Work on Parks and Recreation Master Plan Begins

Earlier this month, the city announced that they had procured the services of a research and planning consultant who will be creating the first ever Master Plan for the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. Perez Planning and Design, located in Atlanta, Georgia, will undertake this project. The first public meeting was held last week to receive input from the public.

Daniel Smith, Director of Community Affairs who oversees the Parks and Recreation Department, explained that in addition to looking at the operational and facilities aspects of the department, it is vitally important to look at the future needs of the department five, 10, 15 or 20 years and planning for those needs.

The exercise that was held was a basic planning tool that enabled the public to highlight their thoughts regarding what services they would want to see maintained, as well as any they would like to see added by the Parks and Recreation Department.

This would be an initial sounding board exercise to determine many of the wants of the public. It would also demonstrate the public’s dissatisfaction with having to expend additional funds for those improvements, even though those improvements were supported by the public.

Carlos Perez, President of Perez Planning, went over the research process that includes, but is not limited to, the following:

* Project steering committee

* Elected Official Interviews

* Staff Interviews

* Focus Group Input

* Special Events Input

* Public Meetings

* Intercept Interviews: Market research interviews to gather on-site information from consumers who utilize or use the product (product meaning a physical facility or services being provided).

* Online surveys.

The public will be updated regularly on the progress of the project. More public hearings will be held, and residents will be advised when those will occur. The timing of those will be contingent upon the collection of data by Perez Design and interviews with the different factions within the community.

Coastal Breeze News will keep the public updated as to dates and times of the additional public meetings.