Two community workshops held at City Hall last week garnered input from residents as the city prepares its 10-year parks Master Plan.
By Jimy Tallal / Special to The Malibu Times
The Malibu Parks & Recreation Department took its first steps toward creating a new parks Master Plan last week by holding two public workshops to seek community input. The last Master Plan was developed in 2000, and city officials say it is time to develop a new set of goals for the department.
“We have accomplished many of the objectives set forth in [the Master Plan developed in the year] 2000,” Bob Stallings, Director of Parks & Recreation, said.
The workshops were conducted by PROS Consulting, LLC of Indianapolis, Ind., a management consulting firm that specializes in creating master plans for parks and recreation departments. Senior manager Neelay Bhatt said his company has prepared over 700 parks plans for various cities.
The purpose of the workshops is to help identify what Malibu residents want in terms of parks and recreation, which includes facilities as well as activities and programs. The key issues identified in these meetings will be used as a basis for developing questions for a mail survey, focus groups and Internet survey.
Bhatt said the workshop was the first step in an ongoing process.
“The goal is to come up with a 10-year action plan – not something carved in stone, but more of a dynamic working plan that reflects the changing realities of Malibu,” Bhatt said. “For example, one of the largest growing groups here is the population of those aged 50-plus. They’ll be 40 percent of the population in ten years.”
At the Feb. 16 workshop, participants were asked to name what they like best about the Malibu Parks and Recreation Department’s programs; whether they could identify any opportunities for improvement in those facilities and programs; and the one thing they wish for the most. Part of the consultant’s job is to determine which findings are representative of the population versus a niche issue.
When it comes to changes that residents would like to see, those attending this particular workshop hoped that a greater number of partnerships between the Parks & Recreation Department and other groups could prove to be mutually beneficial.
For example, the President of the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu Teen Center, Brian Strange, suggested that a partnership with Parks & Recreation would help both organizations expand their summer programs for children.
“The combination of our two groups could do really well,” he said.
City Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich suggested a partnership with the new public library for children’s programs. Others talked about working with Pepperdine University as well as Los Angeles County Beaches & Harbors to establish joint programs.
Talk then turned to the ideal wish list for new recreational facilities. Suggestions from residents on this particular evening included basketball courts, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a rock climbing wall, miniature golf, an indoor hockey rink, a golf-driving range, a recreation center and more fields for league play.
Suggestions for new city-sponsored activities included greater use of the ocean for lessons in kayaking and kite surfing. Others said the department should evaluate their current programs and drop any that didn’t have a sufficient number of participants.
Residents who were unable to attend either of the workshops were invited to e-mail any suggestions they might have to Bob Stallings at bstallings@malibucity.org.