City of New Rochelle Parks and Recreation Department Parks and Open Space Study Final Summary Report

January 10, 2017

We are grateful to the Prepared by the Jomake Group, Inc. Westchester Community Foundation For their generous support of this project

About the Jomake Group, Inc. The Jomake Group, Inc., established in 2010 provides management consulting, leadership training, operations and facility assessments for municipal parks and recreation departments and not for profit groups. Joseph Stout, President of the Jomake Group, Inc., led the Park and Open Space Study for the City of New Rochelle. Mr. Stout has more than 35 years in the management of park and recreation systems and not for profit partners. He is the former Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Conservation for Westchester County, former Superintendent of Recreation and Parks for the Town of New Castle and former Superintendent of Recreation and Parks for the Village of Hastings on Hudson, and started his career as a Recreation Supervisor for the Town of Harrison. Under his direction, Westchester County Parks became the first County in New York to be nationally accredited by the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA). Currently the Jomake Group provides management services to the Westchester Parks Foundation, the leading citizen advocacy group supporting the world class Westchester County Park system. The Foundation manages assets of 2 million dollars and has raised and donated nearly $2 million to the county park system since 2013.

Contents

1. Purpose ...... 3 2. A good place to start ...... 4 3. Summary ...... 6 4. Process ...... 6 5. Omni Card Survey ...... 7 Change the current Omni Card System ...... 7 6. Resident Experience ...... 8 Opportunities exist for enhanced interactions ...... 8 7. Asset Management ...... 8 Performance based system will save time and money ...... 8 8. Recommendations ...... 10

1. Purpose

Chapter C, Article VII of the New Rochelle Charter establishes the provision of a department of Parks and Recreation as a city purpose and outlines the scope of authority for both the management and policy activities for that purpose. The Commissioner of Parks and Recreation shall be the head of the Department of Parks and Recreation. He or she shall be appointed by the City Manager and responsible to the City Manager in accordance with the Civil Service Law. The Department shall be responsible for the creation, equipment, operation, maintenance and use of playgrounds, recreation centers and public parks. The Commissioner engaged the Jomake Group, Inc. to conduct an analysis of the existing park facilities and open space fee schedules and usage data; examine resident/non-resident and visitor experience interfacing with the department and obtaining information and services; and evaluate facilities and asset management structure to provide assessments for consideration and strategies for implementation. The mission of the department of parks and recreation is to provide a wide variety of recreational opportunities for all ages and abilities and to manage parks, playgrounds, community centers, beaches, athletic fields, municipal marina and other open spaces to improve the quality of life for all residents of New Rochelle.

Parks and Recreation services are offered through our five bureaus: Marina, providing a variety of services for all recreational boaters; Office for the Aging, offering a wide range of opportunities, including daily nutrition, focused on senior adults over age 60; Parks, consisting of over 30 diversely unique properties; Recreation, featuring programs from toddlers to seniors that include day camps, tennis, softball, basketball, special events and trips; and Youth Bureau providing positive youth development for residents under 21 years of age. These facilities and the significant program offerings of the department present substantial management and resource allocation challenges in order to provide outstanding services to the public at a reasonable cost to the taxpayer and user. Many challenges are enumerated in this study including:  Omni Card fee structure and usefulness;  Analysis of facility user fees, particularly fields and picnic areas;  Performance based facility and asset management systems;  The resident and visitor experience interfacing with the department and obtaining information and services. Several reports informed the department to address these issues in addition to the staff’s own experiences. These include;  New Rochelle Citizens Panel on Sustainable Budgets - 2012 – F-3  New Rochelle Comprehensive Plan – Chapter 9  LWRP – Section 2 Inventory and Analysis – City Council presentation 5-10-16 3

2. A good place to start

The 2016 Field Report of the National Recreation and Park Association provides a snapshot of certain data that can be used to compare New Rochelle Parks and Recreation to nearly 1,000 other agencies nationwide. This data can be useful for benchmarking purposes but only with the understanding that each and every jurisdiction that provides parks and recreation services is unique and has a specific set of obligations that may not be exactly the same as even neighboring agencies. A copy of the report is appended.

National Recreation and Park Association 2016 Field Report

New 50,000 - Rochelle 99,000 79,637 Median Residents per park 2,396 2,152 Acres of Parkland per 1000 residents 9.2 3.9 Full Time Equivalent Staffing 57.2 32 FTE per 1,000 population 8.6 2.5

Average Distribution of Full Time Staff Administration 18% 14% Operations 27% 16% Maintenance 30% 31% Program 22% 39% Capital Development 1% 0% Other 2% 0%

Average Annual Operating Expenditures $5,500,000 $6,480,872 37 Parks – 311 acres

National Recreation and Park Association 2016 Field Report

New Over Rochelle 2,500 per 6,033 Sq. Mile Per Sq Mile Operating Expenditures per FTE $108,135 $195,136

Average Distribution of Operating Expenditures Personnel Services 55% 63% Operating Expenses 37% 37% Capital - Not in CIP 6% 0% Other 3% 0%

Average Source of Operating Expenditures General Fund tax 60% 56% Earned/Generated income 25% 11% Dedicated Levies 9% 0% Other (for New Rochelle this is Grants and Marina Revenues) 6% 33%

Revenue per Capita $29.23 $35.50

Revenue as a percentage of Expenditure 32% 44%

3. Summary

The study and interviews reveal opportunities for increased efficiency and revenue, implementing an unbiased performance based management system for facility maintenance and capital projects and the review of policies regarding the department’s ability to edit specific portions of the web pages for its services.  Modifying the current Omni Card system will result in a better user experience;  Increasing user fees to recover more of the actual costs for maintaining ballfields and picnic areas and bring them in line with what surrounding communities charge;  Implementing a performance based management (PBM) process to increase focus on preventive maintenance and optimal park conditions;  The PBM will also assist in prioritizing the needed capital investments;  Permit the department to access certain portions of their web pages in order to provide better information for the public, implement the use of a more interactive software program for program registrations and facility reservations. Specific recommendations are also highlighted in the text of the report.

4. Process

Between September 14, 2016 and January 6, 2017 interviews were conducted with New Rochelle staff. Interview topics included the general areas contained in the scope of this management study, i.e. Omni Card fee structure and usefulness; analysis of facility user fees; performance based facility and asset management systems; the resident and visitor experience interfacing with the department and obtaining information and services. An analysis of existing procedures regarding facility and asset management was conducted and site visits were made to the following parks and facilities:

City (Flowers Park) Joseph E. Curtis Five Islands Park Hudson Park Lincoln Park Municipal Marina

Most significantly, a survey was sent to the current roster of residents who purchase and use the various Omni Card options to ascertain their input on potential changes to the existing programs. A copy of the survey instrument is attached.

Findings and Recommendations

5. Omni Card Survey Change the current Omni Card System

Building on a recommendation from the New Rochelle Citizens Panel on Sustainable Budgets the department developed a survey in conjunction with the Jomake Group. Inc. In December 2016 the surveys were sent to all current Omni Card holders to ascertain their preferences on the current system or a suggested change. 75 surveys out of 325 were returned for an excellent response rate of 23.1%. A copy of the survey instrument and the tally sheet are included in the report.  50.7% of users preferred a combined pass for parking and beach access at Hudson Park along with the elimination of parking fees at the other facilities.  44% preferred a separate parking fee and beach access fee.  8% did not answer any questions, but returned the survey. The total exceeds 100 because 3 users returned surveys indicating their preference for both a combined pass and a separate pass. Additionally, when asked if the City was to proceed with a combined pass system, would they be interested in a pre-paid pass, 25 users responded. 64% in favor of a pre-paid pass, 36% not in favor. Based both on a review of the current system, which has been in place since the 1980’s, the process which is used to issue passes and collect revenues, the small amount of revenue generated by beach access and the survey results the following is recommended.  The City change to a combined pass for Hudson Park. Eliminate parking fees and rare enforcement at the other parks where it is currently required.  Consider offering a pre-paid option to eliminate or reduce cash collections at the park.

6. Resident Experience Opportunities exist for enhanced interactions

The department provides a vital service to the residents and visitors to the city and the impression of the programs is excellent. Well over 200,000 residents take part in the formal indoor and outdoor recreational programs offered by the department. That does not include the tens of thousands more who use the parks and facilities for daily enjoyment, special or private events or just for a place to be outside. My overall impression is that the resident experience with the department is good. The interviews revealed that the staff feels well received by the residents and that most of them think that the department delivers good value. The website is full of useful information, but is not very interactive.  Consideration should be given to using web ready program registration and facility reservation software that, once a person or family is registered, can be done by the public without having to come into the office. I also think it would be useful to have mobile capabilities either with a tablet or laptop that can be taken to offsite areas where programs are conducted so that registrations or fees can be taken and accounted for in a customer friendly way that also provides accurate bookkeeping. Municipal web guidelines also at times hamper the department’s ability to make modifications in real time regarding changes to schedules, unexpected opportunities or activities, or to make use of “breaking news” highlights unless those changes are made by other city departments after several approval points. This renders the site less useful to the users and therefore reduces traffic to the sites.  Specific areas on particular web pages should allow for program staff to make content updates to take advantage emerging opportunities, inform the public of program changes or sell special programs.

7. Asset Management Performance based system will save time and money

The department is responsible for a vast collection of city assets within its park system. Parks, buildings, playgrounds, equipment and vehicles are just the major categories. The Capital Improvement Budget is the departments most visible and readily available plan for the physical assets it oversees. The recently adopted 10-year Capital Budget program used a process for defining how priorities are determined for capital improvements and is based upon a written evaluation with rating criteria, condition report or other metrics that provide decision makers with the data needed to address safety, deteriorated conditions or replacements on a pragmatic or need basis other than the monthly summary of routine work.

While there are always emergency issues or changed priorities that present themselves either from the City Manager or the City Council, it is incumbent upon the department to objectively assess and present in a cogent manner, the capital investment needed across all park facilities. Whether or not projects are chosen or approved for funding through the City’s Capital review process and City Council deliberations is secondary to the department’s professional responsibility to provide that priority information. There should be a systematic process for routine written inspections for facilities by someone outside of the maintenance division’s own personnel that can provide a user’s view of the parks and what needs to be addressed. Systems such as New York City’s ParkStat or Westchester County’s Pride in Parks performance based management systems are excellent examples of asset management programs. These data driven, objective methods remove personal bias issues from reviews, holds leadership accountable for results and informs labor as to departmental priorities. These systems are truly transformative in nature, changing the culture of an agency in many positive ways.  New Rochelle Parks and Recreation would benefit greatly from such a comprehensive, continual, and objective process to assess the condition of facilities and assign ratings for either capital investment or increased maintenance effort. Unfortunately, such a performance based management system will be hampered due to the lack of current management information as outlined above.  As a first step, at a minimum, an unbiased, uninvolved person should do facility inspections with pictures and a rudimentary rating scale. As the department migrates to more digital record keeping, it will only enhance the efforts to keep parks and facilities in as good a shape as possible. These systems are among the most powerful tools a manager can use to impartially impact accountability throughout the agency while simultaneously reinforcing departmental goals and standards.  In order to for the city to be good stewards of its parks, consideration should be given to restoring the maintenance resources to the department that were allocated to parks and park facilities. Plumbers, Carpenters and Electricians are priceless to a park system this size and are a prudent investment. Even though personnel are a cost, they are relatively inexpensive when compared to having to bond capital improvements rather than provide better quality preventive maintenance.

8. Recommendations

 The City change to a combined pass for Hudson Park. Eliminate parking fees and rare enforcement at the other parks where it is currently required.

 Consider offering a pre-paid option to eliminate or reduce cash collections at the park.

 Consideration should be given to using web ready program registration and facility reservation software that, once a person or family is registered, can be done by the public without having to come into the office.

 Specific areas on particular web pages should allow for program staff to make content updates to take advantage emerging opportunities, inform the public of program changes or sell special programs.

 New Rochelle Parks and Recreation would benefit greatly from such a comprehensive, continual, and objective process to assess the condition of facilities and assign ratings for either capital investment or increased maintenance effort.

 As a first step, at a minimum, an unbiased, uninvolved person should do facility inspections with pictures and a rudimentary rating scale.

 In order to for the city to be good stewards of its parks, consideration should be given to restoring the maintenance resources to the department that were allocated to parks and park facilities.

Parks, Open Space and Natural Resources 9

Chapter 9. PARKS, OPEN SPACE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

A. Parks and Open Space

Parks and open space are vital components of the Mechanisms for revenue generation, park entry fee City’s infrastructure. They provide space for recreation, structures, and allocation of park generated fees exercise, social interaction, and quiet enjoyment as well back to the City’s park system have been inconsistent. as critical buffer, wildlife, and wetland environments Though the City has been successful in pursuing and for neighborhoods. Parks and open space enhance obtaining grants over the years, the sources cannot property values and provide opportunities for be relied upon year after year. A more consistent and residents of the City to meet on common ground. reliable mechanism is required to maintain a quality Our region’s most desirable communities promote park system. Revenue generation via park entry fees the quality, diversification and offerings of their public can be a complex issue. Fees in general are often parks. The City of New Rochelle has a remarkable controversial when local property tax obligations are and diverse park system. However, a renewed focus considered. However, findings in many communities on upgrades, efficiency and higher utilization of park reveal residents’ willingness to pay park fees as space is needed to best meet residents’ needs for the long as they are fair and the services and facilities future. within the park system meet their needs and are of high quality. Currently, fees structures within the City Three critical issues resonate in the City: vary. Going forward, resident, non-resident, weekend ▪▪ Lack of capital funding for parks and open and weekday, waterfront and inland, and gated and space; non-gated access conditions need to be addressed. How much and who pays, how fees are collected and ▪ Limited access to the City’s waterfront; and ▪ where the revenue goes are prevailing concerns. At the ▪▪ Varied revenue generation and park access fees present time, fees, grants and other sources of funding structures. account for 97% of City park’s operating cost. This Historically, capital, operations and maintenance is an impressive statistic, especially considering the funds have been less than optimal. Tight municipal complex funding stream. In short, a more predictable budgets often result in budget shortfalls for parks and reliable structure should be established. and recreation and the acquisition of new property Much has changed in the past 20 years, particularly as open space. The City of New Rochelle and many since the year 2000 when the City Department of municipalities throughout the region need to work Parks and Recreation was established. In 2010 the diligently to obtain funds for capital improvements Department absorbed Youth Services as a means and facilities upkeep. Considering the broad value to consolidate and gain efficiency in management. that parks bring to our communities, this scenario In doing so, the City increased the programmatic needs to change. importance of Parks and Recreation to many families New Rochelle has a remarkable waterfront. Coves, and children throughout the City. islands, marinas, protected waters and a varied Existing Facilities shoreline provide scenic beauty and opportunities for recreation that are currently underutilized. A sustained The City of New Rochelle’s Department of Parks and commitment to achieving economic development, Recreation’s mission is to provide a wide variety of enhanced connectivity and exciting recreation recreational opportunities for all ages and abilities offerings is needed to attract people to the waterfront and to manage parks, playgrounds, community and reassert New Rochelle’s place as Queen City of centers, beaches, athletic fields, the New Rochelle the Sound. Municipal Marina and other open spaces to improve

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Five Islands Park | Source: BFJ Planning and enhance the quality of life for all residents of New New Rochelle Municipal Marina Rochelle. Parks and Recreation services are offered The Municipal Marina is an Enterprise Fund operation through five bureaus: and contains 350 boat slips, 150 moorings and ▪▪ The New Rochelle Municipal Marina; kayak storage. The facility offers launching and hauling, winter storage, mobile and stationary pump ▪▪ The Office for the Aging; out stations, a transient dock and a fuel dock. Many ▪▪ Parks; green initiatives are in place at the marina to protect ▪▪ Recreation; and water quality, recycle, and conserve energy, as is the City’s policy and goal in all public park facilities. ▪▪ The Youth Bureau. Facilities include passive and active recreation Services and Programs amenities, natural areas and more urbanized neighborhood parks. Conditions are generally The Office for the Aging provides services for residents good throughout all locations as maintenance staff age 60 and over. These comprehensive services have performed a commendable job at maintaining range from recreational and social programs to daily operable facilities through challenging budget cycles nutrition, transportation, counseling, and information and with limited funding for capital improvements. assistance commonly held at City-owned or equally Facilities are heavily used and aged but operable accessible locations. throughout the City. Recent upgrades to Flowers Park The Youth Bureau provides youth development including athletic fields, restrooms, and play areas programs for resident youth 21 years of age and demonstrate the City’s commitment to recreation under with a focus on preventing and reducing juvenile and adapting sustainable models for upkeep and delinquency through positive social interaction, maintenance. New playgrounds and incremental advocacy and team building. improvements to water and electrical systems throughout the City’s more urbanized parks represent The Recreation Bureau leads programs for residents much needed long-term infrastructure improvements of all ages, from toddlers and senior citizens to the to sustain existing facilities. City’s special needs population. Sports, camps, day trips, special events and a variety of engaging and collaborative programs are scheduled throughout the year.

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Flowers Park Skate Park | Source: BFJ Planning

Inventory ▪▪ Colonial Greenway: A 15-mile trail system through wooded landscapes that connects many The following contains an inventory of park facilities neighborhoods and places of interest. that are available to residents of and visitors to the City. There are 30 unique properties within the City’s ▪▪ Davenport Neck Bird Sanctuary: Across from park inventory including 19 key public park facilities Davenport Park, the sanctuary provides habitat under the jurisdiction of the City of New Rochelle for over 50 bird species and is a resting place for Department of Parks and Recreation. These facilities migrating birds. are classified below as regional, community and/or ▪▪ Leatherstocking Trail: Contains walking trails. neighborhood destinations. Regional destinations ▪▪ Ward Acres: Offers 62 acres of foot trails and tend to attract and serve a broader geographic area, open meadows with a community garden and while neighborhood parks tend to serve everyday 3.1 acre fenced dog park known as “Paws needs for residents generally located within walking Place”. distance of the facility.

Additional parks and affiliated locations provide County Parks and Other Open Space recreational benefits including lakes and natural Amenities amenities. Beechmont Lake covers 7.5 acres and Glen Island Park is a 130-acre island property on Long offers fishing and seasonal ice skating. Glenwood Island Sound connected to the City of New Rochelle Lake covers 6 acres and offers fishing, Huguenot by a drawbridge built in the 1920s. The Park is the Park and Twin Lakes, located in front of New Rochelle second most widely used facility in the Westchester High School, consists of walking trails, playground, County Park’s system. Its crescent shaped beach and seating with fishing and seasonal skating. Paine provides access to the Long Island Sound while the Lake covers 2.7 acres and accommodates fishing and entire park offers picnic pavilions, picnic areas, boat seasonal ice skating. launching, pathways, a catering hall and a restaurant that was the main attraction during the Big Band Era. Natural areas provide unique recreational offerings. The existing boat ramp handles 65-70 launchings per These include: weekend, a key amenity for County and City residents. 19th Century castles and old relics still remain from the site’s former resort use. Original structures such

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Table 9.1: Public Park Facilities

Area Facility Classification Amenities (Acres)

Passive recreation facility overlooking the Long Island Sound. Waterfront Park Davenport Park* 22 Sunbathing, walking, and sitting are primary uses; activities are Community Park Destination restricted by park rules per deed restrictions. D’Onofrio Park 22 Community Park Destination Two ballfields, restroom, playground, pavilion and picnic area. Eddie Foy Park 0.5 Neighborhood Park Destination Neighborhood playground Playground, seating areas, walking paths and gardens. Facility is Feeney Park 4.08 Neighborhood Park Destination immediately adjacent to the Mascaro Boys’ and Girls’ Club and the Columbus Elementary School. Open lawn, beach (no formal swimming ), picnic areas, indoor Waterfront Park pavilion, playground, outdoor performance area and two picnic Five Islands Park* 20 Community and Regional Park shelters, play courts, nature walks, and fishing dock. Unique island Destination formation connected by a pedestrian bridge. Active recreation facilities with 5 renovated and lighted ball fields (soccer, softball, football and baseball) and a shared multi-use Community and Regional Park Flowers (City) Park 22 field area with spectator seating. Includes a playground, splash Destination pad, basketball court, picnic area, skate park and walking paths. Multiple restrooms are available. Parking by event permit only. Waterfront Park Open lawn, playground, music/performance band shell, seating Hudson Park* 10 Community and Regional Park areas, and public bathing beaches. Destination Leif Erickson Park 0.46 Neighborhood Park Destination Passive recreation Playground and seating areas. Lemke Park 0.74 Neighborhood Park Destination The site is within a historic district. Property class is residential vacant land. Downtown park. Ruby Dee Park @ 1.09 Downtown Plaza. Owned by Westchester County. Zoned DMUR with park Library Green classification. Playground, lighted basketball courts, a stage, ballfield, walking paths, community garden, outdoor swimming pool, wading pool Lincoln Park* 4 Neighborhood Park Destination and water spray area. Located adjacent to Remington Boys’ and Girls’ Club. Maplewood Park 4.1 Neighborhood Park Destination Playground equipment, benches and a basketball court. Open lawn, fishing pier, dock and bocce courts. Cameron Dock Waterfront Park. Neptune Park* 8.6 adjoins Sharkey Park (1.19 acres) which provides horseshoe courts Community Park Destination. near the waterfront. Pinebrook Park 4.43 Neighborhood Park Destination Playground, seating, a ball field and a basketball court. Playground, seating and basketball and fitness courts. Formerly a Roosevelt Park 4 Neighborhood Park Destination school site. Playground and seating. Seacord Park 1 Neighborhood Park Destination Located within a two-family residential zone. Playgrounds, basketball court, walking path, seating and gardens. Stephenson Park 4.63 Neighborhood Park Destination Formerly a school site. Sycamore Park 2.38 Neighborhood Park Destination Playground and a ball field. Playground and seating park deed is owned by VFW. VFW Tot Lot 0.26 Neighborhood Park Destination Located within within a multi-family residential zone. * Denotes OmniCard- parking decal required for car entry

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Five Islands Park | Source: BFJ Planning

Glen Island Park | Source: BFJ Planning

Neptune Park | Source: BFJ Planning

EnvisioNR 149 9 Parks, Open Space and Natural Resources as the bridge, bridge house, seawall and castles are Connectivity and walkability: Residents have all eligible for listing on the Register of Historic Places. stressed the importance of community walkability and connectivity. Parks and open spaces provide Nature Study Woods, located along the Hutchinson opportunity for walkway and bike way connections, River Parkway, is a County Park closely associated with thereby creating a network of parks that serve Twin Lakes Park in Eastchester. Nature Study Woods a broader population. This connectivity reduces consists of native woodlands, lakes and trails while reliability on personal vehicle use and creates greater Twin Lakes contains extensive equestrian facilities. social connections between neighborhoods. Another Ruby Dee Park at Library Green is a 1.09-acre County- consideration is the removal of chain link fences or owned site located downtown that is accessible for other physical barriers that block pedestrian access public use and enjoyment. to parks and open spaces; sites may be assessed individually to determine opportunities, constraints or Neighborhoods risks.

Often, the most valuable park space within the City’s Aesthetics: Parks and open space function as network is the easily accessible neighborhood park gateways to the City. These gateways instill a sense located within a 10-minute walk of a resident’s front of identity and pride in the community and, through door. These parks may consist of a simple playground beautification of public spaces, enhance property or an open lawn or seating area, yet past studies values and sense of arrival. These benefits address have shown that they are often the most frequented other critical goals such as economic revitalization venues within a municipal park system. Community and infrastructure enhancements. and regional parks may serve the same purpose depending on their proximity. The emphasis here is Social benefits: Parks and open spaces provide the on walkability and the value that residents place on least expensive outlet for neighbors to gather and easy access to quality open space. socialize. They provide the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors especially within New Rochelle, providing Examination of Park inventory maps and outreach with a much needed respite. Active recreation facilities City officials and residents has revealed underserved provide opportunities for team-building and physical communities, more specifically, neighborhoods with fitness, each an important benefit with today’s video limited access to parks and open space. The west and game popularity, social isolation and public health southeast areas of the City currently fall within this concerns. category. Constraints to addressing these concerns are sorted and include land use density, the lack While providing recreational benefits, parks also of public land, and cultural needs and desires as a provide much needed buffers in densely populated result of changing demographics. Though confronted communities. They provide land for stormwater with constraints, opportunities may arise. Are there management, flood attenuation, transitional space opportunities to expand D’Onofrio Park? Are current between varied land uses, noise attenuation and and former City- and privately-owned school sites visual screens, and wildlife habitat connectivity. In potential additions to the City’s park inventory? How providing buffers on public land or private land, it do private clubs factor in to the City’s recreation is important to recognize and encourage upkeep of offerings, if at all? Are there any other on-road or these critical margins to sustain a meaningful level of dedicated greenway connections that may better ecological function. link underserved communities to the City’s greater Waterfront network of parks and open spaces? Parks and open space benefit neighborhoods in many ways. Multi- The City of New Rochelle’s waterfront is considered purpose opportunities exist in New Rochelle that may by many to be the City’s greatest yet neglected asset. positively impact city-wide and neighborhood quality Over 9-miles of scallop-edged shoreline on the Long of life concerns. These include the following: Island Sound with coves, peninsulas and islands

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Glen Island Park iles

Figure 9.1: Parks and Open Space Source: Westchester County; BFJ Planning

EnvisioNR 151 9 Parks, Open Space and Natural Resources provide protected waters and extraordinary scenery. With anticipated growth within the City, particularly Parks, open space, and marinas along the waterfront, higher density residential development in the however, face a variety of challenges. downtown, a renewed focus on waterfront amenities is inevitable. The waterfront is a valuable asset for Hudson Park: Hudson Park is underutilized. Water investors and residents – residents who will seek outlets quality issues compromise public access to the water, for turn-key recreation consistent with neighboring swimming at the park’s beach and recreational non- cities like New York City, Stamford and Yonkers. motorized boating. This is an infrastructure concern that needs to be addressed. The park’s location Waterfront access is constrained. Opportunities presents opportunity for facility and programmatic for car-top and non-motorized boat launching are improvements to better meet the needs of City limited (current kayak docks are at capacity), park residents and visitors. A destination play and themed uses are restricted in locations, and assets such as water facility, an outdoor performance area, and food Davids Island currently have no legal public access. In concessions (mobile vendors) are potential additions. addition, park entry and parking fees are inconsistent These measures would help to activate the park, and and enforcement is somewhat random. Each of these generate revenue through events and permits. Most constraints offer great opportunity for enhancement importantly, Hudson Park can provide improved including branding of the City of New Rochelle’s access to the City’s marina and the waterfront. waterfront as its premiere recreation and scenic amenity. The City is planning to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) in 2016 for redevelopment of the municipal Accessibility marina parcels, which will also include Hudson Park, Wildcliff (city-owned) and Five Island’s Park. The City Accessibility is affected by proximity, neighborhood is open to potential ground leases in the parks for walkability, parking, fee structure and physical public-benefit, activities, recreation, and restaurants. constraints within each individual park site and A potential private-public relationship may provide habitable open space. Each of these constraints improved service, amenities and sustainable revenue defines specific operational priorities for the City of for facility operations, maintenance and capital New Rochelle. improvements. It may also provide an opportunity Proximity: Every resident should have access to a park, to implement a uniform fee structure and enhanced open space or similar publicly accessible recreation security, access and parking management. In 2016, a space within ¼-mile distance of their residence. grant funded consultant study will assess park access Proximity is closely related to walkability as each and fees and provide specific recommendations. resident should have a safe and universally accessible Waterfront access is provided by both private and route to a neighborhood recreation space. public facilities and each play a vital role in the image Walkability: Safe routes to school, transit-oriented of the City and how residents and visitors enjoy the development, walkable downtowns and neighborhood waterfront. Though both are vitally important, this sidewalks all contribute to the vibrancy of the City, comprehensive plan focuses on publicly accessible the health and well-being of residents, business facilities such as parks and marinas. Five Islands Park, activity, and reduced reliance on personal vehicles. Davenport Park and Glen Island Park (County) are Enhancements to walkability such as continuous other key facilities along the waterfront and Davids sidewalks and crosswalks within public right-of-way Island (access restricted) is an underutilized facility have multiple benefits including access to parks and with great potential as a future recreation, education open space. Areas of higher density are particularly and open space resource. These facilities may important as is the City’s waterfront where parking support tourism to a greater capacity and, through and land area for parking facilities are limited. key linkages, establish a network of interconnected Facilities for walking and cycling are a cost effective park spaces along the City’s waterfront.

152 EnvisioNR Parks, Open Space and Natural Resources 9 remedy and a preferable alternative expressed by City for public facilities including wastewater, roadway residents. and park infrastructure. Doing so would allow for coordinated records, condition, maintenance and Parking and fee structure: Resident and non-resident capital improvement schedules. Multi-departmental costs, access control, rate schedules and enforcement collaboration would provide for staffing efficiency and are in need of improvement. Parking is in ample pooling of resources for system upkeep. supply but simplification of fees and fee collection are needed. Annual fees, daily rates, and means of Partnerships collection have operational and staffing impacts. A uniform approach for access to the City’s waterfront Partnership with other City departments, community parks is needed. groups, not-for- profit organizations and other entities are critical to serve the increasing demands Operations for recreation services. Grants and funding from community and health based organizations, County As challenging as it may be to obtain funding for and State sources, and institutional partners fill capital improvements and open space acquisition, budget shortfalls and allow the City to provide vital it is equally challenging to obtain funding for site services and perform needed maintenance. There are maintenance and operations. Throughout the region, many opportunities to expand and build relationships municipalities struggle to sustain adequate funding for particularly with the City of New Rochelle Board of equipment, materials and staffing as other municipal Education and community center organizations. services such as education, police and fire protection Combining resources and maintenance and take priority. Creative means are often required to sanitation staff, sharing facilities and programs, and sustain adequate funding from year to year. The City expanding the network of recreation space available has successfully done so through partnerships and to City residents may be best achieved by optimized facility use fee structures. utilization of existing facilities versus acquisition, Trends and Staffing: With new park facilities in place design and development of costly new facilities. and popularity of youth recreation and athletic To date, participating organizations include the New programs, staff needs are greater than ever. Current Rochelle Council of the Arts, Chamber of Commerce, staffing levels, including full-time and seasonal Business Improvement District and Friends of New employees, are adequate though potential hour Rochelle Parks, who have participated in significant restrictions for certain employee classifications may fundraising programs. Numerous neighborhood present new challenges for Parks’ management. volunteers such as Scout Troops and organized Currently, Parks and Public Works support each other community garden clubs also contribute with physical for seasonal staffing needs, a strategy that may be improvements and special programs. Though implemented among and between other departments these programs tend to be small scale contributors, more extensively. collectively they perform a significant benefit to Playgrounds are a vital component of the City’s park the quality of parks and open spaces. From social inventory and routine inspection and maintenance benefits and aesthetic enhancements to community are required. The City conducts annual site safety participation, these grassroots efforts are often the key inspections and the reports are shared with City to sustained community investment in public space. governance for review and required funding. Revenue Generation

Asset Management Programming, permit fees, enterprise funds, and The Department of Engineering, Public Works and sponsorships are means to gain additional funding Parks and Recreation have each expressed interest for parks and open space upkeep. It is important to in establishing a unified GIS asset management tool return revenue gained through park use back to park

EnvisioNR 153 9 Parks, Open Space and Natural Resources maintenance and operations. The more park patrons of their public parks and open spaces. A new pass experience the benefits of well-maintained facilities, system that highlights the City’s waterfront and the more likely they are to continue with their support. provides a mechanism for resident and non-resident It is important to demonstrate the results of revenue access to shoreline municipal parks may contribute generation and to structure payments as voluntary greatly to the rebranding, enhanced by further capital participation for special events and facility access, not and programmatic improvements to Hudson Park, as an additional tax. Five Islands Park, Davenport Park, the New Rochelle Municipal Marina and, potentially, at Davids Island. The City has established a successful revenue generating model at Flowers (City) Park. Following Multiple facilities contain pavilions that are available renovation of the entire facility in 2012, field facility for rental, with capacities ranging from 50 to over permit fees cover required maintenance with 40% of 200 people. The revenue generated ensures that annual revenue directed to a park endowment fund maintenance can be provided, repairs completed, for future capital improvements. This is a sustainable facilities upgraded, and schedules and bookings model with the likelihood of further improvement properly managed. The popularity of such amenities should the City implement a web-based facility is sometimes over-looked by City officials however; reservation system to maximize facility utilization by a in the City of New Rochelle, waterfront locations and broader population of residents. density place these facilities in high demand. Typically, covered areas, seating, barbeque grills, picnic tables The City’s Open Space Fund is sustained by fee and play facilities are provided. Facilities include payments made by developers for development the D’Onofrio Picnic Pavilion; Five Islands Harrison permits within the City of New Rochelle. Currently Island, indoor and main outdoor pavilions; Flowers there is uncertainty about how payments are made (City) Park Pavilion; the Hudson Park band shell; and and how funding is actually allocated. Fee payments the privately owned Hugh A. Doyle Senior Center that are collected through the planning board and serves City residents and not-for-profit organizations. the planning review process. There was a dip in applications submitted and fees collected after the Expand Open Space and the City Park’s year 2008 due to a downturn in private development Inventory and investment. The City is now experiencing an increase in funds due to increased development The City’s parks and open space map contains activity. The Planning Department does not allocate publically-owned and accessible properties with the funds collected. Some funding in the past had privately held properties illustrated differently. Going been allocated to street tree maintenance and storm forward, the City of New Rochelle must consider damage recovery. Going forward, the City will options to expand the City’s open space and park continue to collect payments and work to ensure that inventory as there is no formal process or funding funding is fully appropriated to the Open Space Fund mechanism currently in place to do so. Three key for the intended purpose – expansion of the City’s steps must be better defined with participation by key open space inventory. municipal leaders and departments.

Park passes such as the OmniCard for waterfront park ▪▪ Procedures to identify prospective properties for access are valuable programs that require upgrading. acquisition; Current fee collection mechanisms and consistency in ▪▪ Funding acquisitions; and rates structures are lacking that may be resulting in ▪▪ Jurisdiction over purchased properties. less than optimal staff utilization and revenue losses. Park pass programs are an opportunity to promote Identify properties: Opportunities for property the many positive attributes of the City’s park system, acquisition appear to be limited. However, that to create a reliable source of revenue, and build a opens the door for creative strategies. Underutilized community that is further engaged in the stewardship properties owned by private and public entities and

154 EnvisioNR Parks, Open Space and Natural Resources 9 parcels that are contiguous with current park sites Jurisdiction: How prospective properties are utilized, should be considered. The City should establish programmed and maintained ultimately determines an open space acquisition committee to research the value of the parcel’s acquisition to City residents. prospective properties and oversee the Open Space The most important factor is acquiring unencumbered Fund. Several specific sites were mentioned by properties for the City’s open space inventory as the community stakeholders that could greatly enhance scarcity of land in the City dictates the need. the City’s open space inventory. David’s Island is currently vacant and requires brownfield remediation, Future Capital Projects however it presents the largest opportunity for new, Capital projects are needed to upgrade facilities, publicly accessible open space in the City. Ward Acres meet recreation needs and achieve the ancillary is currently parkland, but the City is in the process infrastructure benefits that large areas of open of exploring the potential for improved access and space can provide. Recent improvements include expanded concessions and programming on site. The the renovation of Flowers (City) Park, marina clean Lincoln Loop is an idea to bring a linear park to a water initiatives (pump out stations) and ongoing part of the City that currently lacks significant public playground, walkway, plumbing and electrical open space. The Municipal Marina, Five Islands upgrades at facilities throughout the City. Also, the City Park and Hudson Park are all valued publicly owned has prepared a grant application for Ward Acres to recreation and open space assets, but they could also upgrade the existing barn and to conduct a feasibility be improved if reconsidered as a larger complex of analysis to provide more active programs, community assets surrounding Echo Bay. By reimagining these farming and renewable energy systems such as solar. resources holistically, the City may be able to increase access, improve upon underutilized resources, and Future capital projects could be significant. In increase revenue through concessions, programming, enhancing the park and open space inventory, and sensitive mixed-use development at the Marina. . major investment would be required at Davids Island including means to transport visitors; for a destination Funding: Utilization of the City’s Open Space Fund, play environment along the City’s waterfront; and donations, foreclosure, grants, and easements are upgrades to Five Islands. Aside from the capital potential mechanisms for acquisition. Currently, expenditure, deed restrictions would need to be Parks and Open Space Fees are collected after site addressed and adhered to for improvements to the plan approval by the New Rochelle Planning Board City’s flagship park locations, particularly Davenport though it is possible to restructure both departmental Park. jurisdiction and disposition of funds in the future. In either case, collected fees should be directed to specific agreed upon uses. B. Natural Resources and Sustainability

Parks and open space are vital urban infrastructure A Look Forward components that contribute greatly to community sustainability. By providing space to be active, by Specific to parks and open space, the City may lead sequestering carbon and improving air quality with many initiatives to achieve greater sustainability woodlands, and providing the land for active modes and to protect its natural resources. These initiatives of transportation, public spaces make the City more also incorporate transportation and building facility livable. On the waterfront, parks provide land to strategies and it’s important to consider how this implement structural measures (landform and other comprehensive approach may lead to greater naturalized systems) to protect upland development and more measurable gains and public benefit. during coastal storm events. Considerations include:

EnvisioNR 155 9 Parks, Open Space and Natural Resources

Sea Level Rise New Rochelle’s shoreline. The harbor should be evaluated periodically and dredged should high With over 9-miles of waterfront on the Long Island levels of sediment deposits obstruct navigation. Sound, the City of New Rochelle is vulnerable to the Sedimentation alters marine ecology, contains impacts of sea level rise and coastal storm events. harmful particulates from upland run-off, and may Residential areas, businesses, industry, municipal hinder recreation and commercial boating. facilities and parks are at risk to flood and tidal damage. As capital projects are identified, the As stormwater runs off along the ground toward City should continue to seek specific site resiliency area streams it collects particulates, oils, and other measures. This is especially needed for the City contaminants. Contaminants from various non-point marina facilities. sources include chemicals from fertilizer, animal waste, and petroleum-based products that collect on Sea Level Rise has been documented in Long Island impervious surfaces. They also contain decomposing Sound. Some estimates place the amount of rise at leaves and grass cuttings in high concentration thus 1-inch per decade; others at 32-inch rise by the year impacting nutrient loading and increased occurrences 2075. The rise impacts wetland plants and species of hypoxia. Man-made systems need to complement that spawn in the wetlands. Impacts on the wetlands depleted natural systems and their capacity to mitigate include transformation of tall grass areas into short the impacts of water-borne particulates. grass areas, reduced organic matter in the bed of marshes, and increased erosion within marsh areas. Sea level rise will further the destruction caused by Water Quality-Sewage Overflows storm surges including threats to life and property. A new County-owned and operated sewage treatment plant was completed off Main Street on Lefevre Lane. Wetlands and Marsh The plant has a biological filtration process to reduce nitrogen levels. The City is, however, under a consent A report by New York City Parks: NYC Tidal Wetland decree as of July 7, 2015 to further reduce overflow Vulnerability Assessment (2014) estimated a 20 percent of water born bacteria into area waterbodies partly loss of waterside salt marsh in the nearby Hutchinson due to aged conveyance facilities located throughout River. “Over the past decade a variety of phenomena the City. have been observed across Long Island Sound salt marshes. These include marsh drowning, erosion of Conclusion marsh fronts and along creek banks, increasing pool and ponding, shifts in vegetation structure, and loss Advancing initiatives for open space, parks and of vegetation. Collectively, these phenomena can be natural resources will require extensive staff referred to as salt marsh change.”( Sudden Vegetation resources, financial commitment, policy change and Dieback, R Zajac 2015). This is of great concern, as long-term administrative commitment. This said, one salt marshes are considered the most ecologically can hardly dispute the strategic advantage that New productive, diverse and valuable land areas in this Rochelle has particularly in such close proximity to region and a vital component for aquatic and avian major urban employment centers. We also need to species survival. recognize the threats to these communities such as the social impacts of high-density living, the high cost Water Quality-Waterborne Particulates of living, vulnerability to coastal storms, fragmented connectedness, cost of services and sustaining quality Development over many centuries has significantly of life and public health. We have identified a few key altered our ecosystem and the conveyance of water, initiatives, below, that may mitigate and address these organics and soil. Soil erosion along inland streams looming threats. results in excessive soil deposits in the waters along

156 EnvisioNR Parks, Open Space and Natural Resources 9

Five Islands Park | Source: BFJ Planning C. Recommendations—Parks, Open Space and Natural Resources

Key Concept: Develop strategies that 9.1: Highlight the public parks facilities improve operational efficiencies, available for rental that can accommo- promote partnerships, and support date organized events. revenue generation for public parks, open space, and conservation efforts 9.2: Establish a simple fee structure that reduces barriers for the public to access Operational Efficiencies, Partnerships and Revenue existing public open space particularly Generation may be the best short- and mid-term along the waterfront. solutions to current staffing and funding constraints and establish a sustainable mechanism to deliver high- 9.3: Encourage continued private support for end recreational services to a broader population of existing public facilities through projects New Rochelle residents. that will have immediate impacts and results. Key Concept: Expand the open space available to the public

The City of New Rochelle is highly developed and opportunities to expand its parks and open space inventory are limited. To this end, creative strategies are needed. For example, the City may consider use of existing right-of-way to establish recreational trails, bike paths and pedestrian connections that provide greater access to existing facilities for more residents. These amenities in themselves become recreation features and better connect neighborhoods divided by transportation corridors, varied land uses and other physical obstructions.

EnvisioNR 157 9 Parks, Open Space and Natural Resources

9.4: Identify strategies to ensure all residents all of the City’s population can take advantage of have high quality public parks within these resources. Improving accessibility of the City’s a reasonable walking distance of their parks will serve a local need as well as serving as front door. regional destinations and solid examples of the The 1/4-mile rule! All City residents should have community’s policy of inclusion. As a short term access to a municipal park within a 10-minute walk goal, the City could replace at least one playground from their place of residence. apparatus and related playground equipment with a fully accessible alternative within five years. The decision of which parks should be targeted in the short 9.5: Develop an opportunity for walkway and term should be based upon anticipated need, logistics bike connections between public open of the park itself, and the age of current equipment. spaces that develop a greenway net- Further, the City should also consider implementing work. a policy of universal design for citywide community and recreation amenities for all future development 9.6: Encourage residents to utilize public or renovation of public parkland. open space for socialization and physical fitness activities. Key Concept: Promote New Rochelle’s waterfront as a recreational destination 9.7: Develop linear park along Lincoln Av- enue (Lincoln Loop) The waterfront remains one of the City of New Rochelle’s greatest economic, tourism, recreation The Lincoln Loop would comprise capturing a lane and ecological resources. Greater access to parks for or two from Memorial Highway and converting these City residents, new upland and water-ward recreation to a pedestrian, bicycle, and linear park space. The opportunities, and public/private initiatives including loop would help pedestrians and cyclists traverse a partnerships for the municipal marina represent key vehicular dominated corridor and capture excess steps in rebranding the City of New Rochelle as a major pavement for more productive public use. local and regional coastal destination. Investment in coastal amenities and shoreline resiliency should 9.8: Establish a payment in lieu fund for have a positive return on investment. public waterfront open space/access

9.11: Waterfront parks and open space should 9.9: Improve and expand access to Long Is- be the focus of a coordinated economic land Sound by reclaiming contaminated development plan which focuses on con- land for public use including at least nectivity between waterfront amenities. one additional mile of shoreline, establishing better links among waterfront We recognize the general lack of public space in parks, and enhancing recreation and the southwest portion of the City and the need to tourism opportunities. better connect residents throughout the City to the waterfront. The waterfront access path seeks to 9.10: Explore grant funding to promote uni- utilize and enhance existing roadway right-of-way, versal accessibility of public parks parkland, sidewalks and easements to establish a New Rochelle’s network of public parks provides an network of east-west and north-south thoroughfares outlet for outdoor experiences for a broad range of to facilitate cyclists and pedestrian access to the City’s users. Universal accessibility is critical to ensuring that and County’s waterfront parks.

158 EnvisioNR Parks, Open Space and Natural Resources 9

9.12: Activate Hudson Park through new de- could be increased by encouraging implementation sign features, outdoor performance fa- of green infrastructure such as green roofs, rains cilities, food concessions, or other ame- gardens, permeable pavers, and bioswales. nities. 9.16: Reduce stormwater run-off from all mu- 9.13: Incorporate resiliency measures into nicipal owned grounds and structures. capital projects located along the waterfront. 9.17: Achieve a net increase of 10,000 trees Key Concept: Incorporate sustainability on public property and rights-of-way measure into future open space over by the year 2040. planning efforts 9.18: Undertake comprehensive capital improvements and encourage best prac- 9.14: Utilize diverse land use tools to protect tices to improve the Long Island Sound and preserve New Rochelle’s remaining ecosystem and restore the health, beau- natural habitats. ty, retention capacity and recreational value of local inland water bodies. 9.15: Increase community-wide permeable surface encouraged by municipal lead 9.19: Review existing Tree Ordinance efforts. The City should review the existing Tree Ordinance for New Rochelle’s community-wide permeable surfaces adequacy and revise if necessary.

EnvisioNR 159 WaterfrontNR Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP)

City Council Presentation May 10, 2016 Overview and Process

What is a Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP)? Sponsored by New York State Department of State, the LWRP is both a plan and a program. . Locally prepared land and water use plan for a community’s natural, public, working or developed waterfront . Organizational structure, local laws, projects and ongoing partnerships that implement the planning document . List of state/federal actions needed to help the community achieve its vision

New Rochelle LWRP – City Council Presentation – 5/10/2016 New Rochelle LWRP 2 LWRP Organization

Section I: LWRP and HMP Boundaries

Section II: Inventory and Analysis

Section III: Policies and Objectives

Section IV: Proposed Land Use, Projects, and Laws

Section V: Techniques for Local Implementation of the Program

Section VI: State and Federal Actions

Section VII: Consultation with other Affected Federal, State and Regional and Local Agencies

Section VIII: Local Commitment

* Harbor Management Plan (HMP) is fully integrated into LWRP

New Rochelle LWRP – City Council Presentation – 5/10/2016 New Rochelle LWRP 3 Long Island Sound Coastal Policies

13 waterfront policies established by NYS DOS in the following categories: . Developed Coast Policies . Natural Coast Policies . Public Coast Policies . Working Coast Policies Policies cannot be edited, however the City can add locally-specific explanations to emphasize local detail and priorities Policies provide framework to evaluate new development and federal, local and state action in the LWRP area Harbor Management Plan Objectives included to guide future recommendations

New Rochelle LWRP – City Council Presentation – 5/10/2016 New Rochelle LWRP 4

Planning Area 1: Preliminary Project Ideas

1. Maintain existing zoning on Davids Island.

2. Provide meaningful publicly accessible open space on Davids Island.

3. Provide access to Davids Island for kayaks and other boats.

4. Provide access to David’s Island via ferry (e.g. from Glen Island or Neptune Park) and oppose 6 construction of a vehicular bridge connection to Davids Island. 7 5. Refer to recommendations in Davids Island study for guidance on future redevelopment opportunities. 1 2 3

6. Provide opportunities for non-motorized boat 4 5 loading (kayak launches) at Neptune Park.

7. Meet NYSDEC Consent Order to terminate discharge from Overflow Retention Facilities.

Planning Area 1 Planning Area 2: Preliminary Project Ideas

1. Encourage any future residential development that replaces existing clubs on Davenport Neck to cluster in order to provide a greater area of open space along the waterfront and to address sea level rise and flooding.

2. Maintain Davenport Park.

1 Planning Area 2 Planning Area 3: Preliminary Project Ideas

1. Provide continuous waterfront public open space and waterfront esplanade at Echo Bay.

2. Use good faith efforts to preserve significant architectural aspects of the New Rochelle Armory structure.

3. Provide options for relocation of City Yard operations.

4. Improve stormwater outfalls in Echo Bay and remove all sediments including contaminated sediments from discharge. 3 7 5. Establish a greenway between Five Islands Park and 2 1 Hudson Park via Echo Avenue and the Municipal Marina. 4 5 6. Create a mixed-use destination at the Municipal Marina that includes recreational programming at 6 Hudson Park, Wildcliff Manor, and Five Islands Park Planning consistent with waterfront recreational use. Area 3

7. Encourage Westchester County to further upgrade the New Rochelle Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) to meet all applicable state and federal standards. Overall Preliminary Project Ideas

1. All new development along the waterfront should include some provision for public access or provide payment in lieu into a public waterfront open space fund.

2. Adopt Waterfront Consistency Review Law authorizing the Planning Board to provide recommendations on coastal consistency with the LWRP.

3. Provide connections to the waterfront throughout the LWRP Area.

4. Remove barriers to park access.

5. Enforce boat waste clean out provisions.

6. Implement Best Management Practices for property owners to manage stormwater on site.

7. Consider more ecologically balanced alternatives for structured (e.g. bulkheads) shorelines.

8. Provide connections via wayfinding signage, streetscape treatments and bicycle and pedestrian access throughout the LWRP Area. Harbor Management Project Ideas

1. Establish a blue-trail that links islands, parks, and points of interests for non- motorized boaters in protected waters. 11 2. Dredge Navigation Channels to expand recreational boating activities within the LWRP Area.

3. Develop a strategy to resolve conflicts between boat types (i.e., harbor management strategy). 8 2 4. Public education programs should be continued to prohibit feeding of waterfowl.

5. Undertake a comprehensive analysis of City’s stormwater drainage system to mitigate sediment and contaminant loads carried by this system to coastal waters.

6. Review procedures to apply the installation and maintenance of ground tackle in 9 LWRP Area. 7. Remove deteriorated structures at various locations in New Rochelle Creek in order 7 to eliminate a potential source of waterborne debris that can pose a navigation Area-wide hazard and are aesthetically unpleasing. 2 Projects 8. Install nighttime markers along the South Inlet into Lower Harbor and along the 1 3 4 approach to the Municipal Marina to improve navigational safety.

9. Restrict future marina development in Titus Millpond. 5 6 10

10. Conduct wetland restoration of exposed and non-productive mud-flats near stormwater and other outfalls.

11. Re-establish a tidal connection to Pryer Manor Marsh to allow for the natural decline of Phragmites for more high value vegetation. LWRP Next Steps

1. Hold Public Hearing – June 14th

2. Adopt SEQR Determination of Significance

3. Adopt Local Coastal Consistency Review Law

4. Send LWRP to NYSDOS for 60-day Review

New Rochelle LWRP – City Council Presentation – 5/10/2016 New Rochelle LWRP 11 Questions?

WaterfrontNR Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP)

City Council Presentation May 10, 2016 2016 NRPA Field Report Park and Recreation Agency Performance Benchmarks

Executive Summary...... 1

How to Read the 2016 NRPA Field Report...... 2

Field Report at a Glance ...... 3

Index of Figures...... 4

Key Findings ...... 5

Park Facilities ...... 5

Programming ...... 7

Responsibilities of Park and Recreation Agencies ...... 9

Staffing ...... 10

Budget ...... 12

Agency Funding ...... 14

Looking Forward: A Perfect Storm? ...... 17

Conclusion ...... 19

About NRPA ...... 20 Executive Summary

Welcome to the 2016 NRPA Field Report, the most comprehensive resource of data and insights for park and recreation agencies in the United States. The 2016 NRPA Field Report contains data and key insights from PRORAGIS, NRPA’s benchmarking tool that assists park and recreation professionals in the effective management and planning of their operating resources and capital facilities.

Why is the 2016 NRPA Field Report an important resource to park and recreation agencies? There is no other resource that provides park and recreation professionals and other key stakeholders with this wealth of valuable benchmarks and insights that informs on the state of the industry. These insights help:

1. Show the prevalence of expanded activities and offerings of agencies throughout the nation. 2. Provide guidance to park and recreation professionals to evaluate the performance of their agencies. Do their agencies provide as much open space, recreation opportunities and programming as their peers? Is the agency properly staffed? Sufficiently funded? 3. Make informed decisions on the optimal set of service and facility offerings based on the demographics and, therefore, the needs of a specific community while also providing compara- tive agency data from other communities/agencies.

So, is the information in the 2016 NRPA Field Report the final answer in terms of decision making for local park and recreation agencies? No. Instead, park and recreation leaders should use findings from this report to start the conversation with internal col- leagues, external consultants and partners, and policymakers. Data is only a tool — albeit a very valuable tool — to help determine the best decisions for an agency.

Consider that no two park and recreation agencies are the same. They serve different residents with different needs, desires and challenges and have different access to funding. For example, just because an agency may have more workers per 1,000 residents relative to “typical” park and recreation agencies does not mean that agency should shed staff. It is possible that the agency with more staff offers more hands-on programming because of the unique needs of the population it serves.

A successful agency is one that tailors its services to meet the demands of its community. Knowing who uses your agency’s resource and who may use it in the future (including age, race, income trends) are also factors in shaping the optimal mix of facilities and services to be offered. Every park and recreation agency and the public it serves are unique. Commu- nities look different and so too should their park and recreation agency. It is this reason why NRPA no lon- ger publishes “National Standards.”

1 National Recreation and Park Association Consequently, the 2016 NRPA Field Report should be used in conjunction with other resources, including those that are proprietary to an agency, from NRPA and from outside sources. The following are some NRPA resources to consider:

PRORAGIS: The information contained in the NRPA Field Report comes from PRORAGIS, NRPA’s park and recreation benchmarking resource. Whereas the NRPA Field Report provides data for “typical” agencies, you can customize key metrics with PRORAGIS to compare the characteristics of your agency to its peers. This may include filtering by agency type, size and geographic region. The experience is further enhanced when you enter your agency’s data into PRORAGIS, which allows the reports to compare your agency’s data with the key metrics of agencies throughout the United States. NRPA Facility Market Reports: These customized reports offer key census and marketing data and insights about the market served by your agency’s facilities. Your agency will gain a greater understanding of the residents served by a park, aquatic center, recreation center or any other facility, with a particular focus on their habits and interests. NRPA Connect: There may be no better resource to answer your park and recreation questions than your peers. NRPA Connect is an online professional networking tool that connects you with like-minded park and recreation professionals from across the country and is a valuable resource to receive information, ask industry questions and get insight into trends in the field. Economic Impact of Local Parks: This study finds operations and capital spending at America’s local and regional park agencies was responsible for approximately $140 billion in annual economic activity and nearly 1 million jobs in 2013. The report also includes estimates of the economic impact of operations and capital spending at local and regional park agencies for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Americans’ Broad-Based Support for Local Recreation and Park Services: This survey of more than 1,100 Americans affirms their passion for their local public parks. In fact, virtually all Americans agree that their communities benefit from their local public parks,even if they themselves are not regular park users. The support for local public parks crosses nearly every demographic segment of Americans (including age, income, household formation and political affiliation) and has gone unabated for the past 25 years even as our nation and the ways we interact and entertain each other have dramatically evolved. Parks & Recreation magazine: No other publication covers trends and issues affecting the industry like NRPA’s monthly flagship magazine. Each issue features content on a number of topics, including conservation, health and wellness, social equity, advocacy, law review and operations.

All of these resources can be found at www.nrpa.org

How to Read the 2016 NRPA Field Report

The 2016 NRPA Field Report presents most of its data with medians, along with data responses at both lower-quartile (low- est 25 percent) and upper-quartile (highest 25 percent). The data presentation provides insight as to where your agency stands compared not only to typical agencies (i.e., those at the median values), but also to the full spectrum of agencies at both the high and low quartiles of values. Many metrics presented include the top-line figures as well as certain cross tabulations of jurisdiction population or population density. A more comprehensive set of cross tabulations of the data presented in the following pages is available as a set of interactive tables at www.nrpa.org/2016-Field-Report.

As noted above, we encourage you to use the 2016 NRPA Field Report as a first step and then turn to the reporting tools available in PRORAGIS to get more in-depth statistical cuts of the metrics you care about the most. Your agency can receive even more valuable insights when it updates and completes its PRORAGIS profile and therefore is eligible to receive an Agency Performance Report. This report specifically addresses the metrics for your agency as it relates to statistically similar agency characteristics such as population or density.

The 2016 NRPA Field Report contains data from more than 950 park and recreation agencies across the United States as reported between the years 2013 and 2015. Note: Not all agencies answered every survey question.

2016 NRPA Field Report 2 NRPA FIELD REPORT AT A GLANCE The Typical Park and Recreation Agency... Has 9.5 acres of park land per 1,000 residents

Has operating expenditures Has Recovers per capita of 7.4 $76.44 sta members 29% per 10,000 residents of operating expenditures through revenue generation

ADMIT ONE Has 1 Park for every 2,277 residents

80% of agencies 50% of agencies o er summer camps o er afterschool programs

3 National Recreation and Park Association Index of Figures

Figures Top-Line Finding Page Park Facilities Figure 1: Residents per Park There is typically one park for every 2,277 residents. 5 Figure 2: Acres of Park Land per 1,000 The typical park and recreation agency has 9.5 acres of park land for 5 Residents every thousand residents in the jurisdiction. An overwhelming majority of park and recreation agencies have Figure 3: Outdoor Park and Recreation playgrounds (91 percent) and basketball courts (85 percent) in their 6 Facilities — Population per Facility portfolio of outdoor assets. A majority of agencies offer recreation centers and gyms, while at Figure 4: Indoor Park and Recreation least two in five agencies offer community centers, senior centers 7 Facilities — Population per Facility and fitness centers. Programming Figure 5: Programs Offered by Park & Key programming activities include team sports, fitness 8 Recreation Agencies enhancement classes, and health and wellness education. Figure 6: Targeted Programs for Children, Four in five agencies offer summer camp to their residents. 8 Seniors and People with Disabilities Responsibilities of Park and Recreation Agencies Figures 7 & 8: Key Responsibilities of Top roles include operating parks and facilities, providing recreation 9, 10 Park and Recreation Agencies programming and services, and operating and maintaining indoor facilities. Staffing Figure 9: Park and Recreation Agency The typical park and recreation agency is staffed with 33 full-time 10 Staffing equivalents (FTEs). Figure 10: Park and Recreation FTEs per The typical park and recreation agency has 7.4 FTEs on staff for each 11 10,000 Residents 10,000 residents in the jurisdiction served by the agency. Figure 11: Responsibilities of Park and Responsibilities split between maintenance, operations, 11 Recreation Workers programming and administration. Budget Figure 12: Annual Operating Expenditures The typical park agency has annual operating expenditures of $3,459,846. 12 Figure 13: Operating Expenditures per The typical park and recreation agency has annual operating 12 Capita expenses of $76.44 on a per capita basis. Figure 14: Operating Expenditures per The median level operating expenditures is $6,476 per acre of park 13 Acre of Park and Non-Park Sites and non-park sites managed by the agency. The typical park and recreation agency has $96,055 in annual Figure 15: Operations Expenditures Per FTE 13 operations expenditures for each employee. Figure 16: Distribution of Operating At the typical park and recreation agency, personnel services 14 Expenditures represent 55 percent of the operations budget. Agency Funding Park and recreation agencies derive three-fifths of their operating Figure 17: Sources of Operating Expenditures 14 expenditures from general fund tax support. Figure 18: Park and Recreation Revenues The typical park and recreation agency generates $18.22 in revenue 15 per Capita annually for each resident living in the jurisdiction. Figure 19: Revenue as a Percentage of The typical agency recovers 29.0 percent of its operating 15 Operating Expenditures (Cost Recovery) expenditures from non-tax revenues. Park and recreation agencies have a median of $2.981 million in Figure 20: 5-Year Capital Budget Spending 16 capital expenditures budgeted over the next five years. On average, just over half of the capital budget is designated for Figure 21: Targets for Capital Expenditures 16 renovation while 30 percent is geared toward new development.

2016 NRPA Field Report 4 Key Findings

Park Facilities

America’s local and regional park agencies differ greatly in size and facility offerings. Whereas the typical agency participating in PRORAGIS serves a jurisdiction (e.g., a town, city, county and/or region) of 40,800 people, there are agencies that serve an area of just a few hundred people while others are a primary recreation resource for millions of people. Naturally, the offerings of these agencies vary as much as do the markets they serve. The typical agency has 19 parks under its watch comprising a total 400 acres. Add- ing in non-park facilities, the median Figure 1 Residents per Park number of parks and non-park facili- (by Jurisdiction Population) ties rises to 24 comprising 490 acres.

At the typical agency, there is one park for every 2,277 residents. The number of people per park rises as the population of the town, city, county or region served by the agency increas- insert bar graph es. At agencies located in jurisdictions with less than 20,000 residents, there is one park for every 1,335 residents. The ratio rises to one park for every 2,396 residents in jurisdictions with 50,000 to 99,999 people and one park for every 6,250 people at agencies serving areas with more than 250,000 people.

The typical park and recreation agency has 9.5 acres of park land for every thousand residents in the jurisdiction. So, which agencies offer the most park land acreage per 1,000 Figure 2 Acres of Park Land per 1,000 Residents residents? The smallest and largest (by Jurisdiction Population) agencies: those serving fewer than 20,000 residents typically have 10.6 acres per 1,000 residents compared to 12.5 acres per 1,000 residents at jurisdictions serving more than 250,000 people. At the same time, agencies serving jurisdictions between insert bar graph 100,000 and 250,000 people have 7.4 acres of park land per 1,000 residents.

5 National Recreation and Park Association Figure 3 Outdoor Park and Recreation Facilities

Agencies Offering Median Number of Outdoor Facility this Facility Residents per Facility Playgrounds 91% 3,560 Basketball courts 85% 7,000 Diamond fields: softball fields - adult 65% 12,463 Tennis courts (outdoor only) 61% 4,295 Diamond fields: softball fields - youth 59% 9,687 Diamond fields: baseball - youth 58% 6,599 Swimming pools (outdoor only) 54% 34,686 Rectangular fields: multipurpose 50% 8,060 Community gardens 47% 32,376 Tot lots 45% 12,112 Dog park 41% 43,183 Diamond fields: baseball - adult 39% 19,694 Rectangular fields: football field 38% 25,523 Rectangular fields: soccer field - youth 37% 6,671 Rectangular fields: soccer field - adult 34% 12,365 Diamond fields: tee-ball 28% 12,771 Multiuse courts -basketball, volleyball 25% 13,736 Ice rink (outdoor only) 21% 16,572 Rectangular fields: lacrosse field 7% 26,639 Rectangular fields: cricket field 6% 199,199 Multipurpose synthetic field 5% 34,915 Rectangular fields: field hockey field 3% 22,767 Overlay field 3% 7,257

Park and recreation agencies offer a wide variety of facility types and features. An overwhelming majority of park and recreation agencies have playgrounds (91 percent) and basketball courts (85 percent) in their portfolio of outdoor assets. Further, a majority of agencies have diamond fields for baseball and/or softball, tennis courts, outdoor swimming pools and multipurpose rectangular fields.

In addition, the typical park and recreation agency that manages or maintains trails for walking, hiking, running and/or biking has 11.0 miles of trails in its network. Agencies serving more than 250,000 people in their area have a median of 90.1 miles of trails under their purview.

Park and recreation agencies also offer a number of indoor facilities for their residents. A majority of agencies offer recreation centers and gyms, while at least two in five agencies offer community centers, senior centers and fitness centers. Figure 4 provides median populations served by the following facility and/or activity area.

2016 NRPA Field Report 6 Figure 4 Indoor Park and Recreation Facilities

Agencies Offering Median Number of Indoor Facility this Facility Residents per Facility Recreation centers 69% 26,650 Gyms 63% 26,418 Community centers 45% 30,000 Senior centers 43% 49,500 Fitness center 40% 39,765 Performance amphitheater 28% 45,817 Nature centers 27% 114,620 Stadiums 15% 57,051 Ice rink 15% 28,500 Teen centers 9% 62,700 Indoor track 7% 49,715 Arena 5% 57,637

Note some of these facilities may be included as a part of another facility. For example, a fitness center may be a part of a recreation center.

Programming

Park and recreation agencies may have thousands, if not millions, of interactions with their residents and visitors each year. The typical park and recreation agency has a quarter million contacts per year. An agency at the 75th percentile has 811,816 annual contacts while one at the 95th percentile has more than 4.3 million contacts each year.

So what is a contact? These can be visits to a local park, running or biking on a local trail, visits to the local recreation center or any other interaction with any of the agency’s park and recreation facilities. And to be clear, a person can have more than one contact; for example, a person who visits their local aquatic center ten times and runs on the local trail five times would be counted as 15 contacts.

Programming is a key outreach method to drive usage of park and recreation facilities and, when associated with registration fees, also happens to be the largest non-tax revenue source for most agencies. The typical agency generates more than 23,000 contacts from its free and fee-based programming events, with annual contacts rising to more than 100,000 at the 75th percentile agency and surging to more than a half million contacts arising from both free and fee-based park and recreation programming at the 95th percentile agency.

Programming spans across many differing types of park and recreation activities, with many touching one or more of NR- PA’s Three Pillars of Conservation, Health & Wellness and Social Equity. Key programming activities offered by at least 60 percent of park and recreation agencies include: • Team sports (84 percent) • Fitness enhancement classes (83 percent) • Health and wellness education (81 percent) • Safety training (69 percent) • Visual arts (67 percent) • Trips and tours (66 percent) • Martial arts (60 percent) • Performing arts (60 percent) • Aquatics (60 percent)

7 National Recreation and Park Association Agencies serving larger populations are more likely than agencies serving smaller towns to present a number of programming offerings, including: • Health and wellness education • Aquatics • Golf • Cultural crafts • Performing arts • Natural and cultural history activities • Trips and tours • Visual arts

Figure 5 Programs Offered by Park & Recreation Agencies (Percent of Agencies)

Figure 6 Targeted Programs for Children, Seniors and People with Disabilities (Percent of Agencies, by Jurisdiction Population)

All Less than 20,000 to 50,000 to 100,000 to Over Agencies 20,000 49,999 99,999 250,000 250,000 Summer camp 80% 73% 81% 83% 85% 87% Before school programs 31% 22% 24% 38% 35% 46% After school programs 50% 44% 36% 64% 62% 66% Preschool 34% 25% 36% 41% 31% 38% Full day care 9% 2% 7% 12% 12% 18% Specific teen programs 60% 44% 59% 74% 73% 68% Specific senior programs 73% 62% 75% 88% 80% 72% Programs for people with disabilities 58% 39% 55% 72% 69% 78%

2016 NRPA Field Report 8 Park and recreation agencies are leaders in providing services and programming for children, seniors and people with disabilities. Larger agencies are more likely to offer programming for children, whether in the form of a summer camp or before and after school care and full day care. Four in five agencies offer summer camps to their residents. This rises to 87 percent at agencies serving jurisdictions with more than 250,000 people. Similarly, agencies serving jurisdictions with more than 250,000 residents are more likely to offer before and after school care and day care.

In addition, 78 percent of park and recreation agencies in larger jurisdictions offer programming designed for people with disabilities versus fewer than two in five agencies serving less than 20,000 residents. Responsibilities of Park and Recreation Agencies

Park and recreation agencies take on many responsibilities for their communities, beyond their “traditional” roles of operating parks and facilities and providing recreation programming and services. In addition to those two functions, the top responsibilities for park and recreation agencies are as follows: • Operate and maintain indoor facilities (92 percent) • Conduct major jurisdiction-wide special events (73 percent) • Have budgetary responsibility for their administrative staff (54 percent) • Administer or manage tournament/event-quality outdoor sports complexes (54 percent) • Operate, maintain or manage trails, greenways and/or blueways (TGB) (44 percent) • Manage major aquatic complex (43 percent) • Administer community gardens (40 percent) • Operate, maintain or manage special purpose parks and open spaces (38 percent).

Key Responsibilities of Park and Recreation Agencies Figure 7 (Percent of Agencies, by Population of Jurisdiction Served)

9 National Recreation and Park Association Staffing Figure 8 Other Responsibilities of Park and Recreation Agencies (Percent of Agencies) The typical park and recreation agency is staffed with 33 full-time equivalents (FTEs) that include a mix of full-time Operate and maintain non-park sites 37% and part-time staff. But, the size of the staff expands expo- Include in its operating budget the funding for nentially as the size of the jurisdiction served by the agency ex- 35% planning and development functions pands. Park and recreation agencies serving jurisdictions with Operate, maintain or contract water parks 30% less than 20,000 people have a median of 9.4 FTEs on staff. Agencies serving areas with 50,000 to 99,999 people have a Operate, maintain or contract golf courses 29% median of 57.2 FTEs, while those serving areas with more than Operate, maintain or contract other attractions 27% 250,000 have a staff with a median of 229.6 workers. or facilities Manage large performance outdoor amphitheaters 24% Median counts of FTEs on staff also positively correlates with: Operate, maintain or contract tennis center facilities 24% • Number of acres maintained — 250 or less acres: 13.9 Administer or manage tournament/event-quality FTEs versus over 3,500 acres: 266.1 FTEs 22% indoor sports complexes • Number of parks maintained — Less than 10 parks: Administer or manage farmer’s markets 19% 11.0 FTEs versus 50 or more parks: 200.3 FTEs Maintain, manage or lease indoor performing arts center 18% • Operating expenditures — Less than $500,000: 3.2 Operate, maintain or contract campgrounds 16% FTEs versus over $10 million: 201.4 FTEs. Operate, maintain or contract tourism attractions 14% • Population served by agency — Less than 500 people Administer or manage professional or college-type per square mile: 14.4 FTEs versus more than 2,500 10% stadium/arena/racetrack people per square mile: 56.9 FTEs. Operate, maintain or contract indoor swim facility 8% Manage or maintain fairgrounds 5%

Figure 9 Park and Recreation Agency Staffing: Full-Time Equivalents (by Jurisdiction Population)

2016 NRPA Field Report 10 One way to view agency staffing is to measure it relative to the population of the area that the agency serves. The typical park and recreation agency has 7.4 FTEs on staff for each 10,000 residents living in the jurisdiction served by the agency. Agencies tend to have fewer FTEs on staff when located in more populated areas. Agencies serving jurisdictions with less than 20,000 people have 9.3 FTEs for each 10,000 residents, with this measure falling to 3.9 FTEs for 10,000 residents in areas with more than 250,000 people.

Agencies also tend to have more FTEs per residents when they serve areas with greater population density. Agencies operating in areas with less than 500 people per square mile have 4.2 FTEs per 10,000 people served versus 9.7 FTEs per 10,000 residents in areas with more than 2,500 people per square mile.

There are many responsibilities cov- Figure 10 Park & Recreation FTEs per 10,000 Residents ered by an agency’s park and recre- (by Jurisdiction Population) ation professionals. Park and recreation staff members have duties that span across many functional areas: • Maintenance (30 percent) • Operations (27 percent) • Programming (22 percent) • Administration (18 percent).

Just over a third of park and recreation agencies (35 percent) have workers that are covered by collective bargaining. Union members are more likely to be part of an agency’s park and recreation staff at agencies that: • Have larger staffs — 21 percent of agencies with staffs of less than 10 FTEs versus 52 Responsibilities of Park and Recreation Workers percent of agencies with 100 Figure 11 (Average Distribution of Agency FTEs) or more FTEs. • Serve larger populations — 21 percent of agencies in jurisdictions with less than 20,000 people versus 53 percent of agencies in jurisdictions with more than 250,000 people. • Have more parks — 13 percent of agencies with less than 10 parks versus 61 percent of agencies with at least 50 parks. • Maintain more park land — 27 percent of agencies that maintain 250 or less acres of parkland versus 59 percent of agencies that maintain more than 3,500 acres of parkland.

11 National Recreation and Park Association Budget

How does the funding at your park and recreation agency compare with funding levels at other agencies? Does your agency have access to the same level of funding as its peers? As noted in the NRPA report, The Economic Impact of Local Parks, local and regional park agencies had operations expenditures of $32.3 billion in 2013. This amount is split across the thousands of park and recreation agencies throughout the nation with the typical park agency having annual operating expenditures of $3,459,846.

But, the size of an agency’s operating expenditures varies dramatically by the size of the agency (e.g., in terms of park and non-park acres managed and the population of the jurisdiction), the mission and responsibilities of the agency, and so forth. One way to start the comparison is to normalize operation expenditure data by the size of the agency.

the typical Annual Operating Expenditures As shown in Figure 13, Figure 12 park and recreation agency has an- (by Jurisdiction Population) nual operating expenses of $76.44 on a per capita basis. The denser the population served by the agency, the higher per capita operating expenses, with the typical agency serving a jurisdiction with less than 500 people per square mile having per capita operating expenses of $37.84 and one serving an area with more than 2,500 people per square mile with median operating expenses rising to $100.63 per resident. At the same time, per capita operations spending is inversely related to the population of the area served: agencies serving jurisdictions with less than 20,000 people have median operations spending of $85.84, which drops to $42.69 per resident for agencies serving jurisdictions with more than 250,000 people.

Figure 13 Operating Expenditures per Capita (by Population Density per Square Mile)

insert bar graph

2016 NRPA Field Report 12 Figure 14 shows that the median level operating expenditures is $6,476 per acre of park and non-park sites managed by the agency. Non-park sites are defined as public spaces (such as lawns at a city hall) that are not designated as parks but are budgeted for maintenance and/or operation by the park and recreation agency. The typical operating expenditures rise with population density. For example, the typical agency serving a jurisdiction with fewer than 500 people per square mile spends $3,764 per acre of park and non-park sites. The median rises to $11,415 per acre at agencies serving a jurisdiction with a population density greater than 2,500 per square mile.

Park and recreation agencies serving larger populaces tend to have lower operations expenditures than do agencies serving smaller and medium-sized jurisdictions. The typical park and recreation agency serving a jurisdiction with less than 20,000 people spends a median of $7,644 per acre of park and non-park sites. The median slips slightly to $7,547 per acre for agencies serving jurisdictions with between 50,000 and 99,999 people and then falls rapidly to $3,533 per acre managed at agencies serving jurisdictions greater than 250,000 people.

Figure 14 Operating Expenditures per Acre of The typical park and recreation agen- Park and Non-Park Sites cy has $96,055 in annual operations (By Population Density per Square Mile) expenditures for each employee (as measured by full time equivalents, or FTEs). The denser the jurisdiction served by the agency, the higher the operations expenditures for each FTE. Agencies serving jurisdictions with less than 500 residents per square mile have median insert bar graph operations expenditures of $89,820 for each FTE. The median rises to $108,135 per FTE for agencies serving areas with more than 2,500 residents per square mile. Similarly, the measure rises from $88,056 for agencies with less than 10 parks to $100,995 for agencies with 50 or more parks.

At the typical park and recreation agency, personnel services represent 55 percent of the operations budget. This includes expenditures for all sal- aries, wages and benefits for both full- Figure 15 Operations Expenditures Per FTE time and non-full-time personnel along (by Population Density by Square Mile) with contracted individuals. Another 37 percent of operations expenditures are dedicated to operations of the agency, including operational support for force accounted employees where the capital fund repays the operating budget; all enterprise funds; interdepartmental trans- fers; and, in some cases, the capital debt service. Another six percent of the operations spending includes capital expenses not included in the agency’s capital insert bar graph improvement plan (CIP). This includes expenditures for capital equipment (e.g., computers, vehicles, large area mowers, tractors, boats, etc.), some periodic cy- clical maintenance (carpets, conference chairs, push mowers, etc.) and, perhaps, debt services paid from the agency’s operating funds.

13 National Recreation and Park Association Agency Funding

On average, park and recreation agencies derive three-fifths of their operating expenditures from general fund tax support, although the percentage of funding from general fund tax support tends to be lower at agencies with larger operating budgets. The next biggest source of revenue for most agencies is earned/generated revenues, responsible for an average of 25 percent of operating expenditures. Many agencies depend on special dedicated taxes for part of their budget. Many park and recreation districts obtain the majority of their funding from tax levies that are approved in referendum by citizens for specified park and recreation purposes.

The typical park and recreation agency generates $795,500 in non-tax revenues on an annual basis, although this can vary greatly based on agency size, services and facilities offered by the agency and mandate from leadership and policymakers. Agencies with annual operating budgets under $500,000 typically derive $74,414 in non-tax revenues while those with annual budgets greater than $10 million generate a median of $6.469 million from non-tax revenue sources.

Figure 16 Distribution of Operating Expenditures (Average Distribution)

Figure 17 Sources of Operating Expenditures (Average Distribution)

2016 NRPA Field Report 14 Figure 18 shows that the typical park and recreation agency generates $18.22 in revenue annually for each resident living in the jurisdiction it serves. Agencies operating in less population-dense areas generate less revenue than those in greater populated areas. The typical agency, operating in a jurisdiction with less than 500 people per square mile, generates $7.03 in revenue on a per capita basis per year compared to a median of $29.23 for agencies serving a jurisdiction with more than 2,500 people per square mile.

Figure 18 Park and Recreation Revenues per Capita Medium-sized agencies generate (by Population per Square Mile) more revenue on a per capita basis than small and large park and recreation agencies. Agencies serving jurisdictions with between 50,000 and 99,999 people generate a median of $29.57 in revenue per resident each year versus $21.85 in per capita revenue in jurisdictions with less than 20,000 people and $9.04 per capita from agencies serving jurisdictions with insert bar graph more than 250,000 people.

Another way to look at the revenues is in the form of cost recovery as a percentage of operating expenditures. The typical agency recovers 29.0 percent of its operating expenditures from non-tax revenues. The amount of cost recovery differs greatly from agency to agency based on the agency’s Figure 19 Revenue as a Percentage of Operating Expenditures portfolio of facilities and program- (Cost Recovery) ming, the demographics of the (by Population Density per Square Mile) populace served, agency mission and possible revenue mandates from their governing jurisdictions.

At the same time, agencies serving more population-dense jurisdictions tend to have higher percentages of cost recovery. Agencies serving an area with less than 500 people per square mile have a median percentage of cost recovery of 22.7 percent. Cost recovery rises to 31.5 percent of operating expenditures for agencies serving jurisdictions with more than 2,500 people per square mile.

15 National Recreation and Park Association Beyond day-to-day operations, park and recreation agencies have a median of $2.981 million in capital expenditures budgeted over the next five years.Not at all surprising is that the larger the agency, the larger the size of the five-year capital budget. The typical park and recreation agency serving a jurisdiction with less than 20,000 people has a median five-year capital budget of $547,000. This five-year capital budget expands to $5.8 million at agencies serving jurisdictions with 50,000 to 99,999 people and to $30 million to agencies in areas with more than 250,000 residents. Also, the following are positively related to the size of five-year capital budgets: • The number of parks maintained — Less than 10 parks: $859,059 versus 50 more parks: $22.247 million • Acreage of parks maintained — 250 or less acres: $1 million versus more than 3,500 acres: $36.759 million. • Operating budgets — Annual operating budgets less than $500,000: $253,598 versus annual operating budgets greater than $10 million: $24.811 million. • Population density — Less than 500 people per square mile: $1.546 million versus more than 2,500 people per square mile: $4.843 million.

5-Year Capital Budget Spending So, where are park and recreation agencies Figure 20 designating these capital expenditures? On (by Jurisdiction Population) average, just over half of the capital budget is designated for renovation while 30 percent is geared toward new development. At larger park and recreation agencies, new development is the focus of a greater percentage of capital budgets. At agencies serving jurisdictions with more than 250,000 residents, 37 percent of capital budgets are for new development while 48 percent are for renovating current properties.

Targets for Capital Expenditures Figure 21 (Average Distribution)

2016 NRPA Field Report 16 Looking Forward: A Perfect Storm?

Whereas most of the 2016 NRPA Field Report focuses on current performance benchmarks, a look at current challenges and future trends also should be a part of park and recreation professionals’ future decision making. We asked William Beckner, President of CEHP, Inc., for his insights.

In 1991, Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke made the opening remarks at that year’s NRPA Congress. At the time, America’s cities were in the midst of the largest recorded violent crime epidemic in American history. Baltimore was experiencing a murder-rate that had the entire city on edge, unemployment was astronomical for minorities, and citizens were seeking answers. The same was true for many cities across the nation. Mayor Schmoke said that in all this turmoil it was the parks that made it possible to have conversations with the residents. The violent crimes epidemic eventually eased, beginning in 1995. But as we know, all is not well.

The challenges many of our cities now face represent opportunities for park and recreation departments to play a significant role in their community. But to be successful, they will require a steady hand and courage in the face of enormous waves in the forms of social equity, finance, global warming, safe play issues and community engagement.

Social Equity/Environmental Justice

As parks are a very visible measure of equitable public service, the community park and recreation departments may be front and center in the public perception of inequitable treatment. Social Equity, one of the three NRPA Pillars, is beginning to merge with social and environmental justice that is part of a rising tide of sentiment for equal and just treatment.

What are the park and recreation department opportunities? • Ensure that all residents have access to facilities and services that are of similar quality • Listen to your customers’ complaints about unfair treatment • Use your park and recreation advisory or policy board as an early warning system of issues at hand • Program speakers and events to address issues that seem important Capital and Operating Finance

The recently completed NRPA Study, “Americans’ Broad-Based Support for Local Recreation and Park Services” clearly shows the significant public support from Americans for their parks. But, that study’s results and NRPA’s research findings that local parks create significant economic activity for their communities do not mean the funding for renovation, new development or operation and maintenance will suddenly be easy to obtain. Instead, park and recreation professionals and supporters need to focus their energies on promoting the value of parks to our communities.

Infrastructure Priorities

In his 2016 State of the Union address, President Obama proposed one trillion dollars be spent by the federal government and matched by state and local governments to take on the decaying infrastructure that threatens our safety and our econ- omy. But, where are the dollars coming from to sustain and improve our parks? Opportunities include: • Getting to the table early; be in place when the deals are made • Focusing on trails and corridor-type facilities • Looking to multiple-use such as storm detention basins and rectangular fields • Constructing in-ground water storage or flood drainage facilities that also provide spaces for athletic facilities • Creating partnerships with foundations and other third-party groups • Being flexible and creative

17 National Recreation and Park Association Global Warming and Natural Disasters

The need for infrastructure investment is also exacerbated by the early effects of global warming. Rising seas, higher inci- dence of catastrophic floods and natural disasters, including drought and fire, can be linked to rising sea temperatures. The increasing volatility of climatic conditions affects park and recreation departments in numerous ways, including: • Financing infrastructure such as sea walls • Rising maintenance costs for beaches and other lands subject to flooding • Costs related to replacement of facilities destroyed in natural events • Staff becoming the caregivers when park and recreation facilities are the only community resources left standing Operating Budgets

The federal budget constraints have truncated the economic recovery of state and local governments in much of the country. In turn, many states responded to these tight budgets by pushing the costs of services to the cities and municipalities, making it even more challenging to properly finance park facilities and services. Park and recreation professionals who have the facts and the credibility with budget decision makers are the most likely to prosper. They must: • Know what it costs to provide the services their agency offers, including for its facilities and programs • Create a quarterly reporting system that demonstrates accountability in meeting their budget goals • Define their core services that need to be subsidized • Partner as appropriate with nonprofit or private sector providers to expand opportunities Safe Play

Not all of the challenges are external to the park and recreation field. Going forward, the issue of safety is becoming a challenge for traditional team sports. Certainly, football is now in a precarious position with many studies beginning to show that cumulative hits are as impactful as a single violent hit. Some experts are suggesting prohibiting preteens from playing tackle football. Concussions are not isolated to just football as they also appear to be a problem in ice hockey, soccer and other sports. It is not solely a youth issue but can impact any sports programs run by your department. What are the opportunities for park and recreation agencies to encourage safe play? • Do not make unilateral decisions • Form committees to address the issues • Identify knowledgeable resources to educate interested parties about the issues • Consider alternatives that reduce the concussion potential, such as flag football for ages under 13

What are the implications of a switch to flag football? Your agency may see an increased interest in the sport of flag football with as much demand for fields as before. This scenario would cost less since expensive equipment would not be needed. Another future advantage is that flag football, like soccer, can be played at any age. Community Engagement

The Internet is filled with stories about youth undertaking community projects. With each reported success, it seems more ideas are emerging. They usually start as volunteer projects and then sometimes morph into an entrepreneurial opportunity. This phenomenon is a result of the desire in many of Generation Z (Born after 2000) to make a difference in their community. There are numerous examples. One compelling example is the 10-year-old who began collecting restaurant cooking oils for use as heating fuels (http://www.upworthy.com/her-dad-thought-her-clean-energy-idea-was-just-a-kids-project-he-was- wrong?c=upw1). As of last year, she was able to accumulate enough supply to heat 400 homes of economically disadvan- taged folks in the community. If the youth in your community have a strong inclination toward community service, you might consider investigating ways to facilitate their dreams and interests for the benefit of the community.

2016 NRPA Field Report 18 Conclusion

As shown in the 2016 NRPA Field Report, park and recreation agencies are as diverse as the towns, cities and counties that they serve. Agencies not only differ in size and service offerings, but also in what their core mission is when serving their communities. It is for that reason the data presented in this report are a valuable tool in the planning and operating of park and recreation agencies.

Beyond comparing one’s agency to that of the “typical” agency, we challenge all park and recreation professionals to enter their agency’s data in PRORAGIS so they can gain a more detailed analysis of their agency’s performance against its peers through the United States. Link- ing the insights contained in this report and PRORAGIS with other NRPA reports and resources will arm all park and recreation professionals with the tools needed to tell their agency’s story and to make the case for further investments in the future.

How Can Your Agency’s Data be Included in this Report?

The NRPA Field Report is dependent on the data shared by hundreds of agencies every year. By sharing your agency’s performance data, not only will you help NRPA create a more comprehensive Field Report, you will be able to access custom reports specific to the information you shared. With access to both of these resources, your agency will be able to gain more support, improve operations, and better serve your community.

NRPA’s new streamlined Agency Performance Survey in PRORAGIS allows you to easily input information about your agency’s performance, without requiring a lot of time or effort, and get back two extremely useful resources you can’t find any- where else.

To compare your agency’s performance today, visit www.nrpa.org/PRORAGIS

A more comprehensive set of cross tabulations of the data presented in this report is available as a set of interactive tables at www.nrpa.org/2016-Field-Report

19 National Recreation and Park Association About NRPA

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing park, recreation and conservation efforts that enhance quality of life for all people. Through its network of more than 50,000 recreation and park professionals and citizens, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy and active lifestyles, conservation initiatives and equitable access to parks and public space.

NRPA brings strength to our message by partnering with like-minded organizations including those in the federal government, nonprofits and commercial enterprises. Funded through dues, grants, registrations and charitable contributions, NRPA produces research, education and policy initiatives for our members that ultimately enrich the communities they serve.

NRPA places great importance on research to understand and improve various aspects of the park and recreation field. Research is vital to ensure park and recreation professionals have the resources to make informed decisions. At NRPA, the development of current research via empirical studies and literature reviews for our members and the public is a key priority. The Value of Parks and Recreation

Conservation–Public parks are critical to preserving natural resources and wildlife habitats, which offer significant social and economic benefits. Local park and recreation agencies are leaders in protecting open space, connecting children to nature, and providing programs that engage communities in conservation.

Health and Wellness–Park and recreation departments lead the nation in improving the health and wellness of communities. From fitness programs, to well-maintained, accessible, walking paths and trails, to nutrition programs for underserved youth and adults, our work is at the forefront of providing solutions to these challenges.

Social Equity–We believe universal access to public parks and recreation is fundamental to all, not just a privilege for a few. Every day, our members work hard to ensure all people have access to quality parks and programs, and in turn, make our communities more livable and desirable.

2016 NRPA Field Report 20 22377 Belmont Ridge Road Ashburn, VA 20148-4501 800.626.NRPA (6772)

www.nrpa.org

24 National Recreation and Park Association

New Rochelle Parks and Recreation Department Omni Card Survey Dec-16 A Combination Pass A Separate Pass Pre- Paid if Combination Pass adopted Question 1 Question 2 Question 3 No Answer Yes Yes Yes No 1 1 2 1 1 3 1 4 1 1 5 1 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9 1 10 1 11 1 12 1 1 13 1 14 1 15 1 16 1 17 1 18 1 19 1 20 1 21 1 22 1 23 1 24 1 25 1 26 1 1 27 1 28 1 29 1 30 1 31 1 1 32 1 33 1 1 34 1 35 1 36 1 1 37 1 38 1 39 1 40 1 41 1 42 1 1 43 1 1 44 1 1 45 1 1 1 46 1 1 47 1 48 1 1 49 1 1 50 1 51 1 52 1 1 53 1 1 54 1 55 1 56 1 1 57 1 58 1 59 1 1 60 1 1 61 1 1 62 1 63 1 64 1 65 1 66 1 67 1 68 1 1 69 1 1 70 1 71 1 72 1 1 73 1 1 74 1 1 75 1 6 38 33 16 9