The City’s PROS Plan Update outlines an aspirational yet implementable vision for the city’s parks, open spaces, and trails. With approximately 70% of its current parks and open spaces undeveloped and with an under-funded parks department, the new plan provides the City with mechanisms to strategically renovate the parks the City has developed, while beginning to plan for long-term, new park spaces. At the core of the project was a public engagement process that was the most successful outreach in the City’s history. The engagement efforts reached over 10,000 citizens in an equitable distribution across the city and featured almost 1,400 discernible, geo-located public comments. This PROS Plan update is built on several key recommendations that best and most cost-effectively address current issues, projected demand, funding flexibility, and public desire—all while taking into consideration the parks and recreation opportunities available within the city. These recommendations include:
To accomplish these recommendations, the plan focused the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) on more picnic shelters, restrooms, benches, signage, sports courts, and upgraded/new playgrounds and trails. To strategically align future park developments to other potential funding sources, several of the parks were reclassified to better organize and place specific recreation program offerings.