Development of a 15-year Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan to kick off in August 2023

Mountain View, Calif. — Over the coming months, community members are invited to share their input on the future of Mountain View’s parks and open space, trail system, recreation facilities, and recreation programs and services. In August, the City of Mountain View will begin the development of the Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan, which will guide the future of the city’s park and open space resources, community facilities, and recreation programming.

This week, the City launched the ImagineMVParks.com website, which will provide ongoing project updates and milestones, plan information, and ways for the community to get involved in the plan’s development.

“As Mountain View grows, our need for parks, open space and recreational opportunities also grows,” said Mayor Alison Hicks. “One of the City Council’s strategic priorities concerns livability and quality of life. We aim to enhance our city as a great place to live that values community health and well-being. This year, we will reimagine our parks and open space by updating the city’s Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan. We update this strategic plan every 15 years. We want to hear good ideas from as many residents as possible so that our parks can truly become what the community wants and needs."

The City has hired national leaders in innovative and inclusive planning, Next Practice Partners, to lead this process. The team also includes San Francisco-based planning and design firm WRT and statistically valid survey company ETC Institute.

In August, the public is invited to take part in the project kickoff by attending one of four community meetings. The meetings will provide an overview of the strategic plan development including what the plan involves, and opportunities to provide input for the City’s parks and recreation facilities, programs and services.

The community meetings will take place on the following dates and times:

Monday, August 21
In-person: 6 to 7 p.m., Mountain View Community Center, 201 S. Rengstorff Ave.
Virtual only: 7:30-8:30 p.m. virtual only via Zoom. Register for virtual meeting.

Tuesday, August 22
In-person: 6 to 7 p.m., Mountain View Community Center, 201 S. Rengstorff Ave.
Virtual only: 7:30-8:30 p.m. virtual only via Zoom. Register for virtual meeting.

Light refreshments and childcare will be available for the two in-person meetings. Interpretation services in Spanish, Mandarin and Russian will be available for all four meetings.

“We are excited to launch an inclusive community engagement process with the intent of hearing from as many community members as possible,” said Community Services Director John Marchant. “Utilizing feedback from the community, we will develop a comprehensive Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan that will serve as a guiding document for years to come.”  

This fall, the City will launch a statistically reliable community survey in addition to having opportunities for the public to provide input at citywide events such as Concerts on the Plaza and Summer Outdoor Movie Nights.

The new Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan will combine the Parks and Open Space Plan, adopted by the City Council in 2014, and the Recreation Plan, which was adopted in 2008. Both plans have reached their intended lifespan. By combining the two plans, the City will create a comprehensive plan that addresses the community’s open space needs while identifying and analyzing various programs that can utilize these spaces and associated facilities.

Mountain View has 995 acres of open space. Over the last five years, the City has opened six new parks with the anticipation of one to two parks to be added per year for the next several years.

For more information including details about upcoming public engagement opportunities, visit ImagineMVParks.com.

View news release in Spanish, Chinese, and Russian.

About the City of Mountain View
Located between the Santa Cruz Mountains and San Francisco Bay, Mountain View is a diverse community with an estimated population of 83,601. Mountain View covers just over 12 square miles, featuring over 1,000 acres of park and wildlife areas including the 750-acre wildlife and recreation area called Shoreline at Mountain View. In the heart of Silicon Valley, Mountain View is home to a vibrant downtown and headquarters to many nationally and internationally known corporations including Google, LinkedIn, Intuit and NASA’s Ames Research Center. For more information, visit MountainView.gov.

Media Contact
Lenka Wright, Chief Communications Officer, 650-903-6615 or Lenka.Wright@mountainview.gov