City of Arlington Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan

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City of ArlingtonParks, Recreation and Open
SpaceMaster Plan
Parks constitute a Margin of Excellence in the
City. Cities with good parks have a high quality
of life. Any city can do the ordinary
things.the exceptional cities are those that
make an extraordinary effort to develop their
parks. Parks provide beauty and diversion
these are so necessary . almost priceless. Tom
Vandergriff, Judge and Mayor
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Building on a Legacy of Success

• The Process
• The Analysis
• Where We Were
• Where We Are Now
• Challenges and Opportunities
• The Vision
• Where We Want To Be

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The Master Plan Process
Goals Objectives
Public Input
Standards
Recommendations Action Plan
Needs Assessment
Existing Inventory
Available Resources
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Where We Were

• Park Acres Per 1000 Residents
• 1984 7.3 (42 parks, 1500 acres)
• 1987 7.4 (46 parks, 1784 acres)
• 1995 8.4 (57 parks, 2354 acres)
• 1997 11.5 (72 parks, 3420 acres)

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1987 vs. 2003 More and Better
1987 vs. 2003 More and Better

• 1987 2003
• Linear Park Acres 371 1750
• Linear Park Trail Miles 0 24
• Playgrounds 24 38
• Water Playgrounds 0 2
• Recreation Centers/Senior Centers 4 7
• Outdoor Basketball Courts 6 18
• Tennis Courts 18 49

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Where We are Now

• Arlington has over 7 square miles of park land
• There are currently 88 Arlington park properties,
  with nearly 4,530 acres an increase of 32
  since the last Master Plan.
• Many parks need extensive updating and repairs-
  capital maintenance backlog estimated at 40M

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Where We are Now

• At 12.85 acres per 1,000 persons, Arlington is
  below the DFW area average of 15.12
• At 39.03 per person, Arlingtons Parks and
  Recreation funding is below the DFW area average
  of 48.77. Arlington is sixth lowest of the 24
  cities surveyed in the DFW region.
• Arlingtons parks comprise 7.2 of city area,
  which is just below the national average (7.4)
  for low density cities.

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Major Issues

• Available funding has decreased
• Slowing economy
• Decreasing tax revenues
• Slowing growth of tax base
• Council limits on debt
• Declining park fees and grant opportunities

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Major Issues

• City population continues to grow how can new
  parkland keep pace?
• Fewer available parcels suitable for parks
• Suitable land increasingly expensive
• Needs especially acute south of I-20

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Major Issues

• 40 Million Capital Maintenance Backlog
• Significant, but manageable
• Cities, both regionally and nationally, are
  struggling with this
• To preserve what we have, maintenance must be a
  priority

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Opportunities

• Citizens are committed to parks and strongly
  support a bond election for parks.
• Citizens like linear parks, and want more these
  parks provide multiple benefits.
• The Parks Department is uniquely positioned to
  provide leadership on environmental issues.
• Partnering with the community can improve service
  delivery and cut costs.

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Challenges

• Need to manage a healthy balance of
• Reinvestment in aging infrastructure
• Key park land acquisitions
• Targeted new development
• Citizens continue to ask for more from Department
  need to manage expectations
• Parks Department must be ready to demonstrate its
  value to the community in dollars and cents.

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The Vision Where We Want to Be

• Re-invest in our existing parks
• Emphasis on linear and neighborhood parks
• Actively encourage volunteer and partnership
  opportunities
• Be an environmental leader in our community
• Make key acquisitions

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The Vision Where We Want to Be

• Invest in our recreation centers
• Emphasize accessibility and connectivity from our
  parks into our neighborhoods and commercial
  centers
• Remain progressive with the development of
  off-leash areas, skateboard facilities, and
  community gardens

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10-Year Project Breakdown
The Vision Where We Want to Be
10-Year Project Breakdown
Development 57 Renovation 31 Acquisition
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Linear Parks 22 Neighborhood Parks
21 Recreation Centers 18 Athletics
8 Aquatics
8 Community Parks 8 Natural Areas
7 Golf
5 City Parks 4
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The Big Projects Acquisitions

• Birds Fort
• Village Creek Expansion/Restoration
• Southwest Nature Preserve
• Griffin Woods

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The Big Projects Renovations

• Patterson Sports Center
• Vandergriff Park
• Hugh Smith Reconstruction
• Lake Arlington / Richard Simpson
• Bolden Pool
• RLP Science Center
• River Legacy Park

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The Big Projects Development

• Stovall Pool
• North Sports Center Phase I
• Southeast Recreation Center
• Webb Community Park Phase II

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Questions?