. Locate seating and play elements in areas with
unobstructed views.

PERIMETER AND ENTRY

TREATMENTS

12. Use the least sight-limiting fence and gate
heights possible, and the least sight-limiting
fence and gate materials possible.

13. Create inviting park perimeters and entry areas
that encourage park use, including accent
planting, attractive signage, and buffers that
are not overly engineered.

14. Limit fence and gate use to areas where
such elements are necessary (such as select

ACTIVATION

1. Provide amenities that attract positive social
activity, including sports, play, and picnicking,
throughout a site so “dead” zones do not
welcome anti-social behavior.

2. Provide a diversity of site amenities that attract
different types of recreation activity at various
times of day.

3. Schedule activities in common areas to
increase proper use, attract more people and
increase the perception that these areas are
being monitored. Provide program elements
that encourage site activation among different
age groups.

4. Provide spaces for creating flexible community
events in parks to foster local identity and
stewardship in park

PARK ACTIVATION USING PLANNED ACTIVITIES
Source: Top - Laumeier Sculpture Park food truck fest,
Bottom - Prince George’s County Department of Parks & Recreation Design Guidelines 223
entry points and play areas to protect young
children).

15. Consider landscape buffers as an alternative to
fencing at park perimeters and entry areas .

16. Clearly identify and limit park entry and exit
points when necessary.

17. Display notice of security system at park
access points.

SECURITY MEASURES

18. Create a volunteer park safety ambassador
program to help have friendly but visible park
patrolling.

19. Add emergency call stations at parks to
enhance public security.

UPKEEP & MAINTENANCE

20. Maintain a high standard of upkeep for all park
and open space hardscape and landscape
elements to promote a sense of ownership,
encourage orderly behavior, and spur positive
social interaction in public spaces.

21. Avoid using materials that can easily be
damaged or vandalized. Use materials that are
durable and will require less repairs.

SECURITY MEASURE FOR PARKS
Source: Top - UC Davis
Middle - Tuscon police
Bottom - Downtown Wilmington safety ambassadors
224 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

5.3 TRAIL DESIGN
• Preferred width of 16’, including two shared
6’ travel lanes and two 2’ shoulders
• 10’-12’ trail width acceptable where context
requires
• Opportunity zones for amenities in
additional 4’ right-of-way where possible

5. Trails should be a minimum of 10 feet wide to
accommodate maintenance and emergency
vehicles.

TRAIL ENTRY AND ACCESS

6. Provide trail access points that give a sense
of arrival and encourage use, including accent
planting and attractive signage consistent with
City standards.

7. Use universal design principles to facilitate
access and movement onto and along trails for
people of all ages and abilities.

8. Include secure bicycle parking at all
destinations along trails, and at trail amenity
zones.

9. Maintain good sight lines from public streets
and buildings and create clear entrances and
clear boundaries, following principles of Crime
Prevention through Environmental Design
(CPTED).

IDENTITY

1. Establish and follow a baseline vocabulary for
attractive, well-designed, commonly placed
site elements for standard, system-wide
identity. Baseline elements include signage
and furnishings.

2. Working within that overall system identity,
develop distinct themes for each trail to
establish a unique character. Themes may
be expressed through signage, custom
furnishings, and plant selections.

3. Historic and environmental interpretive
elements should be included to contribute to
trail character.

TRAIL SURFACE AND

CROSS-SECTION

4. Off-street shared use (pedestrians, bikes,
and other non-motorized use) trails should
generally have the following basic design
characteristics:
• Paved (asphalt or compacted AB) trail
with soft shoulders (decomposed granite,
gravel, or other approved material)
TRAIL THAT PEOPLE OF ALL AGE GROUPS FEEL COMFORTABLE USING Source: Josue Hernandez, Rich City RIDES

TRAILHEADS PROVIDING INFORMATION AND A SENSE

OF ARRIVAL
Source: Wald.Berlin.Klima. exhibition, hochC Landschastsarchitekten Design Guidelines 225

10. Establish safe street and rail crossings.

Specific crossing design will be based on
detailed, site-specific analysis.

EDGES ,BUFFERS AND

SETBACKS

11. Trails along active rail lines should be set back
a minimum of 26’ from the centerline of the
nearest track. Within this setback, a vegetated
buffer backed by a safety barrier that prevents
access should be provided.

12. Trails along streets should be set back to
provide a buffer from the traffic.

13. Through placement of amenities and use of
planting and lighting mitigation techniques,
design trails in a way that minimizes impacts
such as noise and lighting on neighboring
properties.

ORGANIZATION OF TRAIL

ELEMENTS

14. Trail alignment and plantings should be
designed to optimize visibility, to allow for
natural surveillance among users and minimize
conflicts between bikes and pedestrians.

15. Include amenities along the trail at intervals
that ensure user comfort. Opportunities to
sit or lean should be provided at least every
1/4-mile. Shaded areas with seating should be
provided at least every 1 mile. These amenity
zones should be located to take advantage of
hospitable conditions including shade, views,
and sound.

16. Locate permanent restrooms and drinking
fountains where trails intersection with City
parks.

FEATURES AND AMENITIES

17. Provide a diversity of trail amenities that attract and support different types of users, including
recreational users, commuters, children and
seniors.

18. Select non-heat conducting material for all
seating elements, such as wood, concrete, or
recycled plastic products.

19. Ensure that at least 50% of seating and picnic
areas are shaded, either through natural tree
canopy or installed shade structures (from at
least 11 am – 4 pm).

20. Select all paving, site furnishing, and
landscape materials based on durability as
well as aesthetic value.

21. Trail amenities such as picnic tables, drinking
fountains and benches shall be accessible to
all users and abilities and comply with current
state and national design standards that meet
or exceed the requirements of the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) Standards for
Accessible Design and the California Building
Code.

LIGHTING AND FENCING

22. Use lighting to promote public safety and
security, following the principles of Crime
Prevention through Environmental Design
(CPTED).

23. Where appropriate, provide lighting to extend
the use of trails at night.

24. Design lighting systems and select fixtures to
minimize light pollution/spillage.

25. Require energy-efficient technology
when replacing existing or installing new
technologies, including light elements. Use
“smart” technology when possible, i.e. lighting
systems that adjust automatically depending
upon user patterns in buildings and parks.

26. Barriers and fencing must successfully
ensure privacy and prevent access, while also
supporting a good trail experience.
• Trails should be separated from the back
yards of private property by plantings
backed by fences, which should be eight
feet in height.
• Trails should be set back and buffered from
rail lines and arterial roadways.
• Trails should be separated from irrigation
canals by a 4-foot barriers that preserve
views of the canal.
226 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

SIGNAGE

27. Provide standard trailhead signage that
identifies the trail name and promotes a
positive and consistent identity for East Palo
Alto’s trail system.

28. Place a standard, legally confirmed set of rules
in a visible and secondary location that does
not negatively impact the welcoming nature of
the trail entry.

29. Establish a standardized wayfinding system
to clearly identify trail route and destinations
as well as nearby civic, historic, cultural or
ecological landmarks.

30. Trail signage will:
• Vary by context. Signs at trailheads
and along off-street and on-street trail
segments will be designed and scaled
for their setting and the user groups they
serve.
• Be legible and accessible. Signage will use
lettering sized for visibility, and include
translation where needed.
• Leverage Other features. Signage may be
mounted on street furnishings or painted
on surfaces.
• Create identity. More than any other trail
element, wayfinding signs produce identity
for both the system and individual trail.
• Tell a story. Interpretive signage can tell
us about native peoples, subsequent
history, our environment, and our current
experience.

TRAIL WAYFINDING
Source: Caboolture to Wamuran Rail Trail, Dotdash

STORYTELLING ON TRAILS
Source: Atlanta BeltLine Westside Trail, photo by John Becker Design Guidelines 227
Trail cross-sections are conceptual
and generalized.. Trail development
will require detailed design .

Wayfinding signage
Multiuse trail
2' 10-12' 2'
Fence
Multiuse trail
2' 10-12' 2'
Vegetated
buffer
25' min. Varies
Street lighting
CL
Shoulder
Shoulder
FIGURE 5-1:

TRAIL THROUGH PARK OR OPEN SPACE (TYPICAL)
FIGURE 5-2:

TRAIL ALONG ACTIVE RAIL LINE (TYPICAL)
228 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

5.4 SHARED SCHOOLYARDS
staffing, supervision, and security as deemed
necessary, at all times during which the facility
is used for City sponsored activities and
events.

7. The School District and the City should each
be responsible to pay a proportionate share
of the applicable operations and utilities costs
for the facility, including water and sewer,
electricity, gas and refuse disposal, and
custodial maintenance.

8. Common examples of programs include:
• Organized after‐school and weekend
athletic activities and events for adults and
youth,
• Informal, or “open,” public access/use of
school grounds and/or facilities,
• Community gardens.

9. Allocate liability risk and determine whether
and what type of indemnification to require.

Determine the types and amounts of insurance
to require (consistent with legal and risk
management requirements) and determine
the types of documentation to exchange or
require. Joint-use partners take responsibility
for their own share of liability.

10. Identify the method and responsibility for
repairing property, the method for calculating
the repair costs, and how to allocate those
costs.

11. Trees are particularly valuable and beneficial
on school property, as well as in parks. East
Palo Alto’s schools are severely lacking in
trees: public schools in East Palo Alto have

7.4% tree canopy cover overall. The Urban
Forest Master Plan established a 30% tree
canopy cover target for schools by 2062.

Shade trees and fruit trees would be especially
impactful for school children and park visitors
alike.

1. In order for schoolyards to successfully serve
as shared schoolyard space, they must have
typical recreation amenities that are expected
of parks.

2. Though these sites may have certain
restrictions inherent in their dual use, they
should provide a level of passive and/or
active recreation amenities as outlined in
the park-type definitions for neighborhood
or community parks. These amenities may
include enhanced landscape (including trees
with large canopies that provide shade), areas
for picnicking with tables and or benches, play
areas, nature viewing areas, and architectural
shade structures.

3. The design of site perimeters and boundaries
is especially important to consider at shared
schoolyard sites where there are distinct times
of public recreation use and school use. By
placing community-serving park amenities at
community-facing edges, these sites can be
inviting and permeable for public recreation. At
the same time, strategic placement of fences
and gates will help create clear and secure
boundaries as needed.

4. Schoolyards should allow community use to
the maximum extent possible after regular
school hours, ideally no less than twenty (20)
hours per week.

5. The schools should have exclusive use of
the facilities for a few hours before and after
regular school hours when school is in session.

During non-school hours, schools should have
a priority of use of the facility in scheduling
all school-sponsored athletics, activities, and
other functions.

6. Schools should be responsible for providing
staffing, supervision, and security during
regularly scheduled school hours when school
is in session, during any official, schoolsponsored activities that occur after school hours, and during other community events.

The City should be responsible for providing
Design Guidelines 229
FIGURE 5-3:

EXAMPLE CONCEPT FOR A SHARED SCHOOLYARD SITE
230 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

5.5 PRIVATELY-OWNED PUBLIC OPEN

SPACE (POPOS)

6. To ensure spaces of adequate size are
provided to serve the public and accommodate
the required amenities, the minimum area for
POPOS should be 2,000 square feet.

7. POPOs should have an average width and
depth of 40 feet.

8. Over time, no more than 20 percent of POPOS
should be indoor space and at least 80 percent
should be outdoor space. Once an indoor
space has been approved, another such
feature should not be approved until the total
square footage of outdoor open space features
approved exceeds 80 percent of the total
square footage of all open spaces approved.

9. The provision of outdoor space, including
off-site, should be given preference over the
provision of indoor space.

DESIGN FEATURES

10. Incorporate various features, including ample
seating and, if appropriate, access to food
service, which will enhance public use of the
area.

11. Provide adequate access to sunlight if sunlight
access is appropriate to the type of area.

12. To provide both sunny and shaded areas in
a POPOS and to foster success of plantings,
south-facing spaces are generally preferred,
unless particular lot configurations prevent
such orientation. Where lots do not have
south-facing portions or where the southfacing portions should be less than 40 feet in width, the open space is could face either
east or west. Open spaces should not be only
north-facing.

13. Ensure adequate lighting if the area is of the
type requiring artificial illumination.

14. Design spaces to be protected from
uncomfortable wind.

15. Any food service area provided in the required
open space should occupy no more than 20%

LOCATION AND ACCESS

1. The open space required may be on the
same site as the project for which the permit
is sought, or within 900 feet of it on private
property.

2. Spaces should be situated in locations such
that ingress and egress is easily accessible to
the general public.

3. All open space shall be publicly accessible, at
a minimum, from 7AM to 6PM every day

4. The sidewalk frontage of an outdoor open
space located adjacent to a street is required
to have a minimum 50% of its area free of
obstructions to provide ease of access.

TYPE

5. The project may satisfy the requirements by
providing one or more of the following types
of open space: a plaza, an urban park, an
urban garden, a view terrace, a sun terrace,
a greenhouse, a small sitting area, an atrium,
an indoor park, or a public sitting area in a
galleria, in an arcade, in a public street or alley,
or in a pedestrian mall or walkway.

POPO AT E 34 ST AND 1 AVE, NYC
Source: Hey! We’re Walking Here by Rich Mintz
Design Guidelines 231
of the open space.

16. Projects should make efforts to include at least
one publicly-accessible potable water source
convenient for drinking and filling of water
bottles.

INDOOR SPACES

17. Provide a minimum floor-to-ceiling height of
20 feet for at least 75% of the space;

18. Spaces should be situated, designed, and
programmed distinctly from building lobbies or
other private entrances to the building;

19. Open spaces should be maintained at no
public expense. The owner of the property on
which the open space is located shall maintain
it by keeping the area clean and free of litter
and keeping in a healthy state any plant
material that is provided.

20. Require signages at key locations stating the
right of the public to use the space, the hours
of use, the location of the open space, and, in
cases where that space is not visible from a
major sidewalk, include directions to the open
space.

21. Open spaces should be ADA accessible in
design.

22. Abundant, well-designed, and comfortable
seating is one of the most critical elements of
public plaza design. POPOS should provide
ample seating which includes a variety of
seating types like moveable seating, fixed
individual seats, fixed benches, seat walls,
planter ledges, and seating steps. The seating
types should accommodate small groups
socializing as well as individuals engaged in
solitary activities. At least 50% of seats should
have back and arm rests.

23. Seating that is too narrow, too high, or too
short inhibits the usability of a space is
prohibited.

AMPLE SEATING SPACES
Source: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle

ROOFTOP POPOS
Source: Crocker Galleria

INDOOR POPOS IN BUILDING LOBBY
Source: Jessica Christian, The Chronicle
232 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

5.6 PARKS & STORMWATER

MANAGEMENT

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

1. Employ Low Impact Design (LID) practices
to increase opportunities for stormwater and
groundwater recharge by utilizing:
• Bioretention areas, to provide soil and
plant passed filtration services that remove
pollutants.
• Permeable pavers, to allow rainwater to
infiltrate on site.
• Rain barrels and cisterns, to retain and
store rainwater to be used for irrigation onsite.
• Soil amendments, including the addition
of compose and mulch, top soil, lime and
gypsum to help offset erosion and improve
their physical, biological and hydrological
characteristics so they are more effective
agents for stormwater management.
• Green roofs, which help mitigate negative
effects of urbanization on water quality by
filtering, absorbing, or detaining rainfall.

WATER STORAGE TANKS

1. During major park renovations or facilities
improvements, long-term and large-scale
stormwater management methods are
important to consider. In the example shown,
a playground area is rebuilt to include a major
stormwater retention basin hidden below
ground. The basin in this example serves the
broader neighborhood and reduces rainyday flooding by providing additional storage capacity and relieving the pressure on the
City’s storm drain infrastructure during major
storm events. Funding for these multi-benefit
projects can come from a wider range of
sources associated with both grey and green
infrastructure goals.

PLANNING FOR SEALEVEL RISE

1. The Strategy to Advance Flood protection,
Ecosystems and Recreation along the San
Francisco Bay (SAFER Bay) Project includes
plans for levee and seawall improvements
along the East Palo Alto shoreline. The
details of the location and height and type
of perimeter protection vary across the
landscape, but there is a general approach
towards aligning the Bay Trail with the top of
future levee embankments along the city edge.

Many considerations including impacts to
adjacent neighbors, impacts to wetlands and
other important habitats, and others, inform
the project.

EXAMPLE OF WATER STORAGE INFRASTRUCTURE

UNDER A CITY PARK (LIBERTY GREEN PITTSBURGH, PA)
Design Guidelines 233

2. The EPA Parks Recreation and Open Space
Master Plan recommends and encourages
the design of the levee structure to provide as
much visual and active access and recreation
as possible. Figure 5-4 illustrates potential
iterations where the embankment slopes
are tiered to allow for activation on the City
side of the slope, and other options where its
possible to build up parks and open spaces

TYPICAL LEVEE TREATMENT

USABLE SLOPE

SUPER DIKE
FIGURE 5-4:

SAFER LEVEE TREATMENT
to reduce the steepness of the embankments
and allow for park activities to occur. Various
opportunities exist to ensure that the broader
community remains connected to the Bay Trail
and that any major investments provide much
needed open space and park amenities that
are compatible along the shoreline.
234 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

5.7 URBAN LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY

RECREATION NEAR

SENSITIVE HABITATS

1. Site recreational uses along a gradient within
parks that are near sensitive habitats, from
low-impact to high-impact. Prioritize lowerimpact recreational uses, such as trails and native plant gardens, near sensitive habitats,
and high-impact facilities, such as playgrounds
and sports fields, the furthest away from
sensitive habitats.

2. Prioritize planting native landscaping in parks
near sensitive habitats.

3. Reduce night lighting, persistent human use,
and excessive noise near sensitive habitats.

Refer to the Model Lighting Ordinance
developed by the International Dark-Sky
Association and the Illuminating Engineering
Society of North America for guidance
on lighting within parks and open space
preserves in developed areas. Minimize natural
or built raptor perches or nesting habitat.

4. Develop interpretive signage, educational
programming, and volunteer clean-ups
and planting events near sensitive habitats
to engage the community in stewardship
of these natural resources and promote
integrating the local natural environment into
the community’s sense of place. Incorporate
nearby social activities, such as cook-outs
and music, into these programs and volunteer
events to promote attendance and community
connections to place.

5. Salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys
raviventris), a species protected under the
Endangered Species Act, is found in the salt
marshes of the San Francisco Bay and can be
sensitive to some forms of park infrastructure
that promote predation by raptors and other
predatory birds. While the significance of
raptor predation on salt marsh harvest mice
populations is not well understood, threats
from predation are expected to intensify as
sea level rise causes more intense flooding in
tidal wetlands, forcing the mice to seek refuge
in the uplands (USFWS, 2010). In an effort to
reduce the impacts of predation, the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service recommends that habitatinappropriate trees, especially nonnative trees; power lines; and any other tall infrastructure
that provide perch and nest sites for raptors
and corvids should be removed from
marshes and their perimeter (USFWS, 2013).

Discourage feral cats, feeding stations, and
improper trash storage. Prohibit or limit dog
access near sensitive habitats and wetland
areas. Design guidelines should apply to parks
and open spaces within the RBD Shoreline
Parks Area.

6. Martin Luther King Jr. Park in particular will
require strategic tree plantings with input from
ecological experts due to its location near the
Baylands. Designers should consider restoring
native willow groves historically found at this
site to create a natural transition, or “ecotone,”
between the marsh and upland areas that will
be of high value for native wildlife.

SALT MARSH HARVEST MOUSE
Source: Shannon Skalos
Design Guidelines 235

URBAN FORESTRY AND

HEAT MITIGATION

7. Maximize the number of trees planted in
appropriate areas. East Palo Alto’s Urban
Forest Master Plan (UFMP) recommends
planting approximately 2,700 new trees in the
City’s parks and recreation zones over the
next 40 years, in order to achieve 30% canopy
cover across its parks by 2062 (City of East
Palo Alto 2022).

8. Prioritize preserving and protecting existing
trees within parks, in addition to planting new
trees. Large, old trees provide more shade,
cooling, and habitat value than small, young
trees.

9. Select native tree species when feasible, based
on the habitat zones and species lists provided
in the East Palo Alto UFMP (See Habitat
Zones below). Native trees create a sense of
place and support local native wildlife, such
as songbirds, which in turn can also improve
mental health and recreational quality (e.g.,
Ferraro et al. 2020, Stobbe et al. 2022).

10. Select trees with upright habit and greater
trunk height to allow for clear sight lines
beneath the canopy.

11. Locate trees in areas where they have access
to large soil volumes to maximize tree health
and longevity. For trees planted along and
among streets, plazas, and parking lots,
maximize the size of tree wells and consider
the use of suspended pavement systems or
structural soils.

12. Ensure soil properties, particularly drainage,
are appropriate for the tree species selected.

13. To maximize their shade and cooling benefit,
plant trees on the south or west side of
recreational facilities and amenities, such
as picnic tables, sports fields, playgrounds,
buildings, and trails.

14. Vary tree planting configuration and species to
provide unique character to different parks and
use zones with parks.

15. Properly selecting and siting trees in parks can
also play a role in intercepting and infiltrating
stormwater. Trees planted in green stormwater
infrastructure features such as bioswales
should be selected to survive periods of
inundation and/or be drained by underdrains.
236 East Palo Alto Parks Master Plan

HABITAT ZONES

16. Landscape and tree planting within parks
should, where possible, match the target
habitat zones developed in the East Palo Alto
Urban Forest Master Plan.

17. The zones, which vary across the city based
on historical, present, and projected future
conditions; the desired habitat types for
restoration; and ecological management in
that area. See Figure 6.2 on page 93 and Table

6.3 from pages 94 to 95 of the plan to refer to
the habitat zones developed by SFEI for East
Palo Alto (City of East Palo Alto 2022). These
zones were developed to support the City’s
adaptation to climate change, mitigate air and
noise pollution from the US 101 Highway, and
promote locally-native biodiversity. Specific
priority areas, including parks and schools,
highlight where people tend to spend time
outdoors and would benefit the greatest
from the urban forest. Each zone is described
below:
• The US 101 Highway Corridor zone
prioritizes planting trees that filter air
pollutants and act as an effective sound
wall.
• The Oak Woodland zone was informed by
the City’s historical ecology and prioritizes
planting native trees, particularly oaks,
in order to support a functioning and
productive urban forest.

IDENTIFY HABITAT ZONES
Use the habitat zone and priority map to identify
high-level strategic priorities and constraints for
selecting a species or planting palette.

DETERMINE LOCAL PLANNING CONDITIONS
Consider the local planting conditions to choose
the right tree for the right place. An arborist can
help identify the most important parameters to
consider.

CONSIDER ADDITIONAL BENEFITS AND

CONCERNS
What else is important to you? Identify the value
and traits you are interested in. For example, this
could include selecting to support birds, create
shade, or produce beautiful flowers.

EPA HABITAT ZONES
Source: SFEI, Urban Forest Master Plan
Design Guidelines 237
• The San Francisquito Creek Riparian
zone promotes improving landscape
connectivity both for wildlife and for
people, in the form of recreation and active
transportation.
• The Salt Tolerant zone advances climate
resilience by encouraging planting trees
that are tolerant of saltwater intrusion,
which is predicted to become more
prevalent with climate change and sea
level rise.
• The Tolerant of High Water Table zone also
prioritizes planting trees that are resilient to
the projected impacts of climate change. In
this zone, sea level rise will result in rising
groundwater levels and increased flooding
and inundation.

A.1
D. APPENDICES – East Palo Alto Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan SURVEY DATA • The online survey had 524 responses from individual households, and was conducted between September 30, 2021, to January 29, 2022.
• The survey included questions that asked participants a range of things, the reasons why they visited EPA parks, reasons that deterred them from going to parks, as well as questions that asked to rank their program and facility needs. • 79% of survey respondents live in EPA.
• The racial and ethnic demographics of survey respondents is representative of and closely aligns to the overall city population. (See Question 20 in the survey responses below.)
• According to Survey Monkey analysis, the number of survey responses is statistically significant (p=.05).
• Outreach for the survey was supported by the Nuestra Casa Promotoras group at food distributions centers and pop-up events, announced on the City Newsletter, and posted on several local Facebook groups and via City-sponsored Facebook ads. Printed posters and flyers were distributed through the community at grocery stores

1. Which City of East Palo Alto parks and/or recreation facilities do you visit most often?

2. Which other parks and/or recreation facilities in East Palo Alto do you visit frequently?

3. Overall, how would you rate the parks and recreation amenities managed by the City of East Palo Alto?

4. How often have you visited City of East Palo Alto parks and/or facilities?

5. What are the primary reasons that you or household members use parks and recreation facilities in East Palo Alto?

6. What are the primary reasons that prevent you or household members from using City of East Palo Alto parks and recreation facilities more frequently?

7. What is the primary way you prefer to learn about City of East Palo Alto recreation opportunities and park programs?

8. What is your primary way of reaching your most visited park?

9. How far are you willing to walk or bike to reach a recreation facility or park?

10. What would most encourage you to walk or bike more often to a park/recreation facility?

11. Please rate how your needs for parks and recreation facilities/amenities in the City of East Palo Alto are being met using a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 means they are "100% Met" and 1 means "0% Met".

12. Which FIVE facilities/amenities are MOST IMPORTANT to you?

13. Please rate how your needs for parks programming in the City of East Palo Alto are being met using a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 means they are "100% Met" and 1 means "0% Met".

14. Which FIVE programs are MOST IMPORTANT to you?

15. How safe do you feel when visiting parks in East Palo Alto? Use a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 means not safe and 5 means very safe.

16. How can we best address safety in parks? Check all that apply.

17. Which FIVE actions would you be MOST WILLING to support?

18. Tell us more about your vision for the future parks and recreation system in East Palo Alto! What would you like to see? How would you like to be involved? • "Being a 25+ year EPA native my vision for future parks and recreation system is having a safe and secure place for the community overall"
• "Less drugs and crime more family"
• "I would like to see a safer way to get to the parks by walking" • "If parks could be clean and well-maintained and if the bathroom facilities could be open, clean, and safe, that would be amazing!"
• "For parks to be well taken care of such as being cleaned, kept proper." • "Clean, accessible facilities that speak to the residents of EPA" • "I'd like to see more trees planted in parks. More places to lounge and relax." • "I would like to see more public art"
• "I would like to see more benches and picnic tables"
• "I would like to see summer live music in the parks & annual community events. Dog parks" • "More community events: outdoor movies, art shows, music/events in the parks… I would love to volunteer!"
• "It would be great to see more sports fields and gyms as well as more walking trails" • "A dog park!"
Survey Demographics:

19. What is your gender identity?

20. What is your racial or ethnic identity?
*Compared to City Census Demographics (2021,
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/eastpaloaltocitycalifornia):
• Hispanic or Latino: 61%
• White or Caucasian: 10%
• Black of African American: 11%
• Asian or Asian American: 5%
• Another race: 5%
• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander: 5%
• American Indian or Alaska Native: 1%

21. Are you a person living with a disability or mobility issue?

22. How old are you?

23. How do you describe yourself?

In-person Pop-up event 1: EPA Tree Lighting on December 4, 2021 In-person Pop-up event 2: Legends Event on December 17, 2021 In-person Workshop 2, on February 26, 2021