Parks and Recreation. Goals

Transcription

1 Parks and Recreatin Gals The City will: Ensure that new parks and recreatin facilities are designed and lcated t reinfrce and supprt the gals and plicies f the City s Cmprehensive Plan. Prvide parks that meet the needs f special needs citizens and yuth. Create mre recreatinal facilities sufficient t meet the City s adpted service standards. Develp parks and pen space n existing city lands. Prvide trails and bikeways t link parks and neighbrhds. Overview Chesapeake residents value highly their utdr envirnment and its quality. The quality f life enjyed by City residents is enhanced by the wealth f natural, cultural, histric and pen space resurces. They cherish the pprtunity t enjy the utdrs by visiting parks, participating in activities at cmmunity recreatin centers, traveling scenic radways, viewing farms and frested land, and enjying a myriad f educatinal prgrams. The benefits f parks and recreatinal areas assciated with physical and mental health are substantial - frm the persnal physical fitness gained thrugh active utdr recreatin t the mental benefits f passive recreatin, parks and pen space. Cmmunity design which allws fr adequate recreatin facilities ensures that Chesapeake neighbrhds are attractive places t live with parks and pen spaces fr exercise, recreatin, and enjying nature. Finally, lcal ecnmies prsper as businesses and ecnmic investments are drawn t attractive, high-quality living envirnments that utilize sustainable design and carefully manage future grwth. Frward Chesapeake 2026 Cmprehensive Plan Page 232 A recent study by the Chesapeake Health Department fund that unplanned suburban-style develpment is assciated with high levels f driving, which cntributes t air pllutin and its assciated health risks, as well as increased back pain, cardivascular disease and stress levels amng cmmuters. Suburban residents drive twice as far, walk and cycle ne-third as ften, cnsume twice as

2 much energy and prduce twice as much air pllutin as their urban cunterparts wh live where land use tends t be mixed. The Surgen General f the United States cites a crrelatin between besity and lack f exercise and high bld pressure, diabetes, and heart attacks and calls fr increased recreatin pprtunities clse t hme where all Americans can play, exercise and imprve their health. Tpping the list f benefits prvided t us by natural areas, parks and pen spaces are thse assciated with health, fitness and wellness. When parks and recreatin areas are clse t hme, physical activity can becme part f daily life, and enhance everyday living. Individuals and families can be active, bth safely and cnveniently. Lcal parks and recreatin areas are hme t many pprtunities. Frm jgging and walking t playgrunds, athletic playing fields and tennis curts, parks supprt a variety f activities which cntribute t the City s quality f life. Planning fr the City s parks and recreatinal prgrams is imprtant t its verall quality f life. The City adpted its Parks and Recreatin Master Plan in 1991, with an update t the implementatin sectin in The basic bjectives f the Plan include: Acquire land fr parks and pen space. Plan fr and cnstruct a cmprehensive trail system. Cnstruct additinal athletic fields t meet existing and prjected needs. Phase the develpment f park sites in relatin t service demands. Enhance and expand existing facilities. Increase utilizatin f existing athletic fields. Maintain parks and facilities in gd repair. Prvide diverse indr recreatin and leisure pprtunities. Develp a turnament-quality tennis cmplex. Increase the availability f water-related recreatin. Existing Parks and Recreatin Facilities The area standard fr lcal park sites is 10 acres per 1,000 ppulatin. The City f Chesapeake currently has 65 lcal parks cnsisting f apprximately 2,042 acres serving its current ppulatin f 214,759. Lcal parks are divided int three majr classificatins based n size: neighbrhd, cmmunity and district parks. All three types are used t meet park standards. Neighbrhd parks range in size up t 10 acres with a primary radius f ½ mile t 1 ½ miles r 5-15 minutes walking distance. The area standard is 3 acres per 1,000 ppulatin. Currently, the City has a ttal f 52 neighbrhd parks with a cllective acreage f apprximately 237 acres. Cmmunity parks range in size frm acres with a primary service radius f 5 miles r 15 minutes driving time. The area standard is 3 acres per 1,000 ppulatin. Chesapeake currently has five cmmunity parks with a cllective acreage f abut 163 acres. District parks have a minimum size f 50 acres with a primary service radius f 5-15 miles and minute driving time. The area standard is 4 acres per 1000 ppulatin. The City currently has eight district parks with a ttal acreage f abut 237 acres. Frward Chesapeake 2026 Cmprehensive Plan Page 233

3 The Open Space Ordinance City Cuncil recently revised fees charged t develpers fr the prvisin and develpment f pen space fr new subdivisins when public parks are nt prvided by the develper. The fee amunt per recrded lt increases frm $50 t $500 if a park site is prvided within the subdivisin and increases frm $100 t $1000 per lt if n park site is prvided within the subdivisin. This change was necessary as the riginal fee had nt been revised since it was adpted in The Open Space Ordinance addresses primarily neighbrhd parks and there is als a need fr develpment f mre district and cmmunity parks. As Chesapeake s ppulatin increases and demgraphics change, planning fr the manner in which future parks and recreatinal services are prvided is essential t maintaining the City s high quality f life. In this regard, it will be essential t prvide new and different pprtunities t all segments f Chesapeake s ppulatin while maintaining and enhancing existing facilities. Frward Chesapeake 2026 Cmprehensive Plan Page 234

4 Issue One: Impact n Quality f Life City parks and recreatin services and facilities are a significant element f what defines quality f life fr Chesapeake residents. Chesapeake will prvide a parks and recreatin system that will serve all segments f its ppulatin with a variety f facilities and prgrams necessary t meet expressed needs. Strategies: The City will develp a phased prgram t prvide additinal park facilities t meet park standards as demand increases. Cntinue effrts t develp existing park sites. Priritize the neighbrhd park sites btained thrugh the Open Space and Recreatin Ordinance fr develpment based n the funds prvided by the rdinance alng with neighbrhd needs. Cntinue effrts t purchase land f sufficient size t develp reginal and district parks including the fllwing types f amenities: - Reginal cmmunity centers - Multi-purpse fields - Nature Trails (walking/biking/cane) - Equestrian facilities - Passive activities Other types f recreatinal facilities, such as athletic fields and recreatin facilities, must als be built as demand increases. The City will explre all pssible funding ptins fr district and cmmunity parks including pprtunities fr public-private partnerships. The lcatin f lcal parks t serve residents shuld be cnsistent with sund neighbrhd planning principles. Opprtunities t c-lcate parks and ther recreatinal facilities with ther public facilities shuld be pursued where practical. Park facilities shuld be designed as an integral cmpnent f the cmmunity and shuld be accessible t the residents. Opprtunities t link park facilities t the cmmunity thrugh sidewalks, bikeways, and trails shuld be sught. New park sites that are a part f new develpments which are surrunded by existing develpment, shuld be lcated in such as manner that the park site is accessible t and cnvenient t thse living in the surrunding neighbrhds. The City r develpers shuld prvide a variety f recreatinal amenities t address the needs f a diverse ppulatin. The City shuld cnsider including municipal swimming pls, teen centers, and equestrian facilities as alternative frms f recreatinal amenities. A Feasibility and Prgram Develpment Study shuld be cnducted as a prelude t develping a plan t cnstruct mega-recreatin centers. These centers culd include a variety f amenities such as game rms, swimming pls, fitness facilities, cnference rms, basketball curts, and day care facilities and culd be incrprated as elements f the larger recreatinal cmplexes. Citywide senir, therapeutic, and preventin prgrams shuld be develped t accmmdate special ppulatin needs. Frward Chesapeake 2026 Cmprehensive Plan Page 235

5 Cnstruct a cmprehensive cnnected multi-purpse trail system by cntinuing t wrk with Planning and Public Wrks t implement the City s Trails Plan as an element f the Master Transprtatin Plan (see als Transprtatin sectin f this Plan). Cnstruct athletic facilities (sftball, baseball, sccer fields, field hckey, etc.) in cnjunctin with park develpment plans t meet minimum athletic facility standards fr Chesapeake. Existing parks and recreatin facilities must be maintained as an integral part f the verall recreatinal netwrk, and existing facilities shuld be enhanced as pssible. Chesapeake s unique envirnmental features and extensive waterways shuld be cnsidered fr their vast recreatinal pprtunities (see als Waterways in the Transprtatin element f this Plan). A Scenic Waterway designatin shuld be sught fr certain key recreatinal waterways such as the Nrthwest River and the Nrth Landing River. Develp public waterway prperties fr bat ramps and cane launch areas. As a means f enhancing ecnmic develpment while prviding fr the recreatinal needs f Chesapeake citizens, the City shuld endeavr t develp wrld class sprts facilities which may include multi-use playing fields built t turnament standards fr lcal and reginal turnaments. Frward Chesapeake 2026 Cmprehensive Plan Page 236