11.C.c
Packet Pg. 765 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) poplars, to give greater amenity and visual
integrity to the corridor.
Establ ish recreational pathways extending
across the city in both an east-west and a
north-south direction. Pedestrian and bicycle
improvementshould be made in off-street
locations extending through the city in both
directions. The best candidates for a Class I
(separated) bikeway would be those streets that
have excess width in their carriageway, long
lengths of unbroken curb, and connections to
major parks and recreational facilities.
Establish a recreational pathway at the
southerly boundary of the city. Along the
southerly edge of Dewey Street is an unimproved section of roadway, about 30 feet wide, which extends from Marine Park to 23rd Street
adjacent to the Penmar Golf Course. Half of the
corridor is within the jurisdiction of the City of
Los Angeles and half is within the jurisdiction of
the City of Santa Monica. This area should be
improved as a recreational pathway which
connects to a multiuse pathway on nonaviation
lands at the Airport, as well as to Clover Park
along 23rd Street. As part of the Nonaviation
Lands Study, the ability to locate a traffic signal
at Dewey and 23rd is being investigated to
facilitate crossing the rapidly moving trafficway.
The pathway on Dewey should also connect to a
north/south pathway, which would link this area
to Memorial Park.
Prepare a master plan for selected citywide
streetscape i mprovements. Certain streets
within the city are identified as playing a far
broader recreational and open space role.
Although this plan attempts to identify how each
street could be redefined, it is preliminary in
nature, and further investigations along with
traffic engineering and impact evaluation will be
necessary prior to final decisions regarding
street improvements. Therefore, a streetscape
Residences Sidewalk Bikeway
Proposed Pathway at Southern Edge
(Existi
Right-of-Way
Master Plan Strategies-Parks and Open Space 29
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 766 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) .1 Et,il ,=-. =={.! ,.t- 'i; ;i-6i**
Crossing Street
Existing Street Intersection
Carriageway
B0'
Righrof-Way
Carriageway
80'
amd Raised ' Pedestrian Zone
Right-of-Way
Proposed lntersection
Proposed Recreational Pathway Intersection
Park and Recreation Master Plan, March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 767 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Existing Conditions Proposed lmprovements
Enhance pedestrian bridges from Palisades
Park over Pacific Coast Highway to improve
access to the beach. Currently, the pedestrian
bridges are in disrepair and need improvement
to create more attractive linkages to the beach.
Improved lighting, fencing and stairway
improvements are included in this plan.
Expand the Santa Monica Beach Trail and
Promenade to reduce user conflicfs. The
Beach Trail has been extremely successful in
attracting pedestrians, skaters and bicyclists to
and along the beach. However, there is now the
need to expand the Beach Tiail through widening
or separated paths to reduce conflicts between the
Pier and Bay Street. The City recently received
County funding to supporthis project.
Prototypical Greenway Street Intersection
master plan should be prepared that implements
the broader recommendations for improvement of
ce(ain streets, including 10 miles of local street
narrowing, to implementhe City's goal for
additional recreational pathways in the future.
lmprove freeway bridges. Three bridges, at
l lth, 14th and 17th Streets, are proposed for
landscape and pathway lighting to invite
pedestrian travel in an area dominated by
vehicular traffic at present. Pathway lighting,
landscaping, public art and banners would
provide a more inviting and intimate experience
traversing Santa Monica's notorious "divide"
(the freeway) and present a visually appealing
experience for motorists and bicyclists as well.
It is proposed that parking be removed from the
bridges and that the streets be narrowed to create
a more pedestrian scale similar to the Civic
Center Bridge.
Master Plan Strategies-Parks and Open Space 3l
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 768 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Enhance Santa Monica's Community Forest
lmplement an aggressive tree planting program
on City streets and in public open spaces. A
tree planting program is proposed as an essential
component in enhancing the community forest.
Currently, there are over 28,000 trees in Santa
Monica's community forest, and it is recommended that 7,000 new trees be planted in streets and public areas over the next 20 years. With the
planting of 350 trees per year, this would exceed
the goal contained in the City's Sustainable City
Program of 350 additional trees by the year 2000.
The majority of these trees would be placed in
streets (both along the existing curb and in
expandedparkways); however, some would be
used within parking lots and public properties
(such as Memorial Park). Aportion would also be
used as necessary for replacement of aging trees
within the community forest.
Develop a freeway forest. An intensive tree
planting effort should be undertaken along the 3
32 miles of freeway throughouthe City, not only to
add to the amenity and air quality of the City,
but also to help visually mend the urban fabric
through landscape improvements. Tree planti n g
would need to be undertaken with Caltrans
approval and cooperation.
Develop and implement a comprehensive
Commu n ity Forest Management Program.
With the hiring of the City's first Community
Forester, the City will develop a comprehensive
program for the care and enhancement of the
Community Forest.
Promote the involvement of community
residents in caring for the Community
Forest. Through urban forester and
community education programs and events,
the City will work in partnership with
residents, neighborhood organizations,
schools and businesses. Model programs,
such as the gardening angels program in Santa
Monica's schools, should be extended.
Park and Recreation Master Plan . March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 769 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Master Plan StrategiesRecreation Programs
As with the physical parks and open space
system, this Master Plan also proposes a number
of strategies that will guide future decisions
regarding recreation programming. These
program actions respond to the results of the
Plan's extensive community outreach process,
in-depth planning by the City's recreation
program staff members, as well as trends that
have been observed in Santa Monica and the
recreation industry as a whole.
The City will play three primary roles in the
development and delivery of recreation
programs in Santa Monica:
Catalyst. For many years, Santa Monica has
supported local community-based nonprofits
and service providers, particularly in the human
services area. The support given by the City
serves as an "incubator" for programs or
community activities that otherwise may not
take place. This role should be extended to
recreation programs as well.
Facilitator. A majority of the physical resources
for recreation in Santa Monica are owned and
operated by the City. Consequently, most of the
major recreation organizations in the community
depend on the City to provide the fields,
program space and specialized facilities where
activities can take place. The City should play a
major role in coordinating and facilitating the
activities and events sponsored by numerous
community interests.
Coordinator and lnformation Manager. The
City coordinates, assesses needs, and promotes
collaboration between local organizations.
While no single entity can manage the entire
spectrum of recreational activities in a community,
the City should act as a clearinghouse and
information manaser in recreational matters.
Overall Recreation
Programming Concepts
All future City recreation program initiatives
should be based on four major concepts:
Promoting lnclusion. The City should foster a
"climate of inclusion" in all recreation programs.
Inclusion, and the desire to reach all residents,
emerged as a major theme through the community
participation process. Expanded awareness
through current publications and additional media
and increased participation through the removal of
physical and financial barriers must be fostered to
serve all Santa Monica residents.
Master PI an Strategies-Recreation Programs ??
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 770 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Partnership and Collaboration. Given the
tremendous demand for limited recreational
facilities in Santa Monica, pooling resources and
working in collaboration with other local
recreational providers must play an important
role in satisfying unmet community demand.
Potential collaborative partners have been
identified along with the recommended program
actions, and are summarized in Table 11 in
Appendix 2. Collaboration may take the form
of program partnerships, facility sharing
arrangements, joint marketing strategies, and
other unified initiatives. This type of cooperation has additional benefits as well, as it clarifies niches, better integrates future plans, and
eliminates duplicative programming.
Providing a Continuum of Service. The
plan calls for community programming that
results in a lifelong "path" for individuals to
follow in recreational pursuits. For example,
a person interested in swimming should be
able to transition easily from learn-to-swim
programs at an early age to youth recreation
or competitive aquatics, then to adult fitness
and senior swim programs. Many recreation
activities, particularly tennis, swimming,
dance, general fitness, walking and biking,
cross all age groups, and program planning
needs to take this into consideration. The
current continuum of recreation programs is
summarized in Table 5.
Evaluation, Planni ng and I mprovement.
The plan recommends the continual review of
programs for appropriateness, quality, and
relevance to community needs. In this regard,
user surveys are an important tool, and will
continue to be used on an annual basis in
programmatic decisionmaking to identify
unmet need, duplication, and opportunities for
innovation. Staff training and communication
with other recreation organizations and the
public must also continue to improve through
ongoing review and evaluation. Identification
and accommodation of special needs, such as
the needs of persons with disabilities, must
also occur.
Recreation Program Strategies
This Master Plan proposes a number of actions
that will guide future decisions regarding
recreation programming. These program actions
respond to the results of the community
outreach process as well as trends that have been
observed in Santa Monica and the recreation
industry as a whole. The program options are
grouped into five broad areas that correspond to
the nature of the program audience. Overall
program access strategies are also included.
These five broad areas for recreation programs
are as follows:
34 Community Sports and Recreation
Programs- sports and sports-related
activities for all ages;
Community Programs-nonsports-related
programs, including educational, arts and
cultural programs;
Children, Teen and Family Programsprograms to strengthen families and youth; Recreation and Parks Master Plan. March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 771 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Table 5
Continuum of Existing Sports/Recreation Programs
Aerobics PAL
Santa Monica Hish School
Badminton PAL
Santa Moniiu Hiel-, iihool
Baseball Wgmells Qq99!ql I A99ocia1io1
Sqltq Mo1!9a liltle lgqgue
Wg9!9 1n,Yo_qt h Qg1ebz{ |
PAL
Basketball
Bgryq qqd C_irts C!ltb
PAL
City Youth Spqlt_s
Santa Monica Q"jlgg"
St. Monica's
We st s! delp.e g tql Qly.pLc s
!e4qa{gqe" H isb sql-'eq!
YWCA - Cirls
Basketball Coed YMCA
Chabad House
Basketball Women's Citv of Santa Monica
BasketballMen's Citv of Santa Monica
Bowling
Westside
PAL
PAL
Cross Countrv Santalvlqqicar H igh Schoo I
lMl-Qell-eee
St. Monica's
Dance Class
H i5I!!!i EEiPSR$E
9?5"idsld.o
O\OOTFFFa{\O
PAL
Dod PAL
Exercise Class
Football - Flag
Football - Touch
Foursquare
YWCA
PAL
PAL
PAL
St. Jvlonica's
Santa Monica H
Chabad House
Citv Youth
Santa Monica Hieh School
Q4y Yo!{L'lsorll
and Cirls Club
Master Plan Strategies-Recreation Programs 35
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 772 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Table 5
Continuum of Existing Sports/Recreation Programs
Golf
ial O
Cymnastics/Tumbling
Handball
ln line
Hocke
Karate PAL
Kickball and Cirls Club
Citv Youth
Paddle Tennis YMCA
First United Methodist
?b
;
;:
(\c
9(!
\O(Y)
N\.o
aqa
-.LLL
s383.33 tlttc/>
o0, ;;--:=R
k.) cO F ^:. .:. A
O\OOTFFF
Play
Rustic lelD/on Co-El
Children's Place
PAL
PAL
lliards PAL
Westside
YMCA
Downhill Westside
Soccer SMC Collegq ,--
_ctty_]oqblpi4!
St. Monica's
Bovs and Girls Club
!eqs-l4e!Eq ttebjgheo I
Westside
SmallTable Games PAL
Softball B,glpy lox
City Youth Sports
!ql!q r"lorycg _Hjgh -9!!9o-l
St. Monica's
SoftballCoed Citv of Santa Monica
Santa Jr4onica College
Westside Special OlymPics
Softball Men's Citv of Santa Monica
SoftballWomen's Citv of Santa Monica
T-Ball Citv Youth
Swimming
36 _ic_{Q
Park and Recreation Master Plan, March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 773 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Table 5
Continuum of Existing Sports/Recreation programs
YMCA
Santa Monica College
Sgnla Monlqq High School
Westside Special Otympics
Montessori Ctr. For Children - SM
Tennis l_e1ni9 Pa{qq9 oi 9M (Tqe1s)
Clqy Yo_u_th Spol_ts_
&!!e l,!q!rcq letullqb
!4ta Mqq1ge !:ligh lshopl
Sqlta !l91iqq Cqllqge
litf of Santa Monii-u
Westside Specigi OaFpi;a
PAL
Track & Field $ 1Ylonica's
YMCA
Cily_Y_9_g1t'lpe4sSanta Monica Col!gge
Santa Monica High School
Westside
Volleyball
YMCA
Citv Youthllpq4s
St. Monica's
yre{s,delpeq3 l !ly11p_!s:
PAL
V Coed Citv of Santa Monica
w Santa Monica Hieh School
g g E H H fi frS f;trg rr;+q{q 9?T"i\oor\oea
E
O\.oOTFFF(\I\O
Wei ghtl ifti n g/Tra i n i n g q4L
Santa Monica Hieh School
Wrestling PAL
Santa Monica Hi
Master Plan Strategies-Recreation Programs 37
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 774 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) . Programs for Persons with Disabilities-a
range of programs for individuals with
special needs; and
. Senior Programs-opportunities to promote
the well being of older Santa Monicans.
Community Sports and Recreation
Ensure that all Santa Monica residentsyoung and old-have an opportunity to participate in a continuum of noncompetitive
and competitive activities that will enhance
valuable leisure time.
. Develop a continuum of recreational
activities that includes informal and formal
skill development,eam and individual
opportunities, and traditional and nontraditional sports.
Develop comprehensive walking programs
for all ages, including walking clubs, mall
walking programs, and historical, cultural,
scenic and nature walks.
Develop neighborhood-based sports events
that involve the entire family and neighbors.
Develop collaborative skating programs,
events and trips to meet the increasing
demand for this emerging sport.
Develop an intramural sports program for
high school students.
Expand high school sports clubs to include
activities during the summer, spring and
holiday breaks.
Increase opportunities for adult sports
participation by allotting priority registration
to Santa Monica residents.
Aquatics
Provide a year-round affordable aquatics
program for youth and adults of all ability
levels that maximizes public facility use and
complements existing commercial and
nonprofit programs.
Conduct a comprehensive youth lesson
program that provides necessary skills
training to make Santa Monica children ages
2-17 years old water safe, and instill a
lifelong enjoyment of aquatics programs.
Provide ample opportunities for all ages to
have nonstructured recreational swim and
water play activities.
Provide graduated levels of challenging
competitive-based aquatics programs for
youth and adults to compare and improve
their skill levels.
3B Recreation and Parks Master Plan, March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 775 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) . Provide opportunities for swim instruction
to promote fitness and health maintenance
for all age groups.
Beach Sports
Develop a comprehensive approach to
recreational opportunities at Santa Monica
State Beach in coordination with capital
i mprovements and enhanced faci I ities.
. Coordinate programming with other service
providers at specific activity areas, including
Muscle Beach.
. Provide, or facilitate in conjunction with
other providers, beach sport programs such
as adult volleyball tournaments, youth beach
volleyball training, and soccer.
. Formalize protocols for skating and
bicycling, and provide written guidelines to
visitors and residents for skating, bicycling
and walking on the bike path and pedestrian
promenade. Facilitate the provision of
bicycle and skate maintenance and
instructional clinics with the beach
concession operator.
. Provide scheduling and program supporto
the planned roller hockey area.
. Monitor interest in beach sports such as
soccer, frisbee and kayaking, and identify
providers for onetime events or pilot
programs to test demand.
Sports Program Administration
Ensure that recreation providers will have an
ongoing mechanism for planning and
coordinating sports programs, and for sharing
physical resources.
#$wi Ii ;F"*.o'
. Develop a mission statement with guiding
principles for allocation of physical
resources, and establish an administrative
component to communicate the standards
and criteria to current and potential
organizations utilizing facility space.
Establish an ongoing mechanism for space
usage and fees.
Review the City's field reservation system to
ensure that it allows long-term permit
groups that reflect the diversity of Santa
Monica with respect to gender, ethnicity,
socioeconomic levels and ase.
Ensure time-appropriate scheduling
especially for children and seniors as new
facilities become available.
Develop an annual coaches orientation and
training event for all long-term permit
groups to improve coaching skills.
Partner with the City's Information Systems
Division to maintain access to the most
current computer technology for space
allocation and fees.
l: r:;* *ifrflil
Master Pl an Strategies-Recreation Programs 39
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 776 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Evaluate existing facilities at Memorial, Los
Amigos, Stewart and Marine Parks, and
conduct a needs assessment for new
concession staffing and programming at
other locations; evaluate the use of
concessions carts in selected parks.
Provide opportunities for youth to be hired
and to learn important skills as employees at
the concession facilities.
Field Maintenance
Work with City departments, schools, and
field user groups to establish field maintenance guidelines. . Expand the City's field monitoring system to
ensure that the fields are being used properly
and as permitted.
. Develop a permit system for large groups
using nonfield park space.
Recreation Support Services
and Concessions
Provide opportunities for community and
City groups to increase revenues and
provide employment opportun ities through
park concessions.
40 Community Programs
Classes
Provide a diverse and eclectic mix of community
cl asses th at co m p I e ments exi sti n g e d u cati onal and nonprofit programs and addresses the
changing needs of the community.
. Refine the City's niche with regard to
community programming, and work with
other program providers to avoid duplication
of services.
. Introduce new classes that respond to
community and specific neighborhood
interests, such as walking groups, roller
skating, and fitness instruction. Target
increased programming in the Pico
neighborhood based on stated neighborhood interests.
Nature Programs
Provide programs that are directly related to
Santa Mon i ca's natu ral envi ronment.
. Offer or encouragenvironmental and
nature education programs for Santa Monica
residents, such as oceanography at the
beach, ecology at the proposed Marine Park
riparian wash, "Day Naturalist" and
Recreation and Parks Master Plan, March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 777 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) "Overnight Science" programs at Temescal
Canyon, and community-based programs
such as the Wilderness Flyfisher's "Trout in
the Classroom" program.
Develop and offer camping opportunities for
all ages at sites outside the City, such as the
Santa Monica Mountains National
Recreation Area.
Expand community gardening activities with
periodic "opsn house" events featuring music,
food and/or temporary art installations.
Cultural Programs
Enhance and expand current cultural
offerings in the City.
. In public places, include more frequent
performing arts, open air concerts, poetry
and prose readings, performance art,
festivals and parades, and public art
installations (both temporary and permanent), including murals, visual art in community places, and chalk painting.
Establish a program of small-scale, intimate
cultural events throughout the year at city
parks and open space areas.
Create art and cultural programs that focus
on specific neighborhoods and populations,
such as seniors, families and youth.
Develop a citywide biennial art exhibition
for Santa Monica-based artists.
Provide opportunities for dance performances and instruction at facilities with proposed or existing sprung wood floors.
Explore the creation of a Santa Monica
playwrights' festival.
. Coordinate enhanced cultural offerings in
the City with the Santa Monica Arts
Education Foundation Proiect curriculum.
Programs for Children, Teens and Families
Ensure that every Santa Monica child has a
support network enabling them to become
a contributing and responsible member of
the communitv.
Collaborate with schools, businesses and
City departments to offer academic support,
including homework, tutoring, enrichment
and educational opportunities. Encourage
neighborhood residents and other adults to
act as role models to all children.
Recruit adults from the community and
adults who work in the City to serve as
mentors and friends to children and youth.
Master Pl an Strategies-Recreation Programs
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 778 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Ensure that Santa Monica families have a
variety of program options to help them
prepare children for later social and
edu cati on al experi ences.
. Increase quality early child development
progmms in the parks and recreational
facilities. Create a park-based program for
infants and toddlers designed to enrich parentcaregiver/infant interactions that will enhance movement and sensory development.
Create family nights at parks and recreational facilities in order for parents/ caregivers (grandparents) and children to
come together.
Create new classes at the parks or facilities
for parents/caregivers tojoin together and
learn effective strategies to nurture their very
young children's self esteem or discuss other
child development issues. Establish
oppornrnities for high school youth to carry
out educational/enrichment opportunities for
children whose parents/caregivers are
attending the classes.
Develop a Low-Cost/Free Monthly
Children's Performing Arts Series in the
local parks/recreational centers with plays
and performances for young children 3-8
years old.
. Develop a Parents' Night Out for parents of
children ages 3-8 years to enjoy a Friday
evening out while their children enjoy arts
and crafts, games, cooking, movies, and
story time.
. Develop an intergenerational story telling
program for children ages 3-5 years.
. Create a Grandparents'Day. This day would
be for children 3-8 years old to spend time
with their grandparent or "adopted
grandparent" ata local park, nature center,
or other local venue.
Ensure that youth in Santa Monica learn lifeenhancing skills to help them make responsible recreation and leisure time
choices for the rest of their lives.
. Promote more diverse recreational
opportunities to support young people
between the ages of 1 1-14 years and 15-18
years. Expand recreational and cultural arts
programs for high school youth after school
and in the evening at the high school and/or
parks and recreational facilities. These
programs be planned by teens and will
include more varied and noncompetitive
programs such as, but not limited to, an
enhanced theater arts program, intramural
sport leagues, wilderness adventures,
camping, and frisbee leagues.
42 Develop a "Friday Night Live" program for
teens 14-19 years old to play basketball, use
computers, or participate in other formal
activities at a park and recreational center
community center and/or PAL program.
Expand the City's volunteer program or
other citywide community service programs
in order for youth (aged9-17 years) to get
more opportunities for firsthand experience
in the field of recreation.
Recreation and Parks Master PIan. March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 779 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Coordinate programs on an ongoing basis Programming for Persons with Disabilities that will improve outcomes for young people
and their families. Ensure that individuals with disabilities are integrated into all City-supported programs
. Establish a teen advisory council that will based on reasonable accommodation needs. allow young people from a cross section
of the community an opportunity for . Develop a City interdepartmental team to:
ongoing involvement and to develop
leadership skills. The teen advisory o Establish a broad City mission statement council could be an arm of the Recreation with resard to accessibilitv. and Parks Commission with a formal
connection to the Board of Education. . Review the design of recreation facilities and parks for accessibility.
. Create a mini-grant program to assist young
people in developing youth-designed . Review City programs for inclusion. programs and community service projects.
o Research, gather, and provide
' Provide opportunities for youth to learn information to the community regarding important work skills as employees in fields programs that are available to such as recreation and education. individuals of all ases with disabilities. . Establish a youth "What's Up?" phone line . Develop a recreation and parks staff training staffed by youth to provide information on manual and plan for ongoing staff training youth events, support services, recreation regarding ADA compliance, disability programs, and volunteer opportunities for 7- information and awareness, accoffrrnodations, 18 year olds. Provide information about the adaptive equipment and communiry resources. phone line on the City's web page. Coordinate with other groups to implement a Staff Trainins Events Schedule/Calendar.
. Foster the development of a Youth
Opportunities Fund to provide youth with . Design and implement a volunteer "buddy" the financial resources needed to create and program based on model programs. Include participate in recreational, cultural and individuals with disabilities as well as youth educational opportunities that otherwise from school programs in the program might not be affordable. Involve youth development and implementation. organizations, such as the teen advisory
council, in the administration of these funds . Provide targeted programs for various d i sabi I ity popu I ati on s.
. Create a safe place for teens to informally
"hang out" that would be planned by teens . Develop a Program Development (within appropriate boundaries) and carried Committee, including individuals with out through a public-private partnership. disabilities, parents of youth with disabilities, members of organizations that
provide services for individuals with
disabilities. and Citv staff.
Master PIan Strategies-Recreation Programs 4J
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 780 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) . Conduct a survey regarding requests for
specialized classes, and research
specialized classes provided by other
entities and organizations.
. Plan and coordinate at least one specialized
sports clinic and at least one specialized
class based on findings of the community
outreach process. Such clinics or classes
might include: field sports, aquatics,
boating, fishing programs; and "Artist in
Residence" grant programs.
Seniors Programs
Coordinate and expand programs to promote
the physical, social, cultural and mental well
being and independence of seniors.
. Provide programming for seniors to
receive proper nutrition and related
nutrition education.
. Coordinate an accessible transportation
system that allows seniors to participate in
community programs.
. Coordinate programming to promote the
physical well being of seniors, such as
walking, swimming, aerobics, health
education and health screeninss.
Coordinate programming to promote the
mental health/well being of seniors, such as
rap (discussion) groups and peer counseling.
. Provide recreational opportunitiesuch as
dance, music, crafts, games and sports,
excursions and special events.
. Coordinate basic and unique types of
therapeutic recreation programming with
other community organizations in
conjunction with disability programming
goals and objectives.
. Develop opportunities for seniors to
participate in continuing education.
. Develop programs addressing key
"transitions," such as retirement, decreased
mobility, sensory losses, memory loss and
financial planning.
. Provide intergenerational programming and
opportunities to interact with children/youth.
Provide opportunities for seniors to obtain
leadership roles within the community.
. Provide opportunities for seniors to
volunteer their services throughouthe
community. Coordinate with other
volunteer programs.
. Provide formalized opportunities for seniors
to participate in the community in an
advisory capacity through involvement with
boards and commissions.
. Provide opportunities for seniors to obtain
employment within City government and
City-funded agencies.
44 Recreation and Parks Master Plan, March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 781 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Community Access
lmprove communication between the City
and the public in order to provide notification of all City and other community recreation program offerings to the widest
audience possible.
. Promote the use of bilingual community
information materials to ensure the
broadest outreach.
. Install information kiosks at Santa Monica
Senior Center and the Santa Monica Pier.
Develop a parks signage program for
recreation information stations within the
City's parks.
Improve utilization of existing kiosks at the
Third Street Promenade and Santa Monica
Master Pl an Strategies-Recreation Programs
Library through the exploration of electronic
media, including PEN (Public Elecfonic
Network) listings and interactive digital media,
and more extensive City recreation program
information and promotional involvement.
Create a "Recreation and Leisure Programs
Page" on the City's web site for distribution
of all program information.
Use school district distribution vehicles for
dissemination of City program information
(e.g., PTA newsletters, elementary school
"weekly envelopes," etc.).
Establish an integrated information service to
promote recreation programs and services.
The information services mav include:
r Newsletters for specific populations
and audiences.
45 11.C.c
Packet Pg. 782 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) +o
Expanded and enhanced Seascape,
fl yers, pamphlets, informational
directories, videos, press releases and
street banners.
City "highlights" within other local
publications with reciprocal arrangements.
. "Cultural Visitor ltineraries" showcasins
the City's arts and cultural assets in
visitor guides to the City.
Work closely with City TV to promote
recreation programs and activities.
Explore other information dissemination
vehicles, such as slide promotions at Santa
Monica cinemas and the use of neighborhood./business district mailins lists.
Ensure accessible and responsive community
programs, classes and events.
. Promote and expand the City's scholarship
program to include all eligible residents,
regardless of age, tied to a strategy for
increasing revenue to supporthis program.
Devise a checklist to be used in program and
event planning stages to ensure accessibility
for persons with disabilities.
Foster a "climate of inclusion" to increase
participation by Santa Monica's culturally
diverse population.
Employ a multidisciplinary team approach to
ensure that a variety ofperspectives are
represented in programmatic decisionmaking.
Identify, target and develop marketing plans
for special audiences, such as families and
persons with disabilities, tailoring
programming to meet specific needs.
Ensure opportunities for participation by Santa
Monica-based artists in program development.
Coordinate with other City departments and
community organizations on collaborative
themes, linking programs and classes with
special events, exhibitions, and other
community-wide initiatives.
The implementation of these program strategies
will require the collaborative efforts of the City
and the rich array of community-based providers.
It will require the identification of the necessary
funding whether generated through participant
fees, special grants, City support or communiry
fund-raising. It represents the City's first
"blueprint" for the advancement of creative and
responsive recreational programming and will
serve as the basis for continued refinement and
important emerging community partnerships.
Recreation and Parks Master Plan, March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 783 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Financing and lmplementation
This chapter presents project consultant recommendations for financing principles, capital and operating costs associated with the proposed
facilities and improvements, potential revenue
sources, and the elements of the financing
strategy for the Santa Monica Parks and Recreation Master Plan. Strategies will be refined by the City in the context of short and long-term
budget processes.
Financing Principles
The following sets forth financing principles
regarding future funding forparks and
recreation facilities.
Adequate revenues should be provided to
cover ongoing operations and maintenance
costs and asset replacement costs of new
facilities. While some of the proposed facilities
are not expected to generate additional operating
costs for the City, many proposed new facilities
will result in an increase in the parks and open
space operations and maintenancexpenditures.
Sufficient enhancementso the parks and open
space operating budget will be required from
future increases in General Fund revenues or
from a Community Facilities District (CFD) to
cover these additional annual operations costs.
F i nanci ng and I mplementation
Dedicated sources of funds should be used
where possible to offset the costs of new
facilities. The Beach Fund is largely selffinancing through the collection of parking revenues from the beach parking lots and from
beach concession revenues and rentals. This
fund may occasionally generate additional
funds, which could be used to finance the
construction and maintenance of new beach
parks and trails.
Funding sources should equitably share the
burden among all park and recreation facility
users. Everyone who lives and works in and
visits the City of Santa Monica benefits from the
amenities offered by the parks, beaches, and
various recreational facilities. Therefore,
funding used to implement the Master Plan
should come from all users of parks and
recreation facilities to the extent possible.
External funding sources should be
maximized wherever possible. The City has
historically been successful in securing
supplemental Community Development Block
Grants Earthquake Repair (CDBG) and County
Safe Neighborhoods Park Act (Proposition A)
allocations for recreational and park facilities.
The list ofproposed projects described in the
Master Plan can be used to seek external
funding sources, such as competitive grants
47 11.C.c
Packet Pg. 784 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) from state and federal resource agencies, and
private foundations and nonprofit groups.
Future state bond measures for parks and open
space may also present funding opportunities for
currently unfunded facilities identified in this
Master Plan.
The most cost-efficient methods of service
delivery should be used. The City is currently
preparing a review of park maintenance
operations, which will recommend strategies for
optimal delivery of park maintenance services.
The City should seek and maximize
opportunities for facility sharing and joint
operations of recreation facilities. The City,
the School District, and the College have several
opportunities to share existing facilities and to
gain greater use by converting paved areas to
playing fields. The City should continue to look
for such opportunities and seek agreements on
cost sharing for maintenance and operations of
these facilities where possible.
User fees should be increased to recover a
larger percentage of recreational program
costs. The City has recently begun to increase
the level of cost recovery for recreation
programs. Proposed increases in recreation user
fees will enable the City to reduce the net cost of
programs while still maintaining a policy of
providing affordable and accessible programs.
Existing revenue sources should be
maintained where possible. In order to assure
continued levels of service and to maintain and
improve the existing quality of facilities, the
City should maintain historicalevels of General
Fund allocations. New revenue sources should
not be used to substitute for ongoing revenue
commitments for recreation and parks facilities.
Recreation and Parks Facilities Costs
The proposed recreation and parks facilities
described in this Master Plan will result in a
onetime capital costs for acquisition, construction and improvement, and then ongoing annual operating and maintenance costs.
Capital Costs
Total capital costs over a 2}-year period for
acquisition, construction and enhancement of all
proposed park and recreation facilities are
estimated to be in the range of $ I 30 to $ 140
million. Net capital costs for acquisition,
construction and enhancement of all proposed
park and recreation facilities (after deducting
items with identified funding sources or other
funding strategies) are estimated to be between
$70 and $80 million.
The net capital costs associated with each of the
major types of recreation and parks facilities are
spread over a 2O-year period in four five-year
phases according to availability of specific
revenue sources and urgency ofneed. The
major types of facilities and improvements are
described below.
Land Acquisition and Improvements
The most costly item on the proposed list of
recreation and parks facilities is the acquisition
and development cost for five acres of parkland
over the 2}-year Master Plan. Limited funding
is available from development mitigation
settlements for designated neighborhoods and
from anticipated park impact fees from new
development. Given the high cost of land in the
City, parkland acquisitions must be made
opportunistically. The City should look for
opportunities to leverage funds by seeking publicprivate partnerships for joint acquisition and use of facilities ; by negotiating developer mitigation
agreements where possible; and by using the
4B Recreation and Parks Master Plan, March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 785 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) services ofland trusts or conservancies to assist in
brokering below-market purchases. The
acquisition schedule will depend on the availability
of funding and specific acquisition opportunities.
Facility Sharing
The Master Plan recommends an aggressive
program to maximize the opportunities for
facility sharing with the School District and the
College as well as local private schools and
nonprofit organizations. To this end, the Master
Plan includes replacement of the Municipal Pool
on the Santa Monica College campus,
conversion of several school paved areas into
new grass playing fields and the redesign of
entry areas as social gathering places. The
largest cost item is the Municipal Pool
replacement, which is substantially covered by
FEMA and CDBG supplemental earthquake
repair funding.
Expanded Recreational Use of Public Facilities
and Land
Given the high cost of land acquisition in the
City, the Master Plan proposes creative uses of
existing public lands and facilities to maximize
recreational use opportunities. This category
includes expansion of beach parks; development
of the nonaviation lands at the Airport for
recreational purposes; a new aquatics facility, to
be constructed within an existing city park; and
the implementation of the Civic Center parks.
The Civic Center parks are expected to be
funded by developer contributions and
mitigations.
Pathway lmprovements
Since walking and bicycling around the City and
on the beach has been identified as one of Santa
Monica residents' favorite leisure activities, the
Master Plan proposes the addition of bike lanes,
walkways and several streetscape improvements,
Financing and lmplementation
including a street tree planting program, which
are all designed to enhance and improve
pedestrian access and enjoyment. The most
significant costs in this category are the
downtown streetscape projects, which are
expected to be funded primarily by transportation funds; the citywide sidewalk and parkway widening projects; and a street tree planting
program. The street tree planting program could
receive funding from state and county tree
planting funds.
General Park I mprovements
The category of park improvements includes a
ran ge of park repair, renovati on and r ev italization projects as detailed in Table 6 and 7. The total cost represents a major commitment by the
City in improving existing facilities. It includes
such projects as Park Restroom and Concession
Replacement, the improvement and expansion of
Community Centers, improved and enhanced
49 11.C.c
Packet Pg. 786 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Table 6
Preliminary Phasing of I mprovements
Item
>.
-
t)
E(!
-Y
at)
c|
U
L
I
(!
E
E
U
I
vl
rt\
Parks and Recreational Facilities
1 I
t-ilr
o
a a a
o
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
aI
a a
t-il a
;
a
1 I
ill
a
a a a a
a
;-
tv a a
t-tv a a a a
Ng-!q!!" n d_lrqqy"q" n t
Park Facility Maintenance and Access. Proiect
t-tv a a a a
a
a
t-lv a a a a
Park Restroom and Concession Replacement Project I
o
Marine Park Lighting I
a
Beach Restroom Area lmprovements I
a
Beach Maintenance Projecl t-tv a a
Play Areas Renovation I
a
Douglas Park lmprovements I
a a a
BIC Project I
a
;
a
_;
a
a
a
Lincoln Park Edge lmprovements ilt a
a
a
Memorial Park lmprovements il-il1 a
a
a
a o
_!_
ill
--|--
I
I
t!
I
I
I
I
I
1_
lt
I
il-lll
a
a
a
a
a
-t
a
a
o
a
a
-aa
50 Park and Recreation Master PIan. March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 787 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Table 6
Preliminary Phasing of lmprovements
New Telnjs Cgurts
New volleyball Courts
Cardens, Creens & Habitats
Mt. Ol ivette I mprovements
\l{og! ! awy !:qptery 1 m provements
Marine Park Riparian Wash
Palisades Bluff Stabilization
23rd Street N"irr" C"ia"n
Public Places
Campus Promenade
lmprove N.W. Corner of Adams School
Green Streets, Pa & Comm. Forest
Sidgwa]kf qkway Widen i n g
\ o19y ! at!o1 e9!/sqe_91993p9
PqqLsf. YS{LU lLrnqg! " !o E!l'l
Olympic Boulevard Median lmprovements
!C!,v-! S=11" q99]9y.'{ ry9Q !9,$p 1ov9 mqq
D gwn t9ry1 !!r99tsqp9 rfg,eqs
Circulation Modifications
Transit Priority Streets
|ttgSt !ig[t, "gr rgldTqpllg and Fulqsh i ngg
Street Lighting, Landscaping and Furnishings
Yra -cg19glmppyeme1ts
Eq!t-wg+ Pat!'yq/
North-South Pathway
South Edgg Linear Park with Bike Lane
Pico Boulevard Slreetgcape Project
Recreation Pathways/Streetscape Master Pl an
Freeway Bridge Pedestrian lmprovements
Renovate Pedestrian Bridges over PCH
Beach Trail Project
Community Forest Planting Program
L
tet
.J1
E
boI L
|! :
rtl
(1LU
v)
t!
(!!
G
_!_
il
t-t III
t-tl
t-il
t-lv
il
il
ilIIIII
t-tv
oaaaaaaaaoo
F i na nc i ng and I mpl eme ntation -)l
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 788 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) ballfields and other recreational facilities. Some
of these projects have already received funding
or funding has been requested for the coming
year. The remainder will have to be funded
through the range of funding sources detailed in
this funding section.
Park.Master Plans
Several park planning projects are expected to
be undertaken by the City in Phase I of the
program. Therefore, costs are included in the
Master Plan for the following planning projects:
a citywide Streetscape Master Plan; the Civic
Center Parks Master Plan; Josyln Park Master
Plan; and Memorial Park Master Plan.
Operating and Maintenance Costs
Operating and maintenance costs include the
costs of maintaining City swimming pools,
parks, landscaping, medians, street trees, parks,
trails and bike paths. If a facility was approved
in prior CIP budgets, it is assumed that the
operation and maintenance costs will be covered
by General Fund support. The operations and
maintenance costs of some facilities will be
covered, in part, by other public agencies, such
as the Municipal Pool, where the cost of
maintenance is shared with Santa Monica
College. Finally. some improvements,
replacements and enhancements can be covered
by existing budget appropriations and are not
anticipated to result in net new operating and
maintenance costs to the Citv.
New recreational program costs are not included
in the operating and maintenance cost estimates.
For the purposes of this Master Plan, it is
assumed that increased contributions from user
fees plus additional General Fund and grant
support will offset new program costs.
ldentified and Potential Recreation
and Parks Funding Sources
The City of Santa Monica is fortunate in
having a sound economic base with expected
increases in General Fund revenues over time
and the possibility of several potential revenue
sources available for acquisition and
enhancement of park and recreation facilities.
To the extent that adequate restricted revenues
are not available for specific projects, such as
Beach Fund projects, new unrestricted
revenue sources such as park bond proceeds
will be needed to make up the difference.
Capital Funding Options
General Fund Capital lmprovement Program
(CIP) Funds
The Capital lmprovement Program (CIP) budget
for parks and recreation facilities currently totals
$2.0 million from General Fund revenues.
Enhancementso the recreation and parks
operating budgets have also been approved over
time. For purposes of the Parks and Recreation
Master Plan, it is assumed that CIP levels from the
General Fund will remain constant. There are no
restrictions on how General Fund support can be
used, and the funds could be applied to any of the
proposed parks and recreation facilities.
Civic Development Funds
The Civic Development Fund receives onetwelfth, or 0.08 percent, of the City's Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) revenues. Currently, the
fund has a surplus, which must be used solely
for improvements to the Civic Auditorium and
related projects in the Civic Center. This fund
represents asecure revenue source, assuming
that TOT remains constant and the tourist trade
remains strong in Santa Monica.
52 Recreation and Parks Master Plan, March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 789 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Tax Increment
The City of Santa Monica has an established
Redevelopment Area (RDA) for earthquakerelated repairs and other revitalization projects.
A portion of the Tax Increment (TI) revenues
generated by the RDA may be available starting
in Phase II of the Master Plan for certain eligible
projects within the RDA. There will be many
demands on this revenue source, so parks and
recreation facilities will be in competition with
other maj or economic revitalization projects.
The Beach Fund
Beach Fund revenues from beach parking lot
leases and beach concessions and rentals must be
used for beach-related projects. A significant
portion of the Beach Fund pays for a summer
lifeguard contract with the County, security on the
beach and in the parking lots, beach cleanup and
maintenance, and ongoing repairs and enhancements to beach facilities. Due to the revenues received from increased beach parking and
activities, additional revenues may be available for
beach improvements proposed in the Master Plan.
Community Development B lock Grants
(CDBG)
The City is awarded an annual CDBG entitlement,
and has also received supplemental funds for
repairing earthquake-damaged facilities, such as
the Municipal Pool. CDBG entitlement funds
have historically supported park improvements in
low-income neighborhoods. The continued
availability of CDBG funds depends on ongoing
congressional appropriations to the federal budget
but has constituted a reliable capital funding source
for eligible projects for many years.
Park Impact Fees
The City collects $200 per dwelling unit for the
Parks and Recreation Fund from all new
F i n anci ng and I m pl ementati on
residential development. Recently, the City has
collected between $7,000 and $10,000 annually
from this fee. The City also has an Office
Development Housing and Parks Project
mitigation fee collected from new office
development in the City. The office mitigation fee
is currently $3.36 per square foot for the first
15,000 square feet of office development and
$7 .47 per square foot for office development over
15,000 square feet. Approximately 50 percent of
the revenues from this fee are allocated for parks
projects, and the remainder is dedicated for
housing projects. These funds are available for
any capital improvements or replacement projects
within the City. With appropriate nexus findings, it
might be possible to establish the fee for other
types of commercial uses.
Proposition A Funds
The City has successfully solicited and received
about $6.5 million from Proposition A, the Los
Angeles Safe Neighborhood Parks acts of 1992
and 1996. Proposition A has raised a total of
$859 million to buy new parks and natural lands;
improve parks, beaches and recreation facilities;
build facilities for at-risk youth and gang
prevention purposes; restore rivers and streams;
build trails; and plant trees throughout the
county. If subsequent county-wide park bond
measures are approved by the voters, additional
funds could be available. The City may be able
to secure additional existing Proposition A funds
for region-serving facilities such as beach
promenades and trails or for projects within lowincome neighborhoods.
Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) Funds
The City of Santa Monica currently obtains 8.3
percent, or over $10 million, of its General Fund
revenues from a 12 percent Transient Occupancy
Tax (TOT) paid by all overnight visitors staying
in a Santa Monica hotel or motel room.
53 11.C.c
Packet Pg. 790 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) The City enjoys one of the highest occupancy
rates in Los Angeles County-74 percentwhich, in turn, can support relatively high Average Daily Room (ADR) rates. Future TOT
revenue increases could be used to help fund
region-serving recreation or park facility capital
costs and ongoing operations and maintenance.
Citywide Community Facilities District (CFD)
or General Obligation Bond
To accomplish all of the planned parks and
recreation improvements within the desired time
frame, it will be necessary to seek supplemental
funding for capital costs by issuing a citywide
bond in the amount of $10 to $15 million. This
issue may be combined with other funding
requirements in the City, such as school or library
improvement. If additional operating and
maintenance funds as well as capital funding are
needed, a CFD would be the most appropriate
mechanism. If only capital funds are required, a
General Obligation Bond would be the simplest
mechanism to raise the funds. Both methods
require approval by a two-thirds majority vote.
Summary of Proposed
Financing Strategy
The proposed financing strategy includes the
following elements:
. Ongoing commitment of General Fund
revenues for parks and recreation CIP
projects, and operations and maintenance for
ongoing and currently approved projects;
. Ongoing commitment of the Parks and
Recreation dwelling unit tax and the Office
Development Housing and Parks Project
mitigation fees collected from new
development in the City;
Commitment of available Beach Funds for
new beach parks and related beach projects;
Commitment of tax increment funds,
starting in Phase II, for park acquisition and
development projects within the Redevelopment Area;
Contributions from the Civic Development
Fund for enhanced or expanded Civic Center
parks and recreational facilities;
Ongoing Community Development Block
Grants (CDBG), to be used in the Pico
neighborhood;
Contributions from the General Fund due to
any increases in TOT revenues for regionalserving parks and recreation facilities; An aggressive approach to securing grants
and other external funding; and
A citywide Community Facilities District
(CFD) special tax, or General Obligation
Bond to fund parks and recreation capital
and maintenance, depending upon levels of
General Fund support for operating and
maintenance costs.
After accounting for all identified and potential
capital funding sources and assuming phased
implementation over 20 years, this funding
strategy could secure adequate funds to support the
estimated net capital costs of the Master Plan.
Because of the high level of community interest in
new and improved facilities in the near future, a
$15 million Santa Monica parks bond measure
would be needed to implement priority projects in
the first two phases of the plan. In subsequent
phases, the availability of additional resfficted and
nonrestricted funds would provide adequate
funding for remaining projects.
Recreation and Parks Master Plan, March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 791 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) raDte /
Preliminary/conceptual Estimate of lmprovement costs
Item Estimated Cost Acres Pq tkl qld _Recre_ationa I
Civic Center Parks
Main Street Circle
Civic Park
Village Green Park
City HallSquare
Arroyo Park
Civic Center Master plan
Beach Parks
Beach Park *l
Beach Park #2
Facilities
$10,415,500
$1,279,900
$2,365,100
$1,282,300
$3,512,400
$1,775,800
$200,000
$5,623,2OO
$2,811,600
$2,811,600
$1O,960,O22
$5,250,000
$1,050,000
$1,050,000
$1,050,000
$1,050,000
$1,050,o00
$2,100,000
$250,A00
$1,850,000
$1,129,490
$1,358,080
$458,080
$900,oo0
$19,602,000
$16,335,000
$3,267,000
$5,954,57O
$1,760,000
0.60 6.00
0.70 1.60
2.10 2.90
2.90 24.80
Nonaviation Area park Land (see note #1 )
School Parks
School #1
School #2
School #3
School #4
School #5
Virginia Avenue Park
Park lmprovements
Park Expansion
Stewart Street Park Expansion
Street Ends
New Street End Medians (South of Freeway)
Convert Street Ends (North of Freewav)
Acquire and lmprove New park land
Acquire New Park Land
lmprove New Parks for Recreation purposes
Park Facility Maintenance and Accessibility project
Park Restroom and Concession Replacement project
F i n anc i ng and I m plementation
1.20 1.20
r.20
1.20 1.20
2.90 1.50
0.30 0.80
5.00 5.00
55 11.C.c
Packet Pg. 792 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Table 7
Preliminary/Conceptual Estimate of lmprovement Costs
Item Estimated Cost Acres
Marine Park Lighting
Eeach I mprovements/Maintenance
Restroom Area lmprovements
Maintenance Project
Play Areas Renovation
Clover Park
Marine Park
Ozone Park
Joslyn Park
Douglas Park
Douglas Park lmprovements
BIC Project
Palisades Park (Phase ll)
Beach lmprovements (Pier to Bay Street)
Cal iforni a I ncl i ne Repl acement
Pier Bridge Widening
Coastal Cateway 1ntersection of Pier, l-10, PCH)
Lincoln Park Edge lmprovements
Memorial Park
Park lmprovements
Park Master Plan
foslyn Park lmprovements
Park lmprovements
Park Master Plan
Pacific Street Park lmprovements
Aquatic Facilities
Municipal Pool Replacement Proiect
Park-based Recreational Aquatics Faci lities
$210,000
$538,780
$t 00,000
$438,780
$1,100,000
$610,000
$7,669,100 24.10
$903,000
$1,575,000
$1,500,000
$75,000
$350,000
$300,ooo
$50,000
$352,700
$B,255,600
$3,950,000
$4,305,600
o.70
0.50 56 Park and Recreation Master Plan. March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 793 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) I aDte /
Preliminary/Conceptual Estimate of lmprovement Costs
Item Estimated Cost Acres
Park-based Recreational Aquatics Faci lities
Additional Ballfields
Clover Park
Los Amigos
Adams Middle School
Skating lmprovements
South Beach Roller Hockey
Skating Facility
Miles Playhouse Renovation
New Athletic Courts
Basketball Courts
Tennis Courts
Volleyball Courts
Basketball Court Replacement
New Cymnasium
lmprovement/Expansion of Community Centers
_G_qCe!q c re9_19,4$ tl " b ilqtt
Mt. Olivette lmprovements
Woodlawn Cemetery lmprovements
Marine Park Riparian Wash
Palisades Bluff Stabilization Project
23rd Street Nature Garden
Civic Auditorium Landscape Plan
Public Gathe{J6 Places
Campus Promenade
lmprove N.W. Corner of Adams Middle School Campus
Grygn _Slreets, P4lhways & Comm, Forest
Streetscape lmprovements
F i na nc i ng and I mplementation
$4,305,600
$1,050,000
$350,000
$350,000
$350,000
$72,OOO
$50,000
$22,000
$1,233,147
$260,000
$80,000
$120,000
$60,000
$449,000
$2,B5o,oo
$3,000,000
$268,490
$::z,6co
$264,000
$5,800,000
$65,000
$40,000
$1,544,740
$210,680
$5,664,197
3.00 0.30
3.00 1.60
1.00 J,/
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 794 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Table 7
Preliminary/Conceptual Estimate of lmprovement Costs
Item Estimated Cost Acres
Median improvements
Pearl St. Median tincoln to 16th)
Olympic Boulevard Median lmprovements
San Vicente Boulevard Median lmprovements
Downtown Streetscape Proiects
Ci rcu I ation Mod ificati ons
T ransit Priority Streets
Street Lighting, Landscaping and Furnishings
Street Lighting, Landscaping and Furnishings
Pathways
North-South Corridor
East-West Corridor
South Edge Linear Park with Bike Lane
MTA Corridor I mprovements
Pico Boulevard Streetscape Proiect
Recreational Pathway/Streetscape Master Plan
Freeway Bridge Pedestrian lmprovements
Project #1
Project #2
Project #3
Renovate Pedestrian Bridges over PCH
Beach Trail Proiect
Community Forest Planting Program
Nofes.'
l. For purposes of developing a financing strategy, the maximum recreational use scenario was used.
A final cost estimate will be developed upon finalizing land use recommendations.
2. All estimates are preliminary and have been developed for planning purposes only.
Estimates have been developed by the City of Santa Monica nd ROMA Design Group. lJpon determination of actual extent of improvements, a more detailed estimate should be prepared. $1,715,760
$870,1 50
$s90,000
$255,610
$16,493,800
$568,000
$4,422,260
$4,077,930
$7,425,610
$5,001,510
$681,840
$2,795,070
$B9l,OO0
$633,600
$3,670,460
$35o,ooo
$1,194,800
$367,080
$408,860
$408,860
$31o,ooo
$1,900,000
$3,ooo,oo0
0.30 0.50
0.50 Park and Recreation Master PIan, March 1997
5B
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 795 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Existi ng Resou rces-Parks
APPENDIX 1 :
Santa Monica's park and recreation system
began with the establishment of the original
town, in 1875, and has generally experienced
three major eras of new development. There are
three parks that date back to the turn of the
century-Palisades Park, perched on a bluff
overlooking the Ocean, was an important part of
the founding vision of the city; Lincoln Park
(formerly Central Park built in 1892); and
Douglas Park (1916). The next major era of
park expansion took place in the years following
World War II, a time when Santa Monica
experienced rapid growth in residential
development. The parks from this era are
concentrated in the Ocean Park portion of the
city south of the Santa Monica Freeway. The
most recent era of park building, 1980 through
the present time, has generally focused on
completion of a linear greenway along the beach
south of the pier. The privately owned and
managed MGM Plaza Park, completed in 1992
as a part of a larger office development, may be
ushering in a new era of joint partnerships
between the city and other public and private
entities in providing open space and recreation
services. The eras of park development are
summarized on Table 8 and illustrated on Figure 1.
Appendix l: Existing Resources-Parks
Parks
Santa Monica has 24pNks, ranging in size from
0.16 acres (SchaderPark) to 26.41 acres (Palisades
Park). These 24 parks represent a wide diversity of
park types, uses and settings, each with varied
degrees of success with respect to its physical and
visual connections to the surrounding neighborhoods (see Thbles 9 and 10).
Historic Parks
There are three parks identified as historic
because of the role they played in the
development of the city. All three are located in
Santa Monica's original grid which extended
eastward from the Palisades. Palisades Park,
celebrated for its precipitous setting above the
Pacific Ocean, was identified as a city park in
1875 by Senator Jones, the founder of Santa
Monica. In 1892, Palisades Park was formally
designated as a park, known then as Linda Vista
Park. The name was subsequently changed to
Palisades (from the French meaning "a line of
bold cliffs") Park in 1915. Lincoln Park was
established in 1892-previously called Pueblo
Park and Central Park----originally envisioned by
Senator Jones as aplaza to serve the anticipated
hotel development around the park. It was
donated to the city as a city park when hotel
development occurred closer to the beach.
A-1
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 796 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Table I
Eras. of Park Development
Palisades Park. Perched atop a high bluff
overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the spectacular
views and scenic quality of Palisades Park
contribute significantly to the image and identity
of Santa Monica. This park is the largest in the
City (excluding the beaches), comprising 26
acres in a one and one-half mile linear
configuration. The park includes an asphalt
walkway system throughouthe length of the
park used primarily for walking and jogging,
and benches for contemplation and enjoyment of
the scenery. In the newly renovated southem
portion of the park, a decomposed granite path
has been installed for jogging. Palisades Park is
home to the Senior Recreation Center and the
Santa Monica Visitor's Center, as well as the
historic "Camera Obscura," a pergola, rose
garden and public artworks. There are four
outdoor shuffleboard courts and two large
community rooms associated with the Senior
Recreation Center.
The southern portion of Palisades Park has
been recently renovated and plans are
underway to renovate the northern portion of
the park. The scope of improvements to
Palisades Park include replacement of the
irrigation system, drainage improvements,
lighting enhancement, improved pathway
treatments, landscaping enhancement, railing
replacement and new street and park furniture.
Lincoln Park.Lineoln Park occupies a city
block (5.3 acres) within the intensively
developed Wilshire Corridor, and has been
significantly developed with recreational areas
and community serving buildings including
Joslyn Hall (200 seats), the Card Room (100
seats), Miles Memorial Playhouse (with stage
and sprung wood floor), and park and
community-wide youth offices. The historic
Miles Memorial Playhouse, built in 1929 in the
Spanish Colonial Revival style by J. Euclid
Miles, a prominent Santa Monica realtor and
Year
Built
Before 1900
Palisades Park
Lincoln Park
1900-1 939
Crescent Bay Park
Douglas Park
Coose Egg Park
Hotchkiss Park
1940-1 959
tuhland Park
Beach Park #4
Los Amigos Park
Marine Park
MemorialPark
Joslyn Park
1960-1979
Pacific Street Park
Ozone Park
Park Drive Park
Stewart Street Park
Virginia Avenue Park
Clover Park
198G-Present
Barnard Way Linear Park
Beach Park #1
Schader Park
Ocean View Park
Clover Park Expansion
MCM Plaza Park
South Beach Park
1875
1892
191 1
1916
1 93s
1949
1949
1 950
1 9s8
1 961
1 963
1965
1971
1975
1978
1 983
1 990 't992
Source: ROMA Design CrwP
Douglas Park (formerly Padre Park) was
established on the site of the Douglas Aircraft
Company in l9l6 on land previously owned by
the Santa Monica Water Company. Until the
early 1930s, these three parks-Palisades,
Lincoln and Douglas-were the three major city
parks in Santa Monica.
A-2 Park and Recreation Master PIan, March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 797 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) :::Fdrmei:l
.inrl5ir6
ti!:ilEl:::::
G,OOSE::EGG
;l.i:,::,ttY,Reo,tt:,t
MARINE PARK
. 1949.
OZONE PARK
.1963.
1980 TO:PRESENT' '
FUTURE PARK oppoRruNtlEs 0.+999- 3000 o
@
BEACH PARK #4
H isto1y,,,,,of 'Park I m provement
w
ffi
T
ffi
BEFORE.l9OO
1 900 TO 1939
1940 TO 1959
1960 TO 1 979
civic leader, has been unoccupied since the
Northridge earthquake, and is awaiting federal
funding for its refurbishment. The reopening of
the Miles Playhouse will be an important
milestone for Lincoln Park and all of Santa
Monica. Recreational facilities include an
extensive children's play area, six lighted tennis
courts, four shuffleboard courts, two basketball
courts, a croquet court and a horseshoe area. The
City completed a renovation of the meeting
rooms, open grassy areas and children's play
area in 1995.
Douglas Park. Douglas Park similarly occupies
a city block (4.5 acres) within the Wilshire
corridor approximately 2 miles east of Lincoln
Park. This park contains two lighted tennis
courts, a children's playground, a lawn bowling
green with an adjacent park building and pond/
watercourse system, which is currently empty.
The park also has fourteen picnic tables within
an open lawn area. Improvements to the
children's playground and restoration of the
ponds and pathways are currently scheduled to
be completed within the next two years.
Beach Parks
The scenic beauty of the coastline has long been
a draw for recreational activity in Santa Monica,
contributing significantly to the image, identity
and quality of life experienced in the city. Santa
Monica State Beach is generally bisected by the
Santa Monica Municipal Pier, separating the
Appendix l: Existi ng Resources-Parks A-3
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 798 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Table 9
Existing Park Acreage
Name Address Total Acres Turf Acres*
1. Ashland Park
2. Barnard Way Linear Park
3. Beach Park #1
4. Beach Park #4
5. Clover Park
6. Crescent Bay Park
7. Douglas Park
8. Coose Egg Park
9. Hotchkiss Park
10. Joslyn Park
11 . Lincoln Park
12. Los Amigos Park
13. Marine Park
14. Memorial Park
15. MCM Plaza
16. Ocean View Park
17. Ozone Park
18. Pacific Street Park
19. Palisades Park
20. Park Drive Park
21. Schader Park
22. South Beach Park
23. Stewart Street Park
1650 tuhland Avenue
Barnard Way
2600 Earnard Way
1642 Promenade
2600 Ocean Park Boulevard
20OO Ocean Avenue
2439 Wilshire Boulevard
Palisades Avenue
23O2 Fourth Street
633 Kensington Road
1150 Lincoln Boulevard
500 Hollister
1406 Marine Street
1401 Olympic Boulevard
Broadway and 26th
2701 Barnard Way
720 Ozone Street
145 Pacific Street
Ocean Avenue
2415 Broadway
1 425 Cloverfield Boulevard
Barnard Way
'1819 Stewart Street
o.4
3.2 4.6
0.1 17.9
2.3 4.5
o.7
2.1 2.5
5.3 3.1
7.O
10.4 3.5
5.7 0.7
o.4
26.4 0.3
o.2
1.8 3.8
5.8 0.3
3.0 o.3
0.1 '14.4
1.0 1.5
o.4
1.6 1.0
1.8 1.8
3.9 5.9
1.8 5.0
0.6 o.4
10.7 o.2
0.1 1.8
2.0 24. Yireinia Avenue Park 2200 Virginia Avenue 4.O
Total Acres
*Turf areas include sports fields and other landscaped areas.
Source: 'Community Voices' Phase t Report, Brady and Associates, lnc., February 1996. 112.7 63.6
A4 Park and Recreation Master Plan, March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 799 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) area into two distinct units: the south of the pier
area characterized by beaches and shoreline
parks; and north of the pier area characterized
by a more vast expanse of sand and bounded by
Pacific Coast Highway.
In the south beach area.a necklace ofbeach
front parks has been developed along the
shoreline and forms a nearly continuous seaside
parkway. When viewed collectively, the six
beach parks form a chain ofover 17 acres,
stretching from the Venice Beach border to the
Municipal Pier-a distance of over 6,400 feet.
Except for a gap of approximately 1,500 feet
between Beach Park #4 and Crescent Bay Park,
the park land is continuous. A beach front bike
path is a significant feature, providing a focus of
linear recreational activities including walking,
bicycling and in-line skating. Four of the beach
parks are directly adjacent to the bike path
(Beach Park #1, Beach Park #4, Crescent Bay
Park and South Beach Park) and the remaining
two are across the street from the path.
The Beach Promenade and Bike Path are well
used, giving rise to conflicts between various
users, particularly at activity nodes formed by
the parks. There are several parking areas
along the beach, totaling approximately 37
acres in area. which allow vehicular access to
the beach and the Municipal Pier. Some
iiii:::i:i':i:,, .i. ..
, :
.. ":,.:,i:
,i : ti,,tH oi c h li i is, p A i k',',t. wa s, ii i n gt o i t'S c h o o ! Santa Monica ca. | 900, showing locations of parks and
schools today.
Appendix l: Existing Resources-Parks
parking areas double as areas for roller
hockey and skateboarding when available.
The beach parks enjoy a high level of user
amenities including food and concession
stands as well as bike and skate rentals.
There are a wealth of significant public artworks
located in and around the Beach Parks. The
"California Wash" memorial installation is
located at the beach at the foot of Pico
Boulevard; the "Obelisks" public sculpture is
located near Beach Park #1; the "Singing Beach
Chairs are located near Beach Park #4. ln 199'7,
a new piece, "Solar Web," will be installed.
Significant improvements are planned to the
South Beach parks as part of the Beach
Improvements Group BIG project. These
include an expanded and improved promenade,
a Chess Park, improvements to the children's
play area and the exercise equipment at Beach
Park #4 (Muscle Beach).
South Beach Park.Located at the southwestern
comer of the city, this popular I.J acre facility
includes a children's play area and a turf area
with picnic tables. The park is linked to both the
Beach Promenade and a beach parking area.
Ocean View Park. Ocean View Park is the next
park north on the shoreline chain of parks, and is
located on the cityside of Bamard Way. This 5.6
acre facility includes six-tennis courts, two
tennis backboards, and a full basketball court.
The tennis and basketball courts in this location
are very popular, to the extent that they are
considered overused. Reservations are typically
required in order to play tennis at this park. In
addition to active recreational pursuits, there are
more contemplative areas of open green located
along a rise that allows views out over the water.
Beach Park #1. This park is generally located
at the terminus of Ocean Park Boulevard on the
A-5
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 800 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) beach side of Barnard Way and is comprised of
4.6 acres of land at the beach. The park is
traversed by the Beach Promenade, which is
heavily used for in-line skating, strolling and
bicycling. There is also an active children's play
area and open lawn areas for picnicking at the
north and south portions of the park. There is a
parking area associated with the park, which is
used for roller hockey during offpeak periods as
well as a concession stand.
Barnard Way Linear Park. The Barnard Way
Park is located between Bicknell Avenue and
South Beach Park on the beach side of Barnard
Way. This park is a linear greenway consisting
of a sidewalk and open lawn area paralleling the
beach. The park is at a higher elevation than the
beach, which allows views over the ocean. There
are two stairways at Pacific and Strand streets
which provide access to the park and the beach.
Crescent Bay Park. This 2.3 acre facility is
located just north of Barnard Way Linear Park
occupying a small block bounded by Ocean
Avenue, Barnard Way, Bicknell and Bay streets.
This park is comprised of two open lawn areas
separated by a retaining wall which takes up the
change in elevation on the site. There is a
sidewalk along the eastern Ocean Avenue
frontage which is used by walkers and joggers,
and there is a trellised walkway along the
western edge of the park which provides
connection to the Beach Promenade. This
walkway is currently closed due to damage from
the Northridge earthquake, but will be repaired
pending funding from FEMA (Federal
Emergency Management Agency). Crescent
Bay Park is in need of some redefinition to
promote better use and enjoyment of the park's
amenities. With its central location within the
City and near the beach, this park could be
reinvigorated as the setting for small concerts or
other performance art activities.
Beach Park #4. This beach, also known as
"Muscle Beach," is located on the beach
directly south of the Municipal Pier. Except
for a small area of turf (0.1 acres), most of the
facilities at this park are located within the
beach sand. The specific recreational
apparatus includes monkey rings, ring beam
and horizontal bars (leading to the moniker
"Muscle Beach"), a children's play area and
seven volleyball courts.
While once a bustling center of activity
associated with muscle sports and gymnastics,
this park, located in the shadow of the Municipal
Pier, has become somewhat overlooked and in
need of redefinition. Significant improvements
are planned to this area as a part of the Beach
Improvements Group (BIG) project. These
include: an expanded and improved promenade;
improvements to the children's play area;
expansion and improvement to Chess Park; and
exercise equipment.
View Parks
Two parks, Hotchkiss and Joslyn, are
distinguished by their location atop a topographic rise that affords views over the City.
Both parks serve as primary neighborhood parks
within Ocean Park. The two parks are roughly
two acres in area and are very different in
character: Hotchkiss is a largely open with large
trees, and Joslyn is developed with recreational
facilities, a dog run and community buildings
which obscure its hilltop character.
When the City acquired the Hotchkiss property
in 1935, it was the site of an abandoned gas
station and several dilapidated buildings.
Originally, it was the site of the Moody
Mansion, which was the home of Mary Jauch
Hotchkiss, whose first husband was murdered in
the mansion in 1884. The mansion was
regarded as haunted for many years, prior to
being torn down in the early 1900s.
A-6 Park and Recreation Master Plan. March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 801 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Joslyn Park (formerly known as Kensington Park)
was constructed in 1958 on the site of the former
Walter G. McGinley estate. The estate was
purchased by the City with funds provided by
Marcellus Joslyn, who also provided funds for the
construction of the Douglas Park Bowling Green
and the Palisades Parks Senior Recreation Center.
Hotchkiss Park. Hotchkiss Park is comprised of
2.1 acres of gently sloping land along Fourth Street
between Strand Street and HollisterAvenue. The
park is dedicated to passive recreational use,
consisting primarily of open turf traversed by a
central pathway. The park is enclosed by mature
trees along each edge. Hotchkiss Park is the
setting of the public sculpture "Oneness."
Joslyn Park. This 2.5 acre park is located at the
top of a ridgeline and an eastern facing side
slope which affords vistas over the City. This
park includes turf areas along the slope face and
one basketball court, children's play area and
community center at the top of the hill. There is
a dog run along the northern edge of the park.
Joslyn Park contains murals describing Santa
Monica's history.
Multi-Use Parks
There are five parks which are used for multiple
purposes, ranging from active recreational uses
to passive contemplative uses, children's play,
and neighborhood gathering. The recreational
fields are in great demand and are heavily
used-not coincidentally, they represent
significant challenges with respecto maintenance of the turf fields. All of the City's parkbased athletic fields, including l3 baseball fields and 6 soccer fields, are located within these five
parks, as well as 13 basketball courts and I I
tennis courts.
Clover Park, adjacent to the Municipal Airport
of Santa Monica, was originally the site of the
Clover Field Airport, which included facilities
Appendix l: Existing Resources-Parks
for the Douglas Aircraft Company. South of the
airport, in the general area of the Airport
Nonaviation Lands, the Santa Monica Municipal
Golf Course was developed in the 1920s, and
included tennis courts as well as rifle and
archery ranges. Los Amigos Park is the former
site of John Adams Junior High School, which
was built in 1913 and abandoned after the 1933
earthquake and subsequently rebuilt in its
current location. Following the use of the site
by the army and navy in the 1930s and 1940s,
Los Amigos Park was created in 1949. For
many years the park was the site of the Morgan
Community Theater, until it was destroyed by
fire in 1949. Memorial Park, originally the site
of the Municipal Stadium, was initially
developed as a venue for auto racing in the
1930s, and was later converted to a trailer park for
veterans returning to Santa Monica after World
War II. Stewart Street Park was developed in l97l
and was originally part of the CityYard, which is
currently located west of the park.
Clover Park. At 17.8 acres, Clover Park
constitutes the largest of the City's multiuse
parks, the second largest park overall (Palisades
Park is the largest at26 acres). This park is
located on Ocean Park Boulevard adjacent to the
Santa Monica Municipal Airport. The existing
facilities at Clover Park include two general
purpose fields which provide three baseball
fields and two soccer fields (overlapping), one
full basketball court, one sand volleyball courl,
two lighted tennis courts, and two children's
playgrounds. Two fitness courses circumscribe
the park. Administrative offices for the Parks
and Sporls Division are located within the park
as well as the Hill and Dale Family Learning
Center, a nonprofit preschool leased from the
City. Clover Park is used year-round by athletic
teams in the southem portion of the park and for
more passive recreational activities in the
northern portion of the park. The pathways that
circumscribe the park are often used by walkers,
joggers, and persons walking their dogs. The open
A-7
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 802 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) lawn areas in the northern portion of the park are
also heavily used on weekends for more informal
recreational activities such as reading, picnicking,
and sometimes croquet. Clover Park is the setting
for the annual Santa Monica Festival.
Los Amigos Park. Los Amigos Park occupies
3.1 acres of land adjacent to the new John Muir
Elementary School and Santa Monica
Alternative School (SMASH) between Fifth and
Sixth streets at Ocean Park Boulevard. The park
is used by the school while in session and by the
community during evenings, weekends, and
during summer months. After completion of
current school construction there will be one
lighted tennis court and one basketball court and
a playing field. This park is owned by the Santa
Monica-Malibu Unified School District. There is
no children's playground at Los Amigos Park, and
this was found to be a comnon desire among park
users in the communitv voices survev.
Marine Park. This park is located along the
southern boundary of the City and directly
adjacent to the Penmar Golf Course in Venice.
The park is approximately 7.0 acres in area and
accommodates one baseball field which doubles
as a soccer field, two basketball courts, three
lighted tennis courts, a restroom. a picnic area
with barbecues, and a children's playground which
includes a suspension bridge and other adventurefype play equipment. There is also an auditorium and child care center with a capacity of 53 children
located within the park. Child care services are
administered by the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified
School District. Marine Park is the site of the
City's sumner day camp program. There are two
murals located at this park.
Memorial Park. Memorial Park occupies 10.4
acres near the geographic center of Santa Monica.
There are six baseball fields within this park, four
of which double as soccer fields. There are also
four lighted tennis courts, a children's play area
and a gymnasium which accommodates basketball
A-B
and volleyball. The gymnasium is equipped with
showers and there are a series of community
rooms adjacent to the gym, including the Cultural
Arts Building, the Craft Room and a kitchen
facility. A second gymnasium which is a part of
the PoliceAtivities League (PAL) complex is
located at Memorial Park. The PAL facility is
home to the Virginia Avenue Theatre Project.
The gymnasium at Memorial Park is used by
public and private school groups, city classes
and leagues, and the general public. The four
north fields at the park are baseball fields with
soccer overlays and are used by Little League,
Bobby Sox, the Santa Monica Adult Softball
League, Santa Monica High School's junior
varsity team for softball and baseball, ani
periodically for football and flag football. The
southern fields at Memorial Park, which are
dedicated exclusively to baseball use, are
designed and used for Santa Monica Little
League games. There is also a dog run at
Memorial Park.
As with all of the multiuse parks, there are
issues associated with intensive use of the fields.
At Memorial Park, the use of the area by leagues
limits availability to the general public. There
are a number of issues that have been raised
with respect to the children's play area including
out of date equipment, and a better and safer
location closer to the fields. Other users have
noted that the fields are not conducive to
bringing younger children to watch the games
because access to the street from the fields is too
readily available. Many noted that more seating
is needed.
Outdated restrooms cause serious maintenance
and security concerns, and the need for a
complete restroom redesign with durable
finishes and fixtures. Many users stated that
they will not use the central restroom facility
because they do not feel safe and because the
restrooms are not clean.
Park and Recreation Master PIan. March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 803 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Stewart Sfreet Park. This park is located on 3.8
acres of land along Stewart Street, just north of
the Santa Monica Freeway. This park includes
two children's playgrounds, one combination
baseball and soccer field, and one basketball
court. The relationship of the children's play
area and the fields has been noted as a positive
factor, as it allows parents to comfortably
supervise small children while also watching
soccer or baseball games.
Neighborhood Parks
Vi rgi nia Avenue Park. TheVirginia Avenue
Park presents itself as a more traditional
neighborhood park. This park, which is 5.8
acres in area, provides a significant complement
of community services to the neighborhood
through a community center as well as large
expanses of grassy areas. More specifically, the
park contains a children's playground, two halfcourt and one full-court basketball facilities. a sand volleyball court, picnic facilities, a
bathroom, and off-street parking.
Of all the city parks, the Virginia Avenue Park
perhaps best exemplifies the role that a
neighborhood park can play in serving the
recreational and social needs of the neighborhood. In keeping with this role, the park hosts many cultural events, including Cinco de Mayo,
the Corn Festival, and Santa Monica Festival
events. Programs at the Thelma Terry Center
provide educational and social services
including information and referral, workshops,
classes, activities and events. The center offers
services targeted to youth, families and seniors.
A park-based staff team which is comprised of
groundskeepers, custodians, recreation staff and
park rangers meets regularly to enhance
programming, security and maintenance at the
park. The Santa Monica Police Department also
has a station at Vireinia Avenue Park.
A 2.9 acre parcel adjacent to the park, located at
Pico Boulevard and Cloverfield Avenue. has
been purchased by the City for purposes of
expanding the park, scheduled to begin
construction in 1997. The site is currently used
as the Pico Farmers Market.
Vest Pocket Parks
There are six parks that are distinguished primarily
by their small size. In general, these parks do not
play a role for active recreation as much as they are
visual amenities that are often used for individual
exercises. All of these parks are less that one acre
in area and are noted for their strong connections
to their sunounding neighborhoods.
Ashland Park. Ashland Park is comprised of
approximately one-half acre of land along Ashland
Avenue. The park is improved with turf and trees
and is not heavily used, serving primarily as a
visual amenity to the neighborhood.
Coose Egg Park. This park, which is
approximately 0.7 acres in area, is situated
within the center of Palisades Avenue between
Fourth and Seventh streets. The landscaping
consists of turf with palm trees. The quiet
setting of the Goose Egg Park makes it
conducive to contemplative activity such as
Tai Chi, as well as providing visual amenity to
the neighborhood.
Ozone Park. Ozone Park is a linear park of
approximately 0.7 acres located along Ozone
Avenue at the southem boundary of the City.
The park has two children's playgrounds at
either end of the park. The eastem playground
is a newer design with the exception of the
swing set, and the older western playground
includes several unique facilities such as a shoeshaped metal slide and spring rocking horses.
The two playground areas are separated by a
fairly expansive turf area.
Appendix l: Existing Resources-Parks A-9
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 804 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan)
FRAN(LIN K
e^pii i t{4!
t, lttj t::lt i l:.l,t l.ll]li:ll
ADAMS
scHooL
iniia;n p*x
Marine Park
Ozone Park
This park is periodically used by children
accompanied by adults. The central turf area is
used for informal sports such as catch and
croquet. In addition, many use the park for
walking their dogs. Most users walk to the park
from the surrounding neighborhood.
Pacific Street Park. Ttlre Pacific Street Park is
comprised of 0.4 acres of land at Main and
Pacific Street in downtown Santa Monica. Most
of the lot has been fenced in and is temporarily
in use as an off-leash dog park.
Park Drive Park. This park is located on 0.3
acres of land on Park Drive across from
Colorado Place/MGM Plaza. The park is
primarily comprised of a community garden
which provides l0 plots for residents to grow
various plants and vegetables. The community
garden is not accessible by the public and is
A-to
screened from public view by a slatted chainlink
fence. There is also one bench and picnic table.
Schader Park. TheO.2acre SchaderPark is
located along Cloverflreld Boulevard at the
terminus of SchaderDrive. Park improvements
include an elliptical walkway and wo benches.
Quiet enjoyment of this park is greatly diminished
by the busy traffic along Cloverfield Boulevard.
Quasi-Public Parks
MCM Plaza Park. MGM Plaza Park is
essentially a public park that is owned, maintained
and operated by a private entity, in this case MGM.
This 3.5 acre facility is located in the intensively
developed midtown core, within Colorado Place at
Broadway and 26ttr Street. The park contains two
tennis courts, a half-court basketball facility, a
children's play area, a volleyball court and a fivePark and Recreation Master Plan, March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 805 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Table 10
Public Schools
Edison Elementary
Franklin Elementary
Crant Elementary
McKinley Elementary
John Muir (new)
(Los Amigos Park)
Will Rogers Elementary
Roosevelt Elementary
John Adams Middle
Lincoln Middle
Santa Monica High
Olympic Continuation
4.8 5.0
6.0 1
1 2
1 2
2 2
7 I
1 1
1 1
2 1
6.5 5.32
8.2 5.5
16.0 9.6
25.0 4.O
Notes:
1. Total school acreage, including school plus outdoor play areas.
2. Includes Los Amigos Park.
Source: ROMA ksign Croup and "Community Voices' Phase t Report, Brady and Associates, lnc., February 1996. station fitness course. There is also a public
sculpture within the park.
The privately maintained park is secure and
relatively problem-free. It is, however, both
physically and visually isolated from the
surrounding streets and neighborhood, and is
therefore underutilized. Improving the physical
and visual connection to the neighborhood could
enhance the use and perception of this park as a
public park.
Appendix l: Existing Resources-Parks
Public Schools
There is a full continuum of public schools in
Santa Monica, including seven elementary
schools, two middle schools, Santa Monica High
School, Olympic Continuation High School, and
Santa Monica Community College. These are
shown together with existing parks on Figure 2
and Table 10.
Elementary Schools
Edison Elementary School. Edison Elementary
School, located on Kansas Avenue in the Pico
neighborhood, is the smallest school at 4.8
acres. This school contains a blacktop
A-tt
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 806 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) L
q
z
?;E
A ,.f.9P;'eA , 8g
5 * sE g r d3
? !.bE E E gE
.9 E*€g,a: g :: Ee Ee.lE; f E &t $gas?Ss S*? Eq f Srs.i},s ulil ?= E : E'€: t'a -6 =.Hf; E 5 E i $ €€IEF € g=E"lE E$
a 5 siddE S gFIEE I | :A
ssrIIoorlsau
nsaredg 3ug:ge4
TJJBIS pesB{'{rEd
s.IaSuea rgug
salq€I l!ur!d
tl
tl
ll
tl
tl
tl
a.l d
t, o, v,
llo\
tl\
lt\
e{loo
IF
trl
I
to, I
ll
tll\o
tt\
ttl
llr
ttl
ttr
tuIC
palqigl = (1)
Ernoc sluual
luq,ta11on
zllBqlelseg
rpla!J rarros
rpla!J llBqas€tr
punor8.{e14
s(uaJpFqJ
tl
ll
ll
ll
ll
tl
tl
rrJ lrx
t:
ls
tl
lcr
ll
tl
lrtl
llol
llo
ll
at
(J
(g
J
(!
(!
q
.:<
(g
g
.a .9
.G'X
ll
I
tll
ttl
ttl
tl
z
s
x
E
!
ir
'69. r
Or 0- Fe
E Ek E E b
= Eq H 3 :
4 (tJ.= O !) =
-i o.i di .+ ri
6 ?4
9bo
o=
\o Fo.s+
It 7, .F
.:ia*
9=5 ^v
tt f
o @o\
A-t2 Park and Recreation Master PIan, March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 807 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) HEaE
E? !=Gi
d F Sa H
8 5 ,sq d qo
N Z F E= , E E :
E 5 E Zz Hg g; 3
: Ea; P! E; f;I u; q E i
E*EBF ; E.H 3'E e p E E
Eag** : ?i= E;3. E E * i
E;E{=ai, E*535€'E,s €? EEi cei E E I
3::=ssEs sr :5H gC; : 5 r E
ttl
tttl
tttl
ttll
tlr
ttll
P\o I I
lll
atl
tttl
tttl
lotl
N
\
cl C-r .f
J
r tt t
yAa t d s i+ E
F'{ E #scq
i H E > E B€
fkb..oo';'i s i = =6dd
6..i d .+ ri .o r'- dj
t
J
_
Appendix l: Existing Resources-Parks A-t 3
>g
z
ssrIIfi)Jlseu
osacedg 8uJrye;
€JJefs pesBg-{rsd
s:aiuea:ge4
seIqeI rlurld
ru{C
palq8t-I = ('I)
sunoJ sluuel
pq,{a11o1
zllBqfo{sEfl
rplalJ retros
rple!d IIEqase{
puno.r3,{u14
s.uarpl!qJ
o
z
at
q,
(J
J
aG
=J
Y{
F=v
at .i
-a .9 .(!x
F I.IJ
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 808 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) o>
PE6
63c
ots
E-do io?
58'E
6Z: tLgf
:eii 6;Z u.a
;h
6-L
=--9
.=;c g09
d?g
:9-
I !.r
!>''=
Y'=E
EEO
c=E -
eE9
'-9
ErbE =c
,10E8 E'=H
8at gtu
.24.=
E:-{ .9 H, 3.
E'
3s9.
;,E€ I.=
t)-9
2;o
E F,3
e:or
.- ; tse&
E U Jz6 E
: ts ii99 0
: ., k.= a
q =: E
{ t E'=;
e h ;t -
= i o!1
=
; 6
q 9= EE.E.-
6?E-x b + 6I e
6 5 _. FE e
oogug;,9.
e b's .EE i:
€ O a uD o
= E e .!7 c
=oxE.-
i5 E = o= !
:6!!:a:tr
E # E €H.:
aJ E g 960 9
E E P bE 3
hd * E 9= o
HE R ; Ze E
H:; E F* E
JH ' E FE -C
a 6 oo; i'e o
4d E -i :; H Yo€o.Xd.- € 5 -: n E 7r €
.q;.E IE!3! Et ; I i i s =
8: E * ; E 3 i a
qg E E F:.9 Fi
A= - < ;i == E A
ei q F s EE [e
El x € A 8 e H s
- Y a 2 .E E Y ;:'
E3 E E i E=, E"3
E!3Llb9Eg
9 E ? ; E F9 EI
I F ? e E Y.9 I o
; ts I o ? cit :-g !.c t :;5E
u 8E # F eEsgt
6 Z:ciri+r;€
E3
:' g3 s
€ .E i€5 i'' 'E Eg€ /EE E leE
;nE5? E?e,,E € il EtE E{ E;$s; F€s E
.E | | | .teF Ef,E
v,:
{ "Fd I
A'v-q.lo
9&EEi
xbcatr.E H'oE!q.=
& E ; t po+<
E ,, a 3 SI
tlcrn lm.ri
t:
t\
@
lcnlvr
tt*
tm
l*l
t-l
tl
l*cr
Park and Recreation Master Plan. March 1997
RFS*S
A-14
u
o
>O
z
,sllloorlsitu
osaredg 3ug:gre4
ellqs PesEg'tgBd
s.roSuea rye;
salqeJ r$t!d
Iu,{g
palq8l1= (1)
slrnoJ sluual
1eq,ta11o1
zlleqla{ssg
tplalJ rerros
rpla!d[ IIsqasBfl
punorS,(e1g
s{uarpl!qJ
u)
=
(!
J
a€
cre ltt
=J
5ootr
4.2 -(!X
o
E
z
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 809 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) \oqhia-
€.
a<
f:;
V)
=6aI
.F
bo3
oo qE
o ._ E*
tsE -u
d=
F'e EE
Eo. .se ,EE
.= ,i
Ea
i>,
otr
oeq
=4!a
x
.it
o-€.:!
T= E
F
=o_€
='c,E
ii
6O E E
E
.- = !2 ':. -s= E I
9!:=
lf; =
E s5 3 & =o=d a=F-o
.;:,f:
Eivx
a.=1E
:*E E i.b
OEd:J
q.=!*;
bH 7E
€
a F 6ih
:i
=dooE
iiJ =* I
'Ac..oi5=
+;X bc€
u q
; F"-, i 6
e U :.X; E 5
E H:3f .F:
E+r n6 5;
€
* E:EE t 2 E
E='iAg.Vn q'q:9o*J
= E .l: € i
?
;:f!€gs
!€EEZEE
2 E = F. E E
E o=ddj5Yy
F * E: E E
&
; € Ao- E s e
e I YJ >' d Z
; n FE b d
s
!2 .! A'{3 = i
6- E .= -q A t
:
!: Ez a v.: evE;.-2.=
.AFFFFF> 5 I ei f e
P
O-ol -o\
ooah?
boa3exqa! IdaaoI +oo
l)o
9) haFoI3ooI
6=
OJ
tsd
(JFJ
(!5o
'o
-YA L
a(!a
ar O
t9x
F
L
.=Ge
Es
:.{LX!:
^E
vd:P =: t.==
-bO '".9 E€
-9
e -Fa* -a.2 I
(EYX
Ffi 4r
Appendix l: Existi ng Resources-Parks A-t
5 11.C.c
Packet Pg. 810 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) playground with painted court games. A small
grass play area and an onsite parking area for 53
cars is also located on the site.
Franklin Elementary School. Franklin
Elementary School is a 5.0 acre school site
located on Montana Avenue in the Montana
Avenue neighborhood. It is developed with a
small turf baseball field and an expansive
blacktop area (approximately 58,000 square
feet) with a basketball court as well as other
painted court games.
Crant Elementary School. Grant School is
located on Pearl Street in the Sunset Park
neighborhood. Recreational facilities at this 6.0
acre school include a large blacktop area
(approximately 77,000 square feet) with
miscellaneous painted court games and a small
grass play area (approximately 18,000 square
feet). There is also an onsite parking lot of
approximately 42 cars in addition to a smaller
lot of 14 cars off of Pearl Street.
McKinley Elementary School. McKinley
Elementary is located on Santa Monica
Boulevard in the Mid-City neighborhood. The
school has a grass field play area (approximately
40,800 square feet) that is used for baseball,
softball and t-ball, and a large blacktop area
(approximately 63,000 square feet) with
miscellaneous painted court games. There is also
an onsite parking lot for approximately 50 can.
John Muir Elementary School/SMASH. The
new John Muir/SMASH school complex is
located on Fifth Street adjacento the existing
Los Amigos Park which will be utilized by the
school when it is in session.
Will Rogers Elementary School. Will Rogers
School is located on l4th Street in the Sunset
Park neighborhood. The school contains a large
blacktop play area with painted court games, a
grass play field and several basketball courts.
A-16
There is a large blacktop play area at the
southeast corner of the school property (33,000
square feet), adjacento l6th Street, which is
utilized for parking. A parking lot accommodating 28 cars is located on l4th Street adjacento the main entry to school. Will Rogers
Elementary School is 8.2 acres in area.
Roosevelt Elementary School. Roosevelt
School is located on Montana Avenue in the
northwestern Wilshire/Montana neighborhood of
the City. This 5.5 acre facility contains one
large blacktop play area (approximately 42,000
square feet) with miscellaneous painted court
games and a small grass play area (approximately 12,000 square feet). There are also two tennis courts and an onsite parking lot of
approximately 50 cars.
Secondary Schools
John Adams Middle School. JohnAdams
Middle School is located on l6th Street across
from Will Rogers Elementary and across Pearl
Street from Santa Monica College. This school,
the largest middle school at 16 acres, has a large
grass play area (approximately 240,000 square
feet or 5.5 acres) containing two lighted junior
baseball fields. The school also has two tennis
courts, five blacktop basketball courts and a
gymnasium. The fields at John Adams are also
used for soccer and football.
The fields are used by Santa Monica College for
football practice and for women's soccer. In
exchange for use, the soccer field is maintained
by the College. The fields are also used by the
Western Youth Baseball Organization, Santa
Monica Little League, Bobby Sox softball,
AYSO, Crossroads School, SAMOHI athletic
programs, the City Youth Sports Program, and
the Santa Monica Rugby league. The
gymnasium is used by the YWCA for a girls
basketball league.
Park and Recreation Master Plan, March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 811 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Lincoln Middle School. Lincoln Middle
School, located on California Avenue between
14th and 16th avenues. contains an outdoor
track with a grass infield (approximately 84,500
square feet), two tennis courts which double as
basketball courts, an enclosed pool facility
(discussed below) and a gymnasium. The
school is 9.6 acres in area. Fields at Lincoln
Middle School are used by the CityYouth Sports
Program and the AYSO.
Santa Monica High School. Santa Monica
High School (SAMOHI) is situated on 25 acres
bounded by Fourth Street, Pico Boulevard,
Seventh Street and Olympic Boulevard.
Recreational facilities on the school property
include one football field, one combination
baseball and soccer field, and seven tennis
courts. The tennis courts were recently
resurfaced by the Riviera Country Club in
exchange for their use in their youth tennis
camp. Also located at SAMOHI are the Bamum
Hall and amphitheater.
Community College
Santa Monica College. Santa Monica College
occupies 37 acres between Pearl Street and Pico
Appendix l: Existing Resources-Parks
Lincoln JuniorTV
HighSchoolt:) r..tuh?,;at
:',::::: pafk
'ilii#iifi,@,.,:,rO
,
, lLos:Amiioi Park
Boulevard. The City's Municipal Pool is located
on the grounds and is utilized by both the city
and the College with operating expenses shared
on a pro rata basis.
The College has a gymnasium that contains
three full basketball courts, and is used largely
by college students, but also accommodates
some community functions during the summer
months. There is also a football field and track
on the grounds which currently constitutes the
only football stadium within the City. The track
is well utilized by the public. The college also
has eight tennis courts which were damaged by
the Northridge earthquake. The courts are
currently accommodating temporary classrooms
while permanent structures undergo repair.
Some of the college athletic programs utilize
field space at the adjacent John Adams Middle
School. There are also galleries, theaters and an
amphitheater located on the campus.
Madison Campus (formerly the Madison
Elementary School site). This campus of
Santa Monica College occupies a four acre
site on Arizona Avenue between 1Oth and I tth
streets. The school site does not contain anv
recreational facilities.
A-t 7
Santa Manica r:t
. Highkhool\J) O
:,;:... ',,
,: Los Amigos
'j::.. l : ..:.
i ,.,,. .:::.::::::
.
.i:::..:,:,::.:,,,
.
Existing Baseball Fields
Parks 1 3
Schools 4
Total 17
Des not include existing small non-event play fields at Ropers Schals and olanned fields at Cahhorri antl Cra
Franklin and
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 812 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 6)
Santailonica
Citf Collete
,'o '
Saqta'Monica
,,High khiiol
Other Recreational Facilities
ln addition to parks and school facilities, there are
a number of specialized recreational facilities that
are operated by the City and which play an
important role in the provision of recreational
services in the City. These include the Municipal
Pool, located at Santa Monica College, the Santa
Monica State Beach facility located at4l5 Pacific
Coast Highway, and the PoliceActivities lrague
located adjacent to Memorial Park.
Swimming Pool Facilities
There are three public pool facilities that are
open for public use (although one is currently
closed for repair due to earthquake damage).
Santa Monica Municipal Pool. Located on the
campus of Santa Monica College, the Municipal
Pool is 33-ll3 yards by 25 yards and varies from
2-112 to 5 feet deep, and includes a separate
diving pool which is 8 to 12feet deep. There is
also a smaller diving pool at this location. Of all
the pool locations, the Municipal Pool has been
the traditional site for swimming in Santa
Monica and is where many Santa Monicans
learned to swim. The pool is outdoors and
A_18
Parks
Schools
includes indoor lockers, showers and a
recreation room. Santa Monica Municipal Pool
is excellent for teaching children to swim and
for summer programs but the shallow end is too
shallow for competitive swimming. The pool
also requires extensive maintenance due to the
age of the facility (constructed in the 1950s).
Lincoln Pool. Lincoln Pool is an enclosed
facility located at Lincoln Middle School at l6th
Street and Washington Avenue. The pool is 24-
l/2yafisby l3-l/2 yards and varies from3-I/2
to 9-ll2 feet deep. This pool is good for winter
use, as it is indoors, but it is too deep for
teaching young children and the shallow end is
too shallow for diving. The pool allows 2l lap
swimmers at one time and has a small seating
area that can accommodate 30 persons. This
facility has been closed due to extensive damage
from the Northridge earthquake, but is
scheduled to reopen in late 1997 or 1998.
Santa Monica High School. The largest public
pool is the facility at Santa Monica High School,
and is for school and city/community swim
programs. The pool is 25 meters long by 25
yards and varies from 4 to 14 feet in depth. This
pool has a large seating area (500 persons), a
Park and Recreation Master Plan, March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 813 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) knta MbAica
Hich School "o
{indar)
Existing Swimming Pools
Parks
Sclqqlt
Total
0 3
3 Virginia/-;\ Santa Monici
Avenuep;rk\!/ City College
''i'i;'{!Y#::,@ 6al
r.,O-,,r pfiaaa^sf
ng Gymnasiums
Parks
Schools
3 )
8 good diving area and is located indoors, which is
an advantage for winter use. The pool is generally
too deep for younger children's programs.
Santa Monica State Beach Facilitv
(41s PCH)
This facility is a remnant of the 1929 estate of
film actress Marion Davies. While the main
house was demolished in 1956, the remaining
facilities and clubhouse were operated by a
private operator and then the City for public day
use and event rental; however, the facility is
currently closed due to damage from the
Northridge earthquake. The entire 4.98 acre
property is designated as a point of historical
interest by the City Landmarks Commission, and
the North House has been designated acity
landmark. An analysis of use options for this
facility is currently underway.
Police Activities League (PAL) Facilities
The Police Activities League (PAL) Youth
Center is located on Olympic Boulevard
adjacento Memorial Park. The 19,000 square
foot facility includes a computer room,
gymnasium, classroom, dance room, kitchen,
Appendix l: Existing Resources-Parks
lounge, arts and crafts room, counseling room
and office. Activities which occur at the gym
include practice and league basketball, volleyball,
wrestling, floor hockey, and badminton. The PAL
gymnasium is not regulation size, and does not
have room for bleachers.
PAL also operates a gym space at Virginia
Avenue Park. This facility is used primarily for
boxing, weightlifting and karate classes.
Public Gathering Places
Santa Monica Pier. The Santa Monica Pier
located at the terminus of Colorado Avenue is a
popular beach-oriented amusement center. The
Pier has a tradition of providing seaside
recreation and entertainment that dates back to
the tum of the century. It differs from other
piers in the region in that it provides low-cost
entertainment, including a carousel (25 cent
ride), video arcades, and off-pier fishing. It is a
regional recreational draw and also serves the
local community through a variety of citysponsored cultural programs, including art shows and concerts. The Pier is desisnated a
City Landmark.
A-19
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 814 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Total 10
D@s not include 25 infomal beach couds.
Santa Monica State Beach. The City manages
approximately 209 acres of Santa Monica State
Beach through an operating agreement with the
State of California. This agreement has been in
effect since 1949. The City is responsible for
the care, maintenance, development, operation
and control of the Santa Monica State Beach
property through 2006.
Third Street Promenade. The City maintans2.4
acres of grounds at the Third Street Promenade,
which is a pedestrian-only street bounded at Third
Street by Wilshire Boulevard and Broadway. The
Third Stneet Promenade, which emerged as a very
popular destination in the community survey,
provides a valuable venue for community and
social interaction, as well as providing a location
for cultural events and programs and public art.
Civic Center. The Santa Monica Civic Center
area includes approximately 45 acres of land
that includes the Santa Monica City Hall, the
Civic Auditorium, a County Courthouse and the
offices of the Rand Corporation. Future plans
for the Civic Center call for developing the area
into a mixed-use center that is organized around
a system ofnew parks and open spaces,
pedestrianways, courtyards and gardens. In
A-20
total, redevelopment of the civic center site will
add approximately 13 acres of open space
within the 45 acre Civic Center area. The Civic
Center buildings contain an outstanding
collection of permanent and temporary artworks.
Gardens and Habitats
Community Gardens
There are 70 plots available within two
community gardens. There is cunently a
waiting list of more than 100 persons for garden
plots. To be eligible, individuals must be
residents of the city and pay an annual fee.
There is no limit on how long a resident may
hold a plot provided that the garden is planted
and maintained on a year-round basis. There is
a limit of one plot per household.
The two community gardens have been in
operation for over 20 years. All garden plots
must be well maintained and used exclusively
for growing fruit, flowers and vegetables for the
growers' personal consumption. No commercial
use of the gardens is allowed.
Park and Recreation Master PIan, March 1997
:, ..,',,.''....,.,.,,,
:' : Plaia"'u Y':;Af-6:
Lincoln lunior.l;, (^ t96
Hig,h Schcrll\9 . . V,-, " Memor'a' tohn{dams
Park >cnoot
Park 27' (ts lighted) s-sLed{l!
Total 42
' Des not include S.M-C11.C.c
Packet Pg. 815 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Main Street Community Carden. The largest
community garden, approximately one-half acre
in area, is located along Main Street and
provides l8-foot by 2O-foot plots for 60
residents. Views of the garden are somewhat
diminished by unattractive chain link fencing
that is placed along the perimeters of the garden.
Park Drive Community Carden. The Park
Drive Park community garden provides l0
garden plots within Park Drive Park. This
garden is not publicly accessible and is screened
from view by a slatted chain link fence.
Demonstration Gardens
Civic Center. Three examples of xeriscape
gardens are maintained within the Civic Center
area. These gardens are supplemented with
informational placards and a self-guided tour
brochure. At times, the City sponsors tours of
the gardens with school groups and other
interested organizations.
Ocean Park Boulevard. Tltere are additional
xeriscape pocket gardens along Ocean Park
Boulevard that were installed and maintained by
the City. While the gardens provide pathways,
the linear areas tend to serve more as visual
enhancements for neighbors and those traveling
along Ocean Park Boulevard.
Habitats
Twenty-third Street Hillside. There is a
sloping area of approximately three acres
adjacento the Municipal Airport along 23rd
Street that is currently fenced and informally
planted with wildflowers, perennials and shrubs.
Green Streets
There are several streets in Santa Monica that
contain significant land area dedicated to trees
and landscaping. These streets provide
Appendix l: Existing Resources-Parks
opportunities for linear recreational activity as
well as visual amenitv.
San Vicente Boulevard. The lush San Vcente
Boulevard median runs from Ocean Avenue to
26th Street at the northem edge of the City. The
median is 38 feet wide and approximately 2 miles
long and is planted with distinctive Coral trees.
The median totals 8.74 acres in area and is one of
the most popular jogging locations in the city.
Olympic Boulevard. The Olympic Boulevard
median, which runs from Centinela to 1Oth
Street, is 36 feet wide, approximately 3.5 miles
in length, and equates to approximately 6.5
acres in area. Like the San Vicente median. it is
planted with Coral trees.
Fourth Street. The existing median on Fourth
Street is 25 feet wide and runs from Montana
Avenue nonh toAdelaide Drive for a linear length
of one half mile, totaling 1.35 acres in area. This
median is planted with turf and palm trees and is
the setting for impromptu recreational activity.
Pathways
Beach Promenade and Bike Path. T\e Beach
Promenade runs south from the Santa Monica
Pier to Bay Street for a linear length of
approximately one-half mile. The Promenade is
a 20-foot walkway adjacent to a variety of
shops, restaurants, apartment complexes and the
carousel park. There is also a promenade which
runs north of the Pier to the I 100 block of
Pacific Coast Highway.
The Beach Bike Path is a part of the larger
Pacific Coast Bicycle Route which runs along
the beach from north of Santa Monica to
Torrance. The ponion of the path in Santa
Monica is three miles in length and is 15 feet
wide. Most of the route consists of a separate
bike path on the beach and is fully separated
from auto traffic.
A-21
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 816 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) The Beach Promenade and Bike Path are highly
popular recreational facilities for pedestrians,
bicyclists and in-line skaters On peak summer
days, over 2,000 pedestrians, bicyclists and inline skaters use the paths, causing conflicts among the various users. Widening the path, or
creating a separate facility for the segment
between the Pier and Bay Street is currently
proposed as part of the Santa Monica Beach
Trail Project.
City Bicycle Raute Network. The City's
existing bicycle network consists of several
miles of bike paths, lanes and routes throughout
the City. As mentioned previously, the Beach
Bike Path is the only separated bicycle path
(Class I) in the City. Striped bicycle Ianes
(Class II) exist on Ocean Avenue, San Vicente
Boulevard, and portions of Califomia Avenue,
Arizona Avenue, Broadway, Pearl Street and
Ocean Park Avenue. Seventeenth Street is
designated at the primary north-south bicycle
route; it is a posted route (Class III) that shares
right-of-way with automobiles.
A-22 Park and Recreation Master PIan, March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 817 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) APPENDIX 2:
Youth Sports Programs. Afterschool sports and
recreation programs are offered through the
Youth and Teen Sports Section of the Human
Services Division at the eight elementary
schools and two middle school sites. The
programs offered include flag football,
basketball, t-ball, soccer, softball, track and
field, and volleyball. The Community and
Cultural Services Department and the Police
Department have joined together to create the
Santa Monica Police Activities League (PAL),
which provides a variety of sports and recreation
programs including badminton, boxing, camping,
fishing, golf, karate, weightlifting and wrestling.
Programs for lndividuals with SpecialNeeds.
The Westside Special Olympics hosts a variety
of sporting activities for individuals with special
needs. These programs include basketball,
bowling, floor hockey, golf, gymnastics,
powerlifting, downhill skiing, soccer, swimmi n g,
tennis, track and field, and volleyball.
Adult and Senior Programs. The Parks and
Sports Division offers a wide range of adult
sports including softball, basketball and
volleyball. Swim classes are offered through the
Existi ng Resou rces-Recreation Programs
Community Sports and Recreation
Current Services
There are a variety of nonprofit and private
recreation organizations as well as the City of
Santa Monica that provide important sport and
recreation programs, both traditional and
nontraditional for children, teens, adults and
seniors. These agencies use City park and open
space facilities, their own facilities, or a
combination of both.
Each recreational activity has its own specific
space requirements as well as different
intensities of use depending on the number of
participants involved and length of play (Table
12). ln Santa Monica, recreational programs
have long focused away from large landintensive sports, such as golf and horseback riding. Instead, they feature more urban
activities, with large segments of the community
involved in team sports as active participants in
various leagues (seeTable 13).
The City currently offers the following
community sport and recreation programs:
Appendix ll : Existi ng Resources-Recreation Programs
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 818 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Table 12
Dimensions
Area
(s.r.) Players
Duration
of Game
s.r.i
Person
Comparison of lntensity of Use of Recreational Facilities Type of Facility
Skateboard Park
Shuffleboard
Volleyball
HandballCourt
Basketball Court,
High School
Tennis
Roller Hockey
Field Hockey
Football
Soccer, High School
Softball
Baseball
Colf Course
10-20,000 s.f.
52' x 6'
60'x 30'
40'x20'
84'x 50'
36'x78'
1 80' x 80'
15O'x27O'
300' x 1 60'
'l 95' x 330'
25O'x25O'
350'x 350'
9-'lB holes
10-20,000 s.f.
312
1,800
800
4,2OO
2,808
14,400
40,500
48,000
64,350
62,50O
122,5O0
1 60 ac.
N/A
20 minutes
48 minutes
no limit
40-60 minutes
70 minutes
60 minutes
90 minutes
no limit
no limit
2 to 4 hrs.
24 12
22 22
22 18
1B
24 per hole
50-1 00
78 150
400
420
702
'1 ,44O
1,84O
2,181
2,925
3,472
6,805
9,680
200
24 12
2 10
Aquatics Section. Specialized classes for youth,
teens, adults and seniors are offered through the
Community and Senior Programs Division.
These classes include dance, fitness, tennis,
volleyball and yoga.
In addition to City-sponsored programs, a wide
range of sports and recreation programs are
offered by a number of community groups,
schools and nonprofit agencies. The City has
recently collaborated with community groups to
provide programs. Most recently, the Boys and
Girls Club of Santa Monica joined with the City
of Santa Monica to meet the recreational needs
of youth interested in in-line skating-this
resulted in a Winter Break in-line skating rink at
the Boys and Girls Club.
Community Programs
Current Services
Community programming addresses nonsports
classes and programs sponsored by the City of
Santa Monica. The city has defined its
programming niche broadly, encompassing a
wide variety of program offerings in the areas of
recreation, fitness, self defense and special
interest classes such as computer basics, internet
instruction, foreign languages, piano,
photography, and oriental healing arts. Santa
Monica College offers a wide range of
workshops, seminars, lectures, trips, classes for
adults and children through their Community
Service program. The YMCA and YWCA offer
A-24 Park and Recreation Master Plan. March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 819 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Table 13
Current Sports/League Participation
Number of
SporVleague ParticiPants
Flag Football
Flag Football Program
Superstars Flag Football
Boys and Cirls Club
Subtotal
Volleyball
Youth Volleyball
Adult Leagues
Subtotal
Basketball
PAL
WVCA Cirls Basketball
Boys and Cirls Club
City Youth Sports
Westside Special Olympics
Adult Leagues
Adult Leagues 2,500
Subtotal
Aquatics
Master's
Team Santa Monica
Westside Special Olym pics
City Swim
Recreational Lap Swiml
exercise, boxing, racquetball, handball, and CPR
classes, A number of nonprofit organizations,
including Academy of Dance and Kindred Arts,
Piero Dusa Acting Academy, Santa Monica
Playhouse, Westside Academy of Dance, and
Continuum Studio, offer dance and theatre classes.
Cultural Arts Programs
Current Services
Civic Art Programs. The City of Santa Monica
established its Arts Program and an Arts
Commission in 1982 and adopted a Cultural
Arts Master Plan in 1992, which was updated in
1996. The City manages and maintains a
collection of eighteen works of public art and
ten murals. Art elements are included in all of
Santa Monica's public works projects such as
the Beach Improvement Group Project, the Pico
Boulevard Streetscape Improvement Plan, the
Downtown Streetscape Plan, and the design for
the new Santa Monica Police, Fire and
Emergency Operations Center as a part of the
City's Percent for Art Program. The City also
maintains a large collection of portable artworks
by contemporary artists in Los Angeles County
which hangs in public buildings.
Art Festivals and Celebrations. Every year, the
City produces the Santa Monica Festival, a
multicultural, multidisciplinary celebration of
Santa Monica's cultural and ethnic history. This
all-day performing arts celebration in Clover
Park provides opportunities for both children
and adults to learn of the rich traditions that
have contributed to present-day Santa Monica
through the work of artists. In other large-scale
festival events, the City has collaborated with
450
147
50 647
392
320
712
160
225
300
750
40 125
Subtotal
Soccer
AYSO
Santa Monica United
Boys and Cirls Club (indoor)
Westside Special Olympics
1,600
1,500
600
100
22 Subtotal
Baseball, Softball and T-ball
Little League
Western Youth Baseball fusociation
Bobby Sox
Westside Special Olympics
2,222
1,115
250
400
62 4,327
s00
1s0
20 2,70O
7,50O
Subtotal
Tennis
Westside Special Olympics
PAL
Sanla Monica Team Tennis
Santa Monica Tennis Club
Tennis Pirons2
10,870
24 B5
250
750
200
Subtotal 1.309
This is based on current registration and enrollment in 1996-97 programs. For many programs, enrollment is limited, and participants are turned away due to limited facilities.
Notes:
1. Number of s'vimmers during summer months.
2. There are 25,000 tennis reservations (1 houd made on an annual basis.
Appendi x I I : Exi sti ng Resou rces-Recreation Programs A-25
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 820 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Santa Monica Place. the consulates of
Argentina, Japan, the Netherlands and Hong
Kong, the American Film Institute (AFI) and the
Americas Society Film Festival to provide a
range of programs that feature the arts, film and
crafts from around the world. The Twilight
Dance Festival at the Santa Monica Pier offers
free dance concerts durins the summer.
Cultural Art Grant Programs. The City
currently operates a grant program providing up
to $5,000 to Santa Monica-based nonprofit arts
agencies and community organizations for
approximately l5 to 20 art projects annually
such as theater workshops and artist-inresidence programs in local schools, dance classes and performances in City parks, and
music, visual, and performance art projects in
venues throughout the City.
City-Sponsored Classes. Classes in the arts are
offered by the City, including dance such as
flamenco, tango, salsa and tap; piano and guitar
instruction; and photography. Classes and
workshops in the arts are also available at the
Police Activities League as well as the
C.R.E.S.T. afterschool program, which offers
classes in the arts to Santa Monica's vouth.
Children, Teen and Family Programs
Current Services
The City of Santa Monica has been in the
forefront of providing programs that have a
direct impact on the quality of life for children,
teens and their families. In 1989, the 10 Year
Action Plan for Youth and the Child Care Master
Plan (1991) established the City's vision and
blueprint for how services would be provided to
children, youth and their families through its
various departments and programs.
The following outlines the different City programs
supporting children, teens and families:
Specialized classes for young children at
Douglas, Marine and Lincoln parks provide
early childhood opportunities through the
Learning Through Play groups to Computer
Education programs for young children.
The City's Community Co-Arts and Latino CoArts Grants Program grants community-based organizations funds to support cultural arts
programs in the schools and other community
venues. The Santa Monica Arts Foundation's
Art Transportation Grants makes possible field
trips for children and teens to cultural
institutions in the Los Anseles area.
Virginia Avenue Park Thelma Terry Center is a
multipurpose center that offers educational,
cultural and recreation programs to children and
teens from school dismissal to 7:00 p.m.
The Citywide Youth Employment Training
Program is a job training, education, and
employment partnership between the City and
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.
The City and Santa Monica-Malibu Unified
School District have teamed up to offer a variety
of programs on the different elementary and
middle school campuses. The citywide sports
program provides opportunities for boys and
girls in grades K-2nd to have a positive sports
experience in a noncompetitive environment.
Girls and boys in grades 3 through 8 are able to
participate in competitive sports leagues. A new
innovative venture between the City and Santa
Monica-Malibu Unified School District is the
CREST program and After Schools Activities
Program (ASAP) at four elementary schools and
John Adams and Lincoln Middle Schools to
improve the quality and safety of before and
afterschool programming. In addition to the
CREST program, the City offers a drop-in
A-26 Park and Recreation Master Plan . March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 821 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) recreational program at the four remaining
elementary schools.
Homework support is offered through the Child
Care Recreation Enrichment Sports Together
(CREST) school-age child care program, Virginia
Avenue Park, PAL and the Public Library. There
are a variety of programs offered for children in
the public libraries, such as storytelling for
toddlers and preschoolers in English and Spanish,
suruner fun reading clubs, and a homework center
at the Fairview Branch Librarv.
There are several community not-for-profit
agencies that offer afterschool programs for
youth including the Boys and Girls Club,
YMCA, YWCA, and the Bay Cities Jewish
Community Center. Lastly, SMMUSD is
beginning to embark on a three-year Infant and
Family Support Project Initiative to establish
family support centers at two pilot Santa Monica
Elementary Schools to connect pregnant women
and families of children age 0-3 with their
neighbors and other communitv resources.
Programs for Persons
with Disabilities
Current Services
The City has an informal policy to ensure that
individuals with disabilities are integrated into
all City-sponsored programs based on
reasonable accommodation needs. The City's
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Coordinator provides technical assistance and
also administers an ADA operating budget to
cover the costs ofproviding reasonable
accommodations. City staff receives periodic
disability awareness trai ning.
The City sponsors several recreation and leisure
programs geared to persons with disabilities.
Appendix ll : Existing Resources-Recreation Programs
These include Eyecycle (andem cycling for those
who are visually impaired), Explorers (weekend
excursions), and a library shut-in service (home
delivery of library materials by volunteers).
Programs targeting people with developmental
disabilities include the Westside Special Olympics,
a social club, self defense instruction, monthly
dances, music rehearsals, volleyball, modern
dance, camping, and bicycling.
In addition, the City assists with funding the
WISE Paratransit Program, WISE adult day care
programs (for individuals with cognitive
impairments and/or Alzheimers disease) ;
information and referrals, adaptive home
equipment, independent living skills and
advocacy services through the Westside Center
for Independent Living (WCL); assistive
technology and computer training through the
Computer Access Center; home-delivered meals
through Santa Monica-Malibu Meals on Wheels;
HIV/AIDS services and education through the
Santa Monica AIDS Project; services for
individuals with mental illness through Step Up
on Second; and vision exams, mobility skills,
and independent living training through the
Center for the Partially Sighted.
Programs provided by other organizations for
Santa Monica residents with disabilities include
adaptive swimming programs, the Stroke
Recovery Program, and a recovery program for
individuals with traumatic brain injury, all
through Santa Monica College; mental health
services for individuals who are deaf or hard of
hearing through St. John's Mental Health
Center; "Twinges in the Hinges" for people with
arthritis through the YMCA; adaptive gymnastics
through the Broadway Gymnastics School; sports
and recreation through the Unrecables group
sponsored by the Los Angeles Chapter of Disabled
Sports, USA; and wheelchair track through the
Achilles Track Club.
A-27
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 822 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Senior Programs
Current Services
Santa Monica is served by a variety of
government, nonprofit, and private senior
service providers. The City of Santa Monica
operates a Senior Recreation Center in Palisades
Park,lunch programs, offers recreation and
leisure activities, volunteer opportunities, special
events, as well as day and overnightrips. The
City also funds Meals on Wheels, adult day care
and paratransit, health exams, and education and
counseling through the Center for Healthy
Aging, LIEU-CAP, the Center for the Partially
Sighted, and the Latino Resource Organization.
The City has established aCommission on
Older Americans and a Senior Recreation Center
Advisory Council, and has several publications
which address the senior audience, including
Episodes, the Directory of Senior Housing and
Health Care Facilities in Santa Monica, and the
Senior Resource Directory.
The City's direct service programming to
seniors provides recreational activities which are
primarily social in nature such as: dance, games
and sports, excursions, music, crafts and special
events, and provides an affordable lunch
program at several locations throughout the City.
Santa Monica is an important resource provider
in the community, providing opportunities for
nonprofit organizations providing services and
activities for seniors to utilize facilities at low or
no cost if determined to enhance upon the
program directly provided by the City.
The City is well served by several other major
institutions which provide important services,
education, programs and activities, including
Emeritus College (Santa Monica College), Santa
Monica UCLA Medical Center, St. John's
Hospital and Health Center (which is planning a
senior housing and wellness center), the YMCA,
and YWCA. Local religious organizations also
provide needed case management for seniors,
including Jewish Family Services and Catholic
Social Services.
A-28 Park and Recreation Master Plan , March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 823 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Community Demographics
Demographic Trends in
APPEN DIX 3:
Santa Monica
Looking toward the next twenty years in the life
of the City, projections indicate very little
population growth. Currently, there are 89,194
people living in Santa Monica and the
population is anticipated to grow by 4,000
residents (or a population of 93,400) by the year
2010. Although the town is not expected to
grow significantly, the demand for recreation
will only continue to increase.
Population Density. Santa Monica is an
urban, densely developed community which
places a premium on park and open space
resources. The City is 8.3 square miles,
equating to 5,363 acres in area. Since 1970,
the population has been roughly stable at
almost 90,000 persons (89,194 persons based
on 1995 State Department of Finance
estimates). This equates to a population
density of 10,470 persons per square mileone of California's more densely populated communities. By way of comparison, this is
approximately twice the population density of
Pasadena, which is approximately 5,000
persons per square mile, and two thirds the
density of San Francisco, the most densely
populated California city, which is approximately 15,000 persons per square mile.
Appendix lll: Community Demographics
Age. The 1990s saw an increase in the number
of households with small children which can be
attributed to "baby boom" parents having
children. As these children grow up they will
enter their most active years with respect to
sports and recreation. In 1990, the median age
was 37.9 years of age. Approximately l4Vo of
the city's population is under the age of l8-the
years which are most active in terms of
participation in organized sports and recreation.
Trends between 1980 and 1990 indicate an
increase in working age adults and households
having small children, and a decrease in the
number of school age children, young adults and
young senior citizens (ages 55 to 74). The increase
in the number of young children may soon halt the
decline in the school age population.
School-age Youth. According to the 1990
Census, Santa Monica has approximately 12,000
individuals under the age of 18, or 13.8Vo of the
population (1990 U.S. Census). Those under 5
represent 4.lVo of the population, while 9.17o
are between the ages of 5 and 17. According to
the October 1966 Santa Monica-Malibu Unified
School District (SMMUSD)K-12 student data,
the total district enrollment is 11,094. Santa
Monica-Mal ibu Unified S chool Districts permits
students of parents who live out of district but
work in Santa Monica. According to SMMUSD
Child Development Services 1996-1997 student
A-29
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 824 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) enrollment, there are currently 36l preschool
children Q.9 - 5 years) enrolled in State Preschool
and Full Day Child Care Programs.
Algg6 Survey of the racial and ethnic breakdown of
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District shows
the following distribution: American Indians/Al askan
Natives (0.29Vo), AsianlPacifi c Islanden (6.l2Va),
Black (8 i7 4Vo), Filipinos (0'29Vo), Hispanic Q6.91Vo), and White/An glo (57 .65Vo).
The 1997-98 total district enrollment projection is
11,278. Over the next five years, Santa MonicaMalibu Unified School District is projecting a growth in enrollment to ll J32 students.
Seniors. In 1990, Santa Monica had 14,351(1990
Census)residents 65 years or older. This is l6.5Va of
Santa Monica's total 1990 population of 86,905, and
higher than the lZVo national average. According to
a preliminary 7992 elderly demographic analysis for
the Westside (ajoint endeavor ofWISE and RAND),
few elderly are moving to the Westside, and many of
the future elderly may be leaving. The study found
that the senior population in Santa Monica between
1980 and 1990 decreased slightly, and that many
Westside seniors were "aging in place" (not moving
out of the area after retirement), were more educated
and more active than seniors in areas with
traditionally large numbers of elderly inhabitants.
Although based on data which is now five years old,
the study also found that the oldest old - the 75+
population - is growing, and that the 65-74 and 55-
64 populations are actually decreasing. It is
important to note the study did not make projections,
but did note that nationally, seniors (65+) will
increase from I2Va of the population in l99Oto21Va
of the population in 2030. Several other key factors
and trends affecting the senior population in Santa
Monica were noted as well, including vacancy
deconffol, cuffent tax law, and high property values
(cost of living).
Persons with Disabilities. The U.S. Census does
not keep records indicating the number of persons
A-30
with disabilities. The Department of Rehabilitation
estimates that a minimum of 72 percent of a
population has a disabling condition of some type,
and other studies show that 16 percent of all
Americans have a disabling condition. Santa Monica
has a large senior population and it is safe to assume
that a significantportion of this population has some
sort of disability. Also, the local school district
administers an excellent Special Education program
that draws families who have children with
disabilities to Santa Monica.
Westside Regional Center, which serves children and
adults with developmental disabilities, has over 60
children in Santa Monica between the ages of 3 and
1 1 as clients. In addition, Santa Monica College has
approximately 900 students of all ages with
disabilities, andapproximately 300 of these students
are Santa Monica residents.
Housing. Most Santa Monicans are renterc and live
in high-density housing which ffeates demandfor
open space andparks to address recreational needs
away from the home. According to the 1990 Census,
the majority of the residents are renters Q2.5 percent), while only 77.5 percent were owner occupants.
However, the proportion of owner-occupants is slowly
increasing (upfrom 22percentin 1980). Seventy five
percent of residens live in multifamily housing.
Household Characteristics. Santa Monica has a
relatively greater share of "nontraditional" households (particularly female-headed households and single-person households) indicating a need for a
park and recreation system that is flexible and can
serve avariety ofpurposes. The averagehousehold size in Santa Monica is 1.88 persons-about one-half (49.6 percent) are single-person households. In 1990, almost one-third of the families with children under 18 were headed by a single
female, and 45 percent of those households were
living in low income, near poverty, or at poverty level.
This group is oriented to active sports and would rely
on community-based facilities for such activities.
Park and Recreation Master PIan, March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 825 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) APPEN DIX 4:
Recreational Trends
Changing Life-styles and Leisure
Time in America
Americans as a whole are spending more time
working, commuting and attending school,
which has lead to an erosion of leisure time.
Since the 1970s, we have experienced a 30
percent loss in leisure time, equating to about
eight hours per week. Despite this decline, the
amount of leisure time spent on recreational
activities has remained constant. One of the
primary ways that we are able to maintain our
commitment to recreational pursuits is to engage
in activities that are close to home. As a whole,
we are taking more trips for leisure purposes; in
order to save valuable time. however. the
majority of these trips (short outings and day
trips) are within 10 miles of home.
In addition, the nature of recreational activities
has evolved with changes in larger social trends.
The 1960s and 70s were marked by increased
interest and involvement in social issues and a
concern for the environment that fueled a
renewed interest in the outdoors and the use of
recreation and leisure time as a path to self
fulfillment. Physically demanding sports and an
emphasis on personal excellence is also more
common in recreational pursuits today. In
addition, a growing diversity in cultures and
household types has expanded the number of
Appendix lV: Recreational Trends
activities pursued during leisure time, and access
to cultural amenities has also broadened our
recreational pursu its.
Sports. According the Sporting Goods
Manufacturing Association (SGMA), the
sporting goods industry does not project trends
past one year. However, in a 1996 State of the
Industry Report, the industry does show that
baseball participation has risen almost2Vo
during the last five years. The SGMA reports
the growing participation of girls in school sport
teams such as basketball. softball. soccer and
volleyball. Women represent 54Vo of all core
fitness participation. The U.S. Latino
population is also increasing in its buying
power, especially in the soccer and baseball
industry. Since 1990, the in-line skating market
has shown a fivefold increase in participation,
and has given rise to sports such as roller
hockey, currently one of the fastest growing
sports in the counffy.
Soccer leads all team sports as the number one
supervised activity for individuals under the age
of 18. Females account for 39Vo of all players.
The outdoor/camping equipment market is also
seeing an influx of many more participants.
Bowling remains a strong and steady market for
the sporting goods industry. According to the
SGMA report, bowling is the most popular sport
A-31
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 826 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) in the United States, based on participation one
or more times per year. Golf has generally
remained constant over the last four years.
Tennis is increasing after a decline. Court
volleyball seems to have temporarily plateaued,
while beach/sand volleyball has experienced
three years of steadY growth.
Youth Programs. The National League of
Cities 1996 survey "Critical Needs, Critical
Choices" shows that across the country nearly
every city has a direct vested interest in children
and families. From programs for young children
to programs for teens and programs for families,
communities are responding to critical issues
affecting children and families. According to
the NLC survey, the most pressing needs of
children and families are child care followed by
housing stability and family stability. Taking
these concerns into account, many cities are
struggling with how to ensure that their
youngest residents receive a healthy and safe
start in life and how to help teens have positive
experiences that will help prepare them for the
adult world. One consistent trend for many
cities appears to be increasing recreation
activities as a successful way to address the
needs of youth. Recreation activities help create
caring neighborhoods, provide opportunities for
youth to connect to their community, and act as
a deterrent to youth violence, dropping out of
school, and drug and alcohol abuse.
Recognizing the role and importance of
community partners, the City has increased its
involvement in collaborations that directly
impact important community issues. This
nationwide shift toward more community
collaborations is due in part to the promotion of
a shared responsibility among the community,
program fragmentation and specialization, more
funding dedicated to collaboration, and the need
to maximize resources due to dwindling federal
and state level responsibility. In addition, the
movement toward school-based community
A-32
centers, collaborative partnerships and youth
partnership models represents many City efforts
to: 1) address the critical need to provide young
people safe, structured environments in the
hours that they are not in school; 2) develop
opportunities for partnerships with community
organizations and businesses; and 3) create more
ways to involve young people in community
leadership roles.
The Children's Partnership, anational policy
organization, in their 1994 publication
America's Children and The Information
Superhighway reports that children growing up
in the 21st century are being directly affected by
the Information Superhighway. This report
stresses that local communities must begin to
look at these new technologies to better meet the
needs of its residents. Across the county, the
new technologies are being used in public
libraries, afterschool recreation programs, and as
a means to create comprehensive community
centers where the functions of library, play area,
job training facility and social service offices
could be combined.
As a result of the current City programs and
national trends, the City recognizes that helping
to support children become healthy adults must
be achieved through a variety of activities inside
and outside the classroom. Recreation activities
for children and youth must not be exclusively
focused on competitive traditional sports. While
athletics do help children and youth learn how to
work cooperatively, gain confidence and
maintain physical fitness, they should not be the
only recreational opportunity available to
children. Programs for children and youth must
be linked with enriched early childhood
development and education programs, health
care and social service needs.
Park and Recreation Master Plan, March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 827 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) APPEN DIX 5:
Community Priorities
Public Outreach Results
An extensive public outreach program was
conducted to determine the values and attitudes
of Santa Monica residents regarding parks,
recreation and open space needs. The public
outreach program included a telephone survey
of Santa Monica residents; a community open
house and workshops; a park user profile
collected at the parks; and a youth outreach
program that polled Santa Monica elementary,
middle and high school students regarding
recreational activity and preferences. The
results of the public outreach program are fully
described in the Phase I "Community Voices"
report dated February 1996. The following
sections describes the key findings of the
telephone and youth surveys.
Patterns of Park and
Open Space Use
Park Usage. Residents of Santa Monica are
active and frequent users of the City's public open
spaces and parks. On average, a member of a
household visited parks and recreation facilities
almost twice a week. Ninety-three percent of
households with children were park users.
Most Popular Parks. Park visitation patterns
are illustrated in Figure 3. The community as a
whole identified Palisades Park, Lincoln Park,
Clover Park and Douglas Park as the parks they
use most; however, there are differences in park
preferences by age group. Santa Monica High
School students tended to favor the more active
sports parks, specifically Clover, Memorial and
Marine Park, over Palisades Park.
Clover and Douglas Park users are more likely to
have children, while Palisades Park resident users
were more likely to be aged 65 and over. This
clearly reflects the nature of activities offered at the parks, specifically the location of the Senior
Recreation Center within Palisades Park and the
children's play area in Douglas Park.
Means of Travel. More Santa Monicans walk
to parks (46 percent) than drive their cars (40
percent).
Open Space Use. Third Street Promenade, the
beach and the Pier are the most used public open
spaces in the City, and this finding holds true for
every age group. The findings of the community
and youth surveys yield remarkably similar
results regarding the use of open space areas.
Appendix V: Community Priorities 33
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 828 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Clover
Memorial
Douglas
Lincoln
;ll*riiliiililtliiiii;iii ::'u.
iiit28%
'.
3o'1,, "' ' : '
!& City Residents
{,:fi.ii:fii semoH I students
'...50%
Community Priorities
Overall Priorities. Improving existing parks
and facilities was identified as the top priority
by Santa Monica residents (Figure 4).
Improvements which address park safety and
the homeless issues are the most desired
improvements to city parks, open spaces and
recreation facilities. More than one-third of
all responses described one of these two
actions when asked to describe their most
desired park improvement.
Developing more pedestrian-oriented streets
and open spaces was the second priority-this
finding goes hand-in-hand with the popularity
of walking and socializing as top leisure
pursuits for all age groups. Developing new
parks and open space was the third priority,
followed by development of more plazas and
public gathering places.
Recreational F aci I ity Priorities. With
respecto specific recreational facilities,
bicycle paths, swimming pools, off-leash dog
areas and children's play areas received the
most mention as existing facilities that Santa
Monica needs to expand (Table 16). Youth
and senior centers, swimming Pools,
children's play areas and off-leash dog areas
were identified as the existing facilities most
needing improvement or enhancement by the
City.
There was very strong support for using
school facilities for additional recreation
programs. Ninety-six percent of respondents
supported the use of school facilities for youth
programs and 88 percent favored school
facilities for adult programs.
Recreational Activity Preferences
Favorite Outdoor Activities. Walking was the
most popular outdoor recreational activity of
Santa Monica residents, with 57 percent of
respondents identifying walking when asked
what outside recreational or leisure activities
they engage in. Other favorite pastimes include
bicycling, shopping, eating out, running/jogging
and playing tennis. The results of the youth
surveys revealed somewhat different leisure time
34 Park and Recreation Master PIan, March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 829 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) preferences-while high school students also
rated walking highly, they showed strong
involvement in more active recreational
activities such as swimming, playing basketball,
bicycling and skating sports, as well as
diversions that promote opportunities for social
interaction-the most popular leisure activity
among this age group was "hanging out"
followed by eating, socializing and shopping
(Table 17).
Favorite Park Activities. When asked to
identify their favorite park activities, both high
school and elementary school students favored
baseball, basketball, soccer and football.
Visiting Third Street Promenade, the beach, the
Pier and playing roller hockey/skateboarding/
skating were identified as the most popular open
space and pathway activities among Santa
Monica's youth.
Community Sports. Santa Monicans are active
in a variety of sports activities. Survey
respondents indicated that sports instruction,
swimming, organized competitive sports and
fitness classes were all imponant programs for
children and youth (77 -93Vo of respondents
indicated these activities were "important"). In
addition, a majority of telephone survey
respondents indicated fitness classes (63Vo),
open play field or gym sports (63Vo), and sports
leagues and tournaments (547o) were important
for adults.
The youth outreach completed in Phase Iof the
Parks and Recreation Master Plan and included
in the Community Voices report found that the
most popular sports and outdoor recreation
activities among Santa Monica youth are
walking (38Vo), swimming (317o), basketball
(26Vo),bicycling (26Vo), skating and roller
blading (247o), and running/jogging (23To)-
The City has approximately 1,765 youths
involved in organized baseball and softball, and
approximately 1,600 youths in soccer. Santa
Monica has over 100 men's, 40 women's, and
60 co-ed softball teams; 35-40 adult basketball
teams; and 70-90 adult volleyball teams.
Specific needs identified in the outreach efforts
and documented in the Community Voices
report relate to facility needs and include the
need for more recreational swim opportunities
(particularly for seniors) and additional
opportunities for softbalVbaseball, soccer,
football, and other field sports play. The sports
facilities in the City are heavily used, creating
lmprove or renovate
existing parks and facilities
Develop new
parks and facilities
Provide more tree-shaded
pedestrian-oriented streets
Provide more public
plazas and gathering areas
uk. . .
Figure 4
Community Priorities
' 50./,, '
lmportant
Very lmportant
91%
'
:
75%
r00%
Appendix V: Community Priorities 35
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 830 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Table 15
CommunitY Priorities
t.ftou"ment or Expansion of Facilities
Existing FacilitY
More of
Existing FacilitY
(Percent)
lmprovement
Needed
(Percent)
Bicycle paths
Swimming Pools
Off-leash dog areas
Children's PlaY areas
Jogging paths
Youth centers
Basketball courts
Tennis courts
Landscaped/grassy areas
Athletic fields
Senior centers
CommunitY gardens
Cymnasiums
Volleyball courts
40 60
55 57
37 63
32 33
45 39
57 42
43 30
26 23
13 12
11 10
9 9
8 6
5 4
4 4
Sanrce: 'Park, Recreation, and Open Space Needs Assessment Suruq'' AtY of Santa Monica, February 1996'
maintenance problems and scheduling issues.
The Santa MonicaYouth Athletic Foundation
has detailed these issues and documented
athletic facility needs in its 1995'A Call to
Action" report.
Community Programs. The City's telephone
suryey, designed to reach a representative cross
section of the Santa Monica population, found
that adults prefer cultural events (917o indicated
that development or improvement was
" important"), disabil ity services (8 | Vo), and
special interest classes (727o). Although the
survey did not enumerate specific types of
36 cultural events, disability services or special
interest classes, several of the respondents
expressed the desire for more free, outdoor
concerts and dance instruction. Badminton,
fencing, adult craft classes, and inter-generational activities were also mentioned. Pico residents were the most likely to believe that
improvements to social events and trips are
important (7 47o, compared to 59Vo or Iess for the
other 5 neighborhoods in Santa Monica).
Finally, eighty-eight percent (88Vo) of the
telephone respondents indicated they would
support the use of schools for adult recreation
programs in the evenings and on weekends.
Park and Recreation Master Plan, March | 997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 831 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Student SurveY Adult SurveY
Activity Respondents Respondents
Hanging OuVRelaxing 56
Eating 45
Socializing 43
Shopping 42
Walking 38
Swimming 31
Basketball 26
Bicycling 26
Skating/Blading/Skateboarding 24
Running/Jogging 23
Football 22
Afterschool SPorts 19
Watching Sports 19
Table 17
Favorite Leisure Activities
Soccer
Fitness Activities
Tennis
Percent of Percent of
6 17
4 21
57 6
17 16
14 A
29 9
14 1
1 0
3 3
'12
Sanrce: "Parl<s, Recreatio4 and Open Space Needs Assessment Suruey," City of Santa Monica, February 1996.
Cultural Arts Programs. The community
overwhelmingly supports enhancement and
expansion of cultural events, as well as arts and
crafts, drama, mime, and music instruction for
children. The City's telephone survey found that
917o of respondents felt cultural events were
important to develop and improve. This was the
number one response among a list of eight
program choices which included fitness classes,
sports instruction and league play, social events
and trips.
In addition to cultural events, substantive and permanent arts programming and instruction (such as an arts continuum) for youth have surfaced as a
community priority, due in part to the limited
amount of public school arts instruction at the
presentime. The community has also expressed
the need, through various community outreach
efforts, for facilities which could serve current and
expanded future cultural programming. The facilities most often mentioned include a midsize theatre venue (in the 200-400 seat range) for the
Appendix V: Community Priorities 37
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 832 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) performing arts (particularly since Miles Playhouse is currently closed for earthquake repairs) and a venue which has a sprung wood floor for
dance groups and instruction.
Children, Teens and Families' Youth have had a
voice in the planning of the Santa Monica Parks,
Recreation, and Open Spaces Needs Assessment.
Throughout the firstphase, youth from the elementary schools to the high school were asked to give their opinion about recreation programs into the
21st century. A comparison was also made between the student questionnaires and the telephone survey results. In addition, a focus group with
parents of young children (birth to five years) was
held December 5, 1995 to share their ideas about
how they currently use Santa Monica's parks and
recreational facilities. These parents identified the
need for improved park facilities and children's
play areas (the recent renovation of Lincoln Park
was mentioned as a good example of what was
desired), cleaner restrooms, more park seating
(particularly around the play area), day care,
afterschool and weekend programs for children.
Elementary and Middle School students (5-13
years) were given the chance to tell their plans
for recreation needs and open spaces through a
specific activity packet disseminated through
their classroom teachers. These students were
given the chance to draw and/or write about past
play experiences, their ideal park, or their vision
of Santa Monica parks, open spaces, and
recreation in the future. These children
expressed their primary desire for swings and
slides, and other playground equipment in their
artwork and writing. They especially liked
adventure-type playgrounds and activities such
as in-line skating and skateboarding.
On January Il,1996,148 SAMOHI students
participated in two lunchtime Roving Activity
Chart projects, The students placed dots next to
their top 3 priority park (baseball/softball,
basketball, and soccer), open space (visiting the
Third Street Promenade, the beach, and the pier)
and recreation activities (participating in clubs,
drama/music, and dances/social activities)'
In addition, a focus group was held with a class
of high school students on November 21, 1996
to further delineate what youth mean about
having a place to hang out and assess their
interest in establishing a youth council. These
youth clearly identified that a place to hang out
means an unstructured facility that does not have
a lot of adult supervision, but has a activities
such as pool tables, coffee/soda bar, and a dance
floor for special nights.
Programs for Persons with Disabilities. The
community strongly believes that services for
persons with disabilities are important to
develop and improve. The respondents in the
City's telephone survey identified disability
services as the number one priority among
programs for youth and the number two priority
among programs for adults. In the survey, there
were also specific comments for access to the
beach and ocean, better access to the parks, and
more accessible benches.
On December 3,1996, the City conducted afocus
group session with many of the local organizations
that provide services for persons with disabilities.
The group discussed unmet needs, the integration
of persons with disabilities into City-offered
classes and programming, the City's role in
ensuring accessibility, and other disability-related
issues. The focus group's discussion informs the
program sffategies in the area.
Senior Programs. The City's survey found that
the communig (57Va) supported improving
existing senior centers (tied for third in priority
among 14 choices). However, only 5Vo (1lth
priority among 14 choices) supported building
an additional new senior center.
3B Park and Recreation Master PIan, March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 833 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) A senior group meeting held last December in
Palisades Park (about 10 seniors in attendance)
revealed that seniors would like to see more and
better maintained park amenities (restrooms,
benches, telephones), a new or renovated senior
center; that they are concerned with pedestrian
issues such as conflicts with skaters and
bicyclists; and that they would like to see a new
swim facility (preferably indoors) and more
programs. Specific programs/classes mentioned
were one-day excursions, arts and crafts
instruction, and seasonal workshops'
An executive focus group meeting was convened
on November 6,1996 with many of the local
senior service providers in attendance to discuss
the City's role in senior services, programming,
and the type of senior or community center
desired to serve present and future needs. The
group believed the City should act as lead
facilitator and coordinator between the various
agencies, providing the facilities (parks and
meeting spaces); organizing databases, networks
and marketing between organizations, and
managing a clearinghouse, as well as public
information and referral functions. Special
needs of seniors, such as transportation,
employment, computer and internet training,
nutrition, health maintenance, social interaction,
and transitioning to retirement and decreased
mobility, were also discussed. The focus group
discussion ideas have been incorporated into,
and form the basis of, the goals and policies
outlined below.
Appendix V: Community Priorities 39
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 834 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Park and Recreation Master PIan. March 1997
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 835 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Acknowledgements
City Staff
Barbara Stinchfield, Acting Director,
Community and Cultural Services
Suzanne Frick, Director,
Planning and Community Development
Karen Cinsberg, Planning Manager
Brett Horner, Senior Administrative Analyst
Laura Beck, Associate Planner
Community & Cultural Services Department
Programs Team
Christina Bagger
Maria Luisa de Herrera
Mark Furlong
Mary Humm
Dino Leonardi
Patty Loggins
Kathy Kucharski
Judith Meister
Audrey Parker
Julie Rusk
Rich Rollins
Julie Taren
Anita Ybarra
Staff Support
John Aguila
John Lynd
Joe McCrath
Annette Morales
Consultants
ROMA Design Group
Bonnie Fisher, Pri nci pal-in-Charge
Boris Dramov, Principal
Rick Barrett
Peter Owens
Carolvn Radisch
Robert Holloway
Laura Nardozza
Economic & Planning Systems
Jim Musbach
Sonia Jacques
Jessica Laveen
Sports Management G rou p
Mindy Flynn
Com m u n ity P arti c i pants
Thanks to the 3,000 residents, the many
community groups, and the City's
governmental partners (Santa Monica Malibu
Unified School District and Santa Monica
College) for invaluable input.
11.C.c
Packet Pg. 836 Attachment: 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 2025 PARKS AND RECREATION VISION PLAN | 9
INTRODUCTION
Addressing Homelessness
Clean & Safe Santa Monica
Cultivate Economic
Recovery & Expand
Community & Cultural
Offerings
Racial Justice, Equity &
Social Diversity
Sustainable & Connected
Community
Enhance Play for All
Strengthen Access to Parks,
Facilities and the Beach
Rethink Streets with
Park Potential
Foster Social Interaction
Increase Green
Infrastructure
Optimize Existing Parks and
Beach Experiences
Design and Program Public
Spaces with Safety in Mind
Create New Park Land
Strengthen Access to Parks,
Facilities and the Beach
Rethink Streets with Park
Potential
Foster Social Interaction
Optimize Existing Parks and
Beach Experiences
Create New Park Land
2019 8 PLAN STRATEGIES 2023 5 COUNCIL PRIORITIES 2025 5 PRVP STRATEGIES Synthesizing the input heard from nearly 3,000 community members and the comparative analysis, the companion document, Santa Monica Parks and Recreation Needs Assessment Report was released in spring 2019. 8 Strategies were identified in this Report as the building blocks for the this Plan. In 2023, the Santa Monica City Council established a set of 5 Priorities to help guide the development of the 2023-2025 biennial budget. In 2025, City Council’s priorities for “Clean Streets and Safe Neighborhoods”, “Affordable, Livable, and Secure Housing For All”, and “Economic Opportunity and Growth“ have been utilized to guide the Plan’s framework to incrementally implement the vision through actionable recommendations.
Noticing three of the 2023 Council Priorities mirrored three of the 2019 Strategies (italicized below) , the 2025 Plan focuses on five of the original eight strategies. These 5 Strategies would serve as the foundation for the 2025 Park and Recreation Vision Plan, validating the principles of the 2025 vision.
The 2025 Plan’s vision and actions support these 5 Strategies by addressing expansion of arts and recreational opportunities and programming capacity, inclusive access in and around parks, sustainable operations and infrastructure, improvements to existing parks and facilities, improving beach park experience, increasing park land in creative ways, and expanding acreage through ongoing planning efforts.
Clean Streets and Safe
Neighborhoods
Affordable, Livable, and
Secure Housing
Economic Opportunity and
Growth
2025 COUNCIL PRIORITIES D R A F T 2025
11.C.k
Packet Pg. 837 Attachment: 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan Staff Recommended Edits (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks 14 | CITY OF SANTA MONICA • 2025 DRAFT
1 VISION & NETWORK
CITY AS HABITAT: A VISION FOR 2050
A primary objective outlined in the 1997 Open Space Element was to preserve existing open space. Honoring that objective, which continues to be as essential today as it was 30 years ago, includes identifying ways to expand the city’s open space acreage, amenities, and program in conjunction with an increase in population, securing an open space network that can responsibly serve the growing community, including its daytime population. The 1997 Plan benchmarked approximately 113 acres of parkland within Santa Monica, establishing a goal of increasing parkland acreage to a range of 143 to 170 acres with a “City as Park” vision for unifying the park network through design of pedestrian-friendly streets “making the experience of getting to the park as enjoyable as the experience of being there”.
Almost 30 years later, as the city remains park poor in many neighborhoods and the existing carrying capacity of parks continuing to be challenged, the 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan builds upon the themes of City as Park, advancing “CITY AS HABITAT” as its fundamental vision. Reinforcing Santa Monica parks, open spaces, and streets as nourishing habitat for people, plants, animals, and program amplifies the destinations the 1997 Plan sought to unify, celebrating Santa Monica as a world-class precedent in resiliency, reaffirming, as noted in the Sustainable Rights Ordinance, “all residents of Santa Monica possess fundamental and inalienable rights to: clean water from sustainable sources; marine waters safe for active and passive recreation; clean indoor and outdoor air; a sustainable food system that provides healthy, locally grown food; a sustainable climate that supports thriving human life and a flourishing biodiverse environment; comprehensive waste disposal systems that do not degrade the environment; and a sustainble energy future based on renewable energy sources.”
Current inventory and assessment of Santa Monica parkland reveals that the City provides 144 acres of parkland, achieving the acreage increase range identified in the 1997 Plan. However, 30 years later, many neighborhoods of Santa Monica remain “High Need” or “Very High Need” as defined by the 2016 LA Countywide Park and Recreation Needs Assessment with approximately 1.4 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents city-wide, roughly 42% below the countywide average of 3.3 acres per 1,000 residents. As the City continues to grow, so must its available park network through opportunities in incremental expansion of existing parks, acquisition of new park land, transformation of municipal assets, evaluation of open space requirements on new development, and new capital, operations, and maintenance funding streams that create a platform for the implementation of strategies that support sustainable initiatives.
Emphasizing responsible preservation and expansion of parkland and open space for the Santa Monica community, it is vital for the city to continue to prioritize the implementation of sustainable policies and champion ongoing biodiversity and energy resilience opportunities within parkland acreage to combat the impacts of climate change.
D R A F T 2025
11.C.k
Packet Pg. 838 Attachment: 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan Staff Recommended Edits (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks 2025 PARKS AND RECREATION VISION PLAN
| 15
1 VISION & NETWORK
What is this Plan’s acreage goal??
Community outreach conducted in Summer 2025 helped establish a new acreage goal for the city, echoing Santa Monica’s commitment to being vision-driven, supporting innovative goals that celebrate the environment as a setting for habitat, culture, and community.
This Plan’s goal is to provide 5 parkland acres per 1,000 residents.
This acreage goal examined existing Santa Monica park inventory and level of service against county and national recommendations, putting forth an aspirational goal that looks beyond forseeable expansion opportunities, calling for continued collaboration on innovative solutions to provide the community with opportunities to become immersed in a resilient natural environment.
The City as Habitat Vision serves in advancement of citywide goals to achieve water self-sufficiency, zero waste, and carbon neutrality, continuing the city’s commitment in striving to prevent harm to the natural environment and human health, benefit environmental justice, and secure the equitable social and economic well-being of the community.
D R A F T 2025
11.C.k
Packet Pg. 839 Attachment: 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan Staff Recommended Edits (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks 18 | CITY OF SANTA MONICA • 2025 DRAFT
1 VISION & NETWORK
Our Baseline Metrics
Acreage per 1,000 residents based on 2020 United States Census Bureau population of 93,076.
2025 baseline park land acreage: 144.0 Approximately 1.55 acres/1,000 residents. * Colorado Center provides 2.51 acres per Development Agreement.
The below represents sites with potential to contribute to the network acreage.
Mt. Olivet Reservoir: 3.0 147.0
The Mt. Olivet Reservoir is a secured site
with below grade infrastructure. However,
it remains a study area as, at grade, the site is
natural lawn with open space viewsheds.
Woodlawn Cemetery: 26.5 170.5
Woodlawn Cemetery is defined as “Natural Area”
by the County. However, though a cemetery, it
remains a study area to be considered relative
to its urban forest and biodiversity contributions.
Santa Monica Airport: 192 336.0
*The Santa Monica Airport is 192 acres, inclusive
of Airport Park (8.3 acres). Refer to Appendix G
for more information on the Santa Monica
Airport Conversion Project.
Santa Monica State Beach acreage: 202.9* NA
*Beach acreage is not typically included in park
acreage in cities adjacent to a beach and was not
included in the 2016 assessment. It is noted herein for reference only. The Santa Monica State Beach is approximately 900 feet wide in the north, 500 feet wide in the south. **Refer to Tables 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 for facilities inventory.
The 2016 Los Angeles Countywide Comprehensive Park and Recreation Needs Assessment (City of Santa Monica Study Area Profile ID #182), and 2022 Park Needs Assessment Plus, notes Santa Monica park need as “moderate” with 134.91 acres of park land with an average of 1.4 acres per 1,000 residents, with the Countywide average being 3.3 acres per 1,000 residents. This need classification was based on park acreage per resident, park acre need, distance to parks, and population density.
Additionally, common planning principles recommend targeting 5 acres per 1,000 residents.
Though classified as ‘moderate’ as a city, park need in many neighborhoods within Santa Monica remain in “High Need” or “Very High Need”. Since the assessment, the city has added approximately 8.8 acres of park land, with the inclusion of parks that were once considered “outside the study area”, bringing the 2025 total to, approximately, 144 acres, achieving the acreage expansion goals of the 1997 Plan. While this expanded acreage is to be celebrated, the reality is that our city remains “park-poor” in many areas.
Addressing that reality, the Plan provides a guideline for the next 20 years of Parks and Recreation investment. It is important that flexibility be retained as new ideas and opportunities emerge. Additionally, partnerships for funding and delivery of services must be implemented in order to sustain and grow the infrastructure and offerings over time. As a road map for the future expansion of our park network, the Plan must consider how best to continue providing safety and access, a worldclass destination experience, and commensurate recreation and parks programming to both the city’s visitors and to the community of Santa Monica.
PARK NETWORK
REFRESHER
VISION & NETWORK
Acreage
Potential
total acreage
(1.58/1,000)
(1.83/1,000)
(3.61/1,000) D R A F T 2025
11.C.k
Packet Pg. 840 Attachment: 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan Staff Recommended Edits (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks 42 | CITY OF SANTA MONICA • 2025 DRAFT
2 COMMUNITY VOICES
2024 - 2025
OUTREACH TYPOLOGIES
Building upon the 2018-2019 public outreach, Public Works and Recreation and Arts Departments collaborated with PROS Consulting on the Community Recreation and Arts Assessment. This process established park classifications and level of service metrics based on Public Works and Recreation and Arts inventory of park acreage, population served, length of stay, and amenity types and services, helping inform facility and program need. This inventory was further assessed alongside the 2016 Los Angeles Countywide Parks and Recreation Needs Assessment and national recommendations to help establish this Plan’s park acreage goal of 5 parkland acres per 1,000 residents.
City of Santa Monica Community Interest and Opinion Survey This survey highlighted that 96% of respondents visit a parks, arts, or recreation facility in a typical year, 15% above the national average, and 49% of respondents participate in a city program in a particular year, 36% above the national average. Park safety was noted as most important relative to parks, arts, and recreation services, aligning with City Council’s priority for Clean Streets and Safe Neighborhoods.
Facility and amenity priorities are:
1. Walking trails and loops
2. Community parks
3. Large regional parks
4. Neighborhood parks
5. Aquatics facility
6. Pocket parks
7. Community gardens
Additionally, there is support for acquisition or repurposing of land to address these priorities and to conduct renovations or develop new facilities for ecological habitat, outdoor recreation, and nature preserves.
Representative surveys were conducted via mail and online from a statistically representative sample of 418 community members (a minimum of 250 participants was required). The general public survey was promoted on the City website, social media, and public meetings and received 203 community member participants. Please visit the Parks and Recreation Vision Plan website to review the opinion survey results.
Program and activity priorities are:
1. Arts and culture events
2. City-sponsored events
3. Beach House events
Arts and culture priorities are:
1. Art in public places
2. Theater programs and events
3. Art gallery spaces
4. Adult fine art and visual arts
5. Youth and adult enrichment camps and classes
6. Art studios D R A F T
7. Adult Performing arts
2025
11.C.k
Packet Pg. 841 Attachment: 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan Staff Recommended Edits (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks 2025 PARKS AND RECREATION VISION PLAN | 43
2 COMMUNITY VOICES
Level of Service
The National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) provides recommended median metric service levels for population. Santa Monica is a city with approximately 100,000 residents and a daytime population of about 250,000. However, per the NRPA, “Park and recreation agencies are as diverse as the communities they serve, what works well for one agency may not be best for all.” The NRPA recommends approximately 6-10 park acres per 1,000 residents for a population range of 100,000 to 250,000 and includes beach acreage (the 2016 county assessment did not include beach acreage as not all cities within the county have a beach). Utilizing Santa Monica’s current inventory, the NRPA metrics, and county assessment data, the community considered available opportunities for expansion. This Plan’s parkland acreage goal of 5 parkland acres per 1,000 positions the city above the county average and, when adding beach acreage, addresses the national acreage range recommendation.
Median metrics also apply to quantity of amenities provided to serve the community. Available land area, available capital, amenity and program need, demand, hours of service, distribution of existing program, and park identity are elements of park planning decision-making that are ever-changing. The Level of Service matrix (Appendix C) provides a starting point for evaluating amenity need based solely on population. The community Interest and Opinion Survey provides a roadmap for providing open space to compliment Affordable, Livable, and Secure Housing For All initiatives, and establishes a baseline from which to study the feasibility of parks and opens spaces to contribute to Economic Opportunity and Growth through increased programs.
Refer to Appendix C to review the level of service matrix Staff Focus Groups & Presentations
Staff conducted focus groups from Fall 2024 through Summer 2025 in an effort to collect commission, advisory council, and neighborhood organization feedback on needs, enhancement opportunities, and expansion considerations. Feedback from the following commissions, councils, and organizations helped guide recommendations reflected within Chapter 3: Actions. • Continued focus groups with internal staff
• Community Garden Advisory Council
• Field Sports Advisory Council
• Santa Monica Aquatics Advisory Council
• Urban Forest Task Force
• Seven Neighborhood Organizations
• Recreation and Parks Commission
• Disabilities Commission
• Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice, and the Environment • Planning Commission
• Airport Commission
• Arts Commission
D R A F T 2025
11.C.k
Packet Pg. 842 Attachment: 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan Staff Recommended Edits (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks
4.0IDEATE
SANTA MONICA STATE BEACH
3.0RAISE
NEW FACILITIES
1.0 NOURISH
EXISTING PARKS & FACILITIES
2.0 EXPAND
NEW PARK LAND & OPEN SPACE
◊ 4.1 Develop a Beach and Pier Vision Plan.
◊ 3.1 Refurbish the existing Memorial Park Gymnasium
and build new gymnasiums.
◊ 3.2 Build a new city-owned aquatics facility and expand water play options.
◊ 3.3 Build additional fields and courts.
◊ 3.4 Expand the pet-friendly network.
◊ 3.5 Add more community gardens and farms.
◊ 3.6 Incorporate indoor community rooms in new and
retrofitted facilities.
◊ 2.1 Build new parks.
◊ 2.2 Expand existing parks and open spaces.
◊ 2.3 Redesign wide medians for art and recreational use. ◊ 2.4 Develop small spaces in creative ways.
◊ 1.1 Build upon city sustainability initiatives.
◊ 1.2 Address public safety in parks.
◊ 1.3 Continue to enhance accessibility to and through the park network.
◊ 1.4 Evaluate opportunities to enhance amenity offerings at existing parks and facilities.
◊ 1.5 Restore and renovate as park infrastructure ages. ◊ 1.6 Renovate existing indoor facilities to enhance
flexibility, function, and visitor experience.
◊ 1.7 Reinvest in landmarked parks and historically
significant recreational facilities. D R A F T 2025
11.C.k
Packet Pg. 843 Attachment: 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan Staff Recommended Edits (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks
8.0SUPPORT
FUNDING & MEANINGFUL PARTNERSHIPS
7.0 SUSTAIN
PARKS & FACILITIES
SUSTAINABILITY & MAINTENANCE
6.0 GATHER
RECREATION & ARTS PROGRAMMING
5.0 CONNECT
OPEN SPACE & THE COMMUNITY
◊ 8.1 Develop a funding strategy for land acquisition to increase park land.
◊ 8.2 Diversify funding resources.
◊ 8.3 Routinely study city fees, pricing, and agreements. ◊ 8.4 Expand the “We are Santa Monica Fund” and grow
community partnerships.
◊ 8.5 Study opportunities to partner with private entities to create more open space.
◊ 6.1 Refresh community recreation and arts program
and events and experiment with new activities.
◊ 6.2 Expand capacity to meet demand for popular
programs.
◊ 6.3 Enrich programming through renewed marketing
strategies.
◊ 7.1 Update existing maintenance plans for the park system. ◊ 7.2 Create maintenance plans for new capital assets in the park system.
◊ 7.3 Create a Landscape Vision Plan.
◊ 5.1 Strengthen access to and between parks.
◊ 5.2 Strengthen access to the beach and water’s edge. ◊ 5.3 Increase community connection to open space
improvements and expansion. D R A F T 2025
11.C.k
Packet Pg. 844 Attachment: 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan Staff Recommended Edits (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks 56 | CITY OF SANTA MONICA • 2025 DRAFT
ACTION1.1
BUILDUPONCITYSUSTAINABILITYINITIATIVES.
Santa Monica’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) lays out a framework for enhancing the city’s resilience to climate change through four sectors: Climate Ready Community, Water Self-Sufficiency, Coastal Flooding Preparedness, and Low Carbon Food & Ecosystems. This Plan’s ability to compliment actions outlined in the CAAP and Sustainable City Plan demonstrate the city’s commitment to preventing harm to the natural environment and human health, and benefiting the social and economic well-being of the community.
◊ 1.1.1 Climate Ready Community
• Expand education programs within park facilities that empower community members to integrate CAAP actions into their daily lives. Refer to Guiding Principle 5 of the Sustainable City Plan. • Identify strategies that address impacts of extreme heat events.
For example, increasing tree canopy, green spaces, and shade. • Continue to advance energy resilience of park facilities to serve the community in the event of power grid outages.
◊ 1.1.2 Water Self-Sufficiency
• Continue to collaborate with City Planning on stormwater collection, existing/proposed/replacement tree policies and landscape planting and irrigation requirements associated with City-owned and privately-owned new development.
◊ 1.1.3 Coastal Flooding Preparedness
• Reference the LA County Sea-Level Rise Vulnerability Report, Department of Beaches and Harbor Coastal Resiliency Study, and the Local Coastal Plan for opportunities to implement design intervention strategies that alleviate effects of climate change for new capital projects, and improvements to existing projects, at Santa Monica State Beach and within The Coastal Zone.
TIMEFRAME: Ongoing (On a continuous basis with no start or end) CAPITAL COST: $$$$ (More than $50M)
SUPPORTING DEPARTMENT(S): PW, RAD
SUPPORTING DOCUMENT(S): CAAP, Sustainable Water Master Plan, Zero Waste Plan Update, Sustainable City Plan, Water Efficient Landscape and Irrigation Standards, Local Coastal Plan, Urban Forest Master Plan ◊ 1.1.4 Low Carbon Food & Ecosystems
• Develop environmental justice initiatives prior to the start of proposed park projects and review implementation strategies with applicable commissions at project milestones.
• Routinely explore rewilding as park network expansion opportunities arise including, but not limited to, reforestation, wetlands, and nature preserves.
• Identify opportunities to equitably expand community gardens by 1,200 sf annually across all neighborhoods of the city. • Explore potential of integrating composting hubs within existing parks.
• In planning new projects, present current sustainability certification options (LEED, SITES, etc), demonstrating that they meet or exceed the minimum requirements established by the City.
• At the start of new projects, establish environmental benchmarks for the existing site in order to exceed metrics associated with, but not limitied to, tree canopy, carbon sequestration, and stormwater runoff. For example, The Urban Forest Master Plan targets a 5% increase in urban tree canopy every ten years, therefore, a new project should target the same increase in tree canopy on site. Refer to Guiding Principle 2 of the Sustainable City Plan.
D R A F T 2025
11.C.k
Packet Pg. 845 Attachment: 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan Staff Recommended Edits (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks 2025 PARKS AND RECREATION VISION PLAN | 57
3 ACTIONS
SAFETY IN PUBLIC SPACES
The city can and does place reasonable expectations on behavior in public spaces. Where drug use and criminal activity enter our public spaces, the city will continue to respond to ensure protection of our community space and strive to maintain equitable access to safe, fun, and healthy open spaces.
The management of public spaces also benefits from the active community-based use of those spaces, which helps reinforce the social fabric of neighborhoods, models appropriate use, and deters criminal behavior.
One dimension of both the reality and perception of safety, in the parks and at the beach, is the local impact of the regional homelessness crisis, though it should be stressed that homelessness is not a crime and that those experiencing homelessness are often victims of crime, including in parks and at the beach. The Santa Monica Homelessness Strategic Plan (see Appendix H) proposes strategies to better coordinate and allocate resources between city departments, local service providers and regional partners.
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) seeks to reduce crime through meaningful design interventions in public spaces that increase physical safety, surveillance, and points of access. CPTED strategies include reinforcing site lines through positioning of plantings and furnishings, creating vehicular barriers through the placement of larger specimen trees and boulder compositions, location and typology of lighting systems, irrigation system programming, and defining points of access with hardscape hierarchy.
ACTION1.2
ADDRESSPUBLICSAFETYINPARKS.
Aligning with City Council priority to establish Clean Streets and Safe Neighborhoods, creating site-specific strategies to address issues related to safety, public health, maintenance and activation helps to ensure that parks thrive throughout the day, encouraging exponential growth of opportunity to infuse additional programming into the City’s public spaces.
TIMEFRAME: Ongoing (On a continuous basis with no start or end) CAPITAL COST: $$ ($2M - $20M)
SUPPORTING DEPARTMENT(S): FD, PD, PW, RAD
SUPPORTING DOCUMENT(S): Open Space Element, Homelessness Strategic Plan, Safety Element, Local Hazard Mitigation Plan ◊ 1.2.1 Identify safety components, such as lighting, signage, and fencing, and evaluate, quarterly, the Existing Amenity and Component Action Matrix to confirm maintenance strategies. ◊ 1.2.2 Develop a Crime Prevention Through Evironmental Design (CPTED) Program to examine opportunities to remove visually abrasive park components that erode a visitor’s sense of safety. ◊ 1.2.3 Expand partnership with the Police and Fire Departments to review, quarterly, safety in parks and recommended arts and recreation programming integration to promote safety.
◊ 1.2.4 Expand the partnership with the Recreation and Parks Commission to review opportunities to expand inclusive, recreational and arts program within parks to promote safety through positive, enlivened activity.
◊ 1.2.5 Review, annually, hazard mitigation strategies that relate to parks including, but not limited to, site access, integration of emergency operations, short and long-term staging, and distribution.
D R A F T 2025
11.C.k
Packet Pg. 846 Attachment: 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan Staff Recommended Edits (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks 116
| CITY OF SANTA MONICA • 2025 DRAFT 4 IMPLEMENTATION
PRIORITIZATION CRITERIA
FOR IMPLEMENTATION
The Community Interest and Opinion Survey identifies recommended amenity, facility, and program priorities, but it is essential to first evaluate the resources available when making a decision to advance incremental implementation of new and expanded park network interventions. ◊ Amenity and program need • Review of quantitative level of service data ◊ Demand and trends • Consistently monitor existing enrollments ◊ Land area • Evaluate new and existing acreage to accommodate the amenity ◊ Design and construction capital • Define a funding source to design and construct ◊ Hours of service • Consider impact of service hours on amenity lifespan ◊ Operational and maintenance funding • Define a funding source to staff and maintain ◊ Distribution of existing program • Study feasibility to improve open space equity and land use efficiencies through redistribution of amenities
◊ Park identity • Champion the ability to reinforce the identity of the park and network Reed Park D R A F T 2025
11.C.k
Packet Pg. 847 Attachment: 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan Staff Recommended Edits (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks 2025 PARKS AND RECREATION VISION PLAN | 117
4 IMPLEMENTATION
Advance Big Ideas
The project or initiative makes one or more steps to implement big future opportunities for Santa Monica.
Capture Quick Wins
The project or initiative can be quickly or easily implemented.
Embrace Opportunity
The project or initiative will take advantage of a limited duration resource, utilize unique and available funding sources, find economies of scale with other projects or is supported by a strong partnership and reflects current community goals.
Spread the Benefits
The project or initiative helps distribute a similar mix of experiences and high-quality features across the city and prioritizes investment in areas with the greatest need.
Within Available Resources & Capacity
Funding is identified or secured and/or the project or initiative can be supported by existing City staff capacity. Recreation and Arts Department staff and supporting City departments have an established capacity.
Realize Multiple Benefits
The project or initiative can achieve multiple strategies identified in this Plan, as well as the goals, projects, and directions of other adopted City efforts.
Furthermore, to determine how many and which projects and initiatives can be moved from Future to Active or Pending status at any one time, six criteria will be used to prioritize the four-year work plan.
D R A F T 2025
11.C.k
Packet Pg. 848 Attachment: 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan Staff Recommended Edits (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks 118 | CITY OF SANTA MONICA • 2025 DRAFT
4 IMPLEMENTATION
FUNDING &
THE PROCESS
Capital Improvement Program (CIP)
Santa Monica’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) is updated every two years. It includes projects to be advanced in the short-term and a plan for future capital projects. Capital improvements are “those with costs exceeding $50,000 and useful lives of more than four years, and most involve public infrastructure construction.” Capital projects can only move forward with Council approval. An increasing number of high-priority, citywide projects compete for a limited amount of funding in each budget cycle.
The sequence below is meant to help demonstrate the process and timing associated with the CIP process from inception through implementation as capital and operating budgets are biennial with the city publishing an addendum during the second year, also known as the exception-based budget year, to help bring forward projects for review.
1. Project identification. A project may be identified through community engagement or interdepartmental analysis of need, based on community benefit, throughout the year.
2. CIP application. City staff will identify opportunities to maximize community benefit and establish a project narrative, schedule, and budget. This process typically begins at the start of the biennial budget year.
3. CIP submittal. The proposed project is submitted for review, along with other projects presented by various departments, as part of the biennial budget process in June of the biennial budget year.
4. Council direction. If the project is approved as part of the budget by City Council, Public Works may begin the procurement process.
5. Procurement. City staff will start by drafting a request for qualifications (RFQ) or a request for proposals (RFP) to solicit interested consultants. Depending on scope, the duration of this process may vary as CIP managers, department directors, and city attorneys may need to provide review.
6. Receipt and recommendation. Public Works will review all proposals in a timely manner. If the RFP notes that an interview process will take place, it is typical for those to be scheduled as timely and efficiently as possible. Response to RFP, review of proposals, scheduling of interviews, and recommendation for award can last anywhere from 4-8 weeks depending on scope.
7. Staff recommendation to Council. In order to formally move the project forward with a consultant, staff will provide a Staff Report to City Council noting the recommendation for award. A staff report must be submitted approximately 6 weeks prior to an identified Council meeting.
8. Contract administration. Once approved by Council, contract adminstration may begin and may take 6-8 weeks for processing.
Contract administration includes final contract negotiations followed by formal signatures by the consultant and city department managers, directors, City attorney, and City manager.
D R A F T 2025
11.C.k
Packet Pg. 849 Attachment: 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan Staff Recommended Edits (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks 2025 PARKS AND RECREATION VISION PLAN | 119
4 IMPLEMENTATION
Operational Funding
Funding for maintenance, operations and programming cannot be overlooked and is critical to achieving the 2025 Plan’s vision. Taxes and fees deposited into the city’s General Fund and Special Revenue Funds have been the primary sources for operational revenue. However, Santa Monica will not be able to fully implement this Plan without additional and sustainable revenue sources.
Potential funding sources for capital improvements and/or operations are detailed in Appendix E and include in-part taxes and assessments, fees and charges, earned income from park-based services or facilities such as concessions, lease revenue, sponsorship, general obligation and revenue bonds, partnerships, private and governmental grants, donations, philanthropy and naming rights. Many of these funding sources are not currently in place and will need to be established.
Grant Funding
Whether through annual allocation or the competitive process, grants are an additional source of capital funding. Applying for grants has proven most successful when community engagement is proactive and occurs even before a grant opportunity is necessarily identified.
The PRVP advocates for consistent collaboration with the community, focusing on priorities identified in the 2025 Community Interest and Opinion Survey, need quantified in the level of service analysis, and emerging trends. Identifying potential projects early on, planning enthusiastically through community-driven design charrettes, and establishing initial estimates on cost demonstrates, to grant funding sources, a commitment to park advocacy. Similar to the CIP process, it is important to consider grant and adminstration timelines.
1. Grant application. Collate all information related to the grant including submittal schedule, deliverables, and necessary requirements that may require City Council authorization.
2. Internal Request to Apply for Grant Funding. Route an internal request to apply for the grant funding as applying requires approval by the department head and Finance.
3. Coordinate with Executive City Staff. Many grants require a letter of support from an authorized City representative. If an Authorization Resolution from City Council is required, this would be authorized as a Consent Item at a future City Council meeting.
4. Acceptance of Award. If the City is awarded the grant, the grant must be accepted by City Council and an agreement will need to be signed. This process can take up to four months.
D R A F T 2025
11.C.k
Packet Pg. 850 Attachment: 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan Staff Recommended Edits (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks 58 | CITY OF SANTA MONICA • 2025 DRAFT
3 ACTIONS
ACTION1.3
CONTINUETOENHANCEACCESSIBILITYTOAND
THROUGHTHEPARKNETWORK
Santa Monica champions continued integration of inclusive strategies within its open space destinations, promoting an accessible environment that enhances equity for children and adults of all abilities and nurtures physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development and connection to nature.
◊ 1.3.1 Retrofit existing parks for increased accessibility and design new parks to be universally inclusive, expanding inclusive outreach strategies to all age and ability demographics.
◊ 1.3.2 Maintain smooth, safe paths and include accessible trail options. ◊ 1.3.3 Study the integration of ADA-compliant stalls, sinks, and genderneutral options at all parks and facilities. ◊ 1.3.4 Prioritize accessible parking and continuous accessible pathways to and through parks and open spaces.
◊ 1.3.5 Study the feasibility to adapt facilities and offer inclusive programming.
◊ 1.3.6 Ensure clarity with tactile, Braille, and digital options. ◊ 1.3.7 Support a culture of accessibility and continuous opportunities for feedback.
Tongva Park Playground
TIMEFRAME: Medium-term (6-10 Years)
CAPITAL COST: $$ ($2M - $20M)
SUPPORTING DEPARTMENT(S): PW, RAD
SUPPORTING DOCUMENT(S): Open Space Element, Airport Conversion Report
D R A F T 2025
11.C.k
Packet Pg. 851 Attachment: 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan Staff Recommended Edits (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks D R A F T 2025
252| CITY OF SANTA MONICA • 2025 DRAFT
NEEDS
ASSESSMENT
11.C.k
Packet Pg. 852 Attachment: 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan Staff Recommended Edits (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks D R A F T 2025
APPENDIX C | 2025 PARKS AND RECREATION VISION PLAN | 253
11.C.k
Packet Pg. 853 Attachment: 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan Staff Recommended Edits (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks 1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401 • (310) 458-8350 • [email protected] santamonica.gov • @cityofsantamonica • @santamonicacity January 21, 2026
Re: Commission Recommendation for the Parks and Recreation Vision Plan Dear Mayor Torosis and Council Members,
The Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice and the Environment strongly recommends that City Council (1) approve the Draft Parks and Recreation Vision Plan (PRVP) and (2) adopt a goal to increase Santa Monica park space to at least 5 acres per 1000 residents. The draft PRVP presents a strong vision for the City as a Habitat and highlights the importance of parks and open space to the community and the natural environment. It promotes expanding our park space which will help support the City’s sustainability objectives of becoming water self-sufficient and becoming a more resilient and carbon neutral community, while at the same time benefiting our residents now by providing enhanced recreation and public health opportunities. Adopting the PRVP will represent a significant first step towards improving the quality of life for our residents and the health and sustainability of our local environment. Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
Dean Kubani
Dean Kubani
Chair, Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice and the Environment
11.C.l
Packet Pg. 854 Attachment: ADD-TO_Letter Commission on Sustainability_ 1_21_2026 [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) From: Clove Galilee
To: Esterlina Lugo
Subject: Motion about Artificial Turf adopted by Sustainability Commission November 17, 2025_ PLEASE ADD to Public Comment
Date: Monday, January 26, 2026 5:02:55 PM
Attachments: image001.png
image002.png
Importance: High
Dear Ester,
Can you please include this motion from the Office of Sustainability, Environmental Justice and the Environment in the public comment for tomorrow’s meeting? They would like it included along with their letter if possible. If you need me to change anything, please let me know.
With gratitude,
Clove
At it’s November 17, 2025 meeting the Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice and the Environment adopted the following motion which passed unanimously.
The Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice and the Environment recommends that City Council directs staff to:
Prohibit the installation of new artificial turf sports fields within the City.
Maintain existing natural grass sports fields as natural grass fields.
Upon reaching the end of their useful life, replace existing artificial turf sports fields through a competitive bidding process with durable natural alternative field materials, consistent with the City’s operational needs and sustainability goals.
This motion removes the prior recommendation to replace artificial turf with artificial turf and commits the City to transitioning away from artificial turf as practicable, consistent with the Commission’s sustainability, public health, and environmental goals.
Signed,
Dean Kubani
Chair
Clove Galilee
11.C.l
Packet Pg. 855 Attachment: ADD-TO_Letter Commission on Sustainability_ 1_21_2026 [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: TE15428 <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 2:08 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: (No Subject)
EXTERNAL
Please do not approve the use of artificial turf.
I resent i even have to write this.
Deirdre McCarthy
1400 California Ave 101
Santa Monica
90403
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 856 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: Council Mailbox
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 2:22 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: FW: Closing Santa Monica Airport
From: Jan Simonovic <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 4:54 PM
To: Council Mailbox <[email protected]>
Subject: Closing Santa Monica Airport
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Torosis and City Councilmembers,
I’m writing to urge you to support Item 11C.
I strongly support the City’s commitment to building the Great Park at the Santa Monica Airport and to banning new artificial turf in Santa Monica. These policies protect public health, reduce environmental harm, and ensure our public land is used in ways that benefit the whole community.
Please vote in favor of Item 11C and continue advancing these important priorities.
Thank you for your service,
Jan Simonovic
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 857 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: Terry Saucier <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 12:01 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell
Subject: Public Comments for City Council meeting 1/27/26, Re: Item 11, C Attachments: Letter for public comment - to City of Santa Monica City Council, item 11,C Parks Vision Plan _01_27_26.pdf
EXTERNAL
To: City of Santa Monica City Council
Re: Public Comments for January 27, 2026 City Council Meeting, Agenda Item 11,C Parks Vision Plan.
Thank you for the opportunity to submit these comments on behalf of the SoCal Stop Artificial Turf Task Force, a coalition that is working statewide and with officials in Los Angeles to support a ban on all new artificial turf installations. We urge you to ban new installations of artificial turf in Santa Monica’s City Parks and playing fields and prioritize California native plants and natural drought-tolerant grasses to protect human health, natural resources and nature.
Please see our full letter that is attached for public comment.
Thank you,
Terry Saucier
SoCal Stop Artificial Turf Task Force, Chair
For further information visit: https://www.ncsa.la/artificial_turf --
To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.
Albert Einstein "Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value..."
https://climate.nasa.gov/ https://www.climaterealityproject.org/ Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 858 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Date: January 27, 2026
To: City of Santa Monica City Council
Re: Public Comments for January 27, 2026 City Council Committee Meeting Agenda Item 11, C, Parks Vision Plan
Request City of Santa Monica ban installation of artificial turf in parks and the city – instead transition to natural drought-tolerant grass fields to protect human health, natural resources and nature.
Sent via email
Thank you for the opportunity to submit these comments on behalf of the SoCal Stop Artificial Turf Task Force, a coalition that is working statewide and with officials in Los Angeles to support a ban on all new artificial turf installations. We urge you to ban new installations of artificial turf in Santa Monica’s City Parks and playing fields and prioritize California native plants and natural drought-tolerant grasses. Some reasons include:
Artificial turf is toxic - It is a fossil fuel-based petrochemical product that contains hazardous PFAS, other chemicals of concern, and microplastics. These PFAS “forever” chemicals are known carcinogens, neurotoxins, and hormone disruptors. Children and athletes who play on artificial turf are at higher risk of exposure and because PFAS chemicals bioaccumulate, it is especially harmful to children who are still developing. The California Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) is bringing artificial turf under regulation due to PFAS and other chemicals of concern. In addition, DTSC is considering adding microplastics to the list of chemicals of concern.
Artificial turf pollutes air, water, and soil with toxic chemicals and microplastics. Toxic chemicals can leach into the groundwater, contaminating drinking water. Recent EPA findings indicate there is no safe amount of certain PFAS compounds in drinking water, yet these same chemicals are consistently found in artificial turf. Toxic runoff from artificial turf contaminates rivers, lakes, and oceans with microplastics as well as PFAS. One regulationsized playing field can shed more than 2,000-3,000 plastic grass blades annually. Studies have found 12-15% of microplastics in waterways originate from synthetic turf. Additionally, the California Coastal Commission does not allow artificial turf in the California Coastal Commission permit zone. In 2023 the California Coastal Commission told UC Santa Barbara (13 Dec 2023, UCS-NOID-0002-23) that they could not use artificial turf on its 3-acre baseball fields and determined synthetic turf is not superior to natural grass, or sustainable.
Artificial turf is too hot and not a safer playing surface. It can be 80°F higher than the air temperature and reach temperatures of 160-180°F or more, which can lead to serious thermal burns and increase heat-related health injuries, as well as create a “heat island effect” raising the temperature in surrounding areas. Studies also show athletes who play on it are also more likely to have lower extremity injuries and concussions, particularly in Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 859 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) children. Turf burns from abrasions and exposure to MRSA and other bacteria are also more common.
Artificial turf negatively impacts EJ communities - When accounting for artificial turf’s negative impacts on local communities we also need to include its impact on the communities where the fossil fuels are extracted, the petro-chemicals and plastics are produced, and the product is discarded.
Artificial turf doesn’t save water. It must be regularly cleaned of contaminants. Cooling and cleaning of artificial turf can require more water than would be used for the maintenance of natural, drought-tolerant grasses, and according to artificial turf maintenance manuals, potable water is required. Additionally, unlike natural grasses and surfaces, artificial turf is an impervious surface (per State of California and US EPA), negatively affecting stormwater capture and increasing the risk of flooding.
Artificial turf is combustible – It presents a serious fire hazard. According to a recent study by GHD Australia, when artificial turf is exposed to heat sources that more closely match real wildfire situations and temperatures, artificial turf is easily flammable. The melting and burning of artificial turf also releases toxic gases including PFAS into the air, which can be inhaled by firefighters, other first responders, and residents. The study also found natural grass provides superior fire safety benefits compared to synthetic alternatives because it contains moisture that can help slow fire spread and does not release toxic fumes when heated.
Artificial turf contributes to climate change - From cradle-to-grave it contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. According to a recent study the plastic industry releases about four times as many planet-warming chemicals as the airline industry. Artificial turf also off-gasses methane and ethylene day and night, unlike grass and other natural plants that are carbon sinks and produce oxygen.
Artificial turf is not recyclable- Because artificial turf is made of mixed plastic materials, it will never be economically viable for recycling. At the end of its 8-to-15-year lifecycle it is sent to a landfill, illegally dumped, or sent out of state for incineration/“advanced recycling.” (It should be noted California is suing ExxonMobil for deceptive plastic recycling claims).
Nothing lives in plastic - California is one of the world’s 36 biodiversity hotspots with more native plant species than any other state in the U.S. Not only does artificial turf not support life, but it also kills the soil and the living organisms in it. Artificial turf takes away habitat from insects, birds, and local wildlife, contributing to the loss of biodiversity.
Artificial turf regulations and bans already exist in CA – With the passing of Senator Ben Allen’s bill SB676 some California cities have already implemented artificial turf bans including Carmel, Millbrae, San Marino (23.16.24), and others are considering pursuing regulations and bans including Los Angeles in CF 24-0602. LA’s Climate Emergency Mobilization Office is recommending a moratorium on the installation of artificial turf until further studies are completed.
Cost comparisons - Studies show that over time artificial turf playing fields can cost two to four times more than properly installed and maintained grass fields. It is a poor investment.
When comparing natural grass playing fields to artificial turf, it is important to compare the entire product life cycle including the capital cost of installation, annual maintenance, sod Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 860 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) replacement as needed for natural fields, and surface/in-fill replacement of the synthetic fields, as well as disposal of artificial turf (removal, transport, and landfill fees).
The good news – there are nature-based solutions that cost less than artificial turf and improve our health and that of the environment – California native plants and droughttolerant grasses that use less water, thrive in our climate, recharge our groundwater, and provide food and habitat for local wildlife.
Santa Monica is a leader in sustainability and now more than ever, we need real world solutions that take into account our health, the environment and wildlife. Protect Santa Monica residents and future generations: examine the full impacts and costs of using artificial turf, stop installing artificial turf in City parks and throughout the city; prioritize California native plants and drought-tolerant grasses.
Respectfully,
Terry Saucier
SoCal Stop Artificial Turf Task Force, Chair
For more information and resources visit: https://www.ncsa.la/artificial_turf Link to petition supporting a ban on new and replacement installations of artificial turf in both public and private applications.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 861 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 2 David Yakobson
From: Arianne Vance <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 12:08 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Please no artificial turf in our parks
EXTERNAL
Hello,
I heard that the City Council is considering replacing the grass in our city parks with plastic turf, and I am emailing today to urge you to please not pursue this option. As a parent of a young child, a dog owner, and someone who cares about the environment I am disappointed to hear that you are even considering this option. Our Santa Monica parks, complete with trees and real grass, are some of the gems of this city. I understand that they are expensive to maintain, but who wants to live in a city full of plastic grass? It's ugly, environmentally awful, filthy from dog waste, and gets so hot in the summer that it's impossible to play on. If we want to attract tourists to our beautiful city and keep our parks healthy and fun for everyone to use, this is certainly not the way to do it.
Please reject any plans that include replacing real grass with artificial turf.
Thanks very much,
Arianne Vance
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 862 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 3 David Yakobson
From: Mike Terranova <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 12:10 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell
Subject: Item 11C (SM Parks Vision): Plan for real fields (natural turf), not plastic ones
EXTERNAL
Mayor and Councilmembers:
For tonight’s Agenda Item 11C on the Santa Monica Parks Vision, I support the Plan’s stated “new vision - ‘City as Habitat’” and the goal to “celebrate […] responsible open space growth through consistent and transparent collaboration with you, the community,” and I’m asking Council to make that commitment real by prioritizing natural turf for athletic fields wherever feasible and by steering the City away from “plastic grass” as the default.
The Coastal Commission outcome at UCSB is a clear cautionary tale: even when institutions argue artificial turf is “more durable and convenient,” regulators and the public are increasingly focused on microplastics and environmental migration - and projects can be stopped or forced back to natural turf.
Meanwhile it’s troubling to see SMMUSD barrel ahead on synthetic turf despite strong community opposition; the City should not mirror that posture, and instead should set a clear policy direction (and joint-use expectations) that protects kids, athletes, and the bay/ocean from avoidable plastic exposure.
Please direct staff to explicitly evaluate natural-turf designs first (with real maintenance/funding plans) and treat synthetic turf as the exception, not the baseline.
Have you stopped by recently to see the natural grass baseball field at Marine Park lately? Its fantastic! Mike
Sunset Park Resident
Links for reference
City PRVP page: https://www.santamonica.gov/parks-and-recreation-vision-plan UCSB / Coastal Commission: https://www.independent.com/2023/12/20/coastal-commission-rejectsuc-santa-barbaras-request-for-artificial-turf-at-baseball-stadium/ SMDP (SMMUSD turf): https://smdp.com/opinion/our-school-board-does-not-care-what-you-think-andthey-dont-have-to/ Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 863 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 4 David Yakobson
From: Mae Hess <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 12:12 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell
Subject: NO Artificial Turf In Our Parks
EXTERNAL
“Yes to our Parks Vision. NO artificial turf in our parks or anywhere in the city. Artificial turf harms children, public health, and our City as Habitat.”
--
Mae Hess
: 323.605.7604
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 864 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 5 David Yakobson
From: sante benti <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 12:16 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell
Subject: NO artificial turf in our parks or anywhere in the city
EXTERNAL
I am lifelong Santa Monica resident and father and I COMPLETELY OPPOSE ALL ARTIFICIAL TURF IN SANTA MONICA PARKS AND SCHOOLS!!! How is this even a consideration for a city that considers itself eco-friendly and anti-plastic!???
PLEASE VOTE AGAINST ALL ARTIFICIAL TURF IN SANTA MONICA PARKS AND SCHOOLS! -Sante Bentivoglio
2445 California Ave
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 865 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 6 David Yakobson
From: Matt Barth <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 12:27 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: No turf
EXTERNAL
I do not want the grass replaced with turf. Turf is dangerous, the grass is beautiful and kids deserve to play on nature.
Sincerely,
Matt Barth
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 866 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 7 David Yakobson
From: jessmaragon <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 1:07 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell
Subject: Fake grass is gross!
EXTERNAL
My kids play on fake turf on pico blvd. It’s brand new. It flakes off all over their clothes, your investments in fake turf are garbage. It’s already falling apart. They get hurt on this hot painful turf. You can eat or drink anything on it.
That’s not like natural grass at all. What is Santa Monica thinking? If I were a council member I would look to towns like Santa Barbara for ways to improve the environment— use these funds to hire people to plant and maintain the grass year around. It’s probably a fraction of fake turf. This is an abomination in Santa Monica.
Signed ,
Jessica & Darren Foldes
609 19th street Santa Monica
310-593-1306
Yes to our Parks Vision.
NO artificial turf in our parks or anywhere in the city.
Artificial turf harms children, public health, and our City as Habitat.” Sent from my iPhone
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 867 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 8 David Yakobson
From: Leah Romond <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 1:11 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell
Subject: Please don’t use artificial turf
EXTERNAL
Hello,
I live in Santa Monica and if I remember correctly, I voted for all of you. I heard you are considering using artificial turf in Santa Monica. Please, please do not do this. It is so, so bad for our children to be exposed to, particularly the rubber they use for the base of artificial turf.
There are studies showing that teens and young adults who have been playing on artificial turf are experiencing negative health effects. Scientists think elements of it are carcinogenic and endocrine disrupters.
Of course artificial turf looks bad and smells bad when dogs pee on it, but those aren’t even on my top 10 list of concerns. I’m just concerned about the health of our children. The federal government is slashing protections, leaving our children vulnerable in so many ways. Please don’t add to the poison load our kids are exposed to.
Thank you for your consideration
Best,
Leah Romond
Sent from my iPhone
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 868 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 9 David Yakobson
From: Bradley Beery <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 2:05 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Artificial turf?
EXTERNAL
Why would we want artificial turf in our parks. It’s plastic. It holds germs and grime and it gets disgusting after a while.
And to be honest, it’s just not natural.
We’re a beachside community
We need and deserve Natural grass!
Please think of our children and our families Sincerely, Bradley Beery Sent from my iPhone
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 869 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 10 David Yakobson
From: John McPherson <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 2:08 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenancerelated closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
As a long time youth soccer coach, I can personally attest to the restrictions and limitations youth sports in Santa Moncia suffers as a result of limited field space. New opportunites for programs are stifled, and even incumbents are kept in a constant state of fear and field management.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
John McPherson
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 870 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 11 David Yakobson
From: dodzie anthonio <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 3:06 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Artificial turf
EXTERNAL
Yes to our Parks Vision.
NO artificial turf in our parks or anywhere in the city.
Artificial turf harms children, public health, and our City as Habitat.” Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 871 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 12 David Yakobson
From: KING DAVID <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 10:45 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Regarding The Artificial Turf Implementation
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council, Thank you for listening to the community and choosing natural grass for the new Memorial Park fields. As a concerned community member and part of Samohi's student environmental club, Team Marine, I urge you to now formalize this commitment by passing a city-wide policy that prohibits all future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf. Let's protect our health, our budget, and our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance by keeping Santa Monica’s public lands living and plastic-free. Sincerely, David Johnson, Santa Monica.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 872 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) January 21, 2026
Re: Commission Recommendation for the Parks and Recreation Vision Plan Dear Mayor Torosis and Council Members,
The Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice and the Environment strongly recommends that City Council (1) approve the Draft Parks and Recreation Vision Plan (PRVP) and (2) adopt a goal to increase Santa Monica park space to at least 5 acres per 1000 residents. The draft PRVP presents a strong vision for the City as a Habitat and highlights the importance of parks and open space to the community and the natural environment. It promotes expanding our park space which will help support the City’s sustainability objectives of becoming water self-sufficient and becoming a more resilient and carbon neutral community, while at the same time benefiting our residents now by providing enhanced recreation and public health opportunities. Adopting the PRVP will represent a significant first step towards improving the quality of life for our residents and the health and sustainability of our local environment. Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
Dean Kubani
Dean Kubani
Chair, Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice and the Environment Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 873 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) From: Clove Galilee
To: Esterlina Lugo
Subject: Motion about Artificial Turf adopted by Sustainability Commission November 17, 2025_ PLEASE ADD to Public Comment
Date: Monday, January 26, 2026 5:02:55 PM
Attachments: image001.png
image002.png
Importance: High
Dear Ester,
Can you please include this motion from the Office of Sustainability, Environmental Justice and the Environment in the public comment for tomorrow’s meeting? They would like it included along with their letter if possible. If you need me to change anything, please let me know.
With gratitude,
Clove
At it’s November 17, 2025 meeting the Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice and the Environment adopted the following motion which passed unanimously.
The Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice and the Environment recommends that City Council directs staff to:
Prohibit the installation of new artificial turf sports fields within the City.
Maintain existing natural grass sports fields as natural grass fields.
Upon reaching the end of their useful life, replace existing artificial turf sports fields through a competitive bidding process with durable natural alternative field materials, consistent with the City’s operational needs and sustainability goals.
This motion removes the prior recommendation to replace artificial turf with artificial turf and commits the City to transitioning away from artificial turf as practicable, consistent with the Commission’s sustainability, public health, and environmental goals.
Signed,
Dean Kubani
Chair
Clove Galilee
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 874 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: Experiential Vlog <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:12 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: NO artificial turf in our parks or anywhere in the city.
EXTERNAL
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 875 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 2 Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 876 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 3 NO artificial turf in our parks or anywhere in the city.
Artificial turf harms children, public health, and our City as Habitat.” This microplastic spreads all over the city, Council should visit the SM airport fields ITS AWFUL! At least they should be looking into compostable alternatives. This microplastics is as bad if not worse to our city specially being so close to the beach.
Walden family
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 877 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 4 David Yakobson
From: Sean Sandbach <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 10:51 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Strongly Oppose Artificial Turf in Parks
EXTERNAL
Strongly Oppose Artificial Turf in Parks
Dear City Council,
I am a lifetime Santa Monica resident and I strongly oppose artificial turf in our parks.
Thank you,
Sean
_______________________
Sean Sandbach
(310) 490-9934
[email protected]
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 878 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 5 David Yakobson
From: Caroline Matthews <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 10:50 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell
Subject: NO artificial turf!
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
Yes to the Parks Vision Plan.
NO artificial turf in our parks or anywhere in the city. Artificial turf harms children, public health, and our City as Habitat.
Best regards,
Caroline Matthews
Santa Monica resident
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 879 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 6 David Yakobson
From: John Ruchinskas <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 10:49 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: No to artificial turf in our parks
EXTERNAL
I support the proposals in the Park vision but please do NOT place artificial turf in our parks.
I already see too much of it being installed in yards of new developer properties north of Montana or by people who are re-landscaping. It sends rainwater out onto the street instead of into the water table, doesn’t support nature, trees, etc.
Putting artificial turf in parks is harmful to children and public.
Please do not encourage more artificial turf usage in the city and especially not in our parks! John Ruchinskas
409 22nd St
Santa Monica Ca 90402
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 880 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 7 David Yakobson
From: Meghan Bejarano <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 10:43 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell
Subject: NO ARTIFICIAL TURF
EXTERNAL
Yes to our Parks Vision.
NO artificial turf in our parks or anywhere in the city.
Artificial turf harms children, public health, and our City as Habitat.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 881 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 8 David Yakobson
From: CYNTHIA OGLE <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 10:42 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: No Artificial Turf!
EXTERNAL
“Yes to our Parks Vision. NO artificial turf in our parks or anywhere in the city. Artificial turf harms children, public health, and our City as Habitat.”
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 882 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 9 David Yakobson
From: Sara Marti <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 10:29 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: NO to artificial turf
EXTERNAL
Yes to our Parks Vision.
NO artificial turf in our parks or anywhere in the city.
Artificial turf harms children, public health, and our City as Habitat.
Sara G. Marti
Board Member
Communications Director
310 266 5728 | LinkedIn
www.resilientpalisades.org/
To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.
To help
protect your
privacy,
Micro so ft
Office
prevented
auto matic
download of
this picture
from the
Internet.
To help
protect your
privacy,
Micro so ft
Office
prevented
auto matic
download of
this picture
from the
Internet.
To help
protect your
privacy,
Micro so ft
Office
prevented
auto matic
download of
this picture
from the
Internet.
https://x.com
/resilientpali
To help
protect your
privacy,
Micro so ft
Office
prevented
auto matic
download of
this picture
from the
Internet.
To help
protect your
privacy,
Micro so ft
Office
prevented
auto matic
download of
this picture
from the
Internet.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 883 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 10 David Yakobson
From: Corinne Koutsouros <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 9:18 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: Ban plastic turf in all of Santa Monica
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
We are falling behind in LA County’s lead to ban plastic turf. In a city that prides itself with LEED certified
workers and green buildings we need to be leaders in
all aspects and keep nature real.
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that
designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for
listening to the community and choosing a cooler,
safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark
park.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer
spending on new synthetic turf installations.
Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the
preferred choice for our residents. By committing to
living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013
Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our
watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass!
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 884 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 11 Sincerely,
Corinne Koutosuros
Sent from my iPhone
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 885 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: Vicky Rosen <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:57 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell
Subject: No to turf
EXTERNAL
Yes to our Parks Vision.
NO artificial turf in our parks or anywhere in the city.
Artificial turf harms children, public health, and our City as Habitat. Makes places hotter and is so unnatural.
Vicky Rosen
Santa Monica resident
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 886 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 2 David Yakobson
From: Lindsay Von Tish <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:58 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: No Artificial Turf in Santa Monica Parks
EXTERNAL
Hello,
My name is Lindsay Von Tish and I am a voting resident of Santa Monica.
I'm writing today to oppose the installation of artificial turf in the Santa Monica parks.
Santa Monica is known for it's natural beauty and plant life and it would be a shame to see that replaced with fake grass. Real grass is better for the environment because it helps produce oxygen and does not shed microplastics the way fake turf does. Additionally, it is softer and a much better surface for the children of Santa Monica to play on.
Please, do not install artificial turf in Santa Monica's parks.
Thank you,
Lindsay Von Tish
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 887 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: Yvonne Kawano <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:59 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
Thank you for listening to the community and choosing natural grass for the new Memorial Park fields. I urge you to now formalize this commitment by passing a city-wide policy that prohibits all future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf. Let's protect our health, our budget, and our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance by keeping Santa Monica’s public lands living and plasticfree.
Sincerely,
Yvonne Kawano, Sunset Park
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 888 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: Nikki Kolhoff <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:59 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Oliver Chi; Heidi von Tongeln; Caroline Torosis
Subject: 1/27/26 City Council - Item 11C: Support 2025 Parks & Recreation Plan & Annex SMMUSD Property
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I support the 2025 Parks & Recreation Plan, especially the staff recommendation of a goal of 5 acres per 1,000 population, the commonly accepted minimum standard.
This goal has been supported by the Recreation and Parks Commission, the Airport Commission, the Arts Commission, the Aquatics Advisory Committee, the Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice and the Environment, the Community Gardens Advisory Committee, the Field Sports Advisory Committee, and he Urban Forest Task Force.
In addition, in order to increase fields spaces desperately needed by our city, regardless of field type, I urge you to add to the plan that the City will work with SMMUSD to convert their former headquarters land on 16th Street to one or more rectangular fields and park space. SMMUSD does not need this land, and it is public land that should be used for the public benefit, not a private housing complex. Furthermore, it aligns with the LUCE to expand park and recreation space near public transportation. If you can't make this small expansion now, using vacant and available public land adjacent to the existing Memorial Park, why would anyone trust you with the Airport land? Regards,
Nikki Kolhoff
Santa Monica Resident and Voter
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 889 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 2 David Yakobson
From: Christine Mele <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:54 AM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane; Frank Mele Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenance-related closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Christine Mele
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 890 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: Neve Garcia-Langley <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:52 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
As a concerned community member and part of Samohi's student environmental club, Team Marine, I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass! Sincerely,
Neve Garcia-Langley
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 891 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 2 David Yakobson
From: Brian Sweeney <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:54 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Torosis, Mayor Pro Tem Zwick, and Honorable Council Members:
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community in choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I also urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations and adopts the following edits to staff's proposal:
· No new City-owned artificial turf sports fields will be installed in the City of Santa Monica. · Existing City-owned grass fields will be maintained as grass fields. · Existing City-owned artificial turf fields will be replaced as artificial turf fields. with durable natural alternative materials that meet the city's needs. [Edit #1] · The City will explore options to work with independent and industry experts to develop a request for information on sustainable artificial and durable natural alternative materials that continue to meet the City’s needs for environmental and human health, safety, playability, maintenance, and cost. [Edit #2]
1) Edit #1:
In the Memorial Park EIR Resolution, City staff writes, "The Final EIR found that Alternative 2 (Use of Natural Grass Turf and Non-Plastic Playground Equipment) is the environmentally superior alternative. Alternative 2 would replace the synthetic turf fields with natural grass turf fields and replace the plastic playground equipment with non-plastic materials, such as engineered wood fiber, wood chips/bark, pea gravel, sand, and/or metal parts. As such, Alternative 2 would avoid the use of Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and microplastics that have potential to degrade over time, resulting in potential contamination of water and soil and potential adverse effects on human health."
Are we really then still planning to install artificial turf even though we know and admit we know that it will contaminate our water and soil and have adverse effects on human health? We're going to install it again and have little kids play on it? How does that comport with the City's obligations under the Sustainability Rights Ordinance?
I'm hopeful that's not the case, and that Council will make the right decision for human health and the environment.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 892 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 3 2) Edit #2:
There is no such thing as sustainable artificial turf, and there never will be. It's a fossil fuel product. Just because it's painted green doesn't make it's "green" in the environmental sense.
And not only is it a fossil fuel product, but it's also not recyclable. The State of California is currently suing the Exxon facility where turf manufacturer TenCate claimed it was sending these plastic carpets for falsely claiming what they're doing is recycling: https://oag.ca.gov/news/pressreleases/attorney-general-bonta-sues-exxonmobil-deceiving-public-recyclability-plastic.
So where do these plastic rolls end up when inevitably degrade past the point of their useful "life"? TenCate now claims to send carpet rolls to Louisiana's Cancer Alley, where, it has been confirmed by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality that they are not "recycling" old plastic turf carpets.
Is Santa Monica really going to send our garbage to Cancer Alley? What about environmental justice or leadership on sustainability? And even if we accept burning as recycling (ridiculous), the end result is methane spewed into the air -- is that what we as a community want to contribute to? And if anyone has any doubt that these products are not sustainable, please take a look at the City's already-adopted policy on artificial
turf: https://www.smgov.net/uploadedFiles/Departments/OSE/Categories/Landscape/Why_Artificial_Tu rf_is_not_rebated.pdf. Artificial turf. We already don't rebate for artificial via our "Cash for Grass" program because "[a]rtificial turf does not support bio-diversity;...does not foster soil health; [p]roduction of (virgin) synthetic turf components are associated with significant greenhouse gas emissions...;is not easily recycled...; can be a contributor to the heat island effect...;.has no ability to sequester carbon...; [and] any existing chemicals may runoff directly into storm drains and waterways without the beneficial filtration that live vegetation or mulch provides..." Note that these problems are even worse with more "modern" turf because it contains significantly more plastic threading.
How can the City claim, then, that it's even possible have "sustainable" artificial turf? And how could we install artificial turf again after recognizing these issues? The healthy and environmentally-responsible answer, of course, is that we can't, and I'm confident -- that with your leadership -- we'll make the right decision for health and safety and our environment.
Thank you all so much for your consideration.
Best wishes,
Brian Sweeney
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 893 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: Mary Orndorff <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:41 AM
To: Barry Snell; Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
EXTERNAL
Hello,
I am a resident of Santa Monica and a parent.
Yes to our Parks Vision.
NO artificial turf in our parks or anywhere in the city.
Artificial turf harms children, public health, and our City as Habitat.
The reason my family continues to stay in Santa Monica to raise our child is the city’s commitment to safety, environmental health, and family friendly policy. Artificial turf is a move backwards. It is worse for the environment and for water waste than regular grass. It is terrible for our health, the health of our ecosystem, and our water safety.
Plus, in areas where children play it can cause dangerous overheating. No artificial turf please. Our tax dollars should not go to backwards initiatives that poison our bodies and ecosystems. Let’s keep Santa Monica a model for what is possible in Los Angeles.
Thanks,
Mary Orndorff
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 894 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 2 David Yakobson
From: Cynthia Rose <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:40 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; Lana Negrete
Cc: [email protected]; Oliver Chi; Tony Lopez; Christopher Dishlip; Amelia Feichtner; Shannon Parry; Clove Galilee; Dean Kubani
Subject: Re: Support Agenda Item 11C with a "No New Turf" Policy Attachments: CEHC Artificial Turf Infographic.pdf
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Torosis and City Council:
Please find additional info attachment not included with the previous letter to support Agenda items 11C & 11D
--
Cynthia Rose
Co-Chair
Santa Monica Safe Streets Alliance
SaMoSafeStreets.org
I acknowledge with respect and gratitude the Tongva, Kizh, and Chumash Peoples on whose traditional territory I live and work.
On Tue, Jan 27, 2026, at 11:29 AM, Cynthia Rose wrote:
Dear Mayor Torosis and City Council:
Please find attached our letter in support the City of Santa Monica’s Park and Recreation Vision Plan Draft,
and Natural Grass in the Memorial Park Redevelopment and Expansion Project with a "No New Turf" Policy.
--
Cynthia Rose
Co-Chair
Santa Monica Safe Streets Alliance
SaMoSafeStreets.org
I acknowledge with respect and gratitude the Tongva, Kizh, and Chumash Peoples on whose traditional territory I live and work.
Attachments:
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 895 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 3 2026-01 Agenda Items 11C and 11D_CC SaMoSSA.pdf
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 896 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 897 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: Rex Moffett <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:38 AM
Subject: No to artificial turf in parks
EXTERNAL
Yes to our Parks Vision.
No to artificial turf in the parks, outside of dedicated sports fields.
Artificial turf is a detriment to the park, and natural grass should be enjoyed by all in the shared space of the parks.
Thank you,
Rex Moffett - Santa Monica resident.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 898 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 2 David Yakobson
From: Amy E K Fiske <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:39 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell
Subject: Astroturf
EXTERNAL
To whom it may concern,
I am a Santa Monica resident. I grew up going to SMMUSD schools and my mom taught in SMMUSD for 38 years, and in a Santa Monica preschool for years before that. My children are currently enrolled in SMMUSD schools and have been for over nine years. My children and their friends play in Santa Monica parks daily and weekly and we live very close to one of them. Santa Monica is our home.
I profusely object to the idea of replacing real grass with Astroturf in our parks and anywhere in our city. Scientific data exemplifies that Astroturf creates an environmental hazard for communities, residents, plants and animals and the ocean. It goes against the values of this city, a city that has historically gone out of its way to protect trees and provide green spaces, to even consider replacing real grass with Astroturf in our parks or anywhere else.
Santa Monica is not a poor or destitute town and we can afford to maintain real grass. If there’s a budget problem, fix the budget problem. Do not subject the residents and the children of Santa Monica to toxic chemicals to save a buck. additionally, Astroturf also requires maintenance, it literally requires to be cleaned because dogs and humans pee and poop on the grass and will continue to do so on Astroturf. It is grossly irresponsible and disgusting that the council would even consider it.
Focus on the homeless problem, the health and safety hazards that the homeless population causes, the steady increase in crime, police negligence and other actual issues that actually affect residents on a daily basis.
Leave our parks alone. prioritize the things that are actually important to the people that actually live here and pay taxes here and who also happen to be the people who voted you in and can vote you out. thank you,
-Amy E K Fiske
(310) 266-8748
[email protected]
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 899 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 3 David Yakobson
From: Kassandra Sadlek <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:41 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: No artificial turf in our parks
EXTERNAL
Yes to our Parks Vision.
NO artificial turf in our parks or anywhere in the city.
Artificial turf harms children, public health, and our City as Habitat.
Kassandra Perrigo
Sent from my iPhone
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 900 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 4 David Yakobson
From: Dustin Shahan <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:42 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Dan Hall; Jesse Zwick; Natalya Zernitskaya; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell
Subject: Say no to Plastic Turf
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass! Thanks
Dustin Shahan
90401
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 901 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 5 David Yakobson
From: Alex Gura <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:43 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell
Subject: NO to artifical turf in our parks
EXTERNAL
Hello Councilmembers,
My name is Alex Gura, I was born and raised in Santa Monica, I am currently a resident of Santa Monica, and am expecting a child, who will be delivered in Santa Monica. I would like to raise my child in Santa Monica.
I heard that artificial turf is being considered for our parks. I want to emphatically express that putting artificial turf in our parks would be a terrible decision, for the health of our residents, children, as well as for the future of Santa Monica.
Artificial turf has been shown to contain elevated levels of heavy metals as well as toxic chemicals, and numerous studies have raised concerns about links to childhood cancers such as leukemia. Since we don't know the full extent of long term exposure to turf, as well as the potential risks of childhood exposure, deciding to use it in public parks would not only expose our most vulnerable residents to potential health risks, but also expose the city to liability risks down the line if there are long term health ramifications for residence.
On top of these most grievous risks, there is also the principle of the matter. Artificial turf robs us of the little green spaces we as residents enjoy in a metropolitan area such as the greater Los Angeles Area, and replaces living grass with unnatural materials such as plastics and synthetic rubbers. These are both aesthetically unpleasant and as a whole create an impression of Santa Monica as a lifeless, sterile place.
We should be striving to increase the amount of natural ecosystems in our city, potentially even moving towards more plants and less grass. However, at the very minimum, moving toward artificial turf anywhere would be a huge step backward for the character of Santa Monica.
In summary, this Santa Monica resident says:
"NO artificial turf in our parks or anywhere in the city.
Artificial turf harms children, public health, and our City as Habitat." Sincerely,
Alex Gura
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 902 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 6 David Yakobson
From: Jelena Woehr <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:44 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell
Subject: NO to artificial turf in parks
EXTERNAL
Hello,
As a Santa Monica resident (Sunset Park) and daily park user (mostly Clover & Virginia Parks), I wholeheartedly oppose any use of artificial turf in our parks.
We do not need more plastic in our environment, especially not in spaces where children and animals play. Artificial turf is tacky, disposable, and destructive to the beneficial microorganisms that create and maintain our soil. The soil underneath artificial turf is dead and lifeless, incapable of growing food or supporting the forms of life that sequester carbon.
While I understand the urgent need for water conservation, there are far better solutions than replacing a natural organism with a petroleum product that kills soil.
For instance, adding deep-rooted native grasses to our parks would both reduce water use AND sequester carbon. See here for a graphic showing the root systems of native grasses vs. turfgrass.
While native bunchgrasses do not make a mowable, turf-like surface that holds up to intensive foot traffic, they could easily be introduced in areas surrounding trees, on borders to playgrounds, and around exercise equipment, to reduce the total amount of non-native turf in our parks and reduce net water use.
There are native lawn alternatives suitable for foot traffic as well, such as Agrostis pallens (Thingrass).
We would need to educate our community about the natural appearance of native, drought-tolerant grasses so that the expectation of a bright green park can be shifted over time, but Santa Monica is exactly the kind of place where people will be capable of embracing an environment-friendly turf alternative, as long as they can still use the parks in the ways they are accustomed to.
One of the most important social functions of parks is to allow those without personal outdoor space to connect with nature, which studies show can improve memory, reduce aggression, lower our blood pressure, and even help us retain more of what we learn. Replacing natural turf with plastic takes that opportunity away from our community. This would be a harmful decision for public health, our environment, and the desirability of Santa Monica as a place to live.
Frankly, if I had to spend my daily walk smelling hot baking plastic turf, covered in dog urine and dropped food scraps, rather than enjoying the peaceful sights, sounds, and smells of a little slice of nature, I would consider moving out of Santa Monica entirely.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 903 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 7 Please do not introduce hazardous, petroleum-based, ugly, climate-unfriendly, and soil-killing artificial turf to any public place in Santa Monica. Thank you.
--
Best wishes,
Jelena Woehr
yellinawar.com
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 904 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: Siobhan Mazzoni <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:09 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Barry Snell Subject: Parks Vision - NO Artificial Turf
EXTERNAL
Hello city council members,
I'm a resident of Santa Monica and am in support of Parks Vision. But I am loudly voicing NO to artificial turf in our parks or anywhere in the city. Artificial turf harms children, public health, and our City as Habitat.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Siobhan Mazzoni
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 905 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 2 David Yakobson
From: Nadine Perez <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:10 AM
Subject: Opposed to artificial turf
EXTERNAL
Good morning!
I am a 29 year native and homeowner in Santa Monica working in the tech industry and saw recently online that there's a push for artificial turf as part of the park vision plan.
I wholly support the Parks Vision Plan but do NOT want artificial turf in Santa Monica parks and wanted to formally and firmly express this.
Appreciate your time and service
-- Nadine Perez
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 906 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 3 David Yakobson
From: Brenna Lilley <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:13 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: NO to Artificial Turf
EXTERNAL
Hello,
I am writing to oppose artificial turf in our parks or anywhere in the city. Artificial turf harms children, public health, and our City as Habitat. Artificial turf contains many harmful chemicals and introduces micro and nanoplastics into our drinking water, which have been shown to have negative health effects.
Additionally, artificial turf can become extremely hot, leading to shoes melting, burns, and even heat stroke. Artificial turf fosters the growth of harmful bacteria and is more likely to cause scrapes due to its abrasiveness, introducing bacteria that can cause serious infections. Children playing in the park do not deserve this.
The heat generated from artificial turf contributes to the urban heat island effect. I recently published my research showing that increasing urban heat island intensity is associated with increasing rates of heart attacks in California (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41403047/). We need to incorporate more vegetation to help with evaporative cooling in our parks and city to reduce the urban heat island effect.
Adding artificial turf will do the opposite - it will make our city hotter, thereby negatively impacting our health and environment. Please make the responsible decision and say no to artificial turf.
Brenna Lilley, MD
Internal Medicine Specialist
Researcher of the health effects of urban heat island intensity Proponent of environmental justice
Resident of Santa Monica, zip code 90404
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 907 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 4 David Yakobson
From: Nate Hirsch <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:14 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: NO TURF: Santa Monica Voter/Resident
EXTERNAL
Hello,
I am a 33 year old resident and recent home owner (and plan to grow old here) in Santa Monica.
I heard from an online community that artificial turf is being pushed for and voted on today for the park vision plan.
I support the park vision plan but do NOT support artificial turf in Santa Monica. It is disgusting, unhealthy, smelly, environmentally unhealthy, and terrible for children and pets.
Think of how many animals urinate and defecate on public grass, and how many children then play on it.
It needs to be natural grass with sprinklers so it can properly drain and refresh. Not only that, but many pets and small children will grab and eat turf.
Thank you for your time, please don't let artificial turf ruin an otherwise great idea for more parks and public spaces.
Best,
Nate Hirsch
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 908 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 5 David Yakobson
From: Nick G <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:06 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Please no artificial turf in our parks near children
EXTERNAL
I’m a sunset park resident and heard the council is evaluating the use of artificial turf in our parks. I would like to request the council not use artificial grass in our parks.
I’m open to having my mind changed if there are important cost and other considerations, if there is info that can be shared.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 909 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 6 David Yakobson
From: John Mullins <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:03 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Turf
EXTERNAL
“Yes to our Parks Vision.
NO artificial turf in our parks or anywhere in the city.
Artificial turf harms children, public health, and our City as Habitat.” John
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 910 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 7 David Yakobson
From: Alexandra Conboy <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 10:56 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell
Subject: NO artificial turf in Santa Monica
EXTERNAL
I worked twenty years to buy a home in Santa Monica, a community I chose as the best place to raise my young child. Do not turn us into Irvine, or another plastic Orange County hellscape.
People need dirt, and so does the earth. Keep Santa Monica (naturally) green and KEEP ARTIFICIAL TURF OUT OF OUR PARKS AND SCHOOLS.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 911 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 8 David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 10:55 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell
Subject: No artificial turf
EXTERNAL
Hi,
I live at 31st and Pearl and moved to Santa Monica in part for the number of parks compared to my old home in Los Feliz.
Artificial turf is bad for our kids, health, and city. Please keep artificial turf out of our parks and the rest of the city. Keep Santa Monica natural.
—Joey
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 912 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 9 David Yakobson
From: Nicolette Smith <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 10:54 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: No turf
EXTERNAL
Yes to our Parks Vision.
NO artificial turf in our parks or anywhere in the city.
Artificial turf harms children, public health, and our City as Habitat.
Sent from my iPhone
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 913 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 10 David Yakobson
From: Ricardo Vera <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:18 AM
Subject: No Turf on Santa Monica Parks!
EXTERNAL
As a resident of Santa Monica with a small child that greatly enjoys our public parks, I support the Parks Vision Plan in general. However, it is my understanding that the council is currently considering installing artificial turf as part of the plan.
I want to be very clear that I would rather have our parks be a simple dirt lot than to have artificial turf.
Artificial turf harms the environment and the public health (do we really need more microplastics in our bodies?!), and no amount of cost savings from maintenance could possibly counterbalance this.
I am asking you to reject any and all proposals that support the installation of artificial turf anywhere in the city, and much less in our public parks that should serve as a point of connection to nature and the community.
Do not harm our environment and community in pursuit of some abstract suburban ideal of an artificially pristine green field that no one wants to play on.
Ricardo Vera
Cell: (706) 247-5757
[email protected]
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 914 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 11 David Yakobson
From: Bryan Lao <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:24 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell
Subject: No to turf in parks
EXTERNAL
Yes to our Parks Vision.
NO artificial turf in our parks or anywhere in the city.
Artificial turf harms children, public health, and our City as Habitat.
With warm regards,
Bryan K Lao, MD
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 915 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 12 David Yakobson
From: Mark Fauntleroy <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:35 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: SM Parks & Artificial Turf
EXTERNAL
I'm hearing that the city is considering adding artificial turf in the parks. I'm writing to voice my opposition to this as it will add more plastics into our environment polluting our parks and the people using the parks. It's one thing to permit a private residence to use artificial turf in limited spaces, but a whole other thing to introduce more questionable materials into our publicly used spaces.
Thanks for your consideration.
Mark Fauntleroy
SM Resident
1138 20th St. #8
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 916 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 13 David Yakobson
From: Cynthia Rose <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:30 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; Lana Negrete
Cc: [email protected]; Oliver Chi; Tony Lopez; Christopher Dishlip; Amelia Feichtner; Shannon Parry; Clove Galilee; Dean Kubani
Subject: Support Agenda Item 11C with a "No New Turf" Policy Attachments: 2026-01 Agenda Items 11C and 11D_CC SaMoSSA.pdf
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Torosis and City Council:
Please find attached our letter in support the City of Santa Monica’s Park and Recreation Vision Plan Draft,
and Natural Grass in the Memorial Park Redevelopment and Expansion Project with a "No New Turf" Policy.
--
Cynthia Rose
Co-Chair
Santa Monica Safe Streets Alliance
SaMoSafeStreets.org
I acknowledge with respect and gratitude the Tongva, Kizh, and Chumash Peoples on whose traditional territory I live and work.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 917 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) January 27, 2026
RE: Agenda item 11C and 11D
Support the City of Santa Monica’s Park and Recreation Vision Plan Draft, Support Natural Grass at Memorial Park Redevelopment and Expansion Project with a "No New Turf" Policy Dear Mayor Torosis and City Council:
We are writing to you today as climate and environmental advocates to share our enthusiastic input as residents, community leaders and on behalf of the Santa Monica Safe Streets Alliance to express our strong support for the City of Santa Monica’s Park and Recreation Vision Plan (PRVP) - and its recognition of the “City as Habitat.” We are, however, strongly opposed to any artificial turf in Santa Monica including as proposed in the Memorial Park Redevelopment and Expansion Project.
We appreciate the tremendous amount of data and analysis collected and included in the PRVP as well as the high level of community engagement and outreach. This plan is highly anticipated and a long time in the making.
We are excited to see the affirmations and visions it presents. Our City is indeed a Habitat. In accordance with the Precautionary Principle, which guides our Sustainable City Plan, the highest priority must always be “do no harm” to our ecosystem and environment as well as to our community. We applaud the Memorial Park Project having removed synthetic turf from the design and making fields 1 through 4 to be natural grass! Significantly, regarding the question of artificial turf versus grass issue, we strongly oppose any planned implementation of artificial turf. Artificial turf has stifling effects on biodiversity and our delicate ecosystem, and negatively impacts our environment, its inhabitants and, in particular, our vulnerable youth. Installation of artificial turf is in direct conflict with our City’s environmental and sustainability commitments and goals established and affirmed in our adopted Sustainable City Plan, Sustainability Rights Ordinance (SRO), and the Climate Action and Adaptability Plan. Plastic, fake grass unequivocally fails to uplift Santa Monica’s aspiration to meet the Living Community Challenge that “Imagine communities that function like a forest ecosystem.” Grass provides oxygen and breaths; plastic suffocates us and our environment.
Saying we need turf for playing access is a false choice. We don’t have to choose between access and grass.
We now know with new grasses and new maintenance methods we can indeed have durable, hardy, water-smart fields. Let’s choose healthy access to sports fields for our community.
As supporters of more green space and nature for our growing population, we are delighted to see the confidence to aim BIG. The City’s park and playing field acreage must reflect the City’s and community’s commitments to ambitious sustainability leadership and aspirations to benefit current and future generations with connections to the natural environment, including the grass beneath our feet. As we know the national average is 10.6 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents; our city offers a mere 1.4 acres— park poor by any calculation. This lack of healthy and natural green space negatively impacts our Southern California ecosystem and harms the health of Santa Monicans. Any installation of artificial turf harms this connection and degrades our environment. As we AIM BIG with a minimum of 5 park acres/1000 residents in our Park Vision, we must also embrace the goal to take us forward toward a healthier future without degrading our environment with chemically laden, plastic artificial turf.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 918 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) As the PRVP expands our ambition to increase park system acreage and we embark on the Memorial Park Redevelopment and Expansion Project, it is imperative that the playing fields are grass and not synthetic, artificial turf for both the safety and health of the children, youth or adults who would use the fields for sports and play and to ensure that the natural ecosystems are not polluted by microplastics, potential PFAs or other toxins. Additionally, serious risk to athletes playing on artificial turf has been reported in the National Library of Medicine—increased Lower Extremity Injury Rates on Artificial Turf Versus Natural Grass Surfaces. This artificial turf also creates heat islands exacerbating climate crisis conditions and undermining our climate resilience. In fact, the heat of the turf can be as high as 200º F, causing burns to athletes or others playing. These temperatures are unhealthy and uninviting for anyone or anything living. Healthy connections and healthy play need healthy fields.
As we expand and add to our parks, it is imperative that we not ignore the harm incurred by implementing artificial turf into our ecosystem (City Habitat). The vitality of our natural resources presents us with a fundamental obligation to care for them as the health of the ecosystems ensures our personal and public health. The installation of artificial turf transgresses the SRO and indeed would violate it. The City has a legal commitment to protect Nature and a commitment and obligation to protect our community. We cannot immerse ourselves in Nature with artificial turf that simultaneously degrades our ecosystem and natural habitat. We must maintain our connections to Nature that are healing and beneficial to our physical and mental well-being.
We must maintain and not destroy the synergy of natural ecosystems and the City as Habitat for health and human physical and cognitive health.
In summation we urge the City Councilmembers to:
• Adopt the goal of a minimum of 5 park acres/1000 residents in the PRVP. • Reject the “false choice narrative” of more access to fields with artificial turf over natural grass. • Completely fulfill the ambitions of the PRVP, the Memorial Park Redevelopment and Expansion Project by adopting the recommendations of the Sustainability Commission (Nov 17th) 1) No new artificial sports fields will be installed in the city; 2) Existing grass fields will be maintained as grass fields; and 3) When existing artificial turf fields reach the end of their useful life, the city will replace them with durable natural alternative materials.
We urge the City Council to formally adopt a moratorium on synthetic turf on public land. Commit to investing in innovative and the proven approach solution of a regenerative, organic field maintenance program to transitioning our existing turf fields and ensuring that all city fields moving forward are durable, highly playable, and truly safe. Let's uphold our commitment to a living "City as a Habitat.
Sincerely,
Cynthia Rose Cris Gutierrez
Co-Chair, Santa Monica Safe Street Alliance Co-Chair, Santa Monica Safe Streets Alliance SaMoSafeStreets.org
The Santa Monica Safe Streets Alliance is a collaboration of local advocacy and community organizations and multigenerational community members that together work to promote and support the implementation of our community’s shared goals of complete streets that are designed to be vibrant, safe, equitable, sustainable and welcoming to everyone.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 919 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Added key points on Artificial Turf vs. Grass:
1) Installing new turf is in direct opposition of the City's sustainability goals and adopted policy on artificial turf. The City does not rebate for artificial turf installations via its "Cash for Grass" program because artificial turf "(1) does not support bio-diversity...(2) does not foster soil health...(3) production of (virgin) synthetic turf components are associated with significant greenhouse gas emissions...(4) artificial turf is not easily recycled....(5) artificial turf can be a contributor to the heat island effect...[and] (6) artificial turf can lead to significant runoff..." from the Santa Monica's Office of Sustainability and the Environment (OSE) Why Artificial Turf is not Rebated
Note: all of these negative impacts exist with any synthetic turf product regardless of what the fossil fuel/ plastics industry tells us re their testing some new formulations claiming they do not contain or shed PFAS.
E&E News by POLITICO’ Our community has been deceived': Turf wars mount over PFAS Across the country, bitter fights are playing out over synthetic grass surfaces. Some towns already have buyer's remorse after finding PFAS in their turf.
As California installs more artificial turf, health and environmental concerns multiply Retail and marketing data suggest California is home to more synthetic turf than any other place in the world — with schools making up one of the largest sectors. Yet, Californians consistently say they want less plastic, PFAS and other contaminants in their environment. What gives? California is now poised to ban products containing PFAS with Senate Bill 682 – we can preclude the harm to humans and our environment by banning Artificial Turf in Santa Monica. California Lawmakers Approve Bill to Ban PFAS in More Consumer Products - SM Mirror 2) We must recognize that there's nothing green about carpeting the earth with plastic. Beverly Hills recently banned new installations of synthetic turf on people's front lawns (and will be requiring that existing installations are replaced within the next 15 years). Los Angeles Councilmember Bob Blumenfield has also moved to have Los Angeles consider banning new synthetic turf installations on city property (as well as remove and replace at LAUSD property.) Santa Monica has always been a leader with a proud history of sustainability and environmental leadership. We must not fall back or slide backwards: we need to remain in the forefront of protecting our environment, ecosystem and our CHILDREN.
In 2025 the Santa Monica City Council began the discussion to consider “Make Polluters Pay” with a resolution to support AB 1243 / SB 684. Banning artificial turf in Santa Monica would mean we would not have to go after the polluters to pay for the harm they do. We'd preclude the harm in the first place.
LA passed a resolution already. Los Angeles City Council Supports Resolution to Make Polluters Pay; Local Elected Officials from Across the State Express Support for Polluter Pays Climate Superfund Act - Last Chance Alliance
"According to the Synthetic Turf Council, the average athletic field uses 400,000 pounds of infill and 40,000 pounds of artificial turf carpet. In addition, https://archive.ph/o/ro1Jc/https://dtsc.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/ sites/31/2024/09/Artificial-Turf-Workshop-Slides_DTSC_Accessible.pdf [from CalEPA] that an average synthetic turf field loses between 2,000 and 3,000 pounds of microplastic fibers every year." 3) Regardless of what the plastics/fossil industry professes–synthetic turf has not been proven recyclable.
Attorney General Bonta Sues ExxonMobil for Deceiving the Public on Recyclability of Plastic Products “The first-of-its-kind lawsuit seeks to hold one of the largest petrochemical companies in the world accountable for misleading the public on plastic’s recyclability and polluting California’s environment and communities SAN FRANCISCO — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the filing of a lawsuit against ExxonMobil for allegedly engaging in a decades-long campaign of deception that caused and exacerbated the global plastics pollution crisis.”
4) Santa Monica prides itself on critical inquiry and self-expression. By contrast, synthetic turf manufacturers are suing scientists for independently researching their products. 5) Synthetic turf actually has a higher upfront cost than natural grass alternatives (Interestingly, at the May SMMUSD Board Meeting, Carey Upton said they have roughly the same cost over the life cycle of the synthetic turf.)
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 920 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: Elizabeth Van Denburgh <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 10:18 AM
To: Caroline Torosis; Lana Negrete; Barry Snell; Ellis Raskin; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems; Oliver Chi
Subject: City Council 1/27/26 - Agenda item 11-C --2025 Parks & Recreation Master Plan - SUPPORT by Wilmont Board of Directors
EXTERNAL
Mayor Torosis, City Councilmembers and City Manager Chi, The Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition Board (Wilmont) supports the 2025 Parks & Recreation Plan. This update effort reflects both the efforts of city staff, led by Tony Lopez, and public input. The 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan set forth the goal of increasing the city's total park and open
space acreage to 140-170 total acres over the life of the plan. That goal was achieved at 144 acres with the addition of Historic Belmar Park in 2021.
With the current plan, staff is recommending a goal of 5 acres per 1,000 population, the commonly accepted minimum standard. This goal has been supported by the following:
Recreation and Parks Commission
Airport Commission
Arts Commission
Aquatics Advisory Committee
Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice and the Environment Community Gardens Advisory Committee
Field Sports Advisory Committee
Urban Forest Task Force.
The 2020 U.S. Census had the population of Santa Monica of 93,076. At the recommended 5 acres per 1,000 population the target acreage goal would be 465 acres, a deficit of 321 acres (2025 park acreage city goal of 465 minus existing acreage (2025) of 144 acres = 321 acres of park space needed.)
Many thanks,
Board of the Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition (Wilmont) Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 921 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 2 Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 922 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 3 David Yakobson
From: Brodsky, Michael <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 10:54 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Lana Negrete; Ellis Raskin; Dan Hall; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick
Subject: Support for Item 11.C. - Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Torosis and City Councilmembers,
I support the Staff Report for the 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan.
Currently over 70% of our city population lives in multifamily dwellings without backyard green or play space. They depend upon our parks to meet their recreational needs. That percentage will only grow and our city grows and becomes more dense.
Santa Monica is deficient in park access and our need for future park access will only grow.
If Santa Monica meets its Housing Element goals and the Housing Element continues to be renewed every 8 years - the population of Santa Monica could increase by 100% in the next 40 years.
Our future park needs will be even more critical. We must plan for the future.
The 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan will help us move in the right direction.
Sincerely,
Michael Brodsky
Santa Monica
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 923 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 4 Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 924 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 5 David Yakobson
From: Ben <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 10:57 AM
To: Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Natalya Zernitskaya; Lana Negrete; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; councilmtgitems
Cc: Oliver Chi
Subject: SMO: SMCC Meeting 1-2-26 -- Agenda Item 11-C -- PRVP SUPPORT--SUPPORT--
SUPPORT
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Torosis and City Council Members,
I am writing to express my strong support for the 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan (PRVP), including the specific staff recommendations outlined in 11.C.K.
1. CLOSE THE AIRPORT AND TRANSFORM IT TO 100% PARKS AND COMMUNITY SPACES
2. DEFEND MEASURE LC AND PROHIBIT NON-COMPLIANT DEVELOPMENT TO
ALTERNATIVE LOCATIONS
Santa Monica has long been a leader in sustainability, and this plan takes that commitment to the next level. I am particularly impressed by the “City as Habitat” framework and the goal of achieving 5 acres of park space per 1,000 residents. Expanding our green space is not just about aesthetics; it is a vital strategy for climate resiliency, carbon neutrality, and water self-sufficiency.
I want to commend Senior Park Planner Tony Lopez and the entire City Staff for their transparent and thorough community engagement throughout this process.
I urge you to approve and celebrate this vision for a greener, healthier Santa Monica.
Sincerely,
Ben Wang
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 925 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 6 30th Street
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 926 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 7 David Yakobson
From: Jennifer Perugini <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:08 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Santa Monica Parks Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Yes to our Parks Vision. NO artificial turf in our parks or anywhere in the city. Artificial turf harms children, public health, and our City as Habitat.”
Jennifer Perugini
Santa Monica resident
Sent from my iPhone
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 927 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 8 David Yakobson
From: The CLF <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:27 AM
Cc: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Barry Snell; Ellis Raskin; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; Oliver Chi; Tony Lopez; Amber Richane; Peter James; Christopher Dishlip
Subject: *Agenda Item 11C: Support for Adoption of the Draft 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
Attachments: City Council Letter Jan 2026 for Great Parks Coalition.pdf
EXTERNAL
Subject: Agenda Item 11C: Support for Adoption of the Draft 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
Dear Mayor Torosis and CouncilmembersWe are writing to you from the Children's Lifesaving Foundation, a local Santa Monica-area nonprofit. with our unqualified and enthusiastic support for the 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan (PRVP), including Staff's recommended edits in 11.C.k.
The PRVP is both aspirational and practical, showcasing both exemplary consideration for public input and work at the very highest level by City Staff, particularly Senior Park Planner Tony Lopez who led the update effort.
All of the city planning documents have clearly-articulated overall goal(s). The 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan set forth the goal of bringing the City's park acreage to somewhere in the range of 140-170 total acres over the life of the plan. The City achieved that goal, Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 928 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 9 increasing Santa Monica's total park and open space acres from 113 to a little over 144 with the addition of Historic Belmar Park in 2021.
The PRVP before you likewise should have a target goal, so that we know what we're trying to achieve and can measure the progress 25-30 years from now. Staff is recommending a goal of 5 acres per 1,000 population over the life of the PRVP as that is the commonly accepted minimum planning standard.
The PRVP and this clear goal have been enthusiastically embraced by all of the City's boards, commissions, and task force(s) that elected to formalize their support for the PRVP with a vote and letter to Council. These include the Recreation and Parks Commission, the Airport Commission, the Arts Commission, the Community Gardens Advisory Committee, the Field Sports Advisory Committee, the Aquatics Advisory Committee, the Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice and the Environment, and the Urban Forest Task Force.
We urge you to receive and approve the 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan with many compliments to City Manager Oliver Chi and his Staff. It would be an incredible value add to the city of Santa Monica and beyond, its residents-and, most importantly-its youth population.
And we again express our own heartfelt kudos to the City's PRVP team, especially Tony, on presenting you with an excellent planning document to guide our City's park planning and expansion efforts for decades to come in a manner that is simultaneously achievable, measurable, and inspirational.
Thank you so much for your consideration!
Our very best wishes,
Francesca McCaffery
Executive DIrector
The Children’s Lifesaving Foundation
1112 Montana Ave-#534-Santa Monica CA-90403
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 929 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 10 Francesca McCaffery
Executive Director
The Children's Lifesaving Foundation
(424)-645-7661-Main
Follow CLF on:
Instagram
Facebook
LinkedIn
To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.
GIVE TO THE CLF TODAY
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 930 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Subject: Agenda Item 11C: Support for Adoption of the Draft 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
Dear Mayor Torosis and Councilmembers-
We are writing to you from the Children's Lifesaving Foundation, a local Santa Monica-area nonprofit. with our unqualified and enthusiastic support for the 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan (PRVP), including Staff's recommended edits in
11.C.k.
The PRVP is both aspirational and practical, showcasing both exemplary consideration for public input and work at the very highest level by City Staff, particularly Senior Park Planner Tony Lopez who led the update effort.
All of the city planning documents have clearly-articulated overall goal(s). The 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan set forth the goal of bringing the City's park acreage to somewhere in the range of 140-170 total acres over the life of the plan. The City achieved that goal, increasing Santa Monica's total park and open space acres from 113 to a little over 144 with the addition of Historic Belmar Park in 2021.
The PRVP before you likewise should have a target goal, so that we know what we're trying to achieve and can measure the progress 25-30 years from now. Staff Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 931 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 11 David Yakobson
From: Council Mailbox
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 10:36 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: FW: Santa Monica Airport turned into Park - Support Item 11C From: Natasha Mynhier <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 2:49 PM
To: Council Mailbox <[email protected]>
Subject: Santa Monica Airport turned into Park - Support Item 11C
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Torosis and City Councilmembers,
I’m writing to urge you to support Item 11C.
I strongly support the City’s commitment to building the Great Park at the Santa Monica Airport and to banning new artificial turf in Santa Monica. These policies protect public health, reduce environmental harm, and ensure our public land is used in ways that benefit the whole community.
Please vote in favor of Item 11C and continue advancing these important priorities.
Thank you for your service,
Natasha Mynhier
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 932 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 12 David Yakobson
From: Cris Gutierrez <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 10:25 AM
To: Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; Lana Negrete; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; councilmtgitems
Cc: Oliver Chi
Subject: Agenda Item 11-C SUPPORT
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Torosis and City Council Members:
As the co-chairs of the Great Park Coalition's Regenerative-Sustainability Working Group, we write to express our enthusiastic support for the 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan (PRVP), including Staff's recommended edits in 11.C.k. Among the scores of organizations supporting the coalition are premier environmental groups, who participate in our working group.
Building upon Santa Monica’s sustainability leadership, the PRVP is ambitious and practical, affirming Santa Monica’s Sustainability Rights Ordinance, and declaring the “City as Habitat.” We commend City Staff, led by Senior Park Planner Tony Lopez, for both the exemplary work in developing the PVRP and in engaging the community as it has unfolded.
The Staff’s recommendation to have a goal of 5 acres per 1,000 residents over the life of the PRVP is significant.
Expanding our park space advances our City’s sustainability commitments, particularly towards water self-sufficiency, climate resiliency and carbon-neutrality. The community's quality of life can be enriched with more opportunities for recreation and the experiences of being immersed in nature. Ecosystem and habitat health underlie our public health, pivotal needs that the PVRP embraces and promotes.
We trust you to approve, indeed celebrate, the 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan.
With respect.
Cris Gutierrez and Dean Kubani
Great Park Coalition Regenerative-Sustainability Working Group Co-Chairs Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 933 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 13 Cris Gutierrez
[email protected]
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 934 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: Elizabeth Van Denburgh <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 9:37 AM
To: Caroline Torosis; Lana Negrete; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems; Oliver Chi
Cc: Recreation and Arts Department; John Cyrus Smith; John Smith; Barry Rosenbaum; [email protected]; Karen Melick; Maryanne LaGuardia; Steven Johnson; Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Sonam Makker; Noe Mendoza; Jon Kean; Maria LeonVazquez; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; Jennifer Smith; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; Sion Roy; [email protected]
Subject: City Council 1/27/2026 - Items 11C and 11D and City Staff Recommended Ban on New Artificial Turf Installation - SUPPORTED by Wilmont Board
EXTERNAL
Date: 1/27/2026
SUBJECT: Support of Items 11C and 11D AND SUPPORT for the City Staff Recommended Ban on New Artificial Turf Installation
Dear Mayor Torosis, Council Members and City Manager Chi, The Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition (Wilmont) is reaffirming our continued commitment and support of the 12/28/2025 letter
that we previously sent to your attention supporting an immediate prohibition of new installation of artificial turf on locally owned public
land in Santa Monica. The letter was co-signed by Friends of Sunset Park, North of Montana Association (NOMA), Pico Neighborhood
Association, Santa Monica Mid City Neighbors, Santa Monica Northeast Neighbors and this Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition
(Wilmont) board.
This wide consensus serves to support the strong community support for grass playing fields. We encourage you to adopt the
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 935 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 2 recommendations in Agenda Items 11C and 11D and support the city staff recommended ban on new artificial turf installation.
Please take the important next step and direct City staff to develop a comprehensive plan to properly maintain the current GRASS fields
and to develop new GRASS playing fields to support the amount of playing fields that are needed in Santa Monica.
Wilmont and other neighborhoods rely on our schools (i.e. Lincoln Middle School and Roosevelt) for access to safe and
environmentally friendly playing fields and we encourage you to also work with the SMMUSD and SMC to explore ways to extend
the prohibition of artificial turf installation to our schools as well.
Many thanks,
The Board of Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition (Wilmont) CC: Members of Santa Monica Recreation and Parks Commission, SMMUSD Board of Education and SMC Board of Trustees
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 936 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 3 David Yakobson
From: Holly Silvers <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 10:34 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy Attachments: Silvers-Granelli Turf vs Grass.pdf
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
My name is Holly Silvers-Granelli. I am a resident and business owner in Santa Monica. I am a Physical Therapist and hold a PhD in applied physiology and biomechanics. I and am the current research director for Major League Soccer and sit on the medical board for the NFL, US Soccer Federation and FIFA. I have published extensively on injury mitigation in sports. Every athlete we have polled categorically prefers natural grass over artificial turf fields.
NFL players overwhelmingly favor grass. The NFLPA has repeatedly called for all-grass fields, and survey reporting around the league cites that 90% of athletes preferring grass.
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass! Please see my attached letter that I constructed to scientifically support this endeavor. Keep kids safe, injury free and playing under optimal conditions!
Sincerely,
Holly Silvers-Granelli, PhD, MPT
Research Director - Major League Soccer/FIFA Female Football Initiative Sunset Park - Homeowner and Business owner
Mom of two Grant Elementary Students
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 937 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan)
SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA FIELD SPORTS ADVISORY COUNCIL
To Whom It May Concern:
My name is Holly Silvers-Granelli. I am a resident and business owner in Santa Monica.
I am a Physical Therapist and hold a PhD in applied physiology and biomechanics. I and am the current research director for Major League Soccer and sit on the medical board for the NFL, US Soccer Federation and FIFA. I have published extensively on injury mitigation in sports. Every athlete we have polled categorically prefers natural grass over artificial turf fields. NFL players overwhelmingly favor grass. The NFLPA has repeatedly called for all-grass fields, and survey reporting around the league cites that 90% of athletes preferring grass.
A recent NFL study demonstrated that playing on synthetic turf resulted in a 16% increase in lower extremity injuries per play than that on natural turf (IRR, 1.16; 95% CI,
1.10-1.23). The authors concluded that there is a biomechanical mechanism that is consistent with the notion that synthetic turf surfaces have a causal impact on lower extremity injury. (Mack, 2019) A study performed in youth football investigating the role of surface with respect to concussion rate found that during forward, backward and side falls, there is a significantly greater impact deceleration on synthetic turf compared to the natural grass surfaces (P < .05). This means that the impact of falling (head to ground) is more deleterious on synthetic surfaces compared to grass. (Villaneuva, 2024).
The injury rates of inner thigh injury in MLS are higher on turf and require more time to recover. Injuries occurring on grass were associated with a 9.6-day shorter return to play (RTP) than those on artificial turf (β = -9.56; P = .010) (Forsythe, 2025). A recently published systematic review suggests a higher rate of foot and ankle injuries on artificial turf, both old-generation and new-generation turf, compared with natural grass. (Gould, 2023)
Artificial turf is an important risk factor to consider for knee ligament injuries in NCAA football. Injury rates for PCL tears were significantly increased on artificial turf as compared with natural grass. Lower NCAA divisions (II and III) also showed higher rates of ACL injuries during competitions on artificial turf versus natural grass. (Loughran, 2019)
YOUTH SPORTS: Turf-related abrasions are well-documented in youth and high school sports, especially soccer, football, and field hockey. They are less frequent on natural grass because the surface is softer and cooler. Studies of high school football show Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 938 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) players are 2–3x more likely to sustain skin abrasions on turf compared to grass. (Mainly superficial, but can be painful and limit play.)
Abrasion (“Turf Burn”): Turf burns are common on turf compared to grass: Turfrelated abrasions are well-documented in youth and high school sports, especially soccer, football, and field hockey. They’re less frequent on natural grass because the surface is softer and generally cooler. Studies of high school football show players are 2–3x more likely to sustain skin abrasions on turf compared to grass. (Mainly superficial, but can be painful and limit play.) (Ekstrand, 2019) Infection Risks: MRSA & staph concerns: Turf burns can act as an entry point for infection. Several epidemiologic reports in youth/high school football teams link turf abrasions with MRSA outbreaks, especially when fields or equipment hygiene is poor. (Begier, 2004) Risk factors include Turf abrasions are not being cleaned properly, sharing pads/equipment, warmer, humid climates (where turf retains heat and sweat more than grass)
Sports and Performance: Deceleration & Cutting: Biomechanical loading:
Deceleration maneuvers generate higher peak ground-reaction forces on turf than grass, meaning joints (especially knee/ankle) experience greater stress when stopping quickly which increases risk. Controlled lab studies confirm that turf surfaces provide greater rotational traction, which increases mechanical load at the knee/ankle compared to grass.
Athlete Self-Regulation / Behavior Changes: Soccer & rugby players: Athletes report avoiding full-commitment slides, hard cuts, and maximal accelerations on turf because they perceive the surface as riskier (more abrasions, higher joint stress).
Qualitative interviews highlight that players describe “changing playing style to reduce injury risk” when on artificial turf. In NFL players, equipment and performance reports show athletes often adjust footwear (shorter studs/cleats) and modulate intensity on turf to minimize perceived non-contact injury risk. This regulation may impact the injury data that is reported. Athletes inherently change behavior to mitigate their risk on artificial turf. They cut, decelerate and rotate more slowly, therefore minimizing their risk profile.
This letter does not address the ecological and environmental impacts of turf. It would behoove our community to continue to support natural grass surfaces, particularly in a climate that can support this year round. We can decrease injury risk, infection risk and Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 939 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) long term osteoarthritis risk to our recreation athletes. Artificial turf is not a maintenance free surface, nor should it be reflected as such.
Holly Silvers-Granelli, PhD, MPT
Director of Research, Major League Soccer
References:
Begier EM, Frenette K, Barrett NL, Mshar P, Petit S, Boxrud DJ, Watkins-Colwell K, Wheeler S, Cebelinski EA, Glennen A, Nguyen D, Hadler JL; Connecticut Bioterrorism Field Epidemiology Response Team. A high-morbidity outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among players on a college football team, facilitated by cosmetic body shaving and turf burns. Clin Infect Dis. 2004 Nov 15;39(10):1446-53. doi:
10.1086/425313. Epub 2004 Oct 26. PMID: 15546080.
Ekstrand J, Nigg BM. Surface-related injuries in soccer. Sports Med. 1989 Jul;8(1):56-62. doi: 10.2165/00007256-198908010-00006. PMID: 2675255.
Forsythe B, Hand C, Bohn C, Hand F, Chang J, Khazi-Syed D, Borque K, McCullough K.
Adductor Injuries in Major League Soccer: A 10-Year Analysis of Injury Rate and Return to Play, and Performance Metrics by Player Position. Orthop J Sports Med. 2025 Aug 19;13(8):23259671251360436. doi: 10.1177/23259671251360436. PMID: 40843097; PMCID: PMC12365463.
Gould HP, Lostetter SJ, Samuelson ER, Guyton GP. Lower Extremity Injury Rates on Artificial Turf Versus Natural Grass Playing Surfaces: A Systematic Review. Am J Sports Med. 2023 May;51(6):1615-1621. doi: 10.1177/03635465211069562. Epub 2022 May
20. PMID: 35593739.
Loughran GJ, Vulpis CT, Murphy JP, Weiner DA, Svoboda SJ, Hinton RY, Milzman DP.
Incidence of Knee Injuries on Artificial Turf Versus Natural Grass in National Collegiate Athletic Association American Football: 2004-2005 Through 2013-2014 Seasons. Am J Sports Med. 2019 May;47(6):1294-1301. doi: 10.1177/0363546519833925. Epub 2019 Apr 17. PMID: 30995074.
Mack CD, Hershman EB, Anderson RB, Coughlin MJ, McNitt AS, Sendor RR, Kent RW.
Higher Rates of Lower Extremity Injury on Synthetic Turf Compared With Natural Turf Among National Football League Athletes: Epidemiologic Confirmation of a Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 940 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) Biomechanical Hypothesis. Am J Sports Med. 2019 Jan;47(1):189-196. doi:
10.1177/0363546518808499. Epub 2018 Nov 19. PMID: 30452873.
Villanueva NC, Chun IKH, Fujiwara AS, Leibovitch ER, Yamamoto BE, Yamamoto LG.
Impact Deceleration Differences on Natural Grass Versus Synthetic Turf High School Football Fields. Hawaii J Health Soc Welf. 2024 Jan;83(1):4-9. PMID: 38223462; PMCID:
PMC10782390.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 941 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 4 David Yakobson
From: Alon Peled <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 10:59 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass! Sincerely,
Alon Peled
Sunset park
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 942 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 5 David Yakobson
From: alina Bezdikian <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:02 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Hello Mayor and City Council,
Thank you for your continued work on removing artificial turf from Santa Monica, specifically from the Memorial Park plan. Hopefully, that stance will also be taken with any new sports fields installed in the city. Please replace all artificial turf fields with grass fields and maintain that grass or other natural alternative materials. Artificial turf is unhealthy and does not fit with a green Santa Monica.
Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a sustainable future for Memorial Park. Let's have a city-wide policy for prohibiting artificial turf.
Thank you,
Alina Bezdikian
Pico Neighborhood
[email protected]
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 943 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: K F <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 7:18 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Tony Lopez; Noe Mendoza; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
I am a soccer mom, whose son, Sam, is 15 years old and plays competitive soccer in Santa Monica. It is truly his passion and Has been extremely healthy for his mental and physical well-being.
I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenance-related closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Kathy Azarbal
Soccer mom of Sam
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 944 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: Nicole Villanova-Price <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 6:52 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Turf on the agenda
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
Thank you for removing turf from the Memorial Park plan.
I now urge you to adopt the full Sustainability Commission recommendation: 1) No new artificial sports fields will be installed in the city; 2) Existing grass fields will be maintained as grass fields; and 3) When existing artificial turf fields reach the end of their useful life, the city will replace them with durable natural alternative materials.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Let's uphold our commitment to a living "City as a Habitat."
Sincerely,
Nicole Villanova-Price
NOMO neighborhood and advocate for natural grass at Franklin Elementary’s soon to be newly renovated space
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 945 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 2 David Yakobson
From: Tracey Hom <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 5:31 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox; Santa Monica City Manager's Office; Oliver Chi; Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Lana Negrete; Ellis Raskin; Teri Davis Bernstein; Mindi Shank; Dan Hall; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Roni Crichton; [email protected]; Heidi von Tongeln; [email protected]; Carey Upton; Laurie Lieberman Subject: artificial turf
EXTERNAL
I write to you as a parent and an attorney
Please do not put artificial turf at our schools or parks.
My daughters both played softball from the age of 6 through college.When the girls played on fields that had artificial turf they got head aches and the turf smelled. Little beads of petroleum/turf particulate would end up in their clothes and cleets. When it gets warm the smell is oppressive. Plus it is much harder on their joints and heads than grass. Look at the NFL they are removing artificial turf left and right.
Please do something healthy
Tracey P. Hom Esq.
10850 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 825
Los Angeles, California 90024
310 749 5343
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 946 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 2 David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 9:31 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Lana Negrete; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; Tony Lopez; Oliver Chi; [email protected]
Subject: FOSP: City Council 1/27/26 item 11-C -- Support for 2025 Parks & Recreation Master Plan
EXTERNAL
January 26, 2026
To: Mayor Torosis and City Councilmembers
From: Board of Directors, Friends of Sunset Park
RE: 1/27/26 agenda item 11-C -- 2025 Parks & Recreation Master Plan
The FOSP Board supports the 2025 Parks & Recreation Plan.
This update reflects both the efforts of city staff, led by Tony Lopez, and public input.
The 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan set forth the goal of increasing the city's total park and open space acreage to 140-170 total acres. That goal was achieved at 144 acres with the addition of Historic Belmar Park in 2021.
With the current plan, staff is recommending a goal of 5 acres per 1,000 population, the commonly accepted minimum standard. This goal has been supported by the following:
-the Recreation and Parks Commission,
-the Airport Commission,
-the Arts Commission,
-the Aquatics Advisory Committee,
-the Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice and the Environment, -the Community Gardens Advisory Committee,
-the Field Sports Advisory Committee, and
-the Urban Forest Task Force.
Again, the FOSP Board urges you to approve the 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan.
Thank you for your consideration.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 947 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 3 David Yakobson
From: Dannie Charney <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 9:41 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox; Oliver Chi
Subject: ITEM 11-C. BAN ARTIFICIAL TURF ALL OVER SANTA MONICA
EXTERNAL
Mayor Torosis and City Council,
Please support Item 11C.
I do not support the City’s commitment to build the Great Park at the Santa Monica Airport. You cannot even even pay to keep libraries open without taxing residents again.But, I do support banning new artificial turf in Santa Monica, anywhere and everywhere.These policies protect public health, reduce environmental harm, and ensure our public land is used in ways that benefit the whole community.
Please vote in favor of Item 11C only to protect the City and its natural grass and never use artificial turf and continue advancing these important priorities. But forget the Great Park..I can only imagine how this runaway City would have to sell out even more to developers to pay for it.
Thank you,
Danielle Charney
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 948 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 4 David Yakobson
From: Cris Gutierrez <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 7:30 AM
To: Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; councilmtgitems
Cc: Oliver Chi; Tony Lopez; Teague Weybright
Subject: Agenda Item 11 C SUPPORT: 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan Draft
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Torosis, Mayor pro tem Zwick and City Council Members:
As the Santa Monica Community Gardens Advisory Committee, we are enthused to support the approval of the 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan (PRVP). City Staff under the leadership of Senior Park Planner Tony Lopez has done wonderful work in bringing this inspirational vision plan forward to you following an indefatigable community engagement effort.
What a momentous framing Tony and his team have set forth in the PRVP, acknowledging our “City as Habitat," affirming Santa Monica's Sustainability Rights Ordinance and promoting sustainability measures and initiatives that define our City and enhance our community’s quality of health and living.
The Community Gardens Advisors unanimously passed a motion at its 9/2/25 meeting, determining that "The Community Gardens advisory Committee recommends that the Parks & Recreation Vision Plan 2025 includes a goal of at least 5.0 park acres per 1000 city residents.” The Staff has listened and agreed by establishing the PRVP's goal of a minimum of 5 park acres/1000 residents. That is a bold and realistic aspiration.
Santa Monica’s formal leadership in sustainability was preceded by the establishment of the community gardens program in 1976 to give residents an opportunity to grow food and be personal stewards of the public land. This year marks 50 years that the community gardens program has benefited Santa Monica residents with active living and ways to engage in urban agriculture, particularly using regenerative practices, to create unique, biodiverse habitats that support our efforts to be a Sustainable City through local food production, sustainable land stewardship, community composting, carbon sequestration, climate solutions, water conservation practices, and community engagement. We understand and value the vitality of our natural resources and the fundamental need for us to care for them as the health of the ecosystems ensures our personal and public health.
With the PRVP, our City’s and community’s ambitions and aspirations can benefit current and future generations — what a profound gift. We welcome your approval of the 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan and look forward to doing what we can to bring the parks vision alive, seed by seed, gardener by gardener.
With respect,
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 949 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 5 Santa Monica Community Gardens Advisory Committee
Cris Gutierrez - Chair (Main Street CG)
Ken Hansen - Vice Chair (Park Drive CG)
Martha Bardach (Ishihara)
Alina Bezdikian (19th Street)
Tim Bowler (Main Street CG)
Nancy Desser (Euclid Park CG)
Linda Glasser (Marine Park CG)
Antony Lewis (Main Street CG)
Susan McCorry (Main Street CG)
Cordula Ohman (Main Street CG)
James Renn (Marine Park CG)
Cynthia Rose (Park Drive CG)
Traci Takahara (Main Street CG)
Frankie Lou Thorn (Park Drive CG)
Billy Yost (Main Street CG)
Cris Gutierrez
[email protected]
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 950 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 6 David Yakobson
From: Mary <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 8:44 AM
To: Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Natalya Zernitskaya; Barry Snell
Cc: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 11c support
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Torosis and City Councilmembers,
I’m writing to urge you to support Item 11C. Establishing the Great Park with all park and no housing on the airport site. Also banning any new artificial plastic turf in the city including school district properties.
Our residents, students, and native wildlife deserve to have access to healthy natural environments. With such a high percentage of our communities residing in mult-unit residences, they deserve to have natural environments in their neighborhoods. It’s been proven to have health benefits including increased cognitive development in growing children.
I strongly support the City’s commitment to building the Great Park at the Santa Monica Airport and to banning new artificial turf in Santa Monica. These policies protect public health, reduce environmental harm, and ensure our public land is used in ways that benefit the whole community.
Please vote in favor of Item 11C and continue advancing these important priorities.
Thank you for your consideration of our concerns,
Mary Hubbell
Sent from my iPad
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 951 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: Marisela Herrera <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 4:36 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass! Sincerely,
Marisela Herrera- Pico Neighborhood ]
Sent from my iPhone
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 952 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 2 David Yakobson
From: Michon Herman <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 4:47 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass!
Sincerely, Michon Herman, Sunset Park
Sent from my iPhone
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 953 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 3 David Yakobson
From: Maura Smith <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 5:10 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Maura Smith
2604 28th Street #7
Santa Monica CA 90405
1-27-26
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District
1717 4th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Dear SMMUSD Board Members:
As a dedicated grandparent at Grant Elementary and an engaged member of the Santa Monica community, I am writing to vehemently oppose the proposed removal of natural grass and the installation of artificial turf at any SMMUSD schools. This decision carries profound consequences for our children’s health, environmental sustainability, and the district’s fiscal responsibility. The evidence against artificial turf is compelling and multifaceted, warranting a thorough reconsideration of this plan.
The bottom lines are:
As studies about the dangers of plastic exposure continue to mount, we should be exposing our kids to less, not more, plastic; As temperatures rise due to climate change, we should be creating cooling green spaces for kids to play, not replacing natural grass with plastic that overheats in high temperatures; As SMMUSD and the City work to improve sustainability, we should not be generating additional plastic waste; and
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 954 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 4 As LAUSD works systematically towards “Green Schoolyards for All,”SMMUSD students must not be left behind.
The health risks associated with artificial turf are significant, particularly for children, whose developing bodies are uniquely susceptible to environmental toxins. The Children’s Environmental Health Center at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has issued an unequivocal statement discouraging artificial turf use due to unresolved safety concerns. Their team of pediatricians, epidemiologists, and toxicologists highlights critical gaps in safety data, noting that no comprehensive studies confirm the long-term safety of these surfaces for children (Children’s Environmental Health Center, 2017).
Despite the District’s claims that the TenCate turf is made from “nontoxic” materials, it is still made of plastic, and scientists have recently raised alarm bells at the harms of exposure to microplastics in the environment (particularly for children). The fact that kids are also regularly exposed to microplastics through things like plastic toys and toothpaste does not make plastic grass any less harmful – if anything, this is a reason not to further increase our kids’ exposure to these harmful plastics by replacing natural grass with plastic grass.
Beyond chemical exposure, artificial turf poses severe heat-related risks. Studies demonstrate that turf surfaces can reach temperatures exceeding 160°F on sunny days, far hotter than natural grass, which typically remains below 100°F (Devitt et al., 2007). A 2019 study from the University of Nevada found that artificial turf temperatures can be 35–60°F higher than grass, increasing the risk of heat stress, dehydration, and burns, particularly in young children with less developed thermoregulatory systems (Brigham Young University, 2019). The American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes that children are more vulnerable to heat-related illnesses, making these conditions especially concerning for school settings (AAP, 2011).
Natural grass, by contrast, provides a cooler, safer surface that supports active play without these risks. Even though Santa Monica Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 955 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 5 fortunately has cooler temperatures overall than the rest of Los Angeles, with climate change, the number of very hot days is increasing. Now is not the time to be moving away from cooling natural grass and towards plastic grass that will get dangerously hot for kids on (increasingly frequent) hot days – particularly if the main purpose of plastic grass is to increase the overall amount of time kids can play on the grass.
Environmentally, artificial turf is a significant liability. Microplastics and infill particles from turf fields are also dispersed into soil, waterways, and homes, contributing to widespread environmental pollution. A 2021 study published in Environmental Science & Technology estimated that artificial turf fields release 1–4 tons of microplastics annually per field, exacerbating the global microplastic crisis (Cheng et al., 2021). Furthermore, the production and disposal of artificial turf generates substantial carbon emissions, undermining SMMUSD’s sustainability goals. Even for apparently “recyclable” plastics, recent reporting has revealed that less than 10% of new plastics ever produced have been recycled, and most “recyclable” plastics end up incinerated or in landfills. Natural grass fields, conversely, sequester carbon, improve soil health, and support local biodiversity, aligning with California’s environmental priorities.
Financially, choosing artificial turf over natural grass diverts critical district funds away from educational priorities and essential infrastructure improvements. While the exact size of the proposed fields remains unspecified, artificial turf installation is consistently more expensive, costing $10–$20 per square foot, with ongoing maintenance at $0.15–$0.30 per square foot annually (Synthetic Turf Council, 2022). These fields require replacement every 8–10 years and incur significant disposal costs, as most turf materials are nonrecyclable and sent to landfills at $1–$2 per square foot (TURI, 2020).
In contrast, natural grass fields, maintained with modern, waterefficient irrigation and drought-resistant varieties, cost $0.10–$0.20 per square foot annually and can remain functional indefinitely with proper care (Sports Turf Management Association, 2023). By opting Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 956 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 6 for grass, SMMUSD can avoid the recurring capital expenditures of turf replacement, freeing up millions over decades to invest in enriched academic programs—such as STEM initiatives, arts education, and special needs support—and critical infrastructure upgrades, including safer classrooms, improved accessibility, and energy-efficient facilities. Alternatively, if SMMUSD is concerned about overuse of natural grass fields, the district could invest these additional funds into converting existing asphalt and other hard surfaces into green space.
Relatedly, this plan would leave SMMUSD students significantly worse-off than their counterparts in LAUSD, which is actively working to convert hard surfaces into green spaces without increasing their reliance on artificial turf. The LAUSD school board in 2022 approved an initiative that “aims to ensure that at least 30 percent of the existing hard-surface schoolyard space across all District schools is converted into safe and sustainable green space by 2035.” (Source:
LAUSD Green Schoolyards for All Plan, April 2024.) LAUSD specifically excludes “synthetic turf” from its definition of a “green element,” instead opting for surfaces such as natural grass, dirt, mulch, and trees.
Finally, our kids deserve the experience of playing on natural grass.
I’m sure that when you were a school-aged child, you played on natural rather than plastic grass. You may recall the experience of watching worms emerge after a rainstorm or following trails of ants.
Sterile plastic grass neither supports biodiversity nor exposes our kids to the natural world.
The evidence overwhelmingly supports retaining and restoring natural grass fields. Grass provides a safe, non-toxic surface for children to play on, promotes environmental stewardship, and aligns with SMMUSD’s commitment to fiscal prudence. The district has an opportunity to model sustainable practices by investing in droughtresistant grass varieties and water-efficient irrigation systems, which have proven effective in California’s climate (California Department of Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 957 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 7 Water Resources, 2022). Such investments would reinforce the district’s role as a leader in environmental education and community health.
In light of these well-documented health, environmental, and financial concerns, I urgently request that the SMMUSD Board of Education reject the installation of artificial turf at all district schools. Instead, I advocate for the restoration and sustainable maintenance of natural grass fields, a solution that prioritizes the well-being of our children, protects our environment, and ensures responsible use of taxpayer resources.
Thank you for your attention to this critical matter and for your commitment to our community’s future.
Sincerely,
Maura Smith
References
1. American Academy of Pediatrics. (2011). Policy statement: Children and heat stress. Pediatrics, 128(6), e1829.
o Description: Highlights children’s heightened vulnerability to heatrelated illnesses, relevant to the risks of high temperatures on artificial turf surfaces.
o Available at:
https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/128/6/e1829/30982
2. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. (2010). Toxicological profile for styrene. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. o Description: Identifies styrene and other chemicals in crumb rubber infill as carcinogens and health hazards, supporting concerns about artificial turf safety.
o Available at: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp53.pdf
3. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. (2023). Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and your health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
o Description: Links PFAS in artificial turf to health risks, including cancer and immune dysfunction, emphasizing risks for children. o Available at: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/health-effects/index.html
4. Brigham Young University. (2019). Synthetic turf surface temperature study.
Provo, UT: Brigham Young University.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 958 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 8 o Description: Reports artificial turf surface temperatures 35–60°F higher than natural grass, increasing heat stress risks. o Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/ (Note: Specific study may require institutional access or direct inquiry from BYU’s Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences.)
5. California Department of Water Resources. (2022). Drought-resistant turfgrass and water-efficient irrigation systems. Sacramento, CA: California Department of Water Resources.
o Description: Promotes sustainable grass varieties and irrigation systems suitable for California’s climate, supporting natural grass field maintenance.
o Available at: https://water.ca.gov/Programs/Water-Use-AndEfficiency/Turf-Replacement-Program
6. Cheng, H., Hu, Y., & Reinhard, M. (2021). Environmental and health impacts of artificial turf: A review. Environmental Science & Technology, 55(3), 1313–1325.
o Description: Estimates artificial turf fields release 1–4 tons of microplastics annually, contributing to environmental pollution concerns.
o Available at: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.0c04665 (Note:
Full access may require subscription or institutional login.)
7. Children’s Environmental Health Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. (2017). Artificial turf: A health-based perspective. New York, NY:
Mount Sinai.
o Description: Formal statement discouraging artificial turf use due to safety data gaps and health risks for children, based on expert analysis.
o Available at: https://icahn.mssm.edu/research/children-environmentalhealth/resources (Note: Specific report may require direct inquiry from Mount Sinai’s CEHC.)
8. Devitt, D. A., Young, M. H., Baghzouz, M., & Bird, B. (2007). Surface temperature, heat loading, and spectral characteristics of synthetic turf fields. Journal of Turfgrass Management.
o Description: Documents artificial turf surface temperatures exceeding 160°F, posing significant heat stress risks for children. o Available at:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J099v12n01_06 (Note:
Full access may require subscription or institutional login; contact University of Nevada, Las Vegas, for further details.)
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 959 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 9 9. International Agency for Research on Cancer. (2008). IARC monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans: 1,3-Butadiene, ethylene oxide, and vinyl halides (Vol. 97). Lyon, France: World Health Organization. o Description: Classifies butadiene and related compounds in turf infill as carcinogenic, supporting health risk arguments.
o Available at: https://monographs.iarc.who.int/list-of-classifications
10. Sports Turf Management Association. (2023). Natural grass athletic field maintenance guidelines. Lawrence, KS: STMA.
o Description: Estimates natural grass maintenance costs at $0.10– $0.20 per square foot annually with sustainable practices, supporting cost-effectiveness of grass fields.
o Available at: https://www.stma.org/resources/technical-resources/
11. Synthetic Turf Council. (2022). Guidelines for synthetic turf performance and maintenance. Forest Hill, MD: Synthetic Turf Council. o Description: Provides cost estimates for artificial turf installation ($10– $20 per square foot) and maintenance ($0.15–$0.30 per square foot annually), highlighting high costs.
o Available at: https://www.syntheticturfcouncil.org/page/Guidelines
12. Toxics Use Reduction Institute. (2020). Athletic playing fields:
Choosing safer options for health and the environment. Lowell, MA:
University of Massachusetts Lowell.
o Description: Documents chemical leaching from artificial turf into groundwater and ecosystems, along with disposal costs ($1–$2 per square foot).
o Available at:
https://www.turi.org/TURI_Publications/TURI_Methods_and_Policy_R eports/Athletic_Playing_Fields_Choosing_Safer_Options_for_Health_ and_the_Environment_2020
13. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2016). Federal research action plan on recycled tire crumb used on playing fields and playgrounds.
Washington, DC: USEPA.
o Description: Notes the presence of volatile organic compounds and hazardous substances in alternative turf infills, with insufficient safety data.
o Available at: https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/federal-researchaction-plan-recycled-tire-crumb-used-playing-fields Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 960 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 10 David Yakobson
From: Elizabeth Van Denburgh <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 5:56 PM
To: Caroline Torosis; Lana Negrete; Barry Snell; Ellis Raskin; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems
Subject: City Council 1/27/2026 - Support Items 11C and 11D
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Torosis and City Councilmembers,
I’m writing to urge you to support items 11C and 11D.
I strongly support the City’s commitment to building the Great Park at the Santa Monica Airport and to banning new artificial turf in Santa Monica. These policies protect public health, reduce environmental harm, and ensure our public land is used in ways that benefit the whole community.
Please vote in favor of Items 11C and 11D and continue advancing these important priorities.
Many thanks,
Elizabeth Van Denburgh
[email protected]
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 961 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 11 David Yakobson
From: Natalie A <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 7:09 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass! Not to mention there is absolutely non way that synthetic grass is non toxic, and we will see health-related lawsuits connected to the use of fake grass, in the future for sure. Let's avoid those! Sincerely, Natalie Antoci (Wilshire/Montana area in Santa Monica) Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 962 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 12 David Yakobson
From: Kiki Parker <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 7:26 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan, but I'm also writing as a concerned community member and part of Samohi's student environmental club, Team Marine.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Synthetic turfs pose many threats to both human and environmental health. The crumb rubber and chemical products easily spread their negative effects through the environment: they are carried by athletes' shoes, stick to clothes, and travel through wind and waterways. The synthetic turf product is not recyclable, unlike how the industry may claim it is. Synthetic turf stuffs landfills and households with harmful products that don't go away. Please support a safer and more sustainable option with natural grass and a "No New Turf" policy.
Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass! Sincerely,
Lanikai Parker
Santa Monica
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 963 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 13 David Yakobson
From: Harry Leshner <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 8:14 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: Council Agenda Item 11C/D (Jan 27, 2026): Support Sustainability Council's No Plastic Grass Recommendation
EXTERNAL
Council Members,
I am writing to submit public comment for the upcoming Council Meeting on the 27th of January, 2026 regarding agenda items 11 C and D.
Thank you for removing plastic turf from the Memorial Park plan. I now urge you to adopt the full Sustainability Commission recommendation:
1) No new artificial sports fields will be installed in the city; 2) Existing grass fields will be maintained as grass fields; and 3) When existing artificial turf fields reach the end of their useful life, the city will replace them with durable natural alternative materials.
In response to anyone who is concerned that without artificial plastic field turf they will lose access to fields, I hope you can assure them the city is committed to maintaining and expanding access to fields, and feels it can do so by promoting grass while also being good stewards of the city’s finances and of the environment.
Thank you,
Harry Leshner, Santa Monica Resident
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 964 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 14 David Yakobson
From: Hana Leshner <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 8:19 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Parks Vision Plan, Natural Grass at Memorial, & A "No Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and Council Members,
I am writing today as a Santa Monica resident to express my support for the proposed Parks Plan and to urge the Council to take a definitive stand on the future of our green spaces.
First, I want to thank the staff for their extensive work and dedication in developing this plan. Their vision for our city’s open spaces is vital to our community’s well-being. I specifically want to thank staff for removing artificial turf from the Memorial Park plan—this is a significant win for our environment and the health of our residents.
I now urge the City Council to adopt the Parks Plan, approve the Memorial and go one step further by formally adopting the Sustainability Commission’s recommendations regarding artificial turf:
1. No new artificial sports fields will be installed in the city;
2. Existing grass fields will be maintained as grass fields; and
3. When existing artificial turf fields reach the end of their useful life, the city will replace them with durable natural alternative materials.
Our community is looking to you to prioritize sustainability and public health. By codifying these recommendations, you will ensure that Santa Monica remains a leader in environmental protection and provides safe, natural spaces for our children to play.
Thank you for your leadership and for protecting the future of our parks.
Sincerely,
Hana Leshner
Santa Monica Resident
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 965 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 15 David Yakobson
From: Isabel <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 9:12 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a citywide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass!
Sincerely,
Isabel Cardoso Ferreira (Formerly Burrows), Sunset Park Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 966 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 16 David Yakobson
From: Judisma Siddhi <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 10:04 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
Thank you for listening to the community and choosing natural grass for the new Memorial Park fields. As a concerned community member and part of Samohi's student environmental club, Team Marine, I urge you to now formalize this commitment by passing a city-wide policy that prohibits all future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf.
By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living.
No more public dollars for plastic grass!
Sincerely,
Judisma Siddhi
Mid-City, Santa Monica
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 967 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 17 David Yakobson
From: Judisma Siddhi <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 10:06 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
Thank you for listening to the community and choosing natural grass for the new Memorial Park fields. As a concerned community member and part of Samohi's student environmental club, Team Marine, I urge you to now formalize this commitment by passing a city-wide policy that prohibits all future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf.
By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living.
No more public dollars for plastic grass!
Sincerely,
Judisma Siddhi
Mid-City, Santa Monica
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 968 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 18 David Yakobson
From: Green Mother Zen <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 5:31 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass!
Thank you so much for your attention to this!
Sincerely,
Ms. Frankie Lou Thorn
Sent from GreenMotherZen 곒곓곔곕
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 969 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 19 David Yakobson
From: Goldberg, Jay <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 5:47 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: RE: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
Stop the artificial turf!
Support Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass.
Enough “artificial” and let the kids feel reality.
Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass! Not to mention there is absolutely non way that synthetic grass is non toxic, and we will see health-related lawsuits connected to the use of fake grass, in the future for sure. Let's avoid those! We are spending so much to (re)build the schools…and the money should go to maintaining them.
We can’t keep building capacity while we are struggling to provide the basics….art, music, teacher’s aids
Sincerely, Jay (Wilshire/Montana area in Santa Monica, father of Franklin students) ___________________________________________________
Jay Goldberg
Mortgage Loan Officer
Purchases and Refinancings | Private Wealth Mortgage | Residential Construction | Home Equity | Lot Loans M: 310-600-1988 | [email protected]
NMLS #261023
U.S. Bank
1401 Wilshire Blvd, Skysuite
Santa Monica, CA 90403
U.S. BANCORP made the following annotations
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 970 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 20 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Electronic Privacy Notice. This e-mail, and any attachments, contains information that is, or may be, covered by electronic communications privacy laws, and is also confidential and proprietary in nature. If you are not the intended recipient, please be advised that you are legally prohibited from retaining, using, copying, distributing, or otherwise disclosing this information in any manner. Instead, please reply to the sender that you have received this communication in error, and then immediately delete it. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------- Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 971 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 21 David Yakobson
From: L Glass <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 7:34 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: Items 11C&D. Support natural grass at Memorial Park and a “No New Turf” policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass! Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Linda Glasser ( Sunset Park)
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 972 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 22 David Yakobson
From: Ayse Reyering <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 7:51 AM
To: Karen Melick; [email protected]; councilmtgitems; Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Caroline Torosis; Oliver Chi
Subject: Concerned Soccer Mom - Turf Fields Item 11 c. and d., Parks & Rec Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Hi All,
I'm a working mom whose son just wants to play soccer all day, every day, all year round. We've found a great organization where he can do that - however, it's come to my attention that the City of Santa Monica is discussing a major decision that will directly impact my son, among hundreds of other kids' sport programs - grass fields v. turf fields.
Like many of you, we would love natural grass fields. However, the reality is that grass fields simply cannot support year-round play. With heavy use, wear and tear, and rain damage, grass fields would require frequent closures and long recovery periods—sometimes for months at a time.
This would significantly reduce field availability and limit opportunities for our children to play, practice, and grow through sports.
Turf fields provide a practical solution. Turf allows for consistent, year-round use, even after rain, and creates more reliable space for all youth organizations to share. Most importantly, it ensures that our kids don’t lose valuable playing time due to field closures beyond our control.
We are asking for your help. The City needs to hear from families who care about access, inclusion, and opportunities for our children.
Thank you for standing with us and for advocating for what allows our kids to play, stay active, and thrive as a community.
With appreciation,
The Reyering family
--
Ayse Reyering |
Amazon Studios
Sr. Post Production Executive
(cell) 715-252-1356
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 973 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 23 David Yakobson
From: Bryce Schatzow <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 8:19 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
As a concerned community member and part of Samohi's student environmental club, Team Marine, I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass! Sincerely, Bryce Schatzow (Santa Monica)
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 974 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 24 David Yakobson
From: Jamie Lloyd-Smith <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 8:19 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass! Sincerely,
James Lloyd-Smith
Sunset Park resident
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 975 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: D'Orsogna, Maria R <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 2:30 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: No more plastic grass!
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and Members of the City Council,
I cannot believe you even allowed plastic "grass" in our city to begin with.
For decades Santa Monica has posed itself as "the champion of sustainability." What has happened to this guiding principle?
Santa Monica bans Fourth of July fireworks (an event that happens once a year) because of public safety and environmental concerns. Yet we have allowed permanent installations of plastic surfaces that expose children daily to excessive heat, microplastics, and synthetic chemicals. This is unsafe, inconsistent, illogical, and indefensible.
The science is clear.
Synthetic turf is a petroleum-based product that sheds microplastics and PFAS (“forever chemicals”) over its lifetime. These materials migrate into human bodies, soil, stormwater systems, and ultimately our coastal waters posing long-term risks to public health, fertility, and ecosystems.
Natural grass fields are significantly cooler than synthetic turf, often by 30°F and up to 60°F on warm days, dramatically reducing the risk of heat stress and injury, especially for children and athletes.
Children should not be playing above plastic. Period.
Would you allow your own children to regularly play on these surfaces, knowing all this? I am sure you would not.
I acknowledge and appreciate the Council’s decision to designate Fields 1 through 4 as "natural" grass. That decision reflects basic logic: there is no such thing as “non-natural” grass. If it is not living soil (grass), it is plastic.
Now, I urge you to build on this decision by adopting a citywide policy prohibiting future taxpayer spending on any and all new synthetic turf installations. Such a policy would directly advance the intent of Santa Monica’s 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance, which affirms residents’ right to a healthy and sustainable environment.
Committing to natural grass protects children, adults and our oceans from plastic pollution, and ensures our public spaces remain green, safe, and alive.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 976 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 2 Santa Monica has the opportunity to lead by example.
Please do the right thing.
Sincerely
Maria R D'Orsogna, PhD
1. Collaborative for Health & Environment (CHE)
Artificial Turf and Safer Alternatives
https://www.healthandenvironment.org/resources/environmental-hazards/chemicals-andmaterials/artificial-turf-and-safer-alternatives
2. California Coastal Commission
Reports that artificial turf can be 35–60°F hotter than natural grass and contributes to heat, runoff, and environmental degradation.
https://documents.coastal.ca.gov/reports/2025/11/w6f/w6f-11-2025-exhibits.pdf
3. City of Palo Alto — Synthetic Turf Study (Appendix E) Synthetic turf surface temperatures may exceed 120°F, with recorded temperatures reaching 158– 200°F under direct sun.
https://www.paloalto.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/community-services/staff-report-contracts/openspace-parks-and-golf/turf-study-report/appendix-e-supplemental-reports-articles-reportsresources.pdf
4. Beyond Plastics
Synthetic Turf Is HAZARDOUS -- Artificial turf sheds microplastics and contains toxic chemicals that contaminate soil, air, and waterways.
https://www.beyondplastics.org/fact-sheets/synthetic-turf
5. Charles River Watershed Association
Artificial Turf and Water Pollution -- Microplastic and PFAS migration from turf into stormwater systems and nearby water bodies.
https://www.crwa.org/artificial-turf
6. PFAS Project Lab
Once Hailed as a Drought Fix, California Moves to Restrict Synthetic Turf Over Health Concerns -- PFAS, microplastics, and emerging regulatory concerns in California. https://pfasproject.com/2023/10/19/once-hailed-as-a-drought-fix-california-moves-to-restrictsynthetic-turf-over-health-concerns/
7. Institute for Energy Research & Education (IERE)
Is Artificial Turf Bad for the Environment? -- The environmental impacts of synthetic turf, including plastic degradation and pollution.
https://iere.org/is-artificial-turf-bad-for-the-environment/ Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 977 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: Sheila Hanahan Taylor <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 2:01 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and long time community member (since 1991) to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type.
Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports. Booking field space is a big challenge! We have an incredibly sporty and outdoorsy population, our youth athletes are top tier in no small part due to our outstanding youth sports programs (both public and private/club).
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenance-related closures.
Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Moreover, as someone who regularly volunteered with AYSO as a filed-stripe-painter, I can say how challenging ti was to get regular volunteers to update the striping on a weekly basis. Synthentic turf fields, with their permanent striping allow for consistent and easily held practices and games on prepped fields.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely
Sheila Hanahan Taylor
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 978 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 2 1309 Pacific Street
Sheila Hanahan Taylor
[email protected]
310-903-7562
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 979 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 3 David Yakobson
From: Melissa Tufan <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 2:34 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenancerelated closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Melissa Tufan
(Child is in a Santa Monica school and various Santa Monica sports organizations) Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 980 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 4 David Yakobson
From: Timo McNeff <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 2:13 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenancerelated closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Tim McNeff
Father of Albion Santa Monica B16 Academy Player Kingston McNeff Father of AYSO Player Teigan McNeff
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 981 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 5 David Yakobson
From: Paul Irby <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 2:59 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: ITEM 11C – KEEP THE TURF FIELDS
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers,
I am writing as a Santa Monica resident, and participant in the City’s adult soccer program at Airport Park since 2017, to voice concerns about the proposed retrofit of existing turf surfaces to grass.
Santa Monica is a dense city with limited recreational space, and anyone who regularly plays here understands how competitive field access already is. A “grass-only” mandate or a “no net new turf” policy could make that challenge far worse. From a player’s perspective, synthetic turf is what allows these programs to exist at all.
Turf fields provide dramatically more playable hours than grass. As adult players, we often use the fields late at night — times when grass fields are frequently closed to recover or after rain. Turf’s durability and year-round usability are the reason leagues can run consistently and fairly without constant cancellations.
Safety is also a major concern. Well-maintained turf offers a reliable, even surface. In contrast, heavily used grass fields often become uneven, worn, and unpredictable, increasing the risk of injury. Speaking as someone who plays regularly, consistency matters — especially for older adults who are more prone to soft-tissue injuries. Since the turf surface at Airport Park was resurfaced a few years ago, there has been a notable decrease in soft-tissue injuries in the soccer league and we are all very happy with the current playing surface. I worry that switching to a grass surface would not be properly maintained to provide a safe and reliable environment for a nighttime adult league. Can the City commit enough resources to properly maintain a grass surface and provide a recreational outlet for all ages?? While I understand the potential environmental and health safety risks of turf, those of us who play in the soccer league are concerned that the current City stance and staff report lean strongly toward eliminating turf without fully weighing these realities. Switching to turf would mean fewer adult leagues, fewer youth opportunities, fewer high school practices — and ultimately, fewer chances for residents to stay healthy and connected.
I respectfully urge the Council to avoid an overly restrictive policy that limits Santa Monica’s future options.
Preserving the ability to use synthetic turf is the most practical and inclusive way to ensure our city continues to support active lifestyles and strong community ties, despite the potential risks.
Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration.
Sincerely,
Paul Irby
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 982 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 6 David Yakobson
From: Jack Donnelly <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 2:52 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Subject: ITEM 11C – KEEP THE TURF FIELDS
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers,
I am writing as a longtime participant in Santa Monica's adult soccer programs. Through participation in the adult soccer league, I have strengthened friendships, made many new friends, and found a competitive outlet that is both healthy and fun and can be practiced year round. Over the last several years since moving to Santa Monica, having a weekly soccer game to look forward to has been a highlight of the week and helped break up the monotony of the typical work week. Participating in the league has had a tremendously positive impact on my life. With that perspective in mind, I respectfully ask the Council to consider a practical and flexible approach when setting policies around sports field surfaces.
Santa Monica’s limited size means recreational space is already scarce. Anyone who regularly uses the fields knows how difficult it can be to secure time, particularly during peak hours. I have had a lot of difficulty even finding a field to practice on when not playing in a game. Our weekly games are the only time that secured field space is guaranteed. Policies that prohibit additional turf fields or require exclusive reliance on grass would further reduce access and make participation more difficult for everyone. From the standpoint of players, synthetic turf is essential to keeping programs running.
One of turf’s greatest advantages is its ability to support far more hours of use than natural grass. Adult leagues frequently depend on late-night field time, when grass fields are often closed due to wear, maintenance, or weather. Turf fields allow leagues to operate consistently throughout the year without constant disruptions.
Field safety is another key consideration. When properly maintained, turf provides a uniform and predictable surface. Grass fields that experience heavy use can quickly deteriorate, creating uneven conditions that increase the risk of injury. For adult players with limited time to stay active, reliable and safe playing conditions matter.
I am concerned that recent discussions and staff recommendations appear to prioritize the removal of turf without fully acknowledging these on-the-ground realities. Reducing turf availability would have real consequences — fewer adult leagues, fewer opportunities for young players and students, and fewer options for residents seeking to remain active and connected.
I urge the Council to avoid policies that unnecessarily limit future flexibility. Preserving the option to use synthetic turf is the most realistic way to ensure broad access to recreational programs and to support the health and well-being of our community.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 983 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 7 Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration.
Sincerely,
John Donnelly
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 984 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: Ray and Dina Johnson <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 1:03 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Plastic grass
EXTERNAL
Dear Council Members,
Please do not support plastic grass at any city location in SM.
Thank you,
Raymond and Nadina Johnson, Yale St
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 985 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 8 David Yakobson
From: Colin Carley <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 2:59 PM
To: Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; Oliver Chi; councilmtgitems Subject: ITEM 11C - Keep the Turf Fields
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers,
I am writing to urge your support for a flexible and realistic approach to our city’s sports field surfaces. As you consider future policy, it is vital that we do not corner ourselves into a "grass-only" mandate or a "no net new turf" stance. Given Santa Monica’s high density and the severe competition for limited recreational space, we must prioritize the surfaces that offer the most utility and safety for our residents.
The operational reality is that synthetic turf provides significantly more playable hours than grass. In a city where field space is at a premium, turf is the only way to meet the high demand of our youth and adult leagues. Unlike grass, which requires long rest periods and can be sidelined for days after rain, turf remains durable and ready for use year-round.
Furthermore, well-maintained turf provides a consistent and level playing surface, which is quite frankly much safer than grass that often becomes uneven or patchy under heavy municipal use. Many of us feel the current City stance and staff report are heavily slanted toward eliminating turf without fully weighing these advantages. We must be clear: a decision to move away from turf is a decision to cancel programs.
A move to restrict turf would result in immediate and severe consequences for our community, including the reduction of adult leagues, high school sports, and youth club activities. I urge the Council to avoid making a hasty or overly restrictive decision that limits our future options. Maintaining the ability to use synthetic turf is the most practical way to ensure Santa Monica continues to support a healthy, active, and connected community. Ask anyone who actually uses the fields (not someone's overly concerned parent) and they'll tell you they prefer turf 10/10.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Colin Carley
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 986 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 9 David Yakobson
From: Abdallah Chammas <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 3:31 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: ITEM 11C – KEEP THE TURF FIELDS
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers,
I am writing as a Santa Monica resident and a regular participant in the City’s adult soccer programs. For many residents, these athletic fields represent far more than places to exercise — they are spaces where community is built, relationships are formed, and the pressures of daily life are relieved. Based on my direct experience, I respectfully encourage the Council to adopt a balanced and pragmatic approach to decisions regarding sports field surfaces.
Santa Monica’s density and limited open space already make recreational field access highly constrained. Those of us who play regularly understand how scarce available field time has become.
Policies such as a strict “grass-only” requirement or a prohibition on net new turf would significantly intensify these limitations. From the perspective of active users, synthetic turf is a key reason these programs are able to function at all.
Turf fields support substantially more hours of safe, playable use than natural grass. Adult leagues frequently rely on late-evening access — periods when grass fields are often unavailable due to maintenance needs or weather-related closures. The resilience and consistency of turf are what allow leagues to operate reliably throughout the year, with fewer disruptions and cancellations.
Player safety is another important consideration. Properly maintained turf provides a uniform and predictable surface. By contrast, overused grass fields can quickly become uneven and deteriorated, increasing the risk of injury. For adults balancing work, family responsibilities, and limited free time, dependable field conditions are essential.
I am concerned that the City’s current direction and staff analysis may undervalue these practical realities. It is important to recognize that reducing or eliminating turf is not a neutral outcome. Such a shift would inevitably lead to fewer adult leagues, reduced youth programming, constrained high school athletics, and fewer opportunities overall for residents to stay active and engaged.
I respectfully urge the Council to avoid adopting policies that unnecessarily restrict future options.
Maintaining the ability to utilize synthetic turf is a practical, inclusive, and forward-looking way to support recreation, public health, and community connection in Santa Monica.
Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 987 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 10 Sincerely,
AJ. Chammas
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 988 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: Justine Lavelle <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 1:42 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
Thank you for listening to the community and choosing natural grass for the new Memorial Park fields. I urge you to now formalize this commitment by passing a city-wide policy that prohibits all future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf. Let's protect our health, our budget, and our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance by keeping Santa Monica’s public lands living and plastic-free.
Sincerely, Justine R. LaVelle
[email protected]
M: 816-258-2182
2940 Neilson Way, Santa Monica,
CA 90405 #301
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 989 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 2 David Yakobson
From: diana hinek <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 1:50 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Items 11C & D: support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass! Sincerely,
Diana Hinek
Ocean Park Neighborhood
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 990 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 3 David Yakobson
From: Traci Takahara <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 1:52 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" and a 1000 llbs of unrecyclable plastic in landfills every two years!
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
Synthetic Turf doesn't stand up to heavy-use public spaces. It looks ugly after being in the sun.
Needs frequent replacement. High schools have found it unmanageable. I imagine soccerfields will too!
Protect our well water and soil from contamination!
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the Santa Monica Community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass! Sincerely,
Traci Takahara,
Sunset Park Resident
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 991 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 4 David Yakobson
From: Chris Lefevre <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 1:55 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Items 11C & D: support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations and replaces all existing installations with natural grass. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass! Sincerely,
Chris Lefevre
Ocean Park Neighborhood (90405)
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 992 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 5 David Yakobson
From: Bianca Bloomfield <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 2:10 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass.
Sincerely,
Bianca Bloomfield, Santa Monica
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 993 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 6 David Yakobson
From: Ishara Bailis <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 3:21 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Caroline Torosis; Lana Negrete; Natalya Zernitskaya; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Dan Hall; Jesse Zwick
Subject: Items 11 C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & a NO NEW TURF Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
Thank you for listening to the community and choosing natural grass for the new Memorial Park Fields.
I urge you to now formalize this commitment by passing a city-wide policy that prohibits all future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf.
And when existing artificial turf fields reach the end or their useful life, the City replace them with durable natural alternative materials.
It’s critical to protect our health - for everyone, of all ages.
To protect our environment as a living “City as a Habitat” and follow the 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance by keeping Santa Monica’s public lands living and plastic-free.
Thank you very much.
Warm regards,
Ishara
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 994 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: Kate Wessels <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 1:24 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane; David Wessels
Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica resident, parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
As the mother of a 7-year-old who plays with ALBION SC Santa Monica, I see firsthand how critical reliable field access is to our community. We practice on fields across Santa Monica multiple times a week, and the availability of quality playing surfaces directly impacts our children’s ability to develop their skills, stay active, and be part of a team.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather - and maintenance-related closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced, leaving programs like ours scrambling for practice time and limiting opportunities for kids who just want to play.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Kate Wessels
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 995 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 2 508 10th Street, Santa Monica CA 90402
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kate Wessels
+1.310.526.1428
[email protected]
*Please note that I am on a PST (USA West Coast) time zone, so correspondence may be delayed.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 996 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 3 David Yakobson
From: Jillian Clark <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 1:29 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields provide consistent playability, significantly higher usage, and fewer weather- and maintenance-related closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Jillian (Soccer Mom of 2 boys)
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 997 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: Jonathan Chan <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 1:00 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Items 11C & 11D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial Park and Adopt a No New Turf Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I am writing to support the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan. City staff have removed synthetic turf from the design, which is a practical improvement and a clear response to public feedback.
I encourage the Council to treat this as a policy decision, not a one-off. Please adopt a citywide standard to avoid new City funded synthetic turf or plastic grass installations on public land. A uniform standard improves decision quality and consistency by ensuring projects are evaluated on measurable factors, including heat, user safety, maintenance requirements, environmental impacts, and full lifecycle costs.
This approach supports the intent of Santa Monica’s 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and reduces the City’s long-term exposure to replacement and disposal obligations. It also reduces the risk of adding additional plastic material sources to the local environment.
Memorial Park can be the first application of a consistent standard that benefits the entire city. I respectfully ask you to approve the revised plan and direct staff to return with a citywide policy that prioritizes non-plastic, durable groundcover solutions.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Chan
Sunset Park
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 998 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 2 David Yakobson
From: Eileen Gibson Funke <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 1:24 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living.
Sincerely,
Eileen Funke, Santa Monica
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 999 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: LosAngeles PetanqueClub <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 11:02 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Support for Adoption of the Draft 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan Attachments: support letter 012626.pdf
EXTERNAL
Dear Councilmembers,
We write to you in support of the 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan (PRVP), including Staff's recommended edits in 11.C.k.
Staff is recommending a goal of 5 acres per 1,000 population over the life of the PRVP as that is the commonly accepted minimum planning standard. The PRVP and this clear goal have been enthusiastically embraced by all of the City's boards, commissions, and task force(s) that elected to formalize their support for the PRVP with a vote and letter to Council.
These include the Recreation and Parks Commission, the Airport Commission, the Arts Commission, the Community Gardens Advisory Committee, the Field Sports Advisory Committee, the Aquatics Advisory Committee, the Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice and the Environment, and the Urban Forest Task Force.
We ask that you please receive and approve the 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan with many compliments to City Manager Oliver Chi and his Staff. And we express our own gratitude to the City's PRVP team, and Senior Park Planner Tony Lopez, on presenting you with a planning document to guide our City's park expansion efforts for decades to come in a manner that is simultaneously achievable, measurable, and inspirational.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Pierre Constantin
Los Angeles Petanque Club President
P.S: Please find our letter of support attached.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1000 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 01/26/26
Los Angeles Petanque Club
2459 Motor Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Santa Monica City Council
1685 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Subject: Agenda Item 11C: Support for Adoption of
the Draft 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
Dear Mayor Torosis and CouncilmembersWe write to you in support of the 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan (PRVP), including Staff's recommended edits in 11.C.k.
Staff is recommending a goal of 5 acres per 1,000 population over the life of the PRVP as that is the commonly accepted minimum planning standard. The PRVP and this clear goal have been enthusiastically embraced by all of the City's boards, commissions, and task force(s) that elected to formalize their support for the PRVP with a vote and letter to Council.
These include the Recreation and Parks Commission, the Airport Commission, the Arts Commission, the Community Gardens Advisory Committee, the Field Sports Advisory Committee, the Aquatics Advisory Committee, the Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice and the Environment, and the Urban Forest Task Force.
We ask that you please receive and approve the 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan with many compliments to City Manager Oliver Chi and his Staff. And we express our own gratitude to the City's PRVP team, and Senior Park Planner Tony Lopez, on presenting you with a planning document to guide our City's park expansion efforts for decades to come in a manner that is simultaneously achievable, measurable, and inspirational.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Pierre Constantin
Los Angeles Petanque Club President.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1001 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: Jessica Herman Goldman <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 11:35 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy Inbox
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
• We know how it felt to keep our toddlers off of playground equipment, turf, and sandboxes until extraordinary measures could be taken to clean them effectively after the Palisades fire. While grass regrows and refreshes, artificial turf may have to be replaced after a fire — or after accumulating enough road dust.
• We know microplastics and nanoplastics are an increasing problem in our health and children’s health.
We know heat and friction will cause plastics to volatilize.
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass! Sincerely,
Benjamin Goldman
Santa Monica
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1002 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 2 David Yakobson
From: Benjamin Goldman <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 11:28 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
• We know how it felt to keep our toddlers off of playground equipment, turf, and sandboxes until extraordinary measures could be taken to clean them effectively after the Palisades fire. While grass regrows and refreshes, artificial turf may have to be replaced after a fire — or after accumulating enough road dust.
• We know microplastics and nanoplastics are an increasing problem in our health and children’s health.
We know heat and friction will cause plastics to volatilize.
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass! Sincerely,
Benjamin Goldman
Santa Monica
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1003 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 3 David Yakobson
From: andrea pasquini <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 11:28 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass! Sincerely,
Andrea Pasquini - Northeast Santa Monica
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1004 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 4 David Yakobson
From: NewVine Music <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 11:27 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass! Sincerely, Giorgi Antinori - Ocean Park Neighborhood
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1005 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 5 David Yakobson
From: Caitlin Lili <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 11:18 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass! Sincerely,
Caitlin Lili
Sunset Park Neighborhood
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1006 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 6 David Yakobson
From: Noma Boardmember <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 11:15 AM
To: Council Mailbox; councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Oliver Chi Cc: Recreation and Arts Department; John Cyrus Smith; John Smith; Barry Rosenbaum; [email protected]; Karen Melick; Maryanne LaGuardia; Steven Johnson; Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Sonam Makker; Noe Mendoza; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: Support of Items 11C and 11D AND SUPPORT for a Ban on New Artificial Turf Installation (Recommended by the City Staff)
EXTERNAL
To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.
Date: 1/26/2026
To: Mayor Torosis, Members of Santa Monica City Council and City Manager Chi.
SUBJECT: Support of Items 11C and 11D AND SUPPORT for the City Staff Recommended Ban on New Artificial Turf Installation
Dear Mayor Torosis, Council Members and City Manager Chi, We are writing on behalf of Santa Monica’s North of Montana Association (NOMA). We are affirming our continued commitment and support of the letter that we previously sent to your attention (please see below, dated 12/8/2025). That letter supported an immediate prohibition of new installation of artificial turf on locally owned public land in Santa Monica. The letter was co-signed by Friends of Sunset Park, North of Montana Association (NOMA), Pico Neighborhood Association, Santa Monica Mid City Neighbors, Santa Monica Northeast Neighbors and Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition (Wilmont).
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1007 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 7 This wide consensus serves to support the strong community support for grass playing fields. We therefore encourage you to adopt the recommendations in Agenda Items 11C and 11D.
Please take the important next step and direct City staff to develop a comprehensive plan to properly maintain the current GRASS fields and to develop new GRASS playing fields to support the amount of playing fields that are needed in Santa Monica.
NOMA and other neighborhoods rely on our schools (i.e. Roosevelt and Franklin) for access to safe and environmentally friendly playing fields and we encourage you to also work with the SMMUSD to explore ways to extend the prohibition of artificial turf installation to our schools as well.
In Appreciation,
The Board of NOMA
CC: Members of Santa Monica Recreation and Parks
Commission, SMMUSD Board of Education and SMC Board
of Trustees
smnoma.org
[email protected]
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Noma Boardmember <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, Dec 8, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Subject: SUPPORT of an Artificial Turf Ban for ALL Santa Monica Public Land To: <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, Dan Hall <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, Oliver Chi <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, John Cyrus Smith <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1008 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 8 <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, [email protected] <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>
Cc: <[email protected]>
To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.
To: Members of Santa Monica Recreation and Parks Commission, City Manager Chi, Members of Santa Monica City Council, SMMUSD Board of Education and SMC Board of Trustees, The Boards of the Neighborhood Organizations listed below are in full SUPPORT of the Artificial Turf Ban Resolution passed by the Santa Monica Democratic Club on Tuesday, November 11, 2025.
We look forward to seeing an immediate prohibition of net new installation of artificial turf on locally owned public land in Santa Monica incorporated into the upcoming Santa Monica Parks and Recreation Vision Plan.
Grass fields are especially relevant to the Santa Monica Neighborhood Organizations because the playing fields at our local schools are among the only outdoor play areas in many of our neighborhoods, and in some cases are the only recreational fields, due to our severe shortage of parks.
We have heard throughout our neighborhoods that children and parents want grass fields.
The Neighborhood Organizations thank and appreciate the Santa Monica Democratic Club, and its President Jon Katz, for taking up this important issue. Their recently passed, “Resolution Calling for Ban on Artificial Turf on Public Land in Santa Monica,” speaks very clearly to the serious environmental, health and safety concerns that our communities have about artificial turf.
This is following the precedent set by the Westside Regional Alliance of Councils on the Westside of Los Angeles who recently voted to support the transition away from the use of synthetic turf and artificial grass and the LAUSD School Board who voted to prohibit new artificial turf installations at early education, elementary, and middle schools.
We would welcome an opportunity to further discuss the goals and desires of our neighborhoods and would be pleased if any (or all) the individuals in receipt of this email were to reply to set up a brief time for a discussion and ongoing dialogue.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1009 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 9 In solidarity,
The Boards of:
Friends of Sunset Park
North of Montana Association (NOMA)
Pico Neighborhood Association
Santa Monica Mid City Neighbors
Santa Monica Northeast Neighbors
Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition (Wilmont)
smnoma.org
[email protected]
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1010 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 10 David Yakobson
From: Jessica Herman Goldman <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 11:05 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass! Sincerely, Jessica Goldman, Santa Monica
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1011 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 11 David Yakobson
From: Jeff Altrock <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 11:03 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass! Sincerely,
Jeff Altrock, Northeast Santa Monica Neighborhood
JEFF ALTROCK
818.679.7217 (c)
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1012 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 12 David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 10:40 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Items 11C & D
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I’m writing to say thank you truly for listening to the community and choosing natural grass for the new Memorial Park fields. Fields 1 through 4 being real grass is a huge win for our health, our environment, and for the kind of city Santa Monica wants to be.
What’s been especially moving to witness is how many diƯerent parts of our community came together around this, parents, athletes, environmental advocates, neighbors, people who don’t always agree on everything. New coalitions formed and relationships were built. It’s been a powerful reminder that we actually have far more in common than what separates us especially when we’re focused on our kids, our parks, and our shared future! Now it’s time to finish the job! By saving Memorial Park from plastic, you’ve proven that natural grass is the better choice for our premier parks. This should now be the standard, not the exception. I urge you to formalize this leadership by adopting a citywide policy of no new taxpayer spending on synthetic turf. Synthetic turf is not a real solution. It wears out every 8–10 years, has to be fully ripped out and dumped, and leaves us with PFAS, microplastics, extreme heat, and long-term costs we keep pretending don’t exist. It’s not cheaper, it’s just a plastic subscription we keep renewing. We already have major maintenance liabilities at Airport and Belmar. Let’s not add more. Let’s invest in living, cooling assets instead.
Santa Monica has a real opportunity to lead here — not follow! Other cities are already moving away from plastic fields. California should be setting the standard, and Santa Monica should be showing what it looks like to align our infrastructure with our values, our climate commitments, and our Sustainability Rights Ordinance.
So please:
• Make Memorial Park the precedent
• Adopt a clear policy of no new turf
• Maintain grass fields as grass
• And replace turf with living surfaces at end of life
Let’s make sure no other neighborhood has to fight this same battle again. Thank you for choosing living parks over plastic, and for proving Santa Monica can still lead!!! Sincerely,
Amy Wiwuga
Santa Monica
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1013 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 13 David Yakobson
From: Eric Salsa <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 10:40 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Call to action- Items 11C & D: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I am writing to express my strong support for the revised Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1–4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I urge the Council to go further by adopting a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. The marketing claims around artificial grass often leave out important facts. The NFL Players Association has cited higher injury rates on turf and has called for a return to natural grass fields. Turf manufacturers also promote “recyclability,” but large-scale, proven recycling systems for these products do not yet exist.
Memorial Park can set the standard for healthier play, honest sustainability, and protection of our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s (already limited) public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass.
Regards,
Eric Salsa
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1014 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: Jake Avnet <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 10:04 AM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenance-related closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
--
Jake Avnet
[email protected]
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1015 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 2 David Yakobson
From: Steven Johnson
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 11:09 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Ellis Raskin; Dan Hall; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Oliver Chi
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Christopher Dishlip; Amelia Feichtner; Shannon Parry; Amber Richane; Tony Lopez; Linda Cogswell; Peter James; Maryanne LaGuardia; Karen Melick; John Smith; Sonam Makker; Barry Rosenbaum; Federico Bianchi; ASA
Subject: Item 11c - Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
Attachments: RPC Letter - 11c Vision Plan Agenda Item.pdf Mayor Torosis, Mayor Pro Tem Zwick, Esteemed Councilmembers, Please find attached the Recreation & Parks Commission letter in support of Item 11c, the Parks and Recreation Vision Plan, agendized for presentation tomorrow night at Council.
The Commission appreciates your time and consideration in reviewing this comprehensive document, and we want to especially thank the Public Works and Recreation staff for a great job in this massive undertaking.
We ask that you accept the document as presented, endorse the recommendation of 5 acres per 1000 residents, and commit to meeting the call for improved park safety across all our locations.
And because you are no doubt seeing a great many emails in the grass vs. turf debate for our sports fields, we want to reiterate that the Commission supports the current compromise staff position presented as:
No new City-owned artificial turf sports fields will be installed in the City of Santa Monica. Existing City-owned grass fields will be maintained as grass fields. Existing City-owned artificial turf fields will be replaced as artificial turf fields. The City will explore options to work with independent and industry experts to develop a request for information on sustainable artificial and durable natural alternative materials that continue to meet the City’s needs for environmental and human health, safety, playability, maintenance, and cost.
To be clear, until we have a substantial number of new, well-maintained grass playing fields for high impact sports such as soccer, lacrosse, rugby and football, the loss of any existing artificial turf fields, whether City- or SMMUSD- owned, would result in the loss of hundreds of hours of playing time affecting thousands of youth and adult participants. Please do not hamstring our parks efforts without further study.
Thank you.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1016 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 3 Steven Johnson
Chair, Recreation & Parks Commission
City of Santa Monica
(310) 429-0475
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1017 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401 • (310) 458-8411 • [email protected] santamonica.gov • @cityofsantamonica • @santamonicacity Monday, January 26, 2026
Re: Item 11.c Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
Dear Mayor Torosis, Mayor Pro Tem Zwick, and Esteemed Councilmembers, This Tuesday, January 27, we're looking forward to senior park planner Tony Lopez' much anticipated "Parks and Recreation Vision Plan", a wholesale update and revamp of the overdue 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan. You'll be getting just the summary presentation from Tony, but no joke, these 345 pages are a fascinating and worthwhile read, especially for our folks relatively new to the Santa Monica.
The Recreation and Parks Commission not only recommends that you endorse this plan as presented, but that you as a Council make firm your commitment to fulfill these goals by increased funding for future parks projects (both large and small), as well as by doubling down on park safety and maintenance.
First, the Recreation and Parks Commission would like to thank Tony Lopez and the Public Works and Recreation staff who supported him in this tremendous achievement. We were very fortunate to have Tony join City staff in 2024, and the Commission has greatly enjoyed working with him on this and other projects.
In fact, we're lucky to have a senior parks planner at all, since the position was eliminated in 2020, and there was a concern we would never get this role back.
So, also a huge thank you to leadership in Public Works and Recreation for insisting that we have a senior parks planner, and seeing this Vision Plan as a top priority for his time.
As you'll see, the report is as deep as it is wide, so in the interest of time, we want to focus your attention to 3 important elements:
• a call for 5 acres per 1,000 residents;
• acknowledgement of the current overwhelming unmet demand for parks and recreation; • and an overarching concern for park safety
For starters, the call for 5 acres per 1,000 residents should be our rallying cry.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1018 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401 • (310) 458-8411 • [email protected] santamonica.gov • @cityofsantamonica • @santamonicacity You'll hear the statistic questioned that Santa Monica is "park poor" with just 1.4 acres per 1,000 residents, and well below the County average of 3.3 acres per 1,000 residents. This isn't made up.
The report documents this fact exhaustively. We are a dense, urban beach community, fully built out decades ago, and situated adjacent to equally park-poor and increasingly dense areas of West LA, Mar Vista and Venice.
You'll hear a few naysayers argue, but what about the beaches? The 3.3 acres county study average excludes beaches in its consideration. How else could you compare Arcadia with Manhattan Beach? Or Palmdale with San Pedro? But more to the point, on the sand you can't play AYSO soccer or Little League baseball, you can't play a game of tennis or run a full court basketball game, and you can't plant a community garden or run your dog off leash. The beaches have no meeting rooms or community performance spaces. The beaches are great, but they serve residents in a very limited capacity compared to our neighborhood parks and recreation facilities.
You'll also hear some folks argue that because you might see a few softball fields at Clover Park sit empty during weekday hours (when kids are in school), we must already have more than enough parks and playing fields to meet our needs.
To that, we'd say it's important to acknowledge the overwhelming unmet demand for almost every park and recreation amenity, but most acutely: playing fields, swim time, court sports, community gardens, and dog parks.
Every season, dozens of youth and adult permit requests for practice and game time on our sports fields are turned away due to limited scheduling capacity. Every session, every child swimming lesson slot is filled within minutes of posting (while adult lap swim is a combat sport in our crowded swim center). Drive by Memorial Park most days, and you’ll see that pickleball is visibly bursting at the seams, but also note that basketball and tennis availability at prime times is strained as well. Legendary is the 12-year, 1,000 person waiting list for a community garden plot.
And there is not one off-leash dog run north of Memorial Park.
More generally, state housing mandates requiring development of thousands of new apartments in Santa Monica, such as what we're seeing along Lincoln Canyon today, beg the questions, "Where are the pocket parks and open spaces in these new neighborhoods? Where’s the sunlight? The picnic areas? The playgrounds?"
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1019 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401 • (310) 458-8411 • [email protected] santamonica.gov • @cityofsantamonica • @santamonicacity And lastly, in the report, please note that the #1 parks concern of every neighborhood organization is safety. While acknowledging recent improvements in some locations, in this Vision Plan park safety is a key action item that will require efforts well above where we’ve been since the pandemic. Some of this is infrastructure, such as lighting and surveillance cameras. Some of this is maintenance, such as bathrooms and park amenities. And while some of these issues can be helped by social services or park activation, there is no substitute for actual law enforcement, with visible patrols and consistent engagement in all our parks.
Infractions great and small need to be consistently met, and scofflaws dealt with by authorities.
From smoking to vandalism, unpermitted activities to e-bike hooliganism, these rules are meant to make residents feel safe in their parks. When there are no consequences for breaking the rules, people do not feel safe.
In closing, we’ll leave you with this additional consideration… As Councilmembers, you have recently been hearing from a vocal contingent who want to ban artificial turf in Santa Monica.
To be clear, the City itself has just TWO dedicated artificial turf soccer fields, while maintaining 13 natural grass baseball and softball fields. Just two all-weather soccer fields have been built by the City in 50 years, despite the explosion of youth and adult "rectangle" sports since the '70s.
The rectangular turf fields host high impact activities such as youth and adult soccer, lacrosse, rugby and football. Also, through the Joint Use Agreement (also on the agenda Tuesday), school sites are crucial in support of city permitting and programming, with artificial turf at the middle schools and Samohi. Given limited field space, availability and playability are the key factors in the decision between grass and turf.
To that end, we hope that the anti-turf advocates join us in supporting the "5 acre per thousand residents" goal and rally for at least a dozen NEW sports fields in execution of this Vision Plan, because that's what it would take to meet current unmet demand AND offset the loss of hundreds of hours of playing time were we to convert existing artificial turf fields to grass. (Our new city manager Oliver Chi knows this well, because even though Irvine's Great Park has 24 soccer fields, 6 of them are still artificial turf to accommodate all-weather demand.) Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1020 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401 • (310) 458-8411 • [email protected] santamonica.gov • @cityofsantamonica • @santamonicacity A sustainable, future Santa Monica that prioritizes grass playing surfaces demands a massive investment in new fields AND a commensurate level of maintenance and care. In the meantime, please don’t hamstring City programming with a kneejerk ban on turf before we have sufficient new resources. Staff recommendation is “no net new artificial fields,” meaning grass fields stay grass, and turf fields stay turf. This is the sensible compromise for right now.
Councilmembers, thank you for your time and consideration. We hope you’ll support this Parks and Recreation Vision Plan on Tuesday and for years to come.
Sincerely,
City of Santa Monica Recreation and Parks Commission
Steven Johnson, Chair
Karen Melick, Vice Chair
Maryanne LaGuardia
John Cyrus Smith
Barry Rosenbaum
Sonam Makker
CC: Oliver Chi, Jenny Rogers, plus Boards and Commissions Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1021 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 4 David Yakobson
From: Jacob Wasserman <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 11:12 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Barry Snell; Dan Hall; Jesse Zwick; Natalya Zernitskaya; Caroline Torosis; Ellis Raskin
Cc: Council Mailbox; councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 11C: Support Natural Grass at Memorial & A "No New Turf" Policy
EXTERNAL
As a Santa Monica resident and regular park user in the city with my kids, I am writing in my personal capacity to express my enthusiastic support for a Memorial Park Redevelopment plan that designates Fields 1-4 as natural grass. Thank you for listening to the community and choosing a cooler, safer, and truly sustainable future for this landmark park.
I urge the Council to solidify this leadership by formalizing a city-wide policy that prohibits any future taxpayer spending on new synthetic turf installations. Memorial Park has shown that natural grass is the preferred choice for our residents. By committing to living soil across the city, we uphold our 2013 Sustainability Rights Ordinance and protect our watershed from microplastics.
Let’s keep Santa Monica’s public land green and living. No more public dollars for plastic grass! Jacob Wasserman
90403
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1022 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 5 David Yakobson
From: Britt Johansson <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 11:35 AM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and long-time community member to express my strong support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its stated goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces for future generations.
As the City moves toward adopting this plan, I respectfully urge you to prioritize adequate, reliable, and playable field access for youth sports, including the use of synthetic turf fields where appropriate. Santa Monica already faces a severe shortage of playable field hours, while thousands of children depend on City fields every week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other organized and informal sports.
My son, Oliver, has grown up in Santa Monica and is now 15 years old. Despite living in a city that values youth and healthy activity, I am continually struck by how limited public access to fields with soccer goals truly is—often restricted to a handful of “free play” hours at locations like JAMS and Lincoln Middle School. For meaningful game play via youth sports clubs, tournaments, or even consistent practice opportunities, families like ours are regularly forced to drive far outside Santa Monica. This places an unnecessary burden on families and highlights how far current field capacity falls short of community needs.
Given Santa Monica’s limited land and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are not a luxury— they are essential infrastructure. Turf fields dramatically increase usable hours, remain playable yearround, and reduce closures due to weather or maintenance. Without them, overall field availability would decline sharply, undermining the very goals of the Parks & Recreation Vision Plan.
Any reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, and equitable access for community-based sports organizations. It would also limit the City’s ability to meet both current and future recreational demand for its growing population of children and teens.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a practical, responsible solution that enables the Parks & Recreation Vision Plan to succeed—one that supports healthy youth development, maximizes limited space, and ensures Santa Monica’s families are not left behind.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1023 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 6 Thank you for your leadership, thoughtful consideration, and continued commitment to the well-being of Santa Monica’s youth and families.
Respectfully,
Britt Johansson
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1024 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 7 David Yakobson
From: Keagan Anderson <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 12:10 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Subject: ITEM 11C – KEEP THE TURF FIELDS
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and Council Members,
I am a Santa Monica resident who has participated in the City’s adult soccer programs for close to a decade, and I am writing to share a player’s perspective on the future of our sports fields. For many residents, these fields are essential community spaces, and places where people connect, stay healthy, and find balance amid demanding work and family schedules.
Given Santa Monica’s density and limited open space, field access is already extremely constrained.
Those of us who play regularly experience firsthand how difficult it can be to schedule practices and games. Policies such as a “grass-only” requirement or a “no net new turf” approach would further restrict availability and make it increasingly difficult for adult, youth, and school programs to function.
From a practical standpoint, synthetic turf is what allows consistent use of our fields. Turf supports significantly more playing hours than natural grass and remains usable during evenings and after weather events, when grass fields are often closed to prevent damage. Adult leagues, in particular, depend on these off-peak hours, and turf is what makes that access possible.
Player safety is also an important consideration. Well-maintained turf provides a level, dependable surface. In contrast, grass fields that are heavily used can deteriorate quickly, becoming uneven and increasing the risk of injury. For adults who may have limited opportunities to stay active, a predictable and safe playing environment is critical.
I am concerned that current City discussions and staff recommendations appear to downplay these realworld impacts. Limiting or removing turf would have clear consequences: fewer leagues, reduced access for youth and high school programs, and fewer opportunities for residents to remain physically active and socially connected.
I respectfully urge the Council to pursue a balanced and forward-looking policy that preserves flexibility in field surface choices. Continuing to allow synthetic turf is the most realistic way to meet community demand and ensure Santa Monica’s sports programs remain accessible and inclusive.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Anthony Keagan Anderson (Santa Monica Adult Soccer Player) Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1025 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 11 David Yakobson
From: great park <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 12:26 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Barry Snell; Ellis Raskin; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick; Oliver Chi; Tony Lopez; Amber Richane; Peter James; Christopher Dishlip
Cc: Great Park Coalition; SMAYSO Regional Commissioner
Subject: January 27, 2026 Council Meeting - Item 11.C. - Parks and Recreation Vision Plan -
SUPPORT
Attachments: SM AYSO Letter_January 26 2026.pdf
EXTERNAL
Please see the attached letter from Santa Monica AYSO, the largest youth sports organization in Santa Monica, in support of the 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan. Thank you for your consideration.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1026 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan)
January 26, 2026
Re: Agenda Item 11C: Support for AdopƟon of the DraŌ 2025 Parks and RecreaƟon Vision Plan Dear Mayor Torosis and Councilmembers:
Santa Monica AYSO (American Youth Soccer OrganizaƟon) is a non-profit, 100% volunteer-run, community service organizaƟon. We are the largest youth sports organizaƟon in Santa Monica, and we provide a low-cost and highquality youth soccer program for around 1500 Santa Monica children every year. We serve children of all abiliƟes and families from across the economic spectrum, with open enrollment, modest registraƟon fees, generous financial aid, and programming ranging from our EPIC (“Everyone Plays in Our Community”) Program for kids with special needs to our compeƟƟve all-star travel teams. There are tens of thousands of Santa Monicans who have parƟcipated in our program as players and volunteers. We represent a diverse and inclusive cross-secƟon of our City.
Santa Monica AYSO is wriƟng with our enthusiasƟc support for the 2025 Parks and RecreaƟon Vision Plan (PRVP), including Staff’s recommended edits in 11.C.k.
Like we teach our youth soccer players, to be an effecƟve team, you need to have GOALS and work together to achieve them. As a City, we also need to set clear and concrete goals, so we can work together and hold ourselves accountable for achieving them – for ourselves and for future generaƟons of Santa Monicans.
We strongly support the PRVP’s goal of five park acres per 1,000 residents, which is the commonly accepted minimum planning standard. Santa Monica is currently shockingly park-poor, with only 1.5 acres per 1,000 residents; we have only one-quarter of the park acreage per resident as the city of Los Angeles (which is itself very park-poor compared to the naƟonal average). Santa Monicans deserve more park space – and equitable park space – so we can safely walk, run, ride bikes, play sports, exercise, enjoy nature, and live healthy lives.
Again, we urge you to commit to fix the park deficit by receiving and approving the excellent 2025 Parks and RecreaƟon Vision Plan.
Respecƞully,
Melinda Mehringer
Melinda Mehringer
Santa Monica AYSO Board Member on behalf of Santa Monica AYSO Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1027 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: Matt Goldenberg D.O. <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 8:00 AM
To: Council Mailbox; councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Cc: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; Recreation and Arts Department; John Cyrus Smith; John Smith; Barry Rosenbaum; [email protected]; Karen Melick; Maryanne LaGuardia; Steven Johnson; Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Sonam Makker; Noe Mendoza
Subject: SUPPORT Items 11 C and 11D AND SUPPORT for an Artificial Turf Ban
EXTERNAL
Mayor Torosis, City Council Members and City Manger Chi, I’m engaged, as the co-chair of NOMA, and the father of two daughters, because we have no city controlled playing fields and little park space in our neighborhood, outside of their school.
I’m also speaking for the 70% of renters and for condo owners, because I was born in Santa Monica and raised in a townhome and Lincoln Middle School was my childhood backyard.
I am strongly in favor of the staff recommendation to prohibit new Artificial Turf on City controlled land.
As Santa Monica densifies, our public and open spaces will become even more limited.
Therefore, I encourage you to take two additional steps tonight to eliminate the need for our community to have to choose between grass playing fields and access to enough playing fields:
First, please direct the City staff to bring back a plan to create enough grass playing fields, so that no one has to fear losing access to fields in Santa Monica.
Second, please work with SMMUSD to increase access to well-maintained GRASS playing fields on ALL public land in Santa Monica, including our schools.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1028 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 2 Thank you,
Matt Goldenberg
NOMA Co-Chair
SAMO, Class of 2002
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1029 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: Renata S. <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 8:52 AM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Cc: councilmtgitems
Subject: Please Consider: Santa Monica Airport Field
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers,
I have been playing in the Santa Monica Airport Soccer Adult League since 2008. Over the years it has been such an incredible way for adults to come together in a friendly and competitive atmosphere and play soccer in a clean, safe, and organized setting. I am writing to urge your support for a flexible and realistic approach to our city’s sports field surfaces
We have been informed that the city has started considering switching up the fields at SM Airport to grass. As you consider future policy, it is important for you to understand that a "grass-only" mandate or a "no net new turf" would harm this league which has provided so much to hundreds of Santa Monica residents over the years. Given Santa Monica’s high density and the severe competition for limited recreational space, we must prioritize the surfaces that offer the most utility and safety for our residents.
The operational reality is that synthetic turf provides significantly more playable hours than grass. In a city where field space is at a premium, turf is the only way to meet the high demand of our youth and adult leagues. Unlike grass, which requires long rest periods and can be sidelined for days after rain, turf remains durable and ready for use year-round.
Furthermore, well-maintained turf provides a consistent and level playing surface, which is quite frankly much safer than grass that often becomes uneven or patchy under heavy municipal use. Many of us feel the current City stance and staff report are heavily slanted toward eliminating turf without fully weighing these advantages. We must be clear: a decision to move away from turf is a decision to cancel programs.
A move to restrict turf would result in immediate and severe consequences for our community, including the reduction of adult leagues, high school sports, and youth club activities. I urge the Council to avoid making a hasty or overly restrictive decision that limits our future options. Maintaining the ability to use synthetic turf is the most practical way to ensure Santa Monica continues to support a healthy, active, and connected community.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Renata Skaletzky
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1030 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 2 David Yakobson
From: Vivianne Nacif <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 12:26 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane
Subject: City park and recreation.
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenancerelated closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Vivianne Nacif
Sent from my iPhone
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1031 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 3 David Yakobson
From: Beau Barnett <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 3:45 PM
To: Beau Barnett
Subject: Santa Monica Airpot
EXTERNAL
Hi,
I am writing to request that you please, please, please keep the Santa Monica airport turf soccer fields in place. Playing soccer here twice a week is the only sense of community I have. Working from home and living in Ocean Park, it's not easy to find new friends. Playing on grass sounds nice in practice but it's impossible to maintain. I would hate to lose the field during reconstruction only to again lose it when we realize it's not playable for the game of soccer. Essentially, losing it forever.
There are almost no other fields on the Westside of LA.
Thank you,
Beau
--
Beau Barnett
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1032 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 1 David Yakobson
From: Rolando <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2026 10:59 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Cc: councilmtgitems
Subject: ITEM 11C - KEEP THE TURF FIELDS AS TURF FIELDS
EXTERNAL
SUBJECT: ITEM 11C – KEEP THE TURF FIELDS AS TURF FIELDS Dear Mayor and Councilmembers,
I am writing as a life-long Santa Monica resident who grew up playing soccer in Santa Monica, first in AYSO, then in Club Soccer with Real Santa Monica Soccer Club, then at Samohi on the Varsity Soccer team and now, as the Director of the Santa Monica Adult Soccer League and an active participant in the City’s adult soccer program.
For many of us, these fields are not just places to exercise — they are where community happens, friendships form, and stress melts away after long workdays. Because of that firsthand experience, I urge you to support a flexible and realistic approach to our city’s sports field surfaces.
Santa Monica is a dense city with limited recreational space, and anyone who regularly plays here understands how competitive field access already is. A “grass-only” mandate or a “no net new turf” policy would make that challenge far worse. From a player’s perspective, synthetic turf is what allows these programs to exist at all.
Turf fields provide dramatically more playable hours than grass. As adult players, we often use the fields late at night — times when grass fields are frequently closed to recover or after rain.
Turf’s durability and year-round usability are the reason leagues can run consistently and fairly without constant cancellations.
Safety is also a major concern. Well-maintained turf offers a reliable, even surface. In contrast, heavily used grass fields often become uneven, worn, and unpredictable, increasing the risk of injury. Speaking as someone who plays regularly, consistency matters — especially for adults juggling work, family, and limited time to stay active.
Many of us are concerned that the current City stance and staff report lean strongly toward eliminating turf without fully weighing these realities. I want to be very clear: reducing or Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1033 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 2 eliminating turf is not a neutral decision. It would mean fewer adult leagues, fewer youth opportunities, fewer high school practices — and ultimately, fewer chances for residents to stay healthy and connected.
I respectfully urge the Council to avoid an overly restrictive policy that limits Santa Monica’s future options. Preserving the ability to use synthetic turf is the most practical and inclusive way to ensure our city continues to support active lifestyles and strong community ties.
Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration.
Sincerely,
Rolando Marchis
Director of the Santa Monica Adult Soccer League
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1034 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 3 David Yakobson
From: Noa Gemeiner <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 9:18 AM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Subject: ITEM 11C – KEEP THE TURF FIELDS
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers,
I am writing on behalf of the Santa Monica soccer community. For many residents, these fields are not just places to exercise — they are where community happens, friendships form, and people of all ages come together to stay active. Because of this, we urge you to support a flexible and realistic approach to our city’s sports field surfaces.
Santa Monica is a dense city with limited recreational space, and anyone involved in local soccer knows how competitive field access already is. A “grass-only” mandate or a “no net new turf” policy would make that challenge far worse. Synthetic turf is essential to keeping leagues and programs running smoothly for youth, adults, and high school teams alike.
Turf fields provide dramatically more playable hours than grass. They remain durable and usable year-round, even after rain, allowing programs to operate consistently without frequent cancellations.
This reliability is critical for maintaining the schedules and opportunities that our community depends on.
Safety is also a major concern. Well-maintained turf offers a reliable, even surface, whereas heavily used grass fields often become uneven, worn, and unpredictable, increasing the risk of injury.
Consistency matters for all participants, from children to adults, and helps ensure everyone can enjoy the game safely.
Many in our community are concerned that the current City stance and staff report lean strongly toward eliminating turf without fully weighing these realities. Reducing or eliminating turf would mean fewer leagues, fewer youth opportunities, fewer high school practices — and ultimately, fewer chances for residents to stay healthy and connected.
We respectfully urge the Council to avoid an overly restrictive policy that limits Santa Monica’s future options. Preserving the ability to use synthetic turf is the most practical and inclusive way to ensure our city continues to support active lifestyles and strong community ties.
Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1035 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 4 David Yakobson
From: Santa Monica Democratic Club <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 11:34 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: Item 11C - SUPPORT
Attachments: Artificial-Turf-Ban-Resolution-as-passed.pdf
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Torosis, Mayor Pro Tempore Zwick, and City Councilmembers:
On November 12, 2025, the Membership of the Santa Monica Democratic Club voted to adopt a resolution calling on the Santa Monica City Council to ban artificial turf on City-owned land, reflecting our Club’s commitment to protecting public health, advancing environmental sustainability, and promoting equitable access to safe public spaces. A copy of that resolution is attached for your reference.
We write to you now to express our strong support for the 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan, particularly its “City as Habitat” framework and its emphasis on sustainability, environmental justice, and long-term stewardship of Santa Monica’s limited parkland. We appreciate the extensive public engagement reflected in the Plan and the thoughtful effort to balance recreation, environmental protection, and community well-being over the coming decades.
Consistent with our resolution, we strongly support the staff recommendation that no new City-owned artificial turf sports fields be installed and that existing City-owned grass fields be maintained as grass. As outlined in our resolution, the growing body of research on artificial turf raises serious concerns regarding toxic chemical exposure, excessive heat, environmental degradation, and long-term waste, particularly in spaces heavily used by children and young people.
At the same time, as both parents and recreational users, we recognize the importance of sufficient, well-maintained playing fields for youth and adult sports programs. Santa Monica’s role as a regional hub, combined with the reality that more than 70% of residents are renters who rely on public and school playfields for recreation, makes access to safe, playable fields a critical equity issue.
For that reason, we urge the City Council to take the next essential step by directing staff to develop a comprehensive strategy to expand and sustain access to natural grass fields. This should include identifying the maintenance practices, staffing, funding mechanisms, and potential locations necessary to ensure that natural grass fields are durable, safe, and available at a level that meets community demand. With thoughtful planning and adequate investment, Santa Monica should not have to choose between environmental health and field access. We can, and should, achieve both.
We appreciate the City Council’s leadership on this issue to date and your continued commitment to making Santa Monica a model for healthy, sustainable, and equitable public spaces. We look forward to working with you as the Parks and Recreation Vision Plan moves forward.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1036 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 5 Sincerely,
Santa Monica Democratic Club
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1037 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) President
Jon Katz
VP Political Action
Sean Kolodji
VP Membership
Michael Soloff
VP Programs
Michelle Grant
VP Communications
Philip Nazzal
VP Diversity & Inclusion
Keith Coleman
VP Legislation
Isabel Storey
Treasurer
Marcy Lebovitz
Recording Secretary
Lynn Cervini
At-Large
Derek Devermont
Patricia Hoffman
Susan Sheu
Dolores Sloan
Resolution Calling for Ban on Artificial Turf on Public Land in Santa Monica WHEREAS Santa Monica is, and, with its groundbreaking sustainability policies, including without limitation the Sustainability Rights Ordinance, has historically been, at the forefront of environmentally sustainable practices and the preservation of green spaces, protecting the health and safety of residents, particularly children; and
WHEREAS, while artificial turf was once seen as a water-saving environmental innovation, the overwhelming evidence has since shown that its installation in public spaces exposes children, athletes, and community members to serious health hazards, including toxic chemicals such as PFAS (“forever chemicals”) and heavy metals linked to cancer, hormone disruption, and developmental harm, while also increasing rates of sports injuries such as concussions and lower-extremity strains compared to natural grass, and subjecting users to dangerously high surface temperatures; and WHEREAS synthetic turf, a fossil fuel-based product, further contributes to environmental degradation through the release of microplastics and chemical contaminants into air, soil, groundwater, and stormwater, polluting waterways and threatening aquatic ecosystems; prevents natural groundwater recharge and the carbon-absorbing and cooling functions of living soil and vegetation; exacerbates local heat-island effects; and generates large volumes of plastic waste at the end of its short lifespan, much of which ends up in landfills or is illegally dumped rather than recycled; and WHEREAS Santa Monica’s parks and playfields serve as essential community spaces for residents and visitors alike, reflecting its unique role as a regional hub with a daytime population nearly double its residential base, numerous youth and adult sports programs, and constant demand for open space; and because over 70% of Santa Monica residents are renters who rely on public parks and school playfields for recreation and community gathering, our school fields are a vital extension of the public park system and a natural area for collaboration on sustainability goals; and THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that, in order to reaffirm Santa Monica’s role as a leader in sustainable and healthy public spaces, the Santa Monica Democratic Club urges Santa Monica’s public agencies to:
(1) immediately prohibit net new installation of artificial turf on locally owned public land in Santa Monica, including parks, athletic fields, and parkways; (2) develop a strategy for the mitigation of chemical and plastics pollution from existing turf installations within city limits; (3) develop a plan for the replacement of existing synthetic surfaces with natural, non-toxic alternatives and a maintenance plan with sufficient resources to support long-term recreation, playability, safety, availability, and environmental health; and (4) collaborate with each other to advance shared sustainability goals, reduce chemical exposure in play environments, and promote safe, natural, and effective grass management practices for all public land; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution shall be transmitted to the Santa Monica City Council, City Manager Oliver Chi, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education, the Santa Monica College Board of Trustees, Senator Ben Allen, Assemblymember Rick Zbur, Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, and the Environmental Caucus of the California Democratic Party.
P.O. Box 1052 • Santa Monica,CA 90406 • 215-962-4357 • [email protected] Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1038 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 6 David Yakobson
From: Neal Yeung <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 12:17 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member and a parent of 2 Santa Monica Albion soccer players, to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenancerelated closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Neal Yeung
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1039 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 7 David Yakobson
From: Lillian Burns <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 12:18 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenance-related closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Lillian Burns
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1040 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 8 David Yakobson
From: Astineh Arakelian <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 12:20 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenance-related closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1041 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 9 David Yakobson
From: Paul Spacey <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 12:21 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: QUESTION: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Genuine question that I hope one or more of you can answer:
What impact do emails like this have? If you get many emails saying the same thing, how does that impact decision making (if at all)?
I’m interested to better understand the dynamic and do more as an individual to help make the city a better place for our youth.
----------------------------------
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenance-related closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Paul Spacey
SM Resident and Coach
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1042 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 10 Paul Spacey
www.pauljspacey.com
(310) 403-7166
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1043 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 11 David Yakobson
From: T.J. Moffett <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 12:23 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenancerelated closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
T.J. Moffett
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1044 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 12 David Yakobson
From: Sevan Demir <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 12:24 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Pla
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
My name is Sevan Demir and I am a Santa Monica parent, long time community member, and the father of a middle school student who plays youth soccer with Albion Santa Monica.
My son trains and plays several days a week on City fields, as do many hundreds, maybe thousands of other local children whose families depend on consistent, safe, and predictable access to playable athletic space. These fields are not an optional amenity for us. They are central to our children’s physical health, emotional well being, discipline, and sense of community. I have found team sports to be crucial to development more so now at the age of screen dependency then ever before.
I am writing to express my support for the City’s Parks and Recreation Vision Plan and the broader goal of maintaining high quality recreational spaces. At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan protects and expands usable field access for youth sports programs.
Families and children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Santa Monica already faces a severe shortage of playable field hours. Synthetic turf fields are essential in meeting current demand. They allow for far greater usage, reliable scheduling, and far fewer weather or maintenance related closures. Without turf, natural grass fields simply cannot support the volume of youth participation that exists today, let alone future growth.
Reducing playable field availability would have a direct and immediate impact on youth sports participation, after school and weekend programming, and equitable access for community based organizations. It would also place unnecessary strain on families who already work hard to balance school, athletics, and community life.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a practical and necessary tool that allows the Parks and Recreation vision to succeed while continuing to serve Santa Monica’s children and families responsibly.
Thank you for your time, your leadership, and your continued commitment to the wellbeing of Santa Monica’s youth.
Sincerely,
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1045 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 13 Sevan Demir
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1046 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 14 David Yakobson
From: Brandi Wismann <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 12:27 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenancerelated closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Brandi Wismann
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1047 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 15 David Yakobson
From: mariel sands <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 12:33 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenance-related closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Mariel Sands
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1048 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 16 David Yakobson
From: Soledad Ramos <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 12:33 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenance-related closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Soledad Ramos
2609 Cloverfield blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1049 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 17 David Yakobson
From: Andrew Carman <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 12:35 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Subject: ITEM 11C – KEEP THE TURF FIELDS
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers,
I am writing as a Santa Monica resident and an active participant in the City’s adult soccer program. For many of us, these fields are not just places to exercise — they are where community happens, friendships form, and stress melts away after long workdays. Because of that firsthand experience, I urge you to support a flexible and realistic approach to our city’s sports field surfaces.
Santa Monica is a dense city with limited recreational space, and anyone who regularly plays here understands how competitive field access already is. A “grass-only” mandate or a “no net new turf” policy would make that challenge far worse. From a player’s perspective, synthetic turf is what allows these programs to exist at all.
Turf fields provide dramatically more playable hours than grass. As adult players, we often use the fields late at night — times when grass fields are frequently closed to recover or after rain. Turf’s durability and year-round usability are the reason leagues can run consistently and fairly without constant cancellations.
Safety is also a major concern. Well-maintained turf offers a reliable, even surface. In contrast, heavily used grass fields often become uneven, worn, and unpredictable, increasing the risk of injury. Speaking as someone who plays regularly, consistency matters — especially for adults juggling work, family, and limited time to stay active.
Many of us are concerned that the current City stance and staff report lean strongly toward eliminating turf without fully weighing these realities. I want to be very clear: reducing or eliminating turf is not a neutral decision. It would mean fewer adult leagues, fewer youth opportunities, fewer high school practices — and ultimately, fewer chances for residents to stay healthy and connected.
I respectfully urge the Council to avoid an overly restrictive policy that limits Santa Monica’s future options.
Preserving the ability to use synthetic turf is the most practical and inclusive way to ensure our city continues to support active lifestyles and strong community ties.
Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration.
Sincerely,
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1050 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 18 Andrew Carman
Santa Monica Adult Soccer Player/Coach
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1051 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 19 David Yakobson
From: Harrison Klann <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 12:41 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a 3rd generational Santa Monica local, coach, and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenancerelated closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Thank you for your time,
Harrison Klann
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1052 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 20 David Yakobson
From: Dana Maloney <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 12:42 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent, mom of two young kids (7 and 5) who attend PS1 and play soccer with Albion. As a community member, I am expressing my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenancerelated closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Dana Maloney
Sent from my iPhone
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1053 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 21 David Yakobson
From: Meg Resnikoff <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 12:46 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
The city faces a crisis with the lack of space for kids and sports (the very thing that is most likely to keep them out of trouble and keep them healthy). I have 3 children (16, 14, 11) who are directly affected by this.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenancerelated closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Meg Resnikoff
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1054 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 22 David Yakobson
From: Santa Monica Great Park Coalition <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 1:01 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Lana Negrete; Ellis Raskin; Dan Hall; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Jesse Zwick
Cc: Tony Lopez; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amelia Feichtner; Amber Richane; Heidi Creighton; Jenny Rogers; Sofia Klatzker; Micah Akerson; Steven Johnson; Karen Melick; Maryanne LaGuardia; John Smith; Barry Rosenbaum; Sonam Makker Subject: January 27, 2026 Council Meeting - Item 11.C. - Parks and Recreation Vision Plan -
SUPPORT
EXTERNAL
SUPPORT
Dear Mayor Torosis and Councilmembers-
We write to you with our unqualified and enthusiastic support for the 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan (PRVP), including Staff's recommended edits in 11.C.k.
The PRVP is both aspirational and practical, showcasing both exemplary consideration for public input and work at the very highest level by City Staff, particularly Senior Park Planner Tony Lopez who led the update effort.
All of our city planning documents supported by our community have clearly-articulated overall goal(s). The 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan set forth the goal of bringing the City's park acreage to somewhere in the range of 140-170 total acres over the life of the plan. The City achieved that goal, increasing Santa Monica's total park and open space acres from 113 to a little over 144 with the addition of Historic Belmar Park in 2021.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1055 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 23 The PRVP before you likewise should have a target goal, so that we know what we're trying to achieve and can measure our progress 25-30 years from now. Staff is recommending a goal of 5 acres per 1,000 population over the life of the PRVP as that is the commonly accepted minimum planning standard.
The PRVP and this clear goal have been enthusiastically embraced by all of the City's boards, commissions, and task force(s) that elected to formalize their support for the PRVP with a vote and letter to Council. These include the Recreation and Parks Commission, the Airport Commission, the Arts Commission, the Community Gardens Advisory Committee, the Field Sports Advisory Committee, the Aquatics Advisory Committee, the Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice and the Environment, and the Urban Forest Task Force.
We urge you to receive and approve the 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan with many compliments to City Manager Oliver Chi and his Staff. And we again express our own heartfelt kudos to the City's PRVP team, especially Tony, on presenting you with an excellent planning document to guide our City's park planning and expansion efforts for decades to come in a manner that is simultaneously achievable, measurable, and inspirational.
Thank you for your consideration!
Sincerely,
Santa Monica Great Park Coalition Board of Directors
John Fairweather
Zina Josephs
Frank Gruber
Cris Gutierrez
Joe Pertel
Ann Bowman
Patti Braun
==============================
Santa Monica Great Park Coalition
Web: www.GreatParkCoalition.org
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1056 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 24 E-mail: [email protected]
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1057 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 25 David Yakobson
From: Melanie Rudin <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 1:08 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and my three children, James, Arabella, and Kawai, rely on city fields each week for soccer and baseball.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenancerelated closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Melanie Rudin
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1058 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 26 David Yakobson
From: Diana Szymanski <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 1:11 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council, City Manager, and City Staff, I am writing as a Santa Monica resident, park patron, and parent to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
I have (3) children who all play field sports all over the City of Santa Monica, and depend on field and park space for their activities.
I urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenance-related closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1059 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 27 David Yakobson
From: David Swift <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 1:30 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan (Keep Turf Fields)
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica resident, parent, and player in the santa monica adult soccer leagues to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenance-related closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
David W. Swift
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1060 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 28 David Yakobson
From: Brent Stangel <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 1:50 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenancerelated closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely
Brent Stangel
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1061 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 29 David Yakobson
From: The Zim Twins <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 1:57 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenancerelated closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Caterina Mercante, mother of twin youth athletes
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1062 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 30 David Yakobson
From: Koren Bertolli <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 2:12 PM
To: Jesse Zwick; Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Noe Mendoza; Eric Johnson; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: 11.c Parks and Recreation Vision Plan !!URGENT!!
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent, business owner, and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenance-related closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand. Please don’t miss the forest for the trees on this issue—it is crucial that we do everything in our power to create places for kids to play outside, form bonds “IRL” with teammates and coaches, and experience real time interaction. I suspect many of you are also parents of kids in team sports or have them in your lives.
I myself am a musician avocationally, so my son’s commitment to soccer (specifically in his case) has introduced me to a new world. He has made excellent friends, learned what it means to be part of a team, experienced camaraderie through wins, losses and team effort, and grown to truly love a sport and everything around it. It has also required our family to be extremely flexible to get him to and from practice which varies in terms of time and location based on limited supply and high demand. Let’s get behind creating as much space for this magic to happen as possible! Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1063 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 31 Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Koren Bertolli
Koren Bertolli
Chief Administrative Officer
[email protected] | sonosim.com
O: (323) 473-3800 | M: (310) 343-8611 | F: (424) 652-2270 To help protect your privacy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.
The Easiest Way to Learn & Teach Ultrasonography®
606 Venice Blvd. #B1100 | Venice, CA 90291 | Main: (323) 473-3800 To help protect your priv acy, Microsoft Office prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1064 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 32 David Yakobson
From: sarah aldrich <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 2:20 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenance-related closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Sarah Aldrich
Sarah Aldrich
[email protected]
310-999-1258
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1065 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 33 David Yakobson
From: Robert Montes <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 2:28 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Cc: councilmtgitems; [email protected]; Karen Melick; Maryanne LaGuardia; John Smith; Barry Rosenbaum; Sonam Makker
Subject: Item 11.c Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
I write to you as a father, and former AYSO Soccer Coach and Referee, regarding your upcoming discussion regarding the cost/benefits of synthetic fields and grass fields. My daughter (formerly) and son (actively) engage in sports (baseball/soccer) which utilize many of the Santa Monica field spaces. Having kids involved for over the past 15 years has given my insight into the injuries attributable to both types of fields. Without question from a safety perspective synthetic fields have caused less injury to my children (abrasions/bruises). The grass fields utilized at Los Amigos/Marine Park/Cloverfield have caused a multitude of sprained ankles and knees to both of my children; however, those injuries are insignificant when compared to the potholes at the grass fields which have caused knee dislocation (daughter), and broken wrist (son). It is because of these injuries/medical costs that I urge the City to consider using synthetic fields rather than natural grass.
Besides the safety issues, a simply google search reveals that advantages of synthetic turf over grass include the following:
Increased Playability and Durability
All-Weather Performance
Drastically Lower Maintenance
Consistency and Safety
Water Conservation.
Long-Term Cost Savings.
Finally, I urge you to read the article Sports Field Management Maintaining Safe Sports Fields by Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. See also:
https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2024-03-22-exploring-pros-and-cons-synthetic-andnatural-athletic-turf --
Best Regards,
Robert Montes, Jr.
310.420.7556
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1066 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 34 David Yakobson
From: Kirby Brent <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 3:16 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenance-related closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Kirby Coleman
Parent to Amelia Brent, 8 years old (and loves playing soccer on your pitches in Santa Monica) Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1067 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 35 David Yakobson
From: Ari Friedman <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 3:33 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Subject: ITEM 11C – KEEP THE TURF FIELDS
EXTERNAL
Mayor and Councilmembers,
It is a strange situation to be where we can see the benefits turf fields bring to a community at large, but to still see opponents demanding a return to grass fields. One needs only to look at examples throughout the county to see the pitfalls of a grass only surface. Balboa Soccer Fields in Encino, or Silver Lake Sports park are prime examples, of not only the variability in condition a grass only field presents, in not only the uneven and poor condition of the surface, but also the maintenance, infrastructure, loss of aesthetics, and long term financial commitment of maintaining grass. On top of this, the tension that grass fields present is that maintenance of a grass field is inversely related to use and availability; something that presents an inherent challenge for a community-civic based proposed use. I submit that a city's best use for public space is not to a have a space that affords limited hours of use and high maintenance costs, but rather one that offers use across seasons and days for a wide variety of people. I doubt there is much credible argument that favors the installation of grass fields in 2025 over a turf counterpart for these reasons. Rather it seems the argument against turf turns more on the belief that turf fields pose a hazard to users in a way that grass fields do not.
I have dedicated my career for the past 20 years to litigating against toxic chemical exposures, and take the issue of environmental exposures, especially when children are involved, very seriously. It might be tempting to hear about hazardous chemical exposure buzzwords like VOC, PFAS, or Heavy Metals and automatically believe there is danger. I speak from experience, this is not how risk is determined. It is not the presence of these substances that poses a risk, but the levels at which they occur. When we look to studies, public health research, and government and academic reviews, it is clear that artificial fields are safe for use, and do not pose a known health risk greater than that associated with natural grass fields. It is true that these surfaces contain chemicals that can be hazardous in other circumstances; they are not hazardous in this context. In my line of work, some companies love to say things like "Even drinking too much water can kill you" to explain how it's the dose, or amount of a substance that poses a risk, not the presence of it. The real-world exposure experienced by people and children during normal turf field use are low and have not been linked to an increase rate of cancer or chronic diseases. As you are probably aware from the same debate you had re: Franklin Elementary, there is ongoing research to evaluate the impact of long term exposure of turf fields. However, at present the scientific consensus is that artificial turf fields present a low health risk comparable to traditional grass fields when properly maintained and used as intended.
In the absence of scientific studies or public agency findings, this council should choose the community's best interest over the phantom of perceived problems raised by the recital of hazardous substance buzzwords. Please keep the city's sports facilities turf, and allow their continued use by a the community at large.
Thank you
Ari
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1068 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 36 Ari Friedman
Partner
(310) 207-3233
wisnerbaum.com
11111 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 1750
Los Angeles, CA 90025
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE -- This electronic mail message may contain confidential information belonging to the sender which is protected by the attorney-client and/or work product privilege. The information is intended only for the use of the individual(s) or entity(ies) named above. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or the taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please purge the received information from your system and immediately notify the sender by telephone and by return e-mail. Thank you. IRS DISCLAIMER:
Communications from our firm may contain or incorporate federal tax advice. Under recently promulgated US Internal Revenue Service standards (Circular 230), we are required to inform you that only formal, written tax opinions meeting the requirements of Circular 230 may be relied upon by taxpayers for the purpose of avoiding tax-related penalties. Accordingly, this communication is not intended or written to be used, and it cannot be used, for the purpose of avoiding tax-related penalties under the Internal Revenue Code.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1069 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 37 David Yakobson
From: Walter Delph <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 3:36 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenancerelated closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced. My daughters (Madison, age 13, and Georiga, age 10) play club soccer weekly on your fields and we are so grateful to have access to field space, grass and turf fields in Santa Monica.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact our participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
--
Walter Delph
President, Delph Enterprises
M: +1(917) 415-6972
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1070 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 38 David Yakobson
From: Lauren Lundy <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 3:54 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenancerelated closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Our daughter has been playing soccer at these fields for years and it’s incredibly important to her club team as well as her enjoyment for the game.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Lauren & Brad Lundy
Sent from my iPhone
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1071 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 39 David Yakobson
From: Neil Carrey <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 4:13 PM
To: Caroline Torosis; Dan Hall; Lana Negrete; Natalya Zernitskaya; Barry Snell; Ellis Raskin; Jesse Zwick; councilmtgitems
Cc: Oliver Chi; Amber Richane; Tony Lopez; Peter James; Christopher Dishlip Subject: Agenda Item 11C: Support for Adoption of the Draft 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Torosis and CouncilmembersHaving served more than 12 years on the Santa Monica Recreation and Parks Commission, Chaired for more than 10 years the SMMUSD Sports and Physical Education Advisory Committee and Coached Youth Sports for more than 15 years. from firsthand experience, I know how for many years the City was substantially below the amount of park space it should have based on the number of residents, as well as the shortage of playing fields. I, therefore, write to you with my unqualified and enthusiastic support for the 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan (PRVP), including Staff's recommended edits in 11.C.k.
The PRVP is both aspirational and practical, showcasing both exemplary consideration for public input and work at the very highest level by City Staff, particularly Senior Park Planner Tony Lopez who led the update effort.
All of our city planning documents have clearly-articulated overall goal(s). The 1997 Parks and Recreation Master Plan set forth the goal of bringing the City's park acreage to somewhere in the range of 140-170 total acres over the life of the plan. The City achieved that goal, increasing Santa Monica's total park and open space acres from 113 to a little over 144 with the addition of Historic Belmar Park in 2021.
The PRVP before you likewise should have a target goal, so that we know what we're trying to achieve and can measure our progress 25-30 years from now. Staff is recommending a goal of 5 acres per 1,000 population over the life of the PRVP as that is the commonly accepted minimum planning standard.
The PRVP and this clear goal have been enthusiastically embraced by all of the City's boards, commissions, and task force(s) that elected to formalize their support for the PRVP with a vote and letter to Council. These include the Recreation and Parks Commission, the Airport Commission, the Arts Commission, the Community Gardens Advisory Committee, the Field Sports Advisory Committee, the Aquatics Advisory Committee, the Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice and the Environment, and the Urban Forest Task Force.
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1072 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 40 We urge you to receive and approve the 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan with many compliments to City Manager Oliver Chi and his Staff. And we again express our own heartfelt kudos to the City's PRVP team, especially Tony, on presenting you with an excellent planning document to guide our City's park planning and expansion efforts for decades to come in a manner that is simultaneously achievable, measurable, and inspirational.
Thank you for listening!
Sincerely,
Neil Carrey
Email: [email protected]
(c) 310-200-5067
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1073 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 41 David Yakobson
From: Ian Konowitch <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 5:33 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Cc: Sonam Makker; Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane; [email protected]; Karen Melick; Maryanne LaGuardia; John Smith; Barry Rosenbaum
Subject: Re: Item 11.c Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Torosis, City Council Members, City Manager Chi, and Recreation & Parks Commission, I am writing to urge you to keep our current turf fields rather than converting them to grass. As a parent of a 9-year-old who plays club soccer, I have seen firsthand the problems with grass fields. My son has played on grass fields outside of Santa Monica that were dangerous, with holes throughout, dead grass that turned to dirt, and muddy conditions every morning. These fields were unsafe and unpleasant for the kids.
My son loves playing on Santa Monica's turf fields and is always excited for practice. Please don't take away the safe, reliable fields our children depend on. The thought of going back to those terrible, torn-up grass fields would be devastating for him and so many other young athletes in our community.
Sincerely,
Ian Konowitch
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1074 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 42 David Yakobson
From: David Christiansen <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 5:38 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane; Chair Steven Johnson; Karen Melick; Maryanne LaGuardia; John Smith; Barry Rosenbaum; Sonam Makker
Subject: Re: Item 11.c Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Good Evening -
Like many of you, we would appreciate natural grass fields. However, grass fields cannot support year-round play under heavy use and rain damage, often requiring months-long closures for recovery. This significantly limits field availability and reduces opportunities for our children to play and practice.
Turf fields provide a practical solution by allowing for consistent, year-round use and creating more reliable space for all youth organizations to share. Most importantly, it ensures our athletes do not lose valuable playing time due to weather-related closures.
As a resident of Santa Monica and parents of youth athletes, I am writing to formally express my support for the installation of turf fields over grass fields for community use. Modern, high-quality athletic surfaces are essential for ensuring year-round access and inclusion for our city's youth, regardless of weather conditions.
Thank you for your leadership on this issue.
Best regards,
David Christiansen
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1075 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 43 David Yakobson
From: Westin O <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 5:40 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan - O'Dowd
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces. My sons Jude and Wells O'Dowd play on Santa Monica fields for soccer, lacrosse and baseball, and field availability has always been a challenge, so reducing field access would be very unfortunate - we are in desperate need for more turf fields in the community! At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenancerelated closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Westin O'Dowd
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1076 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 44 David Yakobson
From: Ryan O'Dowd <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 5:56 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces. I am also the President of BBC Studios and Executive Producer of Dancing with the Stars. I love our community, and my two boys, Jude and Wells O'Dowd, play on Santa Monica fields for soccer, lacrosse and baseball, and field availability has always been a challenge, so reducing field access would be very unfortunate - we are in desperate need for more turf fields in the community!
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenancerelated closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Ryan O'Dowd
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1077 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 45 David Yakobson
From: Jerry Clifford <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 7:03 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Subject: ITEM 11C- KEEP THE TURF FIELDS
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers,
I am writing to urge your support for a flexible and realistic approach to sports field surfaces in Santa Monica. As you consider future policy, it is critical that the City avoid locking itself into a “grass-only” mandate or a “no net new turf” position. Given our city’s high density and intense competition for limited recreational space, we must prioritize field surfaces that maximize both usability and safety for our residents.
From an operational standpoint, synthetic turf provides substantially more playable hours than natural grass. In a community where field access is already constrained, turf is essential to meeting the needs of our youth and adult sports leagues. Unlike grass fields, which require lengthy rest periods and are often unusable after rain, turf fields remain durable, consistent, and available year-round.
In addition, properly maintained synthetic turf offers a more even and reliable playing surface, which is often safer than grass fields that can become uneven or patchy under heavy municipal use. Many community members are concerned that the current City stance and staff report place disproportionate emphasis on eliminating turf without fully accounting for these practical benefits. We should be clear:
reducing or eliminating turf will directly result in the cancellation of programs.
Restricting the use of synthetic turf would have immediate and significant consequences, including reductions in adult leagues, high school athletics, and youth sports programs. I respectfully urge the Council to avoid overly restrictive decisions that limit future options. Preserving the ability to utilize synthetic turf is the most practical and responsible way to ensure Santa Monica continues to support a healthy, active, and connected community.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Geramiah Clifford
Lifetime Santa Monica Resident
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1078 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 46 David Yakobson
From: Jerry Clifford <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2026 7:06 PM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Subject: ITEM 11C- KEEP THE TURF FIELDS
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor and Council members,
I am writing on behalf of the Santa Monica soccer community. For many residents, our fields are far more than places to exercise — they are where community is built, friendships form, and people of all ages come together to stay active and connected. With that in mind, we respectfully urge your support for a flexible and realistic approach to the City’s sports field surfaces.
Santa Monica is a dense city with limited recreational space, and anyone involved in local soccer understands how competitive field access already is. A “grass-only” mandate or a “no net new turf” policy would significantly worsen this challenge. Synthetic turf is essential to sustaining youth, adult, and high school programs and ensuring that leagues can continue to operate reliably.
Turf fields provide substantially more playable hours than natural grass. They remain durable and usable year-round, including after rain, allowing programs to run consistently without frequent cancellations. This reliability is critical to maintaining schedules, participation levels, and access for the many residents who depend on these fields.
Safety is also a key consideration. Properly maintained synthetic turf offers a consistent and even playing surface, while heavily used grass fields often become worn, uneven, and unpredictable over time, increasing the risk of injury. For participants of all ages, surface consistency matters and contributes directly to a safer playing experience.
Many in our community are concerned that the current City stance and staff report lean heavily toward eliminating turf without fully weighing these operational and safety realities. A reduction in turf would mean fewer leagues, fewer youth opportunities, fewer high school practices, and ultimately fewer ways for residents to remain active and engaged.
We respectfully urge the Council to avoid an overly restrictive policy that limits Santa Monica’s future options. Preserving the ability to utilize synthetic turf is the most practical and inclusive way to support active lifestyles, equitable access, and strong community connections.
Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration.
Sincerely,
Thomas Clifford
Lifetime Santa Monica Resident
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1079 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 47 David Yakobson
From: Kate Linstrom <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2026 5:32 AM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems
Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenancerelated closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.
Synthetic turf should be viewed as a necessary tool that allows the Parks & Recreation vision to succeed while serving the needs of the entire community.
Thank you for your leadership, consideration, and continued commitment to Santa Monica’s families and youth.
Sincerely,
Kate Linstrom Geesman
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
Item 11-C
January 27, 2026
11.C.m
Packet Pg. 1080 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (7203 : 11.C 2025 Parks and Recreation Vision Plan) 48 David Yakobson
From: Michelle <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2026 10:25 AM
To: Oliver Chi; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; councilmtgitems; Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson Cc: Jenny Rogers; Micah Akerson; Eric Johnson; Noe Mendoza; Tony Lopez; Amelia Feichtner; Linda Cogswell; Christopher Dishlip; Peter James; Amber Richane Subject: Item 11.c – Parks and Recreation Vision Plan
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
I am writing as a Santa Monica parent and community member to express my support for the City’s Parks & Recreation Vision Plan and its goal of improving and sustaining our shared recreational spaces.
At the same time, I respectfully urge the City to ensure that the adopted plan maintains and protects adequate playable field access for youth sports programs, regardless of field type. Santa Monica already faces a significant shortage of playable field hours, and thousands of children rely on city fields each week for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, flag football, and other sports.
Given Santa Monica’s limited space and exceptionally high demand, synthetic turf fields are essential to achieving the goals of the Parks & Recreation Plan. Turf fields allow for consistent playability, significantly greater usage, and fewer weather- and maintenancerelated closures. Without them, available field hours would be dramatically reduced.
A reduction in playable field access would directly impact youth participation, after-school and weekend programming, equity of access for community-based organizations, and the City’s ability to meet current and future recreational demand.