HomeMy WebLinkAbout#05 - Sunfish Lake Parking Lot Expansion
STAFF REPORT
DATE: 05/06/2025
CONSENT
TO: Mayor and Councilmembers
FROM: Assistant Public Works Director – Adam Swanepoel
REVIEWIED BY: Public Works Director – Marty Powers
AGENDA ITEM: Sunfish Lake Park Parking Lot Expansion
CORE STRATEGIES:
☒ Vibrant, inclusive, connected community ☐ Efficient, reliable, innovative services
☐ Responsive, transparent, adaptive governance ☐ Balanced Finances now and future
☒ Managed Growth ☐ Resilient Infrastructure
BACKGROUND:
In May of 2024 the Parks Commission heard from staff at the Sally Manzara Center regarding
their concern over the parking at Sunfish Lake Park. Starting with an early spring in 2024, the
number of park users exceeded its parking lot causing an overflow of vehicles. Throughout the
year staff has observed parking overflowed into the drive aisles of the park. The current parking
lot is a gravel lot that can comfortably serve up to about 30 vehicles.
ISSUE BEFORE COUNCIL:
Would city council like to expand the existing parking lot at Sunfish Lake Park?
PROPOSAL DETAILS/ANALYSIS:
The parking lot at Sunfish Lake Park is a gravel lot which currently serves a number of attractive amenities
at Sunfish Lake Park including nature trials, off road mountain biking and the Nature Center. Staff has seen
the parking lot overflow throughout the past year. With additional parking at the Elmo’s Pup Park entrance,
parking is still an issue typically on the weekends and in the evening hours.
Parking in this area is unmarked and users often space vehicles farther apart than one would normally see
in a striped parking lot. This is mainly due to users accessing bikes, strollers and pets from their cars.
Staff is recommending expanding the existing parking lot into two locations. The first area will add five
additional parking spots and would square up the northeast corner of the parking lot. The second area would
consist of removing the north end of the grass median to make for angled parking. Doing so will add up to
an additional 30 parking spots.
Public Works staff would remove the black dirt, gravel the new parking area and place rock boulders down
the center of the angled parking to eliminate traffic driving through the angled parking spots. A berm of
black dirt would remain at the north end of the island to direct traffic down the correct drive aisle as well
as serve as a location for any needed signage.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The expansion of the Sunfish Lake Park Parking lot is currently on the 2025 work plan. Expenses for this
project would include public works staff time and fuel. All gravel needed for the project is currently on
hand with the public works department.
RECOMMENDATION:
“Motion to approve the expansion of the existing parking lot in Sunfish Lake Park as proposed.”
ATTACHMENTS:
• Sunfish Lake Park Map