City Hires Consultant to Help Develop Master Parks Plan

A study of residents' opinions about the use of existing parks such as Wheatfield Park and the construction of additional facilities will be part of a 10-month study in preparation for a master plan for parks, trails and recreation space.

The Menifee City Council took a significant step this week in the development of a master plan for the city's parks and recreation facilities.

At its meeting Wednesday night, the council adopted Quimby and Mitigation Fee Act ordinances, which require developers to provide park dedication and/or in-lieu fees for new residential developments. Included in those ordinances is a requirement of future land developers to include a minimum of five acres of park space per 1,000 subdivision residents. Developers also will be required to comply with the General Plan's Open Space and Conservative Element.

In addition, the council unanimously approved an agreement with the RJM Design Group as a consultant in the development of a Parks, Trails, Open Space and Recreation Master Plan for Menifee. Per the conditions of the $220,000 contract, RJM will begin a 10-month project in January that will include:

-- Public workshops to receive residents' input regarding parks and open space use.

-- A random phone survey of 300 households to receive additional input.

-- An inventory of existing parks and recreation facilities and programs.

-- A questionnaire regarding use of facilities by sports organizations.

Funding for the project will not come from the city's general fund. It will be taken from Park Development Impact Fees and Trails Development Impact Fees.

The city council acted upon the recommendation of the Parks, Recreation and Trails Commission, which has been working on the development of a master plan for some time.

"During our regular Commission meetings, the commissioners recognized that the missing component of their work was a lack of community input to validate their findings," said Community Services Director Robert Lennox. "RJM Design Group plans to include a strong community outreach component to get the input and feedback necessary so the year-long project is truly reflective of the Menifee community."

The RJM information gathering process will include input from the Senior Advisory Committee and Youth Advisory Committee. Lennox explained this is necessary to receive as wide range as possible of opinions from those who will use the city's parks and recreation facilities.