History
In 2018 the City of Rocklin completed the purchase of approximately 184 acres of unused land, formerly the Rocklin Golf Club, located at 4201 Midas Avenue, Rocklin, CA 95677. The area, now known as the Sunset Whitney Recreation Area (SWRA), is envisioned as active and passive parkland.
The public was invited to assist in the identification of preferred recreational uses of the land, as well as to assist in preparing the property for use. On February 28, 2018, the City hosted an “open house” where approximately 300 residents shared their ideas for the new community space. The data collected showed walking trails as the most popular requested amenity. Residents also volunteered to remove a private fence erected around the property, as well as plant 120 trees and 200 plants, and paint structures.
The City implemented necessary upgrades to ensure public safety requirements were met. A careful process mitigated the threats of dead trees, walking bridges in disrepair, and open sand pits, in addition to maintenance of overgrown vegetation. The dilapidated buildings that had once served as a club house and pro shop were also partially demolished, abated for asbestos, and fenced off to reduce trespassing and vandalism.
Following the 2018 open house, the Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission formed the SWRA Master Planning subcommittee, consisting of two members of the Commission, which has been periodically meeting on matters related to future plans for the SWRA.
In 2019, the City officially opened the West Trails section of the park, totaling 2.4 miles of paved walking paths. The City recently secured grant funding to begin the restoration the East Trails portion of the SWRA, with phase I to add .75 miles of pathways. Additionally, projects to restore an additional 1.8 miles of former cart paths, and to reconstruct the Argonaut undercrossing, are both underway.
Proposed Master Plan Contract
Given the extensive community feedback received to date, as well as the opportunity to continue to build upon the efforts to open the trail systems, staff recommends a formal Master Plan be created to synthesize the City’s vision for the SWRA into a guiding document for future improvements. To achieve this goal, on January 19, 2022, the City released a request for proposals (RFP) to develop a Sunset Whitney Recreation Area (SWRA) Master Plan that will identify a mix of active and passive recreational uses for the SWRA that will result in the successful recreational development, operation and maintenance of the land.
The City received five qualified responses, which were evaluated on factors set forth in the RFP by a selection committee consisting of the City Manager, the Parks and Recreation Director, a Management Analyst and the Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission’s SWRA Master Planning subcommittee members. Two consultants were chosen for interviews. Staff ultimately determined Melton Design Group (Melton) submitted the proposal most advantageous to the City and began negotiations. Staff recommends the SWRA Master Plan contract be awarded to Melton Design Group in an amount not to exceed $123,870.
Melton’s scope of work will include:
1. Project coordination
2. Site analysis and utility study
3. Needs assessment, stakeholder outreach and program development
4. SWRA visioning master plan and inspiration
5. Development, operations and maintenance costs
6. Final phased implementation plan
Optional tasks in the scope of work also include potential funding opportunities for the proposed amenities, and architectural and structural assessments of the existing structures. More details on the scope of services and an estimated project timeline can be found in the proposed contract.