Parks

In 2015, the Department and landscape design consultants held five public meetings and opened online surveys asking community members to identify their goals and priorities for reinvigorating Flood Park and what uses they want at Flood Park.

Current and potential park users, neighbors, and other stakeholders were invited to share priorities and dreams, and how new uses and concepts should be incorporated into an overall design for the park and meet the needs of the community. Information was provided in both English and Spanish.

Meeting participants helped identify which amenities should be retained, as well as what new uses should be added to Flood Park. This information was used to design three potential park plans from which participants selected one preferred conceptual landscape plan. With additional suggestions for improvements, the 2015 Flood Park Preferred Plan was created. View proposed plans and suggestions.

Following acceptance of the 2015 Flood Park Preferred Plan by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, the environmental review process was initiated. During the comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR), members of the public and some members of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors at the Nov. 5, 2019 meeting remarked about the close proximity of the second field to the park’s boundary and properties on Del Norte Avenue. To address this, the Department relocated the soccer/lacrosse field closer to Bay Road and expanded the baseball field to include a multi-use field. This maximizes field versatility and meets community needs and priorities identified during the engagement process, including preservation of trees. View the 2020 Revised Conceptual Landscape Plan (Plan).

The 2020 Revised Conceptual Landscape Plan (Plan) reflects input gathered during the extensive community engagement process in 2015. The community expressed significant interest in adding fields for soccer, active recreation areas for youth and teens, space for community gatherings, and preservation of trees.

The Plan includes two multi-use sports fields, basketball, tennis, and sand volleyball courts, a bicycle pump track, improved picnic facilities, walking paths, exercise stations, a tree-lined promenade and plaza, and a demonstration garden. The park will also include new play areas and an inclusive, all-abilities play feature. Restrooms will be renovated or replaced and select adobe buildings will be preserved. Parking will be increased from the current 320 to a total of 369 spaces.

The community identified the park’s trees as a priority and this is reflected in the Plan that positions the upgraded and new features in a way to preserve 92% of the park’s trees, and all heritage trees, as defined by the San Mateo County tree ordinance. Implementing the park’s new design will require the removal of some trees; any tree removed will be replaced by at a minimum of one new tree.

The picnic areas at Flood are very popular, and the Plan shows that the same number of picnic areas remain – one large group reservation area and seven small group reservable picnic areas of various sizes – in addition to 20 drop-in picnic sites with BBQs. Some picnic areas may be relocated near new or improved features. All of the picnic areas will be upgraded.

The Plan is based on input from the community, which did not show as strong an interest in tennis and volleyball as other activities. While the Plan includes fewer tennis and sand volleyball courts than are present now, it does include these facilities so visitors continue to enjoy these activities at Flood while also making room for new, more desired features.

The existing ball fields at Flood are in poor condition, and as a result have not been used as much as they could be. The community emphasized the need for updated baseball and softball facilities and the addition of soccer fields. The Plan reflects what we heard from the community and includes two new multi-use fields that will be available for reservation and drop-in use.

The existing ball fields at Flood are in poor condition, and as a result have not been used as much as they could be. The community emphasized the need for updated baseball and softball facilities and the addition of soccer fields. The Plan reflects what we heard from the community and includes two new multi-use fields that will be available for reservation and drop-in use.

No. As stated in the EIR, the County will not light the fields.

During the community engagement process a variety of sports groups – including little league, other baseball groups, and soccer – attended meetings and voiced the need for more field access. Many also expressed the desire for the fields to be available for drop-in use. The inclusion of two multi-use fields provides sufficient field space while also addressing the priorities identified by the community.

The Parks Department has been researching management of similar fields in the area and is developing a reservation and management process for the fields at Flood County Park. The Department plans to allow scheduled use while also allowing drop-in use by individuals and small groups.

The area labeled as an amphitheater is designed to be a flexible gathering place that is secondary to the other proposed uses and can be used by the Department occasionally for a variety of educational programs, such the Junior Ranger, Take A Hike or Park Rx.

As is currently the case, use of amplified sound at Flood will require a special event permit; the Parks Department will continue to limit the number of these types of events. Air horns will be prohibited.

The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors eliminated the vehicle entrance fee for Flood County Park in 2019, and access to the park will continue to be free. The Parks Department will continue to charge fees for reservation picnic areas and special events.

Flood County Park has always been a popular destination, especially when the ballfield was in good condition. While recent park visitation counts have not reached historic numbers, the Department’s projections are that the new features and programs will attract more visitors.

The Plan includes increasing the current parking capacity by 49 parking spaces to accommodate a total of 369 vehicles, projected to be sufficient for users of the reimagined park.

In addition, the Department plans to implement various strategies that address traffic and parking needs based on approved activities and events. This may include limiting the number of sports fields reservations on holidays, weekends and during special events, and limiting the number of group picnic reservations when multiple sporting events are planned. The Department will also encourage visitors to carpool, rideshare, bike, walk, or use the bus.

Once the design phase is final, an estimate will be developed. Funding will come from a range of sources, including the San Mateo County General Fund, San Mateo County Measure K, grants, and support from the San Mateo County Parks Foundation and other community nonprofits.

Construction in phases allows for most of the work to proceed while keeping other parts of the park open and avoids having to close the park entirely for the duration of the renovation. It is expected that the park will be closed during Phase 1. During the upcoming public engagement process for the design phase, the department will ask for feedback on which amenities should be built in each phase.

The next phase of the Reimagine Flood Park project will call on community members to help develop the details needed to make the 2020 Revised Conceptual Landscape Plan a reality. Beginning in early February 2022, the Parks Department will host several public meetings asking community members for input on the specifications of features shown in the conceptual plan, including play areas and sports fields.

For project plans, reports, and progress, and to sign up for project updates, see the project page.