Parks master plan progress: Menifee reports growth goals and key projects

Corey Jones, Senior Management Analyst for Menifee City, presented the commission with the annual update on the Parks Master Plan, describing progress since adoption in 2016 and objectives moving forward.

Jones said Menifee had roughly eight city parks and a population near 90,000 when the first Parks Master Plan was adopted; the city is now planning to grow the park system toward 24 parks to serve more than 130,000 residents. He highlighted that Community Services now runs about 800 programs, 83 special events and maintains 22 city parks and 14 public facilities. Notable accomplishments cited included extension of the aquatics agreement with Perris Union High School through 2031 and a $100,000 award to start roof rehabilitation on the KC Senior Center.

Jones said staff will pursue updates to the city's landscape design standards to reflect changes in irrigation practices and plant palettes, that the city is moving to more consistent standards for public and developer projects, and that an RFP is open to hire a consultant to support a partial LAFCO annexation application for parks that sit within city boundaries. Commissioners asked how parkland dedication targets work; staff confirmed the current guideline is 5 acres per 1,000 residents and noted that raising that standard (for example, to 7.5 acres per 1,000) would require an update to the city's development code and likely action by city council.

Staff said more detailed updates can be posted online and offered one‑on‑one briefings for commissioners on complex items such as annexation and Quimby/parkland dedication policy. The commission did not take formal action on the master plan update but supported continued work on standards, annexation planning and CIP priorities.