Our Projects

WRA supported the City of Belmont’s Parks and Recreation Department in preparing an Open Space Management Plan (OSMP) and an Addendum to the General Plan EIR to adopt the overarching Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan. Starting in 2020, the City’s Parks and Recreation Department started preparing a programmatic level 15-year plan for its entire parks, recreation, and open space system. Results gleaned from the City’s robust public involvement process indicated a strong interest in preparing an OSMP that would balance demands for recreation with protecting sensitive biological resources. The City’s two open space areas were surrounded by residential and commercial development, including 10 miles of officially recognized multi-use trails, a perennial stream and lake, and multiple areas with very high wildfire hazard ratings. The project was controversial – one group wanted continued multiple recreation uses to continue with minor changes to how sensitive resources were managed, and another group wanted the overwhelming emphasis of the OSMP to be on sensitive resource protection, habitat restoration, and limits on recreation use. To prepare the OSMP under an aggressive schedule WRA completed the following:

• Reviewed and analyzed the City’s existing open space policies and the need for new policies;
• Authored an existing conditions reports on biological resources, wildfire hazards, and recreation uses;
• Developed Best Management Practices (BMPs)s for trail construction and maintenance, and visitor management based on “best in class” practices from other state level guideline and other recent plans; and
• Developed objectives, policies, and implementation actions for sensitive biological resources, recreation uses, and wildfire hazards.

WRA presented the above referenced deliverables to a park and recreation advisory committee, the City’s Park and Recreation Commission, and City Council on multiple occasions. The City, with heavy involvement from WRA convened an in-person community workshop at a popular trailhead to the Waterdog Lake Open Space to hear public feedback on the existing conditions reports and policy development.

Starting in 2022, WRA worked with the Parks and Recreation Department Director, the City Manager, and the City Attorney, to develop a strategy to review the PROS Plan (which contained the OSMP) adequately under CEQA, avoid litigation, and adopt the PROS Plan. After deciding on the CEQA strategy to utilize the City’s existing EIR prepared for the recent General Plan update, WRA prepared an addendum to the existing EIR. The PROS Plan, OSMP, and EIR Addendum were brought to the City Council and approved in March of 2024.