PROS Commission Meeting - October 6, 2025

The Walnut Creek Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) Commission met on October 6, 2025. The meeting covered public comments on various park and open space issues, approval of routine consent items, and substantive discussions on a proposed drone ordinance and playground renovation plans for Civic and Walden Parks. Commissioners provided feedback directing staff on next steps for both projects.

Consent Calendar

• Commissioners approved the consent calendar, which included minutes from the previous meeting and several annual program reports (Tennis, Aquatics).
• During discussion, a commissioner inquired about declining youth tennis program attendance and court utilization rates, with staff agreeing to follow up with the contractor. Another commissioner requested and received details on the city's recreation scholarship program.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Justin Burns, representing the beach tennis community, requested the commission ask staff to consider replacing net winches at city sand courts with a slider system to easily adjust net heights for multiple sports.
• Jonathan Shiner, a resident and hiker, expressed strong opposition to cattle manure on open space trails, describing it as a major, unhealthy impediment to recreation.
• Jeff Langner, a Lafayette Firewise community leader, expressed gratitude and support for a successful goat-grazing partnership with the city to reduce wildfire fuel loads on Oakhill's Ridge.
• Barbara Guinness, a resident, raised concerns about incorrect e-bike information on park signage, the status of the social trails plan, and ongoing issues with motorized vehicles in the open space.

Discussion Items

1. Proposed Drone Ordinance

• Assistant Public Works Director Mike Vickers presented an updated unmanned aircraft (drone) ordinance, nearly identical to one reviewed in 2017. The proposal would prohibit drone operation in parks/open spaces without a permit issued by the director for specific purposes (e.g., filming, surveys, vegetation management).
• Key discussion points included: clarifying which city director has permit authority; establishing a fee structure tied to the master fee schedule; defining permit durations; and noting a jurisdictional limitation—the ordinance only controls drones launched or landed on city property, not airspace (regulated by the FAA).
• A member of the public stated they have seen drones in the open space approximately six times in recent years, with mixed legitimacy.
• Commission Position: Commissioners provided feedback and requested clarifications but expressed support for staff to incorporate the feedback and advance the ordinance to City Council without requiring a second commission reading.

2. Playground Renovation Update

• Staff presented results from public outreach (over 600 survey participants) on renovation designs for Civic and Walden Park playgrounds, originally budgeted at $500,000. The amended designs, incorporating highly requested shade structures and additional play amenities (spinners, climbing walls), raised the estimated cost for Civic Park to approximately $540,000. Renovating both parks fully would cost about $560,000.
• Commissioners debated three options: 1) proceed with original designs within the $500k budget; 2) defer one park; 3) seek additional funding for amended designs.
• Commission Position: After extensive discussion weighing public feedback, usage data, and budget, the commission reached a consensus to direct staff to prioritize Civic Park renovations, using the full $500,000 budget to implement as much of the amended design (including shade) as possible. Staff was also directed to concurrently explore securing additional funding (approx. $60,000) from sources like park-in-lieu funds, Measure O, or county contributions to complete the Walden Park two-to-five-year-old playground renovations and potentially add more amenities at Civic.

Key Outcomes

• The consent calendar was approved unanimously (6-0).
• The commission directed staff to finalize the drone ordinance with discussed clarifications and advance it to the City Council for consideration.
• The commission provided consensus direction on playground renovations: prioritize Civic Park within the existing $500,000 budget, maximize shade inclusion, and have staff pursue additional funding for Walden Park improvements.
• Staff announced a community Trunk-or-Treat event on October 24th and provided updates on the Heather Farm Park renovation project and an upcoming City Council study session on a citywide e-bike ordinance scheduled for October 21st.

The meeting was adjourned and the next meeting was scheduled for December 1, 2025.