TO: HONORABLE CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING
COMMISSION
FROM: Carl Stiehl, City Planner
PREPARED BY: Lea Kolek, Parks and Community Services Manager
SUBJECT:
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Presentation and Discussion of Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update and Trails Master Plan
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RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
1. Recommend to the City Council approval of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update and find the Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update consistent with the General Plan.
2. Recommend to the City Council approval of the new Trails Master Plan and find the Trails Master Plan consistent with the General Plan.
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ENVIRONMENTAL
The proposed Master Plans are generally exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Title 14, Chapter 6, Division 3, Section 15061 (b) (3) (Common Sense Exemption) and CEQA Section 15262 (Feasibility and Planning Studies), as the Master Plans involve feasibility or planning studies for possible future actions which the agency, board or commission has not approved, adopted or funded and the environmental factors have been considered and do not require an EIR or Negative Declaration
PRIOR ACTION/VOTE
On May 7, 2009, the Community Services Commission approved the final revisions to the Parks and Recreation Master Plan update and recommended adoption by the Board of Directors (Vote: 3-0).
On June 3, 2009, the Planning Commission approved the amendments to the General Plan based on the updates to the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and found the document to be consistent with the General Plan (Vote: 3-0).
On June 16, 2009, the City Council, adopted Resolution No. 09-2306 approving the amendments to the General Plan based upon the revisions to the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, and finding the Parks and Recreation Master Plan update consistent with the General Plan, and acting as the Board of Directors for the Community Services District, adopted Resolution No. CSD 09-147 approving the final version of the updated Parks and Recreation Master Plan.
On August 15, 2023, City Council, approved and authorized the City Manager to execute the agreement to update the existing Parks and Recreation Master Plan and draft the City of Murrieta’s first Trails Master Plan with RJM Design Group, Inc. as follows: $209,570 for the update to the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and $269,395 for the Trails Master Plan, and amended the Fiscal Year 2022/23 Capital Improvement Plan Budget (Vote: 5-0).
On April 17, 2025, the Parks and Recreation Commission approved the final revisions to both the Park and Recreation Master Plan update and the new Trails Master Plan, and recommended adoption by City Council (Vote: 5-0).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
At the April 17, 2025, special meeting, the Parks and Recreation Commission provided a recommendation to the City Council on the proposed Parks and Recreation Master Plan update and the newly drafted Trails Master Plan. The role of the Planning Commission on this matter is to determine whether the proposed Parks and Recreation Master Plan update and the new Trails Master Plan are consistent with the General Plan.
BACKGROUND
The City of Murrieta adopted its original Parks and Recreation Master Plan (Master Plan) in 1999. At that time, the City had a population of 41,650 residents, no Community or Senior Center, 25 parks in its inventory, and approximately 600 acres of open space, streetscape, slopes, and parkland under its maintenance. Today, the City’s population has grown to well over 110,000 residents. The Community Services Department (CSD) now oversees a Community, Senior, and Youth Center; 53 parks; miles of trails; more than 22 annual events; numerous programs; and youth and adult sports activities, among other leisure offerings for all ages and abilities.
The adoption of the original Master Plan in 1999 enabled the City of Murrieta to define existing and proposed physical facilities available to the public for passive and active parks, as well as recreational activities within the community. This original Master Plan was informed by detailed demographics and assessments of facility needs for both City use and youth and adult sports groups. It served as a vital implementation tool, guiding decisions about amenities to be included in future designs.
City staff will leverage the updated Master Plan, alongside the newly developed Trails Master Plan, to provide a robust framework for decision-makers in the planning and rehabilitation of the City’s parks, recreation facilities, and trails. These updated plans will act as essential tools to establish park, facility, and trail standards. Furthermore, they will provide a systematic and prioritized approach to the implementation of necessary parks, facilities, and trails. The completed Master Plan drafts are comprised of five main components: (1) Inventory of Existing Conditions, (2) Community Engagement, (3) Needs Analysis, (4) Recommendations, and (5) Funding and Implementation.
To collect the data for this update, the City’s consultant, RJM Design Group, Inc. (RJM), conducted monthly focus group meetings with staff, and stakeholder interviews with members of the City Council, the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Murrieta Valley Unified School District, and other special interest groups. They also hosted three community workshops, a citywide multi-modal survey, a youth sports league survey, and launched websites for each Master Plan to provide status updates, timeline information, and opportunities for additional feedback.
ANALYSIS
Each of the Master Plan documents are an implementation tool for the General Plan, and as such all of the documents need to be consistent with each other. The "Needs Analysis” for both documents inventoried the existing trails, parks, open space, facilities, and current active and passive recreational activities available to the citizens of Murrieta, which are the responsibilities of the CSD. The updated Plans provide a number of new options for parks and trails implementation in existing and future locations that would serve the existing and future residents of the City. Staff will provide more details on this in the presentation to the Commission.
The related General Plan elements to review with each of the Master Plans are the Circulation Element (primarily related to trails), the Conservation Element, and the Recreation and Open Space Element. As is evident in these elements, some of the information is out of date as to what parks and facilities are currently available. Planning staff has already begun work on a General Plan update, which will in part clean up the General Plan text and exhibits to accurately reflect the City's existing trails, parks, open space, and facilities related to these Master Plans; therefore, the changes to the General Plan Circulation, Conservation, and Recreation and Open Space Elements will occur after adoption of the updated Master Plans.
The Parks and Recreation Master Plan update continues to implement the General Plan Goal of 5 acres per 1,000 residents. In addition, this amendment does not affect the design or construction of additional parks.
Because no "adoption or substantial amendment" of the General Plan is being proposed as part of this action, no tribal consultation for the Master Plans is required at this time. The future amendments to the General Plan as part of the cleanup noted above will include the required consultation. The future cleanup amendments to the General Plan to incorporate the Master Plans are also being coordinated with the Resource Conservation Agency for review prior to adoption. The review under CEQA for the individual projects in the Master Plans, such as parks development and trails, will occur on a case-by-case basis, as the Master Plans themselves are generally exempt from CEQA review and are consistent with CEQA Guidelines related to feasibility and planning studies.
CONCLUSION
The Parks and Recreation Master Plan and the Trails Master Plan provide the vision for the City’s parks and trails systems for many years to come as a guide and implementation tool for the management and development of facilities throughout the City. The Master Plan recommendations are to serve the current population and the projected population near to the horizon year of the General Plan. As noted in the Plans, the key strategies and goals to achieve the vision, if implemented over time, will support a thriving outdoor community for the use of our parks and trails consistent with the vision of the City overall in the General Plan.
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission recommend to the City Council the adoption of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and the Trails Master Plan as the two Master Plans are internally consistent and the updated Plans can be found to be consistent with the objectives, policies, land uses, programs and actions of the General Plan. This is also given the understanding that the respective affected Elements of the General Plan, including but not limited to, the Circulation, Conservation and Recreation and Open Space Elements, will be updated to be consistent with the Master Plans with the cleanup already in process by staff.
ATTACHMENTS
1. DRAFT Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update (Parts 1-2)
2. DRAFT Parks and Recreation Master Plan Appendix (Parts 1-4)
3. DRAFT Trails Master Plan (Parts 1-2)
4. DRAFT Trails Master Plan Appendix (Parts 1-4)