TO: Parks and Recreation Committee DATE: February 9, 2026 DEPARTMENT: Public Works
PREPARED BY: Chantell O’Neal, Assistant Director Engineering PRESENTER: Chantell O’Neal, Assistant Director Engineering & Isaac Whippy City Manager AGENDA TITLE: Receive Recommendation from the Parks & Recreation Committee and Provide Direction on Recreational Amenities to Include in the Reservoir and Community Forest Project Environmental Impact Report
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council:
Receive the Parks & Recreation Committee’s recommendation from its January 23, 2026 meeting; and Provide direction on which recreational amenities should be included in the programmatic Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Reservoir and Community Forest Project.
Staff requests a yes/no determination for each amenity so that the EIR consultant can evaluate the full range of potential future uses and avoid the need for costly supplemental environmental review.
BACKGROUND
The City is preparing an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Reservoir and Community Forest Project. The primary purpose of the project is to construct three raw‑water storage reservoirs to improve drought resilience and long‑term water security. Because the City intends to open portions of the property for public access in the future, the EIR will also include a programmatic‑level review of potential recreational amenities.
A programmatic analysis allows the City to evaluate a broad set of possible future uses now, so that future decisions can rely on this EIR without requiring a new, full CEQA document. Addenda and minor updates are common; however, adding new high‑impact uses later could require a supplemental EIR, which is significantly more expensive and time‑consuming. The current EIR contract is approximately $600,000, so it is in the City’s interest to identify the full range of potential amenities at this stage.
To support this effort and advance the City’s long-term parks and recreation goals identified in the Strategic Plan, the City Manager established a dedicated Parks & Recreation Department in July 2025. As part of this organizational focus, the City conducted a public survey in June 2025, which received 323 responses, held an EIR Scoping Meeting in September 2025, and convened the first Parks & Recreation Committee meeting on January 23, 2026. At that meeting, the Committee reviewed the survey results, received public comment, and provided preliminary direction, while requesting that the City Council make the final determination on future recreational uses.
The property contains rare Mendocino Cypress Woodland (pygmy forest), and the soils cannot recover once disturbed. The reservoir project itself will require mitigation for tree removal and habitat impacts, which may limit the amount of land available for recreational development. The EIR will evaluate feasibility and regulatory constraints for each amenity the Council chooses to include.
Figure 1: This figure was AI-generated and is for brainstorming purposes only
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
1. Purpose of Council Direction
The Council’s role tonight is not to select which amenities will ultimately be built. Instead, the purpose is to determine which amenities should be analyzed in the EIR, so that:
The City avoids piecemeal CEQA review
The consultant can evaluate environmental feasibility
The City preserves flexibility for future decisions
The reservoir project schedule remains on track
This is a blank canvas. No decisions have been made about locations, designs, or which amenities will ultimately be constructed.
2. Parks & Recreation Committee Direction (January 23, 2026) Committee members expressed interest in evaluating all amenities listed in the survey, plus several additional concepts raised during discussion and public comment. Specific items highlighted by Committee members included:
Fire management of pygmy forest, including potential CalFire grant funding for prescribed burns Community Center / Banquet Hall with kitchen and running water Dirt bike track (distinct from a pump track)
Pond or small lake for scenic and limited recreational use (not the drinkingwater reservoirs) Flush restrooms requiring well and septic
Performance stage
Greenhouse or growing areas for plants, herbs, or community agriculture The Committee agreed to forward the full list of amenities to Council for final direction.
3. Full List of Recreational Amenities for Council Consideration The following list includes every specific amenity identified in the survey, Committee discussion, and public comment. Staff requests a yes/no determination for each item.
A. Trails and Passive Recreation
Walking/jogging trails (paved or unpaved)
Hiking trails
ADAaccessible trails
Benches along trails
Interpretive nature signage
Boardwalks or interpretive loops
Retention or decommissioning of existing informal/social trails B. Biking
Non-motorized biking trails
Pump track (youth bicycle skills track)
Dirt bike track (motorized)
C. Play and Family Amenities
Playground
Picnic areas
Shaded pavilion/gazebo
Small gathering spaces
D. Sports and Active Recreation
Sport courts (tennis, pickleball, petanque, futsal, etc.) Athletic fields (soccer, football, baseball, softball, ultimate frisbee, disc golf) Multipurpose field with multisport striping
Running/walking track around a field
E. Educational and Interpretive Features
Outdoor education space
Interpretive elements (forest, soils, redwoods, pygmy habitat) Greenhouse or growing areas (herbs, food, native plants) F. Event and Community Facilities
Performance stage
Event space for concerts or performances
Community center/banquet hall with kitchen
Space for temporary events (circus, carnival, Paul Bunyan Days, festivals) G. WaterRelated Amenities
Pond or small lake (nonswimming, scenic, shallow)
Fishing or boating on a nonreservoir water feature (Note: Drinkingwater reservoirs cannot be used for recreation.) H. Infrastructure
Flush restrooms (well and septic)
Pit toilets
Parking areas
Electricity for events
4. Environmental and Regulatory Considerations
The EIR will evaluate:
Impacts to Mendocino Cypress Woodland and other sensitive habitats Soil disturbance (irreversible in pygmy forest)
Tree removal and required mitigation
Noise, traffic, and wildfire risk
Water and wastewater needs for facilities
Feasibility of motorized recreation
Space limitations within the disturbed area
Compatibility with reservoir construction and operations Some amenities may be determined infeasible or require substantial mitigation. Including an amenity in the EIR does not guarantee it will be allowed or built.
FISCAL IMPACT/FUNDING SOURCE
There is no direct fiscal impact associated with providing direction on amenities. The EIR contract is already funded. However, adding amenities later could require a supplemental EIR, which would be costly.
Furthermore, a CEQA-cleared vision for recreation will improve the City’s competitiveness for grants focused on nature-based recreation and outdoor equity.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
Tonight’s action is not a project under CEQA. Direction from Council will inform the scope of the EIR currently underway.
STRATEGIC PLAN/COUNCIL PRIORITIES/GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY The action supports goals related to:
Water security and climate resilience
Community recreation
Public access to open space
Long-term planning and fiscal responsibility
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Public survey (323 responses) in June 2025
NOP Scoping Session September 16, 2025
https://cityfortbragg.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=1337676&GUID=337054F8-C977-45EC-A520-371E0EAB3D56 Parks & Recreation Committee meeting (January 23, 2026) https://cityfortbragg.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=1379133&GUID=C96524EA-F76F-49B5-A3FC-0498500C9EE8 The next outreach will occur during the Draft EIR public review period
COMMITTEE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The Parks & Recreation Committee reviewed the survey results, received public comment, and recommended forwarding the full list of amenities to Council for final direction.
ALTERNATIVES:
Direct staff to evaluate a more limited list of amenities: This would reduce the complexity of the EIR but may require a costly EIR amendment if the City decides to add intensive features later.
Defer the selection of recreational amenities: This would delay the EIR schedule and potentially the start of construction for the reservoirs.
ATTACHMENTS:
Survey Questions
Survey Summary Only (Raw Results can be viewed in the Committee Meeting Packet of January 23, 2026) Mendocino Land Trust (MLT) Site Maps
Recreational Amenities Checklist for Council Action
NOTIFICATION:
Rincon Consultants
Mendocino Land Trust
Parks & Recreation Committee
Interested parties
AGENDA ITEM NO. 8B
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT