San Carlos Parks Master Plan
A shared vision to enhance parks, enliven open spaces, and celebrate recreation in our community.
The San Carlos Parks Master Plan was unanimously adopted by the City Council on June 8, 2026. Developed through a collaborative process involving residents, stakeholders, City staff, and elected officials, the adopted Plan provides a long-range framework to guide future decisions and investments in parks, open space, and recreation facilities over the next 20 years.
Thank you to the thousands of community members who shared ideas, attended meetings, completed surveys, and helped shape the Plan. Your participation played a central role in creating a shared vision for the future of parks, recreation, and open space in San Carlos.
Located within the San Francisco Peninsula, the City of San Carlos encompasses a 5.4 square mile portion of central San Mateo County. The City is bordered by Redwood City to the south, the City of Belmont to the north, open space preserves to the west, Redwood Shores and the San Francisco Bay to the east. Serving a population of 30,490 people, the City offers a small-town feel within the greater Bay Area region and provides a multitude of amenities, facilities, and opportunities for residents and visitors, including a robust parks and recreation system.
The City’s Parks & Recreation Department manages 17 parks including three community parks, four neighborhood parks, five mini parks, two open space parks, and two dog parks, as well as a youth center, an adult community center, athletic fields, tennis and pickleball courts, bocce ball courts, basketball courts, cornhole areas, an outdoor stage, and a diverse range of programs for all ages. San Carlos’ park and recreation facilities are greatly beloved and highly used by community members.
Community Center & Aquatic Facility
Throughout the Parks Master Plan process, community members consistently identified expanded indoor recreation opportunities and aquatic facilities among the community's highest priorities. To explore potential locations, the project team developed three conceptual site alternatives for Burton Park and Laureola Park. The concepts were presented through the project website, a community meeting, and an online survey to help community members evaluate the opportunities and trade-offs associated with each location.
Community feedback showed the strongest overall support for Burton Park Option 1, while also emphasizing the importance of preserving sports fields and courts, expanding aquatics, distributing recreation opportunities throughout the city, and minimizing neighborhood impacts. Following the presentation of outreach results in October 2025, the City Council directed that community center and aquatic facility planning continue as a separate planning effort beyond the scope of the Parks Master Plan. Additional site concepts were presented in spring 2026, and the Council ultimately identified Laureola Park as the preferred location for a potential future community center and/or aquatic facility.
A plan shaped by the community
Community input from a diverse cross-section of San Carlos residents was key to helping the City understand how its parks, open space, and recreational facilities serve the community and identify ways to improve for the future.
