Special Notice: None
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Nicholas J. Calderon, Parks Director
Subject: Elimination of the Vehicle Entrance Fee at Flood County Park
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing an amendment to the San Mateo County Parks Department fee schedule to eliminate the vehicle entrance fee at Flood County Park.
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BACKGROUND:
The San Mateo County Parks Department ("Department") is evaluating the feasibility of eliminating vehicle entrance fees at County parks. Vehicle entrance fees can serve as a barrier to access, which implicates larger equity issues. To assist in its evaluation, the Department contracted with CHM Government Services to prepare a Vehicle Entrance Fee Analysis. The analysis will inform the Department on how to assess the financial impact of eliminating vehicle entrance fees and how to recuperate lost revenue by adjusting other user fees. While this analysis is still underway, the Department recommends eliminating the vehicle entrance fee at Flood County Park ("Flood Park") to expand access to greenspace and parks for the residents of southern San Mateo County.
Flood Park is a 21-acre municipal County-owned and operated park that is located in the City of Menlo Park. Due to its location, it primarily serves residents from Menlo Park, North Fair Oaks, East Palo Alto, and Redwood City. Flood Park is popular for its playgrounds, picnic sites, reservation sites, sports fields and courts, and open grassy area. Since the San Francisco Public Utility Commission's Hetch Hetchy waterline replacement project, however, the Flood Park baseball field has been unusable. Additionally, and pending the County's anticipated overhaul of the entire park, minimal improvements have been made to park facilities in recent years. Flood Park is the only municipal park in southern San Mateo County that charges for vehicle access.
In FY 2018-19, Flood Park served approximately 114,20...
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