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SR 03-30-2021 13B 13.B March 30, 2021 Council Meeting: March 30, 2021 Santa Monica, California 1 of 1 CITY CLERK’S OFFICE - MEMORANDUM To: Mayor and City Council From: Denise Anderson-Warren, City Clerk, Records & Elections Services Department Date: March 30, 2021 13.B Request by Council Member Brock and Mayor Himmelrich that the City forward the recommendations by the Recreation and Parks Commission in its Letter to Council dated March 19, 2021 regarding planned future improvements to SMMUSD elementary and middle school campuses. The Commission’s letter references the treatment of existing open and recreational space in plans currently being developed for those campuses. The City requests that the SMMUSD School Board consider these recommendations by the Recreation and Parks Commission in its current planning discussions. 13.B Packet Pg. 360 1685 Main Street, Room 214, Santa Monica, CA 90401 • (310) 458-8411 • ccs@santamonica.gov santamonica.gov • @cityofsantamonica • @santamonicacity Recreation and Parks Commission March 19, 2021 Mayor Himmelrich and City Council Members City of Santa Monica 1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401 RE: Public School Sites Dear Mayor Himmelrich and Council Members, At its February 18, 2021 meeting, the Recreation and Parks Commission heard a presentation from Carey Upton, Chief Operations Officer of the Santa Monica- Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD), regarding recently completed, in- construction, and planned future improvements at Santa Monica’s public schools. In particular, Mr. Upton previewed plans SMMUSD currently is working on for the elementary and middle school campuses. In many instances, the designs significantly reduce open and recreational space that the community has relied on and used for decades during non-school hours. Our City is notably park-poor and these campuses effectively are used as our city’s neighborhood parks. In recognition of this, all of the campuses are subject to the City-SMMUSD joint use agreements and the Playground Partnership. Following discussion, the Recreation and Parks Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the Council, given its role as a fiduciary for joint and community benefits and public wellness, take the following two actions: 13.B.a Packet Pg. 361 Attachment: RPC Letter to Council RE Public School Sites (4512 : Rec & Park recommendations on SMMUSD campuses) 1685 Main Street, Room 214, Santa Monica, CA 90401 • (310) 458-8411 • ccs@santamonica.gov santamonica.gov • @cityofsantamonica • @santamonicacity 1. Recommend to the SMMUSD School Board that open space and recreational functions be prioritized in the development of improvement plans for Santa Monica’s public schools, as our public schools provide needed open space and recreational functions for students during school hours and for the surrounding community during hours when school is closed. 2. Direct staff to review the Master Facilities Use Agreement between SMMUSD and the City of Santa Monica to ensure that improvements proposed at the public schools are consistent with the Agreement. Thank you for considering our recommendations. Sincerely, Lori Brown Lori Brown Chair CC: Recreation and Parks Commissioners Andy Agle, Director of Community Services 13.B.a Packet Pg. 362 Attachment: RPC Letter to Council RE Public School Sites (4512 : Rec & Park recommendations on SMMUSD campuses) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Ann Hoover <annkbowman@yahoo.com> Sent:Sunday, March 28, 2021 10:31 AM To:councilmtgitems; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Phil Brock; Gleam Davis; Christine Parra; Oscar de la Torre; Kristin McCowan Cc:Andy Agle; George S. Cardona; Susan Cline; Maryanne LaGuardia; Lori Brown; johncysmith@gmail.com Subject:March 30, 2021 Council Meeting - Item 13.B. SUPPORT - Public School Open & Rec Space EXTERNAL    Dear Mayor Himmelrich and Councilmembers - I write to you in support of Item 13.B. and the importance of providing a written communication from the City to SMMUSD conveying a gentle request that SMMUSD consider the Recreation and Parks Commission's recommendations in its letter to you dated March 19, 2021 (the "R&P Letter"). Preservation of existing recreation and open space on the elementary and middle school campuses is a matter of public concern that so far and would otherwise go unrepresented as SMMUSD develops long-range improvement plans for each of these campuses. Thank you for respecting the work and time of your Boards and Commissions and for listening to their considered (and unanimous) recommendations. The R&P Letter speaks for itself, but salient points for your consideration in regard to this Item 13.B. are:  The City has the authority to weigh in on the need to preserve open space and recreational functions on school campuses (i.e., City has legal "standing" to comment) due to the City-SMMUSD joint use agreements. The City and SMMUSD have a very respectful and highly functional working relationship and positive, open lines of communication.  For decades, Santa Monicans customarily have used school campuses for recreation during non- school hours & have relied upon these spaces being available (custom and reliance). Our City's park offerings, which include access during non-school hours to our public school campuses, are KEY to our residents' mental and physical health, wellness, and quality of life.  Having park and recreational space nearby is important vis a vis combatting CLIMATE CHANGE, so that residents are not driving long distances outside our City to find open and recreation space. Our City continues to be notably park-poor, with only 1.4 acres of recreation space per 1000 residents, contrasting with a national recommendation of 5 acres per 1000 residents (Los Angeles has 3.5+ acres per 1000 residents).  We continue to deal with issues of HOMELESSNESS in parks like Reed, Hotchkiss, Douglas, etc., making the school campus spaces cleaner, safer, and less stressful places for children and families to gather and recreate.  A major community interest, part of the City's park space offerings, is threatened if SMMUSD elects to build up the campuses to the extent set forth in the most recent campus development plans made publicly available. The "Campus Assessments" presentation made to the School Board on Dec 9, 2020 shows the proposed campus plans: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/Meetings/Attachment.aspx?S=36030435&AID=83633&MID=45 04  Open and recreation space in many of the foregoing plans is shrunk dramatically - JUST A FEW EXAMPLES: Basketball courts at Lincoln drop from 8 to 3 (tennis courts already permanently gone due to parking needs); the heavily-used, park-like, grassy corner of the Item 13.B 03/30/21 1 of 15 Item 13.B 03/30/21 13.B.b Packet Pg. 363 Attachment: Written Comments (4512 : Rec & Park recommendations on SMMUSD campuses) 2 Roosevelt campus (at Lincoln & Montana) disappears as does a lot of the back playground areas; McKinley (which is in a neighborhood that will only densify further in the years to come) loses almost 2/3rds of its large, usable grassy and black top space.  Unfortunately, we all realize that the City likely will only further densify in years to come making preservation of these recreational spaces even more critical - they have served for decades as our neighborhood parks and that use is recognized in the City-SMMUSD "Playground Partnership".  See the City's "Existing Parks" map, below. The Playground Partnership spaces are recognized in the "Key" with the "Sliding Board" symbol and then you can see the playgrounds indicated at school sites across the City.  VERY IMPORTANT - The majority of our residents live in condos or apartments and so these campuses are our backyards.  This is not an instance of telling the district "what to do" - the City and SMMUSD are always respectful of each others' business - but instead is just a gentle encouragement to the district to remember how important these spaces are, to remember that there is long-standing, customary public use of these spaces and decades of community reliance on them, and, accordingly, to keep trying to balance new built space with publicly-usable open space to preserve the existing open spaces and recreational functions as much as possible in making the plans to develop each campus. THANK YOU, Council! Please call or email if you want to discuss, have questions, or need more information. Have a wonderful weekend!! Best, Ann Hoover Santa Monica resident, 24+ years Co-Chair, SAMOHI PTSA Civic Center Task Force, 2014-present Member, SMMUSD Facilities District Advisory Committee, April 2016-November 2020 PTA Co-President, Franklin Elementary School, 2010-2011 CITY CLERK - Please include this email in the public record of correspondence pertaining to Item 13.B., March 30, 2021 City Council Meeting - Thank you! Item 13.B 03/30/21 2 of 15 Item 13.B 03/30/21 13.B.b Packet Pg. 364 Attachment: Written Comments (4512 : Rec & Park recommendations on SMMUSD campuses) 3 Item 13.B 03/30/21 3 of 15 Item 13.B 03/30/21 13.B.b Packet Pg. 365 Attachment: Written Comments (4512 : Rec & Park recommendations on SMMUSD campuses) 5 Item 13.B 03/30/21 4 of 15 Item 13.B 03/30/21 13.B.b Packet Pg. 366 Attachment: Written Comments (4512 : Rec & Park recommendations on SMMUSD campuses) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Tricia Crane <1triciacrane@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, March 29, 2021 7:48 AM To:councilmtgitems; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Phil Brock; Gleam Davis; Christine Parra; Oscar de la Torre; Kristin McCowan Cc:Andy Agle; George S. Cardona; Susan Cline; Maryanne LaGuardia; Lori Brown; johncysmith@gmail.com Subject:Support Agenda Item 13-B, City Council meeting of March 30, 2021 EXTERNAL  Dear Mayor Himmelrich and Councilmembers,  As someone who fought long and hard to preserve free open access to our public school playgrounds when school is not in session, I request that the Council vote in support of Agenda Item 13-B.  Residents have continuously voted to support taxing ourselves to help our schools. In our parks-poor city we rely upon access to the open space at our public school campuses. These are neighborhood gathering places and are important to the health of our residents.  The joint use agreement between the City and the school district gives the Council the authority to have input into the SMMUSD plan.   Please use that authority and notify SMMUSD that the Recreation and Parks Commission's recommendation should inform the school district’s long-range improvement plans for our school campuses.  Thank you.  Tricia Crane  Chair, Northeast Neighbors  Co-Chair of Save Our Playgrounds  Former Chair of the SMMUSD Special Education District Advisory Committee  Item 13.B 03/30/21 5 of 15 Item 13.B 03/30/21 13.B.b Packet Pg. 367 Attachment: Written Comments (4512 : Rec & Park recommendations on SMMUSD campuses) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Ann Maggio <annmaggio@gmail.com> Sent:Monday, March 29, 2021 11:14 PM To:councilmtgitems Subject:March 30 Agenda Item 13.B. Support with Amendment EXTERNAL    Dear City Council,    We support this agenda item, however, oppose efforts by the City Council to encourage spending Student School Bonds  to support building supersized or unnecessary vertical recreational facilities on these campuses.  The City should not  encourage a pay to play system that inhibits student access to student facilities, removes teacher parking resulting in  diminishing returns on public education or prevents Middle School students from participating in free School SPORTS  TEAMS. Our kids need these middle school experiences and no council member should be advocating for more joint use space because that would prohibit these student opportunities.  Furthermore, the City Council should not  be promoting spending school bonds to create Revenue Stream Recreational Spaces within residential  neighborhoods.     Lincoln Middle School is developing a plan that removes the teacher parking at the corner of CA and 16th street to build  an outdoor pool. The proposed development also includes removing the single story pool and gym and replacing it with  a two story building ‐ MORE RENTAL SPACE. School bonds are not passed so the City can get out of building  Recreational Facilities for residents! Teachers need parking spaces or we won't be able to find teachers to teach our  children! Our children and residents deserve a neighborhood that is safe from untold new car trips generated from Joint  use Agreements that are sure to invite many folks unfamiliar with our neighborhood and in search of coveted parking.  Imagine the swim and gym tournaments that could become a regular thing in our neighborhood. Wilmont Residents are  already squeezed for street parking and we don't need safety and access removed by these types of activities.  For these reasons, we ask that you return the item with a request to support the open space advocacy asked for in the Park & Rec letter and also commit to our students and their self determination with respect to sports team access. To support recreational facilities to serve our resident needs, please consider renting the Bloomingdales space and converting it into a Rec Center. Create a luxury tax on hotels and let that serve as a revenue stream to support operational costs. Seek Grants for reuse of space and support from the CA Coastal Commission since that space is within the Coastal Zone. Anchoring a declining retail mall with a community based project like a Rec Center offers new and unimagined possibilities that would breath life back into the City Core.     Thank you for your consideration.    Sincerely,    Ann and Sam Thanawalla  Wilmont Residents Public School Parents   Item 13.B 03/30/21 6 of 15 Item 13.B 03/30/21 13.B.b Packet Pg. 368 Attachment: Written Comments (4512 : Rec & Park recommendations on SMMUSD campuses) 1 Vernice Hankins From:zinajosephs@aol.com Sent:Tuesday, March 30, 2021 10:55 AM To:councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Kristin McCowan; Sue Himmelrich; Christine Parra; Oscar de la Torre; Phil Brock Cc:zinajosephs@aol.com Subject:City Council 3/30/21 agenda ite 13-B -- SUPPORT EXTERNAL    March 30, 2021 To: Mayor Himmelrich and Councilmembers From: Board of Directors, Friends of Sunset Park RE: 3/30/21 agenda item 13-B The Friends of Sunset Park Board supports item 13-B, and we agree with the 3/19/21 letter from the Recreation and Parks Commission. Preservation of existing recreation and open space on the elementary and middle school campuses is a matter of public concern. Thank you for your consideration. Below are some especially important points in the Recreation & Parks Commission letter:  The City has the authority to weigh in on the need to preserve open space and recreational functions on school campuses (i.e., City has legal "standing" to comment) due to the City-SMMUSD joint use agreements. The City and SMMUSD have a very respectful and highly functional working relationship and positive, open lines of communication.  Item 13.B 03/30/21 7 of 15 Item 13.B 03/30/21 13.B.b Packet Pg. 369 Attachment: Written Comments (4512 : Rec & Park recommendations on SMMUSD campuses) 2  For decades, Santa Monicans customarily have used school campuses for recreation during non- school hours & have relied upon these spaces being available (custom and reliance). Our City's park offerings, which include access during non-school hours to our public school campuses, are KEY to our residents' mental and physical health, wellness, and quality of life.   Having park and recreational space nearby is important vis a vis combatting CLIMATE CHANGE, so that residents are not driving long distances outside our City to find open and recreation space. Our City continues to be notably park-poor, with only 1.4 acres of recreation space per 1000 residents, contrasting with a national recommendation of 5 acres per 1000 residents (Los Angeles has 3.5+ acres per 1000 residents).   We continue to deal with issues of HOMELESSNESS in parks like Reed, Hotchkiss, Douglas, etc., making the school campus spaces cleaner, safer, and less stressful places for children and families to gather and recreate.   A major community interest, part of the City's park space offerings, is threatened if SMMUSD elects to build up the campuses to the extent set forth in the most recent campus development plans made publicly available. The "Campus Assessments" presentation made to the School Board on December 9, 2020 shows the proposed campus plans: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/Meetings/Attachment.aspx?S=36030435&AID=83633&MID=45 04 Open and recreation space in many of the foregoing plans is shrunk dramatically -JUST A FEW EXAMPLES: Basketball courts at Lincoln drop from 8 to 3 (tennis courts already permanently gone due to parking needs); the heavily-used, park-like, grassy corner of the Roosevelt campus (at Lincoln & Montana) disappears as does a lot of the back playground areas; McKinley (which is in a neighborhood that will only densify further in the years to come) loses almost 2/3 of its large, usable grassy and black top space.  Unfortunately, we all realize that the City likely will only further densify in years to come, making preservation of these recreational spaces even more critical - they have served for decades as our neighborhood parks, and that use is recognized in the City-SMMUSD "Playground Partnership."   See the City's "Existing Parks" map, below. The Playground Partnership spaces are recognized in the "Key" with the "Sliding Board" symbol and then you can see the playgrounds indicated at school sites across the City.  Item 13.B 03/30/21 8 of 15 Item 13.B 03/30/21 13.B.b Packet Pg. 370 Attachment: Written Comments (4512 : Rec & Park recommendations on SMMUSD campuses) 3  VERY IMPORTANT - The majority of Santa Monica residents live in condos or apartments, so these campuses are their backyards.   This is not an instance of telling the district "what to do" - the City and SMMUSD are always respectful of each other’s business - but instead is just a gentle encouragement to the district to remember how important these spaces are, to remember that there is long-standing, customary public use of these spaces and decades of community reliance on them and, accordingly, to keep trying to balance new built space with publicly-usable open space to preserve the existing open spaces and recreational functions as much as possible in making the plans to develop each campus. Item 13.B 03/30/21 9 of 15 Item 13.B 03/30/21 13.B.b Packet Pg. 371 Attachment: Written Comments (4512 : Rec & Park recommendations on SMMUSD campuses) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Elizabeth Van Denburgh <emvandenburgh@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, March 30, 2021 11:13 AM To:councilmtgitems; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Phil Brock; Gleam Davis; Oscar de la Torre; Christine Parra; Kristin McCowan Cc:Andy Agle; George S. Cardona; Susan Cline; Maryanne LaGuardia; John Lorick; Lori Brown; johncysmith@gmail.com Subject:3/30/21 Council Meeting: Item 13B - SUPPORT - Public School Open & Student Recreation Space - Wilmont Board EXTERNAL        March 30, 2021     To:  Mayor Himmelrich and City Councilmembers    From:  Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition (Wilmont) Board    RE: 3/30/2021 City Council item 13.B – SUPPORT ‐ Open Space and Recreational Functions for SMMUSD students at  SMMUSD campuses    The Wilmont Board supports the March 19, 2021 Park & Recreation Commission letter asking for the prioritization of  open space and recreational functions for SMMUSD students in the development of improvement plans for Santa  Monica’s public schools.  As well, the Board agrees with city staff reviewing the Master Facilities User Agreement  between SMMUSD and the City of Santa Monica to ensure that improvements proposed at the public schools are  consistent with the Agreement.     We do not come to this conclusion without looking at the issue before.  We have written letters to the SMMUSD Board  without response, have had a presentation at our February Wilmont meeting and continually are concerned about the  Item 13.B 03/30/21 10 of 15 Item 13.B 03/30/21 13.B.b Packet Pg. 372 Attachment: Written Comments (4512 : Rec & Park recommendations on SMMUSD campuses) 2 densification of the city and the loss of open and recreational space.  This is a critical problem at our schools because it is  so important to our children and families to have open space and recreational functions on school  campuses.  Historically we have faced these opportunities and issues:   Opportunity ‐ through the City‐SMMUSD joint use agreements we have been able to open these campuses for  decades for open space and student recreation during non‐school hours.   Issue ‐ we are park poor city with only 1.4 acres of recreation space/ 1,000 residents contrasting a national  recommendation of 5 acres/1,000 residents.  We need this space embedded in our neighborhoods.   Opportunity – we need to keep open space and recreational functions near us to make it easier to go exercise, to  make it easier to walk or bike to open space and recreational facilities and these school spaces are less stressful than the  current parks which have homelessness issues that often make it difficult for children and families.   Issue – Open space and student recreation space has shrunk dramatically including:  o Basketball courts at Lincoln Middle School have dropped from 8 to 3 courts with tennis courts  permanently eliminated dur to parking needs  o Park‐like, grassy corner of Roosevelt campus (Lincoln and Montana) will disappear as does much  playground areas.  I walk by this corner almost every day and it is filled with children, families and  dogs.  It is a critical element of Wilmont.  A place where children wait for parents, meet and play with  friends, families bring their babies and toddlers to play since we are a neighborhood filled with condos  and apartments with no backyards.  o McKinley will lose almost 66% of its large, usable grassy and black top space   Opportunity – Wilmont is an R2 and R3 neighborhood with over 80% of the 23,000 resident population being  renters.  Mostly our homes are condos and apartments and these campuses are our backyards today and we hope in the  future.   Issue – given the SCAG mandate and the state’s efforts toward densification, the city will only become more  densified.  This makes the preservation of these open spaces and student recreational spaces even more  important.  They have served for decades as our neighborhood parks, near our homes.  That use is historical and  recognized in the City and SMMUSD Playground Partnership.   Opportunity – the SMMUSD improvement plans do not take the opportunity to build two story buildings to maintain  open space and student recreational functions   Issue – why are we building a commercial preschool on Roosevelt and other campuses?  Why are we using public  land for private purposes?  Where is the report that outlines the need of preschools is more important than open space  and student recreational functions?    The Wilmont Board will continue to work with various stakeholders to make Reed Park available and usable by Wilmont  residents.  Together, with keeping open space and student recreational space prioritized at SMMUSD schools we provide  a future of well‐being for our children, families and residents who know the importance of these facilities.    Thank‐you,  Item 13.B 03/30/21 11 of 15 Item 13.B 03/30/21 13.B.b Packet Pg. 373 Attachment: Written Comments (4512 : Rec & Park recommendations on SMMUSD campuses) 3   Board of Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition (Wilmont)  Elizabeth Van Denburgh, Chair  Item 13.B 03/30/21 12 of 15 Item 13.B 03/30/21 13.B.b Packet Pg. 374 Attachment: Written Comments (4512 : Rec & Park recommendations on SMMUSD campuses) 1 Vernice Hankins From:Jaleh MIRHASHEMI <JALEH-M@msn.com> Sent:Tuesday, March 30, 2021 11:58 AM To:councilmtgitems; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Phil Brock; Gleam Davis; Christine Parra; Oscar de la Torre; Kristin McCowan Cc:Andy Agle; George S. Cardona; Susan Cline; Maryanne Laguardia; Lori Brown; johncysmith@gmail.com Subject:March 30, 2021 Council Meeting - Item 13.B. SUPPORT - Public School Open & Rec Space EXTERNAL    Dear Mayor Himmelrich and Councilmembers - As a mother to an athlete and having been involved in SMMUSD schools and observing the majority of kids involved in sports and lack of field and park to play, I request that the Council vote in support of Agenda Item 13.B. The closest and sole playground with a field and basketball court in our Northeast neighborhood is Franklin Elementary School and if there is no availability, Lincoln Middle School is another place for our kids to go and play regardless of their age (currently college students). With more and more limitations and more demands, we lose more and more of these after school playgrounds for our kids to play at. The joint-use agreement between the City and the SMMUSD is an opportunity for the City to weigh in improvement plans that most benefit our youths and residents. In addition, our great Recreation and Parks Commision's recommendations for the school district's improvement plans should be taken into consideration since they know what's best for our city's poor parks and fields! Thank you so much for your consideration. Jaleh Mirhashemi Co-Chair SM Civic Center Task Force, 2013 - Present SMMUSD PTSA Member, 15 years Chair Lincoln School Parent Eyes, 4 years SM Resident over 20 years CITY CLERK - Please include this email in the public record of correspondence pertaining to Item 13.B., March 30, 2021 City Council Meeting - Thank you!   Item 13.B 03/30/21 13 of 15 Item 13.B 03/30/21 13.B.b Packet Pg. 375 Attachment: Written Comments (4512 : Rec & Park recommendations on SMMUSD campuses) 1 Vernice Hankins From:John Cyrus Smith <johncysmith@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, March 30, 2021 1:25 PM To:councilmtgitems; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Phil Brock; Gleam Davis; Oscar de la Torre; Christine Parra; Kristin McCowan; Maryanne LaGuardia; Lori Brown; johncysmith@gmail.com Subject:ITEM 13-B 033021 SUPPORT - JOHN C SMITH, COMMISSIONER EXTERNAL    Dear Mayor, Council,  First of all, thank you for your leadership over the past year. As a resident and Recreation and Parks Commissioner and  former Chair, I truly appreciate the time and effort you contribute in working to keep our city thriving.   I also hope to speak on these matters tonight and be available for any questions if I can get off work in time.   There are several good reasons why the Commission voted unanimously to send the letter asking the Council to  encourage the school district to preserve open space on its campuses, and for the Council and District to take a fresh  look at the Joint Use Agreement. Here are just a few of them…  ‐‐Now is the perfect time as we emerge from the pandemic, students return to campuses, demand for field and court  space grows and we fully open our newest resource, Historic Belmar Park.  ‐‐The Commission asked for and received a fairly comprehensive overview of the plans on several campuses, which  involve five different designers and in most cases reduces or eliminates open spaces and/or courts in favor of new  construction and undefined “maker spaces.”  ‐‐The Joint Use Agreement deserves a fresh set of eyes so our city and school district work better together to fully utilize  and maximize the resources we have and share, such as the relatively new field and track at Lincoln.  ‐‐Some resources are already gone. Tennis courts have been lost and repurposed at Lincoln and Roosevelt, at a time  when the Commission gets letters from residents about the lack of tennis court space.  ‐‐The pool at Lincoln has sat unused for years while demand for pool space has never been greater. We should use such  resources better.  ‐‐Please examine and ask questions about the extensive plans for McKinley, which appear to eliminate almost two‐thirds  of the open space.   ‐‐The plans don’t really examine the impact on how essentials such as recess, PE classes and after‐school activities might  be affected.  These are not criticisms. Commissioners appreciate how dedicated the School Board is to education and our students. I  just believe it is an opportune time, and essential, that the Council contribute some feedback to the Board as it considers imminent and expensive plans to remake our school campuses with a “21‐Century Education” in mind, especially when  there’s a good chance those plans may need to change as the District decides whether to split in two.  Item 13.B 03/30/21 14 of 15 Item 13.B 03/30/21 13.B.b Packet Pg. 376 Attachment: Written Comments (4512 : Rec & Park recommendations on SMMUSD campuses) 2 I’d be happy to answer any questions and do hope to speak on this issue tonight.  Sincerely,  John C. Smith  Wilmont resident and Recreation and Parks Commissioner  310 869 7593  JohnCySmith@gmail.com         Item 13.B 03/30/21 15 of 15 Item 13.B 03/30/21 13.B.b Packet Pg. 377 Attachment: Written Comments (4512 : Rec & Park recommendations on SMMUSD campuses)