HomeMy WebLinkAbout05.16.2023 PR Comm Minutes
CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
MINUTES FROM TUESDAY, MAY 16 , 2023
I. CALL TO ORDER: 7:00 p.m.
A regular meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission of the City of South San
Francisco was held on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in the Council Chambers at the Municipal
Service Building.
II. ROLL CALL:
Present: Commissioners Burgo, Camacho, Lock, Uy, and Firpo
Absent: Commissioner Battaglia and DeNardi
Staff: Greg Mediati, Director of Parks and Recreation
Angela Duldulao, Deputy Director of Parks and Recreation
Erin O’Brien, Business Manager
Laura Armanino, Recreation Manager
Jeanette Yoshida, Administrative Assistant II
Philip Vitale, Deputy Director of Capital Projects
Anthony Ballinger, Facilities Supervisor
Brian Noce, Aquatics Supervisor
Mike Mulkerrins, Recreation Supervisor
III. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Supervisor Mulkerrins led the Pledge of Allegiance.
IV. AGENDA REVIEW: There are no changes to the agenda.
V. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE April 18, 2023, MEETING: Approved by
motion. Motion: Commissioner Camacho / Seconded: Commissioner Uy.
Abstention: Commissioner Lock.
VI. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION:
Armando Leigh speaks about the growth of pickleball. He is the ambassador for USA
Pickleball and the in-house instructor for pickleball at the Terrabay Gym. He asks for
assistance in making South San Francisco a welcoming and safe destination to play
pickleball. There are currently pickleball court lines painted on tennis courts at Buri Buri,
Westborough, and Stonegate parks. The court rules signs at these locations have not been
updated to include pickleball use. He shares that he has been working with the Parks and
Recreation Department since October of last year and there is still no signage posted at
these facilities. Armando Leigh goes on to say that in addition to missing signage there is
a serious safety issue with the current benches at Buri Buri and Westborough parks.
These benches are located less than 2 feet away from the pickleball courts and need to be
addressed before a serious injury occurs.
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Page 2
Alan Garaygau shares that he was invited by Commissioner Burgo to speak on specific
wheelchair accessible exercise equipment that he has been able to find in Burlingame. He
asks that the City consider putting these types of equipment in parks. Alan Garaygau
brought pictures of the equipment that he has been using to share and offers to make
himself available if there are any questions regarding opinions on the types of equipment.
Chair Firpo asks that he leave the pictures and contact information with the staff.
VII. Old Business
A. Capital Projects Update
Deputy Director Vitale gives update on the Orange Memorial Park Aquatics Center.
The scope of the project remains the same since last presented in January. There have
been some engagements done through the design development stage that included
some meeting with the South San Francisco Aquatics Club who reviewed the design of
the pool. They provided some feedback on how the design of the pool could be
improved. They also provided a layout on how they would set up the pool during
competitions. A presentation was also made to the design review board, and we will be
coming back to them in June after some refining of building materials and signage.
There is a Cultural Arts Commission meeting coming up to look at where there is
opportunity for public art. Deputy Director Vitale shares that they also had a veteran’s
stakeholder meeting and have been talking with Peninsula Clean Energy about
opportunities to bring solar into the project. He states that the budget is still within the
$49 million-dollar base project budget. Funds will be used from the bridge
replacement at Orange Park or playground for the $3 million dollar soil mitigation that
needs to be addressed. Deputy Director shows slides of the overall design of the
Aquatics Center which is similar to what was presented previously. The overall
footprint may have tightened up a little bit to cut costs. The pickup and drop off area is
where the existing pool is located now and will have accessible parking stalls and
vehicle charging stations. He goes on to share a slide that shows the building layout.
While explaining each area, he states that they went from 3 to 2 family changing
rooms as a cost saving measure but adds that one of those is sized to accommodate an
adult size changing table. He explains that the indoor pool continues to be 7 lanes with
a zero-beach entry and some fun water features. The outdoor pool remains the same
since last presented with 10 lanes in the 25-yard direction and 5 lanes in the 25-meter
direction that will be marked and can have starting blocks added to them. Deputy
Director Vitale then shows a slide of the views at schematic design of what the refined
building materials and finishes will look like. He explains that they thought to move
forward with more of the earth tone colors to relate more to the park and the Fernekes
Building and fit more within the neighborhood but will keep the aqua blue accents.
The signage to the building has been refined and will be mounted on a concrete wall
using some of the aqua and metal steel colors from the rest of the building. One of the
requests from the Cultural Arts Committee was to see if some decorative lighting
element can be added, so we are exploring bringing some lighting to the corner that
will have some reflections of water look to it. We’ll have to see if we can fit that into
the base budget or if it would be an element that would need to be added separately.
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Deputy Director Vital then shares slides of the interior of the pool. He explains that
they will use some of the same wood from outside but because it is more costly than
traditional drywall, it will be kept in just the entrance area. The windscreen outside
will be made up of composite wood because it has higher durability than traditional
wood and doesn’t require as much treatment.
Deputy Director Vitale shares that they had a meeting with the veteran’s memorial
stakeholder group to talk about relocating the eternal flames sculpture as well as some
plaques and the flagpole and the potential locations. Because they are currently where
the new Aquatics Center will be, they need to be relocated. He states that we want to
preserve the eternal flame sculpture and flagpole elements and making sure it has high
visibility was a request from the stakeholders. In addition to making sure we provide
space for events, we want to provide opportunities for reflection and contemplation,
and that the new memorial has accessible services. We also want to continue to have
opportunities to keep the existing plaques there but also have the potential to add more
in time as needed. As part of the Orange Memorial Park Master Plan there is the idea
to make a pedestrian connection from the pool that will connect to the playground, the
Fernekes Building and the basketball courts. As part of the project there will be a
pathway to the new veteran’s memorial area. Deputy Director Vitale explains that the
veteran’s memorial area will be a paved space that will be in a high traffic pedestrian
zone so people who are entering the park will have an opportunity to experience the
memorial, will be adjacent to a flat area so during events we can expand out with
chairs, and is really close to the accessible parking stalls. Feedback that is received by
the stakeholder group, Council and this Commission will continue to help refine the
design. There is information about the stakeholder meeting on our webpage; veterans
and the community are encouraged to continue giving feedback on the design and the
website will continue to be updated with all information.
Commissioner Uy shares that he likes the updated design for the pool. He asks what
type of seating is being considered for the veteran’s memorial. Deputy Director Vitale
responds that they have an upcoming meeting with the landscape architect to see what
kind of seating would fit within our project budget but still be durable and suitable for
that space.
Commissioner Lock asks how high the wall that holds the plaques at the veteran’s
memorial will be. Deputy Director Vitale responds that it will probably be tabletop
height, but the design is still in the conceptual stage and feedback heard here and from
the stakeholder’s meetings will help decide. Commissioner Lock states that from the
drop-off/pick-up area you would clearly see the memorial but says when other big
events are happening in the park it wouldn’t attract people to come and view it from
that side of the park and suggests maybe having a curvy wall and use of colors to
attract people to the area.
Commissioner Camacho gives input on the wall at the veteran’s memorial. She states
that there is so much that can be done with the low wall idea using curves and
elevation to make it more visually interesting or go the route of having a wall to sit on.
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She then asks if the cost listed is just to pave and relocate the memorial. Deputy
Director Vitale explains that there is an overall cost estimate of $250 to $500 thousand
for the project and that would include the relocating, building a pedestal, and set the
space up, the paving of the area, the wall, and effort of installing those pieces.
Commissioner Camacho then asks if they are able to have different plans laid out with
the cost estimates for each so if there is an outside association, grant or individual who
wants to donate, those plans could be shared with them. Commissioner Camacho then
shares that she loves the colors and wood for the aquatic centers design. She asks if
there will still be a children’s area for the pool. Deputy Director Vitale responds that
there still is in the indoor pool and that there will be some kind of bubblers at the
shallow end and will have some play elements on the side of the pool. Commissioner
Camacho then asked if the zero-beach entry will be like a ramp so it’s accessible for
wheelchairs to which Deputy Director Vitale responded that it’s just like a ramp.
Commission Camacho also suggests that they put family/all gender changing room
signs for the locker rooms for people who may not feel comfortable using gender
specific changing area. She loves the idea of art lighting. She also shares that she is
disappointed that they took $3 million from the playground replacement. Deputy
Director Vitale responds that it is the most economical way to address soil mitigation.
Director Mediati adds that with the pool fun features they are looking at other
equipment, for example inflatables, stand up paddle boards or exercise bicycles. He
also shares that Deputy Director Vitale and Director Gilchrist are looking at the park
fee cash flow analysis to look for other opportunities to bring some money back into
the park for the playground or elsewhere. Deputy Director Vitale shares that they are
also exploring opportunities for grants that can help to offset the base cost which
would mean less money that they would have to take form some other projects.
Commissioner Burgo shares that she has similar thoughts as Commissioners Camacho
and Lock and asks if the Commission will be getting more updates after the
stakeholders again before anything is finalized. Deputy Director Vitale responds that
they can come back to refine the design before finalizing. Commissioner Burgo asks
about the sitting area near the outside pool. Deputy Director Vitale used the slide to
show the area of the outdoor pool where there would be concrete and synthetic turf.
Chair Firpo shares that in regard to the pool he appreciates how things were tightened
up for the budget. As for the veteran’s memorial he would like to see the largest flag
we can support.
Deputy Director Vitale now gives update on the Centennial Trail Improvement
Project. He shares that they have moved quickly because one of the requirements of
the grant is that they complete this project by the end of June 2024. The segment
between Spruce and Huntington is the area where this improvement will take place.
The area is adjacent to future residential property and some community services
building. He shares a slide that shows at the conceptual level the play area, central
lawn, skate area and bike pump track. He states that they’ve had several community
engagement events meeting with a lot of community members and bike and skate
stakeholders. Some surveys were done and what they’ve heard from a lot of people is
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that they want the skatepark to be for people of all skill levels and want it to be more
of an open skate space and not a skate park. The park area will have a pollinator theme
and a nature play area using some reclaimed trees. It will also have a picnic area and a
pollinator garden with native plants. With the skate stakeholder group there was a lot
of interest in the Barcelona Plaza, so a lot of our queues came from that which is more
of a plaza feel. Deputy Director Vitale explains that they are trying to wrap up
construction documents this summer, go out to bid mid to late summer, start
construction this fall and wrap up construction by June 2024.
Commissioner Burgo emphasizes that it would be good to get some wheelchair
accessible exercise equipment somewhere along the Centennials Trail. Deputy
Director Vitale responds that they are still refining what exact equipment they will
have in that area.
Chair Firpo talks about there being no parking lot in that area of the trail. Deputy
Director Vitale said that it was explored during the Master Plan phase to carve out an
area for parking but would end up losing some of the park space. There will be mid-
block connections from the new development at 1477 Huntington, they will have a
pathway that connects Huntington Avenue to the trail. Chair Firpo adds that he was
thinking about the wheelchair accessible equipment being there and wonders how
people would get there with no adjacent parking lot.
Commissioner Camacho ask if there will be connections from the AT&T site and
County services building. She suggests maybe trying to work out a partnership that
their parking lot be available during off hours. Director Mediati responds that the
County Services building is rented by the county, but they can still look into it. The
hope is to have more transparency to Huntington with the new development at 1477
Huntington which will have a few hundred units, the redevelopment at the old theater
across the street, and the Southline Project.
Commissioner Camacho asks in addition to the accessible fitness equipment, can we
also explore seamless connection for mobility ease and to make it more accessible
along Centennial Trail as each section is improved. Deputy Director Vitale responds
that all the elements will be accessible and won’t have more than the 2% slope on the
regular pathway. Commissioner Camacho would also like to make sure that when it
comes time to redo Francisco Terrace, it is kept in mind what the residential makeup
of the new housing development is. That way we can meet the needs and services of
the new residents in the area too.
Commissioner Uy asks what type of lighting will be used at the bike pump track and
skate plaza and will it be usable at night. Deputy Director Vitale responds that lighting
will be increased all along the segment of the trail. The existing poles will be used
with new LED lighting and a few more poles will be added around the area of the
skate plaza and bike pump track as well as in the picnic area.
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Commissioner Lock asked if the lighting was going to be solar powered. Deputy
Director Vitale responds that they explored solar power but believes that the capacity
of what we can get from a light and how much would be needed for the area, the LED
option was the best fit. Commissioner Lock then asks about problems that have arisen
on the trail in the past and what the plan is to deal with those if they arise again,
especially in an area that is now going to more heavily utilized. Deputy Director Vitale
responds that they have been working with the IT department to discuss where they
could potentially locate cameras and incorporate WIFI in this area. Commissioner
Lock asks if the pathway is going to be widened, Deputy Director Vitale share that the
asphalt that is there will be improved, and the buffer side will be widened too.
Commissioner Lock then asked if there is a plan to mitigate the high winds that may
affect people using that area, particularly the playground area. Deputy Director Vitale
responds that there will be some increased vegetation along the edge which should
help mitigate and once the new developments are built it should help create a natural
buffer to the wind. Commissioner Lock asks if there will be restrooms in the area.
Deputy Director Vitale explains when working on the master plan they explored the
best locations for restrooms along the trail and this was not one of the segments not
identified and would not ne within the project budget. Conceptually the next phase has
a restroom in the master plan. Commissioner Lock asks what the age range will be for
the school age playground, to which Director Mediati responded it will be for ages 5-
12. Commissioner Lock goes on to say when looking at the rough design of the play
structure it does not look like something 9–12-year-olds would be happy with. Deputy
Director Vitale responds that this play structure has a lot of vertical and upright
features which gives a lot of play feature on one structure.
Chair Firpo states that he would like to see cameras installed because the area is
isolated and emergency phones would be a nice added amenity.
B. Proposed Library / Parks and Recreation Community Civic Campus and Orange
Memorial Park Sports Complex Rental Fees
Manager O’Brien shares proposed fees on L|PR facility and the Orange Memorial Park
Sports Complex. We took feedback from the last meeting and some comp surveys for
similar facilities from neighboring cities to help form these proposed fees. Manager
O’Brien points out a few changes proposals.
• One of the fees being proposed is one that is new. For the more popular rental
spaces, is a peak weekend minimum hour rental time.
• With the feedback from the previous meeting regarding resident versus non-
resident rates it was decided to propose a $30 fee increase for the non-resident
rate on both the L|PR facilities as well as the Sports Field Complex.
• Non-profit rate for L|PR rooms will be the sane as the current rate which will
be $15 reduction from the resident rate per hour.
Chair Firpo shares that he appreciates the staff looking into the fees for non-residents and
believes they can be even higher. He feels that we are going to have a state-of-the-art
facility and wants residents to get the benefits of it. Chair Firpo asks how it works if a
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team wants to use the field and one person lives in South San Francisco, but the rest don’t.
Director Mediati responds that he thinks it will be treated like a building reservation
would be, in that whoever is the permit holder would be the responsible one paying the
fees.
Commissioner Uy states that the fees seem well thought out and will be a deterrent to
organizations who do not have primarily South City members. There is going to be a big
demand with having such great fields and we need to make sure that there is preference to
organizations serving primarily South San Francisco residents. He feels comfortable with
the fees proposed and believes this is something they can revisit later if the increase
becomes an issue with outside organizations renting the majority of the fields.
Commissioner Camacho agrees with Commissioner Uy. She states that she is fine with the
fees proposed but is also amenable to increasing it more for non-residents. She would like
to prioritize our residents using these facilities.
Commissioner Burgo asked what the process is for renting facilities. Manager O’Brien
responds that the deposits are part of the master fee schedule and those were part of the
approval that went through last month.
Field rental - $25 permit rental fee
Facility rentals - $89 permit rental fee
Commissioner Camacho asks if there is a custodial fee to which Director Mediati and
Manager O’Brien state that the custodial fee is built into the rental fee already. Supervisor
Mulkerrins adds that currently they are taking indoor facility rentals 6 months from the
desired date but in January will probably go back to 11 months from the desired date
which is what was happening pre-covid. He states that once they have a permit in hand
and meet with the renter a $300 deposit is due at that time, which goes towards the
balance due; balance is due 30 days prior to the event. The refundable deposit, which is
$350 to $500 depending on the facility rented, is due 30 days prior to event date. The
refundable deposit is given back 72 hours after their event as long as there is no damage to
facility, and they left on time.
Commissioner Lock shares that he believes the non-resident fees should be higher based
on what the new L|PR building, and the Sports Field will have to offer. It will also help in
making sure residents are not being blocked out from using those facilities. He also adds
that the rental fee for the Council Chamber should also be higher. Supervisor Mulkerrins
responds that there is also an application fee of $89 and an audio/visual fee of $55 that all
add up on top of the $120 hourly rate for the Council Chambers rental. Director Mediati
adds that there are also some limitations on the rental of council chambers like no food or
drinks and no parties. Commissioner Lock then asks if any non-profits get the discount or
if they need to be a registered South San Francisco non-profit group. Director Mediati
responds that the practice is that they need to be a non-profit with an address based in
South San Francisco to receive the non-profit rate. If the non-profit has an address other
than South San Francisco, they pay the resident rate. If the non-profit does not have an
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address in South San Francisco but it is a City sponsored event then there is a waiver
because it is city sponsored. Commissioner Lock asks if the field attendant fee of $30
covers all the cost of that person. Director Mediati responds that it does, plus maybe a
little of the overhead. Commissioner Lock comments that with the features that will be
offered in the new building there are no other facilities in the area comparable and the
demand will be high, we should charge higher fees.
Chair Firpo shares that he agrees that fees should be priced higher and fairly but wants to
make sure that South San Francisco residents can still use it. He asks if there will be a
field attendant assigned to each field or in general just for the sports field complex.
Supervisor Mulkerrins responds that early on, to be able to see the demand and how many
people who may come from the outside, there will be an attendant Monday thru Sunday.
Chair Firpo states that he thinks the rates are reasonable but would still like to see the non-
resident rate a little higher. Director Mediati shares that there is a sports field rental policy
that spells out who has priority in the order listed:
• City groups
• School district
• Co-sponsored groups
• Residents
• Non-residents
Director Mediati suspects that there is going to be so much demand from our co-
sponsored groups and city sports league which will leave little time to rent out outside of
those groups. Even then it will be more revenue to support the field and help create a
capital reserve to be used towards things like maintenance and turf replacement.
Supervisor Mulkerrins adds an example of a softball team that comes in and pays the
resident fee but will have a $12 non-resident fee added on per player who is not a resident.
Director Mediati shares that sometimes there are people who take advantage of the
resident rate and then the day of the party there are issues because its not the permit holder
that is requesting everything to be changed. Commissioner Uy suggests checking with the
city attorney to see if a clause can be added to the agreement that says staff is only
required to communicate and take directive from the permit holder or if the person that
rented the facility is not using it based on that primary resident, then the event is subject to
termination or additional fees.
Commissioner Uy makes a motion to keep the resident fee as presented and increase the
non-resident fee by $40. Commissioner Lock seconds. Approved by motion.
VIII. New Business
A. Sign Hill Master Plan Update:
Natural Resource Specialist Candance LaCroix talks about the Sign Hill restoration
project. She states that they are working on restoring habitat on Sign Hill for a couple
of the endangered species and increasing awareness of the natural resources in the
community. She gives background on the project starting in 2019 with funding from
San Mateo County’s Measure K. We are now funded through some grants and the part-
time budget. One of the grants received helped address fire hazards as well as to
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implement a Sign Hill Master Plan. In late 2022, Gates & Associates and WRA were
hired to draft the plan. John Baas from WRA presents slides of the study area which is
Sign Hill and a piece of private parcel to the north of the Sign Hill property that the
City owns, which is 65 acres. He shares that the purpose is to look at 3 broad areas of
public access to have the intent of guiding future development for trails, to give the
public safe and enjoyable experiences, to protect sensitive natural and cultural
resources, and look at wildfire hazards. Documents of the City’s General Plan, the
Parks and Recreation Master Plan, the City’s Urban Forest Master Plan, biological
resources study, and information on the culture and history of Sign Hill were all
looked at. Once a draft plan is in place, all recommendations in the plan will be
consistent with the policies and goals in the plans previously mentioned and will also
be consistent with local, state and federal environmental regulations.
Focus areas will consist of:
• Habitat restoration – endangered butterflies
• Trail improvements
• Safety
• Reducing wildfire fuels
• Improve awareness and appreciation.
John Baas shares that a cultural resource assessment, an update to the 2015 biological
resource study, a fire fuel evaluation, a trail and visitor use assessment and community
outreach were all done.
Robin Graham shares preliminary results of the assessments and studies done. A cultural
resource firm was brought in to assess some key trails on site and do some archival
research. It was found that there is no history of structures on site and a low likelihood of
buried archeological or historical resources. They noted that the Sign letters are on the
national registrar of historic places. She shares that any maintenance or work on the letters
needs to follow the world historic preservation standards, so it was recommended that an
architectural historian to evaluate the letters or work plans for maintenance. Robin
Graham shares that the biologist have found that the work that they City is already doing
should continue as in removing the invasive species and the trees that have been planted
there. Through database research they also found high potential for a couple rare plants to
occur and recommend that focus surveys be done before any ground disturbing work is
done. Another recommendation is to expand the restoration area for the 2 endangered
butterfly species.
Robin Graham reports that WRA staff also assessed the trail system and evaluated the
level of erosion on designated trails and mapped visitor created trails. 3 key areas with
high levels of erosion were identified on the Letters Trail, the Iris Trail and the Ridge
Tra il. Recommendations on this assessment are:
• Improve drainage on the Letters Trail.
• Rerouting on the Iris Trail as erosion control may not be enough.
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• Erosion control and drainage features on the Ridge Trail and potentially
some rerouting where it cannot be fixed.
• Decommissioning and restoring some of the visitor created trails.
A study on the visitation to the park was done. Automated counters were used to develop
estimates of 100 visits per day on weekdays and around 170 visits on weekends. A high
proportion of visitors are walking their dogs on Sign Hill.
Daniel Schafir-Shor from Gates & Associates shares about the community outreach
portion. It was divided into two parts. Round one was data collection of demographic data,
user data, frequency of use of the park, as well as questions. Round one was completed
and consisted of online digital media, an online survey, and a pop-up event at Sign Hill.
Preliminary finding show:
• Primarily visited by locals
• Majority of visitors live in the immediate area
• Nearly 90% have already visited Sign Hill
• Majority of users are adults over the age of 35
• Demographics: 50% Caucasian, 18% Hispanic, 17% Asian
Daniel Schafir-Shor shares that they gathered data based on what people currently like at
Sign Hill which by far was the view and scenery, walking trails and native flora and fauna.
The features that are desired by the community to be implemented in the future are:
• Tr ail enhancements – making them safer, reducing erosion, adding steps where
needed
• Signage – educational interpretive signage
• More seating areas
Most important characteristics of Sign Hill are:
• Natural beauty
• Sustainability and conservation
• Opportunities for exercise
John Baas reports on some of the recommendations. Signage for people to navigate
between the trails, interpretive signage and programs and safety improvements. He shares
that WRA will meet to go over various trail route alternatives and then will have more
consultation with Parks & Recreation staff. An open space management plan will be
drafted somewhere in the middle of June, they will then come back to City Council for
some input and will host a town hall sometime in the summer. He goes on to say that after
all that is done, they will have an almost final plan that they will bring back to this
Commission as well as City Council to have the plan adopted.
Commissioner Burgo asks if the slide that had preferences listed on it was in order of most
liked or just a list of top preferences. Daniel Schafir-Shor answers that they were listed in
the order of most preferred.
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Commissioner Lock asks what’s envisioned when they talk about erosion control and
drainage improvements. John Baas responds that the general idea for erosion management
is to get the water off the trail. There will be a list of options and recommendations made
to do that. Commissioner Lock shares that on the steepest incline of the Ridge Trail, he
has noticed water coming down there and asks if that is an area they will try to mitigate.
John Baas responds yes, that is one of the areas that will be recommended for some
erosion control improvements. Commissioner Lock then asks if Cal Water is the other
owner of the piece of land in the middle. Director Mediati responds that there are two
parcels there that are both Cal Water property. To the North of that there are two private
properties that are owned by the same estate.
Commissioner Camacho shares that she hopes when they talk about the importance of
preserving Sign Hill and the stewardship ethic; the value of open space, the impact on
mental health and the impact on the environment can be added in to show the importance
of Sign Hill. That way when we do things like spending money on Sign Hill and trying to
preserve the features, there will be more support for it. Questions she would have like to
see asked on the survey were, what would get you to utilize Sign Hill more, or what is a
barrier to using Sign Hill more. Robin Graham responds that they received input from
people at the pop-up events, like the trails being too steep. One of the goals is to make
some of the trails more accessible and the other will be way finding improvements to get
people there. Commissioner Camacho suggests with the marketing side of things adding a
little “how-to” guide for people to use. Commissioner Camacho then asks if improving
trailhead accessibility was part of the plan. Robin Graham responded that making the
trailhead more of a place than an access point is the goal. Commissioner Camacho adds
that she goes through Ridge Court where the first hill is really steep and suggests there be
something to look at along the way to break up the walk up that hill. Robin Graham agrees
and says that is where having interpretive signage and seating would come in.
Commissioner Camacho finishes by adding a request that if steps are put in, that they be
deeper steps and not too narrow.
Commissioner Burgo asks if there will be any lighting added to the trails which Robin
responded that there are no plans to add lighting. Commissioner Burgo adds that some
signage next to the lit tree with information and the history behind it would be a nice
addition.
Commissioner Uy shares that he believes improving the stairs will be welcomed by the
community. He suggests maybe adding difficulty rating signs to the beginning of the trails
is a good idea so when people go, they know ahead of time how difficult the trail may be.
Robin Graham responds that it is something they are considering because it is part of the
improving safety and improving signage areas and thought not only having the difficulty
but the time it would take to walk the trail is helpful.
Chair Firpo shares that he accesses through Ridge Court and there is an area to the left of
the asphalt road. He asks if a switchback would be considered in that area. He shares that
he filled out the survey online and was pleased to see some interest in putting some
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seating up there. Maybe it could be used for a small summer class for little kids. He shares
another thing to be considered would be some kind of shelter to protect from the wind
near the seating.
Commissioner Camacho adds that having a vista map installed for kids to look at would
be a good idea too.
B. Joint Advisory Committee for the Child Care Master Plan (JACCCMP)
Manager Armanino gives update on the Child Care Master Plan and the formation of
the Joint Advisory Committee. Included in the approved Child Care Master Plan were
recommendations on how to improve it, and starting that process was the formation of
the Joint Advisory Committee. Manager Armanino shares that Mayor Flor Nicolas and
Councilman James Coleman went through 28 applications and selected 12 members
and 3 alternates to make up the committee. There will be 5 meetings and 2 community
meetings. She shares that the first meeting was last night and consisted of parents to
people who work in a professional capacity, representing all 5 districts throughout the
city. The dates of the community meetings will be shared with the Commission once
scheduled and a list of the members can also be shared with the Commissioners.
Commissioner Burgo shares that there was talk about having one Commissioner be
part of this committee and asked if that was considered. Manager Armanino responds
that Commissioner Camacho applied and is part of the committee.
Commissioner Camacho shares that she welcomes any thoughts or ideas on topics that
were discussed. Topics included are the lack of workforce for childcare, affordability
for childcare, expanding childcare, and the City’s ability to communicate information
about childcare. The top two topics were the workforce and affordability of childcare.
She shares that there is representation on the committee from YMCA, Skyline College,
family day cares, 4 C’s, and Ed Trust West. Manager Armanino adds that the goal is to
have the meetings in person to build a sense of community.
IX. Friends of Parks and Recreation
Deputy Director Duldulao reports that Friends of Parks and Recreation provided a $1,000
scholarship through the Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Program. Friends will also be
supporting at both of the movie nights with a snack bar option. Deputy Director Duldulao
add that they will also be tabling at the Farmer’s Market on July 15th.
X. Beautification Committee
No updates at this time.
XI. Items from Commission
Parks and Recreation Commission
Minutes of the Meeting of May 16, 2023
Page 13
Commissioner Uy shares that he’s been visiting a lot of the tennis courts and the ones at
Orange Park seem to get full starting around 4pm through the evening. He shares that he’s
amazed on how the pickleball program has grown. One of the things he heard while there
was that it would be great to have reserved pickleball courts on weekends and if it would
be possible to line the courts at Terra Bay for pickleball.
Commissioner Lock shares that he was skeptical about the free bicycle program but now
sees children riding their bikes every morning and afternoon to Park Way but sees the
majority not wearing helmets and is fearful that someone will get hurt when they are
riding in the opposite direction. He then shares that he has seen a lot of tagging on the
concrete barriers at the skate park at Orange Park and hopes they will be removed soon
and thought that there would be some additional railings installed. Director Mediati
responds that there are some additional boxes currently being manufactured off site and
pending delivery. He goes on to say that with the barricades, they were hoping to do a
public art installation there with some artists. Commissioner Lock suggests possibly
getting the Skyline group to paint butterflies on them. Manager O’Brien adds that they did
give them that site as one of the options for the sites they were looking at, but it was not
selected for this go around. Commissioner Lock then asks about the City helping the
school district with the field on Park Way and thought that one of the conditions is that
they keep the field open for public use. He states that the field has been chained and
closed off. Director Mediati responds that the City did not financially support Park Way
but did support Bur Buri School, so that school is the one that needs to stay open.
Commissioner Lock then asks if the water reclamation is now working. Director Mediati
responds that he believes it is processing and filling the cistern but doesn’t believe we are
drawing from it yet.
Commissioner Camacho formally congratulates Laura, Bill and Devin on their new
positions. She shares that she attended the Arbor Day Event and thought the scope of work
Manager Richardson planned out was great but thought there were fewer volunteers than
usual. Commissioner Camacho then responded to Commissioner Locks comments about
Park Way school not being open and shares that individual residents can email the
principle directly and ask if they can keep it open. She also thanked Commissioner Burgo
for asking Alan Garaygau to speak today because hearing public comment is impactful.
Commissioner Burgo shares that she believes we have a lot of opportunities to add the
wheelchair accessible equipment with the changes happening around the city. She also
shares that she attended the CPRS dinner and enjoyed the event.
Chair Firpo shares that he attended the Arbor Day Event and enjoyed the event but doesn’t
understand why there aren’t as many volunteers. Director Mediati states that Rotary use to
bring more people but this year weren’t able to bring as many. Chair Firpo suggests if
South San Francisco has eagle scouts or other groups that do projects, maybe they can use
these kinds of events as their project. Another idea he has is if they can have a switchback
by Ridgewood Court it could be a trail making project for eagle scouts. Chair Firpo
attended the Parkside bike giveaway and also the one at Sunshine Garden and received a
lot of people complaining that there is no park in the area.
Parks and Recreation Commission
Minutes of the Meeting of May 16, 2023
Page 14
XII. Items from Staff:
A. Calendar of Events
Director Mediati provided a brief update of the Calendar of Events.
B. Older Americans Month Proclamation
Director Mediati reports that this was presented to Council on April 26th. Manager
Armanino adds that the theme this year is “Aging Unbound”, which explores the various
aging experience and opens communication on how to combat stereotypes.
Commissioner Camacho asks if Chair Firpo should be at the Council meeting to accept
the proclamation for July as Parks and Recreation month. Director Mediati replies that it
will be done on the 28th of June and that they would love to have Chair Firpo present.
C. Administrative Update
Deputy Director Duldulao gives update on the Teglia Center. She shares that it is still
closed, and repairs are still being made. Director Mediati adds that there may have to be a
phased opening. There are a few things that have delayed the opening. The cost for the
work was higher than expected and required bidding for the repairs, the timeline for
sourcing materials is also taking longer than expected along with the fire department
review.
XIII. Adjournment: 9:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by Jeanette Yoshida, Administrative Assistant II
Next Meeting: June 20, 2023