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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
D R A F T 2025
252 | CITY OF SANTA MONICA • 2025 DRAFT
NEEDS
ASSESSMENT
D R A F T 2025
APPENDIX C | 2025 PARKS AND RECREATION VISION PLAN | 253