About the Plan

What is a Parks Master Plan?

A Parks Master Plan is a long-range planning document that establishes a vision, goals, and strategies to guide decisions and investments over the next 10 to 20 years for an entire parks and recreation system.

Why Update the Plan?

The City of San Carlos adopted its previous comprehensive Parks Master Plan in 2009, with the accompanying community needs assessment completed in 2008. As community needs and priorities evolved, the City initiated the development of a new Parks Master Plan to establish a long-term vision for parks, recreation, and open space.

The effort also included an update to the Parks and Recreation Element of the General Plan and supports the goals identified in the City's 2023 Strategic Plan.

The San Carlos Parks Master Plan was unanimously adopted by the City Council on June 8, 2026. The adopted Plan serves as the City's long-range framework for prioritizing and implementing future investments in parks, recreation facilities, programs, and open spaces through 2045.

View the Plan

How Was the Plan Developed?

The Plan was developed over two years through a collaborative process that combined technical analysis with extensive community engagement. The effort included an assessment of existing parks and recreation resources, evaluation of community needs, multiple rounds of public outreach, development of recommendations, environmental review, and adoption by the City Council.

More than 4,000 community members participated through surveys, workshops, pop-up events, stakeholder meetings, and other engagement activities, helping shape the vision and recommendations contained in the adopted Plan. Together, these efforts created a community-supported roadmap for enhancing parks, recreation facilities, programs, and open spaces over the next 20 years.

What's in the Plan?

Overview of the City of San Carlos and its parks, open spaces, recreation facilities, and recreation programs.
Assessment of existing conditions and community needs.
Summary of community engagement activities and key findings.
Vision, goals, and recommendations for the future of the parks and recreation system.
Implementation strategy, funding framework, and prioritized action plan.