DECEMBER 2018 W W W. N R PA . O R G
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contents december 2018
PHOTO COURTESY OF JIM O’DONNELL
volume 53 | number 12 | www.parksandrecreation.org
FEATURES
42 How to Build a Park, Community Style! Jim O’Donnell
In 2015, the Taos Land Trust nonprofit purchased the 20-acre Amos F. Romo family farm not far from the tourist-filled Taos Plaza in New Mexico. After consulting with local partners, the Land Trust embarked on a year-long communityfocused process to develop a master plan for the land, to create a public park and restore the river and wetlands.
48 New Urban Infrastructure Parks Richard Dolesh
A look at three large-scale urban park projects around the country that are repurposing industrial and transportation infrastructure to create exciting, innovative public spaces. These projects show that social equity is no longer something to consider in hindsight but, rather, the most important priority of large-scale urban park projects.
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54 Tracking the Atlanta BeltLine Vitisia Paynich
Over the course of a 25-year project that launched in 2005, the BeltLine’s emphasis on social equity aims to improve the quality of life in 45 historic neighborhoods and ultimately connect Atlantans of all socioeconomic backgrounds.
60 Active Parks, Healthy Cities Catherine Nagel
Part of the solution to the lack of physical activity that’s plaguing the health of many Americans is to get moving. And, a great place to do that is nearby for most Americans — in the neighborhood park. But, many neighborhood parks are underutilized. How can we build better closer-tohome parks?
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contents december
columns 8
departments
10 Editor’s Letter Celebrating Community Sonia Myrick
12 Research Parks and Recreation: Out-of-School-Time Leaders Kevin Roth, Ph.D.
22 Advocacy Park Champion of the Year: Mount Airy’s Darren Lewis Jayni Rasmussen
15 Park Pulse Outdoor Locations to Visit This Holiday Season
24 Law Review
16 Community Center L. and Trust, Veterans and Their Communities: Learning from Each Other Rob Aldrich
Former Parks Director Claims Overtime Pay Under FLSA James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D.
30 Conservation Reconnecting Urban Communities with Their Waterways Sara Powell, Michelle Luebke and Jamie Ong
20 Member to Member . rones in Parks: It’s All About Perspective D .Courtney Wootton, Michael J. Bradley and Ray Neal
34 Health & Wellness What Happens When Parks and Artists Partner to Advance Equity Alexis Stephens and Victor Rubin, Ph.D.
66 NRPA Update Give to Parks This Giving Season 66 Get Recognition with an NRPA Award 67 Take a [First Day] Hike! 67 Connect Hot Topics 68 Member Benefit: Proactive ADA Compliance – Facilities, Policies and Programs 68 Member Spotlight: Michael Biedenstein, CPRP 69 Parks & Recreation Crossword 70 Professional Development Calendar 71
38 Social Equity An Unforeseen Catalyst, an Opportunity for Change Stacie Ellickson, PLA, ASLA
Page 34
72 Operations A Few Safety and Security Solutions for Restrooms Katie Navarra
74 Products 76 Park Essentials 79 Advertiser Index 80 Park Bench
Cover image: Rio Fernando Park, Photo Courtesy of Jim O’Donnell
Parks & Recreation
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PHOTO COURTESY OF ALBERT YEE
Floating Art Gina Bonilla
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Perspectives A Balanced, Sustainable Public Investment in Parks Jack Kardys
It’s Your Time to Shine
Get Recognition with an NRPA Award: Innovation Awards - Honor agencies improving their communities in inspirational ways. Spotlight Awards - Honor individuals for their commitment to the field. Scholarships & Fellowships - Give up-and-coming professionals access to the NRPA Annual Conference.
Submissions will be accepted January 7 – March 29
nrpa.org/Awards
P E RS P E C T I V E S A M E S S A G E F R O M N R PA’ S L E A D E RS
A Balanced, Sustainable Public Investment in Parks In the October Parks & Recreation Advocacy column, Kevin O’Hara, NRPA’s vice president of urban and government affairs, asked: “How many mayors does it take to make a movement?” The 225 mayors currently signed on to the NRPA/Trust for Public Land (TPL)/Urban Land Institute (ULI) 10-Minute Walk Campaign partnership is certainly an incredible start. Yet, with approximately 100 million Americans or roughly 30 percent of our population isolated from the benefits of nearby public park space, we have a long road ahead. The biggest challenge for these 225 hearty souls will be establishing the dedicated, sustainable funding source that will not only acquire land and build great parks, but will also operate, program and maintain them as part of an equitable and accessible park system. Considering the current 10-year trough of nearly 20 percent in public funding, the boom-and-bust history of the park industry shows that accelerated entrepreneurial and philanthropic efforts typically fill these funding voids. In the 1970s–1980s, every conceivable concession and land-lease opportunity was considered and often implemented, angering the public and often resulting in tighter land-use regulations restricting the commercialization of parks. This was followed by a golden age of public investment that lasted until the Great Recession of 2007–2008. Only “park districts” with dedicated public funding for capital and operations have maintained their momentum through this most recent economic downturn. Today, public-private partnerships and philanthropy are playing a more significant role in park development as solutions to public funding reductions. As 8
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noble and well-intended as some of these ventures are, the absence of an adequate public investment may inadvertently impact the distribution of accessible parks and programs throughout a city or county. The potential impact of climate change on vulnerable populations creates an even more significant risk to underserved populations. Park professionals are uniquely equipped to overcome the paradox of tax aversion and to help meet the desire among citizens and elected officials for more parks. During last month’s contentious midterm elections, TPL tracked 43 referenda for park bond issues in 20 states and saw 84 percent approved by voters. One of the most progressive ballot measures to pass was in Doral, Florida, one of our 10-Minute Walk Campaign signatories, where the average homeowner accepted an annual property tax increase of $139 to build $150 million in park infrastructure, significantly increasing their park system and walkability. Congratulations to Doral’s Mayor J.C. Bermudez, city commissioners and parks director Barbie Hernandez! Investing in public park spaces and programs is an investment in a community’s economic prosperity, especially for those who live and work in close proximity. It is essential that we balance the enthusiasm and resources of philanthropic and private-sector investors with a sustainable public investment, one that minimizes the risks to a community’s cultural identity caused by large-scale gentrification. This is an especially important component of our 10-Minute Walk Campaign, as we move from gathering support and advocacy to identifying funding strategies, securing resources and, finally, implementation. Creating sustainable park districts with dedicated funding streams will ensure the perpetual success of our walkable park investment.
JACK K ARDYS NRPA’s Chair of the Board of Directors
2 2377 Belmont Ridge Rd. | Ashburn, VA 20148 703.858.0784 | www.nrpa.org
NRPA’S MISSION: To advance parks, recreation and environmental conservation efforts that enhance the quality of life for all people. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Karen Bates Kress
Chair of the Board of Directors Jack Kardys
Park Advocate Emigrant, Montana
J. Kardys Strategies Miami, Florida
Treasurer Xavier D. Urrutia City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation San Antonio, Texas
Secretary Karen Bates Kress Park Advocate Emigrant, Montana
President and CEO Barbara Tulipane, CAE National Recreation and Park Association Ashburn, Virginia
Carolyn McKnight, CPRP Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge East Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Joshua Medeiros, CPRP, AFO Town of Cheshire Parks and Recreation Cheshire, Connecticut
Herman Parker
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
City of San Diego, California, Parks and Recreation Department San Diego, California
Michael Abbaté, FASLA
Ian Proud
Formerly of Portland Parks & Recreation Portland, Oregon
Neelay Bhatt PROS Consulting Indianapolis, Indiana
Hayden Brooks American Realty Corporation Austin, Texas
Kong Chang City of Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Saint Paul, Minnesota
Carol Coletta Memphis River Parks Partnership Memphis, Tennessee
Kevin Coyle
Playworld Systems Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Nonet T. Sykes Atlanta Beltline, Inc. Atlanta, Georgia
Xavier D. Urrutia City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation San Antonio, Texas
Greg A. Weitzel, CPRP City of Idaho Falls Parks and Recreation Idaho Falls, Idaho
LIFE TRUSTEES Beverly D. Chrisman Lexington, South Carolina
Anne S. Close Fort Mill, South Carolina
National Wildlife Federation Washington, D.C.
James H. Evans
Jose Felix Diaz
Rosemary Hall Evans
Ballard Partners Miami, Florida
New York, New York Sugar Hill, New Hampshire
Earl T. Groves
Victor Dover
Gastonia, North Carolina
Dover, Kohl & Partners Town Planning Miami, Florida
Charles E. Hartsoe, Ph.D.
Richard Gulley
Harry G. Haskell, Jr.
City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department San Diego, California
Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania
Jack Kardys
Perry J. Segura
J. Kardys Strategies Miami, Florida
New Iberia, Louisiana
Michael Kelly
Round Hill, Virginia
Chicago Park District Chicago, Illinois
Eugene A. Young, CPRP
PARKS & REC Salsbury
Joanna Lombard University of Miami School of Architecture; Miller School of Medicine Department of Public Health Sciences Miami, Florida
Richmond, Virginia
Kathryn A. Porter Mendham, New Jersey
R. Dean Tice
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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EDITOR’S LETTER PRESIDENT AND CEO Barbara Tulipane, CAE
Celebrating Community It’s that time of year when our thoughts turn to being with family and friends and observing traditions, religious and/ or secular. Two of my favorite Thanksgiving Day traditions are watching the Macy’s parade while helping to prepare the meal, followed by the Westminster Dog Show and then, on Friday, connecting and reconnecting with neighbors as we all enjoy the local Thanksgiving Day parade in our town center. I wish we could hold on to that feeling of community and comradery past the ball drop in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. That feeling of community, of being part of something larger, dissipates after the holidays, as we get back to business as usual. Healthy, resilient and harmonious communities are what you as park professionals work to create and sustain yearround. In this issue of Parks & Recreation, we celebrate the increasing importance and prioritization of listening to community, especially when it comes to creating open spaces where all feel welcomed. For example, in Taos, New Mexico, by giving voice to groups that tend not to be sought out during the community planning process — the Native American population, the legacy Hispano community, and recent Central American and Mexican immigrants — the nonprofit Taos Land Trust embarked on a year-long community-focused master planning process to restore the river and surrounding wetlands along a portion of the Rio Fernando. In “How to Build a Park, Community Style!” on page 42, contributor Jim O’Donnell walks us through the process, which not only includes plans for a public park, but is meeting a need to reconnect to the land — an important cultural element for this community. Repurposing industrial and transportation infrastructure to create exciting and innovative public spaces is all the rage. However, in the process of creating these spaces, the often-neglected communities that once abutted them are gentrified, displacing instead of benefitting the existing community. On page 48, in “New Urban Infrastructure Parks,” by NRPA Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Richard J. Dolesh and “Tracking the Atlanta BeltLine,” by contributor Vitisia Paynich on page 54, we see how social equity, once considered in hindsight, is now an important priority in these large-scale urban park projects that are meant to improve the quality of life for all members of the community. But, many of you are already ahead of the game when it comes to being innovative, as evidenced by the programs chosen to receive the NRPA Innovation Awards in health and wellness, conservation, social equity and park design. Check out the Imagination Guide, accompanying this issue of the magazine, to learn more about these winning programs/projects. Thank you for the work you do each and every day to advance the health and well-being of your communities and our country. This past year, we’ve seen the increased awareness at the local and national level regarding the impact of parks and recreation. From all of us at headquarters to all of you, Happy Holidays and happiness and peace in the coming year.
SONIA MYRICK Executive Editor 10
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VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLISHING, AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Gina Mullins-Cohen gcohen@nrpa.org EXECUTIVE EDITOR Sonia Myrick smyrick@nrpa.org EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTOR Suzanne Nathan snathan@nrpa.org PUBLICATION DESIGN Kim Mabon/Creative By Design CreativeByDesign.net SENIOR SALES MANAGER EASTERN REGION AND EUROPE Kip Ongstad 703.858.2174 kongstad@nrpa.org SENIOR SALES MANAGER WESTERN REGION AND ASIA Michelle Dellner 949.248.1057 mdellner@nrpa.org SALES COORDINATOR Meghan Fredriksen 703.858.2190 mfredriksen@nrpa.org PHOTOGRAPHY Dreamstime.com (unless otherwise noted) MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS Michael Abbaté, FASLA Anthony-Paul Diaz Ryan Eaker Robert García Kathleen Gibi Paul Gilbert, CPRP Tim Herd, CPRE Brian Johnson, CPSI Michele Lemons Sam Mendelsohn Maria Nardi Lisa Paradis, CPRP Gil Peñalosa Paula Sliefert Shonnda Smith, CPRP, AFO Anne-Marie Spencer Stephen Springs
Pledge to Commit to Health at your park and recreation sites and join the 1,750 sites already creating healthier environments for kids and families in their communities through out-of-school time programs!
Pledge Now: nrpa.org/CommitToHealth-Giveaway The first 100 sites that register between November 29 and December 31 will receive a $25 Amazon gift card and the next 50 sites to register will receive a $10 Amazon gift card. Sites must register between 11/29/18 and 12/31/18 to be eligible. Agencies are encouraged to register as many sites as they like, but only the first 5 sites will be eligible for gift cards (up to $125). Visit www.nrpa.org/CommitToHealth-Giveaway for details.
RESEARCH Parks and Recreation: Out-of-School-Time Leaders By Kevin Roth, Ph.D.
O
ut-of-school time (OST) programs are a safe place for kids when they are not in school. The hours before and after school and when schools are not in session can be challenging and potentially dangerous times for youth who are not under the direct watch of parents, teachers or family. However, those times also represent opportunities for learning and personal enrichment that expose children to new ideas and are a source of inspiration. These programs, which may include daycare, both before- and afterschool care and summer camps, can be the difference in many households to whether a parent or primary caregiver can earn a living or not. OST programs are ubiquitous with parks and recreation, with 9 in 10 park and recreation agencies serving millions of children every day in our nation. But, for all the positive impact local park and rec-
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reation agencies’ OST programs have on children in their communities, there remain many opportunities for greater success by serving more youngsters and expanding program offerings. The NRPA Re-
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search team just released the results of a survey of 334 park and recreation agency directors that explores the scope and mission of OST programs and the barriers that keep them for offering more services to a greater number of children. Benefits Out-of-school time programs convey many benefits to their communities, including those benefits surrounding play and physical activity. The most widely cited benefit of OST programs by park and recreation directors is that they offer a safe space to play. Similarly, 46 percent of park and recreation professionals agree that their agencies encourage healthy, physically active lifestyles through play, swimming, exercise and sports. However, OST is not just about physical activity — these programs also build children’s self-confidence and help them form life-long relationships. Afterschool programs and summer camps are places that unite children with others in their neighborhood or even those from across town. These same programs also connect youth with mentors and adult role models who may be lacking in other areas of these children’s lives. OST programs also are places where children can receive educational support and be exposed to supplemental learning opportunities. At many afterschool care facilities, children can complete
homework with the support of counselors. In other cases, afterschool and summer camps are places where park and recreation agencies can offer classes and interactive opportunities for learning, such as connecting youth to nature and providing invaluable outdoor experiences. Key OST Program Offerings Beyond their most widely known benefit of being a place for children to go while their parents and caregivers are at work, OST programs also offer a broad set of activities and programming that prepare youngsters for the future. Most park and recreation agencies offer opportunities that encourage physical activity (90 percent of agencies) and exposure to arts and culture (89 percent). Beyond that, OST programs broaden children’s view of the world. For example, two-thirds of park and recreation agencies offer local children programming focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), including environmental topics. Sixty-four percent of OST offerings also encourage healthier lifestyles with programming on nutrition and healthy cooking. One-half of agencies introduce local youth to gardening as part of their OST programs. OST programs also help local children deal with the many challenges of growing up. For example, agencies include programming focused on: • Family engagement (70 percent) • Youth development (61 percent) • Intergenerational programs/activities (53 percent) • Mentoring (34 percent) One size does not fit all. So, park and recreation agencies tailor some of their out-of-school time program
offerings to serve the unique needs of specific populations and audiences. These specialized offerings can include nutrition education, physical activity or sports-based programs, nature experiences, and education and enrichment clubs. For example, agencies often create programming specifically targeted to youth of a specific gender, race or ethnicity. Further, agencies also tailor programming by a youth’s specific circumstances, including: • Youth at risk of becoming involved in the juvenile justice system or other problematic behavior
One size does not fit all. So, park and recreation agencies tailor some of their out-of-school time program offerings to serve the unique needs of specific populations and audiences. • Youth with mental illness and/or substance-use disorders • Homeless youth • LGBTQ youth • New American youth
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RESEARCH
...local park and recreation agencies have the opportunity and obligation to promote STEM principles through hands-on nature education. Newer Programming Offerings As the stewards of public green spaces, local park and recreation agencies have the opportunity and obligation to promote STEM principles through hands-on nature education. Fifty-four percent of park and recreation agencies include STEM programming as a part of their OST offerings. OST program’s STEM offerings may focus on nature, technology and project-based learning. Fifty-eight percent of park and recreation agencies have OST programming that educates local youth about environmental issues and the role of parks and recreation in conservation and sustainability. Fifty-six percent of agencies tied OST content to technology, including 14
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coding, robotics and 3-D modeling. Other commonly delivered OST STEM program offerings include: • Project-based learning (cited by 48 percent) • Making and tinkering with STEM (45 percent) Park and recreation agencies’ outof-school time programs also serve as gateways to healthy eating and access to sustainable food practices for children. These offerings provide children with a better understanding of how healthy and sustainable food is produced and create lifelong healthy eating habits. Four in five park and recreation agencies include nutrition-oriented activities as a part of their OST offerings. Key offerings include cooking classes, taste testing, experiencing healthy food and other similar activities, operating a garden, and education that links gardening activities with environmental stewardship. Challenges For many benefits that OST programs currently bring to their
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communities, many park and recreation agencies are hamstrung by an inability to train their staff for the wide and diverse offerings their programs currently offer or could add in the future. Four in five agencies deal with barriers that prevent them and their OST teams from partaking in training opportunities. Cost is a major barrier to training park and recreation OST staff. Fifty-four percent of agencies lack access to extra personnel to cover their current OST programming when staff is in training. One-half of agencies lack sufficient funding to pay for OST-related training. Further, a quarter of agencies report their staff lacks the required credentials to participate in training. Conclusions The survey report highlights the breadth of the benefits from OST programs as they serve millions of children and families in the United States. OST programs are primary providers of before- and afterschool care, as well as summer camps that are invaluable to working families. OST programs provide avenues of discovery for youth. OST programs offer places where children can build selfconfidence through mentoring opportunities and thrive from positive adult role models. Perhaps the biggest benefit from OST programs is that they establish an early relationship between youth and parks and recreation. Eventually, these children will grow into adults and become lifelong consumers and advocates for all that agencies give to the community. Kevin Roth, Ph.D., is NRPA’s Vice President of Research (kroth@nrpa.org).
NRPA Park Pulse
In this month’s poll we asked, where would you most like to visit this winter holiday season?
83% of Americans look forward to spending time outdoors during the winter holiday season. PARENTS MILLENNIALS
92%
93% GEN XERS
NON-PARENTS
79%
84%
BABY BOOMERS
77%
Top 4 locations to visit this winter holiday season: A local farm
to pick out holiday decorations
A beach to relax
A park
to go sledding or playing
A trail
to enjoy nature
Each month, through a poll of Americans that is focused on park and recreation issues, NRPA Park Pulse helps tell the park and recreation story. Questions span from the serious to the more lighthearted.
Visit www.nrpa.org/Park-Pulse for more information.
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The National Recreation and Park Association survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,003 U.S. adults ages 18+, October 22nd and October 26th, 2018, using an email invitation and an online survey. Quotas have been of the U.S. adult population 18 and older. Parks & Recreation | S Eset P T E Mto B Eensure R 2 0 1 8 | reliable W W W . P A Rand K S A Naccurate D R E C R E A T I representation ON.ORG
COMMUNITY CENTER Land Trust, Veterans and Their Communities: Learning from Each Other By Rob Aldrich
A
merican stories, novels and folklore contain many tales of soldiers returning home to the land. The literary devices, descriptions and metaphors in these tales symbolize the land as a place of healing, a sentiment shared across cultures. Land trusts too paint their public lands as places of healing, livelihoods and a tribute to the men and women who have served in the military.
Forest Management and Skill Building Partnering with veterans groups, Team Red, White & Blue (RWB) and Team Rubicon, the accredited Five Valleys Land Trust in Mon-
PHOTO COURTESY OF FIVE VALLEYS LAND TRUST
Here are two stories that demonstrate how land trusts are using their mission of land conservation to serve and engage veterans in a way that is meaningful to them and that builds long-term relationships.
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tana tackles a variety of forest management work on conserved lands. Team RWB enriches the lives of America’s veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity. Team Rubicon unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with
Team Rubicon veterans group helps Montana’s Five Valleys Land Trust with forest management work.
first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams. These veterans groups help Five Valleys Land Trust complete its stewardship goals, while connecting the veterans to the land, to each other and to the community. Team RWB hand-piled all the brush from felled trees to reduce forest fire danger, and Team Rubicon cleared downed trees and thinned standing timber to improve forest health. “Partnering with veterans groups has been a win-win for everybody. Conservation lands provide the perfect space for veterans to apply their skills while completing much-needed stewardship work on the land,” says Amber Sherrill, executive director of Five Valleys Land Trust. This stewardship work provides crews with the opportunity to improve their chainsaw techniques through their Emergency Response Saw Training programs. The experience allows for training needed to effectively respond to natural disasters around the country. Beyond disaster relief, partnerships with veterans can help them find a renewed sense of purpose when they return to civilian life. John Lind of Team Rubicon adds: “Working with the land gives many veterans a purpose. They can be part of their community.”
Anderson Woods Nature Preserve When the Anderson Woods Nature Preserve opened near Lake Michigan in 2015, the dedication ceremony was a perfect reflection
PHOTO COURTESY OF FIVE VALLEYS LAND TRUST
Stewardship work allows these Team Rubicon Disaster Response crew members to improve their chainsaw techniques for disaster response work nationwide.
of the project and the community. Families walked through glades lush with blueberry and wintergreen. People with mobility and vision challenges navigated the universal access trail through the towering oak and white pine forest. From the outset, the Land Conservancy of West Michigan was interested in creating a universal access trail. The fact that the site was entirely flat meant the idea could work. Staff members met with the Fruitland Township Parks and Recreation Commission, and they learned that very few recreational opportunities existed in the area for people with disabilities. The Anderson property could provide a much-needed solution. When first exploring the idea, the Land Conservancy called Disability Network West Michigan, a statewide organization that was thrilled to participate. “This was a unique project
“This was a unique project — different from other Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) trail projects — because we got the veterans involved in designing the trail so that it met their needs.” — different from other Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) trail projects — because we got the veterans involved in designing the trail so that it met their needs,” says Vaughn Maatman, the Land Conservancy’s former director. Steven Knox, adjutant for the Disabled American Veterans, Chapter 11 in Muskegon and veterans’ counselor at Disability Network West Michigan, wanted to get veterans involved with trail construction. “Once we had be-
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COMMUNITY CENTER
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LAND CONSERVANCY OF WEST MICHIGAN
The Anderson Woods project illustrates the kind of synergistic learning that occurs when different organizations come together around a shared goal.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LAND CONSERVANCY OF WEST MICHIGAN
Veterans were involved in designing the Anderson Woods Nature Preseve ADA trail near Lake Michigan, in Muskegon County.
gun discussions, I realized this was something veterans could do. If they were going out to walk, they could go out to work. And, because of what I do, I had a lot of people at my disposal.” Indeed, Knox had a group of about 20 veterans with disabilities who he tapped to mark off trails, clear brush and help in a variety of other ways.
By forming partnerships with veterans, land trusts nationwide are benefiting the land, the land trust, veterans and their communities.
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Synergistic Learning Collaborating with members of the disabled community to connect with the land is something that land trusts could do more of that fits within their current missions. Veterans will likely embrace such a partnership. According to Knox, “There are a multitude of veterans who would help with ADA trail-building projects, especially to help out other veterans.” The Anderson Woods project illustrates the kind of synergistic learning that occurs when different organizations come together around a shared goal. As the groups brainstormed about how to build the trail, the veterans suggested calling an asphalt company to create a smooth, paved surface. Land conservancy staff explained that a petroleum-based surface could not be put down in an ecologically sensitive area. The solution was a substance called “crusher fines”: crushed rock or limestone screenings that compact well and provide good drainage. This material is suitable for wheelchairs and strollers on an outdoor trail. This kind of teamwork taught the veterans about conservation, and it taught the land conservancy about the disability community and its needs. “It was a learning project,” Maatman says. “We were engaging with folks who had a whole different perspective than we had ever thought about before, a perspective that included accommodating ambulatory challenges, vision impairments and families with children in strollers.” One of Maatman’s favorite memories from the Anderson Woods Nature Preserve dedication day is encountering a couple of veterans in their motorcycle garb, standing by a
bench that they had helped build in a garage. They were explaining to trail users how and why the bench had been constructed and who did the work. “It was a contribution they brought to the project, and they were proud of it.” Maatman shares. “It was the result of a few vets thinking about what they wanted so they and their friends could enjoy that trail. The Land Conservancy’s vision needed to be shaped by the veterans’ vision and excitement. We needed to make room for their contribution,” he says. Land trusts nationwide are work-
PHOTO COURTESY OF FIVE VALLEYS LAND TRUST
Team Rubicon helps clear downed trees and thin standing timber to improve forest health.
ing with and serving the veterans in their communities. They are forming partnerships that benefit the land, the land trust, veterans and their communities. “The Anderson Woods project happened and was successful
because some people came together around an idea that animated them, and they were willing to learn from each other,” says Maatman. Rob Aldrich is the Community Conservation Director for the Land Trust Alliance (raldrich@lta.org).
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MEMBER TO MEMBER Drones in Parks: It’s All About Perspective By Courtney Wootton, Michael J. Bradley and Ray Neal
U
nmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, are a recent phenomenon that has become popular in the past few years. They are remotely piloted aircrafts that first started being used by the military when manned flights were considered too dangerous. Chronologically, drones first appeared in military operations starting in 2000, but gained military and civilian popularity from 2009 to 2016. However, because drone popularity has skyrocketed, local regulations regarding the use of drones for recreation have not kept up. The lack of regulations has resulted in issues regarding safety, privacy concerns, encroachment on private property and others, and thereby warranting discussion regarding development of policy and regulations. The combined factors of impressive technology and offering the thrill of unmanned flight in one easy-to-operate package have made drones incredibly popular. They offer fulfillment of dreams of all ages, kids and adults alike, including scientific fantasies about flying cars and fancy new technology to launch society into the future. The idea of a future
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where packages and pizzas are delivered to doorsteps or in parks by drones is now a reality. Excitement abounds. People take their drones to public spaces, from national parks and wilderness areas to local public parks down the block. Arguments against drones focus on security and privacy. People are afraid that drones could be used to
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observe unsuspecting people or be used in new cyberattacks. Some are paranoid that it is another way for “Big Brother” to further infringe on civilian rights and liberties. Some are simply concerned about flyovers of their property. To fly drones safely, many operators have turned to parks as the best open space to fly their drones. An undeniable appeal of drone flying is the ability to take photos from perspectives that have never been done before except by professional photographers in a plane or helicopter. Fueling the excitement is posting such pictures on social media and getting the most “likes” on Facebook. The temptation of having drones for the perfect picture is high. People like to use their drones to get aerial shots of landscapes, get up closer than normal to wildlife and to try to re-create photos in the likes of National Geographic, all of which can cause problems if done irresponsibly. There are positive aspects to having drones in parks for their use in helping to manage parks and facilities. Drones can be used in conservation efforts, public safety and natural resource management. They can be used in search-andrescue operations, wildlife monitoring, monitoring endangered areas, creating more extensive maps and managing invasive species. They truly can be a resource for assisting in research focusing on environmental threats and expanding scientific knowledge.
However, recreational flying of drones in parks brings up a new set of issues. Complaints that drones pose safety problems, cause noise pollution and are a nuisance to other park visitors have become more common. To alleviate these public concerns, park and recreation professionals need to figure out how to regulate drones and accommodate public recreation flying in a way that is safe and productive. A law passed by Congress in July 2018 granted the FAA control over all airspace, a law that supersedes local or state law. There are no other entities that can dictate where a drone can fly. Cities, states and other types of park agencies can regulate where a drone can take off and land, however. It is the responsibility of each jurisdiction to enact its own policies or regulations surrounding access for takeoffs and landings. While many of the regulations set forth by the FAA seem vague, they do offer a substantial amount of information. The No. 1 tenet is safety: the FAA urges UAV operators to do so in a manner that reduces any risk of endangering the public. These guidelines are easy to find on the FAA website (www. faa.gov/uas). Two types of drone operators have been designated by the FAA: hobbyists and commercial-use pilots. There are clear sets of rules for each type of flight covered under Part 336 for hobbyists and part 107 for commercial use. The basic rules apply for both but require commercial operators to pass a certification exam that must be renewed every 24 months. It is also important to note that the FAA requires any drone weigh-
ing more than .55 lbs. (250 grams) be registered. There is no registration fee for an operator who plans on flying recreationally only, but it does require online registration of some personal information. Once registration is complete, a hobbyist pilot is issued an alphanumeric identifier that must be displayed on the UAV. Commercial pilots must also follow the same process, but, unlike the hobbyist pilot, each commercially flown drone must be registered separately and registration requires a $5 license fee that covers the drone for 24 months. Having a registration requirement places a level of accountability on anyone who pilots a drone. Because of the popularity of drones, park agencies will face increasing public pressure to look at allowing hobbyist flights and commercial-use drones in parks There may be revenue potential in charging for a “day permit� to fly, but more importantly, permitting drone takeoffs and landings in park areas shows that the park system accepts drone flying as a legitimate form of recreation. Day or season
permits would also help filter out less savvy or unsafe drone pilots with the requirement to show FAA registration and limited takeoff and landing space would additionally help park staff supervise flying. By creating stronger guidelines and policies about how to fly drones in parks instead of adopting blanket restrictions, parks can give people an outlet and place to fly recreationally. New programming and events can be planned around drones, bringing in visitors and related businesses that benefit the parks. The popularity of drones will continue to climb. The opportunity is here for park and recreation professionals to accept drone flying and keep it focused on safety and respect for all parties. Such acceptance will protect the public and park resources and enable an exciting new form of recreation to take place. Courtney Wootton is a Graduate Student in the Therapeutic Recreation program at Eastern Kentucky University (courtney_ wootton@mymail.eku.edu). Michael Bradley is an Associate Professor in the Department of Recreation and Park Administration at Eastern Kentucky University (michael. bradley@eku.edu). Ray Neal is a PMP-Certified Project Manager and an FAA Part 107-Certified Remote Pilot (nealrayf@gmail.com).
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ADVOCACY
Park Champion of the Year: Mount Airy’s Darren Lewis
Darren Lewis (far right), director of North Carolina’s Mount Airy Parks and Recreation, with Rep. Virginia Foxx during the ribbon-cutting for a new community pocket park.
By Jayni Rasmussen
N
estled at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Mount Airy, North Carolina, is a small but notable place: it’s Andy Griffith’s hometown, and the basis for the fictional town of Mayberry in the “Andy Griffith Show.” It’s also (for any igneous rock buffs out there) home to the largest open-face granite quarry in the world. In my opinion, Mount Airy should really be known for the incredible work of Darren Lewis, director of Mount Airy Parks and Recreation. Lewis is a star participant in the Park Champion initiative, NRPA’s award-winning grassroots advocacy program, and a recipient of the 2018 Park Champion of the Year Award. The NRPA Public Policy Committee selected Lewis as the winner of the Park Champion of the Year Award. As part of the award, he was recognized at NRPA’s Annual Conference in Indianapolis and will receive round-trip lodging and airfare for himself and a member of his staff to travel to Washington, D.C., to advocate for parks and recreation on Capitol Hill. 22 Parks & Recreation
Lewis was selected for hosting Congresswoman Virginia Foxx at the August 30 ribbon-cutting for Mount Airy Parks and Recreation’s new pocket park, followed by an afterschool snack served from the agency’s meal van. The pocket park lies along the Granite City Greenway, a 6.5-mile paved track that connects the town and adds a world-class activity for resi-
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dents and tourists alike. The pocket park has green space, new restrooms, water fountains and even a shady rest stop with hammocks where trail users can relax during or after a ride. The day began with a dedication ceremony featuring the congresswoman, town officials and Lewis, who mentioned the congresswoman’s status as chairwoman of the House Education and Workforce Committee and made an impassioned pitch for the USDA Summer Food Service and Afterschool Meals programs. Congresswoman Foxx followed up on Lewis’ comments by speaking about the importance of these programs and the need to streamline the application process.
After the speaking program, Congresswoman Foxx cut the ribbon for the new pocket park and passed out pieces of the ribbon to each of Mount Airy Parks and Rec’s summer camp participants. She then joined the campers in making a healthy snack: a yogurt cone with fresh peaches and granola. The meal was served from Mount Airy’s meal van, which was purchased with an NRPA Commit to Health grant and allows the agency to serve meals and snacks at different park and recreation centers throughout the community. This event gave Congresswoman Foxx the chance to see how Mount Airy is using the USDA’s summer and afterschool programs to fight childhood hunger and provide enrichment to children when school is not in session. According to Lewis, inviting Congresswoman Foxx to his events was a no-brainer: “Commissioners are very impressed with all the elected officials in attendance. They’re excited to see members of Congress at your events, as it recognizes the value of what you offer.” Lewis has been a participant in the Park Champion initiative for two years, accessing NRPA’s tools and resources. This includes the Park Champion Advocacy Toolkit, NRPA’s step-by-step guide to inviting members of Congress to an upcoming event. He says, “Anytime that you can bring out your local, state or national officials is only going to speak volumes for what we all do. It shows that Mount Airy Parks and Recreation is a necessity. That’s a challenge for parks and recreation in general — changing the mindset that we’re not a nicety, but a ne
Each year, NRPA recognizes Park Champion initiative participants with the Park Champion of the Year Award. Of the dozens of Park Champion events — any event with a member of Congress or their staff in attendance — held this year, six incredible finalists were chosen: Finalist
Event
In Attendance
Darren Lewis, Mount Airy Parks and Recreation
Pocket Park Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Grant Ribbon-Cutting and Afterschool Snack Program Celebration
Congresswoman Virginia Foxx and staff
Mark Young, Parks Forever Consulting and Seve Ghose, Recreation Director, Louisville Parks and Recreation
West Louisville Appreciation Day
Congressman John Yarmuth
Ravi Boze-Adams, Program Director for Afterschool Meals & Summer Food, City of East Orange Department of Recreation & Cultural Affairs
East Orange Recreation Summer Food Kick Off
Jeremy Julius, Constituent Services, office of Senator Bob Menendez
Christopher Korbelak, Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department
Bert Winters Park Boating Amenities Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
Shawn Jamison Hall, Regional Director for Senator Bill Nelson
Suzanne Schoonmaker, Individual Giving and Events Manager, Baltimore Parks & People Foundation
Ambrose Kennedy Park Opening
Senator Ben Cardin
Keith Hobson, Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District
Volunteer Service Day in Partnership with Passport Oregon
Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici and staff
cessity. Hosting events like this is another way to show that.” Many NRPA members who are public employees hesitate to participate in advocacy. However, the Park Champion initiative is designed primarily to educate members of Congress about your parks and programs. It’s certainly worth the effort when it comes to visibility for your agency. As Lewis puts it, “The publicity that we’ve received, at the state, local and national level with the event we hosted and receiving the Park Champion of the Year Award has reiterated the importance of our
department and what we do for the community.” Congratulations to Darren Lewis and all the finalists for the 2018 Park Champion of the Year Award! Are you the next Park Champion of the Year? Sign up to be a Park Champion and get started inviting your members of Congress to your next event at www.nrpa.org/ park-champions. If you have questions or need help, reach out to me, Jayni Rasmussen, at jrasmussen@ nrpa.org or 440.522.9162. Jayni Rasmussen is NRPA’s Advocacy and Outreach Manager (jrasmussen@nrpa.org).
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LAW REVIEW
Former Parks Director Claims Overtime Pay Under FLSA By James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D
T
he Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires employers to pay wage earner employees overtime pay to individuals who work more than 40 hours in a workweek. (see 29 U.S.C. §§ 206(a), 207(a)). However, as illustrated by the case described herein, the FLSA may not require a governmental entity, like a public park and recreation agency, to pay overtime wages to certain exempt-salaried supervisory or administrative employees who serve on a policymaking level at the pleasure and discretion of a public elected official (see Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Coverage (Exempt vs Non-Exempt) at www.flsa. com/coverage.html).
Hourly or Salaried Employee? In the case of Watts v. Carroll County Fiscal Court, E.D. Ky. (8/25/2017), plaintiff Benjamin Watts brought a lawsuit in federal district court claiming overtime pay under the FLSA after being fired from his position as Carroll County director of parks and recreation. 24 Parks & Recreation
On January 5, 2015, the Carroll County Executive (Westrick) hired Watts as county parks and recreation director. At the time, Watts was not given a formal job description, but Westrick told Watts that his “role as director would be to oversee the Park & Recs of the Carroll County Park, completely. Despite this articulation of Watts’s
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role, Westrick also later informed Watts that he should not question or second-guess the ways Westrick handled issues regarding other park employees. When asked to personally describe his duties as director, Watts stated these duties included supervising and training park employees, even though he never ‘technically supervised anyone.’ “Watts experienced confusion over his wages a number of times during his tenure as Carroll County Parks and Recreation Director. When Watts was initially hired, at the start of January 2015, he was told the position was a $30,000.00 per year salaried role. Nevertheless, Watts was required to submit a time sheet every week indicating how many hours he worked.”
On January 4, 2016, “Westrick approached Watts and asked him why he was reporting more than forty hours per week on his time sheets. Watts informed Westrick that he was merely documenting the hours he worked every week as originally instructed. According to Watts, Westrick then instructed him to keep track of any hours in excess of forty ‘in his head’ and to use those hours as ‘comp time’ rather than reporting it on a time sheet. This confused Watts, so he asked both Westrick and his personal lawyer to further explain the matter. “After Watts sought clarification, Westrick sent Watts a memorandum imposing new conditions of employment on his Parks and Recreation position. The memorandum informed Watts ‘that he had no supervisory authority and, thus, could no longer work over forty hours per week without Westrick’s prior approval.’ The new conditions also confined Watts to his office between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., to ensure he worked only forty hours per week. “Watts was also classified as an hourly employee, rather than a salaried one, going forward. According to Westrick, these new conditions were imposed because of Watts’s lackluster performance as parks and recreation director. “Not long after the new conditions were imposed, Watts was terminated from his employment with Carroll County. Carroll County Fiscal Court officers informed Watts that his position was no longer needed and that ‘several issues’ led to his discharge. “Following his termination, Watts filed [a civil action in feder
al district court] alleging various violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.” Watts claimed that during his time as county parks and recreation director, “he frequently worked in excess of forty hours per week but was never paid overtime compensation.” In response, defendant Carroll County Fiscal Court (CCFC) claimed “Watts was not an ‘employee’ for purposes of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and, thus, not entitled to overtime compensation.” Even “if Watts was considered an ‘employee’ under the FLSA,” CCFC claimed Watts “was an exempt employee who still was not entitled to overtime compensation.”
FLSA Policy making Exception CCFC claimed Watts was not entitled to any overtime compensation because “his “position as Director of Parks and Recreation fell within the policymaking exception” of the FLSA. As noted by the federal district court, the policy exception to the FLSA overtime requirement has been interpreted in a variety of ways by the federal courts to include “employees who merely implement policies or offer suggestions about policies” and limited to “employees who work closely with and are specifically held accountable to their appointers.” Further, the court cited the following factors as relevant in determining the applicability of the FLSA policy exception: (1) whether the elected official has plenary powers of appointment and removal or, put another way, whether the appointee serves
Watts claimed that during his time as county parks and recreation director, “he frequently worked in excess of forty hours per week but was never paid overtime compensation.” at the pleasure of the appointing authority; (2) whether the appointee is personally accountable to only that elected official; (3) whether the appointee represents the elected official in the eyes of the public — i.e., whether the appointee can speak on behalf of the policymaker; (4) whether the appointee has discretionary rather than administrative powers; (5) the level of the position within the organization’s chain of command; and (6) the actual intimacy of the working relationship between the elected official and the appointee. Applying these factors to Watts’s case, the federal district court found itself “unable to grant summary judgment in favor of Carroll County.” According to the federal district court, the applicability of the FLSA policy exception should be “narrowly construed” because it typically involves questions of fact better left for a jury to consider at trial, as opposed to being resolved on a pretrial motion for summary judgment. While acknowledging that “some factors weigh in support of the policymaking exception,” based on the pretrial record, the federal district court found a reasonable jury could return a verdict in favor of Watts’s FLSA claim to overtime as a non-exempt employee.
Policymaking Authority? In making its case for the policy ex-
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In particular, the court found Westrick had communicated to Watts “that the County was not, in fact, going to pursue the suggested policy changes.”
Administrative Employee Exception
ception, Carroll County had relied on the pretrial testimony of county executive Westrick, who claimed Watts was hired to “completely” oversee the parks and recreation department. Westrick had testified that Watts was “director of the whole park out there” and that Watts’s duties involved “[a]nything [that] pertains to the park.” Carroll County claimed this testimony demonstrated Westrick “lacked the personal knowledge or experience to effectively determine County policy with regard to the Parks and Recreation Department.” Further, Carroll County argued the FLSA policy exception applied to Watts because county executive Westrick, the holder of a public elective office, “did personally appoint and subsequently remove Watts” from his service on a policymaking level as county parks and recreation director. The federal district court, however, found such evidence was “simply not enough” to conclude “Watts was actively involved in shaping Carroll County Parks and Recreation policy.” 26 Parks & Recreation
While Watts had “testified that it was his responsibility to create and implement goals and strategies for the Parks and Recreation Department,” the court found Watts “also had to seek permission to implement those goals and strategies.” Moreover, the court noted “Watts testified that he ‘thought’ he was responsible for developing” a budget for the parks and recreation department. However, “once the budget left [Watts’s] hands,” the court found the budget “was altered before final approval.” In support of its claim to the FLSA policy exception, Carroll County Fiscal Court also pointed to “many emails Watts sent to other employees with policymaking suggestions.” The federal district court, however, found these emails were “insufficient evidence” to conclusively establish that “Watts was actually responsible for making those policy ideas come to life.” On the contrary, the court noted “Westrick expressed frustration that Watts was ‘constantly’ sending him ‘long emails’ about different programs Watts wanted to pursue.”
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If Watts was considered an “‘employee’ for purposes of the FLSA,” in the alternative, Carroll County had also argued Watts was “an exempt administrative employee pursuant to 29 U.S.C. § 213(a)(1).” As cited by the federal district court, the FLSA “administrative employee exemption would apply where an employee is: (1) Compensated on a salary or fee basis at a rate of not less than $455 per week . . . exclusive of board, lodging and other facilities; (2) Whose primary duty is the performance of office or non-manual work directly related to the management or general business operations of the employer or the employer’s customers; and (3) Whose primary duty includes the exercise of discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance. 29 C.F.R. § 541.200(a).” In this instance, the federal district court found the first requirement of the administrative exemption was satisfied during the time that he was a salary employee because Watts’s testimony and personnel file indicated “he was making at least $30,000.00 annually, or at least $576.92 per week.” The court, however, found the other two requirements related to Watts’ ‘primary duty’ as Parks and Recreation Director — remain in dispute.” As was the case with the policymaking exemption, the feder-
al district court would “construe this exemption narrowly” and “the employer bears the burden of proving each element of the exemption by a preponderance of the evidence.” Once again, the court acknowledged that “the application of an FLSA exemption is generally considered a question of fact that “will be better addressed by a jury in the context of trial,” as opposed to being resolved by the judge in a pretrial motion for summary judgment. Based on the pretrial testimony and evidence in this case, the federal district court was “unable to conclude at this time that the administrative exemption applies to Watts’s employment as Carroll County Parks and Recreation Director.”
Management-Related Work As cited by the court, “[t]he second prong of the administrative exemption test requires an employee’s primary duty to involve office or non-manual work directly related to the management or general business operations of the employer” 29 C.F.R. § 541.200(a)(2). In this instance, the court noted that the pretrial record did not contain a written job description, but Watts’s deposition testimony suggested that “his primary duty could be viewed as management-related.” In describing his duties, in his deposition, “Watts testified as follows: I would best describe them as it was my responsibility to create and manage recreational and
sports programs for the community both for youth and adults. To manage and oversee the county park and the associates that were employed to work at the park. And that included the pool, the county pool that was at the park as well. And then we also had an after-school program that we had a few employees who worked with the school as part of a grant that was created before I was ever the director, and just to kind of manage and oversee that as well. Watts further “testified that he trained Parks and Recreation employees and directed them to perform certain tasks.” He also “stated that he made recommendations about equipment or materials to be purchased, although he was not the one with fi-
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nal purchasing authority.” Ultimately, Watts “testified that he believed his primary duty was ‘to manage.’”
Manual Work Duties Watts claimed the FLSA administrative employee exception did not apply to his position because “his primary duty did not involve ‘office or non-manual work’ as required under the regulation.” On the contrary, Watts claimed his work duties included manual work. According to Watts, the county executive had told him “it was his responsibility to pick up trash around the park
where manual tasks are merely incidental to a primary, non-manual duty, such as managing the park and its employees on the whole.” In this instance, the court found that “Watts’s occasional labor-heavy tasks appear to be peripheral to his supervisory role as a manager of the Carroll County Parks and Recreation department.” As described by the court, the county executive had “confined Watts to his office for a period of time,” which “suggested Westrick believed Watts could carry out his duties as Parks and Recreation Director from behind a desk.”
Discretion and Independent Judgment
and to personally deliver checks to employees.” Moreover, Watts said he “also helped other employees with various manual projects, such as putting wind screens around batting cages, pumping water out of the park fields, and transporting bags full of sports equipment.” The federal district court, however, noted that such manual labor activities engaged in by Watts would “not preclude a conclusion that his primary duty was management-related.” On the contrary, the court acknowledged that “employees ‘can perform some manual work without losing exempt status,’ particularly 28 Parks & Recreation
For the FLSA administrative employee exception to apply, the court would also require Carroll County Fiscal Court to prove Watts’s primary duty as parks and recreation director “included the exercise of discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance.” Within the context of this FLSA exception, the court characterized discretion and independent judgment as follows: In general, the exercise of discretion and independent judgment involves the comparison and the evaluation of possible courses of conduct, and acting or making a decision after the various possibilities have been considered. This prong can be satisfied even if an employee is subject to «active supervision» or if his work is heavily regulated. Once again, the court found pretrial “conflicting evidence” would preclude the granting of summary judgment in favor of Carroll County. On one hand, the court found evidence that Watts could exercise dis-
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cretion and independent judgment as parks and recreation director. As noted by the court, the county executive had “originally told Watts his role [as parks and recreation director] would be to ‘oversee the Park & Recs of the Carroll County Park, completely.’ Watts testified that [the county executive] told him that ‘he didn’t know anything about Parks and Recreation and that he just needed somebody to come in and clean it up.’” Further, the court found that “Watts was allegedly tasked with a number of decision-making responsibilities, such as developing a budget, creating a website, recommending certain personnel actions, and more.” As characterized by the court, this pretrial evidence suggested “Watts had sufficient authority to make decisions out of his own discretion and independent judgment.” On the other hand, the federal district court cited the following pretrial evidence which suggested that the county executive, Westrick, was “really the party in control of Parks and Recreation decision-making: Westrick complained during his deposition of ‘long emails’ Watts used to send him suggesting new programs the Parks and Recreation department could pursue. According to Westrick, he told Watts ‘no, that we’re not going to pursue different issues, different programs that goes on in the school at this county park. No.’ Westrick then complained of Watts’s persistence in sending recommendations. On one occasion, Westrick apparently gave Watts grief for ordering a storage building with a green roof, instead of the blue roof Westrick had requested. And Watts
testified that at one point when he tried to recommend Westrick take certain personnel actions, Westrick responded that ‘he was the one who could fire me and that I was not to question his decisions.’ Further, the court found Watts testified that “he did not know the extent of his discretion and independent judgment abilities: The further into the position, the longer that I was in that position, the more muddied the waters were as far as what I was and was not able to do or what I did or did not have the authority to do. Did I make recommendations, absolutely…Did I have the authority to do so? Your guess is as good as mine. In light of such conflicting pretrial evidence and testimony, as was the case with the FLSA policymaking exception, the federal district court found further trial proceedings were necessary for a jury to determine “how much independent decision-making capability” Watts had as parks and recreation director and whether “Watts was a non-exempt administrative employee entitled to overtime compensation.” In reaching this determination, the federal district court noted, “‘active supervision’ from a supervisor does not totally preclude an employee from exempt status” under the FLSA discretion and independent judgment exception.
October 20, 2017, the federal district court reported that Watts and Carroll County had reached a settlement on this claim for overtime pay under the FLSA.
James C. Kozlowski, J.D., Ph.D., is an Attorney and Associate Professor in the School of Recreation, Health and Tourism at George Mason University (jkozlows@gmu.edu). Webpage with link to law review articles archive (1982 to present): http://mason.gmu.edu/~jkozlows.
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Conclusion Having found that the pretrial evidence had failed to conclusively establish Carroll County’s claim that Watts was an exempt employee under the FLSA, the federal district court denied Carroll County’s motion for summary judgment. Rather than proceed to a jury trial, on
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE BRONX RIVER ALLIANCE
CONSERVATION
Community members participate in this year’s annual summer flotilla fundraising paddle, where they paddle for 5 miles on the river through the heart of the Bronx.
Reconnecting Urban Communities with Their Waterways Watershed Planning in New York City By Sara Powell, Michelle Luebke and Jamie Ong
U
rban areas offer unique challenges and opportunities for conserving natural resources and connecting people with nature. The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) strives to create and sustain thriving parks and public spaces for all New Yorkers — no small task considering NYC Parks is responsible for stewardship of more than 5,000 individual properties in one of the most densely urban cities in the United States. NYC Parks’ 30,000 acres of parkland amounts to 14 percent of New York City!
Perhaps surprisingly, more than 10,000 acres of NYC parkland are natural areas — forests, woodlands, freshwater and estuarine salt marsh ecosystems.
30 Parks & Recreation
Perhaps surprisingly, more than 10,000 acres of NYC parkland are natural areas — forests, woodlands, freshwater and estuarine salt marsh ecosystems. One way that NYC Parks has approached its mission is by taking a watershed-scale approach to planning for natural resource management and restoration, green-space ac-
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cess and connectivity, and community engagement. The Bronx, one of the city’s five boroughs, presents an interesting case study of NYC Parks’ watershed planning efforts. Over the past 10 years, NYC Parks has participated in the development of two watershed plans for Bronx waterways — the Bronx River and the Harlem River.
The Bronx River From its headwaters in Westchester County, the Bronx River flows for 23 miles before emptying into the East River. Encompassing more than 56 square miles, its watershed spans two states, three counties and
15 municipalities and is the city’s largest freshwater river. Historically, the river was forest-lined and fed into a vast tidal marsh system. Over the past two centuries, human activities have significantly altered the river and its watershed — much of its length has been hardened, dammed, piped and/or systematically incorporated into the city’s combined sewer system. Its tributaries and floodplains have been filled, and the forests replaced with dense urban development. These alterations have degraded the river’s ecological health and biological diversity, reduced recreational opportunities and other social benefits to the surrounding communities and, in some places, have cut off the local community from the river entirely. Despite these pressures from a growing metropolis, the Bronx River watershed still contains the largest extent of the city’s original forest and is home to more than 35 species of fish, 40-plus species of birds and numerous mammals, including beavers and coyote. In 1974, community activists began the process of cleaning up and restoring access to the river. In 1997, a Bronx River Working Group was convened, composed of more than 60 community organizations, public agencies and businesses committed to restoring the river and improving access to it throughout the Bronx. Together, they rallied support to remove more than 640 tons of garbage, 89 cars and 30,000 tires, appliances, bicycles and pieces of furniture. In 2001, with support from NYC Parks, this working group developed into the Bronx River Alliance, a permanent
In 1997, a Bronx River Working Group was convened, composed of more than 60 community organizations, public agencies and businesses committed to restoring the river and improving access to it throughout the Bronx. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to continue restoration and advocacy work for the long term. Through a public-private partnership with NYC Parks, the Bronx River Alliance works collaboratively with a wide range of partners to improve, protect and restore the Bronx River watershed. Since 2001, the Alliance has developed innovative pollution abatement and restoration programs, hosted on-water recreation and education opportunities for thousands of people and engaged community stakeholders in development of multiple watershed plans. In 2010, building on prior separate planning efforts, NYC Parks, the Bronx River Alliance, Westchester County Department of Planning and the New York Department of State worked together to develop and release the Bronx River Intermunicipal Watershed
Best Practices/Tips for Watershed Approach to Restoration Efforts: I. Long-term adaptive management is key. A watershed plan should be a living document, so plan to revisit it periodically to make sure restoration efforts are on track and still in line with community priorities. II. Planning should integrate across boundaries: built and natural environments, social and ecological processes, upstream and downstream communities. III. Community involvement is critical for success. Local organizations reflect neighborhood needs and priorities. IV. Public-private partnerships provide a model to connect government resources with local organizations. This allows transfer of skills, expertise and funding and also facilitates the flow of information between communities and agencies.
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A portion of the transportation/industrial corridors that line most of the Bronx side of the Harlem River, preventing easy waterfront access.
Management Plan (IWMP) — the first comprehensive plan for the entire Bronx River watershed. This IWMP was developed with input from more than 100 stakeholders and identifies 10 strategies to achieve an agreed-upon vision for the Bronx River. The plan identified priority projects and management activities and acknowledged that effective watershed protection requires a collaborative, multifaceted approach. Nearly 10 years in, NYC Parks, the Bronx River Alliance and Westchester County have completed most of the restoration projects set out in the IWMP. They are currently seeking funding to update the plan to reflect the progress made and identify opportunities for future additional cooperative restoration work. This collaborative approach to urban river restoration and protection, driven by community advocacy, is also evident in the other watershed plan that NYC Parks is currently developing — the Harlem River Watershed and Natural Resources Management Plan for the Bronx.
The Harlem River The Harlem River, a 9.3-mile tidal strait forming the boundary between the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx, is a very different waterway from the Bronx River. It was once a meandering, estuarine complex of tidal creeks and marshCommunity members provide NYC Parks with information about opportunity areas and goals for its Harlem River Watershed Plan. 32 Parks & Recreation
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es that was drastically altered to support shipping and industrial development in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These alterations degraded water quality, reduced aquatic habitat and decreased public access to the waterfront. Over the past decade, the city of New York has started to transform the Harlem River’s Bronx shoreline through rezoning, land acquisition and construction of new waterfront parks and greenways, but poor water quality and lack of public access to the waterfront continue to be major concerns of the local community. The Harlem River Watershed Plan, once published in mid-2019, will serve as a guiding document for agencies, community groups and other stakeholders to implement
actions to protect and restore watershed resources. Specifically, the plan will identify opportunities for stormwater management, habitat restoration, improved open space and waterfront connectivity, and public engagement. Comparable to the IMWP, this plan builds on multiple community-led planning efforts and is incorporating community and stakeholder feedback throughout the process to gain consensus and buy-in on goals. Funding for the Harlem River Plan was also provided by the New York State Department of State Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. The remaining natural ecosystems present in the Bronx and Harlem River watersheds deserve celebration and preservation as an
enriching element of what makes NYC unique. Only through collaborative planning efforts that engage residents in the protection and restoration of our urban waterways at the watershed scale will we be able to realize the integral role that parks and public open spaces play in benefiting communities in densely urban areas. For information about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Urban Waters Federal Partnership, visit www. epa.gov/urbanwaterspartners. Sara Powell is the Ambassador for the Bronx & Harlem Rivers Urban Waters Federal Partnership (sara.powell@parks.nyc.gov). Michelle Luebke is the Director of Environmental Stewardship for the Bronx River Alliance (michelle.luebke@bronxriver.org). Jamie Ong is the Environmental Protection Project Manager for New York City Parks (jamie.ong@parks.nyc.gov).
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A conga line in front of the Hatfield House, which is managed by the Fairmount Park Conservancy.
What Happens When Parks and Artists Partner to Advance Equity By Alexis Stephens and Victor Rubin, Ph.D.
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n 2015, local groups in two starkly different settings were given financial and technical support to work with artists to change their approach to building and managing parks for their communities. They were two of six community planning and development organizations given support by the funder consortium ArtPlace America through its Community Development Investments (CDI) initiative. Three years later, the results illustrate how arts-based strategies can preserve, express and bestow cultural heritage and identity, encourage community co-creation and empowerment in planning and building capital projects, and promote healthy youth development. The Parks and Their Communities The Zuni Youth Enrichment Project (ZYEP) is devoted to helping youth develop resiliency on the Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico. Constructing a new youth center and park has long been one of the tribe’s key aspirations. The Zuni people realized they could amplify
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their impact by integrating Zuni art and culture into the planning, design and building of a new 2.5-acre park, H’on A:wan (of the people) Community Park, which opened to the public on September 29, 2018. Meanwhile, Fairmount Park Conservancy (FPC) helps to restore and maintain Fairmont Park’s 2,000 acres, as well as 200
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other neighborhood parks around Philadelphia. The conservancy focused its arts and culture efforts largely in Strawberry Mansion, a predominantly black, low-income neighborhood, adjacent to the park, with a rich cultural and architectural legacy. Strawberry Mansion residents are at a pivotal moment, as new investments in the neighborhood are on the horizon. FPC worked with arts collective Amber Art and Design to develop a “community catalyst” residency, which has fostered productive conversations about local cultural assets and residents’ role in, and pursuit of, equitable development. Small/large, rural/urban, new/ historic, native/black — the distinctions between these two set-
PHOTO COURTESY OF ALBERT YEE
H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S
Park Creation with Art: At the Center of the Design and Healing Process Art is essential and integral to life at the Zuni Pueblo — to both the economy and to the spiritual resilience of the culture. ZYEP saw the power of drawing in Zuni artists to the park planning process, through the creation of a six-member advisory committee, to give input on the design of a park that would address a broad set of psychological and social needs beyond physical activity. Zuni youth and their families face daunting challenges of historical trauma and enduring poverty, leaving them at risk for mental health issues, including suicide. Tom Faber, founder and codirector of ZYEP deemed arts and culture critical to creating a “safe, stable, nurturing environment” in the park, as they concurrently shifted their organizational work to becoming more trauma-informed and resilience-based over the course of three years. Carleton Bowekaty, a Zuni Tribal Council member, believes that some community members initially felt a little out of place at the grand, as they had not previously had regular access to a new, full-size turf field. However, Bowkeaty reflects: “Even though I think everyone I talked to said that they felt a little out of place...it was our imagery, it was our artwork. It was everything about what made our community park an
relationships with residents living in the neighborhoods adjacent to Fairmount Park. Like ZYEP, the conservancy has partnered with artists and cultural producers so that community voices could be tapped for planning and decision making for new park investments. For decades, Strawberry Mansion has been one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city. Slowly but surely, gentrification is creeping northward and home prices in this section of the city are on the rise. Change is also coming to the
elevation of what we envisioned.” Prior to this park, the Zuni community had little input in capital project developments. However, because of early artist involvement to culturally ground the design of the park and foster community buyin, the Zuni people felt ownership over “our community park.” This cultural lens informed the architecture of the community center, traditional wood “coyote” perimeter fencing and murals displaying the Zuni origin story, reinforcing the resiliency of the Zuni people. Youth and their families were also engaged in the park planning process, both to secure their input about what would go into the park and to build a sense of community ownership. The fruit of this collective labor is a park that includes multipurpose turf field, a community garden, a walking trail, a basketball court, traditional ovens, classrooms and a performance space — all in service of promoting healthy lifestyles and reinforcing cultural resiliency. Park Stewardship with Art: Fostering Community Conversations About the Future Fairmount Park Conservancy has roots that go back to 1867. However, only within the past decade has the organization evolved beyond its role as a fundraising vehicle for Philadelphia’s park system to more strategic investments in planning, programming and community engagement. This evolution includes an emerging focus on deepening
Zuni youth take in some Zuni artwork during the opening of H’on A:wan Community Park on September 29, 2018.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHIWISUN PRODUCTIONS
tings and populations for artsbased projects are clear. But, there are strong similarities in how each deployed an arts and cultural approach to community development and centralized inclusion in the planning processes.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF SHIWISUN PRODUCTIONS
H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S
Aerial view of the new soccer field at H’on A:wan Community Park, built by the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project.
neighborhood in the form of other investments, like the revitalization of Mander Recreation Center, selected for new funding from the city of Philadelphia. Amber Art & Design’s residency at the Hatfield House, a historic house on the boundary between Fairmount Park and the residential neighborhood, has played a central role in community conversations where locals have been able to express their opinions about new development. “People see these historic houses and they don’t feel like they are for them, so this residency has helped to bridge that gap,” says Tonnetta Graham, president of the Strawberry Mansion Community Development Corporation. 36 Parks & Recreation
“It allowed multiple generations to come together and to participate in activities where there is fun, cultural learning and people supporting one another.” A central project of the residency was a community asset-mapping project, led by Amber Art & Design and Ethnologica, an artbased research consultancy firm. They compiled residents’ stories and memories of the neighborhood and created a deck of playing cards featuring current and historic figures and landmarks. The conservancy has been distributing the cards to residents as an educational and culturally evocative way for neighbors to continue a dialogue about the neighborhood’s legacy and how to ensure those assets are part of future conversations around development.
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The asset-mapping project helped build key relationships that are continuing to influence how the conservancy is embarking on other projects, including interpretive signage highlighting local boxers, such as Joe Frazier, who trained on the Boxers’ Trail. From the community’s expressions, which were heard throughout this process, the organization released an RFP with the CDC to create a conceptual design for the Mander Recreation Center and campus that was only open to architecture and planning firms led by principals of color and incentivized strong community engagement processes. Two Parks, Two New Frontiers As the three-year CDI initiative draws to a close, both organizations are moving their already innovative and creative placemaking
PHOTO COURTESY OF MELISSA ROMERO
work to new territories. ZYEP is embarking on its new task of park stewardship, something that’s very familiar to Fairmount Park Conservancy. Meanwhile, the conservancy is digging into the kinds of design, implementation and construction tasks that ZYEP has just completed. Both organizations are considering additional ways artists and cultural producers can help them achieve their long-term goals: for the conservancy, this means starting similar processes in other neighborhoods adjacent to the park, and, for ZYEP, this means supporting the artist committee to continue helping to imagine how to represent Zuni culture in the built environment and get more people involved in conversations around public spaces.
Keir Johnston of Amber Art & Design and Erin Englestad of the Fairmount Park Conservancy share the Strawberry Mansion deck of cards at Strawberry Mansion Day, held September 8, 2018.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF ELIZABETH FELICELLA
SOCIAL EQUITY
An Unforeseen Catalyst, an Opportunity for Change
A picnic on the Lower Plaza at Roberto Clemente State Park, Bronx, New York.
The evolution of Roberto Clemente State Park By Stacie Ellickson, PLA, ASLA
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aterfront parks have been a consistent trend in the evolution of New York City’s public park system. Based on the success of precedents, including the master plan and implementation of Hudson River Park, and the large community effort that resulted in Brooklyn Bridge Park, the city is continuing to transform former industrial waterfronts into publicly accessible spaces. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy was a destructive force of nature in the city. Government agencies mobilized quickly to execute immediate repairs, and major waterfront parks became case studies for the resiliency of planting and site materials following the storm surge. In other areas, the storm exposed weaknesses in infrastructure, presenting opportunities for change. This was the case at Roberto Clemente State Park (RCSP) in
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the Bronx, where Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects (MNLA) collaborated with other design professionals in the park’s transformation. Site Context RCSP is in the floodplain of the Harlem River (a saltwater estuary) in the Bronx neighborhood of Morris Heights. Like much of the southern Bronx, Morris Heights ranks among the lowest in the five boroughs for
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both household income and access to open space. Area parks are often small playgrounds with limited active recreation opportunities. Nearby schools, colleges or community gardens provide other recreation opportunities with limited public access. RCSP fills this void. Despite its unique panoramic views of upper Manhattan, RCSP is not widely known. Access to the park is not so easy for those outside its immediate area. Car or commuter trains are the most convenient and the most expensive means of getting there, and there are few bus or subway options. This maintains a level of secrecy and RCSP’s status as a neighborhood park.
Information Gathering Understanding RCSP’s stakeholders was a critical component of the redesign process. The park is a practice facility for local community college athletes, a playground for the local elementary school and a launch point for a rowing club. Most importantly, RCSP is a neighborhood destination. Families spend their afternoons and
weekends here swimming, barbecuing, celebrating and enjoying time outdoors. MNLA worked closely with park staff to identify the keys to a successful redesign and observed park use on both weekdays and weekends. A community meeting was held in mid-2014 to gather feedback on the schematic and master planning efforts and to identify new programming that would best serve the community. Redesign and Resiliency The redesign goals included updating RCSP infrastructure, expanding existing successful programming, incorporating new programming, reconnecting the park to the Harlem River and identifying potential environmental and educational interventions. With other professionals, MNLA worked to design and implement seven projects identified by State
Parks, each resolving specific goals: the Bulkhead, Esplanade, Inter-Tidal Pool and North Shoreline addressed waterfront infrastructure; the Upper Plaza strengthened the park entrance; the Lower Plaza revitalized existing programming; and the North Upland expanded programming, bringing new partnerships to the park. Improved water quality and a new boat dock provide opportunities for kayaking and water safety courses, and the bikeway allows future connections to a larger bikeway network. Post-Hurricane Sandy, elevating public space and new buildings in low-lying areas has become de rigueur in New York City. This was not possible for RCSP. Knowing inundation would likely reoccur, the MNLA team put efforts into the resiliency of specific elements, A rendering of the Tidal Pool and Lower Plaza at Roberto Clemente State Park.
RENDERED PLAN COURTESY OF MATHEWS NIELSEN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS
Park Evolution Prior to becoming a New York State park, the site was owned by the Consolidated Ship Building Company. Much of the current park was either water or accessory structures. Funded by the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the master plan was prepared in 1969, and the park opened in 1973 as Harlem River Bronx State Park. In 1974, the park was renamed after Roberto Clemente, the first Latino-American inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Throughout the years, the community lost its connection to the river. The shorelines became overgrown, programming focused attention toward the park’s interior, and the bulkhead guardrails kept patrons at a distance from the polluted Harlem River. Starting in the mid-2000s, the park underwent a series of updates. When Hurricane Sandy struck in 2012, RCSP was inundated with more than 3 feet of water, which rapidly deteriorated its aging infrastructure. The park received funding to restore the bulkhead and rebuild other damaged areas, quickly shifting its renovation efforts from ongoing modernization to reconstruction and resilience to sustain this community jewel for years to come.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF MATHEWS NIELSEN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS
SOCIAL EQUITY
including reduction of impervious surfaces using planting and permeable pavers, designing structures to withstand floodwater forces and using salt-tolerant plant species. Environmental and educational opportunities aimed at growing the community’s relationship to the river were incorporated. The inter-tidal pool’s elevated walkways provide moments to observe wildlife and the river’s ebb and flow within the tidal marsh. The use of native and pollinator-friendly plant species was prioritized. Proposed interpretive signage highlights the site’s history, tidal marsh zones and the conveyance of stormwater in the plazas. Communication has been key during the RCSP construction. The park’s staff has been diligent about keeping the community in40 Parks & Recreation
formed of temporary closures at the park and works closely with the construction manager to prioritize patron safety. Project phasing was coordinated so areas of the park were always open to the public. Parks staff was consulted during construction to ensure the goals and schedules were not impacted. Reopening The Lower Plaza, led by the MNLA team, was the first project to reopen in May 2018, providing expanded picnic areas, an informal performance space and outdoor game areas. While the opening was informal, the use of the space increased quickly as word spread throughout the neighborhood. The response to the renovated plaza has been overwhelmingly positive and patrons remain enthusiastic about
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the progress of the other park projects, anticipated to open in 2019. After four years of construction, there is much anticipation within the community, New York State Parks and the MNLA team to observe how RCSP becomes a more resilient and robust backyard for its patrons, while reengaging with a river that was ultimately the biggest agent of change for Roberto Clemente State Park. Detailed references for the article can be found at www.nrpa.org/parks-rec reation-magazine/2018/December/ an-unforeseen-catalyst-an-opportuni ty-for-change. Stacie Ellickson, PLA, ASLA, is a Senior Landscape Architect for Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects (sellickson@mnlandscape.com).
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s to ffort t’s e o to its s u r T d Land rnan erts Taos ’s Rio Fe tion exp an e h t o a m r f c Mexi te, resto eve Vroo ion. art o t As p rn New a S t d s d n it retu , sinewy ound) an iver’s co l r r a g e r natu dyk (fore ssess th a ee Z l l i B
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B U I L D A PA R K
As a thank you to community members, the Taos Land Trust concluded its yearlong planning efforts with a Matanza.
we realized that it had incredible value. Protecting water resources, wildlife habitat and agricultural lands is key to our organizational mission,” she explains. Nurtured by a portion of the looping Rio Fernando, a narrow stream sheltered by 100-foot-tall cottonwood trees and jungle-like thickets of willow and cattail, Rio Fernando Park encompasses an array of ecosystems, including several barren and depleted acres once thick with corn and alfalfa, but now dominated by groves of invasive trees, such as the Siberian elm. After consulting with local partners, the Land Trust embarked on a year-long community-focused process to develop a master plan for the land, to create a public park and restore the river and wetlands. 44 Parks & Recreation
“We put ourselves squarely in the realm of community conservation. For us, that means listening to our community and letting those needs inform what we do,” says Ortez. And, by community, the Land Trust meant the entire community, particularly groups who tend not to have a voice in community planning: the Native American population, the legacy Hispano community, and recent Central American and Mexican immigrants. “Equity,” emphasizes Ortez. “Building a park has to be about equity.” The Rio Fernando The Rio Fernando is one of the most impaired rivers in north-central New Mexico. It begins as a bubbling spring in the wide, gently sloping La Jara meadows of the Carson National Forest. From irresponsible grazing practices and poorly conceived roads, to overuse, erosion, homes built on its fragile
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banks and a persistent E. coli ailment from poorly managed septic systems, the Rio Fernando faces a gauntlet of challenges on its run to join the Rio Pueblo de Taos and eventually the Rio Grande just south of Taos. When the Land Trust purchased the Romo farm, the land was imperiled. It took a visionary to see its potential. Luckily, the Land Trust is blessed with several visionaries. “There was a lot of trash out here,” says Ortez. Miles of barbed wire and fencing cut the land, a homeless encampment had grown in the forest, and tires and trash laced the creek. “But, we were struck by its awesome wildness,” Ortez relates. “I could visualize children playing in the trees. I could visualize fish in the stream. I knew we had work ahead of us, but I was blown away by the potential.” The organization had just come out of several very challenging years, and, according to Ortez, turning toward community conservation forced it to dig deep. “Why were we doing this? What would this mean for us and for the community? We made sure we were going into this with eyes wide open,” she says. Supported by grants from NRPA, the LOR Foundation, Taos Ski Valley Foundation and the CocaCola Company and with lots of local support, the Land Trust chose to engage in a master planning process to identify the needs of the community and how the newly christened Rio Fernando Park might fulfill some of those needs. “From the outset, we knew we needed to create a place that would be welcoming to all segments of our community,” Ortez points out. “We knew we didn’t have all the answers. We had to bring the community onto the land. This could
have been a quicker process if we did it internally, but we realized that this was about opening ourselves up to all the possibilities. So, we had a party.” Community Planning It was a chilly October evening in 2017 when dozens of Taoseños crowded around a fire under yellowing cottonwoods behind the old farmhouse that had been transformed into the Taos Land Trust offices. They ate pork-filled tacos, the dripping meat scraped fresh from a locally raised pig that had been cooked underground overnight. The Land Trust kicked off its community planning endeavor with a traditional New Mexico Matanza — a feast centered around a pig roasted in the ground. “We wanted this to be fun,” says landscape architect Amy Bell of Groundwork Studio, who the Trust contracted with to lead the planning process. “By making it fun, we accessed a broader and more diverse portion of the community. That, in turn, resulted in valuable partnerships for the future programming of the park.” Over the next 12 months, the Land Trust hosted BBQs, tours, bird-watching walks, meetings with educators and artists, writing workshops, medicinal plant tours, pop-up playgrounds and landscape art building projects — all with the goal of gaining a wide range of input from the diverse Taos community and getting feedback as the plan took shape. The Land Trust also went on a social media blitz to keep the community informed and to gain feedback. Staff spent months going door to door talking with potential partners and getting to know the park’s neighbors. Now, they too were enjoying the feast.
The Land Trust learned that the community had a deep desire for outdoor places for celebration — spots for birthdays, weddings, picnics. Most importantly, it learned that Taoseños desired a place in town, close to schools and houses, that could help fill their need for nature. “The Rio Fernando Park process was unique,” says Bell. “There was a clear and consistent commitment to community and partner involvement. The process went beyond just ‘engagement’ — it encouraged community building — strengthening partnerships and community interaction beyond the master plan.” Changing the Ecology Once upon a time the Rio Fernando was thick with beaver, otter, trout and countless birds — from flycatchers, to waterfowl, hawks and eagles. Today, many of those species only exist in the precious few sections of the river that are in some way protected. One of those protected sections runs through Fred Baca Park, owned by the Town of Taos and located adjacent to Rio Fernando Park. There, among the willows and cattails, a family of beaver have set up shop, constructing an impressive dam and excavating a lodge under the river bank where children play. On a bitter January day, Restoration Ecologist Steve Vrooman and New Mexico’s white-bearded watershed restoration guru, Bill Zeedyk, pushed through thick, snow-dusted forest along the Land Trust section of the Rio Fernando. Almost immediately, they came across a fat Russian Olive tree, tilt-
“The process went beyond just ‘engagement’ — it encouraged community building — strengthening partnerships and community interaction beyond the master plan.” ing precipitously over the icy river. Before long, they’d encountered four more Russian Olives in various states of beaver cut and even a nascent dam of mud and sticks strategically placed where the river bottlenecked for a short stretch. Beavers are moving up from Fred Baca Park into Rio Fernando Park. Or, they want to. The problem is a lack of food. Beavers prefer willow, cottonwood and cattails. While these native species are present in this section of the Rio Fernando, large sections of the riparian forest are overgrown with the non-native Russian Olives, which shade out the species the beaver prefer. An adult beaver requires around three
An Evening Grosbeak enjoys chokecherries, which Taos Land Trust staff and Youth Conservation Corps crews harvest to make jam.
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Zoning allowed us to envision what would go where in the park while taking into account the ecosystems and functions that already exist. pounds of bark a day to survive. “If you want your beavers to move in permanently and help you with your restoration work,” says Zeedyk, “you’ll need to change the ecology of the park.” Listening to the Land Months later, on a muggy summer morning, members of the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) crew, led by Ben Wright, education and land management coordinator at the Taos Land Trust, filed into the wetlands along the Rio Fernando hunting for teasel, burdock, perennial pepperweed and Canada thistle, unwelcomed plants that dominate the
landscape, pushing out native plants and natural diversity. The crew got to work and quickly accumulated a pile of grayed teasel stalks and more than 100 plastic trash bags full of clipped seed heads. “Alongside the planning process, we started to work on improving the wetland and river and bringing water back to the abandoned acequia so it could quench the acres of dried farmland and revive the soil. We also had to tackle more than a dozen species of noxious weeds,” says Juniper Manley, associate director of the Land Trust. The Land Trust wanted to ensure the land itself had a voice. Working with New Mexico permaculturists, the Rio Fernando master planning committee spent the passing seasons learning the land: invasive species mapping, existing trees, soil quality and water quality. They approached the layout of the park in permaculture-based “zones.” This design technique looks at land in terms of form, function and use, allowing the strengths of the land to lead the planning. Areas are divided into those that see less use and more protections, like the river corridor; those that will receive moderate use, such as the proposed food forest; and those that see intensive use, such as community gardens and walking areas. “Zoning allowed us to envision what would go where in the park while taking into account the ecosystems and functions that already exist,” says Manley. “It allowed us to listen to the land.” In April, when the nights warm in the towering peaks the Ute peoNew Mexico music legend Cipriano Vigil entertains the crowd at the Land Trust’s October 2018 Matanza celebration.
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ple call the Shining Mountains and the Hispanic settlers later named the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, winter snowfall begins to melt. That water, sliding along the shadowed bends of rocky mountain creeks, eventually makes its way down into the acequia system imported to the region by Hispanic settlers in the 1700s. An acequia is an irrigation ditch. It is also a political system, a farming technique and a vital part of the culture of New Mexico. The Romo family fed its gardens and fields with acequia water pulled from the Rio Fernando. The system was last used in the 1960s. The slow, steady decay of the centuries-old agricultural lifestyle impacts the entire Taos Valley. As farmland was abandoned, unused acequias dried up, altering the water system throughout the valley. Thousands of acres have gone fallow. Prairie dogs and thorny nonnative vegetation moved in, taking over dusty stretches of deserted land. “I’d like to see this land being used for growing crops,” says Brandon Trujillo, the YCC crew chief. “Small sustainable work in our own town by our own people will create a larger impact on the people, as well as the land.” Through the summer of 2018, Ben Wright and the YCC crew painstakingly shoveled out the old acequia ditches in Rio Fernando Park and got the system ready to take on the snowmelt. There was just one problem. “There’s no water,” says Wright. 2018 was not just yet another year in a 20-year-old drought — it was one of the driest in recorded history. The drought has changed much of the New Mexico landscape. Climate change forecasts indicate that decreasing winter
Taos community members assess and offer comments on the Rio Fernando Park development plans.
snowpack and summer precipitation will become the norm across the southwest in the coming years. “By restoring this landscape and creating the park, we aim to build resiliency into our community in terms of water, wildlife and recreation,” says Wright. “But, water is key to everything. Without it, we are in trouble.” The lack of water forced the Land Trust to more deeply consider how to move forward with the park. The restoration of the wetland area took on added importance. “With a healthy river system, we can store more water. Basically, we want to turn these acres back into a giant sponge,” says Wright. “We also want to be a model for other restoration projects in the area.” Part of the restoration work in Rio Fernando Park will be a series of demonstration gardens intended to find ways to grow traditional foods in the face of a changing regional climate. A Community of Contrasts Regarding the beauty of northern New Mexico, author Willa Cather once wrote: “Elsewhere the land has the sky for its ceiling, but here the sky has the land for its floor.” Exquisite but harsh, Taos is economically challenging. Income disparity is large, affordable housing is hard to come by and the economic drivers are few. It is a community of contrasts: one of the poorest counties in one of the poorest states in the nation. At the same time, Taos brims with artists inspired by the light and landscape. Taos also enjoys and suffers from a profound history. The people of Taos and Picuris
Pueblos arrived at least 1,000 years ago. Hispano families settled here in the 1700s and then the Americans came, violently, in 1848. “There are constant threats to the way of life here,” says Ortez. “The lack of connection to land is one of them. That can contribute to a sense of loss. Connecting to nature, having your hands in the dirt, creates a sense of place. Place is vital to building community. Community is vital to building resiliency. This park is community. It is connection. It is resiliency.” Getting It Done The children call it the “fairy forest,” a woodland of Siberian elms spread over a grassy shelf at the rim of the Rio Fernando. On a breezy evening in early October 2018, more than 100 Taoseños gathered under twinkling lights strung from tree to tree. They came to pray, eat and enjoy classic New Mexico music togeth-
er. The Second Annual Taos Land Trust Matanza was a thank you to the community for leading the way through the park planning process. By the fire, surrounded by the community members who had spent the year helping to develop the Rio Fernando master plan, Manley takes a deep breath. “When you involve the community, you need to be prepared for all that brings,” she says. “The innovation, the creativity, but also the naysaying, the uncomfortable conversations. We threw ourselves into this. It’s the only way we could get this done.” Kristina Ortez nods. “In this desert landscape, a tree represents hope. It touches something deep inside of us. We have a need in our society to bring nature closer. People feel that need,” she adds. “Our job is to fulfill that need.” Jim O’Donnell is the Communication Coordinator for the Taos Land Trust (jim@taoslandtrust.org).
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Infrastructure Parks
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Social Equity Becomes a Top Priority By Richard J. Dolesh
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n a breezy late summer day, so perfect that you could wrap your arms around it, the street underneath the southern terminus of New York City’s High Line is full of people. Brightly colored café chairs are scattered about in the shade under the trail and the sidewalks are bustling with people and activity. The streetscape is eclectic and eye-catching, ranging from the prestigious Whitney Museum to food carts and art vendors doing a brisk business. The old bones of the original warehouses rising above the Meatpacking District are hardly visible anymore amid the construction scaffolding, tower cranes and urban renovation that is taking place at a furious pace. All about are tourists taking selfies and each other’s pictures. Conversations are taking place in Russian, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese and a half-dozen other languages. Luxury tour buses thread silently through the narrow streets like excursion steamers might have on the nearby Hudson River a century ago.
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Some of the estimated 7 million visitors per year enjoying the views and the vibe of New York City’s High Line.
The High Line
A trail that might never have been built is now estimated to be responsible for $2 billion in impact. It is difficult to believe that little more than 10 years ago New York City’s Meatpacking District was a somewhat depopulated urban area with minimal economic activity and almost zero social vitality. While conditions may have been ripe for revitalization due to a zoning change that enabled redevelopment, one catalytic structure gave an identity to the profound change taking place: the development of the High Line. The High Line is one of the most significant and transformative urban park projects in a generation. The project has garnered design awards and gained international acclaim. It is the progenitor of creatively repurposed urban infrastructure that provides recreation, stimulates redevelopment and gives an iconic identity to a city. And, it has produced extraordinary economic benefits. According to sev50 Parks & Recreation
eral estimates, the High Line has created more than $2 billion in economic activity since it was opened. Many other cities are now looking at, or have already begun, reconstruction of abandoned or underutilized industrial and transportation infrastructure to create new public open space. The Atlanta BeltLine, Buffalo Bayou in Houston, Trinity River Park in Dallas, The 606 in Chicago, The Underline in Miami, Philadelphia’s Rail Park, Waterfront Seattle and the 11th Street Bridge Park in Washington, D.C., to name just a few of the emerging projects, are all looking to unlock the potential of reimagined industrial and transportation infrastructure and the extraordinary benefits it can bring to their cities. One of the greatest challenges for these projects is not raising capital or establishing the public-private partnerships necessary to complete them, but rather how to deal with the social impacts that these projects inevitably bring. Social equity impacts, once far down the list of important priorities, have surged to the forefront of the
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most important considerations for virtually every project now in planning or under construction. Social equity was not a top priority for the founders of the High Line or for New York City. The conversion of the abandoned elevated West Side rail line was proposed by Robert Hammond and Joshua David, area residents who became champions for saving this peculiar industrial remnant, along with a fledgling group called the Friends of the High Line. Adrian Benepe, senior VP and director of city park development for The Trust for Public Land (TPL) and the former commissioner of parks and recreation in New York City when the High Line was conceived, says, “Social equity was not an issue that most people considered. Largely speaking, the High Line does not go through a residential neighborhood. The city and the proponents of the trail were more concerned at the time with just saving this infrastructure and turning it into a park.” Benepe says the notion of the park started as a kind of rebellion. The city was absolutely against the idea of the trail. Demolition crews were in place to tear down the rail line, and the advocates had to sue the city to keep it from ripping the line apart. “The High Line emerged more from a park equity frame of reference than a social equity perspective,” Benepe points out. “This was one of the worst districts in the city in terms of park access, especially before the creation of the Hudson River Park. “Certain parks can hasten gentrification,” Benepe says, “but I don’t think you can blame parks solely for gentrification. In this case, much more powerful forces were in play. The rezoning of Chelsea had a much bigger impact on future development
than the High Line did.” Hammond, co-founder of the Friends of the High Line with David, says, “The High Line sometimes gets too much credit — and blame — for what has happened around the trail in Chelsea and the Meatpacking District. Gentrification was already taking place. It was very hard for us to argue that we were going to be as successful as we were, especially considering we were just coming out of a major recession.” Hammond cites an important lesson they learned in the early days of the High Line: “Once value was created, we learned that it is almost impossible to take it back. When your project is going to result in economic success, you must have a way to capture that value and return it to the city to allocate that value for all.” Today, the most important considerations for large urban park projects include much more than their potential for enhancing economic development. “Historically, large urban parks were a spur for economic development, especially real estate,” says Benepe, “but now, many other factors have come into play, including resilience, community health impacts, community cohesion, climate change response and, especially, social equity. Parks can no longer be looked at in isolation,” he asserts. “We must be much more careful in looking at the consequences of decisions, both intended and unintended. Parks must be a force for public good. We must look at how urban parks can maximize public health, community cohesion and resilience.”
heavy rail line as a linear park. The planning and construction of the Bloomingdale Trail, a 2.7-mile-long park was announced in 2011 by Mayor Rahm Emmanuel, who declared that he wanted to ride his bike along the completed trail by the end of his first term in office. From the outset, the trail, also called The 606, was on a fast track, and the city and the Chicago Park District, in partnership with the nonprofit Trust for Public Land, were spurred by the mayor’s interest and commitment. Ben Helphand, co-founder and current president of the Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail, says that equity was a motivating force from the beginning and that this desire came from the community members, because they wanted the trail for the people who live there. “That is what pushed us and that is what motivates me today. This trail is about community health and social cohesion, not about real estate speculation.” However, events were happening that were largely out of the con-
trol of the Friends and even the city at the time the trail planning was underway. Helphand says no one could foresee that there would be such a rapid recovery from the Great Recession and that the influx of capital would be rapidly followed by gentrification. “In the aftermath of the recession, we were just trying to keep the project alive. That was our reality. I wish we had more foresight and were more proactive, but it was really difficult to untangle the forces at work,” he says. “The communities on the west end of the trail were reeling from the effects of the foreclosure crisis,” says Caroline O’Boyle, TPL’s director of programs and partnerships for The 606. “There was a great fear that property values would not come back up. There certainly was not much worry about runaway inflation of home prices or gentrification at that point in time.” O’Boyle notes that the trail was planned and built in just four years. “However, shortly before the trail
The Bloomingdale Trail, part of the Chicago Park District’s planned The 606 trail, runs 2.7 miles through N.W. Chicago and is the longest elevated railway trail conversion in the United States.
The Bloomingdale Trail
Awareness of social equity impacts grew rapidly as the Chicago trail project came online. In Chicago, community-driven desire for more parks led to plans for reuse of an abandoned, elevated
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opened in 2015,” she says, “housing organizations began to say, ‘Oh no, what is happening here?’” TPL and other partners brought in experts on housing affordability, property valuation and other aspects of gentrification and displacement. “Today,” says O’Boyle, “the need for that type of planning is very clearly recognized and in the forefront of consideration of large urban park projects.” O’Boyle believes that some of the barriers to achieving social equity goals were the extremely short timeline of planning and constructing the park. When changes began occurring in the community, a sentiment from some in the residents was, “You didn’t build this park for us.” She adds that ensuring affordable housing remains in place, guaranteeing that residents are hired, and other aspects of workforce development and community acceptance are a long-term process. In addition, it is important to use the lead time for such projects to have a process in place to ensure equity when planning and con-
struction commence. “Creating an authentic partnership with the people who bring the social glue to the table — schools, churches, housing organizations, healthcare and others — is so important, and it should be done as early as possible,” she emphasizes. Vivian Garcia, manager of The 606 for the Chicago Park District, says that they have engaged the community through a continuous process of dialogue. She says that there is a growing movement based on the experiences with The 606 to look at the larger impacts on the whole community, including unintended consequences, rising gentrification and displacement. These lessons learned are being applied on other trail projects of the Chicago Park District, including a new rail-trail conversion, called the Paseo, in the largely Latino community of Pilsen. “Anytime there is a large public investment,” Helphand adds, “we need to look at who will profit the most from it, and who will be affected. What are the tradeoffs?
The 11th Street Bridge Park will connect the rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods near Capitol Hill with the most disinvested community in Washington, D.C., east of the Anacostia River.
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Let’s account for them and capture the benefits for the public good.”
11th Street Bridge Park
A park where planning for social equity is the top priority Perhaps no signature urban park project now under development in the country places higher importance on social equity goals than the 11th Street Bridge Park in Washington, D.C. A publicprivate partnership is repurposing the structural piers of the former 11th Street Bridge into an innovative deck park that will connect the rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods near Capitol Hill with the city’s most-disinvested community east of the Anacostia River. The vision for the 11th Street Bridge Park began with Harriet Tregoning, the far-sighted former planning director for the District of Columbia. Tregoning proposed reusing the piers of the former bridge, which were still sound, into a wholly new kind of public space. Scott Kratz, the director of the 11th Street Bridge project and VP of the nonprofit Building Bridges Across the River, says, “Social equity was one of the goals of the bridge project that most viscerally connected with the communities on the other side of the river. When Harriet took this idea to the community to ask them if it was a good idea and should we do this, there was a giant trust deficit. Many promises had been made to this community and many were broken. Asking for permission was a really important first step.” Those first meetings, and the more than 1,000 subsequent meetings with members of the community, brought out not only ideas for the park, but also needs that were much deeper — ade-
quate housing, workforce development and economic development for the community. “We said that is really not our responsibility,” Kratz says, “but since we played the role as conveners, we realized that this was an opportunity to think about infrastructure in a wholly different way.” According to Kratz, the southwest area of the District is rapidly transforming because of a whitehot real estate market and rapid economic development. Today, you can count 13 tower cranes on the west banks of the Anacostia River. Long established neighborhoods are nearly unrecognizable. “We asked ourselves, who is this development for? And, who is this park going to be for?” Key to any vision of success by the partnership for the park was keeping residents on the east side of the river in their homes. When they considered what actions would be necessary to achieve that goal, they settled on four areas of strategy: housing, workforce development, small business enterprise and, most recently added, cultural equity. Each of these priorities, says Kratz, came from the community and local nonprofits. “Will these strategies stop displacement?” asks Kratz. “No, but they are important steps that are critical to the future of the community.” The partnership for the park has developed a community land trust (CLT), a separate nonprofit that will own property and sell deed-restricted homes to residents at significant discounts on long-term mortgages. With philanthropic and corporate funding, including a $5 million contribution by JP Morgan Chase, it has initiated the Washington Area Community Investment Fund to make
community loans, incubate small businesses, help with child care and many other ways to promote equity and economic opportunity in underserved neighborhoods in southeast D.C. Since urban agriculture was a high priority for the community and food is very much a conveyor of culture, Building Bridges Across the River partnered with the faith community and now there are seven urban farms underway. In fact, the ideas for food in the park that came from the community led to design changes to accommodate food stalls. The 11th Street Bridge Park plans led the nonprofit partnership to develop an equitable development plan in 2015, one of the first of its kind, which was just updated this year (and available for download at https://bbardc.org/ bridge-park-equity/). Kratz says that without thinking about equity as a first principle and asking the question, “Who is this park for?” they never would have accomplished as much as they have.
The High Line Network
A network of adaptive reuse urban park projects seeks to share lessons learned In a 2017 interview for CityLab, Hammond acknowledged that despite the overwhelming success of the High Line, many of the residents of the surrounding communities who are people of color do not use the trail or participate in the many programs and events the Friends sponsor. “We were from the community. We wanted to do it for the neighborhood. Ultimately, we failed.” In recognition of falling short in that goal, Hammond founded The High Line Network, a group of representatives from 17 adaptive
reuse projects around the country whose purpose is to share knowledge and experiences that help these kinds of infrastructure reuse projects reach their full potential. Ana Traverso-Krejcarek, manager of The High Line Network, says that they have shared many lessons learned from the experiences of the High Line Trail with representatives from other cities and other partnerships developing trails, cap parks and infrastructure reuse projects. For the High Line, Traverso-Krejcarek says they have focused on creating a system that focuses on making social equity dimensions sustainable. “Having an open, honest dialogue with communities and being willing to adjust your perspective is critical,” she says. “Being intentional about creating opportunities for engagement and insisting that wealth is shared throughout the community is essential. You must meet the community on its own terms, and this must happen from the outset, even at the concept stage. Value must be captured from the beginning and shared widely if projects are to have true success.” The experiences of The High Line, the Bloomingdale Trail and the 11th Street Bridge Park show that social equity is no longer something to consider in hindsight but, rather, to be regarded as the most important priority of largescale urban park projects. Adaptive reuse projects around the country that are repurposing industrial and transportation infrastructure to create exciting and innovative public spaces will only succeed fully if they embrace social equity and live by it as a guiding principle. Richard Dolesh is NRPA’s Vice President of Strategic Initiatives (rdolesh@nrpa.org).
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Tracking the
Atlanta BeltLine How social equity is breaking down barriers and connecting communities By Vitisia Paynich
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PHOTO BY JOHN BECKER
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t’s a beautiful Saturday morning in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, and a group of visitors just boarded a bus at the Inman Park MARTA station for a guided city tour. However, unlike your average run-of-the-mill city excursions, this three-hour tour of the Atlanta BeltLine is constantly evolving — offering something new and exciting at every turn. In 2005, the city launched one of the most expansive — not to mention ambitious — undertakings ever conceived in its history. This comprehensive urban redevelopment plan will implement 1,300 acres of new parks and green space, 33 miles of multiuse trails, 22 miles of modernized public transportation, 5,600 units of affordable housing, public art and up to $20 billion in total projected economic development. Over the course of this 25year project, the city also aspires to create 30,000 permanent jobs and 48,000 temporary construction jobs. Most importantly, the BeltLine’s emphasis on social equity aims to improve the quality of life in 45 historic neighborhoods and ultimately connect Atlantans of all socioeconomic backgrounds. Who was the visionary behind this large-scale endeavor? In 1999, Ryan Gravel, a Georgia Tech graduate student wrote a thesis centered on redeveloping a 22-mile loop of neglected and underutilized rail corridor by transforming it into a viable public transit system complemented by sustainable economic development and sound connectivity methods. Spearheading this project is Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI), which formed in 2006, supported by Atlanta BeltLine Partnership and
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the city of Atlanta. “Atlanta is basically a black-white city in terms of race and ethnicity. And, much of the city north of Interstate 20 is majority white and affluent, and south of Interstate 20 is majority black and lower income,” explains Nonet Sykes, chief equity and inclusion officer, ABI. “Ryan envisioned this project as a way to bring those two worlds together and no longer keep the various neighborhoods along the rail corridor segregated.” Sykes says social equity is top of mind within every facet of the BeltLine project, and it’s not exclusive to the affordable housing component. “It’s really about having an equity mindset and approach toward workforce development, housing development and transit development,” she notes. In December 2013, ABI board of directors approved the Atlanta BeltLine 2030 Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) to help steer the transportation and redevelopment project through its projected 2030 completion. According to ABI, the first seven years of the program earned about a 3:1 return on investment, with more than $1 billion in private redevelop-
ment stimulated by approximately $350 million of investment.
Enhancing the Park System Throughout the duration of this long-term plan, ABI and the city intend to expand the park system — augmenting green space by 40 percent, building 1,300 acres of new parks and renovating 700 acres of existing green space. The Historic Fourth Ward ranks among Atlanta’s most underserved areas, with one of the highest rates of children living in poverty. What’s more, the area lacked parks and green space and suffered from constant flooding. The Trust for Public Land (TPL) acquired numerous properties to construct a new 17-acre park featuring a manmade lake to collect stormwater overflow to remedy the area’s flooding problems. After two years, the Historic Fourth Ward Park opened in June 2010 and includes a playground, recirculating stream, splashpad, amphitheater/ plaza, as well as an outdoor trellis, event lawn and sculpture garden. In July 2018, Enota Park received a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior as part
PHOTO BY JOHN BECKER
To date, Atlantans and visitors can walk or ride to seven new and renovated parks along the Atlanta BeltLine.
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of a nationwide program focused on building and expanding green spaces in underserved communities. Located on a 0.3-acre play lot, Enota Park will be expanded to more than 8 acres and will feature a full-size basketball court, community garden, rebuilt creek bed, event lawn and playgrounds.
Trails Connect People and Places The ongoing construction of the BeltLine trail system demonstrates the city’s efforts to bridge the socioeconomic and geographic divide. Once completed, it will feature 33 miles of shared-use paths for walking, running and cycling, and adjoin 45 “intown” neighborhoods. “Early on in the design process for the 12 segments that are currently open and under design, we looked at many opportunities to connect neighborhoods to the trail,” says Beth McMillan, ABI’s community planning & engagement director. “We provide access at all street intersections with the trail.” To date, the following trails are open to the public: West End Trail, Westside Trail, Eastside Trail, Northside Trail and Southwest Connector Spur Trail. Stretching 2.4 miles, the West End Trail is among the first path projects to be completed and links many Southwest Atlanta neighborhoods — such as the historic West End, Mozley Park and Westview. The trail also intersects with the 3-mile Westside Trail and offers access to retail and restaurant developments in those areas. Crews completed the first phase of the Eastside Trail’s southern extension in November 2017, which boasts new pavers, lighting handrails in the Krog Tunnel, streetscape enhancements on Wylie Street, as well as the installation of a temporary pe-
destrian pathway to Krog Street and DeKalb Avenue. Work began on the second phase of the Eastside Trail in July 2018 and includes extending the trail to Memorial Drive. In March 2018, the city and ABI acquired 63 acres from CSX Transportation for $25.8 million. “This plan is part of a long string of acquisitions through the end of the year,” says Clyde Higgs, ABI’s interim CEO. “In March, Mayor [Keisha Lance] Bottoms led an announcement of a historic purchase of the Southside corridor for the BeltLine…that will ultimately connect the Eastside Trail to the Westside Trail. That was a game-changing acquisition for us.” The project includes redevelopment of the 4.5-mile railroad corridor, spanning from University Avenue to Glenwood Avenue and linking 18 neighborhoods, five schools and three parks. Once completed, the newly built trail will offer outdoor enthusiasts 14 miles of uninterrupted pathways — from the Westside Trail to Eastside Trail.
A Robust Transit System Transit on the Atlanta BeltLine remains at the forefront of the connectivity issue among many residents and will serve as an expansion of the Atlanta Streetcar system. These streetcars will run alongside the multiuse trails with the goal of connecting more people to the downtown and crosstown lines and Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) stations across Atlanta, thereby offering some relief to long commute times. In October 2018, MARTA board of directors approved $2.7 million worth of transit expansion projects, with $570 million allocated
MAP COURTESY OF ABI
The Atlanta BeltLine project will transform a 22-mile loop of a neglected railroad corridor.
toward outfitting 15 miles of streetcar tracks for the Atlanta BeltLine. “Transit is really connecting people to workforce development, and that’s what enhances affordability,” says Jenny Odom, ABI’s communications & media relations manager. “That’s the bigger picture.”
Boosting Economic Development What impact is the BeltLine having on Atlanta’s economy? As an example, just on the Westside Trail alone, Higgs says: “We’re tracking over $300 million in private investment that is coming [from] the commercial corridors of the Westside, and that’s part of our promise on the delivery of the BeltLine — making sure that it has a significant economic development and job creation impact.”
He adds that ABI is monitoring more than 11,000 jobs that have been created to date along the Atlanta BeltLine.
Hitting the Reset Button In the early 2000s, addressing the critical need for affordable housing for middle- to lower-income residents, the city of Atlanta — via a legislative mandate — directed ABI to fund 5,600 affordable and workforce housing units in the Tax Allocation District (TAD) by 2030. However, about two years into the program, the Great Recession hit “and that slowed our ability to raise funding…so we really didn’t get the influx of tax dollars that we thought we would have,” says Sykes. Although she says the market began to bounce back in 2011– 2012, ABI still fell short in terms
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thereafter. In summer 2018, Clyde Higgs, who joined ABI three years earlier as chief operating officer, stepped in as interim CEO. Higgs and the ABI team are now turning the corner by hitting the reset button on equitable development and seeking guidance from the Affordable Housing Working Group, a panel of affordable housing experts representing the public, private and nonprofit sectors. In August 2018, ABI and the Working Group released a final report containing an overview and analysis of the project. Some of the Working Group’s recommendations include: • Clarifying TAD vs. Planning Area • Collaborating with strategic partners to reach affordable housing goals both within the TAD and the broader Planning Area • Counting new units and preserving existing units According to Higgs, the top takeaway from the report is about the partnership piece. He says, “We didn’t perhaps partner as well as we would’ve liked to, [and] we were actually competing, in many ways,
PHOTO BY THE SINTOSES
of the amount of dollars it estimated the agency would have at that point — raising just 10 percent of the $240 million projected by 2030. In 2016, the BeltLine project faced more setbacks when Ryan Gravel and a fellow board member resigned from the board of the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership, citing misgivings about a lack of inclusivity and equity within the development project. To make matters worse, a scathing investigation by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Georgia News Lab published in August 2017, not only revealed that a mere 785 affordable units had been funded, but also reported: Beltline Inc. kept units that it funded affordable for only a short time; decreased spending on affordable housing as the city entered its current housing crisis; and even passed up on millions of dollars of potential funds. The untapped funds were enough to more than double the project’s affordable housing budget, the investigation found. On September 11, 2017, thenCEO Paul Morris resigned from ABI and was succeeded by Brian McGowan, who left shortly
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against some of those housing partners because we couldn’t necessarily count all of the affordable units that were created by public dollars.” With regard to the TAD vs. the Planning Area, Higgs contends, “At the end of the day, it’s about making sure that we bring units to bear regardless if they are in the Tax Allocation District or not, but we don’t count those units that are in the general Planning Area against the 5,600-unit goal.” To date, the BeltLine and its public partners have either constructed or preserved 1,600 units of affordable housing within the TAD, with 1,042 units in the BeltLine Planning Area — which are the half-mile zones on either side of the corridor.
Teaming with Atlanta Housing Authority “Partnering with other city agencies, other nonprofit organizations, corporate players and government is critical for helping this project to be successful,” asserts Sykes. “We can’t be expected to solve the city’s affordable housing challenges by ourselves.” For ABI, Atlanta Housing Authority is the go-to partner organization for housing in the city and for partnering strategically to reach the 5,600-unit target. Higgs and his team meet with Atlanta Housing on a regular basis to discuss combining resources. The agency is unveiling its strategic plan for the next three to six years, “and now it looks like the BeltLine is going to be a priority focus for a lot of the resources that they have available, because this is what they do,” he says.
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Atlanta BeltLine Inc. briefs community stakeholders quarterly about the ongoing projects related to parks, trails, transportation and affordable housing.
“Another really big project the community loves and is involved with is the art on the Atlanta BeltLine,” says Jenny Odom. “It’s grown to be the largest public outdoor art exhibition in the South. People can come out to see performances for free, to see art for free, and that is a really huge draw for people.” In July 2018, the city debuted a thought-provoking outdoor art exhibit that stretched 4 miles along the Eastside and Westside Trails, drawing attention to Atlanta’s past while embracing its future of urban renewal. Dr. Karcheik Sims-Alvarado, an artist and historian, curated a walking history of the Modern Day Civil Rights Movement, displaying 60 black-and-white photographs from her 2017 book, Images of America: Atlanta and the Civil Rights Movement, 1944–1968, in an outdoor setting. According to Higgs, “We look at [this] not only as a deliverable to the community, but [as] a way for us to have conversations and engage the community.” He adds that ABI’s Arts & Culture team reports to the Community Engagement department so that they can assess how they engage other segments of the community that, perhaps, they wouldn’t have typically reached out to in the past. “We can use art as a way to have those conversations. That’s something we’re really excited about,” he points out. Higgs says the Lantern Parade perfectly illustrates how art unifies communities, especially given this year’s turnout of 70,000-plus attendees. This traditional event celebrates the annual Art on the BeltLine exhibition, using a procession of lights, music and color to set the Eastside Trail aglow.
PHOTO BY THE SINTOSES
Embracing the Arts
Twanna Harris, ABI’s vice president of brand content and strategic initiatives, says because of that art component, “Many community members engage with us and [it’s] how we get feedback from them.” She adds that through a jury-panel process, the team reaches out to local communities and others to solicit art for the BeltLine. The panel then votes on what kind of art will be displayed on exhibition throughout the year. “That’s representative of the community and the culture for each distinct neighborhood,” says Harris.
Sykes says they received about 6,000 responses. ABI was pleased to learn the BeltLine had 80 percent favorability from the community. McMillan adds: “We also do citywide conversations when there is a point of education that we want to provide to a community.” In addition, the agency is kicking off a new initiative, called BeltLine University, which will train and educate 35 people each year on the intricacies of the project to create a base of volunteer ambassadors who will relay information back to their communities.
The Community Connection
Moving Toward One Atlanta
Community outreach remains central to the Atlanta BeltLine project. “We have a staff here at ABI whose sole responsibility is that, and we have several different types of outreach to communities,” explains Beth McMillan. ABI also presents quarterly briefings, whereby the agency updates community stakeholders on ongoing projects related to parks, trails, transportation and affordable housing. As Sykes puts it, “The feedback and the partnership with residents are critical to the success of this project.” For instance, when ABI sent out a survey to gauge the top project concerns from the community,
Although total completion of the Atlanta BeltLine project remains several years away, one can already see the substantial progress throughout the 22-mile loop, the strong support among community stakeholders, as well as how the BeltLine is dramatically changing people’s lives. Sykes says ABI’s mission is “to develop this project in a way that benefits all Atlantans — regardless of their race, ethnicity, age, economic status or even physical capabilities.” Vitisia Paynich is a California-based Freelance Writer for Parks and Recreation magazine.
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Recommendations from the National Study of Neighborhood Parks By Catherine Nagel
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eighborhood parks and playgrounds first emerged in the early 20th century as a solution to the social challenges of rapid population and industrialization then taking over American urban centers. Before that, parks were large, open spaces, bucolic settings designed to bring people together in nature as a pause from the concrete and steel then consuming the landscape, and as an expression of our democracy. By the mid-20th century, parks had transitioned to include more indoor facilities for programmed, active recreation for all ages. Today, they have become important components in urban networks that include commercial, residential and transportation functions, as well as infrastructure that helps to deal with stormwater runoff and other urban environmental degradation. As such, America’s city parks have been utilitarian by their nature. With each century, urban parks and recreation have evolved to respond to the pressing needs of the day. Today, research shows that Americans are suffering from a health crisis and a lack of physical activity is partly to blame. It starts early: 1 in 3 American children is either overweight or obese. By the time they reach adulthood, nearly half of all Americans have chronic health conditions — heart disease, diabetes and obesity chief among them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults engage in 150 minutes of moderate physical activity weekly — W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 |
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Much of the U.S. population lives within a half mile of a park offering outdoor recreation and a back-to-nature mental break. about 30 minutes per day, five times per week and children 60 minutes per day, which is especially important to strengthen muscles and bones, setting a foundation for lifelong health. But 80 percent of us aren’t meeting these goals. Part of the solution is to get moving, and a great place to do it is nearby for most Americans — in the neighborhood park. Much of the U.S. population lives within a half mile of a park offering outdoor recreation and a back-tonature mental break. But, most neighborhood parks aren’t designed or programmed to successfully meet today’s demographic and lifestyle needs and are therefore underutilized. It is time to rethink neighborhood parks from top to bottom — how they’re designed, what programming is offered and even how America’s great untapped rec-
reational resource is branded and marketed. It won’t be easy, and we don’t claim to have a cure-all, but together we have identified some ways that parks can get us to a healthier future. With creativity, new and stronger partnerships, and more than a bit of innovation, we can make our local parks places where all Americans — regardless of age, gender or physical ability — can get the physical activity they need. There’s an easy-to-follow roadmap to get us there. City Parks Alliance recently published Active Parks, Healthy Cities: Recommendations from the National Study of Neighborhood Parks (https://ti nyurl.com/yadkkbsl), which presents several low-cost examples of how some cities are succeeding in building better close-to-home parks. The National Study of Neighborhood Parks was a two-year examination of park use and design at 174 neighborhood parks in 25 cities across the country. City Parks Alliance and the RAND Corporation led the research with help from The Trust for Public Land and funding from the Na-
Programming Nothing increases park use and physical activity as much as programming — providing supervised activities to help people make active use of available space. Data show that with each supervised activity added to the program offering, there is a 48 percent increase in park use and a 37 percent increase in physical activity. In particular, two largely underrepresented groups — se-
NATE YOUNKER, PLAYTIME.COM
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tional Institute of Health’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. For this study, neighborhood parks were defined as being between 2 and 20 acres and intended to serve residents living within a 1-mile radius of the parks. Researchers documented the age, gender and relative level of physical activity of park users, and they matched those factors against park characteristics, amenities and conditions. More importantly, the research team also collected the perceptions of those parks by those who used them. All that data was then distilled into key recommendations for turning America’s great neighborhood parks into part of the solution to America’s ongoing health crisis. The recommendations fall in four major categories: programming, design, outreach and measurement. And Active Parks, Healthy Cities includes multiple case studies for each from cities large and small and diverse geographies from desert to waterfront. It is a trove of ideas and options for building better neighborhood parks.
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niors and teen girls — benefit the most from programming targeted at their needs and interests. For instance, people age 60plus make up 18 percent of urban populations, but only 4 percent of park users. Given that we know physical activity has immediate and lasting benefits for seniors, this is a huge area of opportunity to make America healthier. Most critically, we need more and better places where people can safely walk but adding enhanced senior-targeted programming can bring structure, encouragement, companionship and enjoyment to this important demographic. Meanwhile, for young females who are outnumbered by boys at parks by almost 2 to 1, the solution is often team sports that are both social and fun. Right now, only 8 in 100 girls play sports in neighborhood parks. By their teens, just 4 percent of teen girls play team sports. In Los Angeles, an inspiring program, called Girls Play L.A., motivates girls in underserved communities to get into sports. Girls Play L.A. is an outgrowth of the Gender Equity Program at the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, and the goal is to lift female participation in youth sports to 50 percent. Participation in the program costs only $10. In 2018, there were 88 Girls Play L.A. sites with 27,000 participants. While team sports are great for girls, Los Angeles has not looked past individual sports either. Traveling Rings, dangling metal loops, were originally installed at the famous Muscle Beach in Santa Monica in the 1960s. They are particularly good at building core strength. The city has installed these rings, in large and small sizes, to draw teens
and young adults. No appointment necessary, and there are no leagues to join or schedules to coordinate. The concept is so popular that you can now find traveling rings in cities like San Antonio, Virginia Beach, Providence and New York City. Across the country, in Providence, Rhode Island, the city’s “Eat, Play, Learn” summer meal program is a multi-department attack on health and hunger. It’s also an example of how diverse partnerships are getting the job done. “Eat, Play, Learn” is a collaboration of Providence’s Healthy Communities Office, its parks and recreation department, public school district
and Department of Art, Culture + Tourism. The program serves lunches at 33 neighborhood parks and runs the PlayCorps Program in five parks “to get kids into playgrounds, build[ing] things, [making] art, [having] unstructured play time to make their own fun, do[ing] science experiments, garden[ing], and eat[ing] meals.”
Outreach People are less likely to use parks if they don’t know what’s happening in them, so outreach is key. In that regard, old-school marketing still has a big place. Banners, posters and signs increase park awareness
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ter public toilet with input from police, fire and maintenance personnel. It’s a wheelchair-accessible, well-ventilated and easyto-clean metal facility called the “Portland Loo.” Currently, Portland boasts 17 of these facilities, and there are 50 others across the United States and Canada.
Measurement
and use and physical activity. The study found that park departments deploying these kinds of publicity experienced a 62 percent increase in users and a 63 percent increase in physical activity. New-school marketing is making an impact as well. Social media has become a cornerstone of park marketing efforts, but the city of Westminster, Colorado, took things a step beyond in finding a fun, novel way to use the tool to benefit park participation. The Westminster Parks Department launched a monster egg hunt via Facebook, asking residents to “report unusual sightings” at local parks, and enticed people to the park to find them. The department
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has seen a significant increase in park visitors and trail use ever since. The clever combination of real and virtual approaches received significant social media engagement and one video had more than 30,000 views at last count.
Design A large component of the transformation of parks from open spaces to active places is in the physical design of the landscape. One example the report highlights is that parks with walking loops have 80 percent more users, twice the number of senior users, and almost twice the level of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity as parks without loops. And, regarding playgrounds, the report says more is better. For every element added to a given playground, use (and activity level) increased by half. Even the restrooms need a refresh. In Portland, Oregon, the city commissioner designed a bet-
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As the saying goes, “if you don’t measure, you can’t manage.” This maxim is as true for parks as any other urban institution. In addition to counting permits and fees, park departments have begun to actively measure use. It’s not always cheap or easy, but this data greatly increases an agency’s ability to highlight opportunities and to target investments and activities to serve all residents. Most of all, however, measurement helps to build the case with citizens and public officials about the deep value parks provide in the community. Parks that are well-used likely have vocal constituencies to support them, and park agencies that accurately measure park use are better positioned to justify public spending to maintain and enhance neighborhood parks. Parks can help save us from an unfit future, but not if we don’t enhance and care for them with new programs, amenities, outreach and data. To meet 21st century health, infrastructure and social needs, we need a 21st century exploration of parks for all they can offer as solutions to those challenges. We must rethink everything, from infrastructure to programming to partnerships, and that’s where park professionals can help. Catherine Nagel is the Executive Director of City Parks Alliance (nagelcatherine@ cityparksalliance.org).
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Measuring Your Agency’s Performance Has Never Been So Easy NRPA Park Metrics is the most comprehensive source of data benchmarks and insights for park and recreation agencies. Use NRPA Park Metrics to easily build customized reports and compare your agency to others to gain more funding support, improve operations and better serve your community.
PARK METRICS
nrpa.org/Metrics
NRPA UPDATE Give to Parks This Giving Season
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s the end of the year approaches, asks for charitable contributions inevitably start to flow in. As a nonprofit organization, NRPA is also seeking donations because the work we do together is changing the world and shaping lives. Through our programs, we’re feeding children, helping fight depression and obesity, creating more resilient communities and bringing people together.
Parks and recreation is at the forefront of some of our nation’s toughest challenges — and making a difference every day. We believe so strongly in our mission, that we want to do more, do it better and keep this amazing field charging forward. So, we are asking for your financial support. This year, we’ve teamed up with The Coca-Cola Company, which will match every donation given
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through the end of the year. That means, your $10 donation will become $20. If you feel moved to give, you can do so at www.nrpa. org/donate, and share this link with community members so they can do so as well. If you are unable to give financially, there are many ways to #GiveToParks this giving season: • Start a fundraiser on Facebook (www.facebook.com/fundrais ers) on behalf of the National Recreation and Park Association or one of your local park and rec-
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reation nonprofits. • Organize a volunteer event for your community (which many of you already do) and challenge people to bring at least one new volunteer with them. • Share why you love parks and recreation with your friends, family and even strangers. The more that people know and understand the breadth and depth of our field, the more they’ll feel compelled to support it financially, politically and emotionally. Parks and recreation is at the forefront of some of our nation’s toughest challenges — and making a difference every day. Know that when we do our donation drives, it’s to provide more resources and support for park and recreation agencies everywhere.
Get Recognition with an NRPA Award
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etting an award is not only a validation of the great work you do but also can be used to show decision makers and policymakers the intrinsic value of what you do. Starting January 7, 2019, NRPA will begin accepting applications for the 2019 Awards Program, and there are several opportunities to choose from: • The National Gold Medal Award Program (presented by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration in partnership with NRPA), honors agencies nationwide that demonstrate excellence in long-range planning, resource management and innovative approaches to delivering superb park and recreation services. • The NRPA Innovation Awards recognize the latest advancements in the field, showcasing the inspiring park and recreation agencies that have improved and empowered their communities through innovative practices in park design, health and wellness, conservation and social equity.
• The NRPA Spotlight Awards, presented to individuals, including park and recreation professionals, volunteers, engaged community members and park advocates. The awards honor the professional and personal efforts in the field of parks and recreation. • NRPA Scholarships and Fellowships recipients can attend and explore the operation of the field at the NRPA Annual Conference, where they develop professional contacts with leadership and members from around the country. They receive complimentary NRPA Annual Conference registration, a travel stipend and hotel expenses reimbursed.
Take a [First Day] Hike!
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anuary 1, 2019, will mark the 27th year anniversary of the First Day Hike initiative, which started in Massachusetts to get more people out in parks and enjoying nature at a time of the year not typically associated with outdoor recreation. Last year, nearly 55,000 people rang in the New Year, collectively hiking more than 133,000 miles throughout the country on the guided hikes led by knowledgeable state park staff and volunteers. Many others hiked state park trails throughout the day. According to the National As
sociation of State Park Directors (NASPD), which began administering the program in 2012, “the distance and rigor vary from park to park, but all hikes aim to create a fun experience for the whole family. People are invited to savor the beauty of the state park’s natural resources with the comfort of an experienced guide so they may be inspired to take advantage of these local treasures throughout the year.” From California to Maine, hikers can experience a variety of outdoor recreation activities, including mountain and hill climbing, kayaking, walks along lakes and beach-
• The Robert W. Crawford Recreation and Park Hall of Fame award honors individuals who have worked to improve the quality of life in America through parks and recreation and serve as examples for future leaders in continuing the recreation and park movement. Each award has specific eligibility criteria, and all applicants must be current NRPA members. Visit www.nrpa.org/our-work/awards/ for details about each award.
es, exploration of trails through great forests, wildlife expeditions, bird-watching and much more, while improving their overall mental and physical health and wellness. Visit www.stateparks.org/initia tives-special-programs/first-dayhikes/ and check out the map to see where a hike may be scheduled near you or contact info@state parks.org to find out about organizing/promoting your own First Day Hike and go take a hike on New Year’s Day!
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N R PA U P DAT E
Proactive ADA Compliance: Facilities, Policies and Programs Hot Topics The year may be winding down, but that doesn’t mean the conversations are ending on NRPA Connect! It’s the perfect time to network with your peers to gain inspiration for 2019. Following is a preview of some recent hot topics: Patrons Getting Lost on Trails – How often do you revisit wayfinding in your parks to assess the ability of the user to find their way? Do you have policies on when you review your trails and wayfinding based on a number of complaints? Geocaching – Some agencies find that geocaching can encourage people to go off trails, while many believe it’s a unique activity that encourages people to explore the outdoors, but others are conflicted. Do you permit geocaching in your parks? If so, have you ever experienced issues? Event Insurance – Do you require insurance for outside groups hosting events, festivals or other activites on city property? What is the minimum amount you require, and do you have any policies on this that you can share? Visit this discussion to see policies from across the country. Ceratonia Siliqua Tree – Calling all fellow professionals who have had issues with bees. A beautiful Ceratonia siliqua (or Carob) tree is in bloom and attracting bees. If not for the location, there would be no issue, but it is putting park patrons in danger of being stung. Is there a way to save the tree but suppress the blooms? Visit Connect at https://connect.nrpa. org/home and let the networking begin! Need help accessing your profile? Contact us by email at customerservice@ nrpa.org or by phone at 800.626.6772.
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“
s ADA enforcement slowing down?” Almost every day, we hear this question from park and recreation agencies across the United States. With the changing regulatory climate in Washington, D.C., and reduced staff levels in every federal agency, including the Department of Justice (DOJ), it’s a legitimate question for which there isn’t a simple answer. In some areas, specifically Project Civic Access Settlement Agreements, enforcement today looks like it did under previous administrations. A good example is a settlement agreement (www.ada. gov/kinder_care_sa.html) between the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and KinderCare, a child care provider with more than 1,800 locations nationwide. As part of this settlement, KinderCare agreed to a surprising series of actions regarding children with type 1 diabetes, including the following: • Individually evaluate every request for modification based on disability, relying on objective evidence and current medical standards. • Train staff on the administration of insulin by pen, syringe or pump, when deemed necessary by a physician. • Use the KinderCare Manager of Inclusion to assist in analyzing requests for modifications and developing policies. • Require KinderCare to contact all parents within 60 days, from all 1,800 locations, that have requested a modification in the last full year, making them aware that KinderCare policy has changed and that an interactive plan development process is in place (this stage also requires extensive records be kept by KinderCare). • Within 60 days, submit to U.S. DOJ policies that will implement this Settlement.
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• Assess children with disabilities who request a modification due to disability, and must grant the request, deny the request or make a narrow request for more information to help decide how to answer the request. • Provide accessibility and inclusion training for managers at several levels within the organization, within 180 days. Settlement Agreements between the enforcement agency and the implementing agency are binding. These agreements are guidance for other agencies, but they are not binding on those agencies. So, why is this important for park and recreation agencies? Congress wanted units of government to do more, and do it sooner, regarding the ADA than businesses and nonprofits. Virtually, every park and recreation agency serves children, and children with type 1 diabetes live in almost every community, so this is an issue for your agency. At the WT Group, we rarely find a unit of local government that isn’t aware that existing sites and facilities must have an access audit, and that a transition plan (a phased retrofit schedule) must be developed. But, it is common for us to hear agency staff ask whether policies must be evaluated for Title II compliance in section 35.105, and whether programs must be evaluated to determine if they are inclusive, as required by Title II section 35.130(d). The answer to both questions is yes. Our team of experts, led by Shelley Zuniga, Heidi Lapin and John McGovern, can help your agency conduct access audits of sites and policies, and evaluate how your agency supports inclusive participation. Contact McGovern at john.mcgovern@rac-llc.com or call 224.293.6451 to take advantage of your NRPA discount.
Member Spotlight: Michael Biedenstein, CPRP By Vitisia Paynich
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ou don’t often hear someone say, “I like to spend my spare time at my workplace.” However, to Michael Biedenstein, that assertion makes perfect sense, especially when that place happens to be the St. Louis County Parks and Recreation Department. Biedenstein joined the Missouri-based agency in October 2014, where he serves as recreation events coordinator. As he puts it: “I’ve grown up in parks and it’s a natural fit.” Parks & Recreation magazine caught up with Biedenstein to find out the most important lesson he’s learned, why special events are important for communities and what he likes to do when he’s not working. Parks & Recreation: Why did you choose to enter the parks and recreation field? Michael Biedenstein: I grew up in a household where parks and recreation was engrained in our lives. I played recreational soccer, swam on the local park and rec swim team in the summer, and participated in special events, like our local Greentree Festival, in the fall. What’s more, my dad has worked in the field as a landscape architect for his whole career, so I was lucky enough to tag along to see all his projects that he was working on throughout my childhood. During high school, all my jobs pretty much [were] in parks and recreation. I helped on special events, particularly logistics — such as doing parking or taking admission fees. During my undergrad studies, I initially majored in chemistry and German. But when I decided that it wasn’t for me, my dad said, ‘You can do this parks and rec thing as a full-time job.’ I thought, ‘Yeah, I could do this as my full-time job.’ So, I switched
majors and I guess the rest is history. Actually, I’m four weeks away from finishing my MBA. P&R: What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned in your job? Biedenstein: When it comes to special events, it’s not a matter of if something will go wrong — it’s a matter of when. Approaching it with that mindset, you don’t get rattled when the porta-potties aren’t there on time, or when the number of tickets gets oversold or when Santa forgets his beard during the Christmas event. It’s about maintaining a calm head. You really have to program enough special events in order to build that stomach for it and come to peace with the fact that something will eventually go wrong. It’s not about assigning blame; it’s about how we make this an uninterrupted experience for our customers. And then afterwards, let’s address the problem and ensure it doesn’t happen again. But in the moment, just stay calm and roll with it. P&R: How do special events benefit a community? Biedenstein: Special events have hard benefits and soft benefits. The hard benefits can easily be seen through the economic impact — whether it’s a movie in a park or a
“I’ve grown up in parks and it’s a natural fit.” huge special event, like the Fourth of July. People will come to your community and probably stay in a hotel and spend money at local businesses. Park and recreation special events lead to a great deal of direct economic activity. And, I think what’s even more overlooked a lot of times are the soft benefits, which is about people reconnecting with neighbors and building a stronger sense of community. These face-toface interactions couldn’t be more important in this digital world of Facebook and text messaging that we live in today. P&R: Tell us one thing you enjoy doing in your spare time. Biedenstein: We have 70-plus parks in the St. Louis County system. I really enjoy getting out into our parks with my wife and two wonderful kids — whether it’s checking out a new playground that my kids have never been to or just enjoying our miles and miles of trails. We get some exercise and the kids have a blast. There’s nothing much better than that.
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©MYLES MELLOR
Parks & Recreation Crossword
Across Down 1 Increasingly popular type of dog park, 2 1 Pretty and delicate flower words 2 Ornate, like a peacock’s tail 5 Easter hunt topic 3 It’s a health need for dogs and owners 9 Birch bark craft 4 What park designer has to play around with 10 Something which adds fun, comfort or 6 Catch sight of pleasantness to a park 7 Blue stuff up above 11 Creeping plant 8 Seashore area 12 Getaways 13 Half 14 “Les ___” - nickname of a popular book 14 State where Ozark Scenic Riverways flow and film 15 Utah’s first National Park 16 Steady destruction of a coastline, for 16 Org. protecting the environment example 17 Bring back to former condition and 19 Back portion of a beach healthy condition, as beaches 20 Copy 18 Operating 21 Billions of years 20 National assoc. of beach and coastal 23 Attire for the Grand Marshal practitioners, abbr. 24 Shoreline 22 Urban planner’s concern 28 Burger bread 24 Reduce, as a budget 29 Set a goal 25 Reindeer boss 30 Ballot initiatives which can be started to 26 “My country” follower gain park funding 27 Shallow place in a river allowing walkers 32 It’s better fresh to cross 34 Curve in a river 28 Audubon Society creature 35 Place for Fido to run around and play! - 2 31 BBQ serving words 33 State that boasts Glacier National Park, abbr. Check the answers to the crossword at www.nrpa.org/crossword. As an added bonus for completing the crossword, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a Build-A-Bear. The winner will be randomly selected December 31, 2018. 70
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NRPA is dedicated to providing learning opportunities to advance the development of best practices and resources that make parks and recreation indispensable elements of American communities. Find out more at www.nrpa.org/education.
SCHOOLS AND CONFERENCES 2019 EVENT MANAGEMENT SCHOOL January 13-18, 2019 Oglebay Resort and Conference Center, Wheeling, West Virginia
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Landover, Maryland
5-7 6-8 6-8 19-21
Merriam, Kansas Clackamas, Oregon Newport News, Virginia Bismarck, North Dakota
www.nrpa.org/CPSI
www.nrpa.org/education
AFO PROGRAM Prattville, Alabama Georgetown, Kentucky Margate, Florida Nashville, Tennessee Sevierville, Tennessee
DEC Langhorne, Pennsylvania Albuquerque, New Mexico Georgetown, Kentucky
September 24-26, 2019 Baltimore, Maryland
4-5 5-7 13-14 17-18 18-19
JAN ’19
3-5 5-7 11-13
August 18 - 22, 2019, 2019, Hyatt Lodge, Oak Brook, Illinois
15-16 15-16 17-18 24-25 31-Feb. 1
Dallas, Texas Manitou Springs, Colorado Camarillo, California Punta Gorda, Florida Stuart, Florida
FEB ’19
FEB ’19
JAN ’19
DEC
CPSI PROGRAM
March 10-15, 2019 Oglebay Resort and Conference Center, Wheeling, West Virginia
11-12 14-15 21-22
Leavenworth, Washington Jacksonville, Florida Hampton, Virginia
MAR ’19
Festivals and events have become a valuable resource for communities. Over time, events that once were informal affairs have become spectacular productions that demand extensive event management skills and experience. As a parks and recreation professional, you’re always on the lookout for opportunities to grow your network and, let’s be honest, steal good ideas for your next event. So, the International Festivals & Events Association and NRPA have partnered to create this two-year professional development program geared toward event management staff. Join us for the 2019 Event Management School at the Oglebay National Training Center in Wheeling, West Virginia, January 13– 18, and leave with a robust network of like-minded professionals and a plan for your next big event.
January 27February 1, 2019 Oglebay Resort and Conference Center, Wheeling, West Virginia
2-3 4-5 7-8 11-12 19-20 20-21 26-27
Reno, Nevada Gainesville, Florida Canton, Michigan Milpitas, California American Canyon, California Lawrence, Kansas Phoenix, Arizona
www.nrpa.org/AFO
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OPERATIONS A Few Safety and Security Solutions for Restrooms By Katie Navarra
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andals routinely target concession stands, storage sheds and bathrooms, damaging expensive fixtures, “decorating” with graffiti or helping themselves to supplies. Sometimes, the public restroom becomes an individual’s personal shower stall. Restrooms can be particularly difficult to monitor and secure. Privacy is the number one concern with safety a close second, when it comes to deciding how to discourage troublemakers. seconds. The machine then dispenses a 2-foot-long sheet of toilet paper, and if the person needs more, they must wait nine minutes before being doled out a second ration. These measures may seem extreme, but the fact remains that providing a well-stocked, safe and secure restroom at park and recreation facilities is a challenge. The good news is that there are innovative and cost-effective methods for achieving all these goals. Tra-
PHOTOS COURTESY OF EL PASO PARKS AND RECREATION
Government officials in China were so exasperated by the volume of theft of a particular item from one public bathroom that they resorted to extreme measures. In 2017, as detailed in an article in The Washington Post, officials installed facial recognition software in the restrooms at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing to thwart toilet paper thieves. When individuals enter the facility, they are required to stare into the machine for three
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cy Novak, CPRP, parks and recreation director for El Paso Parks and Recreation, offers one solution that has worked well for securing his agency’s remote facilities.
Flashcam El Paso encompasses more than 250 parks and 16 recreation centers with varying restroom and storage facilities. At one remote sports complex, vandals repeatedly broke into the concession stand. With each attempt, the maintenance staff progressively became more and more elaborate with the deterrents used. “Eventually, they put a quarter-inch steel plate over the door, which covered the locking mechanism so that you had to reach in a contorted fashion to unlock it,” he says. “Despite that, vandals were still breaking in.” When the situation was brought to Novak’s attention, he asked the staff if they had considered security cameras. They had but assumed it was too expensive since the infrastructure for live-feed video and the staff to run it is costly. Novak had another solution: a hardened, solar-powered, motion-activated security camera. Motion triggers a verbal announcement, which can be customized or pre-recorded, a photo flash pops and the pictures are downloaded, via a Bluetooth
El Paso Parks and Recreation has seen a reduction in vandalism with the use of a hardened, solar-powered motionactivated security camera. | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G
connection, for follow-up investigation. At the remote sports complex site in El Paso, the recording warns individuals that they are in a restricted area after hours. It instructs them to leave immediately and informs them their photo will be taken and forwarded to law enforcement, if necessary. “Since installation, we have not had one incident,” Novak relates. “We have found it to be very effective for its type and limitations.” In Novak’s opinion, the biggest advantage of the system is its portability. Because it doesn’t require hardwire infrastructure, it can be moved from one location to another as needed. The city has also had three playgrounds burned by arsonists. After cameras were moved to those sites, the incidences stopped. “It cost about $8,000 for one camera rather than the $50,000 to $100,000 of a sophisticated live-video feed,” Novak explains. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution, but the QStar Flashcam has its advantages.”
“Smart” Restrooms For larger facilities, high-tech automated solutions may be the perfect fit. Take for example, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit (MARTA), which recently piloted a “smart” restroom at its Lindbergh Station. A “virtual room attendant” monitors activity from an outside mounted overhead camera. After 10 minutes of inactivity, the “virtual room attendant” contacts the patron to confirm all is well. The “virtual room attendant” feature makes the restroom loiter-resistant. The fixtures inside the restroom are break- and chip-resistant, as well
as vandal- and graffiti-proof. The all-in-one sink basin includes a touch-free sensor that provides metered supplies and a hands-free, self-cleaning experience. The single unit dispenses soap, turns on the water and activates the hand dryer as the user moves from left to right. While there is a significant investment in technology and equipment, the solution allows MARTA to more effectively use staff resources. “The station agents were spending a lot of time letting people into a bathroom. They would have to standby and wait for the person to finish,” says Remy Saintil, MARTA’s director of facilities maintenance. “We had to find a better way to administer and monitor the restroom so the station agent could focus on their job.” The “smart” restroom provides a safe and private experience and is a cost-effective way to provide restroom services to riders. The pilot, which included customer feedback, was so well received that MARTA plans on rolling out the concept at all its locations in a two-phase implementation process. “It’s easy for any user. It’s the press of a button and instructions are in Spanish and Braille,” says Jamyhl Howard, the project manager. “It gives us a centralized platform to monitor and track usage so that we’re able to maintain it better.” The European-made automated, all-in-one fixtures were recommended through a consulting project with Public Facility Services. MARTA had hoped to subsidize the cost of implementation through Federal Transportation grant funds, but the grant required use of American-made products. MARTA’s efforts to find a similar
The Flashcam attached to this light pole does not have to be hardwired, so it can be moved from one location to another.
product that met the qualifications were unsuccessful. According to HG.org Legal Resources, in terms of camera placement, “Generally, cameras outside are almost always fair game. That is why many buildings, particularly in very urban areas, have a number of security cameras at every corner of the structure.” However, where there is an expectation of privacy, like in a restroom, cameras typically are considered illegal and raise privacy concerns. It’s probably a good idea to have signage notifying users that cameras are in use. With the Flashcam system, the pre-recorded message announces its use. In Atlanta, the camera and virtual assistant don’t appear until a user presses a button. In both cases, it’s obvious cameras are in use. Establishing cost-effective solutions for deterring vandalism and maintaining public facilities can be a major challenge for park and recreation agencies. However, the availability of such structures will always be a necessity, so it is important to include maintenance and security costs in the overall budget and share best practices of innovative ideas. Katie Navarra is a New York-based Freelance Writer (katienavarra@yahoo.com).
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PRODUCTS Turf-Friendly Tractor The Toro Company recently introduced the Outcross™ 9060, which is a turf-friendly machine that delivers on the benefits of both a tractor and a super-duty utility vehicle. The Outcross incorporates a standard three-point hitch with PTO, drawbar and universal loader mounting plate, enabling the machine to accommodate a variety of standard turf maintenance attachments. The Outcross™ 9060 was designed to allow superintendents and turf managers to do more with less stress, less labor, fewer resources and in less time. THE TORO COMPANY, 800.803.8676, WWW.TORO.COM
Water Fountains for Dogs The COOL DOG™ water fountain product line and brand were founded to ensure the health and overall well-being of all dogs. Instead of packing water bottles and bowls, dog owners will have the option of using the fountains at dog-friendly parks, walking trails and recreational areas. “We want pet owners to feel at ease knowing that their dogs will stay hydrated,” says Beth Darragh, marketing manager. Eighty percent of a dog’s body weight is made up of water, making consistent water intake vital. Dog owners can enjoy the dual Doggie Water Fountain option that allows for human consumption as well. COOL DOG WATER FOUNTAINS, 800.931.1562, WWW. COOLDOGWATERFOUNTAINS.COM
Waste and Recycling Receptacle TuffBoxx, a manufacturer of animal-resistant storage solutions, recently introduced Camper, its newest dual-stream, double-door, animalresistant waste or recycling receptacle. Constructed of galvanized steel, Camper is designed to keep out almost any form of wildlife. The dual streams allow for source separation of waste. Available with accessibility-compliant “mailbox”-style chutes or with top-lid access, each Camper holds two 32-gallon containers. It is a storage solution suitable for campgrounds, parks, community centers or anywhere durable, wildlife-resistant waste containers are needed. TUFFBOXX, 519.458.4882, WWW.USETUFFBOXX.COM
All-Terrain Wheelchairs DeBug Mobility Products manufactures a line of wheelchairs designed to safely transport users across areas where a conventional wheelchair becomes unmanageable. This includes areas such as beaches, snow-covered sidewalks, forest trails, etc. DeBug Wheelchairs are made of 316L stainless steel and are intended to provide decades of service life in the harshest of environments. DeBug Mobility products are currently used at several park and recreation facilities, on cruise ships, water and theme parks, and hotels and resorts worldwide. DEBUG MOBILITY PRODUCTS, 850.478.5765, WWW. DEBUGMOBILITYPRODUCTS.COM
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Guided Spray System SiteOne® Landscape Supply has launched the new LESCO® Smart Guided® precision spray system. It offers TerraStar GPS satellite technology that allows the system to spray within a 2-inch level of accuracy and provides control of each separate nozzle to reduce overspray. If a nozzle is outside of the defined application boundary, it will automatically turn off. The system is designed to connect with most common sprayers and offers tracking of when and where certain products are sprayed to simplify documentation and record keeping. This feature also allows the system to remember and repeat boundaries after they have been driven once and saved. SITEONE® LANDSCAPE SUPPLY, 470.277.7000, WWW.SITEONE.COM
Cyanuric Acid Removal Kit Natural Chemistry recently announced its new CYA Removal Kit™ — a two-part system for reducing excessive levels of cyanuric acid in swimming pools. It is unique in that there is no need to drain or dilute water from a pool. Prolonged use of stabilized chlorine can cause CYA levels to build up over time. CYA Removal Kit reduces high levels of cyanuric acid to help achieve the ideal range for a swimming pool of 30–50 ppm. NATURAL CHEMISTRY, 800.753.1233, WWW. NATURALCHEMISTRY.COM
Arts & Crafts Catalog Triarco® Arts & Crafts’ free 2019 catalog is now available. The catalog offers an array of products suited for camps and recreational projects, including equipment for drawing, painting, ceramics, jewelry making, sculpture, printmaking, textiles and weaving, stained glass, woodcrafts and more. With health and safety as a concern, Triarco® Ars & Crafts makes every effort to ensure that its products are properly labeled and certified by the Art and Creative Materials Institute (ACMIart.org) and ASTM — American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM.org). TRIARCO® ARTS & CRAFTS, 877.727.2380, WWW.ETRIARCO.COM
Compact Tower Lights Banner Engineering, provider of technology for industrial automation, announced the release of the TL30 Basic Series, compact tower lights for use on small machines and in work areas with limited space. The lights have a slim 30-mm cylindrical body that fits in space-constrained areas. TL30 Basic tower lights are completely self-contained, requiring no controller for operation and come fully assembled for rapid deployment in small- or large-scale applications. They use LED lights and have a segmented design with translucent windows that appear gray when off to prevent false indication caused by ambient light. BANNER ENGINEERING, 888.373.6767, WWW. BANNERENGINEERING.COM
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advertiser index
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(ISSN 0031-2215) is published monthly by the National Recreation and Park Association, 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn, VA 20148, a service organization supported by membership dues and voluntary contributions. Copyright Š2018 by the National Recreation and Park Association. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the writers and not necessarily those of NRPA. Issued to members at the annual subscription price of $30, included in dues. Subscription: $46 a year in the U.S.; $56 elsewhere. Single copy price: $7. Library rate: $58 a year in the U.S.; $68 elsewhere. Periodical postage paid at Ashburn, Virginia, and at additional mailing offices. Editorial and advertising offices at 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn, VA 20148. 703.858.0784. Postmaster, send address changes to Parks & Recreation, 22377 Belmont Ridge Rd., Ashburn, VA 20148.
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Park Bench
PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY OF RIVERSIDE PARKS, RECREATION & COMMUNITY SERVICES
Floating Art When the Riverside Art Museum (RAM) in Riverside, California, began thinking about an art project that would be kid-friendly and involve the entire community, it looked west to MacArthur Park in Los Angeles. There, in 2015, the L.A.-based arts nonprofit Portraits of Hope had installed a giant floating art exhibit, called “Spheres at MacArthur Park,” with the goal of generating renewed interest in a once-beloved park. This past summer, RAM, in collaboration with the City of Riverside Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department (PRCSD) and the Riverside Unified School District (RUSD), installed “Art Float – Riverside” in Lake Evans at Fairmount Park. For four weeks, 420 spheres, each 6 feet in diameter and hand-painted by more than 20,000 students from 50-plus area schools, turned Lake Evans into a colorful public art exhibit. The Art Alliance of the Riverside Art Museum, RAM’s volunteer fundraising group, and RUSD organized a “paint team” of 45 volunteers who transported the spheres to the schools and oversaw their painting. Once painted, more than 35 volunteers with boats helped position the spheres on Lake Evans. A series of fundraisers and special events, held in conjunction with the exhibit, helped the community to rediscover Fairmount Park — more than 300,000 people turned out to enjoy the art and the park. The Riverside Art Float was not only an educational public art display, but also an opportunity for the Riverside Art Museum to raise $105,000 for art education programs within Riverside schools. At the end of the exhibit, the spheres were cleaned and donated to schools and community centers, as well as given to the sponsors who helped underwrite the $350 cost for each sphere. The Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department conducted photo shoots at various park programs and facilities with the “traveling spheres” to document the joy and beauty the colorful spheres brought to everyone. – Gina Bonilla, City of Riverside Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department
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PARKS & RECREATION DECEMBER 2018 ◆ TRANSFORMATION ◆ THE ATLANTA BELTLINE ◆ URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE PARKS & EQUITY