June 2010 - Parks & Recreation - 18

Who, What, Where & how Around the Parks

How we did it at San Lorenzo Park
A 100-unit RV Campground,
a traditional Group Camping Area,
and a large multiple-use group facility were added to the conceptual
plan for the park to offset the general fund cost to operate and maintain
the initial day-use facilities and the
new facilities proposed at the park.

San Lorenzo Park Problems
San Lorenzo Park was being used
as a neighborhood park by the
residents of King City in South
Monterey County. The facility was
over-designed and underutilized
as a county regional park. There
were no programs or reason for
anyone to travel 60 miles from the
nearest population center to visit
the park. It needed to be scaled
down to fit current demand, transferred to King City as a community park, or upgraded into a regional destination facility with a
program that would draw people to the facility.

San Lorenzo Park Opportunities
At the onset of the self-sufficiency program, members of the
Salinas Valley Agricultural Community were concerned
about the preservation of their rural lifestyle and historical
farm equipment in the Valley. They were looking for a site for
an agricultural and rural life museum.
The parks department was responsible for historical preservation in the county and needed a program for San Lorenzo
Park that would convert the park into a destination facility.

San Lorenzo Park Solutions
It was determined to upgrade the park by providing more services that would generate additional income. The county
agreed to upgrade the facility in partnership with the Monterey
County Agricultural and Rural Life Museum, a nonprofit corporation. Some of the facilities would include: two exhibit buildings, a blacksmith shop, equipment barns, a school house, a
farmhouse, and a train depot.

County's acquisition of two resort leases at the major reservoirs. He has
brought the park system to 97 percent
self-sufficiency.
The benefits to the department and
the public are self-evident. In addition,
major benefits have been realized by the
community as well over the 30-year life
of the project. Some of the measurable
community benefits are as follows:

16	 Parks & Recreation

JUNE 2010

Examples of Park Planning
Concepts and Principals that
are illustrated by the San
Lorenzo Park Model.
■■  Create themes around community
values-such as the agricultural heritage of the Salinas
Valley
■■  Create balance between facilities that generate net Income
(income centers) versus facilities that generate net cost (cost
centers)-100-unit RV campground versus 50 acres of turf,
family picnicking areas and an agricultural and rural life
museum.
■■  Develop group facilities, such as three different sizes of
meeting rooms in the park for use by RV clubs and museum groups
■■  Develop programming for user groups -day trips from
the park to the San Antonio Mission, local wineries, local
9 hole golf course, and school group museum tours
■■  Develop community and regional special events -
Valley Heritage Days
■■  Create synergy in project design-such as the clustering
of facilities around a large group meeting room with
adjoining turf for lawn games, large size shaded picnic
structure, tournament level horse shoe pits, practice
putting green, and access to the Salinas River

■■  Stimulating the local tourism economy

by $25 million per year
■■  Creating 400 private sector jobs per
year
■■  Increasing volunteerism opportunities
by 135,000 hours per year
■■  Created five additional nonprofits in
support of the department's programs
■■  Facilitating community fund raising at
park venues by an average of $50,000

www.NRPA .ORG

a year over the past 15 years.
The authors are at present developing
a workbook that will detail the processes
and strategies briefly described in this
article. It will include the 18 categories of
planning and operations strategies, the
20 phases of the strategic plan, the goals
and objectives details, and how to adapt
these materials to the individual needs of
different agencies.
✹

Photo courtesy of Monterey County Parks Department

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June 2010 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2010 - Parks & Recreation
