A sound master plan for Roanoke’s parks

Kyle Green | The Roanoke Times 1/31/2012 Picture shows a bridge over the Roanoke River that is part of the Roanoke River Greenway/Tinker Creek Connector. The almost finished connector is .85 miles long, and effectively extends the Roanoke River greenway by 2.1 miles (counting the 1.25-mile-long Tinker Creek Greenway, which ends in Fallon Park). The cost of the project is $3.4 million. The contract completion date is mid April, but it could be open by the end of March. The bridge over the Roanoke River is 660 feet long.

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Steve Buschor | Buschor is director of Roanoke Parks and Recreation Department.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

The City of Roanoke Parks and Recreation Department recognizes its important role in the efforts to positively impact lives, create memorable moments and grow a more livable community. While embracing this role, we also know that in order to succeed, it is important to regularly monitor and stay well-informed of the changing park and recreational needs of our customers.

One key element in achieving this responsibility is performing an in-depth analysis and assessment of general opportunities and changing trends that address those needs. The master plan update will confirm existing endorsements that are present and still relevant in the current plan and make new recommendations that will focus on meeting the “changing demographics, desired improvements of the city’s park system, open spaces, greenways, trails, facilities, programs and services.”

The last departmental master plan was adopted in July 2007. Much has occurred since then. One principal impact is obviously the recessive economy that has caused the department as well as the city to tighten its belt and do more with less. In such challenging financial times, it is even more imperative to have a plan that can supply strategic direction and maintain focus on the things that are important to our residents and customers. The existing plan has served the department well, and we envision the same from the plan about to be adopted.

The crucial component of any plan is the collection of relevant and valued data. This plan’s data collection process was very participatory in that the public was involved in a variety of ways. Numerous stakeholder group meetings were held, along with public meetings, and a statistically valid third-party survey was mailed to residents.

These data collection methods engaged hundreds of citizens in the planning process, which resulted in the formulation of the plan’s foundational data. This foundation will provide keen direction and allow us to build future efforts that will provide the preferred facilities, programs and other key priorities desired by our patrons.

It is important to keep in mind that this plan is not intended to be a rigid, step-by-step, all-inclusive manual, but rather a road map that identifies a number of preferred future destinations with a variety of possibilities as to how and when we arrive at them. It’s not an infallible crystal ball that will forecast the future, but it uses trend analysis, metrics and public input data to provide reliable and responsible best practices that will be put to good use over the next five to seven years.

As you might appreciate, there has been a great deal of effort directed toward revisiting of the department’s master plan. Staff has worked tirelessly to get us to this moment. With official endorsement and approval processes under way and scheduled, the next steps will bring us to the plan’s ultimate acceptance.

The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board at its June 6 meeting reviewed and endorsed the plan. The plan was next reviewed and approved by the Roanoke Planning Commission during its meeting and public hearing on July 9 and was recommended for inclusion in the city’s Comprehensive Plan. The plan will move to city council’s chamber on July 15, when a final presentation of the plan, a public hearing and a final recommendation will be presented for the council’s action.

The staff and consultants would like to extend a sincere thank you to the hundreds of residents who participated in this effort. By playing a critical part in this endeavor, they have allowed us to better understand the park and recreational needs of our community. We look forward to continuing to provide premier “best in class” park and recreation services as well as memorable experiences for many years to come.

Monday, August 12, 2013