In 2015, the City of Goleta completed a Recreation Needs Assessment (RNA) which was a comprehensive report that addressed both current recreation resources and offerings, as well as, projected community needs.  This assessment provided a roadmap to guide future recreation planning efforts.  This report also provided the City with an inventory and gap analysis on parks and facilities.

In December 2016, an overview of improvements in five of the parks that were identified in the Recreation Needs Assessment (RNA) was provided to the Parks and Recreation Commission.  In February 2017, an update was presented to the Commission identifying a sixth playground.

However, after further evaluation, two of the six sites require more extensive engineering and evaluation work--San Miguel Park and Santa Barbara Shores Park. Evaluations will continue at these two sites and the remaining four sites will move forward.

All the identified parks will not only receive new equipment, but will also have an accessible path leading from the sidewalk to the playground, and new playground safety surfacing. Council approved a unitary surfacing material to be used for all new and renovated playgrounds at the April 3, 2018, City Council meeting. View the full staff report and presentation here.

In the initial phase for park improvements, four (4) neighborhood parks were identified and addressed - Berkeley, Andamar, Winchester I & II. The City conducted two neighborhood outreach events in May 2017, to gather input from residents. In August 2017, the City also released a survey in English and Spanish to gather resident feedback. The Park Improvement survey and results are available here.

Based on resident feedback, an RFP was advertised inviting bids from playground vendors. Six (6) vendors submitted two designs for each of the four parks. Out of the six vendors, three vendors were invited to interview with the playground selection committee at City Hall on October 10, 2018. After extensive interviews, the committee had an overwhelming desire to work with one vendor on these projects. After checking references, the selected vendor was Sun Country Systems as the local representative for Play & Park Structures.

At Andamar Park, the project scope focused on replacing the existing swings and slide with new swings, play structure which includes climbing, monkey bars and sliding for both toddlers and school age children. The playground area was also extended from 64' x 40 to 83.5' x 62' to accommodate the additional equipment.

At Berkeley Park, the initial assessment did not have any improvements scheduled for the toddler equipment, however, upon a further evaluation, staff confirmed that the lifespan of the new surfacing will exceed the lifespan of the current toddler equipment. In replacing the existing equipment, new equipment and and surfacing was installed providing the highest amount of longevity and use to park visitors. The toddler area expanded to include one dual bouncer and a climbing feature with the 5-12 play area expanded to 35' x 36' with the inclusion of a climbing apparatus.

Amenities at Winchester I were relocated closer to the street to meet American with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements, while maintaining a relatively large green space. 51% of survey respondents requested structures for both age groups at this location, however due to park space and the grade of the area, option were limited. Existing swings were removed to comply with current park safety standards and in lieu of play equipment, fitness equipment was chosen to accommodate the space restrictions, offering a new recreational opportunity to residents in the area. 

Four different features were installed along the north east side of the park to allow for maximum green space and to allow for ADA accessibility without excessive grading and/or the installation of a retaining wall.

The Winchester II location garnered the largest percentage of survey respondents, mainly from the surrounding neighborhood. The design successfully integrated improvements with the existing play area, expanding it to include climbers and swings for both age groups, along with seating and shade for all users and spectators. Significantly, the park's existing open space was left unchanged, thus preserving the area for activities such as t-ball, baseball, soccer, and other recreational uses. Overall, this expansion increased the available play opportunity from 38' x 31' to approximately 38' x 110'.