REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
FOR
CONSULTING SERVICES:
CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN
ISSUED: JUNE 12, 2026
PROPOSALS DUE: JULY 15, 2026
Contact:
Greg Mediati
City of South San Francisco
Parks and Recreation Department
901 Civic Campus Way
South San Francisco, CA 94080
Phone: (650) 829-3897
E-mail: [email protected]
City of South San Francisco
Request for Proposals
To Develop a Parks and Recreation Master Plan
INTRODUCTION
The City of South San Francisco (“City”) is requesting a response (“Proposals”) from qualified firms to manage, facilitate, and prepare a comprehensive Parks and Recreation Master Plan (“Master Plan” or “Plan”), focusing on improving and expanding the City’s parks and recreation opportunities. The Master Plan will develop a clear set of goals, policies and objectives that will provide direction to decision makers and staff in the planning, development, improvement and maintenance of the City’s park and recreation facilities for the next 10 to 15-years aligning with the City’s General Plan. 2 The Parks and Recreation Master Plan will become part of the Parks, Public Facilities, and Service Element of the current South San Francisco Comprehensive General Plan and will require the approval of the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Planning Commission, and the City Council.
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO OVERVIEW
The City of South San Francisco is located in northern San Mateo County. Neighboring cities include Brisbane, Colma, Daly City, Pacifica and San Bruno, with the San Francisco Bay to the east and San Francisco International Airport to the south. The City has a diverse population of 66,000 within 30 square miles. The recently adopted General Plan, Shape SSF 2040, could enable approximately 15,000 new housing units that could increase the residential population to over 100,000 and add thousands of new jobs, resulting in additional park and recreation needs.
The City adopted the Shape SSF 2040 General Plan in 2022; the General Plan includes an action item to prepare and adopt an updated Parks and Recreation Facilities Master Plan (the current Master Plan was adopted in 2015). The General Plan’s Abundant and Accessible Parks and Recreation Element establishes that as the City grows, it will maintain its existing parks, recreational facilities, and services the community already enjoys while expanding its services to meet the needs of residents. Key ideas in this element include:
• South San Francisco has a system of well-connected parks, open spaces, trails and recreational facilities that serve all residents, employees and visitors and promotes use of active transportation, exercise and health.
• There are opportunities for people of all ages, abilities, ethnicities, and backgrounds to engage, participate, and enjoy South San Francisco’s parks and open spaces, recreational facilities and amenities, and recreational services.
• The City increases enrichment and youth development opportunities and increases participation for children of color in South San Francisco.
Other Shape SSF 2040 General Plan Elements also touch on park and recreation topics, identifying specific sub areas/neighborhoods where additional park and recreation opportunities are necessary (including El Camino Real, East of 101, Lindenville, Paradise Valley/Terrabay, Sunshine Gardens, Westborough and Winston Serra), the need for equitably providing public services for all residents, and the interconnectedness of parks and recreation within Community Health, Climate Protection and Environmental & Cultural Stewardship.
In addition to the General Plan, the City has adopted and initiated many other plans/studies that directly touch on parks and recreation related topics:
Relevant Adopted Plans
• Urban Forest Master Plan (adopted 2020)
• Racial and Social Equity Plan (adopted 2021)
• Active South City Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (adopted 2022) 3 • Age-Friendly Master Plan (adopted 2025)
• Child Care Master Plan (adopted 2022)
• Climate Action Plan (adopted 2022)
• Centennial Way Trail Master Plan (adopted 2025)
• Lindenville Specific Plan (adopted 2023)
• Orange Memorial Park Master Plan (updated 2023)
• Public Art Master Plan (adopted 2023)
• Sign Hill Master Plan (adopted 2023)
In-Progress Plans/Studies
• Colma Creek Watershed Master Plan (in conjunction with OneShoreline)
PROJECT BACKGROUND
The Parks and Recreation Department manages 21 parks; two linear parks (17.5 acres); 70 acres of open space at Sign Hill Park with trails; a section of the Bay Trail; a community garden. In total South San Francisco has 319.7 acres of parks and open space (approximately 5.4 acres per 1,000 residents).
The Parks and Recreation Department also operates several facilities, including two general purpose recreation centers (Library | Parks and Recreation Center, Joseph A. Fernekes Recreation Building, Alice Pena Bulos Community Center); a gymnasium / recreation center (Terrabay Recreation Center and Gymnasium); a pool (Orange Aquatic Center); three preschools (Siebecker, Little Steps and Westborough); a senior center (Roberta Cerri Teglia Center); and operates before and after school daycare programs on six elementary school campuses (Buri Buri, Ponderosa, Monte Verde, Spruce, Los Cerritos, and Martin Elementary Schools).
The City maintains a Joint Powers Agreement with the South San Francisco Unified School District for the use of 11 parks and playfields for school sports and City Recreation programs. This agreement for use includes the maintenance of these sites as well.
Also included in the City’s total open space inventory are approximately 60 acres of public grounds in the Common Greens, as well as sites such as the gardens and open space surrounding the City Hall and Civic Center campuses.
The Department is also responsible for maintenance of City facilities under its Building Maintenance Division.
The City of South San Francisco adopted a Park, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan (PROS) in 1990,1997 and again in 2015.
The Master Plan will be used as a resource for future development and enhancement of the City’s parks, open spaces, recreational facilities, and recreation system. The Master Plan will provide:
• Background and context for evaluating the existing parks system. 4 • An inventory of existing parks and facilities, amenities present in each venue, acreage/square-footage.
• An analysis existing services levels and staffing, gaps in service and access, and the need for new, expanded or renovated parks and facilities, and changes in recreational programming with an equity and age-friendly lens,
• Strategies for improving and maintaining the existing park and recreation system. • Recommendations for acquiring or obtaining access to additional properties for future park uses.
• Undertake CEQA and related components.
• Update the General Plan Parks and Recreation Element for consistency with the new Master Plan.
• Strategies for meeting the need for, managing and maintaining recreational facilities; and • An approach for implementation of improvements and long-term maintenance. • Consideration of the SB1425 requirements related to the City’s Open Space Element and strategies to further connect and implement these required policies and actions. • Recommendations for compliance with AB 1572 restrictions on irrigating nonfunctional turf – identify areas of nonfunctional turf and recommend appropriate and cost-effective conversion strategies
• Recommendations of appropriate staffing and resources to accomplish the Master Plan.
The Parks and Recreation Master Plan will be presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission and to the City Council for final approval and adoption. The City previously completed a Parks Recreation and Open Space Master Plan in 1990, and updated the Plan in 1997 and again in 2015. Additionally, numerous specific plans for specific park sites, activities, and program areas have been developed in recent years.
SCOPE OF WORK
Overview
The development of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan will include conducting a comprehensive needs assessment to examine parks and facilities, recreation programs, and the operational and administrative aspects of South San Francisco’s park and recreation resources. Existing and projected demographics will also be examined to determine what parks and programs are currently needed, as well as those that will be needed in the future.
Following this analysis, planning standards will be developed to guide various aspects of park development such as preferred locations, types of improvements, and quantity of parks. These standards will then be combined with information on residents’ needs and preferences gathered through community workshops as well as surveys.
A list of strategies and recommendations will be developed and prioritized for future implementation.
The cost for capital and non-capital expenditures will be estimated for a 10-year period and will be combined with expected revenues to develop a 10-year Finance Plan. • Review of Existing Documentation: Perform a review of current parks resources and documentation (Parks, Public facilities, and Services Element/past Parks Recreation and Open Space Master Plans and specific plans).
5 • Existing and Future Facilities Analysis of Level of Service: Using the inventory and assessment of the existing parks, Common Greens areas, trails, open spaces and municipal facilities to consider existing site conditions, opportunities and constraints, along with neighborhood and civic interests. The analysis shall consider the capacity of each amenity found within the system (playgrounds, ball fields, trails, natural areas, special facilities, etc.) as well as use of existing buildings, potential additional uses, sustainability options, site access, circulation and parking, functionality, accessibility, condition, comfort and convenience. Each amenity should be evaluated regarding its service from both a resident and a visitor perspective.
Evaluation criteria should be based on the expressed values of the community. A separate project from the Master Plan already underway will look study condition assessment of parks and facilities.
• Analysis of Programs and Services: Provide an assessment and analysis of the Parks and Recreation Department’s current level of recreation programs, services and maintenance in relation to present and future goals, objectives and directives. Provide a user fee analysis for facilities and programs and services. The purpose of this task is to provide an assessment of recreation programs and revenue strategies necessary to meet the needs of users, and sustain and preserve facilities. Provide an analysis of the best possible providers for programs and services and identify and discern any unnecessary duplication of services through public and private program providers. Provide recommendations for minimizing duplications or enhancing possibilities for collaborative partnerships where appropriate. • Benchmarking/Comparison of Parks Resources: Benchmark/compare parks and recreation resources of South San Francisco with similar jurisdictions in the Bay Area. The assessment shall include a comparative analysis to communities of similar size and density regionally and using nationally accepted standards. The Master Plan will calculate the current park acres per 1,000 residents, including all qualifying park land, and propose a standard of park acres that should be achieved for employees.
• Demographic Trends: Review and interpret demographic trends and characteristics of South San Francisco using available statistical information to assist in forecasting parks and recreations needs of the community.
• Community Outreach and Public Engagement: South San Francisco is looking for innovative strategies that can be included in the public process for the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The consultant team should propose a combination of effective in-person and virtual engagement methods. The selected consultant’s public engagement staff must have expertise in innovative public consultation strategies and proven experience with tools to collect, record, and summarize comments at events and online. The ability of the consultant to communicate well with the public in a variety of ways is critical. The consultant will be responsible for the facilitation, and documentation of the projects outreach efforts. This phase embarks on the community outreach process, builds support for the parks and recreation programs and solicits community comments to meet the needs of residents and park/recreation program users. The community outreach and public input process will be 6 integral to the development of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and shall include the following:
o At least four public community meetings and a minimum of four focus group stakeholder meetings (participants to be determined) and individual stakeholder interviews) including preparation of meeting materials; o Prepare handouts and other media for distribution and sharing on the City's website, newsletters, and social media channels;
o Identify, describe and implement a comprehensive strategy and methodology for citizen involvement in this Master Plan development process; o Provide well-organized and directed activities, techniques and formats that will ensure that a positive, open and proactive public participation process is achieved; o Determine the citizen interests and needs for the parks system and programs; o Provide written records and summaries of the results of all public process and communications strategies;
o Help to build consensus and agreement on the plan and if consensus is not possible, provide information for informed decision-making;
o Provide methods to hear from as many people as possible, including users and nonusers of the services and facilities; o A minimum of five Master Plan Advisory Team meetings (key stakeholders, advisory group members, and staff), three meetings with the Parks and Recreation Commission to provide progress reports; one Planning Commission meeting; and one City Council meeting;
o Conduct a city-wide community needs assessment survey to identify community needs and issues on the recreation and park programs and facilities; given past participation numbers this survey will be weighed heavily to determine parks and recreation needs and desires of the community;
o Survey methodology to be incorporated to maximize civic engagement in process and be statistically relevant.
• Rank and Prioritize Demand and Opportunities: Prioritize recommendations for needs regarding land acquisition, and the development of parks, trails, open space, and recreation facilities. Develop a set of prioritized recommendations for maintenance and renovation of parks, trails and recreation facilities based upon input received by the public during the public engagement phase.
• Study of Construction / Impact Fee Revenues and Project Planning: Cashflow analysis of impact fees and other developer contributions should be studied, and used to inform facility and park improvements, enhancements, and construction of new amenities as recommended in the plan. This should be paired with the prioritized demands and opportunities to create an implementation plan for near- and long-term improvements. • Action Plan: The Action Plan (part of the Final Master Plan) shall include issues, strategies, priorities and an analysis for budget support and possible funding mechanisms for park and recreation service upgrades and/or new development.
o Collect and analyze information on participation, needs, desires, operations, programming and land use trends and make Level of Service recommendations; o Identify areas of service shortfalls and projected impact of future trends; 7 o Develop recommendations for operations, staffing, maintenance, programming and funding needs;
o Develop a definitive program for acquisition and development of parkland, recreation facilities, open space, trails and parks maintenance and administration of facilities for the future;
o Identify opportunities for available funding and acquisition alternatives (if applicable). • Funding Alternatives: The City is interested in updating the ordinances related to relevant development fees based on best practices and to address the facility and park needs. • Master Plan Document: Develop a Parks and Recreation Master Plan document based on park resources, demographic trends, and citizen interests and needs. The Master Plan shall include the following:
o An executive summary
o Written goals, plans, objectives, and policy statements that articulate a clear vision and “road map” and model for the Parks and Recreation Department’s future; o A summary of existing conditions, inventories and Level of Service analysis; o Charts, graphs, maps and other graphic data as needed to support the plan and its presentation to the appropriate audiences;
o A Financial Plan; and
o An Action Plan.
• CEQA review: Prepare an Initial Study Checklist to determine potential environmental impacts based upon the goals, policies and objectives set forth in the Parks and Recreation Master Plan; it is anticipated that the Initial Study would result in the preparation of a (Mitigated) Negative Declaration given that future improvements and development considered in the new Master Plan would include an independent CEQA analysis at the time of anticipated construction. The City shall be responsible for the arrangement, notice and any other costs associated with the above meetings and CEQA noticing. The consultant shall review with the City’s Project Manager all prepared information for the public meeting at least three (3) days prior to the scheduled meetings.
City Resources Available
The City of South San Francisco has the following resources available to support the work, outreach, and materials needed to complete this Scope of Work:
• Existing master and specific plans, studies, plans, program data, historical documents, and other background materials
• Separate from this Master Plan Process, staff is working with a consultant team to develop a Facility Condition Assessment for the aforementioned buildings, parks, and landscape areas under the purview of the Parks and Recreation Department. This plan, at least in preliminary form will be made available to the Master Plan team to inform decisions around programming priorities and resource allocation
• A Master Plan Advisory Team, consisting of key stakeholders and staff • Basic GIS information includes e.g. zoning, land use, streets, and City owned parcels • Newsletters for civic engagement
• Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, X, NextDoor, etc.
• A list of existing projects in pipeline
8 • Preliminary stakeholders list
• Assistance with community meetings related to logistical arrangements. City will be responsible for the arrangement, notice, and related costs associated with the public input meetings. The consultant shall review with the Project Manager all prepared information for the public meetings.
• Attendance / usage data (Placer AI)
• Appropriate staff support as necessary
Progress Reporting
The consultant and the City's Project Manager shall hold progress meetings as often as necessary, but in no case less than once per month until the final plan is approved by the City Council for the purpose of progress reporting. The consultant shall supply the Project Manager with at least one (1) copy of all completed or partially completed reports, studies, forecasts, maps or plans as deemed necessary by the Project Manager at least three (3) working days before each progress meeting. The Project Manager shall schedule the meetings, as necessary, at key times during the development of the Master Plan.
Project Budget Range
A budget of $400,000 has been established for this project
PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS
The City will not pay any cost incurred by any consultant resulting from preparation or submittal of a proposal in response to this RFP. Proposals shall remain effective for a minimum of ninety (90) days beyond the submittal date.
The City reserves the right to modify or cancel, in part or in its entirety, this RFP. The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive any defects and/or informalities. Proposals shall have a 40-page limit (not including front and back cover or table of contents). Each consultant should adhere to the following order and content for proposal sections. Each section should be labeled for ease of reference:
The proposal format is required to be presented in the following order:
1. Cover Sheet with Contact Information
The cover sheet should have the primary contact information including name, organization, phone number, email, and address.
2. Statement of Understanding
A description of the approach to the performance of the work requested that illustrates the consultant’s understanding of the nature of the work being requests and the total cost of services presented in the proposal.
3. Approach and Methodology
Describe your firm’s approach to master planning projects, the form or character of the final product, and suggested methodologies for issues anticipated and tasks to be completed. The City 9 is open to any creative suggestions to the Scope of Work outlined in the RFP that will improve the project.
4. Proposed Project Team Members
A brief description of the primary consultant and sub-consultants (if any) along with an organization chart of the Project team. Designation of a single point of contact for the Project is required. Provide the role and relevant background experience of the primary individuals involved in the project, e.g. a brief description of the qualifications of the key personnel and responsibilities should be included.
5. References
Include a minimum of three (3) references of persons, firms, or agencies that City staff may contact to verify the experience of the proposer.
6. Detailed Scope of Services
Provide a detailed Project scope of work based on the RFP. Indicate the hourly rates that would be charged for the work performed by the consultant principals and staff.
7. Project Schedule
Provide an anticipated schedule including any start up meetings; public outreach meetings, Commission meetings, submittal of the draft Plan, turnaround time needed after receiving City comments on the draft, and anticipated delivery of the final Parks and Recreation Master Plan.
6. Contract Exceptions
Indicate any concerns with the terms of the City's "Consulting Services Agreement.” Please make comments as specific as possible.
7. Conflict of Interest Statement
Include a statement disclosing any involvement with plan/development projects in the City by the consultant (and sub-consultants) within the last two years. The City reserves the right to reject any proposals having the potential for conflict of interest.
Should you choose to respond, these items must be provided no later than July 15, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. on the City’s bid portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ssf.
EVALUATION CRITERA AND GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
General Requirement of the Selected Proposing Firm
• Enter into a contract with the City. (These documents and proposal submittals become exhibits to the contract)
• Maintain insurance coverage for the duration of the contract period • Prohibited from assigning or subcontracting the whole or any part of the contract without the prior written consent of the City
• Shall not hire, discharge, promote, demote or otherwise discriminate in matters of compensation, terms, conditions or privileges of employment against any person otherwise 10 qualified solely because of race, creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, color or age
• Contractor shall be in compliance with the applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as enacted and from time to time amended and any other applicable federal, state, or local laws and regulations. A signed, written certificate stating compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act may be requested at any time during the life of this Agreement or any renewal thereof
• Operate as an independent contractor and will not be considered employee(s) of the City of South San Francisco
• Successful consultant will be paid on actual invoices as work is completed Evaluation Criteria
Selection of the successful firm with whom negotiations shall commence will be made through an evaluation process based on the following criteria:
Percent Component
30 Project Approach
25 Project Team
20 Past Project Experience and Client References
10 Project Schedule
10 Project Fee Structure and Cost Estimate
5 Presentation of Proposal
11 RFP PROCESS TIMELINE
The anticipated schedule for selecting a consulting firm for this project is as follows:
Proposals Due: July 15, 2026, 5:00 p.m.
City Review of Proposals: Tentatively July 31, 2026
Interviews of selected firms: Tentatively week of August 10, 2026 Award of Contract Tentatively September 2026
Attachments:
1. City of South San Francisco Standard Consultant Agreement