Terry Shannon, County Administrator 'Fi-3 J
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DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & ZONING INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM TO: Board of County Commissioners VIA: Terry Shannon, County Administrator 'fi-3 J. Mark Willis, Director Mary Beth Cook, Deputy Director, Zoning pt6 FROM: Rachel O'Shea, Planner III DATE: November 16, 2017 SUBJECT: Calvert County Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan — 2017 Draft Background: The State of Maryland requires local governing bodies to prepare a local land preservation and recreation plan. A local governing body is to revise its plan at least every five years and submit it to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) for joint approval at least one year prior to revision of the Maryland Land Preservation and Recreation Plan. The current Calvert County Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan (LPPRP), developed in 2013 and 2014, was approved by the Planning Commission and adopted by the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) in 2014. Maryland's Guidelines for State & Local Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Planning was updated in July of 2015. The guidelines outline minimum planning and documentation requirements in the preparation or update of the LPPRP. The 2015 Guidelines are the first since primary responsibility for preparing the next Statewide Land Preservation and Recreation Plan (2019) was moved from MDP to DNR via statue (per Chapter 410{HB1025} of 2011), which took effect in 2011. Discussion: The State's guidelines for the 2017 plan require that the plan be more detailed and statistically based. In addition to the usual information, the new guidelines require: • A survey which seeks public input on the use of county parks and recreation facilities and programs; • Interpretation of studies from federal, state, local and academic or institutional sources to supplement locally sourced data which informs the plan planning process; and • A Level of Service Analysis that must include a Proximity Analysis and a Park Equity Analysis. In the spring of 2016, the Planning Commission approved and the BOCC authorized the use of local Program Open Space (POS) acquisition and recreation excise tax funds to prepare the 2017 LPPRP. Planning & Zoning staff worked with the Calvert County Open Space Committee to hire a consultant, GreenPlay, LLC, to help prepare the Plan in the fall of 2016. In the spring of 2017, staff worked with GreenPlay on the public engagement aspects including public workshops and an online survey. The information gained from these sessions was used to develop the plan over the summer months. Conclusion/Recommendation: The draft plan has been prepared for review and comment. On November 15, 2017, the Planning Commission directed staff to move forward with submitting the draft for agency comment. Once comments have been received from the Planning Commission, the municipalities, agencies, BOCC and the State, staff and the consultant, will revise the plan as needed and submit it to the Planning Commission for review. The Planning Commission will be asked to forward a recommendation of approval to the BOCC for review and adoption. Today's work session is to benefit the public and BOCC by presenting an overview of the draft plan. Land Preservation, Parks, and Recreation Plan 2017 Update 1 Significance of the 2017 LPPRP update • Satisfies Program Open Space statutory requirements (s.5-905, Natural Resources Article, Code of MD) • Becomes a companion to the Comprehensive Plan upon adoption • Guides investment in parks, recreation, and open space preservation ~$1.2 million in POS Localside grants since 2012 2 State LPPRP Guidelines 2017 • Agricultural Land Preservation – No new analysis required; update data & goals • Natural Resource Conservation – No new analysis required; update data & goals • Parks and Recreation – Retired 30 acres/1,000 population metric – New Level of Service analysis to determine needs 3 State LPPRP Guidelines 2017 • Cultural and Historic Resource Conservation – Summary of resources and goals – Relevant and significant to LPPRP focus areas, but not required by Guidelines 4 Planning Process Summary Review guiding documents, plans, & policies Population characteristics & recreation trends Informed Planning Process Existing parks, open spaces, and recreation assets Staff, stakeholder, & public perceptions 5 Agricultural Land Preservation Comprehensive Plan goals remain valid A. Preserve at least 40,000 acres of farm and forest land. 10,087 acres to be preserved B. Continue to fund the County Purchase of Development Rights and urge the State to do the same. C. Support zoning changes that allow farmers to have additional uses for agri-tourism, eco-tourism, and heritage tourism. D. Continue to work with the Economic Development Department, the Sustainable Agriculture Workgroup, and Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission to develop and implement marketing programs. 6 Cultural and Historic Resource Conservation Known Resources: Goals of 2014 LPPRP remain valid: • 530+ archaeological sites A. Adopt a historic/scenic roads ordinance. • 91 properties in County Historic B. Continue to add undocumented sites to the Districts Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties. • 20 sites on National Register of Historic Places C. Continue to record archaeological sites and • 2 municipal Historic add them to the Maryland Archaeological Landmarks (North Sites Inventory. Beach) D. Adopt an archaeological site protection ordinance. 7 Natural Resource Land Conservation Existing Resources: Comprehensive Plan goals, visions, and 10,015 acres of lands objectives remain valid; focus on: preserved for high A. Preserving and enhancing lands with natural resource, open high natural resource value. space, and outdoor recreation values. B. Improving information used in decision making. 83% of total parks, recreation, and open space lands C. Increasing resident’s level of inventoried. environmental education and literacy. 8 Recreation, Parks, and Open Space • Level of Service Analysis – How well are existing parks & recreation opportunities meeting local needs? • Study Areas: – Existing conditions, assets, and resources – Local and national participation trends – Staff, stakeholder, and public perceptions 9 Recreation, Parks, and Open Space Key contributor to local high quality of life. Economic Activity Environmental Awareness & Benefits of Stewardship Public Parks & Open Spaces Sense of Early Explorers Camp Community Photo Credit: Calvert County Natural Personal & Resources Division Public Health & Wellness 10 Existing Assets • 94 sites provide diverse recreation opportunities • 11,997 total acres of public parks, recreation areas, and open space/natural areas • 4,275.5 acres are County and municipal lands 11 Existing Assets County & Municipalities: • Mix of active parks & facilities, natural areas Quasi- Calvert public/Private County & with some Municipalities State of Maryland: public access 4,275.5 acres 2,275 acres • NRMAs, Calvert Cliffs S.P, Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum State of Maryland Quasi-Public: 5,516 acres • Calvert Nature Society, Land Trusts, subdivision recreation areas 12 Distribution of Assets Tan Areas = higher density of sites with recreation opportunities Density of sites generally correlates with areas of higher population density Sites are clustered in areas where many people live. 13 Access to certain recreation opportunities Drive-time analysis maps review sites with publicly accessible: Good Access • athletic fields 10 minute drive or • basketball courts less • tennis courts • trails Moderate Access • water access 10 - 20 minute drive There is Good to Moderate access throughout the county to sites Less than with these features. Desirable Access 20+ minute drive 14 Drive-time access Good Access 10 minute drive or less Moderate Access 10 - 20 minute drive Less than Desirable Access 20+ minute drive 15 Participation in County Programs Parks and Recreation Division (Sept. 2015 – August 2016): • 2,488 programs and activities offered • 43,000+ registrations, reservations, and/or passes • 33,000+ drop-in facility users • 14,600+ games and practices on athletic fields • 787 picnic pavilion and shelter rentals • 173,000+ individual daily users at aquatic facilities • 24,500 golf tee time reservations at Chesapeake Hills • 50,000 daily admissions, 700 camp site rentals at Breezy Point Beach and Campground 16 Participation in County Programs Natural Resources Division (FY2016 – FY2017) • Engaged 100% of County 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade classes in outdoor learning experiences • 130+ programs and activities offered • Nearly 3,000 individual participants registered for programs • 12,000+ individuals from 417 different groups participated in programs and activities • 48,000+ visitors to nature parks 17 Estimated Adult Participation Outdoor Activities Sports and Fitness Leisure Activities 32% went to the 31.9% walk for 65.8% attended a beach exercise movie 17.7% fishing 18.4% swimming 29.5% attended a 13.4% camping 16.5% live sporting event jogging/running 23.8% attended a live musical performance Source: Esri Business Analyst 18 Public Input and Current Perceptions Strength Weakness Summary of •Diverse recreation opportunities •Lack of strong pedestrian, bicycle connectivity Feedback: High quality programs and • Staff facilities Signage and wayfinding is limited • Stakeholder Focus Parks and recreation identified as Not enough public water access or Groups a key component of local high athletic fields quality of life • Public Meeting participants Opportunity •Improve