1 CITY OF PACIFICA
PARKS, BEACHES AND RECREATION COMMISSION
CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEES/COMMISSIONS PRESENTATION May 27, 2025 The Parks, Beaches and Recreation (PB&R) Commission issubmitting the following as a summary of the Commission work for 2024-2025 period.
Commission Members Term Expires
Gail Benton Shoemaker, Chair
Stefanie Phillips
Cindy Abbott
2027
2026
2026
Mark Torres 2027
Marc Staudenbaur 2028
Cherie Chan
Michael Watkins (June 2025)
2028
2029
Gail Benton Shoemaker has lived in Pacifica for 36 years. She has been a Producer for Public Television, Executive Director of Pacifica School Volunteers, and a Program Officer for AmeriCorps overseeing grants to nonprofits working with children and seniors. Currently, she serves on the PB&R Commission, and with the citizens group Tree City Pacifica. Gail is an avid walker and greatly appreciates Pacifica’s parks and beaches.
Stefanie Phillips is an avid surfer, and mountain biker and practices yoga. She is the Co President of the Pedro Point Surf Club and Director of Bond Projects /Construction for Jefferson Union High School District. She has lived in Pacifica for over 20 years and has frequented Pacifica for almost 40 years. She resides in Sharp Park.
Cindy Abbott, Executive Director, Sanchez Art Center, is an ocean and beach enthusiast, who sees the work of the Commission as addressing issues that are the essence of Pacifica - a small city with a population that values community engagement for all ages and the outdoor environment. She has been a resident of Pacifica since 1996.
Mark Torres was appointed in 2023 for a four-year term. He has lived in Pacifica for the past 12 years with his family. He is currently working for San Francisco Utilities Commission. He is excited to join the Parks, Beaches, and Recreation (PB&R) Commission. He intends to focus on improving and development of more recreation sports fields and facilities in the City of Pacifica.
Marc Staudenbaur is a proud Pacifica resident since 2017, and father of two daughters. As a Commissioner, he is the liaison to the Youth Advisory Board and helped bring back the Pacifica Spelling Bee. He works in CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) sales and works directly with several Pacifica businesses and produces some running and promotional events around the Bay Area. He looks forward to continuing to support PB&R events, while encouraging new 2 opportunities to benefit businesses and residents.
Cherie Chan is a long-time trip leader for the Sierra Club’s Inner City Outings and Snow Camping sections but now spends her weekends exploring the region’s sports fields with her two children. She is an energy policy analyst for the state, where she was also its representative to a council which returned 140,000 acres of privately held watershed lands to conservation for beneficial uses.
Highlights from the past year
Work Plan 2024-2025
• Surf Camp/School Policy
• Liaison Assignments
• Tree Appeals
• Priority Parks
• Beach Safety
• Parks Review
Surf Camp/School Policy Recommendations
In early 2023, the California Coastal Commission (CCC) reviewed a draft of the Community Access Permit Program and approved the City of Pacifica’s Coastal Development Permit (CDP) in May 2023. As part of the approval, the CCC required a Code of Conduct for providers, which was submitted and is still awaiting final CCC approval as of May 2025.
UPDATE: Staff reported updates regarding surf camp/school policy to the Commission throughout the 2024-2025 year. The City of Pacifica is still in negotiations with the California Coastal Commission to finalize the coastal permit.
Liaison Assignments
This list is updated annually, with the potential assignments that Commissioners may volunteer to fill. Commissioners maintain liaison assignments with city departments and community organizations and report updates regularly.
UPDATE: In June 2024, Commissioners reviewed and updated their assignments. Commissioners will continue to update their liaison assignments annually.
Tree Appeals
City Council adopted the revised Tree Ordinance repealing and replacing Pacifica Municipal Code Chapter 12 - Tree Preservation and Chapter 14 - Maintenance and Preservation of City Trees in September 2022. The Commission adheres to the revised Tree Ordinance when hearing Tree Appeals, and requests replacement trees as necessary.
UPDATE: The Commission requested a more in-depth discussion to ensure they clearly understand the new ordinance as it related to tree appeals. During the January 22, 2025 Commission meeting, the Acting Director of Public Works and the Assistant City Attorney presented on the ordinance to educate the Commission. One tree permit denial appeal was brought before the PB&R Commission from July 2024 through April 2025. It is anticipated that another 3 two appeals will be brought to the Commission before the end of the 2024-2025 year, one in the May meeting and another in June.
Priority Parks
In June 2021, City Council approved the FY 2021–2026 Capital Improvement Program (CIP), which included the Playground Equipment Improvement Project to address aging infrastructure across Pacifica’s 19 parks. A needs assessment identified four parks requiring full equipment replacement:
• Skyridge Park (Skyridge Drive)
• Imperial Park (Imperial Drive)
• Marvilla Park (201 Marvilla Place)
• Brighton Mini Park (497 Brighton Road)
In January 2022, Council approved hiring NCE, a landscape architecture firm, to lead design and community engagement. NCE developed two concepts per park—one focused on replacing equipment and improving accessibility, the other reconfiguring layout and adding features like paths and seating. Commissioner feedback helped refine designs to include more opportunities for motor skill development.
Public input was gathered through events and surveys (approx. 150 responses). Irrigation design changes delayed the 65% construction plans until May 2023. Final revisions, incorporating cost adjustments and 3D renderings, were presented to the Commission in October 2023.
UPDATE: Following over a year of public engagement and detailed design work led by NCE, the project was released for formal bidding in late 2024. Unfortunately, the construction bids returned were significantly higher than expected. A thorough review by the Public Works Department and NCE revealed several reasons for the elevated costs, including complex concrete work, design intricacies, and potential confusion around the phasing and scope of the project.
In light of the bids received, the City is now reevaluating the project to identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising the integrity and intent of the park improvements. This includes prioritizing key park features while redesigning some elements to simplify construction.
While this means the project will be delayed, the City remains committed to enhancing these community spaces and will continue working toward a feasible, fiscally responsible path forward.
The City expects to receive new bids based on a revised project scope in 2025. With a more streamlined and cost-effective plan, the goal is to begin construction once a qualified contractor is selected and to complete the Priority Parks improvements by 2026.
Beach Safety
Commissioners requested that beach safety be added to the work plan after several discussions over the years. Staff worked with Sea Valor Organization to map and install life ring buoy stations at beaches and piers in Pacifica. In February 2023, Staff applied for a permit from the California Coastal Commission (CCC) to install stations at the local beaches. By May 2023, six life ring buoy stations had been installed along the pier. In October 2024, City Manager Woodhouse granted emergency approval for installation at the southern end of Sharp Park. Staff also received tentative approval permit to install stations on the beaches from the CCC. The Commission 4 formed a Beach Safety Subcommittee in June of 2024 to focus on beach safety public education.
UPDATE: Since approval of the permit, life ring buoy stations have been installed along Beach Boulevard, Linda Mar Beach, Rockaway Beach, the north end of Sharp Park Beach, and Esplanade Beach. The PB&R department hosts a variety of classes and events to educate the community on beach safety with the assistance of the Commission, including the Annual Beach Safety Day, CPR classes, and swimming lessons.
The Beach Safety Subcommittee collaborated with the Emergency Safety Preparedness Commission to host a pop-up at Pacifica State Beach (Linda Mar) in August 2024. At this event, visitors – including locals and out of town travelers – were provided with information on currents, ocean swimming, and the use of the life ring buoy stations. While individuals noted they had seen the large red life buoy cases, they indicated they weren’t fully aware of what they are or how to use them. Simply opening the case provided easy information to a broad section of visitors of all ages. A large poster depicting rip tide currents was also on display along with information from the Red Cross. A flyer sharing information about swimming lessons offered through the PB&R Department for all ages was also available.
Parks Review
At the November 2024 study session, staff gave the Commissioners an overview of Pacifica’s parks and the parks catalog to prepare them for the Parks Review Process, an evaluation done by the Commissioners of all the parks’ amenities and conditions. The Commission discussed the development of the review form and different aspects of the review. The Parks Review Process discussion was continued at the December study session and Commissioners chose which parks they would review. At the January Commission meeting, a subcommittee was formed to compile the data from the Parks Review Process.
UPDATE: Commissioners are completing the parks reviews and the compilation process is underway. The subcommittee will prepare a Parks Review report which will be used both for internal reference and to create materials for the public.
Special Presentations
As part of department quarterly updates, staff members attend Commission meetings to present highlights for each division and their programs. Commissioners received presentations regarding the Aquatics division, Senior Services, Child Care Services, and the Recreation and Special Events division. In addition to staff presentations, the Commissioners received presentations regarding PB&R’s summer intern’s work on compiling a Parks Catalog, the snowy plovers at Pacifica State Beach, the Priority Parks Project, Arbor Day, the 40th Anniversary of Family Fun Fest, the Youth Advisory Board, an overview of Tree Ordinance Enforcement, and the newly rebranded PLAY Activity Guide.
Meeting Summaries – June 2024 through April 2025
June 2024
Items for Consideration
A. Liaison Assignments
B. Beach Safety Sub-Committee Discussion
5 Special Presentations
A. Community Center Reopening Plan
Staff Updates
• James Heywood Acknowledgement: Acting Director Leslie acknowledged former Commissioner James Heywood’s four years of service on the PB&R Commission and his community involvement.
• Welcomed New Commissioners: Acting Director Leslie welcomed both Tracy Buie and Marc Staudenbaur.
• Staffing Update: Acting Director Leslie introduced Intern Jair Alessandro Campos to the Commission and some of the projects he’s working on.
• Surf Camps: Acting Director Leslie reported that there was only one application in June for Circle Surf, a commercial business, and the department is still in the process of getting all of their necessary documents.
• Tree Appeals: Acting Director Leslie promised to bring in experts from the Planning department to speak about the tree appeal process in the future • Priority Parks: Acting Director Leslie stated that a visualization of the priority parks project will be provided at July’s PB&R Commission Meeting and that the goal is to fulfill the bidding process later this year, roughly around September and October. • Civic Center Update: Acting Director Leslie reported that the ribbon cutting for the renovated Civic Center will occur on Thursday 6/27 from 3:00pm-5:00pm and invited the Commissioners to attend if they were able.
• Events: Acting Director Leslie spoke about upcoming 4th of July event at Frontierland Park and reported that there would be food trucks, free rides, quality sound equipment for the bands, and free games.
• City Council Proclamation: Acting Director Leslie spoke about City Council Proclamation to recognize July as Parks and Recreation Month
July 2024
Items for Consideration:
A. Liaison Assignments
Special presentations:
A. Aquatics Division by Recreation Supervisor Anthony Schriver B. Parks Catalog from Intern Jair Alessandro Campos.
Staff Updates:
• Life-Ring Buoy Installation: Acting Director Leslie discussed that the project is in the final stages.
• Civic Center:
o June 20th, 2024, there was a ribbon-cutting ceremony, the Civic Center employees have fully moved.
o Parks, Beaches, and Recreation staff are in the process of getting settled in at the Community Center in their new office or desk setups.
o This year’s Arbor Day will be at the Community Center. Twenty trees will be planted around the Community Center.
6 • Priority Park Project: Acting Director Leslie shared that he received the final project plans and staff is in the process of reviewing them to ensure the commission’s recommendations for additional benches, benches under the shade, updated seating, and rounding edges were updated in the new plans. Staff plans to go to bid on this project in September or October, with plans of completing the project by the end of Summer 2025. • Fun Fest Committee: Acting Director Leslie updated the commission that the Fun Fest Committee is planning for our next upcoming event at Fog Fest at the end of September.
August 2024
Special Presentations:
A. Snowy Plover at Pacifica State Beach – Margaret Goodale B. Introduction of New Recreation Coordinator – Aquatics Mitchell Klassen C. Final Plans of Priority Parks – Acting Director Scott Leslie Staff Updates:
• Community Center Updates
o The back half of the Community Center is slowly being reopened to classes. Both Hula and Ping-Pong are now in the dance pod, with more classes to follow. o All but one of the Parks, Beaches, and Recreation staff have moved into their permanent locations in the Community Center
o Supervisor Schriver is spearheading the initiative to reopen and add contract classes. January 2025 is expected to have the first full offering of classes since prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
o The Play Brochure will be reinstated, but the exact form and timeline is still undetermined.
o The Community Center will have twenty trees installed for Arbor Day. o There is a new staff taskforce that is working on designing soft spaces for the Community Center.
• Jean E. Brink Pool: The pool was temporarily shut down for two weeks due to a technical issue, but it has been repaired and reopened. • Pickleball: Parks, Beaches, and Recreation approached Jefferson Union High School District to convert tennis courts into pickleball courts due to the fast-growing popularity of the sport.
• Child Care Division
o There are 435 children enrolled in the program overall. o There are waitlists for the school-age programs at Vallemar, Cabrillo, and Ocean Shore.
o The program is at least 40% subsidized which means it receives support from government grants.
• Upcoming Events
o Coastal Cleanup, Fog Fest, Fun Fest (40 years old), Halloween Event, EV Expo, Voting at the Community Center, Arbor Day, Ohlone Portola Heritage Hike, Pacifica Polar Palooza, and Rockaway Tree Lighting
• Staff Changes
o Mitchell Klassen hired as Aquatics Coordinator
7 o Three Childcare staff were promoted to full-time, and there was one external hire for a full-time staff.
September 2024
Special Presentations:
A. Arbor Day Presentation
B. 40th Anniversary Family Fun Fest
Staff Updates:
• The City is in the process planning for the installation of EV charging stations at the Community Center
• Tracy Buie resigned from the PB&R Commission
• Reopening of the Community Center
Supervisor Schriver is the leader of the contract class task force. Goal is to add thirty additional courses per quarter. In the process of reimplementing the play brochure.
The building has been rekeyed.
Moving forward with preparations to paint the interior this winter. • Other building renovations are scheduled for 2025-2026. • Child Care
Three of the four school-age programs are completely full and have waiting lists. 383 school-age children are enrolled in the program.
• The first J-Teen Dance of the 2024-2025 school year sold out. • The 40th annual California Coastal Cleanup has expanded and had hundreds in attendance. • Beach Safety and Surf Awareness Day was aimed at teaching safety techniques to surfers. • Swim meet season started at Jean E. Brink Pool for both youth and adults. • Four pickleball courts have been striped at Terra Nova High School and two at Oceana High School – they are join-use courts as they are also striped for tennis. Parks, Beaches, and Recreation has received permission from the Jefferson Union High School District to stripe the remaining tennis courts for pickleball as well. • The Youth Advisory Board will be presenting to the Commission next month and have twelve active members.
• The Halloween event was named the “Boo Bash” and will be at the Community Center.
October 2024
Items for Consideration:
A. Upcoming Commission Meeting Schedule
a. November Study Session: Parks Review Process
b. December Study Session: 2025-2026 Work Plan
Special Presentations:
A. Youth Advisory Board
B. Senior Services
Staff Updates:
Director Scott Leslie gave the following statements and updates:
8 • A group of volunteers will be put together to help water the trees that are planted at the Community Center on Arbor Day.
• There is currently a space in the Senior pod dedicated for photos of participants who have passed away, inspired by Dia de los Muertos.
• The priority parks plans have officially been sent out for bid for a three-week period and will close around November 12th. The construction will happen in 2025 and notifications will be sent out to the public once the dates are finalized. • The 50-year-long agreement between Parks, Beaches, and Recreation and Jefferson Union High School District over Jean E. Brink Pool at Oceana High School will be coming to an end in two years, at which point, the department will be leasing the pool from the district. • Upcoming events: Aquatic Pumpkin Patch, voting at the Community Center, Arbor Day, Ohlone Portola Heritage Hike, and Pacifica Polar Palooza • Two lead teachers were hired for Child Care in August, Allyson Ayong and Angelica Diaz. • The department is in the process of interviewing candidates for the Manager position, and with Coordinator Dana Dieterle leaving, that will create another opening.
Supervisor Anthony Schriver gave the following statements and updates:
• A lot of new classes will be offered at the Community Center that were offered prepandemic and asked that if the Commission knows anyone who is interested in teaching a contract class, they reach out to staff.
• The department has hit their goal of adding 30 sections of classes and are even going to exceed it this winter.
• The Play activity guide is in the process of being created and will come out mid-November and will be sent out to all Pacifica residents. There will be three a year, which will be released in spring/summer, fall, and winter.
Supervisor Amber Shong gave the following statements and updates:
• All office and desk spaces are set up for staff in the Community Center, including the front office which will be occupied by a senior volunteer.
• Currently working with Public Works to get bids to replace the glass doors to the Center, bids for interior painting to the Center in December, quotes for flooring that would be appropriate to the spaces’ uses, and quotes to fix the exterior damage to the concrete walls. • In the process of planning and installing soft areas after evaluating other centers. • There are safety concerns with the current wall in the computer lab, so the department is working with Public Works to get a bid for a new wall.
November 2024
Study Session: Parks Review Process
December 2024
Study Session: Parks Review Process and Work Plan
January 2025
Items for Consideration:
A. Subcommittee to compile data from the Parks Review Process Special Presentations:
A. Introduction of New Recreation Manager
9 B. An Overview of the Tree Ordinance Enforcement
C. Child Care
Staff Updates:
Director Scott Leslie gave the following statements and updates:
• Five years ago, the City negotiated an agreement with the California Coastal Commission to sell and regulate parking in the Linda Mar beach parking lots. During this process, those parking lots were designated as a rest stop, which makes the situation complicated when people stay for a long time and create public safety concerns. The police and City take this situation very seriously and are trying their best to negotiate with the CCC. • The priority parks project’s public bidding process has ended, and the bids came back at $2.8 million, $3 million, and $3.2 million, significantly over the estimated bids. The City is in the process of working with the designers to redesign it and reduce elements. It is possible that not all of the parks will be completed at this time. • The surf camp open enrollment time occurred and two commercial companies, Adventure Out and Surf Camp Pacifica, have gone through the renewal process and will continue to be offering classes at the beach.
• In fall 2024, there were a total of 158 participants in recreation classes and since the PLAY brochure was sent out in December, over 300 participants have signed up for the winter session, with final enrollment expected to be between 350-400. The department has added over thirty more classes and will continue to add more. The next PLAY brochure will come out in the springtime and will include summer camps.
• The City finalized a lease extension with the Pacifica Spindrift Players for five years at Oddstad Park. Director Leslie mentioned that several leases will be ending and renewed this year, such as for the Art Guild, the Pacifica Historical Society, the Pacifica National Little League, and the Fairmont Association.
• Upcoming events: the Spelling Bee, J-Teen Dance, Senior Prom, Epic Eggventure, and Earth Day.
February 2025
No meeting.
March 2025
Public Hearing
A. Tree Permit Denial Appeal #T2024-0046 – 1323 Terra Nova Blvd Special Presentations
A. Update and Overview of the Newly Rebranded PLAY Activity Guide Staff Updates
• Commissioner Peter Banks officially resigned from the Parks, Beaches, and Recreation Commission effective Monday 3/24/2025. Commissioner Banks’ partial term would have ended in May 2025. The City will move forward with recruitment. • Cherie Chan was selected by City Council to fill the open Parks, Beaches, and 10 Recreation Commission seat and Cherie Chan’s term will start April 1st, 2025. • After the bids for the Priority Parks Project came back significantly higher than anticipated, the contracted designers and staff have rescaled the cost based on the bids and have come up with a variety of redesigns. Director Leslie shared that the goal is to get new designs presented to the Commission within the next few months and the project started in 2025.
Imperial Park: similar design with a reduction of the number of benches and the potential loss of one play element.
Brighton Mini-Park: recently was assessed and found to have significant issues so it has temporarily been closed and the play structure has been removed. The redesign includes swapping out some concrete work for decomposed granite pathways, the removal of a concrete wall, a modified drainage system, and possibly the removal of the aesthetic concrete pillars and boulders. • Director Leslie emphasized the redesigns’ goal is to keep the functionality and the fun while reducing aesthetic elements for budget reasons. Skyridge Park: rescaling of the concrete pathways and the plant and irrigation system, as well as possibly the removal of one play element. Marvilla Park: due to Marvilla being in better condition than the other three parks, the current plan is to replace the play equipment and do some concrete repair work to ensure ADA accessibility.
• Community Center update: donated historically significant items, mostly Portola related, to the Pacifica Historical Society and the department is considering renaming rooms. • A PB&R staff retreat on February 21st hosted by Manager Douglas focused on teambuilding and strategic thinking as staff collaborated to design a new draft of a mission statement.
• The department is in the process of going through a variety of leases this year including the Sanchez Arts Center, the Mildred Owens Performing Arts Center, the Fairmont Homeowners Association, etc. When the City has properties that are not being used, it is their philosophy to work with non-profit and other groups to offer the community a variety of fun and interesting cultural and artistic programs. • A new Senior Services Program Coordinator, Katy Wells, started March 27th. • There will be two Epic Eggventures: at Fairmont Park on April 12th and at Frontierland Park on April 19th. The department now allows families to sign up for a timeframe for the Frontierland Epic Eggventure ahead of time, so they do not have to stress about coming at an exact time.
April 2025
Items for Consideration:
A. 2025-2026 Parks, Beaches, and Recreation Work Plan
B. Annual Report to City Council Discussion and Creation of Subcommittee Special Presentations:
A. Introduction of New Senior Services Program Coordinator B. Recreation Division
11 Staff Updates:
• Fields owned by the City of Pacifica are free for youth sports. • Priority Parks Project: the City is working with the designers to modify the designs for the parks to fit the budget, and to get an accurate estimate of the cost. Once the designs are finalized, they will be reviewed by multiple people and will be brought to the Commission before being sent out to bid.
o Neighbors to Brighton Mini-Park expressed interest in contributing to the cost of its reconstruction as well as volunteering to assist with the construction, which Director Leslie cautioned that the costs were likely more substantial than they might seem and promised to run volunteer assistance by the designers. • Epic Eggventure: after Commission and Council input as well as internal department discussion, the department hosted two egg hunts and are very proud of how they went. • Spring and Summer Class and Camp Registration: 300% more people signed up for spring 2025 than for spring 2024, and people are still registering. Registrations are up 226% more for summer 2025 compared to summer 2024.
• Upcoming Events: Earth Day, Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, Junior Olympics, Pacifica Pride Event, Blues and Brews.
o Arbor Day is now an official City event.
Parks, Beaches, and Recreation Department
Commission 2024-2025 Liaison Assignments
Committee Liaison
Aquatics Liaison Commissioner Torres
Beautification Committee Chair Benton Shoemaker
Bike Park Committee Commissioner Phillips
Child Care Services/Parent Advisory
Committee Commissioner Staudenbaur
Climate Action Taskforce Chair Benton Shoemaker
Economic Development Committee Commissioner Abbott
Emergency Preparedness Commission Commissioner Torres
Library Advisory Committee Commissioner Abbott
Open Space and Parkland Advisory
Committee Commissioner Phillips
Poet Laureate Commissioner Abbott and Chair Benton
Shoemaker
Skate Park Commissioner Phillips
Seniors in Action Council Commissioner Abbott
12 Tree City Pacifica Chair Benton Shoemaker
Youth Advisory Board Commissioner Staudenbaur