Issue: Open Space and Recreation

• Active parkland includes playgrounds and sports fields
• Currently, Redwood City only has three acres of active parkland for every 1,000 residents, which is one of the lowest ratios in San Mateo County
• More than thee-quarters of Redwood City parks are "passive" parkland, including Bair Island and Edgewood Park

• More than 20 organized sports leagues compete for inadequate field space
• Thousands of Redwood City youth participate in organized sports
• Demand is growing - Mid-Pen Soccer League has grown 38 percent in three years
• Field shortages have resulted in:
  • Less practice time
  • Disputes over shared-field situations
  • Outdoor sports forced to practice indoors
  • Limited participation in organized sports

• Health and fitness
• Crime reduction
• Diverse cultural experiences
• Education opportunities
• Community-building
• Improved economy and home values
• Improved quality of life

• Regional trail consists of 500 miles of bay front trail (300 miles completed)
• Trails should Include paved bicycle and lower impact walking paths
• Associated "water trail" would create a network of bay access points for human-powered watercraft

• Almost 90 percent of the Bay's historic tidal marshes have been levied off to create land for agriculture, development and salt production
• Redwood City's goal is to create 100,000 acres of new tidal marsh in San Francisco Bay
• New wetland habitat provides many benefits including:
  • Flood management
  • Habitat for sensitive plant and wildlife species
  • Recreation opportunities (trails, etc…)
  • Improved access to nature
  • Improved bay water quality
  • Reduced carbon impacts
• Tidal marsh creation faces many challenges including:
  • Funding (15,000 acre effort in the South Bay will require $1 billion)
  • Timeframe (restoration in South Bay expected to take 50 years)
  • Conflicts between public use and wildlife protection
  • Protecting neighboring development from bay flooding
  • Protecting salt-dependent species

• To be successful, recreation and open space requires both a financial vehicle that will provide a permanent source of funding for initial construction and maintenance
• The need to balance developed recreation and active parkland with passive parkland and open space uses
• In the future, existing development and other uses near the bay will likely require significant flood controls for protection from rising sea levels
• In addition to organized and team sports, there is also significant demand within Redwood City for water-based recreation improvements, including kayak and canoe access.