City Council Staff Report Page 1 of 3 September 9, 2025 Agenda Item No.
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DATE: September 9, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Joan Malloy, City Manager
SUBJECT: Adopt a Resolution Accepting the Parks and Recreation Master Plan Workplan
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution accepting the Parks and Recreation Master Plan workplan. The proposed project includes an 18-month implementation process that includes a robust facility inventory and assessment, community input, and regular updates to the City Council.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
Goal D. Environmental Sustainability and Infrastructure: Create a healthy, sustainable community and maintain and improve the City’s infrastructure.
Strategy: Develop a ten-year parks operations, maintenance, and capital improvement plan.
BACKGROUND
The Union City Strategic Plan FY 2019-2020 through FY 2024-2025 Final Update includes a strategy to develop a ten-year parks operations, maintenance, and capital improvement plan. The City’s 2040 General Plan, with a 15-year horizon, also establishes a goal to comprehensively update the existing 1999 Parks and Recreation Master Plan. With funding now in place, the City Council has authorized the update of the 25-year-old plan.
While the 1999 Plan provided broad guidelines, it lacked actionable direction, long-term cost estimates, or specific implementation recommendations. Since that time, Union City has grown significantly, adding 11 new parks without a corresponding increase in staffing or updated planning. The City now maintains 35 parks totaling over 138 acres. These parks range from small pocket parks to larger community parks. Additionally, the City benefits from regional open spaces and East Bay Regional Park District parks.
In June 2025, the City contracted with consultant Gates+ Associates, recently rebranded as Gates Studio (Resolution No. 2025-064), to support the Parks and Recreation Commission and staff in developing the Parks and Recreation Master Plan (“Master Agenda Item No. {{section.number}}.{{item.number}}
City Council Staff Report Page 2 of 3 September 9, 2025 Plan”). Gates Studio has extensive experience in landscape architecture, urban design, and land planning. With the support of Gates Studio, CRS, and Public Works staff, a workgroup was launched to develop the Master Plan for Council consideration.
The new Master Plan will serve as a comprehensive policy and decision-making guide for planning, programming, and funding of parks, open spaces, and recreational facilities.
Over the next 15 years, to align with the 2040 General Plan. It will establish a long-term vision for meeting community needs by drawing on nationally recognized guidelines from the National Recreation and Park Association, the Trust for Public Land, and the Urban Land Institute. The Master Plan will identify priorities, recommend improvements, and outline strategies for implementation to ensure that parks, amenities, and services are:
within a 10-minute walk,
inclusive and accessible,
clean and safe,
easy to maintain,
accommodate emerging trends, and
meet the current and future needs of park users.
DISCUSSION
Through a collaborative approach, staff and Gates Studio developed a workplan, for June 2025 – December 2026. The workplan takes a multifaceted approach, incorporating robust community outreach and engagement, a baseline inventory and assessment of parks and amenities, and a comprehensive needs assessment. The data and information gathered will shape and inform the development of the Master Plan. Staff will provide ongoing project updates and gather input at the Parks and Recreation Commission meetings. Given the scope of the Master Plan, the workplan is comprised of three phases.
Exhibit A provides detailed workplan activities and timelines. The following is a brief overview of each of the three phases.
Phase I: Establishment of Parks and Recreation Master Plan Workgroup and Workplan, June 2025 – December 2025
The focus is on establishing a Master Plan workgroup to develop a workplan and launch activities to identify the challenges, needs, preferences, and current usage patterns of parks, amenities, and recreation services. In addition, embark on a robust outreach and engagement strategy to gather input from the community on their vision, interests, and needs for parks, open spaces, facilities, and recreational programming.
City Council Action: Parks and Recreation Commission and City Council accept the Parks and Recreation Master Plan workplan.
Phase II: Draft Parks and Recreation Master Plan Vision, Priorities, and Recommendations, January 2026 – May 2026
The focus is on gathering secondary community input and feedback on preferences and priorities for the future of parks, open spaces, facilities, amenities, and recreation programming to inform the development of Parks and Recreation Master Plan priorities and recommendations.
City Council Action: Parks and Recreation Commission makes a recommendation Agenda Item No. {{section.number}}.{{item.number}}
City Council Staff Report Page 3 of 3 September 9, 2025 to the City Council to accept Parks and Recreation Master Plan update and draft vision, priorities, and recommendations.
Phase III: Develop and Finalize Parks and Recreation Master Plan Document, June – December 2026
The focus is on developing and finalizing the Parks and Recreation Master Plan document that includes a vision, priorities, and recommendations with preliminary funding and capital improvement investment for parks, open spaces, amenities, and recreation services for the next 15 years.
City Council Action: Parks and Recreation Commission makes a recommendation to the City Council to accept the final Parks and Recreation Master Plan document.
Throughout the project, the Parks and Recreation Commission and the City Council will provide City staff and consultant Gates Studio with guidance and approval on key elements of the development of the Master Plan. More specifically, the City Council will be briefed and asked for their confirmation and approval of the vision, priorities, recommendations, and preliminary funding and capital improvement investments.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no impact on the general fund and no budget action required at this time.
The Parks and Recreation Master Plan is funded through the Park-In-Lieu (residential) – Fund 255. On May 13, 2025, the City Council authorized the execution of an agreement with Gates + Associates, rebranded as Gates Studio, for the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, City Project No. 24-20, in the amount of $299,010. There is $40,000 remaining in the Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan to cover contingencies. Any future amendment to the contract would require City Council approval.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution accepting the Parks and Recreation Master Plan workplan.
Prepared by: Laura Buzo, Community and Recreation Services Director Submitted by: Laura Buzo, Community and Recreation Services Director Attachments
1. Draft Resolution
2. Exhibit A - Parks and Recreation Master Plan Workplan