The following is a wrap-up of the August 21 City Council meeting. You may view the full agenda here or listen to an audio recording here. 

In development since 2016, the City’s Parks and Open Space Master Plan was unanimously approved by the City Council at last night’s meeting in a new resolution. As part of the planning process, staff from Community Services, Public Works and Community Development worked closely with GreenPlay to develop a park plan based on input from residents and stakeholders on San Gabriel’s parks, services and programs. After extensive review, the final plan lists four main goals:

• Improve facilities and amenities
• Continue to improve organizational efficiencies
• Continue to improve programs and service delivery
• Increase financial opportunities

Using these four goals as the foundation, the plan also outline ten priority projects, which include:

• The exploration of opportunities to acquire existing open space identified in the master plan
• The expansion of joint use agreements with school districts (as an example, Marshall Park was a joint use agreement between the City and the Garvey School District)
• The development of trails and bikeways along the washes and rail corridor to provide connectivity
• The development of a plan to address deficiencies at existing facilities, including Smith Park Pool and park restrooms
• The performance of a needs assessment to determine the need for a new community center
• The development of a dog park at an existing park or as part of another identified opportunity site
• The exploration of ways to increase opportunities for seniors and teens
• The development of a marketing plan to promote department programs, services and parks
• The ability to seek alternative funding sources, including donations, grants and sponsorships
• The ability to seek long-term funding strategies, including expanded impact fees and possible bond referendum

City Council takes no action on proposed 197-unit senior center After a public hearing about a proposed 197-unit senior center located at the east side of South Gladys Avenue, the City Council took no action on the item, instead directing City staff to prepare a memorandum addressing concerns relating to the assignment provision, parking, density, emergency response, traffic, open space, community benefit and potential uses of the space. To learn more about the proposed development, please click here.