Brentwood Park

In 2011, in a statewide competition for grant funding, the Office of Grants and Local Services of the State of California Parks Department awarded Costa Mesa $275,000 to develop Brentwood Park.

In 2014, ground-breaking was scheduled to commence. However, conflict arose when elected Council Members during this period wanted the funds to go to Westside parks. In 2015, the city had to return the funds to the state.

In the 2016 Parks & Recreation Commission Park Report for District 3, Brentwood Park received a “C” rating.

Conclusions and recommendations from the report included:
■ Swings should be available at all parks
■ Shade structures should be incorporated in parks where tree shade is not available

In the 2017 Update of the Open Space Master Plan review of all of Costa Mesa’s Parks and Recreation playgrounds, only (2) parks — Brentwood and Pinkley — out of Costa Mesa’s thirty, were specifically called out for their outdated equipment (on page 64).

Pinkley Park’s playground equipment was replaced in 2019.

Although the playground equipment is designed for children 5-12 years of age, the reality is it’s most used by children 1-4 years of age, as noted by the photos below.

Toddlers regularly fall off the platform where the child circled below is standing.

On most days, it’s too hot/sunny to play on the equipment. So the toddlers grab some shade under it.

Brentwood Park is popular with the stroller set!

Many caregivers sit on the ground, even though ADA Standards require spectator seating at parks/playgrounds.

Why not make the volleyball court a tot lot???

This is the tale of two (District 3) parks: Heller vs. Brentwood (from the 2018 Parks & Recreation Commission Report by Commissioner Bogner).

Heller Park (shown below) is noted for its “Heavy neighborhood use.” It has swings, playground equipment shaded by trees, and benches next to the play structure. The park also has a bathroom and concrete pathways to access the playground from both streets.

Whereas, Brentwood Park (shown below) is noted for “2 families enjoying the park” and “no dogs off leashes ALTHOUGH several residents complaints.” The video creation date is not provided but from the looks of it, it was shot sometime during the spring/summer, when the playground equipment is in full sun and it’s too hot for children to play on.

The volleyball court and sand is in good condition and in the shade, BUT it’s never used. Why not make this the site of a toddler play area???

PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION
PARK REPORT – OCTOBER 2016
Park District #3
Vice Chair Robert Graham

Brentwood Park receives a “C” rating (although the system/calculus for the ratings is not provided). “No swings” is noted: https://www.costamesaca.gov/home/showdocument?id=23919

Conclusion & Recommendations from the report:
■ All parks are unique and offer different experiences and opportunities
■ Swings should be available at all parks
■ Restrooms should be available at all parks
■ Shade structures should be incorporated in parks where tree shade is not available
■ Provide bike racks
■ Drinking fountains for people and dogs
■ Annual discretionary fund for use by Recreation Manager

Costa Mesa’s Parks and Recreation budget for 2019-2020 is $7.3 million.

Park improvements include:

• $1.175 million for Lining repairs for both man-made lakes at TeWinkle Park
• $600,000 total for Fencing, signage, trail restoration and a master plan update at Fairview Park 
• $360,000 for Inventory, management and restoration planning for the flora and fauna at Canyon Park 
• $250,000 for Playground equipment, benches and landscaping at Shalimar Park
• $140,000 for Outdoor exercise equipment on the Westside’s Victoria Street corridor 
• $175,000 for New playground equipment at Jordan Park (*which has designated equipment for 2-5 yr olds, including swings)

*From the 2019-2020 Preliminary Operating & Capital Improvement Budget

And this year, Pinkley Park’s playground equipment was replaced.

A public entity, like the city of Costa Mesa, is liable for injury caused by a dangerous condition of its property “if the plaintiff establishes that the property was in a dangerous condition at the time of the injury, that the injury was proximately caused by the dangerous condition, that the dangerous condition created a reasonably foreseeable risk of the kind of injury which was incurred, and that either: (a) A negligent or wrongful act or omission of an employee of the public entity within the scope of his employment created the dangerous condition; or (b) The public entity had actual or constructive notice of the dangerous condition (under Section 835.2) a sufficient time prior to the injury to have taken measures to protect against the dangerous condition.”

https://www.advocatemagazine.com/article/2016-november/proving-a-condition-of-public-property-is-dangerous

In the 2017 Update of the Open Space Master Plan review of all of Costa Mesa’s Parks and Recreation playgrounds, it was noted (on page 64):

“Equipment at Brentwood and Pinkley Parks were older
and should be scheduled for removal.”

RECREATION FACILITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT, EXISTING CONDITIONS OF PLAYGROUNDS

In 2019, Costa Mesa replaced the outdated playground equipment and added a sun shade at Pinkley Park.

The City also replaced the arbor.

In 2007, city of Costa Mesa purchased land from a private day school at 261 Monte Vista Avenue (Park School) that closed in 2006. This acquisition doubled the acres of Brentwood Park space (see *History of Brentwood Park) and triggered the need for the development of a Brentwood Park Master Plan.

On July 1, 2008, the City Council awarded a contract to David Volz Design, a professional landscape architecture firm, for the Master Planning of Brentwood Park and 261 Monte Vista Avenue.

As part of developing the proposed Master Plan, staff conducted extensive community outreach efforts to encourage participation. This outreach consisted of the formation of a Task Force, three community meetings, and the creation of a parks project update website. Households within a 500-foot radius of the site, totaling over 183 addresses, were notified of each community meeting. In addition, an email-based “interest list” was created that included over 80 residents. Attendance at each community meeting was consistently over 50 residents demonstrating strong interest in this project.

On August 7, 2008 the City held the first community meeting to gather input regarding the Master Plan. On October 2, 2008, the City held the second community meeting to present two draft conceptual designs for Brentwood Park that were created to reflect the input gathered at
the first community meeting. These plans were later revised to reflect community feedback and a new design. The Preliminary Master Plan was presented to the community at the third community meeting on November 17, 2008 and published on February 5, 2009: http://ftp.costamesaca.gov/costamesaca/council/agenda/2009/2009-02-17/Brentwood%20Park%20Master%20Plan%20Council%20Report.pdf

Funding in the amount of $460,000 for the master planning and design of the project was approved with the adoption of the 2007-2008 Capital Improvement Program budget.

Then, the real estate bubble burst…