Town of Leesburg, Virginia Comprehensive 20-Year Parks, Recreation, Open Space, Trails, and Greenways Master Plan
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Town of Leesburg, Virginia Comprehensive 20-Year Parks, Recreation, Open Space, Trails, and Greenways Master Plan Town of Leesburg Department of Parks and Recreation November 2002 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 A. LEESBURG aND ITS MOUNTING GROWTH PRESSURES ....................................................1 B. NEED FOR a MASTER PlaN ..........................................................................................................1 C. PREVIOUS OPEN SPACE PlaNNING EFFORTS IN lEESBURG ...........................................1 D. OTHER CURRENT PlaNNING EFFORTS ....................................................................................2 EXISTING CONDITIONS INVENTORY aND aNalYSIS 4 A. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................4 B. EXISTING PARKS aND TRAILS.......................................................................................................4 1. Parks ...............................................................................................................................................4 2. Trails ...............................................................................................................................................7 C. EXISTING RECREATIONal PROGRAMS.....................................................................................8 D. CULTURal aND HISTORIC SITES ................................................................................................9 E. ENVIRONMENTal CONDITIONS .................................................................................................9 1. Stream corridors .......................................................................................................................9 2. 100-Year floodplain ...............................................................................................................11 3. Wetlands ....................................................................................................................................11 4. Steep slopes .............................................................................................................................11 F. PlaNNED DEVELOPMENTS aND aVAIlaBILITY OF laND WITHIN THE URBAN GROWTH aREA ................................................................................................................11 1. Planned residential developments .................................................................................12 2. Planned governmental projects ........................................................................................14 3. Availability of open space ...................................................................................................14 G. ANalYSIS OF DEMOGRAPHICS aND RECREATIONal NEED .........................................14 1. Location and Types of Active recreation .......................................................................14 2. Results of user survey ...........................................................................................................15 3. Current and future population figures ..........................................................................16 4. Application of standards ......................................................................................................17 5. Areas of disparity and need ...............................................................................................18 H. ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT PARKS aND RECREATION OPERATIONS ........................19 1. Current financial situation ..................................................................................................19 2. Operational budget................................................................................................................19 THE MASTER PlaN 24 A. INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................................24 B. MASTER PlaN CONCEPT .............................................................................................................24 C. DESCRIPTION OF MASTER PlaN ELEMENTS .......................................................................26 1. Open space opportunities ..................................................................................................26 2. Trails .............................................................................................................................................28 3. Greenways .................................................................................................................................30 4. Stream Valley protection ......................................................................................................32 5. Historic preservation ..............................................................................................................33 6. Active recreation sites ..........................................................................................................33 7. Gateway/Streetscape improvements ..............................................................................36 8. Recreation program expansion ..........................................................................................36 D. SUMMARY OF PROPOSED PlaN aCTIONS ..........................................................................36 IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES 41 A. GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTING PlaN RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................41 1. Recommended guidelines for creating and preserving open space .................41 2. Regulatory Tools for creating and preserving open space .....................................42 B. OPERATIONal aND FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS .....................................................44 1. Fees and charges ....................................................................................................................44 2. Program revenues .................................................................................................................44 3. Revenue facilities....................................................................................................................45 C. OTHER FUNDING aND VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS ...............................................................45 1. Adopt-A-Park ............................................................................................................................45 2. Corporate/Institutional grants ...........................................................................................46 3. Corporate sponsorships and Advertising ......................................................................46 4. Corporate naming rights ....................................................................................................46 5. Friends groups .........................................................................................................................47 6. Volunteer programs ...............................................................................................................47 D. CAPITal FUNDING .........................................................................................................................47 1. Donations and grants ...........................................................................................................47 2. Public sector grants ...............................................................................................................48 E. DEDICATED FUNDING ...................................................................................................................49 F. OPERATIONS aND FUNDING: SUMMARY aND CONCLUSIONS ...................................50 G. PlaN PRIORITIES .............................................................................................................................50 H. GENERal COST ESTIMATES ........................................................................................................51 REFERENCES 54 APPENDIX 60 A. TOWN OF LEESBURG RESOLUTION NO. 2002-167, APPROVING THE PROPOSED 20- YEAR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR PARKS, RECREATION, OPEN SPACE, TRAILS, AND GREENWAYS B. SUMMARY REPORT - RESEARCH AMONG LEESBURG RESIDENTS REGARDING THE USE OF OPEN SPACE AREAS LIST OF FIGURES 1. Existing opportunities .....................................................................................................................5 2. Existing environmental conditions ...........................................................................................10 3. Planned developments Within the ugA .................................................................................13 4. Concept plan .....................................................................................................................................25 5. Proposed open space opportunity Areas .............................................................................27 6. Trails plan ............................................................................................................................................29 7. Greenway plan ..................................................................................................................................31 8. Proposed Active recreation sites ..............................................................................................34 LIST OF TABLES 1. Budgeted changes in Labor, revenue, and personnel (1999-2001)