Walnut Creek PROS Commission Regular Meeting – 2026-10-05

The Park, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) Commission of Walnut Creek, California, met on 2026-10-05 at 6:00 p.m. per the agenda in the City Hall Council Chamber, 1666 North Main Street. Chair Sharon Pinkstaff presided; Vice Chair Gloriann Sasser and Commissioners Matthew Brockhaus and Fran Garland were present, as was newly appointed student commissioner Aisha Sandju (called "Sandu" in the roll call). The agenda listed Art Oller and student commissioner Eli Konson; Art Oller did not answer roll call and the roll call used Aisha Sandju instead of Eli Konson. The Commission approved routine items, heard public comment, reviewed the General Plan 2050 existing conditions report and draft vision statement, and acted on Heather Farm planning and aquatic center naming items. All roll call votes were 5-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Jeff Maddox (coach, Walnut Creek area high school/middle school mountain bike team) requested a formal allowance to practice at Lime Ridge on certain days/times, with signage, supervision, and a stated 5-to-1 kids-to-coaches ratio; he noted other agencies such as Mount Diablo and Briones already permit similar use and asked that the item be placed on a future PROS agenda.
• Scott Bartlebaugh (Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay) asked the Commission to request staff implement 2020 Trails Committee Recommendation 5.5H — a trail-use checklist for changing bicycle designation on single-track at Lime Ridge — and to add a status update on 2020 Trails Committee action items to a future agenda. He argued mountain biking at Lime Ridge is an existing, manageable use and that formalizing it would improve local access and quality of life.
• Barbara Gannis (resident since 1996) spoke about new open-space signage and said the project to authorize social trails is on hold for more community discussion; she urged that residents and commissioners be consulted before trails open and mentioned the endangered Lime Ridge plant and threatened Alameda whip snake.
• Glenn McBee (Walnut Creek Racket Club board member/city liaison) reported that Heather Farm tennis court lights are failing, the fixtures are obsolete halogen bulbs/ballasts, and the club of about 1,200 members is experiencing extended outages; he called the situation urgent.
• General Plan item (4a) public comment:
  • Matthew Tarlack (Mount Diablo Bird Alliance board member, speaking personally) advocated making natural habitat a priority in parks/open-space master planning, restoring creeks and riparian areas, and restoring the natural lake/pond at Heather Farm, which he described as a local treasure and critical year-round water body for wildlife.
  • Barbara Gannis argued the draft vision statement's "destination for recreation" language belongs under parks rather than open space; she said high-intensity bike use is not appropriate in Walnut Creek open spaces and noted the city has no enforcement officers, unlike the East Bay Regional Park District (which she said has 77 police officers).
  • Bob Wheedy (Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation) said the Foundation submitted policy proposals for the 2050 General Plan: make ecological protection a primary open-space objective, measure ecological health, identify and protect wildlife corridors, evaluate significant changes before they occur, and ensure meaningful public review.
  • Rochelle Fortier (Mount Diablo Bird Alliance membership chair, speaking personally) said the Heather Farm nature pond/lake is falling between categories and should receive its own paragraph in the General Plan; she cited Fremont's 2030 General Plan as an example. She was not granted additional speaking time because the organization's allocation had already been used.
  • Scott Bartlebaugh noted that the East Bay Regional Park District is updating its 2013 master plan and encouraged partnerships, including with youth mountain bike teams for trail stewardship.

Consent Calendar

• The Commission unanimously approved the minutes of the August 31, 2026 regular meeting. No public comment was offered on the consent item.

Discussion Item: General Plan Existing Conditions Report and Draft Vision Statement

• City staff and consultants presented an update on the General Plan 2050 process. Chris Lie Castro (Principal Planner/General Plan project manager), Tiffany Ng, and Darren Newfield (consultants) described the schedule, outreach, draft vision, and baseline conditions.
• Key dates and outreach: a June joint commission meeting, July City Council kickoff, a September 24, 2026 community workshop at Civic Park, pop-ups at events including Locust Street Festival (~400 attendees) and Once Upon a Street (~150 attendees), and about 40 community partner meetings. The online engagement hub is open September 25 through October 25, 2026; remaining commission presentations are planned in October, with City Council deliberation on December 15, 2026.
• Draft Vision Statement: "Walnut Creek is a welcoming and inclusive city defined by its cultural vibrancy, accessible open spaces, walkable downtown, safe and livable neighborhoods, and innovative local economy. It is a regional destination rooted in community, thoughtfully evolving to maintain a high quality of life where people can live, work, connect, and thrive."
• Guiding values presented: well-being; accessible housing opportunities; mobility options; parks, open space, and natural landscape; vibrant arts and culture; and safety and resiliency.
• Existing conditions highlights: 2025 estimated population 70,736 (up 4% since 2015); 33,359 households (up 7%); over-65 residents are the largest age group at about 30%; residents aged 25-34 grew by about 31% over ten years. The transcript states average household size declined from 2.15 to 2.8 people per household, but those figures are internally inconsistent with a decline (2.8 would be an increase).
• Parks/open-space baseline: the city manages more than 3,000 acres of open space, parks, and recreation areas and about 61 miles of trails; 19 parks total about 238 acres; four special-use recreation areas total about 174 acres; more than 2,700 acres are open-space preserves. Many residents live within a 5-15 minute walk of a park, but some outlying areas and much of Rossmoor are more than 25 minutes away.
• Policy background included the 2025 General Plan Chapter 3, the 2008 Open Space Vision Project, the 2013 East Bay Regional Park District Master Plan (a commissioner noted that plan applies to regional district properties, not city properties), Your Parks Your Future, the 2023 Sustainability Action Plan, the 2026 Safety Element, and the 2023 Housing Element. New state requirements include SB 1425, AB 1889, SB 1000, and Executive Order N-82-20/California Biodiversity Collaborative goals.
• Preliminary issues and opportunities discussed included climate change hazards, balancing recreation with habitat, wildfire risk, maintaining and expanding tree canopies, and working with volunteers such as the Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation and Walnut Creek Watershed Council. Workshop input included more off-leash dog areas, preserving Heather Farm lake, and creating micro-habitats/community gardens, especially downtown.
• Commissioner discussion raised:
  • Transportation and safe routes to parks, citing roadway barriers such as Ignacio Valley Road.
  • Changing recreation trends such as pickleball demand and noise, and e-bike use.
  • Wildfire risk and insurance challenges.
  • Underutilized parks, parking spillover near neighborhood parks, and the need to respect neighboring residents.
  • Demographic forecasting, amenity planning for aging and younger populations, and facility upgrades such as restrooms at Civic Park.
  • Potentially expanding the ranger force, increasing youth involvement in open-space stewardship, and pursuing partnerships with agencies such as East Bay Regional Park District and water districts.
  • Heat-absorbing playground surfacing and park design for extreme heat.
• No formal vote was taken on the General Plan item; it was an information/discussion item.

Discussion Item: Heather Farm New Aquatic and Community Center (NAQCC) Phase 3 Planning Options

• Director of Arts and Recreation Chris Farrow reviewed options for the former Clark Pool/Heather Farm planning effort. The Commission had previously recommended broadening the scope from a pool-site-only repurpose to a Heather Farm Park master plan update, with questions about timing and interim use after demolition.
• Staff reported a revised timeline and an interim plan: after demolition, the parcel would receive minimal landscaping/irrigation and be available for passive uses (picnics, informal play) until future construction.
• A new third option was presented: within the same timeframe as the Heather Farm master plan update, also prepare a Civic Park master plan, which does not currently exist and has been in the 10-year Capital Improvement Program without funding. Public Works Director Rich Payne said Civic Park had not had a master plan and saw only systematic improvements, with some work in the early 2000s.
• Commissioners asked whether the timeline could be accelerated; staff said no, but reiterated the interim landscaping. They also asked about existing community buildings at Civic Park; staff said their future would be evaluated through the public master-planning process.
• No public comment was received on this item.

Discussion Item: Heather Farm Aquatic Center Amenity Naming Approvals

• Staff requested approval of three donor recognitions for the new aquatic center: Michael and Mailee Lazell Foundation for the diving board, and Curtis Lynn and Leo Lynn as two lane captains. Recognition would appear on a plaque on the large donor wall, with no separate diving board sign.
• Staff also updated a previous item: after donor confirmation, nicknames will be shown in quotes in a consistent format (for example, Robert "RJ" last name) for this and future donations.
• No public comment was received. The Commission unanimously approved the three naming requests.

Key Outcomes

• Unanimously approved the August 31, 2026 meeting minutes.
• Unanimously selected option three for the Heather Farm/Civic Park master-planning effort, directing staff to recommend to City Council that both Heather Farm Park and Civic Park be included. Staff plan to bring the recommendation to Council at its second meeting in October 2026.
• Unanimously approved the three donor naming requests for the Heather Farm Aquatic Center.
• The Chair indicated that requests regarding Heather Farm tennis court lights and Lime Ridge mountain bike trail access would be brought to a future PROS agenda.
• General Plan feedback will be incorporated into the ongoing 2050 General Plan update; the online portal remains open through October 25, 2026, with a City Council meeting scheduled for December 15, 2026.

Announcements

• Commissioner announcements included a tour of the Heather Farm construction site, which is progressing well, with additional tours offered as construction continues.
• The Commission liaison to the Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation reported on the Foundation's work; another commissioner expressed interest in becoming the new liaison.
• The next regular PROS Commission meeting is scheduled for Monday, December 7, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.