PARKS & RECREATION SYSTEM MASTER PLAN
Columbus & Robeson County
WHAT IS A COUNTY PARKS & RECREATION SYSTEM MASTERPLAN?
At the county level, system master plans are an overview of guidelines that help counties and municipalities develop inclusive park networks that service most residents.
These master plans encourage the development of ecological corridors, greenway masterplans, and community growth through outlined plans and phasing implementation .
PROCESS
Master
Document
System Inventory and Analysis Community Needs Assessment Vision / Implementation
Plan
IDENTIFY COMMUNITY RECREATION NEEDS & ASPIRATIONS ESTABLISH GOALS FOR IMPROVEMENTS CREATE A PLAN TO GUIDE IMPROVEMENTS OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS DEVELOP A PROBABLE COST ESTIMATE ESTABLISH A STRATEGY FOR IMPLEMENTATION AND PHASING
PROJECT PURPOSE
DEMOGRAPHICS
Who makes up the county?
What is the lifestyle type?
SYSTEM INVENTORY & ANALYSIS
PARK /FACILITY DISTRIBUTION
What is currently existing?
What is missing that might be important to residents?
LOS ANALYSIS
Level of Service looks at specific amenities and which communities they are serving, where are we missing amenities?
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & SURVEY
What do residents desire? What are the opportunities and constraints? How can we improve quality of recreation?
NRPA STANDARDS
How does the county compare? Where are the deficits? Which deficits are aligned with community desires?
INVENTORY EXAMPLE
LOS WITH SURVEY (FROM COLUMBUS COUNTY) Level of Community Need LAYERING INFORMATION
/ Geographic Distribution Concentration along 74 / 76 Corridor Near municipalities Tabor City Fair Bluff Chadbourn Lake Waccamaw Whiteville Gaps Southern tip of the County Central (southeast of Whiteville) Northwest area of the County
ANALYSIS EXAMPLE (FROM COLUMBUS COUNTY) Parks
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
To gather feedback from communities, 3 - 4 meetings are held around the community with guided exercises to encourage pointed information to be shared and conversations to be sparked.
• Maps • Preference Boards • Surveys • Other Forms of Activities
VISION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
RECOMMENDATIONS PARK CONSOLIDATION IMPROVEMENTS TO EXISTING PARKS ACQUISITION OF PARK LAND PARTNERSHIPS WITH PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS AND MUNICIPALITIES DEVELOPING TRAIL AND GREENWAY NETWORKS NEW FACILITY INTEGRATION PROGRAMMING OPPORTUNITIES RAISING AWARENESS
OUTCOMES
VISION PRESENTATION & SURVEY
FOR THE COMMUNITY/COMMISSIONERS
Final tasks include presenting findings and recommendations, gauging the relativity of improvements. One presentation is to the community while the last one is with the Board of Commissioners for approval of funds and enactment.
FUNDING
Grants and other forms of funding for parks and other endeavors are researched and presented within the document, offering options to aid with park development.
PHASING
How plans are implemented: PHASE ONE Short-Term: 1-3 years Critical Improvements Raising Funding PHASE TWO Medium-Term: 4-7 years New Facilities Integration Trail & Greenway Development Land Acquisition PHASE THREE Long-Term: 8-10+ years Big-Ticket Facilities New Parks
PROBABLE
COST ESTIMATE
(Ballfields, Accessibility, Courts, Etc.)
Low Impact Amenities (Playgrounds, Trails, Etc.)
Course
Acquisition (Annually)
Pad (Other Destination Type Amenities)
Acquisition
PHASE 1 Improvements
1,500,000 New
900,000 TOTAL 2m+ PHASE 2 Trails 850,000 Adventure
1,000,000 New Courts/Fields 75,000 Land
100,000 TOTAL 2.5m+ PHASE 3 Splash
300,000 -500,000 Facilities 150,000 Land
(Annually) 100,000 TOTAL 750k+
CHALLENGES
INFORMATION/TIME
Google and other resources are not always up to date in rural counties, this requires diligent research and quality notes.
INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Equitable outreach is not an easy task, having several forms of access and data collection is important.
FUNDING
These budgets are often limited.
These plans are 5 - 15 years in the future, costs and funding changes.
CLIENT COORDINATION & LEADERSHIP
These Parks Departments are often under - staffed and resources are stretched thin . Leadership is integral to moving these plans along and is not always available.
COMPLEXITY
There are several of moving parts in these projects, especially with visioning. Analysis is extremely important.
PROGRAMMING
Ensuring facilities and programming is aligned, it is important to see the relationship between the two.
IMPACTS
COMMUNITY GROWTH
Integrating parks and other aspects help communities come together and create safer, cleaner areas.
PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
Programming help kids get outside and exploring interests with others often having many beneficial effects, especially connecting kids to nature.
INTER - GENERATIONAL INTERACTION
Parks and programming help to mingle different areas of a community.
LIFESTYLE IMPROVEMENT
Getting outside and interacting with nature and community help with physical and mental health.
CONFIDENCE IN LOCAL GOV
This is one of the ways communities can directly see impact from their local governments and may even get them more engaged.
ECOLOGICAL AWARENESS
Interacting with local nature inevitably exposes folks to the intrinsic value greenspace serves and the habitat that stem from these areas. Providing a subtle form of education to communities.
SUMMARY
County Parks & Recreation Master Plans require several layers of investigation and employ many of our skills as landscape designers/architects with fruitful outcomes. These are often fulfilling projects that lead to community and parks development in positive ways, such as ecological and economic impact. These help to improve quality of life while providing local government a roadmap to develop their communities. Lastly, it positions WR for more parks work down the line.
THANK YOU
