Fairfield (CA) Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan

FAIRFIELD PARKS, RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE MASTER PLAN

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

CITY OF FAIRFIELD

City Council

Catherine Moy, Mayor

Pam Bertani, Vice Mayor

Doug Carr

Doriss Panduro

Scott Tonnesen

Rick Vacarro

K. Patrice Williams

Staff

Kristina Kaunzinger, Parks & Recreation Director

Marisa Cumpian, Project Manager

Caroline Vedder, Support Project Manager

Bill Way, Communications Manager

Valeria Kiehn, Graphic Designer

City Departments

Parks & Recreation

Public Works

City Manager's Office

Community Development

Police

CONSULTANT TEAM

with

PROS Consulting

Group 4 Architecture

Environmental Science Associates

ETC Institute

ORGANIZATIONS

Fairfield Expos Baseball Association (FEBA)

Fairfield Lions (Basketball)

Fairfield Pacific Little League

Fairfield Pickleball Club

Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce

Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District

Greater Vallejo Recreation District

Pacific Flyway

Rockville Park Citizens Advisory Committee

Solano Community Tennis Association

Solano Land Trust

Solano Surf (Soccer)

West Coast Bombers (Baseball)

Vacaville Parks and Recreation Department

1.1 Introduction: Our Vibrant Future 1.2 About this Plan 1.3 Key Issues 1.4 Goals & Outcomes

FAIRFIELD TODAY 17

2.1 People & Recreation Trends

2.2 Building on Other Plans

2.3 Fairfield’s Parks & Open Spaces

2.4 Recreation Facilities

2.5 Recreation Programming

2.6 Maintenance

2.7 Ecological Setting

VISION & PRIORITIES 57

3.1 Engaging the Community

3.2 Key Issues & Outcomes

3.3 Priorit y Recreation Amenities & Programming

3.4 Themes & Ideas

3.5 Specific Sites

GOALS & RECOMMENDATIONS

4.1 Goals

4.2 Park Typology

4.3 Park and Open Space Needs

4.4 Facility Needs

4.5 Programming Recommendations

4.6 Maintenance Recommendations

4.7 Ecological Recommendations

IMPLEMENTATION

5.1 Action Plan

5.2 Envisioning Change at Specific Sites

5.3 Total Cost of Ownership

5.4 Estimated Cost

5.5 Funding

5.6 Call to Action

APPENDICES 165

A Resolution of Approval

B Demographic Analysis

C Mapping Analysis

D Parks and Open Spaces Assessment

E Facilities Assessment

F Ecological Opportunities and Constraints

G Communit y Engagement Summary

H Statistically-valid Survey Findings

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.1 INTRODUCTION:

OUR VIBRANT FUTURE

A robust park system goes hand in hand with a healthy, welcoming, and livable community. As Fairfield continues to grow and change, the City’s parks will also have to grow and change to suitably serve the community. Fairfield’s Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Master Plan is a community-based guide for how to improve, expand, repurpose, prioritize, maintain, staff, and fund the community’s park assets and recreational opportunities for the next ten to fifteen years. This project was initiated to take stock of what Fairfield has today and plan for an enhanced, financially sustainable parks, recreation, and open space system for the years to come—to realize our vibrant future.

1.2 ABOUT THIS PLAN

A Master Plan outlines a long-range vision for the city-wide system of parks, recreation, and open space that responds to the community’s aspirations. It helps prioritize investments, align available funding, and build a road map to guide future efforts of the City and its partners. The Fairfield Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Master Plan (PROSMP) is arranged in the following sections:

1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Introduces the master plan document, process, and relationship to other City efforts.

2

FAIRFIELD TODAY

Describes Fairfield’s demographic makeup and population growth, and our parks, recreation, and open spaces today.

3

VISION & PRIORITIES

Explains the issues and priorities we heard from the community, and their vision for a better parks, recreation and open space system in the future.

4

GOALS & RECOMMENDATIONS

Describes the goals that were developed through the master plan process and details the policies that will achieve these goals.

5

IMPLEMENTATION

Provides an action plan to move toward our vision, estimates the cost of creating and maintaining our parks and recreation, and indicates funding strategies.

FIGURE 1-1 | The Master Planning Process

The City of Fairfield selected a consultant team, led by WRT, to engage the community, evaluate existing conditions, and ultimately, develop this plan. The process kicked off in January of 2023, and our Plan was adopted in November of 2024.

Kickoff Meeting and Site Visit

Community Workshop #2

MAYkers Market Pop-Up Event

1.3 KEY ISSUES

Through analysis of existing conditions, input from City staff and partner organizations, and community engagement, certain concerns were raised repeatedly. The following key issues arose from the planning process:

DEMAND FOR MORE RECREATION PROGRAMMING

There is demand for adult fitness and wellness programs, community special events, and exercise classes for all ages. These programs are high priorities for residents beyond what is currently provided.

DEMAND FOR MORE AMENITIES

The survey conducted for the PROSMP found demand for more multi-use trails, a community center, community gardens, shade structures, walking and jogging tracks, open spaces and conservation areas, large community parks, an outdoor amphitheater, small neighborhood parks, picnic areas and shelters, and an additional swimming pool. These amenities are high priorities for residents and are not adequately provided today.

COMFORT & FEELING OF SAFETY

Lack of restrooms, lack of activity, poor park conditions, and the presence of unhoused persons contribute to people not always feeling comfortable or safe using parks.

LACK OF AWARENESS

Many residents are unaware of the parks, programs, and facilities that are currently available to them. These recreation opportunities need to be clearly and consistently communicated to all Fairfield community members.

AGING FACILITIES

The Fairfield Community Center, Adult Recreation Center, Allan Witt Sports Center, and Allan Witt Aquatics Center may not be serving the community to their potential, and could be improved to better serve the City's recreation priorities.

ACCESS TO OPEN SPACES

Fairfield’s open spaces and trails have unique vegetation and landscapes and proximity to neighborhoods, but access is inhibited by fences and gates. Inconsistency of support amenities, presence of unhoused persons, and signs of erosion also deter use.

RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS

Fairfield recreational and maintenance staff have been creative in applying resources to support a vital parks and recreation system, but face challenges in addressing the needs of a growing community and an aging system.

(RIGHT) Community members shaped the PROSMP by providing feedback on the issues that concerned them and their vision for parks, recreation and open space in the future.

1.4 GOALS & OUTCOMES

The goals presented in this plan evolved through community engagement with a multitude of stakeholders, both internal and external, focusing on key issues. The result is a shared vision for the future of Fairfield's parks, recreation, and open spaces. Each of these goals is accompanied by more specific recommendations, found in Chapter 4.

2. MAKE RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES VISIBLE & INCLUSIVE

ADD & GROW RECREATION AMENITIES & PROGRAMMING

6. ELEVATE FAIRFIELD’S NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

3. INVEST IN THE HEART OF FAIRFIELD & IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES

7. ALIGN RESOURCES WITH PRIORITIES

4. EXPAND PARTNERSHIPS TO ACHIEVE SHARED GOALS

1. SAFE & VIBRANT PARKS

5.

KEY OUTCOMES

The PROSMP charts a course toward significant improvements, including the following. These and other recommendations are described and detailed in Chapters 4 and 5.

Clearly defined park types to guide improvements and management of existing and future parks.

A park acreage standard of 3.5 acres of neighborhood and community park land per 1,000 residents, and a park access standard to provide a park within a half-mile walk of all residents, ensuring that the park system grows to support a growing population while addressing service area gaps in existing neighborhoods.

Identification of high-priority recreation amenity needs based on community feedback.

Prioritization of recreation programming : adult fitness and wellness, community special events, cultural programs, and exercise classes for all ages.

A renewed focus on equitable park investments , with impactful improvements to Allan Witt Community Park and its facilities, Civic Center Park and adjacent facilities, Laurel Creek Park, Dover and Tabor Parks, and Linear Park.

Greater access and experiential changes for Fairfield's special open spaces, and the renewal of natural areas along creek corriidors and at Octo Inn.

Recognition that the City's ability to maintain parks and facilities is constrained by staff and budget, and that there is a great need for additional resources

Fairfield must approach its parks, recreation and open spaces from a total cost of ownership perspective, and deliberately apply cost recovery goals and be strategic about funding.

BY THE NUMBERS

The PROSMP defines NINE TYPES OF PARKS in Fairfield - the foundation of a diverse parks system.

Applying the park acreage standards, Fairfield would need an additional 138 ACRES of park land beyond what is currently planned.

Standards also show the long-term need for 14 soccer fields, 5 diamond fields, 6 pickleball courts, and 4 volleyball courts beyond what is planned. But community feedback suggests that MULTIUSE TRAILS and improvements to the ADULT RECREATION CENTER and AQUATICS CENTER are higher priorities.

Fairfield needs an estimated 12 additional park and facilities MAINTENANCE STAFF and $1.4 million in ANNUAL FUNDING to maintain the system to the level residents expect.

FAIRFIELD TODAY

To make the best plan for the future of parks, recreation, and open spaces, it is important to understand the residents and places of Fairfield as they are today, in 2024. This chapter summarizes what has been learned about Fairfield’s parks and open spaces, recreation programming, and the people who live and play here.

2.1 PEOPLE & RECREATION TRENDS

This demographic analysis provides an understanding of the population and projected needs of the Fairfield community. The analysis demonstrates Fairfield's population by age segment, race and ethnicity, and household income, and compares the City's demographics with State and national data. The analysis also looks to the future, using a 15-year growth projection.

Demographic data used for the analysis was obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau and from Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), and reflects actual numbers as reported in the 2010 and 2020 Censuses, and ESRI estimates for 2022 and 2027. Straight line linear regression was utilized for projected 2032 and 2037 demographics. The entire demographic analysis is available in Appendix B. The following findings help to plan for the future of Fairfield’s parks, recreation, and open spaces:

• Fairfield's population was estimated at 121,796 in 2023, and was projected to grow by 17,204 by 2037. The General Plan uses a 2024 baseline population of 120,340, and assumes growth of 31,880 by 2050. More people will require more park land and amenities to serve them, in new growth areas and in densifying neighborhoods, over the longer General Plan horizon.

• The population is projected to undergo a slight aging trend. While most of the younger age segments are expected to experience slight decreases in population percentage, those who are 55 and older are projected to continue increasing over the next 15 years, making up 29% of the population by 2037.

Given the differences in how the active adults (55 and older) participate in recreation programs, the trend is moving toward having at least two to three different program age segments for older adults.

• The City’s current population is exceptionally diverse in terms of race and ethnicity. The community is projected to continue to diversify and will likely focus the City on providing a broad range of traditional and emerging programming and service offerings.

• Median and per capita household income averages are comparable with those in California as a whole. In Fairfield, there is both capacity to support special programming with modest revenue generation, as well as a critical need to serve people with limited resources.

2-1 | Selected Fairfield Demographics

FAIRFIELD POPULATION BY

RACE

FIGURE

2. FAIRFIELD

Recreation trends are important to understand, both on a “macro level” and in terms of how they are likely to correspond with Fairfield's unique population. Trends data used for this analysis was obtained from Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s (SFIA), National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), and Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI). All trend data is based on current and/or historical participation rates, statistically-valid survey results, or NRPA Park Metrics.

The purpose of this analysis is to understand levels of activity and identify key participatory trends in recreation across the U.S., and use this information to understand and predict recreation trends in Fairfield. The data points to some key predictions:

• Fitness walking remains an extremely popular activity nationally and locally; this activity will likely continue to grow in popularity in Fairfield.

• Aquatic activities have experienced strong participation growth, both locally and nationally.

• Basketball is the most participated in sport nationally, while soccer has the highest market potential index (MPI) for all measured activities locally.

• Softball and football are losing participants nationally, though local the Market Potential

FIGURE 2-2 | National Participation in Sports, Fitness, and Outdoor Activities

Source: National Recreational and Park Association, 2023.

Index (MPI) is above the national average for each of these activities, meaning that they are more likely to have relatively higher participation in Fairfield than in the US overall.

• Pickleball was not one of the highest national participation sports, it is a fastgrowing sport in Fairfield and nationally.

• Outdoor recreation activities are on the rise nationally, and would also be expected to be popular locally.

• Based on national measurements, income level has a positive impact on activity rate. Higher income households tend to have higher activity rates. Many factors contribute to this, and it is important how to expand access to lower income groups.

• Besides income and age factors, people who are currently not participating in any programs are more likely to join sports or fitness activities if a friend accompanies them.

Potential Index (MPI)

Source: PROS Consulting, 2023.

Fairfield

FIGURE 2-3 | Fairfield Recreational Market

2. FAIRFIELD TODAY 21

2.2 BUILDING ON OTHER PLANS

Although the Fairfield Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan (PROSMP) is focused on parks, recreation, and open space, it exists within the context of other plans for Fairfield and Solano County. The PROSMP builds on this foundation, and moves forward in tandem with the City’s new General Plan. City policies and plans are adopted and updated over time, and will respond to changing context and needs.

City of Fairfield General Plan: Fairfield Forward 2050

Every county and city in the state of California is required to have a comprehensive long-range plan—a General Plan—that lays out a vision for the future with goals, objectives, policies, and actions that empower the City and community to work towards this vision. The PROSMP planning process coincided with the City’s General Plan Update, Fairfield Forward 2050 , which addresses new opportunities, issues, and approaches that have emerged since the last General Plan update almost 20 years ago. Fairfield Forward 2050's Open Space, Conservation, and Recreation Element will be aligned with this PROSMP.

Fairfield Forward 2050 features guiding and implementing policies that are consistent with and help to frame the work of the PROSMP.

Draft guidance, as of this writing, include the following:

CONSERVATION

• Support the efforts of Solano County, Solano Land Trust, and the local agricultural community to improve bicycle routes and trails in Suisun Valley to facilitate tourist access to Suisun and Green Valleys.

• Manage natural open space lands and embrace public access, where feasible, in a manner consistent with wildlife protection, habitat preservation, and fire prevention.

OPEN SPACE FOR RECREATION

• Provide, improve, and maintain a comprehensive system of parks, trails, and recreational facilities to meet the diverse needs of the city’s current and future residents, workers, and visitors.

• Establish and maintain parkland provision ratios as shown in Table 6-4 [of Fairfield

Forward 2050]. NOTE: Park Service Ratios and Access Standards were derived from the PROSMP, and are detailed in this Plan.

• Require that proponents of new development projects contribute to the acquisition and development of adequate neighborhood and community parks and greenways, and paths and trails within the community, either through the dedication of park land or the payment of in-lieu fees.

• Prioritize acquisition of parkland in areas that do not meet the service area standard of access to a neighborhood or community park within a one-half mile walking radius.

• Strategically pursue the development of a sports complex, as warranted by recreation needs and in consideration of land opportunities.

• Focus improvements in existing parks and facilities to meet the diversified and longterm needs of residents of all ages.

• Maintain a diverse range of publicly available recreation and leisure programs and community centers which serve the needs of all sectors of Fairfield’s population, including youth, adult, senior, and familyoriented activities.

• Reflect changing demographics and community needs and desires as part of parks and facilities improvements

and programming by including diverse community participants in parks and recreation planning efforts.

• Work with regional partners to promote development of regional parks and open space preserves to meet passive and naturaloriented regional open space and recreation needs. Regional parks need not be owned and operated by the City of Fairfield but may be owned by Solano County, a park district or other public entity, or a private organization such as the Solano Land Trust.

SPECIFIC PARK IMPROVEMENTS

• Prioritize development of a outdoor civic space or public plaza in the Heart of Fairfield area, with green space, picnic tables, space for concerts or events, and other ‘active’ park components.

• Preserve and develop the entire Linear Park system, from Solano Community College eastward through the Fairfield Train Station Specific Plan area, as illustrated on the Land Use Diagram, exclusively as a multi-purpose recreational and multimodal transportation corridor.

• Prioritize the development of other community and neighborhood park facilities to ensure that adequate open space is available to serve the needs of new residents with each phase of

residential construction.

• Incorporate deliberate and accessible connections to the parks system, promoting connectivity and green space utilization for residents of all ages.

• Identify and develop linkages, corridors, and other connections to provide an aesthetically pleasing and functional network of parks, open space areas, and bike paths throughout the city with connections to surrounding regional parks. Preserve public access corridors for walkers, bicyclists, and equestrians.

• Prioritize adequate public transportation to key parks, recreation facilities, and community centers throughout the city, especially in vulnerable or underserved communities. Partner with public and private entities to improve multi-modal transportation systems and connect pathways in neighborhoods with barriers or safety issues.

PARK FUNDING

• Seek to ensure that all parks, trails, and recreational open space properties have adequate funding for management, maintenance and necessary capital im-provements.

• Discourage development of park, trail, or

recreational open space until long term funding for maintenance and management is in place, such as through a community facilities district, lighting and landscaping maintenance district, or an endowment program.

• Explore ways to increase funding for park maintenance, including the establishment of Landscaping and Lighting Maintenance districts. Developers shall establish a neighborhood association or other funding mechanism to fund private park and recreational facility maintenance.

• Consider the use of tax measures or bond financing to assist in the implementation of the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Master Plan.

• Consider use of benefit assessments for the improvement and long-term maintenance of civic spaces when civic spaces are located to provide benefits to adjacent commercial properties.

2. FAIRFIELD

Heart of Fairfield Plan

Heart of Fairfield Specific Plan

The Heart of Fairfield Specific Plan was adopted in 2017 and covers downtown Fairfield and the West Texas Street corridor. This plan was initiated as a community-based process to develop a vision for the revitalization and transformation of the Downtown and West Texas Street areas, and to guide City, stakeholder, and community decisions and investments for years to come. The PROSMP aligns with the Heart of Fairfield Specific Plan’s emphasis on and concepts for:

• Expanding access to recreational open space in central Fairfield neighborhoods

• Creating and enhancing community gathering spaces downtown

• Improving Allan Witt Park

• Creating more complete streets, with green elements and safe comfortable access by foot and by bike

Allan Witt Community Park Renovation Plan

The Allan Witt Community Park Renovation Plan grew out of a comprehensive analysis of the existing park, which was one of the main subjects of the “Community Spaces Initiative” focused on revitalizing central Fairfield. The first two phases of the plan, including a skate park and dog park, has been completed. Phase 3, an all-inclusive playground, began construction in summer 2024. Later phases include softball fields, a multi-use field, a community gathering area, an artificial sports field, tennis courts, pickleball courts, basketball courts, a futsal and soccer court, little league fields, and parking and accessibility updates.

CITY OF FAIRFIELD

Train Station Specific Plan

The Train Station Specific Plan was adopted in 2011 and covers almost 3,000 acres in northeastern Fairfield centered on the new Capital Corridor train station. This plan includes policy language, land use and infrastructure plans, and implementation elements including zoning, design guidelines and phasing plans. Most importantly for the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan, the Train Station Specific Plan proposes a “Great Park” in northeast Fairfield. This concept has been carried forward as Matt Garcia Community Park. The Train Station Specific Plan also includes other proposed parks and an extension of the Linear Park and trail.

Matt Garcia Community Park

Matt Garcia Community Park is a future 50-acre park in northeast Fairfield that will include active and passive recreation opportunities. The Matt Garcia Community Park Master Plan proposes a recreation center, adventure playground, soccer fields, tennis courts, pickleball courts, all-wheels track, outdoor amphitheater, splash pad, dog park, plaza, perimeter path, picnic areas, restrooms, and wetlands. When completed, this park will bring numerous new amenities to northeast Fairfield, an area currently lacking in parks.

Linear Park Revitalization Plan

Also part of the Community Spaces Initiative, the Linear Park Concept Plan provides a comprehensive analysis of the current Linear Park Trail and recommends improvements in five nodes and five phases.

Villages at Fairfield

The Villages at Fairfield is a master planned community that spans approximately 431 acres across Fairfield in four distinct nodes or “villages” in northeast Fairfield. To date, about 1,830 residential units have been built along Clay Bank Road, Cement Hill Road, and Peabody Road. Projected, future improvements include about 125 acres of open space and conservation areas, 14 acres of parkland, and improvements to the Linear Park.

Solano Multispecies Habitat Conservation Plan

This regional plan was developed to support the issuance of Section 10(a)1(B) under the federal Endangered Species Act. 37 species are covered under the Solano Habitat Conservation Plan, including species of concern as well as threatened and endangered species.

Suisun Marsh Protection Plan

This regional plan addresses the approximately 85,000 acres of tidal marsh, managed wetlands, and waterways in southern Solano County. The plan includes an inventory of the ecological characteristics of the Suisan Marsh and a recommended natural resource protection plan, with the objectives of enhancing the quality and diversity of the Suisan Marsh aquatic and wildlife habitats and assuring the retention of upland areas adjacent to the Marsh in uses compatible with its protection.

Solano Open Space

Formerly known as the Tri-City and County Cooperative Planning Area, the Solano Open Space group was created by a joint powers agreement in 1992 with the goal of planning, managing, and maintaining the 10,000 acres of open space land between the Cities of Benecia, Fairfield, and Vallejo. The Solano Land Trust has acquired approximately 5,000 acres within the Solano Open Space area for agricultural, conservation, and recreaational uses, to date.

2.3 FAIRFIELD’S PARKS & OPEN SPACES

As of 2024, Fairfield has roughly 4,241 acres of parks and open space, ranging from small pocket parks to expansive open spaces. This section provides an inventory of the City’s parks and open spaces. Maps show the park system by park type, by walkable park access, by the way park access relates with population density, income, and pollution burden, and by the distribution of recreation amenities. A more extensive set of maps is available in Appendix C.

Fairfield’s parks and open spaces are classified in the following categories: community parks; neighborhood parks; pocket parks; civic parks and plazas; sports complexes; special use parks; regional parks; greenways, paths and trails; and open space conservation areas. This represents an expanded set of park types compared to the previous master plan, a change that is described in Chapter 4. Figure 2-4 on the facing page shows the Fairfield parks system by park type.

As of 2024, Fairfield’s 296.8 acres of community and neighborhood parks provide a combined 2.4 acres of park land per 1,000 residents.

Fairfield City Limit

Solano County

Railroad

Coastal Marsh

Travis Air Force Base

Schools

Recreation Centers

Change to Neighborhood

Park with Future Relocation of Soccer Fields

Community Park (City)

Neighborhood Park (City)

Neighborhood Park (Other)

Pocket Park (City)

Pocket Park (Other)

Greenways, Paths, and Trails

Civic Parks and Plazas

Special Use Park

Sports Complex

Regional Park

Open Space Conservation (Public)

Open Space Conservation (Other)

2. FAIRFIELD

REGIONAL OPEN SPACE

The larger open space context is relevant for ecological benefits, community identity, mitigating natural hazards, agricultural opportunities, and recreation opportunities for Fairfield residents.

Important open space areas surrounding Fairfield include the VacavilleFairfield-Solano Greenbelt, the Tri-City and County Open Space Area, and the area surrounding Travis Air Force Base (TAFB). These areas serve as land use buffers, as well as recreational sites. The Vacaville-Fairfield-Solano Greenbelt limits urban sprawl between Fairfield and Vacaville and maintains separation of rural and urban areas of Solano County. The Tri-City and County Open Space Planning Area is some 10,000 acres between Benicia, Fairfield, and Vallejo. The open spaces around TAFB buffer the surrounding areas from the light, noise, and pollution impacts from the base.

Organizations including the Greater Vallejo Recreation District, Solano Land Trust, Pacific Flyway, Solano Resource Conservation District, and the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council own, maintain, and advocate for additional parks, open spaces, and trails around Fairfield. Regional organizations can also play an important role in community outreach and programming related to parks and open space; for example, Solano Youth Outdoors is an initiative to expand youth access to the outdoors in areas in most need of attention, including certain areas of Fairfield. These organizations have worked over the years to promote regional open space conservation.

Rockville Hills Regional Park

30 FAIRFIELD PARKS, RECREATION & OPEN SPACE MASTER PLAN

Fairfield City Limit

Municipal Boundary

Solano County

Railroad

Coastal Marsh

Existing Trail

Planned Trail

Travis Air Force Base

Grazing

Farmland

Solano Land Trust

Pacific Flyway Center

Fairfield City Park

Conservation Easement

Solano County Greenbelt

Williamson Act Parcel

2. FAIRFIELD

PLANNED PARKS AND DEVELOPMENT

A number of new park and park enhancements are in planning, design or under construction in Fairfield. Particularly noteworthy is the planned 50-acre Matt Garcia Park, set to become the fourth community park in the system. Development will happen in phases over the next two decades. In addition, as new development occurs in the northeast, the Linear Park Trail is being extended and new parks and open spaces are planned as part of future residential development. Altogether, roughly 150 acres of parks, paths and trails are in the process of being added to the system.

Planned (future) parks, planned improvements to existing parks, recent completed improvements to existing parks, and planned development areas (e.g. housing) are shown in Figure 2-5.

The concept plan for Matt Garcia Community Park features soccer, tennis, and pickleball, a splash pad, a dog park, a community center and plaza, among other amenities (at left).

The concept for enhancing the Linear Park includes nodes of activity and a widened 15’ multiuse path (below).

Fairfield City Limit

Solano County

Railroad

Coastal Marsh

Travis Air Force Base Park

Open Space Conservation (Public)

Open Space Conservation (Other)

Planned Residential Development

Future Parks

Recent Improvements to Existing Parks

Planned Improvements to Existing Parks

2. FAIRFIELD

A 10-minute walk is generally considered to be approximately half a mile, assuming an average walking speed.

Fairfield City Limit Solano County Railroad

Coastal Marsh

Travis Air Force Base Park

Open Space Conservation (Public)

Open Space Conservation (Other)

Planned Residential Development Future Parks To Community and Neighborhood Parks To Future Parks

PARK WALKSHEDS

The term “10-minute park walkshed” refers to the geographical area that is accessible within a 10-minute walking distance from a given park, recreational facility, or open space. The Trust for Public Land suggests using this metric to evaluate the accessibility and proximity of green spaces to residential and commercial areas. A 10-minute walk is generally considered to be approximately half a mile, assuming an average walking speed.

The concept aims to ensure that parks and recreational spaces are easily accessible for a majority of the population and/or help identify neighborhoods devoid of access to parks and open spaces. Walkable access to good quality parks and open spaces encourages physical activity, interaction amongst the community members and overall well-being.

Half-mile walksheds to all of Fairfield's community and neighborhood parks, as well as around planned future parks, are shown in Figure 2-6, overlaid on residential areas (shown in yellow).

The great majority of Fairfield's neighborhoods are within a half-mile walk of a park today,

and parks that are planned with future development will serve those neighborhoods.

Access gaps do exist. These are most noticeable in the hilly neighborhoods on the City's north side, and in parts of Cordelia and Green Valley. However, these areas have particularly good access to open regional parks and public open spaces. Looking more closely, access gaps also exist in parts of central Fairfield near Downtown.

Good walking and biking access to and through Allan Witt Park (above) is especially important given the park's centrality to communities of greater need in Fairfield.

PARK ACCESS AND EQUITY Parks are a good resource for all members of the community, but especially valuable for people who lack access to private open space and resources for private recreation, and for people who may be most impacted by poor air quality or other environmental factors.

The maps on the following pages show how Fairfield's park access and access gaps relate to population density, income, and pollution burden.

Park access gaps in areas with high population density, areas with a larger proportion of lower-income households, and areas where people face a higher pollution burdens should be the focus of future investment. At the same time, existing parks that serve these areas should also be a focus for investment and improvements.

Population Density (2020) and Walksheds to Existing and Planned Parks

Dover and Tabor Parks serve Fairfield's most populated neighborhoods, with many people living in apartments.

Fairfield City Limit

Solano County Railroad

Coastal Marsh

Travis Air Force Base

Park

Open Space Conservation (Public)

Open Space Conservation (Other)

Future Parks

Half Mile Walksheds To Community and Neighborhood Parks To Future Parks

FIGURE 2-9 | Fairfield Population by Median Household Income (2020) and Walksheds to Existing and Planned Parks

Downtown Fairfield is home to a lower-income population, and is missing a neighborhood park.

Fairfield City Limit Solano County Railroad Coastal Marsh

Travis Air Force Base Park

Open Space Conservation (Public)

Open Space Conservation (Other)

Future Parks

- 70,000

$70,001 - 100,00

$100,001 - 150,000

Greater than $150,000

Unknown

Half Mile Walksheds To Community and Neighborhood Parks To Future Parks

2. FAIRFIELD

2-10 | Fairfield Pollution Burden (2020) and Walksheds to Existing and Planned Parks

This neighborhood has a greater pollution burden, and would benefit from more access to green space.

Fairfield City Limit Solano County Railroad Coastal Marsh

Travis Air Force Base Park

Open Space Conservation (Public)

Open Space Conservation (Other)

Future Parks

Mile Walksheds To Community and Neighborhood Parks To Future Parks

FIGURE

RECREATION AMENITIES

Courts

Allan Witt Park features an array of sports courts including facilities for basketball, tennis, pickleball, and volleyball. While some other parks within Central Fairfield offer basketball courts, other courts are generally lacking in Fairfield parks, indicating a potential area for enhancement.

Fields

The Octo Inn Soccer Complex features four soccer fields for different ages. Lee Bell and Ridgeview Parks also feature soccer fields. Cordelia, Allan Witt, and Laurel Creek Park together provide most of the other sports fields in Fairfield.

Special Facilities

Special facilities, here, are those that would not be expected to occur in many parks, and provide specific, special recreation experiences: community centers, pools, skate parks, and other features. In Fairfield, community recreation centers are provided at Civic Center Park (the Fairfield Community Center and the Adult Recreation Center) as well as at Allan Witt and Laurel Creek parks. Allan Witt also features an aquatics complex. Dog parks are provided at Allan Witt and Cordelia Parks. Northeast Fairfield

is devoid of any of these amenities currently, but Matt Garcia Park is planned to feature several features of community-wide significance.

Family Amenities

Many Fairfield parks have picnic areas, playgrounds, and barbecue pits, suggesting that families with young children have good access to a variety of park amenities. Additionally, splash pads are present in Mankas Park and Gary Falati parks, offering a local precedent for further opportunities to enhance some of the existing parks. These amenities indicate a well-rounded offering for family-friendly outdoor activities.

Teenagers and young adults in Fairfield face limited availability of sports courts and fields. This

points to an opportunity for targeted improvements in the city’s recreational infrastructure to better serve this demographic.

Distribution of Recreation Amenities

Ideally, recreation amenities are distributed around the city in a way that gives people equitable access, and that focuses amenities where they are most needed by local communities. Distribution of sports courts and fields today are shown in Figures 2-10 and 2-11 on the following pages. These maps should be a guide to help identify areas that should be targeted for new amenities to serve recreational needs as the City grows. Recreational needs for each type of amenity are defined in Chapter 4.

Tennis is a popular and important recreation element in Fairfield and nationally.

Solano County Railroad

Coastal Marsh

Travis Air Force Base

Park

Open Space Conservation (Public)

Open Space Conservation (Other)

Future Parks

PARK AMENITIES

Fields

Multi-Purpose

Soccer

Softball; Baseball

Courts

Pickle Ball

Tennis

Volleyball

Basketball

Open Space Conservation (Public)

Space Conservation (Other)

Solano County Railroad

Coastal Marsh

Travis Air Force Base Park

Open

PARK AMENITIES

Dog Park Splash Pad Swimming Pool Recreation Center

2. FAIRFIELD

PARKS ASSESSMENT

Each City of Fairfield park and open space was visited and assessed, in order to fully understand the state of the parks and open space system today.

The assessment was conducted over five days in May of 2023. In the field, the team used a spreadsheet to comment on and score each site in the following four categories: access and connectivity, functionality, condition , and safety and comfort . Each category, in turn, was comprised of several more specific characteristics. These are summarized to the right.

All of the features were scored using a rating scale of 1-10:

• Poor (0 - 4.0)

• Fair (4.1 - 6.0)

• Good (6.1 - 8.0)

• Great (8.1 - 10)

Due to the difference between sites, parks were assessed separately from the open spaces and trails. The overall scores of each park are shown on Figure 2-11.

Observations from the parks assessments informed improvement recommendations described in Chapter 4. The full parks assessment is detailed in Appendix D.

ACCESS & CONNECTIVITY

• Edge permeability

• Signage, maps, and City branding

• ADA Accessibility

• Presence of crosswalks and crossing signals

• Sidewalks & surrounding circulation

• Path connectivity within park

• Nearby bike lanes and adequate bike parking

• Sufficient parking

• Adjacent trails or trailheads

• Public transportation nearby

FUNCTIONALITY

• Diversity of activities/uses

• Appropriate amenity adjacencies

• Distribution of shady and sunny areas

• Variety of s hrubs and trees

• Absence of visible drainage issues or erosion

• Compatibility with neighboring uses

• Level of activation during site visit

CONDITION

• Paving condition

• Vegetation condition

• Tree canopy coverage & condition

• Playground condition

• Rec Amenities condition

• Buildings/restroom Facilities condition and availability (if applicable)

• Lighting condition

• Trash receptacle condition and availability

• Seating/benches availability and condition

• Support amenities condition

SAFETY & COMFORT

• Adjacent derelict features

• Graffiti, vandalism, broken furniture

• Evidence of illicit or unauthorized use

• Road /traffic calming measures around park

• Line of sight/openness

• “Eyes on the street”

• Security presence (cameras/personnel on site)

• Ease of navigation

• Nighttime safety (if applicable)

• Mitigation of views/noise from surrounding land uses

Fairfield City Limit

Solano County Railroad

Coastal Marsh

Travis Air Force Base

Access & Connectivity:

What’s Working in Fairfield's Parks

From these assessments, the following strengths of Fairfield’s parks emerged:

• Most neighborhood parks provide amenities to their surrounding neighborhoods including, at a minimum, playgrounds, picnic areas, seating, multiuse fields, and walking loops. In several cases, there are also recreational sports fields and courts and exercise equipment available.

• Fairfield’s community parks provide a wide variety of diverse activities that suit people of all ages, including recreation facilities and passive use amenities.

• All of the parks are welcoming and open with clear branded signage, and few barriers at edges for users to enter the park.

• Many parks included unique natural features and a variety of mature trees that define the landscape of Fairfield and create a distinct character for the park system.

The permeable edge of Meadow Glen Park connects well to the adjacent neighborhood

Functionality: Exercise equipment placed along the paved trail in Sunrise Neighborhood Park

Condition: The permeable edge of Meadow Glen Park connects well to the adjacent neighborhood

Safety & Comfort: Seating and lighting at Tabor Neighborhood Park make the space feel safe and comfortable

Room for Improvement

Areas of improvement include:

• There is room to improve connectivity within parks and between parks and surrounding areas. With the exception of Cordelia Community Park, parks are not wellconnected to trails and open spaces.

• Several parks are felt to lack a sense of internal connection and energy, with poor navigation between areas and dead spaces.

• Many parks feature large areas of grass without associated uses or programs.

• Many of the parks have amenities that are nearing the end of their lifecycle and need repair or replacement. This includes play equipment, benches, picnic tables, lighting, and trash cans that are deteriorating or showing extensive signs of wear.

• A lack of lighting may detract from the sense of safety and comfort in many parks after dark. In some parks, berms around the edges contribute to poor visibility and sense of safety.

Condition: Seating area showing signs of wear at Meadow Neighborhood Park

Functionality: Seating area in Veterans Memorial Park is arranged in an inaccessible way

Access & Connectivity: Entrance to the play area at Rolling Hills Neighborhood Park is not easily accessible

Safety & Comfort: Trash and signs of misuse at Laurel Creek Community Park may make visitors feel insecure

2. FAIRFIELD

OPEN SPACES ASSESSMENT

The open spaces were assessed with the same methodology, with the understanding that not all criteria for parks assessment apply to open spaces. Observations on the open spaces formed the key takeaways below:

What’s Working for Trails & Open Spaces

• Overall, open spaces scored well in functionality and safety & comfort.

• Throughout all open spaces, unique vegetation and landscapes that are particular to Fairfield were in full display. This includes cool, shaded spaces, native wildflowers, and sweeping vistas.

• In addition to the natural setting, the proximity to residential neighborhood makes them perfect for everyday use, not just as an occasional destination.

• There is an array of amenities that offer interesting and diverse uses to bring many different people to the open spaces.

• Trail conditions are usable for most members the public.

Room for Improvement

• Though the trails and open spaces are valuable assets, there are issues finding and entering them. Access is frequently inhibited by fences, gates, and a lack of signage, especially at trailheads. There is a lack of connection to streets through permeable edges, directional signage, or crosswalks.

• Trails and open spaces are not fully ADA accessible due to existing topography, paving materials and condition, and lack of accessible conditions from streets.

• Support amenities such as signage, benches, and trash receptacles, are limited.

• Presence of unhoused persons and their belongings at different points along the trails lead to an overall sense that the whole trail is inaccessible and an obstacle to a positive user experience.

• Signs of erosion (from current season) is evident on soft surface sloped trails throughout the system, indicating the need for maintenance.

Informal trail at Rolling Hills Open Space

Overall Takeaways

Parks

Across the system, Fairfield's parks offer foundational elements that serve the community. At a minimum, all of the parks have play equipment, seating, lighting, and passive use areas.

Cordelia Community park was the only park that was rated as “great”. Cordelia Community Park, along with other higher scoring parks offer the most variety of park features and amenities, creating unique destinations. While they do not all rate perfectly across the four categories, they all show signs of continued use, consistent maintenance, and efficient, functional layouts.

The lowest scoring parks rated as “fair”. This is largely due to aging equipment, issues with access and connectivity to the park and within the park, and concerns about nighttime sense of safety.

Open Spaces

Fairfield benefits from a unique open space system, proximate to neighborhoods and available for frequent use. However, open spaces and trails are somewhat inaccessible due to lack of information and obvious signage around the entrance points.

Three major themes emerged out of the extensive assessments:

1. Give Attention

The trails and open spaces currently feel like a separate entity from the parks. These assets can be better integrated together.

2. Connect and Reveal

Trails and open spaces are so well integrated into the surrounding communities that they can be easily overlooked. Providing signage can help clarify the official entrances and connect users to these assets.

3. Create Experiences and Share Uses

Trails and open spaces are unique features to Fairfield that could be even more appealing by adding programs and amenities.

The report summarizing the assessment of parks and open spaces is provided as Appendix D.

Sign in disrepair at Serpas Ranch Open Space

Cracks in the pavement at Ledgewood Creek Trail 2.

2.4 RECREATION FACILITIES

A functional analysis of Fairfield’s four primary recreation facilities was conducted for the PROSMP. The assessment addressed the Allan Witt Aquatic Center, Allan Witt Sports Complex, Fairfield Community Center, and Adult Recreation Center. The buildings were assessed in the following categories:

• Size & flexibility

• Functionality & operationality

• Security & circulation

• Infrastructure (HVAC, electrical/data)

• Technology (AV/equipment)

• Programming

For each facility, improvements were recommended, categorized by magnitude, from "refresh" to "major renovation." Recommendations are detailed in Chapter 4. Detailed findings for each facility are provided in Appendix E, together with more comprehensive condition assessment reports conducted by Bureau Veritas. Key findings and the assessment summary for each facility follow.

ALLAN WITT AQUATICS CENTER

The Aquatics Center in Allan Witt Community Park is a 23,500-square foot facility built in 2010, featuring indoor and outdoor pools, water slides, a deck, locker rooms, restrooms, and concession. As of 2024, some pool equipment components, including the dehumidifer, are in failed condition, and water slides are in poor condition. More study should be done on other systems and general functionality limitations, including size, flexibility, operations, systems and technology.

Size

• Locker room size is sufficient

• Restroom sizes are sufficient

• Improvements for the concession area are currently underway

• Space functions well but is dated

Functionality/Flexibility

• No nighttime programming due to exterior light control not functioning

• Lack of seats and shades

• Need motorized ADA doors

• Tiles need to be replaced

Operations

• Limited seating throughout

• Corrosion of slide structure and children's pool structure

• Recommend to add life saver fencing around children's pool

• Need for better security monitoring

Systems

• Continuous pipe breaks and leaks

• Doors are due for an upgrade

• Moisture impacting strucutre and dehumidifier is out of commission

• Need a new unit with A/C, current only has heat

Technology

• Need for new speakers and light on exterior

• Suggest natatorium projector for movies

• Out dated speakers

• Lighting control issues on exterior pool deck

• Restroom hand dryers need replacement

ALLAN WITT SPORTS COMPLEX

The Sports Complex in Allan Witt Community Park is a 19,200-square foot facility built circa1977, featuring a gymnasium, entrance area, mezzanine, bleachers, and restrooms. As of 2024 there were relatively minor condition issues, though further study is recommended. Other minor adjustments may be made to improve functionality.

Size

• Size is sufficient, but main entrance can get congested with participants waiting for the restroom

• Good and open floor size for gymnasium

• Staff spaces are small

Functionality/Flexibility

• No curtain for separation of courts

• Courts are flexible

• Flooring is dated in various parts of the building and should be replaced

• Women's restroom remains original and needs to be upgraded

Operations

• Hoop monitors should be replaced

• No security cameras on interior spaces

• Vinyl gym flooring installed in 2016-2017

• A small service window should be added to the front staff space

Systems

• HVAC system is dated and not maintained; due for an upgrade

• Investigation ongoing into water permeation on the lower levels

Technology

• Digital display installed early 2023

• PA system should be added for music and announcements

• Scoreboards are due for an upgrade

Allan Witt Sports Complex

Allan Witt Community Park Aquatics Center

FAIRFIELD COMMUNITY CENTER

The Fairfield Community Center is a 25,000-square foot facility built in 1971, featuring a front desk area, Willow Hall, kitchen, classroom, conference room, staff workspace, and patio room. As of 2024, the roofing appears to be in poor condition and in need of replacement. Functionally, the building would benefit from reorgnization to address underutization, and finishes should be refreshed. Potentially, more systematic changes should be considered, as summarized in Chapter 4.

Size

• Front desk space is underutilized

• Willow Hall storage is insufficient for current programming

• Kitchen layout is awkward

• Classrooms lack storage

• No visibility between staff workspaces and other areas

Functionality/Flexibility

• Dated interiors throughout

• No seating or lounge area near the front

• Classroom partition is working but dated

• Conference room storage needs to be reconfigured

• Lack of desirable layout and acoustical separation

Operations

• Kitchen received new appliances in 2023

• Ansul system upgraded in 2023

• The current staff workroom is ideal for converting into staff break area

Systems

• HVAC for the entire building is dated and has not been maintained

• Not all workstations get proper airflow

• Insufficient power supply for usage

• Patio room requires lighting upgrades

Technology

• Willow Hall received a system upgrade in June 2023

• PA system addition needed in classrooms

• No current technology in classrooms

Fairfield Community Center

ADULT RECREATION CENTER

The Adult Recreation Center is also a 25,000-square foot facility built circa 1971, located on the other side of Civic Center Park from the Fairfield Community Center. As of 2024, elements of the building are in poor condition and should be replaced, including the parking lots, pump, and food service equipment. More significantly, recreational use of the building may benefit from reconfiguration as well as interior refresh, as described in Chapter 4.

Size

• Reconfiguration of the entrance space furntiture underway

• Limited space near the lounge due to vending machines

• Lack of storage throughout that is not large enough to fit designated equipment

• Not enough office space for staff

Functionality/Flexibility

• Dated interiors throughout

• Entrance needs hospitality improvements

• Pool room has limited daylight and is disconnected

• Crafts studios should be made multi-use

• Assembly hall partition is not usable

Operations

• Lack of refreshment station for those who are waiting for programs to start

• Rebuild registration area for better security and functional use of the office space

• Badge access security door added with work room conversion to office space

Systems

• Insufficient power supply throughout building

• Lighting upgrades needed throughout the building

• HVAC is dated and not maintained properly

• Atrium windows in the game room leak periodically

Technology

• Entrance needs kiosks

• Wifi does not cover entire facility

• Whole facilitiy PA system needed

• Need ability to link communications/PA between rooms

• Replace small TVs with one large projector in assembly hall

Recreation Center

2. FAIRFIELD TODAY

2.5 RECREATION PROGRAMMING

As of 2024, the City of Fairfield provides roughly 108 recreation programs in the following core program areas:

• Aquatics

• ARC (Adult Recreation Center) clubs, groups and organizations; ARC programs; ARC special events; and ARC trips and tours

• Camps

• Community events

• Enrichment

• Out of school

• Early childcare

• Sports

• Therapeutic recreation

Fairfield residents participate in City recreational programming more than in programs by any other provider in the region, with some 42% of residents reporting that they had participated in the past year.

An assessment of the Parks and Recreation Department's programming completed for the PROSMP looked at ages served, saturation, participation, staff management, marketing, community engagement, partnerships, and pricing strategies. The following key takeaways emerged from the assessment of parks and recreation program offerings:

Pre-school and out-of-school classes are a mainstay of Fairfield’s recreational programming.

• Most age segments of the population are served by 6 or more core program areas. Young adults (ages 18-24) are the exception, and may be a focus for expanded offerings.

• Approximately 54% of Fairfield’s program offerings may be considered in the introduction, take-off, or growth phasesrelatively new programs that are still gaining ground. Approximately 40% of the City’s programs are considered “mature,” while about 6% are “saturated” or “in decline.” This distribution is right in line with best practices.

• The City is communicating program offerings in the manner that most residents would like to be communicated with, yet there is still an

apparent outreach gap, as many people do not seem aware of what the City offers.

• The City uses post-program surveying as the sole method of community engagement for recreation programming information gathering.

• The City uses volunteers and partnerships, but there is room to take more advantage of these resources.

• The City is the organization within the region that is used the most by Fairfield residents for recreation programs and activities. The departments and divisions that provide these to the community include: Parks and Recreation; Police Athletic Leage (PAL); and Community Development.

This initial programming assessment was leveraged to consider how services should be classified on a scale of the extent to which they provide essential, important, or value-added services, which itself is the basis for a cost recovery strategy.

Broad programming recommendations are provided in Chapter 4, while cost recovery is summarized in Chapter 5.

2.6 MAINTENANCE

The ongoing maintenance of parks and recreation facilities is of critical importance. Fairfield staff and contractors are in the field taking care of the extensive and aging parks and buildings that serve the community’s recreational needs.

Fairfield’s parks maintenance systems were assessed through in-depth work between City staff and Consultants. This evaluation resulted in the following findings:

• Maintenance lines of service are extensive.

• The City is heavily reliant on third party contracting.

• Third party contracting maintenance standards are best practice and indicate Level 2 maintenance standards are in play. This means that parks are generally being maintained close to the typical level of care for neighborhood parks, requiring a moderate level of effort. However, costs are increasing, and service standards are being reduced to align with available budget.

Best practices and maintenance modes are described further as recommendations in Chapter 4.

STAFFING AND COSTS

• The City contributes roughly 4.1 FTE (full time equivalent) staff to recreation facility maintenance, and 10.8 FTE (including both City staff and contractors) to park maintenance activities focused primarily on repair, citizen inquires, and playground maintenance.

• As of 2024 the City’s parks and trails receive an estimated $1.3 million in City operating funds and $1.0 million in thirdparty operating budget for maintenance. Comparing this with best practices on a peracre and per-mile basis, this falls short of the budget that would be needed to maintain the current system.

• These shortfalls could grow if costs continue to increase. Without additional resources, this would mean that less work could be done at each site, and the quality of the recreational experience would be diminished.

Staffing and cost recommendations are continued in Chapter 4.

Fairfield staff and contractors in the field taking care of the City's parks and buildings.

2.7 ECOLOGICAL SETTING

Fairfield exists in a unique environment and ecological context. To understand this context, an Ecological Opportunities and Constraints analysis for the City of Fairfield’s parks, recreation, and open space priorities was conducted. This analysis included evaluation of the Ledgewood Creek Trail, Laurel Creek Trail, Rockville Hills Regional Park, Octo Inn Soccer Complex, Cordelia Community Park, Dunnell Nature Park and Education Center, Linear Park Trail, and Rolling Hills and Serpas Ranch Open Space Areas. As a follow-up to that work, supplemental analysis of the Octo Inn Soccer Complex property was conducted to assess specific ecological resources at a greater level of detail than the initial analysis and to discuss the regulatory considerations associated with these resources. The entire ecological analyses, including findings for specific sites, are detailed in Appendix F.

Key system-wide findings from these analyses are as follows:

Overall Geographic Setting

Parks and open spaces are located in a regional geographic setting that includes natural communities characterized by inner coast

range and/or riparian, stream, and freshwater marsh ecosystems. These communities include grassland, oak woodland, oak svanna, and mixed chaparral/scrub. Riparian, stream, and freshwater marsh natural communities are interwoven throughout the region and interface with natural and developed land cover types.

Habitats

The natural habitats presenting the most opportunities as well as constraints within the City's parks and open space areas are streams, wetlands, and riparian habitats, which provide a wide variety of wildlife species and high plant diversity.

The City's open space areas include large acreages of grassland and woodland habitats, which are valuable foraging habitat for raptors, mammals, and some reptiles, and often support diverse insect communities.

Habitat restoration or enhancement actions are possibilities at several of the parks and open space areas and could include community involvement for activities such as weed removal and native plant installation. Recommendations are provided in Chapter 4.

Wildlife Corridors

Collectively several of the parks and open space areas also function as wildlife corridors. Rockville Hills, Serpas Ranch, and Rolling Hills properties are comprised of large blocks of undeveloped land that can serve as habitat for birds, insects, and mammals. Stream corridors (Ledgewood and Laurel creeks) provide valuable connectivity within their respective watersheds.

Opportunities

Recommendations for open space management activities, restoration potential, nature education opportunities, and recommendations for further study are provided in Chapter 4.

2. FAIRFIELD

VISION & PRIORITIES

3.1 ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY

The Fairfield PROSMP is Fairfield’s first parks system plan. A vital part of the planning process is hearing from the community—it is so important to understand residents’ values and aspirations.

Numerous pop-up events, meetings with representatives of partner organizations and advocates, three community workshops, two Council study sessions, a statistically valid survey, and two online surveys were conducted. Outreach and engagement were conducted in English, with Spanish and Tagalog translation and interpreting, as well as one workshop conducted primarily in Spanish. Community feedback is at the foundation of the PROSMP’s recommendations for individual park sites, recreation programming, and the system as a whole.

This chapter summarizes what was done and what was heard and then organized based on the following topics:

• Key Issues & Outcomes

• Priority Recreation Amenities & Programming

• Themes & Ideas

• Specific Sites

There were two phases of community engagement. The first phase aimed to gather the community’s broader view of key issues,

desired outcomes, and what recreation amenities and programming they’d like to see improved upon or added. From the information gathered in Phase 1 of engagement, the project team developed initial ideas for the entire parks and recreation system and specific park sites.

In Phase 2 of engagement, these ideas were brought to the community and tested.

To best understand the community’s needs and ideas, the project team was informed by quantitative and qualitative data. This statistically valid survey is our primary resource for understanding detailed community priorities for recreation amenities and programming. Other community engagement activities, detailed in this report, provided ample qualitative data to support the statistically valid survey responses, as well as an opportunity to interact with community members face to face and inform them of the project.

The community made their voices heard in a variety of ways and on a variety of topics, which are detailed in this chapter. Community engagement processes and findings are fully detailed in Appendix G.

8

Pop-up engagement events held in spring and summer 2023

3

Community workshops held in July and December 2023, including one conducted in Spanish

370 people participated in the pop-up engagement activities and community workshops

460 responses to two online surveys

454

Fairfield householdes completed the statistically valid survey

Outreach materials attracted people with fun giveaways, and held their interest with engaging exercises.

Two community workshops were held at Willow Hall (below), giving residents in-depth opportunities to engage at two stages of the process.

The

Fairfield PROSMP team was out in the community at Trucks of the Trade in June 2023 (top left) and at Movies in the Park in August 2023 (above).

FOCUS GROUPS

City Staff and the consultant team conducted interviews with small groups in March and April, 2023. These groups were organized by area of interest: open space advocates, partner agencies, civic organizations, recreation program leaders and sports groups. These interviews provided valuable information early in the planning process. The following organizations were represented:

• City of Fairfield Departments: City Manager, Community Development, Parks & Recreation, Police, Public Works

• Fairfield Expos Baseball Association (FEBA)

• Fairfield Lions (Basketball)

• Fairfield Pacific Little League

• Fairfield Pickleball Club

• Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce

• Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District

• Greater Vallejo Recreation District

• Pacific Flyway

• Rockville Park Citizens Advisory Committee

• Solano Community Tennis Association

• Solano Land Trust

• Solano Surf (Soccer)

• West Coast Bombers (Baseball)

• Vacaville Parks & Recreation Department

POP-UP EVENTS

Pop-ups were conducted in spring and summer 2023 at the MAYkers Market (May 20), Trucks of the Trade (June 3), National Night Out (August 1), Walk in the ARC (August 10), the Back to School Resource Fair (August 12), and at three Summer Movies in the Park events, at Laurel Creek Park (June 23), Rolling Hills Park (July 28), and Mankas Park (August 25). In total, over 300 people participated in the pop-up engagement activities. Pop-up materials were designed to get feedback on park improvements and additions that people would like to see implemented, and to leave other, more open-ended comments.

MAYkers Market, May 2023

Movies in the Park, Summer 2023

MAYkers Market, May 2023

PHASE 1 COMMUNITY WORKSHOP & ONLINE SURVEY

The first of two community meetings was held on July 20, 2023. The meeting began with a brief presentation to introduce the project, report on work to date, and set the stage for the engagement activities. After the presentation, attendees were invited to study informational boards, have conversations with the planning team, and offer feedback on engagement boards.

An estimated 40 to 50 community members attended. Many participants lived in District 3, with smaller numbers from other Council Districts.

An online survey was conducted as a complement to the first community workshop, allowing Fairfield community members who did not attend the meeting to participate. The online survey asked for the same feedback as the community workshop engagement boards. The survey was offered in English, Spanish, and Tagalog. The survey was live from late August 2023 to early October 2023. There were a total of 460 responses; 459 English responses, 0 Spanish responses, and 1 Tagalog response.

STATISTICALLY-VALID SURVEY

A statistically-valid survey of Fairfield residents was conducted to identify gaps in and priorities

The first community workshop gave participants the chance to share input on key issues the Master Plan should address.

for facilities, amenities, and programming. A random sample of residents were surveyed by mail. A response goal of 400 was set to achieve statistical significance; in total 454 Fairfield householdes completed the survey.

Survey respondents were diverse, and split fairly evenly amongst gender and age groups. A full explanation of demographics of survey respondents is included in Appendix H.

Community members engaged in small group conversation at Commumnity Meeting 2. Input from residents was instrumental in understanding issues and desired outcomes for Fairfield's parks, open spaces, and programs.

PHASE 2 COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS & ONLINE SURVEY

One workshop was conducted in English, the other in Spanish, on consecutive days in December 2023. Approximately 22 people attended the English-language workshop, and 6 attended the Spanish-language workshop. Community members who came out to the meetings were energetic about their wants and ideas for the future of parks in a constructive way.

The workshops were designed to encourage smaller, more in-depth discussions about specific parks as well as offer an opportunity to share ideas on larger, systemic issues. Small groups were given two broader themes and one specific park to discuss and provide feedback on. All the themes and specific parks ideas tested at each table were also offered in open house style, in boards along the wall of the workshop room. This allowed participants to provide feedback on other ideas and parks that weren’t focused on at their table.

An online survey was designed to mirror the community workshops and give community members who couldn’t attend the workshop a chance to give feedback. The online survey was publicized with a video to encourage participation by Councilmember Panduro. The survey was offered in English and Spanish and there were a combined 102 respondents (102 respondents to the English survey and 0 respondents to the Spanish survey). The survey allowed people to answer as many or as few questions as they liked, so there are different amounts of responses for different questions.

The survey asked respondents to prioritize and give feedback on recommended improvements, both system-wide and for specific parks. Other questions were more open-ended and allowed people to leave comments on their favorite parks, how they use the parks, and what they value and would like to see changed. The survey (using ArcGIS StoryMaps) gave participants a virtual tour of the parks before asking any questions.

The second community workshop series generated inspired feedback in English and Spanish.

3.2 KEY ISSUES & OUTCOMES

Responses from the first round of community engagement were analyzed and the following overall thematic categories were identified: safety & comfort, programming & facilities, and access & connectivity. Community members’ key issues and desired outcomes are reported in these categories. Additionally, certain specific addition and improvement items were most popular with the community. In the first round of community engagement, the community voted most for these items.

SAFETY & COMFORT

Unhoused Population

The unhoused population in Fairfield is a challenge for the parks and open space system. Unhoused persons use park spaces and amenities, and this can cause others to not feel secure using that space. Participants noted incidents of theft, litter, as well as simply feeling unsafe.

Activation

Participants noted a lack of activity and vibrancy in parks and public spaces in Fairfield. This may be both a result of and a cause for perceptions that parks are unsafe. More people using parks and open spaces would greatly improve the sense of safety.

Park & Open Space Amenities

Lack of amenities and design features make the parks and open spaces inaccessible to some. Participants reported that benches, shade structures, restrooms, and signage are wanted at parks and open spaces. These things make the user experience more comfortable and allow more people to be able to use parks and open spaces. Some of these amenities (restrooms in particular) have been removed in the past to mitigate issues with the unhoused population. It may be a challenge to add amenities and balance proper and improper use, but the community does want them.

Pedestrian & Cyclist Safety

Pedestrian and cyclist safety was also noted as an issue. Participants commented that vehicle speeds, lack of safe road crossings, and lack of pedestrian and bicycle-designated routes cause people to not feel comfortable travelling by

We should maintain open spaces, and it’d be great if there could be more walking trails.

Community Member, Community Meeting 1

foot or bike, or allow their kids travel by foot or bike. Many people would like safe crossings and traffic calming measures around parks, recreation facilities, and open spaces.

Lighting

Lack of adequate lighting is felt to be an issue for Fairfield’s parks. Lack of lighting creates greater opportunity for misuse of spaces, as well as the impression of a space as unsafe even if it is not.

I want safe and diverse activities that enhance well being and community.

Community Member, Community Meeting 1

PROGRAMMING & FACILITIES

High, Unmet Demand

Community members reported a high demand for recreation programs for kids, teens, adults, and seniors, suggesting that current programs are not fully meeting that demand. Swim lessons, in particular, were noted as a need. Community members also expressed a desire for more community events programming, like farmers markets.

User Conflict

Because different sports and activities are using the same facilities, there is some user conflict. Tennis and pickleball, for example, compete for facility use.

Lack of Awareness

Many participants, and City staff, reported that community members often lack knowledge about what recreation programming is currently offered. More effective communication between the City and residents is needed to educate people on everything that is available--especially for parts of the community with greater recreational needs and more barriers to access.

ACCESS & CONNECTIVITY

Equity & Walkability

Not all Fairfield residents are within walking distance of a park or open space. Community members in the North Cordelia area reported the desire for a park for their neighborhood that is easily accessible. Greater distance is one barrier to accessibility, as well as the lack of good and safe pedestrian and cyclist routes. Even if parks and open spaces are within walking or biking distance, people may feel unsafe travelling on foot or bike due to lack of traffic calming, lighting, or the presence of other people.

Parking

Many facilities do not have adequate parking. This issue is most prevalent at high use times, like game days, at sites where events take place. Parking for games or events spills into surrounding neighborhoods and is disruptive to those who live there.

My vision is that parks and open spaces are ecologically vibrant and sustainable—all connected through usuable bike trails and viable crosswalks connecting green belts.

Community Member, Community Meeting 1

Hundreds of Fairfield community members provided input through the engagement process.

3.3 PRIORITY RECREATION AMENITIES & PROGRAMS

A statistically valid survey was mailed to a random selection of Fairfield residents and received responses from 454 households. To calculate legitimate results, the survey aimed to receive 400 responses. Therefore results from the survey are statistically-valid and have a 95% level of confidence with a precision rate of at least +/- 4.6%. This reach, and diversity of respondents, makes it our primary resource for understanding detailed community priorities for recreation amenities and programming. Survey findings are fully detailed in Appendix H.

ETC (the consultant team member who conducted the survey) identified the most critical priorities for investment in Fairfield based on a “priority investment rating” (PIR). This rating is derived from the degree to which residents report that their needs for a recreation amenity or program are currently being met, and the degree to which that recreation amenity or program is important to them . High, Medium, and Low Priority items are identified in the categories of Facilities/Amenities, Programs/ Activities, and Active Aging Programs/Services.

The following recreation facilities or amenities were found to be high priorities based on the survey:

• Multi-use paved and unpaved trails

• Community center

• Community gardens

• Shade structures

• Indoor walking/jogging track

• Open space and conservation areas

• Large community parks

• Outdoor amphitheater/outdoor performing arts venue

• Small neighborhood parks

• Picnic areas and shelters

• Swimming pool

The following programs and activities were indicated as high priorities:

• Adult fitness and wellness programs

• Community special events

• Exercise classes for all ages

And the following active aging programs were found to be high priorities:

• Day trips, tours, and excursions

• Arts and crafts programs and activities

• Special interest classes

• Healthy eating programs & dieting programs

• Cognitive strengthening programs

• Computer classes and programs

• Dance lessons and programs

• Social gatherings . Figures 3-1, 3-2, and 3-3 on the following pages show the PIR items in each category.

Multi-use trails are a high priority for Fairfield residents.

FIGURE 3-1 | Priority Investment Rating for Facilities/Amenities (Statistically-Valid Survey)

Multi-use paved trails

Community Center

Community gardens

Multi-use unpaved trails

Shade structures

Indoor walking/jogging track

Open space and conservation areas

Large community parks

Outdoor amphitheater/outdoor performing arts venue

Small neighborhood parks

Picnic areas and shelters

Swimming pool

Off-leash dog park

Splash pads

Park equipment for alla abilities/all ages

Environmental education center

Outdoor exercise/fitness equipment

Outdoor multi-use courts

Indoor basketball/volleyball courts Bike park

accessible play

Adult fitness and wellness programs

Community special events

Exercise classes for all ages

Outdoor environment/nature camps and programs

STEAM/Tech classes

Cultural enrichment programs

Swim lessons

After school programs for youth of all ages

Water fitness programs/lap swimming

Adult sports leagues

Youth summer programs and camps

Programs for at risk youth/crime prevention

Youth visual arts/crafts/performing arts programs

Youth sports programs and camps

Youth performing arts programs

Gymnastics/tumbling programs

Teen/tween programs

Preschool programs/early childhood education

Youth fitness and wellness classes

lessons and leagues

Day trips, tours, excursions

Arts and crafts programs and activities

Special interest classes

Healthy eating programs & dieting programs

Cognitive strengthening programs

Computer classes and programs

Dance lessons and programs

Social gatherings

Volunteer opportunities programs

Health screenings

Counseling services

Music classes and programs

Evidenced based health programs

Housing programs

Legal assistance programs Veteran specific programs

programs

FIGURE 3-3 | Priority Investment Rating for Active Aging Programs (Statistically-Valid Survey)

Valuable information about recreation amenity and program priorities was also collected from the community engagement activities.

The tables at right show the High Priority items identified in the statistically valid survey, and the extent to which community members who partciipated in the workshops, online survey, and pop-up outreach also showed support for these items. Three dots indicate the strongest support, where there was a lot of qualitative feedback to support that item’s high priority status.

When comparing the high priority items identified from the statistically valid survey with the feedback gained in community engagement, the features with the most consistent expression of support were multi-use trails (paved and unpaved); small neighborhood parks; community special events; and active aging programming of all kinds.

Survey-identified priorities for shade structures, open space conservation areas, large community parks, swimming pool, and adult fitness and wellness programs were also echoed to a moderate extent in community engagement.

AMENITY PRIORITIES

STATISTICALLY VALID SURVEY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS

Highest Priority Items

Multi-use paved trails

Community Center

Community gardens

Multi-use unpaved trails

Shade structures

Indoor walking/jogging track

Open space and conservation areas

Large community parks

Outdoor amphitheater/outdoor performing arts venue

Small neighborhood parks

Picnic areas and shelters

Swimming pool

Estimated Level of Priority

Strong Community Support

Moderate Community Support

Little Community Support

PROGRAMMING PRIORITIES

STATISTICALLY VALID SURVEY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS

Highest Priority Items

Adult fitness and wellness programs

Community special events

Outdoor environmental/nature camps and programs

Estimated Level of Priority

ACTIVE AGING PROGRAMMING PRIORITIES

STATISTICALLY VALID SURVEY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS

Highest Priority Items

Day trips, tours, and excursions

Arts and crafts programs and activities

Special interest classes

Healthy eating programs and dieting programs

Cognitive strengthening programs

Computer classes and programs

Dance lessons and programs

Social gatherings

Estimated Level of Priority

3.4 THEMES & IDEAS

Following Phase One of community engagement, the project team developed initial recommendations, in six categories:

• Make Parks Safe & Vibrant

• Make Recreation Opportunities Visible & Inclusive, Improve Access to Parks and Invest in the Heart of Fairfield

• Expand Partnerships to Achieve Shared Goals

• Add & Grow Recreation Amenities & Programming

• Elevate Fairfield’s Natural Environment

• Align Resources with Priorities

These categories were based on analysis and feedback to focus on ideas that are most relevant to the community. The six themes represented here were subsequently adjusted and refined based on community feedback, to become the goals defined in Chapter 4.

MAKE PARKS SAFE & VIBRANT

Workshop participants and online survey respondents showed the most support for lighting, seating and shade . They also showed support for the other ideas tested:

• Improvements to paving, planting and amenities;

• Activating parks with events; and

• Creating a park attendants program.

MAKE RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES VISIBLE & INCLUSIVE

Participants showed general support for all of the ideas tested:

• Making changes to recreation spaces and programs to make sure they are welcoming;

• Improving online information and access;

• Publicizing parks and recreation on the City’s website and social media; and

INVEST IN THE HEART OF FAIRFIELD & IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES

Participants showed support for:

• Completing the Allan Witt Park Master Plan Prioritizing enhancements to trails for recreation and active transportation;

• Creating new parks and removing access barriers to provide parks for all residents within a half-mile walk; and

• Renovating the Fairfield Community Center and Adult Recreation Center.

I see Fairfield as a safe, family-oriented city. Parks are a big part of that. Community Member, Community Meeting 1

• Assessing facilities and programming to ensure inclusivity.

P articipants also indicated support for more community events like a Christmas tree lighting, festivals, and live music. Comments supported providing and improving more social space at parks, as well as bringing people in with fitness amenities. Some participants felt that in addition to a focus on central Fairfield, the North Cordelia area needs a park. Completing planned improvements at Allan Witt Park was the highestpriority action for survey respondents related to improving parks in the heart of Fairfield.

EXPAND PARTNERSHIPS TO ACHIEVE SHARED GOALS

Participants showed support for:

• Neighborhood initiatives that care for and activate parks

• Partnering with Fairfield and Suisun Transit (FAST) to improve access, and

• Creating partnerships with other recreation providers and the school district.

People commented that they would like to see demonstration gardens, ideally with native plants, and that Sustainable Solano may be a good partner to facilitate that type of programming. To connect the parks, people commented that coordinating with Solano Transportation Authority for active transportation and partnering with UC Davis (or other) for a youth biking program were

good ideas.

ADD & GROW RECREATION AMENITIES & PROGRAMMING

Participants showed support for:

• Completing the planned facilities at Allan Witt and Matt Garcia parks;

• Creating walking loops and paths; and

• Creating partnerships to add community gardens.

Comments noted the need for both tennis and pickleball courts, the desire for a fully connected multiuse trail, and the desire for more programs and amenities for seniors. The importance of dog parks was also noted, as loose dogs cause people to feel fearful. A large group of community members was present advocating for artificial turf multi-use fields to use for field hockey. At the Spanish-language

workshop, participants noted the demand for soccer, and also desired an artificial turf field.

ELEVATE FAIRFIELD’S NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

Participants showed the strongest support for creating better access to open spaces w ith clear signage, pedestrian connections and parking . Also supported:

• Giving people opportunities to learn about and experience the natural environment;

• Transitioning areas of parks to plantings that conserve water and add character, and

• Conducting ecological restoration.

Sharing Ideas from their Small Table Discussion at Community Workshop 2.

3.5 SPECIFIC SITES

In addition to the broader thematic categories, participants were asked for feedback on specific park sites. Larger community parks that serve the whole City and parks that are high priority for improvement or change were chosen. Some smaller neighborhood parks were brought forward for discussion because they serve central Fairfield neighborhoods where more recreation opportunties are needed. The workshop materials tested specific improvements and changes for each site, but also allow participants to give more open-ended feedback through drawing and writing on base maps.

ALLAN WITT PARK

Participants showed support for adding tennis and futsal, keeping the shared soccer and baseball fields, adding a multi-use turf field, keeping the sand volleyball court, and adding more tennis and pickleball. Non-sport recommendations including a group picnic area, more bathrooms, better communication about rules and regulations, more water fountains and shade, and more parking.

A large group of community members advocating for a multi-use artificial turf field

participated in the workshop, wanting a facility that could be used for field hockey. Other participants advocated for soccer, as well.

When asked to determine the importance of improving Allan Witt Park, the majority of survey respondents rated it a very high priority.

CIVIC CENTER PARK

Participants showed support for a new civic center plaza, additional amenities like pickleball, creating a welcoming entrance at Pennsylvania Avenue, replacing part of the pond for an active plaza, updating the ARC and connecting it with the park, updating the Community Center to focus on facility rentals, and completing a walking loop with seating. Other comments and ideas drawn on the map include a dirt bike park, additional exercise facilities, better signage, community events, a landmark play area, and a pedestrian corridor to enter the park with good pedestrian crossings. The big proposed idea, to repurpose a portion of the pond, was very supported.

When asked to determine the importance of improving Civic Center Park, the majority of respondents rated it a very high priority.

OCTO INN PARK

People noted that it was important to keep soccer in Fairfield, but not that it had to be at Octo Inn. The idea of keeping some soccer, or just younger age soccer leagues, was proposed.

Octo Inn was marked as a potentially good future location for more tennis and pickleball courts because of its size, existing parking, and future vacancy if soccer were to be relocated.

Ideas that received the greatest support from online survey respondents were a complete walking loop, removal of the soccer fields, and naturalized park space with trails along fields. When asked to determine the importance of improving Octo Inn, the majority of respondents rated this a high priority.

LAUREL CREEK PARK

Participants showed support for relocated and improved restrooms, connecting to Laurel Creek Trail, a completed walking loop, an improved play area, an improved recreation center, a new splash pad, a plaza near the baseball fields, and rentable picnic spaces. Participants also

commented that outdoor gym equipment, a multiuse lawn, more trash cans, and more lighting would be good improvements to the park. People noted that this park could be used for community events, with food trucks and concessions.

Comments on Laurel Creek Park from Community Meeting 2

TABOR PARK

Participants commented that off-leash dogs are an issue, and support specific dog park areas and signs to keep dogs on leashes and dispose of their waste in trash cans. It was also noted that this park needs improved lighting. Participants commented that a soccer field, informal or formal, on the lawns would be welcome because many people want to play soccer, but the leagues are expensive.

From the online survey, the ideas that received the greatest support were enhancing the alleyway connection with safety features, completing a walking loop and improving seating, tree replacement, and additional shade. When asked to determine the importance of improving Tabor Park, the majority of respondents rated it a medium priority.

DOVER PARK

Participants noted that this park feels insecure for some because of perception of crime. There was discussion about the large amount of birds at this park, and how their presence and waste on the sidewalks can impact the park experience. Participants thought that this park would benefit from community events like movie nights, dance programs, performances,

and other multi-cultural programs. A stage or performance space would work well. Other improvements that participants supported include increased trash cans, improved lighting, and areas to play soccer informally.

From the online survey, the ideas that received the greatest support were adding pickleball and a walking loop. When asked to determine the importance of improving Dover Park, the majority of respondents rated it a high priority.

LINEAR PARK

The ideas that received the greatest support were adding a full paved bicycle path to promote active transit, the targeted removal of vegetation to improve visibility, signage, wayfinding, and mile markers. When asked to determine the importance of improving the Linear Park, respondents rated it a high priority.

OPEN SPACES

The ideas that received the greatest support were adding trailhead signage and amenities, more trail access points, fire prevention efforts, and ecological restoration. When asked to determine the importance of improving the open spaces, the majority of respondents rated it a high priority.

GOALS & RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents strategic direction to manage and grow Fairfield’s park system, recreation programming, and open spaces in the years ahead. We begin with a concise set of seven high-level goals, each supported by a set of strategies. Next, a new park classification system is introduced, defining a set of park types, each one providing an important element of recreational value for the community. This chapter includes a detailed description of each park type; to set clear expectations for future parks and park improvements. The chapter then presents Level of Service Standards to guide how park land should be created or maintained, how it should be distributed to ensure walkable access throughout Fairfield, and what recreation amenities are needed to serve Fairfield's growing population.

4.1 GOALS

The following goals reflect a shared vision for Fairfield’s future parks, recreation and open spaces. They are based on what we have learned about the issues and needs in the community today, and aspirations for the future. Each high-level goal (numbered 1, 2, 3, etc), is supported by a set of more specific strategies. For example, Goal 1, on the facing page, has four related strategies, 1.1 through 1.4.

SAFE & VIBRANT PARKS

1.1 Add lighting, seating, shade, and other new amenities to parks.

1.2 Make needed replacements and improve paving, plantings, and amenities.

1.3 Activate parks with special events.

1.4 Implement a park attendant program to assist with maintenance and create a positive presence for park users.

2.1 Create consistent and welcoming park facility entrances and signage.

2.2 Enhance the online presence of parks and recreation, including easy access to information and reservations.

2.3 Continue to publicize parks and recreation on the City’s website, social media, and other means.

2.4 Assess facilities and programs and make changes such as entryways, signage, language, and recreation activities to ensure they are equitable for all residents.

3.1 Complete plans to improve Allan Witt Park, revitalize Civic Center Park, and expore creation of other downtown public spaces.

3.2 Strive to create new parks and remove access barriers such as fencing, lack of entrances, lack of safe street crossings, or paths with steep slopes or inaccessible paving, to provide usable park within a half-mile walk for all residents, focusing on underserved areas.

3.3 Prioritize enhancements to linear parks and trails, to provide recreation and active transportation.

3.4 Renovate the Fair field Community Center and Adult Recreation Center to better serve Fairfield's diverse community.

EXPAND PARTNERSHIPS TO ACHIEVE SHARED GOALS

4.1 Collaborate with the school district to optimize use of both the District’s and the City’s facilities to create “neighborhood centers”.

4.2 Par tner with Fairfield and Suisun Transit to improve access to parks and recreation for all residents.

4.3 Suppor t existing neighborhood efforts that care for and activate parks.

4.4 Create par tnerships with other recreation providers and open space organizations.

4.5 Strategically update partnership agreements to establish consistent terms that advance the City of Fairfield’s primary recreational service objectives.

5.1 Create walking loops and multi-use paths in parks, recognizing the high value residents place on this feature.

5.2 Continue to build the aquatics program, including rehabilitating the aquatics complex and expanding programming.

5.3 Complete planned facilities for baseball, softball, pickleball, tennis, and soccer at Allan Witt and Matt Garcia parks, and strategically pursue other opportunities to create needed recreation facilities.

6.1 Provide people with opportunities to learn about and experience the natural environment, with interpretive features and education.

6.2 Leverage partnerships to provide ecological restoration projects, leveraging community volunteers where appropriate.

6.3 Create access to open spaces with clear signage, pedestrian connections to nearby neighborhoods, and parking.

6.4 Replace non-recreational areas of grass with plantings that conserve water.

6.5 Explore potential to strategically repurpose park spaces that have potential ecological value to nature-based

ALIGN RESOURCES WITH PRIORITIES

7.1 Use park development guidelines established in this docutment including size, features and design characteristics.

7.2 Focus on maintaining and improving existing parks first. Ensure that new parks are provided to serve a growing population.

7.3 Evaluate recreation programming to ensure that core service areas are met, and pricing supports cost recovery goals.

7.4 Dedicate consistent and adequate resources to parks

4.2 PARK TYPOLOGY

Defining park types shall be the foundation for establishing level of service standards and clear expectations for the development of future parks and evolution of existing ones.

The City of Fairfield defined four park types in its 2002 General Plan. The PROSMP establishes a set of nine new categories that modify and expand the existing park types to reflect the changing context of the parks and open space in Fairfield. The new structure will provide better guidance for the city and developers alike. Park types are shown here.

COMMUNITY PARKS

Large-scale parks that provide opportunities for recreation facilities to serve a substantial portion of the city.

NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS

Medium-sized parks that provide passive and active recreation opportunities within walking or biking distance for residents in one or more neighborhoods.

POCKET PARKS

Small-sized parks that provide basic recreation amenities for nearby residents in a specific neighborhood or subdivision.

CIVIC PARKS & PLAZAS

Provide passive green space and flexible gathering areas that can support social life in the community. Today, Civic Center Park is in this category.

SPORTS COMPLEX PARKS

Provide recreational amenities that serve the regional scale.

Gary Falati Neighborhood Park

Cordelia Community Park

Kentucky Street Tot Lot

Civic Center Park

Sports Complex Park (Legacy Fields, Tracy)

SPECIAL USE PARKS

Vary widely in size, shape, location, and use. They generally center one non-traditional amenity. Fairfield’s golf courses fall into this category.

REGIONAL PARKS

Large preserves meant to meet passive enjoyment and outdoor recreation needs.

Rockville Hills Regional Park

GREENWAYS, PATHS & TRAILS

Serve a dual use to the community as recreational amenities and alternative transportation corridors.

OPEN SPACE CONSERVATION

Primarily dedicated to conserving natural resources or protecting the public from natural hazards. They may also include trails for public use and enjoyment of the natural environment.

PARK TYPES DEFINED

Significant factors that define a park type include size and shape, use time, access, required and optional amenities, and landscape features. These are described on the following pages, for each type of park.

The intent here is to establish clear expectations for how existing parks shall be managed and improved, and how future parks shall be created. Each park type has different standards and requires different amenities. For example, community parks are intended for extended use times and therefore require bathrooms. Pocket parks are intended for shorter use and therefore do not require bathrooms or other amenities that would support longer use.

These guidelines also strive to leave ample space for each park to have its own unique look and feel, and a mix of programs tailored to the needs of the community.

Linear Park

Paradise Valley Golf Course

Hillborn Open Space Preserve

4-1: Parks and Open Space - Existing and Planned

Fairfield City Limit

Solano County

Railroad

Coastal Marsh

Travis Air Force Base

Schools

Recreation Centers

Change to Neighborhood Park with Future

Relocation of Soccer Fields

Parks & Open Spaces by Type

Community Park (City)

Neighborhood Park (City)

Neighborhood Park (Other)

Pocket Park (City)

Pocket Park (Other)

Greenways, Paths, and Trails

Civic Parks and Plazas Special Use Park Sports Complex Regional Park Open Space

Conservation (Public) Open Space

Conservation (Other)

Future Park

Undeveloped Park Sites

COMMUNITY PARKS

Large-scale parks that provide opportunities for community scale facilities to serve a substantial portion of the city.

Size and Shape

• 25 to 40+ acres

Use Time

• 1 hour and up to a half day

Location Characteristics

• Adjacent to schools, libraries, other community facilities, and commercial and mixed-use activity centers.

• Opportunities for collocation with stormwater detention basins, and trail corridors.

• Distributed across the city.

Frontage and Access

• Street frontages at site boundary wherever possi ble, including frontage on at least one major street.

• Transit service and a transit stop.

• Good access to the city’s transportation network, including bus routes, bikeways and trails.

Parking

• On-site vehicular parking, at 5 spaces per develo ped park acre, with additional parking to support large group facilities and/or multiple sports fields.

• Accessible parking must make up the ratio of total on-street and on-site parking spaces required by ADA standards.

• Bike parking.

Recreational Capacity

• 75% of the site should be relatively level, developable, and usable.

Required Amenities

• Site ide ntification signage.

• Site furnishings including benches, drinking fountains, trash receptacles, and bike racks.

• Accessible walking loop 1 mile or longer.

• Soft surface jogging path or nature trail, half mile or longer.

• Multiple sites with picnic facilities.

• Unique, thematic, or innovative playground that is universally accessible and made for ages 2-5 and 5-12, including climbing apparatus, swings, and shade structures over play area.

• Open meadow for multi-use recreation and unstructured play.

• At least 1active lighted, regulation sports field.

• At least 3 sport courts selected to meet recreation needs.

• 1 special recreation amenity such as skate park, or dog park.

• Permanent restrooms determined based on park capacity and demand.

FIGURE 4-1 (LEFT) | Fairfield’s existing, planned potential parks and open spaces are shown on Figure 4-1. The map distinguishes between City-owned parks and open spaces, and those managed by homeowner associations or other organizations. All of these places work together to form a complete parks and open space system.

• Storage or maintenance buildings and lockable trash e nclosure with dumpster architecturally complementary with the rest of the park. Location should be in area away from main park attractions and be coordinated with maintenance staff and disposal company.

Optional Amenities

• Spray ground or water play area, with restroom/shower.

• Outdoor amphitheater with optional co vered stage.

• Interpretive trail with signage or environmental educational facility.

• Special or display gardens, such as a pollinator garden.

• Additional lighted fields or courts.

• Indoor recreation center, gymnasium, or community center.

• Additional recreation amenities such as running track, roller rink, skate park, pump track, roller hockey, climbing wall, or outdoor fitness equipment.

• Special facilities such as miniature golf, mountain bike trail, or BMX dirt track, or disc golf course.

• Ad ditional covered picnic facilities.

Amenities to Avoid

• Ponds except where functional for stormwater management.

• Any additional amenities that can not be maintained with out a higher level of operational funding.

Landscape Features

• Existing natural features should be preserved and incorporated into park design and identity where feas ible.

• Any existing natural areas should be optimized for resource and habitat protection, windbreaks, and shade. Nond eveloped areas should be maintained to prevent overtaking invasive species that would harm the native environment.

Laurel Creek Community Park

Gary Falati Neighborhood Park (park type detailed on the next page)

NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS

Medium-sized parks that provide passive and active recreation opportunities within walking or biking distance for residents in one or more neighborhoods.

Size and Shape

• (2 to 4 acres acceptable), 5 to 10 acres.

Use Time

• 1 to 2 hours.

Location Characteristics

• Central to the neighborhoods that they serve with residential or school adjacent land uses. Relevant considerations include good spacing of park sites and the potential for trail connections.

Frontage and Access

• At least two street frontages, with sidewalks. Wher e feasible, connect to bikeways and trails.

• Minima l access barriers such as fencing, steep slopes, or major arterial roads.

Parking

• Serve d by street parking.

• Bike p arking.

Recreational Capacity

• 80% of the site should be relatively level, developable, and usable.

Required Amenities

• Site ide ntification signage.

• Site furnishings including benches, drinking fountains, trash receptacles, and bike racks.

• Accessible walking loop.

• Picnic facilities, including tables shaded by trees or shade structure.

• Playground equipment or comparable creative play environment for ages 2-5 and ages 5-12, including climbing apparatus and swings.

• Open meadow for multi-use recreation and unstructured play.

• At least o ne active use amenity, such as a sport court or striped field, that is not lighted.

Optional Amenities

• Barbecue facilities alongsid e picnic area.

• Additional sports facilities to meet recreation needs.

• Small splash pad or water play area, if operational funding makes this feasible. (Note: splash pads require restroom/ shower.)

• Gazebo trellis or arbor.

• Interpretive signage, especially near notable natural features.

• Per manent restrooms determined based on types on amenities in the park.

Amenities to Avoid

• Large scale sports facilities, including those with synth etic turf or lighting.

• High maintenance landscaping improvements including a specialized garden.

• Ponds e xcept where functional for stormwater management.

Landscape Features

• Existing natural features should be preserved and in corporated into park design and identity where feasible.

• General landscape improvements that limit turf in favor of low maintenance ground cover, except for a multi-use recreation meadow.

• Trees for shade and windbreaks.

POCKET PARKS

Pocket parks are small-sized parks that provide basic recreation amenities for nearby residents in a specific neighborhood or subdivision.

Size and Shape

• Less than 2 acres.

Use Time

• 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Location Characteristics

• Embedde d within neighborhoods.

• At trailheads that serve as nodes along greenwa ys, paths or trails, or access points to open space areas.

Frontage and Access

• Frontage on two streets is preferable; one street frontage is acceptable.

Parking

• Serve d by street parking.

• Bike pa rking.

Recreational Capacity

• 80% of the site should be relatively level, develo pable, and usa ble.

Required Amenities

• Site identification signage.

• Site fu rnishings including benches, drinking fountains, trash receptacles, and bike racks.

• Individual picnic tables with optional shade structure.

• Open meadow for multi-use recreation and unstructured play.

• At least 1 active use amenity, such as a single small sport court or tot lot, placed with sensitivity to neighbors.

• Accessible pathway that creates a small walking loop.

Optional Amenities

• Playground equipment or comparable creative play environment for ages 2-5 and ages 5-12, including climbing apparatus and swings.

• Additional small or mid-sized picnic shelter.

• Gazebo trellis or arbor.

• Interpretive signage.

• Public art.

Amenities to Avoid

• Comm unity or regional scale recreation facilities.

• Barbecues.

• High m aintenance landscaping.

Landscape Features

• Existing natural features should be preserved and incorporated into park design and identity where feasible.

Pocket parks, although small, can provide important recreation amenities.

CIVIC PARKS & PLAZAS

Civic Parks and Plazas provide passive green space and flexible gathering areas that can support social life in the community. Today, Civic Center Park is in this category.

Size and Shape

• Half acre to 12 acres.

Use Time

• 30 minutes to 2 hours or more.

Location Characteristics

• In downtown Fairfield or other higherdensity, mixed -use activity center.

• Adjace nty to civic buildings.

Frontage and

Access

• Front age on major streets and downtown streets

• Served by transit, bikeways, and adjacent sidewalks.

Parking

• Street parking serves small plazas. For larger civic park, parking should be provided to serve large community gatherings, but this parking should be shared by other uses and not overwhelm the site.

Recreational Capacity

• 80% of the site should be relatively level, developable, and usable.

Required Amenities

• Si te identification signage.

• Site furnishings including benches, drinking fountains, trash receptacles, and bike racks.

• Paved plaza, designed for casual community use and/or flexible event use.

• Passive landscaped area.

Todos Santos Plaza, Concord, CA is an example of a civic park that is successfully integrated into a downtown.

• Trees.

• Accessible pathways that create options for walking.

• Restro oms.

Optional Amenities

• Amphitheater and st age.

• Individual picnic tables.

• Open meadow for multiuse recreation and unstructured play.

• Active u se amenities such as sport courts, playground.

Amenities to Avoid

• Commu nity or regional scale recreation facilities.

• Barbecu es.

Landscape Features

• Focus on trees that provide shade and identity.

• Provide landscape elements that provide visual interest a nd passive enjoyment.

RESTROOMS AND PARKING

Two features in particular benefit from additional attention: restrooms and parking.

With regard to restrooms , the key factor is use time. In general, where there are amenities that encourage park users to spend more than an hour at the park, restrooms are encouraged. The PROSMP requires restrooms for park types with extensive recreation or community gathering amenities. Consideration for restrooms at neighborhood parks with community park type amenities should be part of the design discussion.

For parking , the key factor is park type . Parks that draw people from all over the City should have parking to meet the demand generated by park elements. Where on-site parking is provided, it needs to include an appropriate number of accessible parking spaces. The PROSMP also emphasizes bike parking: this should be provided at all parks, to make it easy and safe for people to get to parks without a car.

SPORTS COMPLEX PARKS

Parks that provide extensive recreation amenities that serve a community-wide or regional population.

Size and Shape

• 10 to 100+ acres

Use Time

• 2 hours or more.

Location Characteristics

• Connected to the city’s transportation network and integrated into the larger park system. Consider equi table distribution and potential for greenway and trail connections.

• Encourage co-location with detention basins to allow dual recreational use, on a case by case basis.

• Avoid sites that would require significant earthwork to ac commodate large, level sports amenities.

Frontage and Access

• A minimum o f 2 major street frontages is desirable.

• Direct connect ions to sidewalks and bike facilities and, preferably, a trail system. The site should be served with transit with a transit stop incorporated.

Parking

• On-site vehicular parking to adequately meet the demand generated by park elements. 50 spaces per field should be a minimum guideline.

• Accessible parking must make up the ratio of total on-street and on-site parking spaces required by ADA standards.

• Bike parkin g.

Recreational Capacity

• 80% of the site should be relatively level, developable, and usable.

Sports courts and fields are an important amenity in Fairfield, supporting many residents' primary recreation.

Required Amenities

• Lighted recreation amenitie s that are primary program element (e.g. soccer fields, baseball/softball fields, tennis or pickleball courts. Multiple fields/courts should be included to enable tournament play.

• Site identification signage.

• Site furnishings including benches, drinking fountains, trash receptacles, and bike racks.

• Accessible walking loop around the outside of the facility.

• Picnic facilities that include at least 10 tables, half of which should be shaded by trees or individual shade structures.

• Permanent restrooms determined based on park capacity and demand.

• Storage or maintenance buildings and lockable trash enclosure with dumpster architectura lly complementary with the rest of the park.

• Concession.

Optional Amenities

• Large group picnic area with shade structu re, tables, barbecues, and appropriate amenities to serve a minimum of 100 people.

• Small or mid-sized picnic shelter and barbecues (serving 25-30 people or 4060 people).

• Destination playground.

• Flat, open, contiguous turf area for unstructured play.

• Sports courts (lighted or unlighted), such as basketball, tennis, volleyball, handball, pickleball, futsal, bocce, shuffleboard, horseshoes, etc.

• Indoor recreation center, gymnasium, or community center.

• Additional recreation amenities such as a community garden, disc golf course, running track, skate park, freestyle BMX park, pump track, dog park, roller hockey, climbing wall, par course, or outdoor fitness equipment.

• Soft-surfaced jogging path or nature trail. One-half mile (or longer) is preferable.

• Outdoor amphitheater or hillside seating.

• Interpretive signage.

• Interpretive trail, environmental education facility, nature kiosk.

• Public a rt or memorial.

Landscape Features

• Any natural areas should be optimized for resource and habitat protection, windbreaks, and shade. Non-developed areas should be maintained to prevent overtaking invasive species that would harm the native environment.

OCTO TRANSITION

Today, Fairfield has one sports complex park: Octo Inn, with its four soccer fields.

This site is accessed from a local collector street in a neighborhood, creating parking and traffic concerns. The site also has wetland areas. The PROSMP envisions phased changes to Octo Inn, ultimately transitioning the site to become a neighborhood park with preserved natural areas, after new soccer fields are provided elsewhere.

Soccer fields are planned at the future Matt Garcia Community Park. There may also be opportunities for a new sports complex in Fairfield. This would accommodate a lot of recreational amenity demand in one place, and serve both the community and potentially a regional user population.

SPECIAL USE PARKS

Special use parks generally center one nontra ditional amenity. In the City of Fairfield, special use parks include golf courses. May include other special uses in the future.

Size and Shape

• Varies, based on primary recreation feature.

Use Time

• 1 hour to half day.

Location Characteristics

• Varies but should be served by transit, bikeways, and adjacent sidewalks.

Frontage and Access

• One major street frontage is desirable.

• Direct conn ections to sidewalks and bike facilities.

Parking

• Varies based on amenity.

Recreational Capacity

• Varies based on amenity, but most of site should generally be usable for special recreational purpose.

Optional Amenities

• Go lf Course (Existing)

• Dog Park

• Skate Park

Landscape Features

• Any natural areas should be optimized for resource and habitat protection, windbreaks, and shade. Non-developed areas should be maintained to prevent overtaking invasive species that would harm the native environment.

Rockville Hills Regional Park

Rancho Solano Golf Course

REGIONAL PARKS

Regional parks are large preserves meant to meet passive and nature-oriented open space and recreation needs. They may, but do not necessarily have recreation amenities. Rockville Hills Regional Park is currently the only Regional Park in Fairfield and serves as the benchmark for this category.

Size and Shape

• 250+ acres.

Use Time

• 1 hour up to a full day

Location Characteristics

• Encompassing varied natural terrain and open space characteristics.

• At the edge of the city, contributing to greenbelts and complementing open space conservation and agricu ltural land.

Frontage and Access

• Primary access and parking should be from a collec tor or arterial roadway.

• Secondary access may be from local neighborhood streets.

• Conn ection to transit stations, sidewalks, bikeways and trails is desirable.

Parking

• On-site vehicular parking based on park capacity and demand.

• Bike pa rking.

Recreational Capacity

• Site may remain primarily undeveloped, with recreational capacity limited to trails and trailhead areas.

Required Amenities

• Site identification and w ayfinding signage.

• Site furnishings including benches, drinking fountains, and trash receptacles.

• Accessible walking path or loop 1 mile or longer.

• Soft surface jogging path or nature trail 1 mile or longer.

• Picnic facilities.

• Permanent restrooms determined based on park capacity and demand.

• Storage or maintenance buildings and lockable trash enclosure with dumpster architecturally co mplementary with the rest of the park.

Optional Amenities

• Unique, th ematic, or innovative playground.

• Open meadow for multi-use recreation and unstructured play.

• 1 special recreation amenity such as disc golf course or dog park, mountain bike trail, or BMX dirt track.

• Outdoor amphitheater with optional covered stage.

• Interpretive trail with signage

• Environmental educational facility.

• Special or display gardens, such as a pollinator garden.

Amenities to Avoid

• Active recreation features such as sports fields and courts.

Landscape Features

• Natural areas should be the focus and primary characteristic of regional parks, and should be maintained to prevent overtaking invasive species that would harm the native environment.

GREENWAYS, PATHS & TRAILS

Greenways, Paths & Trails serve a dual use as recreational amenities and alternative transportation corridors. The primary park within this category is Linear Park, which connects across much of Fairfield and is planned to provide a complete link across the city. Other Greenways, Paths, and Trails include Laurel Creek Trail and Ledgewood Creek Trail, as well as other neighborhood greenways.

Size and Shape

• Wide enough to accommodate both a multiuse trail and a natural or park-like environment, with greater width and amenities at entry points or connections. Lengths or segments less than half mile may not be able to support the intended recreational use and purpose of Greenways, Paths, and Trails. If Greenways, Paths, and Trails are designed to be integrated into utility easements and corridors, the park widths shall be in addition to widths of the easements.

Use Time

• 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Location Characteristics

• Integrate with the City’s system of trails and bikeways and provide connections to neighb orhood and community parks, open spaces, and/or key community destinations.

• Follow creeks and other natural corridors where possible, and take advantage of utility corridors and other opportunities.

Frontage and Access

• Appropriate crosswalks, speed tables, and signage should be implemented at intersections.

• Greenways, Paths and Trails must provide off-street trail corridors for pedestrians and bikes and provide drivable access for maintenance and emergency vehicles.

Parking

• Served by street parking. On-site parking may be conside red at trailheads serving segments longer than one mile.

• Bike parking, e specially at programmed nodes.

Recreational Capacity

• A multiuse path should be provided continuously. Other recreational uses should occupy 10% of the facility.

Required Amenities

• Site ide ntification signage

• Walking and biking multiuse path with an alignment that provides a direct path of travel and adequate width for safe use by pedestrians and bikes.

Linear Park

• Site furnishings including benches, drinking fountains, trash receptacles, and bike racks.

• Wayfin ding signage and mile markers.

Optional Amenities

• Secondary trail with s oft surface that may take a more curvilinear form.

• Viewpoints.

• Picnic areas.

• Par course/outdoor fitness equipment.

• Public art.

• Interpretive signage.

• Turf area for unstructured play.

Amenities to Avoid

• Sports fi elds.

• Community or regional-scale recreation facilities.

• High-maintenance landscaping improvements.

Landscape Features

• Existing natural features sho uld be preserved and incorporated into park design and identity where feasible.

• General landscape improvements that limit turf in favor of low maintenance ground cover.

• Trees for shade and windbreaks

• No planting should impede sightlines or hinder view into the greenway, path or trail.

Conceptual drawing of potential upgrades to the Linear Trail from the Central Fairfield Revitilization & Linear Park Concept Plan.

ENHANCING THE GREENWAYS NETWORK

Linear Park, Ledgewood Creek Trail, and Laurel Creek Trail provide a great framework for traveling across Fairfield without a car, and enjoying walking, biking, and natural environments close to home.

The PROSMP envisions a more satisfying and more complete network of greenways in the future. This will involve:

• Making strategic improvements to existing segments of Linear Park to make it feel more safe and inviting;

• Filling gaps in the Linear Park over time so that it extends all the way from Solano Community College to Northeast Fairfield;

• Pursuing active transportation funding to make Linear Park function better for walkers and bikers;

• Leveraging volunteers and partner organizations to restore natural environments and provide educational opportunities along Laurel and Ledgewood creeks.

OPEN SPACE CONSERVATION

Open Space Conservation areas are primarily dedicated to conserving natural resources or protecting the public from natural hazards. They may also include trails for public use and enjoyment of the natural environment.

Size and Shape

• 1-1,500+ acres.

Use Time

• Half hour to half day

Location Characteristics

• Encompassing undeveloped land and natural features ( hillsides, marshlands, creek corridors).

• Some facilities are shared with agricultural use, which should be appropriately managed.

Frontage and Access

• Direct connections to sidewalks and bike facilities and, preferably, a trail system.

• Trailheads with parking should be located on collector or arterial streets; neighborhood trailheads for pedestrian and bike access are also encouraged.

Parking

• On-street parking. Limited on-site parking where opportunities allow.

Recreational Capacity

• Site should remain primarily undeveloped, with recreational capacity limited to trails.

Required Amenities

• Site identification signage.

Optional Amenities

• Soft surface trails tha t accommodate hiking are strongly encouraged.

• Soft surface trails that accommodate multiple uses, including equestrian and biking.

• Viewpoints.

• Interpretive signage.

• Benches and trash re ceptacles at entry points.

Amenities to Avoid

• Active recreation featur es.

• Picnic areas that would encourage trash accumulation or wildlife e ncroachment.

Landscape Features

• Limited intervention to natural landscape features except to address erosion, manage wildfire risk, restore vegetation and habitat, develop safe and attractive trails.

Serpas Ranch Open Space

4.3 PARK AND OPEN SPACE NEEDS

“Level of Service,” or “LOS,” is a concept that helps to set consistent expectations for City Staff and decision-makers, developers, and members of the community, about how much park land and how many recreation amenities of each type the City should have, and how park land and amenities should be distributed across Fairfield. The proposed park types described in the previous section are associated with proposed level of service standards in terms of both park acreage and walkability. Both factors influence the PROSMP approach to prioritizing new parks and improvements to existing parks.

LOS standards were developed using a combination of local, regional, and national resources, including:

• Community Needs and Priorities, as suggested in the statistically valid survey and through community engagement done as part of the master plan process;

• Current Level of Ser vice in terms of park acreage and access;

• Minimum and maximum acreage requirements for neighborhood and community parks, as set by the Quimby Act;

• Existing population and projected growth, consistent with the General Plan;

• Current inventor y and condition of parks and amenities;

• Parks that are currently planned or under development;

• Oppor tunities to acquire land and/or develop parks on land already in City ownership;

• Oppor tunities to create new parks through future development;

• Recreation par ticipation rates reported by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) 2023 Study of Sports;

• Recreation market potential, estimated based on Fairfield’s demographics and national and regional participation rates by activity;

• Financial sustainability.

Level of service standards are provided for a range of park types and recreation amenities.

PARK ACREAGE

The 2002 General Plan in effect when the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan (PROSMP) was initiated set an overall park acreage standard of 3.5 acres of neighborhood and community parks per 1,000 people, with type-specific standards as follows:

• 1.5 acres per 1,000 people for Neighborhood Parks

• 2 acres per 1,000 people for Community Parks

With the PROSMP, Fairfield maintains the 3.5 acres per 1,000 people standard for these park types, as follows:

• 2 acres per 1,000 people for Neighborhood Parks

• 1.5 acres per 1,000 people for Community Parks

This change would better reflect the level of service that will result from parks that are already planned and be consistent with this Plan’s approach of achieving parks within walking distance of most residents, generating park land adequate to support recreation needs, and promoting reinvestment in the City’s existing parks. The General Plan's Open Space Element includes policies for level of service that are consistent with the PROSMP. The General Plan plans for 101.5 acres of new park land 52.4 acres of community parks and 49.1 acres of

neighborhood parks), which would realize a ratio of 4.5 acres per 1,000 residents. The General Plan has a longer planning horizon to the year 2050 and more park acreage may be needed by that time.

This Plan establishes new standards for Pocket Parks (0.10 acres per 1,000 residents), Civic Parks and Plazas (0.10 acres per 1,000), Sports Complexes (0.30 acres per 1,000 residents), Special Use Parks (2.5 acres per 1,000), and Regional Parks (4.5 acres per 1,000). LOS in terms of acreage is not determined for Greenways, Paths and Trails or Open Space Conservation land. Instead, these categories should be thought of in terms of strategic opportunities to create an overall trail network, enhance community life downtown, and conserve open space where it may be valuable for natural resource conservation or to protect the community from natural hazards. Overall, the PROSMP introduces a standard of 11.0 acres of parks and open space for 1,000 Fairfield residents.

The PROSMP's LOS standards assign responsibilities for providing future inventory. Specifically, they suggest that the City of Fairfield should provide future Community Parks, Sports Complex Parks, Special Use Parks, and some Greenways, Paths and Trails, using a variety of funding sources including contributions from future development.

The City will strive to create approximately 20%

of future Neighborhood Parks and Pocket Parks, in order to fill access gaps in existing neighborhoods. Developers or other entities shall be expected to deliver future other Neighborhood Parks and Pocket Parks and some segments of Fairfield’s system of Greenways, Paths and Trails.

Table 4-1 summarizes Fairfield’s existing park acreage by park type and translate this to level of service. The table presents this Plan’s recommended service levels by park type, takes into account planned parks, and estimates the total number of park acres that would still be needed to serve Fairfield’s projected population in 2038.

If Fairfield completes development of planned parks, including Matt Garcia Community Park, “Node 4A” neighborhood park, and future neighborhood parks in Northeast Fairfield, and if Octo Inn is transitioned to become a Neighborhood Park in the future, the City would would need an additional 88.7 acres of park land in these two categories.

The City would also need roughly 41.7 acres of Sports Complex park land to help accommodate needed recreation amenities, as well as 2.9 acres of Pocket Parks distributed around the City and 5.0 acres of Civic Parks and Plazas.

The City’s Greenways, Paths and Trails will need to continue to be expanded to create a complete network, and the City should continue to seek opportunities for Open Space Conservation.

TABLE 4-1 | Park Acreage Level of Service Standards and Park Land Needs

COMPONENT

PARK ACCESS

In addition to determining park land and recreation amenity needs by population, the City must consider parks in terms of proximity. Having parks within walking distance has meaningful benefits for public health and wellness. Park access standards are also an important way to ensure that all parts of a community are provided with equitable access to the multiple benefits that parks offer.

The PROSMP recommends the following standards:

• Every resident should live within a half-mile walk of a Community Park or Neighborhood Park.

• Areas not within a half-mile walk should be priorities for park acquisition and/ or enhancement of existing parks that are closest to underserved areas.

• Pocket Parks, Civic Parks and Plazas, or Greenways, Paths and Trails may be provided in lieu of Neighborhood Parks to address critical park access gaps, where land acquisition for a Neighborhood Park is not feasible.

Parks that are already planned as part of future development will provide more walkable access in several areas, notably in central Fairfield around the “Node 4A Park,” and in Northeast Fairfield. Elsewhere, the development of existing, publicly-owned sites for parks could fill access gaps in south Cordelia and in the vicinity of Manuel Campos Parkway.

Additional park sites may be desirable south of Downtown, west of Beck Avenue, and in north Cordelia, but it is important to recognize that there are not currently resources to develop and maintain parks in these locations.

Schools and storm drainage basins provide additional relevant opportunities to create joint-use community recreational access, with development of recreational resources.

Finally, safe street crossings, removal of fences and other barriers, and places to park bikes all make existing parks more accessible.

Park access, and the future parks or park opportunity sites that could help to fill gaps, are shown on Figure 4-2.

Safe street crossings, removal of fences and other barriers, and places to park bikes all make existing parks more accessible.

FIGURE 4-2: Access to Neighborhood and Community Parks, Future Parks, Undeveloped Park Sites, and Schools

Fairfield City Limit

Solano County

Railroad

Coastal Marsh

Travis Air Force Base

Schools

Park

Open Space Conservation (Public)

Open Space Conservation (Other)

Future Park

Undeveloped Park Sites

Half Mile Walksheds

To Community and Neighborhood Parks

To Future Parks

To Schools

To Undeveloped Park Sites

RECREATION AMENITIES

The PROSMP also recommends a new set of standards for specific recreation amenities. These standards are based on general best practices (as identified in Table 4-2) as well as tailored to Fairfield’s needs. When these standards are applied, the number of amenities that are appropriate for Fairfield in each category can be quantified. These needs should be addressed through the development of future parks, as well as with renovation and strategic changes to existing parks.

The development of Matt Garcia Community Park and other planned parks will bring new recreation amenities, including 6 soccer fields, 6 pickleball courts, 8 tennis courts, a dog park, a splash pad, and a playground. In addition to these, and recognizing that Octo Inn Park is intended to transition to a neighborhood park with open space conservation areas after soccer fields are replaced elsewhere, Fairfield would still need substantial additional recreation amenities to meet needs. Recommended amenity level of service for a variety of sports fields and sports courts, dog parks, playgrounds, and reservable picnic shelters is presented in Table 4-2 on the following page.

ADDITIONAL AMENITIES NEEDED BY 2038:

5

BASEBALL/SOFTBALL FIELDS

1 TENNIS COURT

4 VOLLEYBALL COURTS

3 MULTIUSE FIELDS

14 SOCCER FIELDS

1 SPLASH PAD

4 BASKETBALL COURTS

6 PICKLEBALL COURTS

7 PLAYGROUNDS

1 CRICKET FIELD

8 RESERVABLE PICNIC SHELTERS

TABLE 4-2 | Recreation Amenity Level of Service Standards and Amenity Needs

OUTDOOR AMENITIES

Note:

4.4 FACILITY NEEDS

Recommendations for facilities aim to address the condition and functionality issues identified in the facility assessments, better accommodate the programming needs that were identified through the programming analysis, and address the community priorities for programming that were uncovered throughout the community engagement process.

All these considerations together indicate a need for:

1. A major renovation of the Adult Recreation Center , creating nodes of multi-generational, senior services, and pre-school/after school spaces;

2. A interior refresh of the Fairfield Community Center , reorganizing space to imrpove utilization and flexibility, updating finishes and systems, and adding new technology;

3. A major renovation of the Allan Witt Aquatics Center , updating systems and replacing the dehumidifier and other failed mechanical systems; and

4. A refresh of the Allan Witt Sports Center , addressing deferred maintenance issues and upgrading systems.

Table 4-3 outlines each facility, what improvements are recommended for the site, and how those improvements would affect capacity, revenue potential, operational efficiency, and functionality; as well as the estimated dollar amount of identified deferred maintenance.

Concepts for each facility are illustrated in Chapter 5.

TABLE 4-3 | Fairfield Recreation Facility Assessment Summary

FACILITY

Increases Capacity Increases Revenue Potential Improves Operational Efficiency Improves Flexibility/Functionality Identified Deferred Maintenance*

* These dollar amounts are based off the draft FCA reports prepared for this analysis

Fairfield currently offers a broad range of recreation activities and programs for people of all ages. There is an opportunity to continue to refine program offerings with more training, post-program surveys, and overall communication.

4.5 PROGRAMMING RECOMMENDATIONS

An assessment of the City of Fairfield’s Parks & Recreation Department programming was an important component of this master planning process. That assessment included a definition of core program areas, ages served, lifecycle stage of programs, service classification, cost of service, and funding. It also considered the City’s practices around capturing data about program participation, conducting staff training, and communications and marketing methods. Findings are described in Chapter 2.

Overall, the City’s recreational programming is being conducted effectively. Nevertheless, community members are not fully aware of available programming, and have shown demand for more programming in some very specific areas. Nearly half of all respondents to the statistically-valid survey stated that they don’t know what is offered as a reason preventing them from participating in City of Fairfield recreation programs. Key recommendations follow.

• While the City uses the communications means that residents report they prefer (Activity Guide, Facebook, City website), many residents are not aware of programming. New effort needs to go into effective communications.

• Three types of recreation programming rise to the top of the community’s priority list for additional investment: adult fitness and wellness programs, community special events, cultural programs, and exercise classes for all ages. These should be a focus for shifts in programming.

• While most age groups are being well-served by a mix of recreation programming today, more resources could go into serving young adults (18-34).

• Fairfield is an extraordinarily diverse community. It is important for the City to reflect its diverse cultures in its recreation programming.

• While the City does track program participation for some program areas (Enrichment, Events), this should be broadened to cover all programming.

• The City actively trains staff, but there is room for growth in being consistent about updating policies and procedures, and in training on calculating/tracking the total cost of facilities and services.

• The City currently conducts post-program surveys, but could get a broader spectrum of community feedback by doing other types of user surveys (and surveys of non-users and lost customers.)

• Volunteers and other agency partners are valuable. The City is diligent about tracking volunteers, but can do more to have good systems in place for working with partners. This includes maintaining a list of all partner organizations, having a formal partnership policy, requiring a written agreement for all partnerships, and identifying measurable outcomes.

SERVICE CLASSIFICATION

Recreation programs were classified as essential, important, or value-added, with essential services having the broadest public benefit and value-added services resulting in individual more than public benefits. The PROSMP establishes cost recovery goals for each program, calibrated based on service class.

• Essential services, serving broad public benefit, may be largely supported with a 75% subsidy from the General Fund (taxes), with less than 25% of funding recovered through fees.

• Important services should be subsidized, with somewhere between 25% and 75% of cost being covered by fees,

• T he City should aim to recover over 75% of the costs of value-added services through fees.

Chapter 5 details ho this service classification translates to cost recovery and pricing recommendations.

4.6 MAINTENANCE RECOMMENDATIONS

The City’s maintenance efforts are expansive and address diverse aspects of maintaining high-quality facilities, amenities, and infrastructure to preserve the integrity of public assets and their use. The main objectives of the maintenance program, that frame the PROSMP recommendations, are as follows:

• Maintain and improve the sites, grounds, facilities, and structures of the Fairfield Parks and Recreation system to provide optimal and enjoyable use.

• Provide landscaping and general maintenance for a multitude of City amenities, including but not limited to, landscaped beds and turf, urban open spaces, urban forests, and selected City buildings and structures.

• Be responsive to maintenance needs of the City’s open-space tracts. Particular attention must be paid to access points, trail repair, erosion control, and trash removal.

• Protect and preserve the value of City assets so that long-term maintenance costs are minimal due to extending the service life of those assets.

MAINTENANCE MODES AND STANDARDS

It is recommended that the Fairfield Parks and Recreation Department adopt a system of park maintenance levels wherein functions are organized into a tiered structure with three different levels of service. These levels are referred to as maintenance modes, and each has a unique standard that dictates routine maintenance tasks and their frequency. The appropriate maintenance mode is assigned to each park or site, which creates a framework for organizing and scheduling tasks and responsibilities at each location, regardless of if the work is performed by city staff or third party contractors. A formal description of each of the maintenance modes is provided below:

MAINTENANCE MODE 1

Mode 1 applies to parks or sites that require the greatest level of maintenance standard in the system. These are typically highly developed parks with multiple amenities that are heavily used. Parks maintained under Mode 1 are generally regional parks, sports

complexes, and specific community parks, with exceptions in neighborhood parks and specialuse facilities.

MAINTENANCE MODE 2

Mode 2 applies to parks or sites that require a moderate level of effort and maintenance standards in the system. These include developed and undeveloped parks with amenities that are heavily used. Parks maintained under Mode 2 are generally neighborhood parks, special-use facilities, city facilities, and some community parks.

MAINTENANCE MODE

Mode 3 applies to parks or sites that require a nominal level of effort and maintenance standards in the system. These generally include undeveloped parks with minimal amenities. 3 2

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE STANDARDS

• Adhere to the National Recreation and Park Association/National Playground Safety Institute playground safety program and its policies and procedures for safety monitoring, inspection, and repairs.

• Establish maintenance standards and frequency levels for each type of amenity based on established expectations of the visitors to the parks and to meet customer-service requirements for a well-maintained parks system. These standards can vary by park or asset type, such as day use facilities, community centers, and regional parks.

• Train Department staff and partners in maintenance standards and frequency levels for care to meet the expectations of the visitors to the parks system.-

• Upgrade the amenities that have the highest level of use first in order to keep the sites well-valued in the local communities.

• Seek outside funding and other resources to fund improvements for each park.

• Involve local communities in “clean up, fix up” events to keep support strong for visitor appeal.

• Inspect sites and facilities on a regular basis to evaluate adherence to maintenance standards at a 90% or greater level of compliance.

• Management of natural and forested areas and the control of noxious weeds and invasive species should be in accordance with the policies and practices detailed by City ordinances and best industry practices.

STAFFING AND COSTS

• The City contributes roughly 4.1 FTE (full time equivalent) staff to recreation facility maintenance, and 10.8 FTE (including both City staff and contractors) to park maintenance activities focused primarily on repair, citizen inquires, and playground maintenance. This falls short of best

practice needs by some 4.5 FTE building maintenance staff and 7.9 FTE park maintenance staff. This means that a total of 12.4 additional FTE would be needed to maintain today’s parks and recreation system at a level desired by the City. These numbers could grow if costs continue to increase, meaning less work is done and quality goes down.

• In terms of budget, as of 2024 the City’s parks and trails receive an estimated $1.3 million in City operating funds and $1.0 million in third-party operating budget for maintenance. Comparing this with best practices on a per-acre and per-mile basis, this falls short of the budget that would be needed to maintain the current system, by an estimated $1.4 million annually. See Chapter 4 for more on best practices.

• These shortfalls could grow if costs continue to increase. Without additional resources, this would mean that less work could be done at each site, and the quality of the recreational experience would be diminished.

These findings are further detailed in Chapter 5.

4.7 ECOLOGICAL RECOMMENDATIONS

Fairfield’s parks and open spaces have great recreational value, of course – but they also contain natural communities and sensitive biological resources. Our analysis, described Chapter 2, found that the streams, wetlands, and riparian habitats are especially valuable ecological components of the landscape because they provide habitat for a wide variety of wildlife species and high plant diversity. Key recommendations for balancing recreation with ecological functioning follow, generally and for specific sites. Fully detailed recommendations can be found in Appendix F.

MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES & STRESSORS

Habitats within the City's parks and open space properties are subject to a number of management activities and external stressors that affect conditions for wildlife. For example, the City is responsible for mitigating fire fuel hazards. Mowing and grazing for fuels reduction can impact wildlilfe, and different approaches (e.g. mowing and grazing) involve tradeoffs that should be carefully considered.

RESTORATION POTENTIAL

The habitats within the parks and open space areas present several opportunities for restoration and enhancement. These actions could improve habitat conditions for a variety of wildlife including the special status species mentioned above.

Habitat enhancement could include activities such as invasive species removal, revegetation with native plants, and erosion repair. Restoration actions may include creation of habitat or habitat features such as installing a pond within a grassland setting or recontouring a stream channel to restore floodplain connectivity.

While some of these actions are relatively simple and inexpensive to undertake, others would require more significant investment of resources. Volunteer events are suitable for certain activities such as creek clean-ups and certain invasive plant removal activities. In contrast, channel recontouring would require approvals from regulatory agencies, design and engineering, and potentially high construction costs for implementation. Such a project would benefit from grant funding that may be available to support projects targeting special status species or watershed health.

NATURE EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES

Nature education programs are active at Rockville Hills Regional Park and at Dunnell Nature Park and Education Center, and there are opportunities for education programs at other parks and open space areas. This should involve ientifying partnering organizations and funding sources to support a nature education program, and evaluating opportunities on an individual park basis with input from adjacent schools and community members.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY

In some cases, further study is needed to accurately inform adaptive management or restoration activities. Biologists on the planning team identified several potential studies that were beyond the scope of this current effort but nonetheless could help the City inform the Master Plan for its parks and open spaces. For example, at the Cordelia Community Park, biologists recommended identifying and developing specific restoration opportunities that would be consistent with US Fish & Wildlife

biologists noted that an effort to control Giant reed (Arundo donax) along Ledgewood Creek would benefit from a targeted mapping effort to discern the acreage that would need to be treated. Recommendations for further study are noted for each site on the following pages.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SPECIFIC

Octo Inn

Supplemental analysis of the Octo Inn Soccer Complex property was done to assess specific ecological resources at the site and to discuss regulatory considerations associated with these resources. The analysis recommended that the City consider requiring avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures in contracts for projects that could impact biological resources at the site. The following list describes examples and categories

of measures that could be implemented to avoid or minimize impacts to biological resources on site:

• Delineate potentially jurisdictional aquatic resources

• Avoid and minimize impacts to aquatic resources. Avoidance could include exclusion fencing or clearly marking the limits of work so that aquatic resources are not impacted.If all impacts cannot be avoided,propose compensatory mitigation. Compensatory mitigation could include on-site wetland creation or enhancement, purchase of mitigation credits, in-lieu fee payment, or other suitable offset.

Octo Inn Soccer

Photo

Photo 4: Area 4

The Octo Inn site has areas of freshwater emergent wetland (mapped) and stream and riparian forest (observed).

• Pre-construction nesting bird surveys

• General pre-construction survey for terrestrial sensitive species (with focus on reptiles and amphibians)

• Swainson’s hawk protocol surveys

• Survey for special-status plants, if wetlands would be affected.

• Restoration: Controlling invasive plants would be a top priority for maintaining ecological integrity of the freshwater wetlands and riparian habitats on site. While these habitats do not appear likely to support special status species, this should be confirmed by further study. Invasive plant management would benefit other valuable wildlife that may utilize the site such as redwinged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) and pacific chorus frogs (Pseudacris regilla).

• Nature education/interpretation: Interpretive signage that identifies the sensitive habitats on site may help to discourage trampling and littering

• as well as encourage appreciation of the resources.

• Further study to delineate aquatic resources

Ledgewood Creek Trail

Ledgewood Creek runs along the western edge of the City of Fairfield. The Ledgewood Creek Trail follows a segment of the stream in which suburban development characterizes the land use to the east with agriculture to the west. The tree-lined trail includes views of the stream and associated riparian habitats.

• Riparian restoration: Invasive plant management, Native revegetation. In several locations, giant reed (Arundo donax) and Armenianblackberry (Rubus armeniacus) form dense stands. Removal of these species and revegetation with native riparian trees, shrubs, vines, and herbs create more diverse micro-habitats and enhance natural ecosystem processes.

• Nature education/interpretation: The trail could provide opportunities for enhanced public engagement. Targeted interpretive signs could be installed to inform trail users of the natural resources present. Volunteer events could assist with targeted management of certain invasive plant species such as oblong spurge (Euphorbia oblongata). Students could benefit from educational field days for nature observation and study.

• Further study of resource enhancement to support regional priorities e.g. water quality

Ledgewood Creek Trail follows the border between suburban development and agriculture.

Laurel Creek is heavily altered and managed for flood conveyance. The creek corridor would benefit from targeted planting of native species.

Laurel Creek Trail

Laurel Creek is the largest creek within the City of Fairfield’s urban core. It is heavily altered and managed for flood conveyance purposes. Nonetheless, the channel provides significant habitat features despite being completely constrained.

• Restoration: the creek corridor would benefit from targeted planting of native woody species in locations where such activity would not conflict with flood control objectives. For example, in the upper reaches of the creek where it adjoins the Paradise Valley Golf Course, revegetation could support enhanced habitat with access to a broader corridor.

• Nature education/interpretation: The trail’s proximity to a large urban population could present opportunities for nature education and wildlife observation.

• Corridors: Because the channel connects Suisun Marsh to the hills of the Coast Range, the creek trail section may provide a unique

• Opportunity to provide refugia for aquatic species.

• Further study to assess current and potential wildlife utilization as a corridor and r eview of channel maintenance activities

Linear Park Trail

While most of the Linear Park Trail passes through highly urbanized parts of Fairfield and does not provide substantial habitat benefits, the segment of the trail that follows Suisun Creek does contain significant habitat values.

• Restoration: Planting elderberry shrubs would enhance the potential range of the Valley elderberry longhorn beetles. Invasive plant management within the riparian corridor could target invasive species such as periwinkle and English ivy.

• Nature education/interpretation: Based on proximity to Solano Community College, there may be opportunities for outdoor education as part of the existing ecology or biology curriculum.Further study of focused evaluation of site access points

• Further study to evaluate safe access points would be a beneficial step to accompany any expansion of nature education or recreational access to the creek.

The segment of Linear Park that follows Suisun Creek contains habitat value.

Rockville Hills Regional Park

The park covers 633 acres with a mosaic of natural habitats and associated wildlife. The park contains a network of trails that supports hiking, biking, and equestrian uses.

• Opportunities restoration, nature education/ interpretation, and ecological corridors

• Further study to assess effect of grazing on wetlands and streamsoristic, chaparral and grassland, impact of Sudden Oak Death, and feasibility for prescribed fire

Cordelia Community Park

Cordelia Community Park mainly contains developed features such as ball fields, turf areas and other recreation facilities; however, it also contains less intensively managed areas that abut rangeland open space to the west.

• Restoration: Controlling invasive plants would improve the ecological integrity of habitats on site. Increasing herbaceous cover and the duration of water within the channel and any nearby pond features could also improve conditions for California red-legged frogs.

• Nature education/interpretation: Interpretive signage that identifies the sensitive habitats on site may encourage appreciation of the resources.

• Further study to identify priority restoration actions from USFWS recovery plan for CA red-legged frogs

Dunnell Nature Park & Education Center

The nature park and education center provide a vibrant combination of a natural creek and riparian area with restored grassland and other native plantings. The site contains appreciable value as habitat for wildlife,including a notable ostentation of peacocks.

• Restoration: Planting more elderberry shrubs would enhance the potential site suitability for valley elderberry longhorn beetles. Invasive plant management within the riparian corridor could provide opportunities for natural recruitment or planting of native riparian understory plants.

• Nature education/interpretation: Nature education and interpretation is well established and functioning well- existing programs should continue to be supported.

• Further study to assess potential to improve connectivity with adjacent open spaces

Wetlands and Oak Woodlands at Rockville Hills Regional Park.

Rolling Hills & Serpas Ranch Open Spaces

These properties include oak woodland, grassland, riparian, and freshwater wetland habitats. These habitats range in quality from grasslands dominated by native herbaceous species to riparian ecosystems degraded by erosion. While the plan does not definitively state whether special status species were present on-site, the authors did suggest that potential habitat for CA red-legged frogs and Calippe silver-spot butterfly could be enhanced on site.

• Restoration: Supplemental seeding and planting could enhance understory diversity in the park’s oak woodlands and grasslands. In addition, the grazing plan could be complemented by targeted supplemental invasive plant management to reduce invasive plant species that could limit understory diversity.

• Nature education/interpretation: The park already hosts several programs for nature education including guided hikes with the park ranger and the field trips for students through the Watershed Explorers program run by the Solano Resource Conservation District. The extensive trail network appears to effectively balance access for nature education and protection of natural resources.

• Corridors: Rockville Hills Regional Park is immediately adjacent to Patwino Worrtla Kodoi Dihi Open Space Park which is managed by Solano

• Land Trust. Together they form a substantial corridor for wildlife that connects to vast tracts of wildlands within the Vaca Hills and the eastern ridge of the Napa River watershed.

• Further study to assess the effect of grazing on streams and wetlands, floristic studies in chaparral and grassland, effect of sudden oak death on oak populations, and feasibility study for prescribed fire in parts of the park.

Paradise Valley Golf Course

This golf course encompasses parts of Laurel Creek and Soda Springs Creek which have high potential to contain sensitive biological resources. The creek channels within the golf course appear to support a mature, contiguous riparian canopy that runs through the entire property providing a hydrologic connection to natural ecosystems upstream and downstream.

• Restoration and enhancement activities such as riparian planting and invasive plant management

• Further study would be to identify examples of how such restoration could be accomplished compatibly with the uses of the golf course

Dover Park & Civic Center Park

Dover Park and Civic Center Park have both attracted waterfowl and other birds. These populations were not included in the detailed ecological analysis but are an obvious presence in these spaces. The egrets at Dover Park and the ducks and geese at Civic Center Park can be nuisances and deter park use. Creating a suitable habitat for them elsewhere and relocating the birds would make the parks more accessible for human use.

Riparian Corridor at Dunnell Nature Park

IMPLEMENTATION 5

IN THIS CHAPTER:

5.1 Action Plan

5.2 Envisioning Change at Specific Sites

5.3 Total Cost of Ownership

5.4 Funding

5.5 Call to Action

How do we make the plan a reality? We start with an “action plan,” identifying the critical priorities for creating and sustaining parks, recreation and open spaces over the next 15 years. We then introduce the important framework of understanding the total cost of ownership, from construction through operations, and long-term maintenance over time.

This chapter summarizes capital costs for building new parks and for introducing or replacing specific elements into parks. It then turns to maintenance funding and staffing needs, and concludes with a funding strategy, providing a comprehensive menu of funding sources and their relevance for Fairfield.

5.1

ACTION PLAN

This section presents park improvements and operational changes that emerged as critical priorities through the planning process. These projects are informed by the community priorities we heard through engagement and surveys; site, facility and programming assessments conducted early in the process; the strategic goals and objectives and level of service considerations presented in Chapter 4; and cost implications and funding sources laid out in this chapter. These projects vary in terms of their complexity, level of effort, and cost. Most involve physical improvements, but others concern recreational programming, marketing, and maintenance. The Action Plan is presented in tabular form on the following pages. The tables are followed by illustrations and summaries of ideas for key sites. More detailed action plans for each site are inlucded in Appendix E. The Action Plan should be used as a resource for the City's capital improvement programs and annual budgets in the years to come.

ACTION PLAN HIGHLIGHTS:

NEAR TERM Maintenance & Lifecycle Replacement

MID TERM

Adult Recreation Center (ARC) and Fairfield Community Center

LONG TERM

Allan Witt Park Aquatic Complex

TABLE 5-1 | Action Plan for Near, Mid-, and Long-Term Improvements (continued)

MID TERM (5-10 YEARS)

LONG TERM (10+ YEARS)

5.2 ENVISIONING CHANGE AT SPECIFIC SITES

Most of Fairfield’s parks require regular investment in the form of periodic repair and replacement of features and ongoing maintenance. This need is reflected in the “Maintenance and Lifecycle Replacement” line associated with each phase of the Action Plan. A smaller number of parks have more significant needs—or present exciting opportunities for change. These sites each have their “lines” in the Action Plan. Conceptual illustrations of what these improvements could include were developed and tested with the community. These are shown and summarized here. In one case (Allan Witt Community Park), the concept shown is from the adopted master plan for that park, and is offered for consideration of potential adjustments.

ALLAN WITT COMMUNITY PARK

As of the writing of The PROSMP, the first and second phases (skate park and dog park) of the 8-phase Allan Witt Park Renovation Plan (2018) have been completed, and the third phase (the play area) is under construction. Future planned improvements will include (in order of current phasing):

• Softball fields (3), including one that will be multiuse with soccer, in the center and southeastern corner of the park;

• Community gathering area including a plaza with entry arch and large shade shelter, in the center of the park;

• Artificial turf sport field (south side of park);

• Tennis courts, pickleball courts, and basketball courts (west central area);

• Little League fields renovation, and addition of Challenger and practice field (southwest).

In some cases, facilities would replace or repair existing facilities. Others represent new recreation facilities. In each phase, circulation improvements would be included. Notably, the plan includes a interior circulation roadway with parking and lighting. Completing the renovation of Allan Witt Park is a high priority for the Fairfield PROSMP, because of its critical importance to providing recreation opportunities in the heart of Fairfield. Ideas that came from this process which may be considered to adjust the current Renovation Plan include:

• Adjust circulation to create a good walking loop or loops, addressing this high community priority.

• Ensure that a multiuse field is available for informal community use.

• Strengthen the park nucleus as a special gathering area.

• Explore electrical and irrigation changes, and address the need for turf rehabilitation and tree service.

Ensuring a strong sense of safety is critical for this park. Community members also described the importance of maintaining the restrooms and providing clear and consistent rules about community access to sports facilities.

The Allan Witt Park Master Plan as adopted in 2018 is shown on Figure 5-1.

FIGURE 5-1 | Allan Witt Park Renovation Plan

ALLAN WITT SPORTS COMPLEX AND AQUATICS CENTER

The PROSMP process also revealed the need for minor improvements to the Allan Witt Sports Complex, critical repairs to the Aquatics Center, and the addition of more shade structures and seating and facilitating rental for group events. As a potential next step, the City should study aquatics

Allan Witt Community Park Aquatics Center

FIGURE 5-2 | Allan Witt Aquatics Center Renovation Concept

o Update exterior lighting for nighttime programming

o Add more shade structures and seating

o Address deferred maintenance on pool structures and slides

o Facilitate rental for group events

EXTERIOR POOL DECK & AQUATICS

need in more detail and explore a rebuild of the Aquatics Center to provide a 25-year, 8-lane pool that can truly serve the community’s needs.

These improvements should be considered in an integrated way with the renovation of Allan Witt Community Park. This would be an ambitious project requiring substantial community support and resources.

Concepts for these two facilities are shown on Figures 5-2 and Figure 5-3.

RECOMMENDED SPACE PROGRAM

o Improvements underway to address flexibility

o Being able to serve both internal and external aquatic users

o Size is sufficient

o Upgrade finishes

o Upgrade technology (PA system and heat)

o Rebuild to include full-size pool as a potential second phase

o Replace dehumidifier and other failed mechanical systems

FAIRFIELD PARKS,

Allan Witt Community Park Sports Center

o Recent interior and finish upgrades

o Upgrade security systems and technology

o Update bleachers to be ADA compliant

o Upgrade finishes/ flooring

RECOMMENDED SPACE PROGRAM

BLEACHERS

o Recent interior and finish upgrades

o Upgrade exterior doors to auto ADA doors

o Upgrade security systems

o Recent interior and finish upgrades

o Add curtain to separate courts during multiple games

o Address deferred HVAC maintenance

o Add PA system and upgrade scoreboard

o Functioning well and frequently maintained

GYMNASIUM/ SPORT COURTS

MEZZANINE

#1

#2

FIGURE 5-3 | Allan Witt Sports Complex Renovation Concept

2020

CIVIC CENTER PARK

Civic Center Park today is an underused resource in the heart of the city. The PROSMP recommends that the City undertake a master plan effort for this site to address its potential to be an inclusive and inviting gathering place for the community. Specific ideas include:

• Repurposing a portion of the existing pond and creating a plaza that can host a farmers’ market and larger events.

• Creating a destination play area and multiuse lawn.

• Providing additional sports courts.

• Complete the walking loop around the park and adding more seating.

• Creating a welcoming pedestrian entrance from Pennsylvania Avenue, and an enhanced pedestrian connection to the Adult Recreation Center.

Today, this site is approximately 9 acres in size. In the long term, it could expand to include portions of neighboring public properties.

Figure 5-4 shows a concept for Civic Center Park near and long-term stages.

FAIRFIELD COMMUNITY CENTER & ADULT RECREATION CENTER

The PROSMP also recommends substantial changes to the Fairfield Community Center and the Adult Recreation Center (ARC), both of which should be considered in relation to Civic Center Park as a nucleus of recreation and civic life.

Renovation of the Fairfield Community Center should be done with the intention of positioning

that building for success as a rentable space for community events and ongoing programs.

The Adult Recreation Center, meanwhile, should be updated and enhanced to serve the full community. This should include updating the space to be more welcoming, and creating distinct, functional areas for senior service, pre-school/ after-school, and multi-generational space.

Concepts for these two facilities are shown on Figure 5-5 and Figure 5-6.

Civic Center Park

FIGURE 5-4 | Civic Center Park Concept

Remove second half of pond, keep pond in this area

Complete walking loop

Update and enhance the Fairfild Community Center, focusing on renting out space for events and programs.

Plaza big enough to hold events and farmer’s market

Landmark play area

Expanded active recreation courts

Walking loop includes sculpture moments (throughout)

Enhanced pedestrian connection to ARC

Multi-use lawn

Update and enhance the Adult Recreation to serve the full community.

Gateway at Pennsylvalia Avenue

FIGURE 5-5 | Adult Recreation Center Renovation Concept

o Use existing storage space to convert to kitchen

o Improve kitchen to be enclosed

o Entrance/ lobby renovated to be a community hub (a place to plug in, comfortable seating, etc.)

o Christiansen room gets own exterior access

ROOM

o Convert after school office to meeting room

o After school office moved to be with other staff space

o Game/ card room becomes a community living room

o Renovated to become flexible

o Add programs and services

o High priority programs:

o Afterschool programs

o Adult sports leagues

o STEAM/ Tech classes

o Cultural enrichment

Adult Recreation Center RECOMMENDED SPACE PROGRAM

o Reconfigure and refresh assembly hall

o Keeps exterior access

o Pool room interior refresh

o Relocate bocce & shuffleboard activities to alternate locations such as existing bocce courts south of center

Fairfield Community Center SPACE UTILIZATION: PROGRAM

FIGURE 5-6 | Fairfield Community Center Renovation Concept

o Reorganize to address limited circulation

o Update finishes

o Add comfortable seating and waiting space

o Update finishes

o Reconfigure staff space to address underutilization

o Currently has limited flexibility

o Add sufficient power supply for usage

o Additional workstations

o Refresh finishes

o Improve flexibility: smaller tables needed for trainings

o Update finishes

o Update finishes and technology

o Upgrade security systems

o Refresh finishes and deferred maintenance needs

o Add storage; current storage is not sufficient for use

o Some technology updates; new projectors, etc.

Fairfield Community Center

o Improve storage options

o Update finishes and modernize partition

o Add modern learning technology

o Convert to staff break area

o Update finishes

SPACE UTILIZATION: PROGRAM

ADD LARGE GLASS DOOR/ WALL

• Leasing out courtyard and patio

RENTAL FACILITY

• Position the facility to be available for increased community rentals

• Emphasis on renting classrooms for ongoing programs

• Renting space for temporary events

Entrance, classroom, and Willow Hall, Fairfield Community Center

VISTA

OCTO INN PARK

As the City’s main hub for soccer, Octo Inn plays a crucial role in Fairfield’s recreation scene. At nearly 40 acres in area, Octo Inn is one of Fairfield’s largest parks, and currently provides four soccer fields used by the Solano Surf soccer club for practices and games. The site also features a substantial area of natural habitats including freshwater wetland habitats and riparian trees adjacent to the managed playing fields. Soccer games bring traffic and parking to the neighborhood adjacent to the park.

In the near term, the PROSMP recommends that the City explore options to create parking and access for the Octo Inn site from the south and to close parking on the park’s northern edge, to relieve parking and traffic conflicts. This will require resources not currently available.

In the longer term, the PROSMP recommends that new soccer facilities be completed elsewhere in Fairfield. When that happens, there is an opportunity to naturalize portions of the current soccer fields and create walking paths and trails in a restored natural environment on a majority of the site. The site has intrinsic value for hydrology,

plants and wildlife. This ecological enhancement can help rebalance bird roosting activities at other neighborhood parks that deter human use and may be curtailed. Up to two practice fields could remain, and neighborhood park improvements could be made on a smaller footprint.

Figure 5-7 shows a concept for adapting Octo Inn, in near and long-term stages.

Octo Inn Park

130 FAIRFIELD PARKS, RECREATION & OPEN SPACE MASTER PLAN

FIGURE 5-7 | Octo Inn Park Concept

Immediate phase: complete walking loop

Immediate phase: emphasize greenway to Mankas park

Future phase: create neighborhood park

Middle ground: retain up to 2 soccer fields for practice

Future phase: naturalize all areas and create walking trails along fields to minimize disturbance

Respect riparian buffer in all phases

Immediate phase: open new parking lot with pedestrian connection to rest of park

DOVER PARK

Dover Park (8.7 acres) serves a neighborhood that has higher need, with a higher-density and lowerincome population with a greater proportion of children and youth compared to Fairfield as a whole. It is an important opportunity to provide better recreation options where they can have the greatest benefit. Today, Dover Park is organized around two ponds with fountains. While these ponds have visual appeal, they take space that could be used for active recreation. The many water fowl and other birds who use these ponds have created an unpleasant environment for people at ground level.

The PROSMP recommends repurposing some or all of the ponds to create space for a multiuse field or fields, adding more lighting and comfort amenities, and supporting community events like movie nights, dance programs, performances, and other multi-cultural programs. Natural ecosystem enhancements are recommended for other parks and open spaces to rebalance habitat and recreational demands.

TABOR PARK

Tabor Park (approximately 6 acres) is also in a neighborhood where more recreation amenities can serve a community in need of more space to gather and play. At this site, community members said that off-leash dogs are an issue, and that a soccer field available for community use would be welcome. The PROSMP recommends:

• Add a complete walking loop.

• Add a multi-use field that can be utilized for informal sports.

• Add and improve comfort amenities like lighting, seating, and shade.

• Enhance the alleyway connection with safety features for greater access to the park.

• Clarify the rules around off-leash dogs and add clear signage explaining the rules; consider adding a fenced, off-leash dog area.

Figure 5-8 shows a concept for enhancing Tabor Park.

Tabor Park

Dover Park

FIGURE 5-8 | Tabor Park Concept

Add multi-use field that can be used for informal sports

Keep paved area

Add shade trees throughout, primarly near play area

Enhance alleyway connection with safety features, especially lighting

Dog park in existing sand pit with large and small dog areas

Add recreation feature that is needed in the community and preferred in the neighborhood

Add picnic area

Turf reduction with low maintenance native planting

Tabor Park

LAUREL CREEK PARK

Laurel Creek Park features a baseball complex, a large playground and picnic area, a recreation center, a multiuse field, and a parking lot on a 29-acre site. It’s a classic community park. Over the course of the planning period, the PROSMP recommends that improvements be made to make Laurel Creek Park more functional and more appealing. These recommendations include the following:

• Better connect the park to the Laurel Creek Trail, including a small new trailhead parking area.

• Add a complete walking loop around the site, with multiple loop options and lighting and an exercise circuit.

• Create a small plaza at the entrance to the baseball fields.

• Expand and improve the play areas.

• Relocate and improve the restrooms.

• Add more comfort amenities, like trash cans, lighting, and picnic spaces.

• Program this park with community events and services, like food trucks.

Laurel Creek Park

134 FAIRFIELD PARKS, RECREATION & OPEN SPACE MASTER PLAN

FIGURE 5-9 | Laurel Creek Park Concept

Strong connection to Laurel Creek Trail

Multi-use event lawn

Complete walking loop with length markings and exercise circuit along walking paths

Connection to recreation center

Use school parking during non-school hours and summers

Keep ballfields, potential for lighting improvements

Small trail parking area that can be used for events service parking and new pedestrian crossing

Expanded and improved play area

Reorganized rentable picnic area

New splash pad

Relocated and improved restrooms

Plaza at ballfields

Pedestrian entry and small lawn at Peppertree Drive

Turf reduction areas (throughout)

Upgrade Existing Trail for Safety

LINEAR PARK

Linear Park has the potential to be a great asset for Fairfield, as it provides an off-street path that—with the completion of a few more segments—will traverse Fairfield nearly end to end. New segments of the Linear Park will be developed as part of future development in northeast Fairfield. In order to make existing segments more attractive and functional, The PROSMP also recommends:

• Remove targeted vegetation to improve visibility along the trail and from street crossings.

• Add and improve signage, mile markers, and other wayfinding elements.

Ag Education Opportunities

• Complete a fully connected, paved bicycle path for an active transportation network.

• Add traffic calming measures at intersections.

• Increase community programming to activate the space.

Temporary Events

75

Concept Plan

Figure A.3 GOALS & OBJECTIVES TO ENHANCE THE EXISTING LINEAR PARK CORRIDOR

Utilize Vacant Sites Adjacent to the Linear Park Corridor

Linear Park

FIGURE

5-10 | Linear Park Concept (Detail)

Paved bike path allows active transportation

Traffic calming at intersections

Wayfinding from vehicular roads

Remove vegetation to improve visibility

Soft pedestrian path with meandering alignment

Improved seating amenity pods along trail

Wayfinding signage throughout trail

OPEN SPACES

Fairfield has roughly 832 acres of City-owned open space above and beyond Rockville Hills Regional Park. Some of Fairfield’s public open spaces have limited, informal trails. Serpas Ranch and Rolling Hills Open Space are the subject of a management plan (2023) that identifies selective habitat enhancement and stream stabilization actions for wetland, pond, and stream management.

The PROSMP recommends making targeted investments to enable appropriate recreational use of these and other public open spaces, including:

• Add trailhead signage and amenities for greater ease of use.

• Where possible, add more trail access points.

• Prioritize ecological restoration.

• Improve fire prevention efforts.

Serpas Ranch Open Space

Spyglass Hill Open Space

Rolling Hills Open Space

FIGURE 5-11 | Open Space Enhancement Concept

Add trailhead signage and amenities for greater ease of use.

Where possible, add more trail access points.

Prioritize ecological restoration.

Improve fire prevention efforts.

Rolling Hills Open Space

Connection to Dunnell Nature Park

Connecting to Rolling Hills Park On street connections

Rolling Hills Open Space

Serpas Ranch Open Space

5.3 TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP

Total cost of ownership is a simple idea that tends to be overlooked. That is, parks cost money not just to build, but to maintain and sustain over time. It is one thing to allocate one-time funds to park construction in a Capital Improvement Program, with the satisfying result of a new park. It is another thing to recognize the incremental increase in maintenance and lifecycle replacement costs every year in the future. The goal is to establish a sustainable strategy to maintain and operate a top-tier parks and recreation system over time.

Here, a summary of cost estimates is provided, to help the City budget for park construction, lifecycle improvements, and ongoing maintenance, and to support the development of an appropriate park development impact fee. Capital and maintenance costs are provided by park type for the three park types of park prioritized in the Plan: Community Parks, Neighborhood Parks, and Greenways, Paths and Trails. Estimated costs and estimated lifecycles are also provided for an extensive list of recreation facilities and park amenities.

Note that all estimates are recorded in 2024 dollars. A 3-5% annual escalation should be applied to the pricing schedule. Cost estimates do not include demolition of existing infrastructure, nor do they include “soft” costs. Summaries of each category are outlined on the following pages, and cost estimates are provided in the tables that follow.

CAPITAL INVESTMENT

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE

TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP

LIFECYCLE REPLACEMENTS

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS

Capital cost estimates will be used to guide the City in designing and building new parks, inform the establishment of a developer impact fee, and set expectations for developers. Capital costs by park type are summarized in the table below and detailed in the following pages. Pocket Park capital costs are not provided, as they are not a priority for future development with City involvement. Cost estimates are summarized in Table 5-2, and detailed in Tables 5-3, 5-4, and 5-5.

Community Parks

Capital costs for improvements to existing Community Parks are estimated at $746,700 per acre. Capital costs for new Community Parks are estimated at $2,530,000 per acre. These estimates are based on the most current estimated costs for planned improvements at Allan Witt Community Park and at the future Matt Garcia Community Park.

Neighborhood Parks

Capital costs for new neighborhood parks are estimated to range from $1,209,700 to $1,438,700 per acre. Costs are estimated based on a template for a typical neighborhood park, which includes general improvements, required amenities, and an allowance for additional amenities.

Greenways, Paths & Trails

Capital costs for Greenways, Paths and Trails are estimated to range from $847,000 to $1,023,000 for enhancements to existing segments, and from $2,265,300 to $2,711,900 per mile for new segments. Costs are estimated based on typical amenities, shown as a per-mile cost.

Allan Witt Community Park imprvvements, 2024.

TABLE

ALLAN WITT COMMUNITY PARK (PLANNED RENOVATED PARK)

Phase 1 $430,000

$409,500 Skate Park: remove concession stand, interim access road, perimater fence and gates, graffiti removal

Dog Park and Entry Enhancements: small and large dog parks, small shade structure, parking lot, roundabout, park entry sign, road realignment Phase

Softball Fields: two softball fields, parking lot, fitness course, fitness track loop, san volleyball, park road extension

Unique Feature

Amenity Allowance -Medium Feature

$127,500 $172,500

Amenity Allowance - Small Feature

Workhorse Programming

Playground with Shade Structure and Solid-State Accessible Surfacing

20' x 20' Shelter

Double Multipurpose Court (Lighted)

Picnic Meadow and Multipurpose Field

Support Amenities

Fencing Allowance

Walking Loop

Site Furniture Allowance

Drinking Fountain

Landscaping and Turf Allowance

Signage Allowance

$85,000 $115,000

Allowance to add amenity per community input during planning process. Includes dog park with lighting, fitness course along trail, unlit tennis or pickleball courts, small pump track,

Allowance to add amenity per community input during planning process. This category includes shuffleboard courts, roller rink, volleyball courts, 1-mile unpaved nature trail (can be alongside paved trail)

$374,000 $506,000 Playground equipment ages 2-5 and 6-12 with swings, and solid-state accessible surfacing

$425,000 $575,000 Serves 30-32 people

$280,500 $379,500 Sports Court (basketball primary) with optional lights and bleachers

$85,000 $115,000 1 acre of turf, no striping, only for informal recreation

$212,500 $287,500 Limit Use. Access Control, 2-Rail Wood Fence, Maintenance.

$467,500 $632,500 Asphalt or Concrete Walkway, 1/2 Mile x 8 ft. wide (Lighted)

$123,250 $166,750 Park benches (some on concrete slabs), trash cans; bike racks, accessible picnic tables, picnic tables

$12,750 $17,250 Includes water line connection

$170,000 $230,000 1 acre of low maintenance, climate adapted planting

$340,000 $460,000 Entrance sign, rule signage, wayfinding signage

SUBTOTAL $2,703,000 $3,657,000

TABLE 5-4 | Estimated Captial Costs for 5-Acre New Neighborhood Park, continued

TABLE 5-5 | Estimated Captial Costs for Enhancing Existing Greenways, Paths and Trails

TABLE

5-6 | Estimated Captial Costs for New Greenways, Paths and Trails

New Trail Construction

Separated Use Asphalt Trail 1

DG soft surface trail

Intersection Improvements

Support Amenities

Site Furniture Allowance

Drinking Fountain

Landscaping and Signage Allowance

SUBTOTAL

$433,500.00

$586,500.00 8' wide trail with striping, not lighted

$136,000.00 $184,000.00 3' wide trail (either shoulder or separate), no stabilization

$170,000.00 $230,000.00 Safety improvements at key intersections, including signage, sightline improvements, and lighting.

$51,000.00 $69,000.00 Park benches (on concrete slabs), trash cans; bike racks, picnic tables at nodes

$12,750.00 $17,250.00 Includes water line connection

$170,000.00 $230,000.00

planting, entrance sign, rule signage, wayfinding signage

Conditions and Sitework

Conditions (10%), temporary protection, clear and grub, clean and structural fill (1.5"), storm water allowance, drainage allowance, laser grading Construction Management

1 Concrete, lighted path will require additional cost.

LIFECYCLE REPLACEMENT

Park elements wear down with use and with age, and eventually need to be replaced. Table 5-7 provides cost estimates and lifecycle periods for an extensive menu of individual amenities. Amenities are grouped into categories: recreation amenities, passive amenities, structures, furnishings, planting and irrigation, paving, and fencing. This table may also be used to estimate the cost of adding new features to a park, or estimating the cost of a new park. It’s important to note that the estimates do not include costs associated with design and permitting (“soft costs”), demolition, site preparation, or irrigation.

LIFECYCLE OF AN ELEMENT

All park elements age and eventually need to replaced. The lifecycle of an element is variable and depends on its nature and use. Batting cages, for example, typically last between 5 and 10 years before needing to be replaced.

TABLE 5-7 | Estimated Lifecycle Replacement Period and Costs for Typical Park Improvements

site preparation, land aquisition and other costs are not included in the estimates.

PARK OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE

All of the City’s parks require regular maintenance to remain safe, functional, desirable places to recreate. Maintenance functions range from basic landscape maintenance to equipment operations and repair (e.g. irrigation) and upkeep of restrooms and other buildings Park operations and maintenance were assessed to understand the existing lines of service, staff hours, and cost of services. Comparing these findings with best practices reveals the additional staff and funding needed to adequately maintain Fairfield’s existing parks. The recommendations for park operations and maintenance are summarized in Chapter 4 and the full analysis is presented in Tables 5-8 and 5-9.

PARK MAINTENANCE FUNDING NEEDED:

AOB* (Annual Operations Budget)

FUNDING NEEDED

$1,405,029

AOB* (CITY)

$1,095,071

PARK AND FACILITY MAINTENANCE STAFFING NEEDED:

AOB* (THIRD PARTY)

$1,051,000

PARK AND FACILITY MAINTENANCE STAFFING NEEDED:

TABLE 5-8 | Park and Facility Maintenance Staffing Needed

1 Full-Time Equivalent

TABLE 5-9 | Park Maintenance Funding Needed

CITY = $910,000 Personnel Expenditures (7.9 FTE) + $490,000 (or 35%) Non-Personnel Expenditures

5.4 FUNDING

Predicting the costs of creating, maintaining, and operating a parks and recreation system is important, and so is planning for how to meet those costs. This section summarizes a range of potential funding sources. These include the most common sources that go into the City’s General Fund and support park maintenance and recreation programming (e.g. tax support); and sources most often used to build new facilities (capital fees such as development impact fees). They also include:

• External funding sources like foundations, private donations and friends groups;

• User fees for participation in sports leagues, use of facilities, or participation in recreation activities;

• Grant funding sources (e.g., State sources that support parks, active transportation, etc.)

• Franchises and licenses , such as contracts with private recreation providers and interlocal agreements.

Funding sources are complex and may require City resources and staff time to pursue.

Table 5-10 breaks down potential funding opportunities by category, strategy, and feasibility. It also includes a brief description of each strategy. FUNDING

External Funding

Corporate Sponsorships

Crowdfunding

This revenue-funding source allows corporations to invest in the development or enhancement of new or existing facilities in park systems. Sponsorships are also highly used for programs and events. Medium

Fairly new web-based source which aggregates funds from a group of people who are willing to support a specific project, be it program related or facility related. Some sites that successfully do that are www.kickstarter.org and www.razoo.com etc.

Partnerships

Foundations/Gifts

Partnerships are joint development funding sources or operational funding sources between two separate agencies, such as two government entities, a non-profit and a City department, or a private business and a City department. Two partners jointly develop revenue producing park and recreation facilities and share risk, operational costs, responsibilities and asset management, based on the strengths and weaknesses of each partner.

These dollars are raised from tax-exempt, non-profit organizations established with private donations in promotion of specific causes, activities, or issues. They offer a variety of means to fund capital projects, including capital campaigns, gifts catalogs, fundraisers, endowments, sales of items, etc.

Private Donations may also be received in the form of funds, land, facilities, recreation equipment, art or in-kind services. Donations from local and regional businesses as sponsors for events or facilities should be pursued.

Friends Groups

Irrevocable

Remainder Trusts

These groups are formed to raise money typically for a single focus purpose that could include a park facility or program that will better the community as a whole and their special interest.

These trusts are set up with individuals who typically have more than a million dollars in wealth. They will leave a portion of their wealth to the City in a trust fund that allows the fund to grow over a period of time and then is available for the City to use a portion of the interest to support specific park and recreation facilities or programs that are designated by the trustee.

Private Donations

FUNDING STRATEGY

Volunteerism

Special Fundraisers

Capital Fees

Capital Fees

Dedication/Development Fees

User Fees

Recreation Service Fees

Fees/Charges

Ticket Sales/Admissions

Permits (Special Use Permits)

FUNDING DESCRIPTION

The revenue source is an indirect revenue source in that persons donate time to assist the department in providing a product or service on an hourly basis. This reduces the City’s cost in providing the service plus it builds advocacy into the system.

Many park and recreation agencies have special fundraisers on an annual basis to help cover specific programs and capital projects. Low

Capital fees are added to the cost of revenue producing facilities such as golf courses, pools, recreation centers, hospitality centers and sports complexes and are lifted off after the improvement is paid off. Low

These fees are assessed for the development of residential properties with the proceeds to be used for parks and recreation purposes, such as open space acquisitions, community park site development, neighborhood park development, regional park acquisition and development, etc.

Reservations

This is a dedicated user fee, which can be established by a local ordinance or other government procedures for the purpose of constructing and maintaining recreation facilities. The fee can apply to all organized activities, which require a reservation of some type or other purposes, as defined by the local government. Examples of such activities include adult basketball, volleyball, tennis, and softball leagues, youth baseball, soccer, football and softball leagues, and special interest classes. The fee allows participants an opportunity to contribute toward the upkeep of the facilities being used. High

The Department must position its fees and charges to be market-driven and based on both public and private facilities. The potential outcome of revenue generation is consistent with national trends relating to public park and recreation agencies, which generate an average 35% to 50% of operating expenditures.

This revenue source is on accessing facilities for self-directed activities such as pools, ice skating rinks, ballparks and entertainment facilities. These user fees help offset operational costs.

These special permits allow individuals to use specific park property for financial gain. The City either receives a set amount of money or a percentage of the gross service that is being provided.

This revenue source comes from the right to reserve specific public property for a set amount of time. The reservation rates are usually set and apply to group picnic shelters, meeting rooms for weddings, reunions and outings or other types of facilities for special activities.

High

High

High

High

FUNDING STRATEGY

Equipment Rental

Grants

Various

Tax Support

Property Taxes

Lighting and Landscape

District/Community Facility Districts

Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Tax

Special Improvement District/ Benefit District

FUNDING DESCRIPTION

Revenue could be generated by the rental of equipment such as tables, chairs, tents, stages, bicycles, roller blades, boogie boards, etc. that are used for recreation purposes. This is not done currently (2024). Low

Sales Tax

Food and Beverage Tax

Grants from State or federal governments, foundations, businesses and non-profits may be sought where need aligns with grant purpose. Medium

Public Improvement District (PID)

Ad valorem taxes on real property High

Special property owner approved assessment High

Tax based on gross receipts from charges and meal services, which may be used to build and operate sports fields, regional parks, golf courses, tennis courts, and other special park and recreation facilities. Medium

Taxing districts established to provide funds for certain types of improvements that benefit a specific group of affected properties. Improvements may include landscaping, the erection of fountains, and acquisition of art, and supplemental services for improvement and promotion, including recreation and cultural enhancements.

This existing revenue source has been very successful in funding the park system in Frisco, TX. This tax is very popular in high traffic tourism type cities and with county and state parks.

The tax is usually associated with convention and tourism bureaus. However, since parks and recreation agencies manage many of the tourism attractions, they receive a portion of this funding source for operational or capital expenses. Medium

New developments can establish a Public Improvement District (PID) when authorized by the City Council and legally set up according to state law. This taxing district provides funds especially for the operation and maintenance of public amenities such as parks and major boulevards.

Low

Franchises and Licenses

Catering Permits and Services

Pouring Rights

Concession Management

This is a license to allow caterers to work in the park system on a permit basis with a set fee or a percentage of food sales returning to the City. Also many cities have their own catering service and receive a percentage of dollars off the sale of their food.

Private soft drink companies that execute agreements with the City for exclusive pouring rights within park facilities. A portion of the gross sales goes back to the City.

Concession management is from retail sales or rentals of soft goods, hard goods, or consumable items. The City either contracts for the service or receives a set amount of the gross percentage or the full revenue dollars that incorporates a profit after expenses. Low

Private Management

Greenway Utility

Naming Rights

Private Developers

Easements

Advertising Sales

Interlocal Agreements

Contract with a private business to provide and operate desirable recreational activities financed, constructed and operated by the private sector, with additional compensation paid to the City.

Greenway utilities are used to finance acquisition of greenways and development of the greenways by selling the development rights underground for the fiber optic types of businesses. Low

Many cities and counties have turned to selling the naming rights for new buildings or renovation of existing buildings and parks for the development cost associated with the improvement. Medium

These developers lease space from City-owned land through a subordinate lease that pays out a set dollar amount plus a percentage of gross dollars for recreation enhancements. These could include a golf course, marina, restaurants, driving ranges, sports complexes, equestrian facilities, recreation centers and ice arenas.

This revenue source is available when the City allows utility companies, businesses or individuals to develop some type of an improvement above ground or below ground on their property for a set period of time and a set dollar amount to be received by the City on an annual basis.

This revenue source is for the sale of tasteful and appropriate advertising on park and recreation related items such as in the City’s program guide, on scoreboards, dasher boards and other visible products or services that are consumable or permanent that exposes the product or service to many people.

Contractual relationships entered into between two or more local units of government and/or between a local unit of government and a non-profit organization for the joint usage/development of sports fields, regional parks, or other facilities.

Low

High

High

CLASSIFICATION OF SERVICES

VALUE ADDED

USER FEES IMPORTANT

SUBSIDIZED - TAXES AND FEES ESSENTIAL

RECREATION SERVICE CLASSIFICATION AND COST RECOVERY

Recreation programs were classified as essential, important, or value-added, with essential services having the broadest public benefit and increasing equity, and value-added services resulting in individual more than public benefits.

This Plan establishes cost recovery goals for each program, calibrated based on service class.

Essential services, serving broad public benefit, may be largely supported by the General Fund (taxes), with less than 25% of funding recovered through fees. Important services should be subsidized, with somewhere between 25% and 75% of cost being covered by fees, while the

City should aim to cover over 75% of the costs of value-added services through fees.

This classification approach is fundamentally about equity. It ensures that programs that are most essential to community members, including those that may not be able to pay, receive the highest level of City support.

TABLE 5-11 | Cost of Service for Recreational Programming

TABLE 5-11 | Cost of Service for Recreational Programming,

TABLE 5-11 | Cost of Service for Recreational Programming,

5.5 CALL TO ACTION

The City of Fairfield Park, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan will serve as a guide for how we improve, expand, repurpose, prioritize, maintain, staff, and fund our community’s park assets and recreational opportunities. It will take all of us - City staff, elected officials, and community members - to help realize this vision.

Here’s to Our Vibrant Future!

APPENDICES

A. Resolution of Approval

B. Demographic Analysis

C. Mapping Analysis

D. Parks and Open Spaces Assessment

E. Facilities Assessment

F. Ecological Opportunities and Constraints

G. Community Engagement Summary

H. Statistically-valid Survey Findings