County park fees change

Campers will be able to change or cancel parks reservations under a proposal coming to the Board of Supervisors Tuesday, but it will cost them.

The plan also includes modifying the group picnic site category capacities so that larger groups can use less expensive sites and creates annual family and corporate passes.

The revisions are ways to give park users more flexibility, according to Parks Department Director David Holland.

The county last year increased park, camping and picnic fees slightly to fund an automatic reservation system. Response has been favorable but campers now want options when they need to cancel or change reservations. Currently, there is no policy for family or horse camping and a $15 fee to change or cancel group picnic site reservations.

Rather than charge the same amount for camping changes, the Parks Department recommends a 25 percent change or cancellation fee for family camping — equal to $5.25 per night — and a 10 percent fee for horse camping — equal to $5 to $25 per night depending upon the site.

The proposal would also change the categories of group picnic sites to allow groups of 76 to 100 people to use sites for $120 instead of the large capacity site fee of $225.

Families will be able to buy a $100 annual park pass and businesses are offered a $200 corporate annual fee. An individual annual park pass will remain $60.

The Parks and Recreation Commission reviewed the fee changes at its May 7 meeting and unanimously recommends the county adopt them.

If the supervisors comply, the changes could bring in approximately $2,000 in extra money for camping changes and cancellations, a estimated $5,000 in additional revenue for increased use of the smaller picnic sites and $2,500 more for family and corporate annual park passes.

All the increases will help offset the departments’ increasing operational budget, according to Holland.

The Board of Supervisors meets 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 7 in Board Chambers, 400 County Government Center, Redwood City.