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Parks and Recreation Master Plan October 2015

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Parks and Recreation Master Plan October 2015 Parks and Recreation Master Plan Acknowledgements Mayor Tony Martinez Commissioner Rose Gowan Commissioner Jessica Tetreau-Kalifa Leo Rosales, Parks and Recreation Board Chair Derek Benevides, Parks and Recreation Board Meri Heggie, Parks and Recreation Board Jerry Hatley, Parks and Recreation Board Charlie Cabler, City Manager Pete Gonzalez, Deputy City Manager Stephanie Reyes, Assistant City Manager Ruth Osuna, Assistant City Manager Mary Elizabeth Hollmann, BCIC Damaris McGlone, Interim Parks and Recreation Director Bill Payne, Park Operations Manager All Staff of the Brownsville Parks and Recreation Department i Table of Contents 1.1 BACKGROUND .............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 PROJECT OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................ 2 1.3 PROJECT PROCESS .................................................................................................................................. 2 1.4 RELATED PLANS .......................................................................................................................................... 3 1.5 MISSION STATEMENT ............................................................................................................................... 6 1.6 KEY STRATEGIES ........................................................................................................................................ 6 2.1 DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS..................................................................................................................... 8 2.2 TRENDS ANALYSIS................................................................................................................................... 15 2.3 DEMOGRAPHICS AND TRENDS FINDINGS ................................................................................. 23 3.1 KEY LEADERSHIP AND FOCUS GROUP SUMMARY .............................................................. 24 3.2 PUBLIC MEETING SUMMARY ............................................................................................................. 31 3.3 WEB-BASED SURVEY FINDINGS ...................................................................................................... 33 4.1 METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................................................... 44 4.2 SUMMARY OF THE SYSTEM ............................................................................................................... 46 4.3 INDIVIDUAL PARK ASSESSMENTS .................................................................................................. 48 4.4 PARK DESIGN PRINCIPLES ................................................................................................................. 49 5.1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 60 5.2 OVERVIEW OF PROGRAMS ................................................................................................................ 60 5.3 FOCUS GROUP FINDINGS .................................................................................................................... 61 5.4 CORE PROGRAM AREAS ...................................................................................................................... 61 5.5 RECREATION PROGRAM MANAGEMENT ................................................................................... 62 5.6 COST RECOVERY AND PRICING ...................................................................................................... 66 5.7 VOLUNTEER AND PARTNERSHIP MANAGEMENT ................................................................. 69 5.8 MARKETING AND PROMOTION ......................................................................................................... 72 6.1 LEVEL OF SERVICE STANDARDS OVERVIEW .......................................................................... 74 6.2 SERVICE AREA AND EQUITY ANALYSIS ...................................................................................... 77 6.3 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN ......................................................................................................... 93 ii Parks and Recreation Master Plan 7.1 FUNDING SOURCES FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT DOLLARS & OPERATIONS .. 95 7.2 FUNDING SOURCES FOR OPERATIONAL DOLLARS .......................................................... 100 7.3 PRIVATE FUNDING SOURCES ......................................................................................................... 101 7.4 VOLUNTEER SOURCES ....................................................................................................................... 102 7.5 GRANTS THROUGH PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS AND CORPORATIONS...................... 103 7.6 OPERATIONAL FUNDING COSTS OPPORTUNITIES ............................................................ 106 8.1 MISSION ........................................................................................................................................................ 107 8.2 PARKLAND & TRAILS ............................................................................................................................. 108 8.3 MAINTENANCE .......................................................................................................................................... 108 8.4 RECREATION FACILITIES ................................................................................................................... 108 8.5 RECREATION PROGRAMS ................................................................................................................. 109 8.6 ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE & GOVERNANCE ...................................................................... 109 iii Parks and Recreation Master Plan INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND The City of Brownsville Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) offers quality valued assets and programs to the community through a variety of services that enhance Brownsville’s quality of life, economic value, and sense of community. The PARD owns and maintains 821.1 acres of parkland, 32 miles of trail, and over 43,000 square feet of recreation center space. The Department also offers exceptional recreation programming for all ages in the areas of aquatics, athletics, golf, youth enrichment, and special events. Developing the 2015 Parks and Recreation Master Plan helps to ensure the continued success of the Brownsville system and community. The Master Plan is a critical element in the strategic management of the PARD and, when used as a living document, helps guide decisions regarding future parks, open space, recreational facilities, recreation programs, and organizational management over the next ten years. Additionally, the Master Plan recommendations and implementation plan contribute to the sustainable operations of Brownsville’s facilities and services through potential partnerships and administrative enhancements. The planning team of PROS Consulting and StudioOutside was retained to be a partner with the city to develop the 2015 Parks and Recreation Master Plan. This master plan was built around a series of technical assessment processes to measure the parks and recreation system, as well as the operational management of policies, procedures, parks, facilities, programs, and services against best practices in the state and region. 1 1.2 PROJECT OBJECTIVES The objectives associated with the development of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan included the following: • Engage the community, leadership and stakeholders in meaningful and varied public input to build a shared vision for parks and recreation that supports the economic and community goals of the City of Brownsville; • Utilize a wide variety of data sources and best practices to predict trends and patterns of use and how to address unmet needs in the City; • Determine unique Level of Service standards for the City to project appropriate and prudent actions regarding program services, parks, open space, amenities, trails, cultural and natural resources; • Shape financial and operational preparedness through innovative and “next” practices in revenue generation to achieve the strategic objectives and recommended actions, and implementation strategies outlined in the plan; • Develop a dynamic and realistic action plan that can ensure long-term success and financial sustainability for the City’s Parks and Recreation Department. 1.3 PROJECT PROCESS The Brownsville Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update followed an iterative process of data collection, public input, on-the-ground study, assessment of existing conditions, market research, and open dialogue with local leadership and key stakeholders. The project process followed a logical planning path, as illustrated below: Financial, Demographic Parks & Recreation Stakeholder Operational, and Trends Facilities Program Action Plan Engagement and Business Analysis Assessment Assessment Analysis 2 Parks and Recreation Master Plan The Master Plan is not an end product in itself. The Master Plan is rather a means to guide the provision of parks and recreation and advance the overall mission and vision of the Brownsville Parks and Recreation Department. The goal is to guide in the delivery of excellent parks, trails,
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