LIBRARY, CULTURE AND ARTS COMMISSION STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE: January 3, 2017
PREPARED BY: Chris Ghione, Community Services Director
Title
DRAFT BIKEWAYS, TRAILS, PARKS, AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN
RECOMMENDATION
That the Commission provide comments on the draft Bikeways, Trails, Parks and Recreation Master Plan.
BODY
REPORT NARRATIVE:
The Bikeways, Trails, Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update process began in the spring of 2015 and is nearing completion. This updated Master Plan will weave together three separate plans to create a current, comprehensive and community-driven tool for the City to use to prioritize improvements and investments. The Master Plan will also help support goals and programs to improve our city’s health, environment, connectivity and recreation options. The City has hired MIG, Inc. to facilitate the update process and prepare the updated Master Plan document. The Parks and Recreation Commission is the primary advisory group.
OUTREACH AND COMMUNITY INPUT
During the project, staff and MIG conducted extensive community outreach to identify how residents are using the current system as well as identifying the assets, challenges and opportunities for the updated Master Plan. The outreach and data collection built upon itself supporting more focused efforts as the plan moved forward.
Outreach efforts have included:
• Six “intercept surveys” were conducted, in which staff and consultants set up an interactive exercise in public places in order to gather input from people who might otherwise not attend an outreach event. These events were held at the CRC, in public parks and during meetings and events at the CCC. A total of about 150 community members provided input during these events.
• An online map-based survey was completed by 400 community members. This survey provided detailed data about how residents use and travel to parks, trails and other recreational facilities. The data collected through the survey tool, Mapita, was linked to the project map, allowing the team to generate several maps illustrating the usage of parks and trails based on public input. These maps are all available at www.mhparksplan.com <http://www.mhparksplan.com>.
• Five meetings of the Stakeholder Advisory Group were held. The Stakeholder Advisory Group is comprised of representatives from community-based organizations and interest groups including the Chamber of Commerce, the Historical Society, and sports clubs, among others, as well as three members of the Parks and Recreation Commission. This group will meet throughout the project to advise the project team and provide feedback on draft priorities, projects and the draft plan. This group also helps promote community workshops and opportunities for online engagement.
• A community workshop was held and attended by approximately 30 community members, during which participants completed a visual preference survey to inform design and programming direction for the Master Plan.
• Two previous meetings with the Parks and Recreation Commission included the opportunity to gather input on priorities and goals for the Master Plan have been held.
• The City Council has received one update report and conducted one workshop on the master plan.
• A community survey that was distributed online and in hard copy format was completed by 1,100 people from the community. The purpose of this survey was to collect information about community members’ priorities for additions and improvements to park experiences, investments in parks and facilities, improvements to bikeways and trails, and recreation programming.
• Community submitted comments on the draft Master Plan have been received over the last month. Comments were received via email and via online comment forms. Approximately 40 comments were received.
• On December 8, 2016 approximately 30 participants attended a public open house that was held to receive comments on the draft master plan.
• The project website, www.mhparksplan.com <http://www.mhparksplan.com>, has been available and has provided up to date documents during the plans progress.
PLAN STRUCTURE AND KEY COMPONENTS
Based on the outreach efforts described above, review of previous surveys and outreach efforts, prior plans, and in-depth conversations with inter-departmental staff and the Stakeholder Advisory Group members, the following key goals for the plan are proposed:
1. Improve connections between residences and the network of City parks and facilities;
2. Diversify the experiences in the City’s parks and along its trails;
3. Engage people of all ages and all abilities;
4. Support the health and wellness of all community members;
5. Inspire a sense of community and place through arts, culture, and historic resources;
6. Respond to changing conditions and evolving preferences;
7. Ensure equitable access to programs and places for recreation and activity;
8. Leverage partnerships to maximize community benefit and use resources efficiently;
9. Balance active recreation with unprogrammed open spaces;
10. Continue to provide regional recreation destinations for visitors that support economic growth;
11. Enhance safety and navigation to key recreation destinations and along popular routes;
12. Invest in and maintain existing assets while carefully planning for future growth; and
13. Promote financial stability for operation of City facilities.
The draft document is structured into 5 sections
Chapters 1 through 3 of the Master Plan set the stage for the future by summarizing the existing conditions analysis and presenting the community-informed vision and goals for Morgan Hill’s bikeways, trails, parks, and recreation system. Chapter 4 is the heart of the Master Plan, describing policies and projects proposed to address community needs and create a more robust system. Chapter 5 details implementation actions and near-term priority projects to most efficiently stimulate investment and development. Appendices and executive summary will be added to the document following direction provided by the Council.
NEXT STEPS
Staff is currently taking the plan to the following groups to collect comments:
- Library, Culture and Arts Commission
- Planning Commission
- Youth Action Council
After receiving comments from these groups the Parks and Recreation Commission will make formal recommendations to the City Council. Comments taken from all Commissions will be forwarded to the Council for review. The plan is intended to go to the City Council in February following a recommendation.
LINKS/ATTACHMENTS:
1) Draft Bikeways, Trails, Parks and Recreation Master Plan
2) Links to all previous documents also available at www.mhparksplan.com <http://www.mhparksplan.com>