Beachfront Park General Plan Document

The original Beachfront Park Master Plan was developed through a community input process in 2012 and adopted in 2013. Since that time, several projects have been completed within the park as funding was secured, including the Dog Park, improved beach access via a staircase at Stamps Way and an accessible ramp at Howe Drive West, parking area and picnic area at Howe Drive East, as well as improvements to Kidtown, the Fred Endert Municipal Swimming Pool, and the Cultural Center.
Although significant progress has been made, the City recognizes that the Master Plan needs to be updated in order to be competitive for future Prop. 68 grants through California Dept. of Parks and Recreation. California voters approved Prop 68 in 2018, which authorizes $4 billion in general obligation bonds to fund state and local parks, environmental protection, water infrastructure, and flood protection projects. Crescent City intends to apply for the Prop 68 competitive grant.
In order to ensure the park is developed in accordance with the community’s priorities, the City worked with Greenway Partners through a California Endowment Grant to do extensive community outreach to help update the master plan.  The public outreach included both focus groups and interviews led by a mix of City staff and the consultant team. Focus groups were effective at connecting with people while at their places of work and with people who feel more comfortable speaking when around their peers or members of their community. Focus groups obtained insight from Sunset High School students, Del Norte Child Care Council staff, New Dawn participants and their caregiving staff, tourism industry staff, local business leaders, members of the Hispanic/Latino community, and the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Cultural Committee members. Focus groups ranged in size from 3 to 10 people per group and reached a total of 44 community members. Focus groups allowed participants to interact with one another and facilitators encouraged deeper conversations around specific ideas and feedback.
On August 16, 2019 the City Council authorized staff to apply for Coastal Conservancy Grant for $90,000 and on October 17, 2019 the Conservancy approved the award of grant funding to the City of Crescent to update the Beachfront Park Master Plan.
On March 2, 2020 Council approved a contract with PGAdesign to complete the updated Beachfront Park Master Plan. PGAdesign assembled a comprehensive team that offers a broad technical capacity and an extensive history of community park planning and master plan development that will ensure meeting deadlines in a timely manner.  PGAdesign is committed to improving the health and environment of a community by designing places that encourage active living.  Their projects demonstrate distinctive design solutions that not only conserve and protect natural resources, but also fulfill project visions.
Community Feedback on the Plan including specific presentations to the Elk Valley Rancheria Tribal Council, Tolowa Dee-Ni’ Nation Tribal Council, the Crescent City Planning Commission, and the Crescent City Council resulted in the following recommendation for key amenities:
•    Amphitheater
•    ADA accessible pathways
•    Bike Park
•    Green Areas with Native Plants
•    Lookout Hill
•    Cultural Components
•    Informational Kiosks
•    Civic Plaza and Food/Concession Locations
•    Walking – Biking Paths
•    Enhanced Activities for all Ages
•    Sustainable Design