C ITY OF A LEXANDRIA 2009 Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Master Plan Prepared by LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE ARCHITECTURE ENGINEERING PLANNING CITY OF ALEXANDRIA 2009 Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Master Plan Prepared by: LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE ARCHITECTURE ENGINEERING PLANNING Tennessee Office Georgia Office 1314 5th Avenue North, Suite 200 220 West Crogan St. Nashville, TN 37208 Lawrenceville, GA 30045 p. 615-242-0040 p. 770-338-0017 f. 615-242-1405 f. 770-338-0397 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Lose & Associates would like to thank the citizens, elected officials, the Community Services Division and city staff, and all members of the Alexandria community who participated in the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. Your dedication and commitment to your community are a testament to the high quality of life that is present in the City of Alexandria. Special thanks are due to the following: MAYOR Jacques M. Roy ALEXANDRIA CITY COUNCIL Councilman-at-Large Myron K. Lawson Councilman-at-Large Roosevelt L. Johnson Councilman, District 1 Ed Larvadain, III Councilman, District 2 Everett C. Hobbs Councilman, District 3 Jonathan D. Goins Councilman, District 4 Harry Silver Councilman, District 5 Charles L. “Chuck” Fowler PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE COMMUNITY SERVICES DIVISION STAFF TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS SECTION 1 – INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………….....1.1 Prevous Plannng Efforts………………………………………………………………...……1.2 SECTION 2 – COMMUNITY PROFILE……………………………………..……………………….…2.1 Demographc Profle…………………………………………………………….……….……2.1 Population by Age………………...……………………………………………………….……………...2.4 Population by Ethnicity………………………………………………………………………...………….2.5 Education, Income and Employment Profiles………………………………………………………..…..2.6 Vehicles Available per Household………………………………………………………………………..2.7 Conclusons…………………………………………………………………………….………2.8 SECTION 3 – PUBLIC INPUT…...…………………………………….……………..……………...…3.1 Intervews………………………………………………………………………………........…3.1 Steerng Commttee Workshop……………………………………………………………...3.2 Publc Meetngs………….……………………………………………………………..……...3.7 Martin Community Center………………………………………………….………………………….....3.7 Public Safety Complex…..…………………………………………...…………………………………...3.8 Broadway Resource Center……………………………………..………………………………………...3.9 Frank O. Hunter Park Gymnasium…………………………………..………………………….……...3.10 Scott M. Brame Middle School……………………………………..…………………………………...3.11 St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church……………………………………..……………………...…………...3.11 Communty Survey…………..………………………………………………………………3.12 Program and Activity Preferences……………………………………………..………………………...3.12 Park and Program Usage……….…………………………………………………………...…………...3.15 Program Adequacy.…………………………………………………………………………………….. 3.18 Facility Priorities..………………………………………………………………...……….........………. 3.22 Marketing……..…………………...……………………………………………….…………....……….3.24 Funding and Willingness to Contribute...............…...…………………………………………....…... 3.25 Respondent Demographics.………………………………...................................................………. 3.26 Summary of Publc Input Fndngs………………………………………..…..………...….3.28 SECTION 4 – DIVISION ORGANIZATION AND ANALYSIS…………….………...……………...…4.1 Current Organzaton……………………………………...…………………………………..4.1 Community Services Division...……………………………….................................................……….4.1 Parks and Recreation Department……………....................................................................………...4.2 Current Organization Analysis……………………………………................................................…....4.3 Proposed Organzaton and Recommendatons………………………………………….…4.4 Recreation Programs.……………………………………….....................................................……….4.4 Revenue Centers.....……………………………..............................................…...…………………...4.8 Parks Maintenance………...………………………...………................................................……...….4.8 Community Programs………...............….…………………................................................…….….4.12 Sports and Marketing………………………………...………...................................................….….4.13 Alexandria Zoo………………………................................................…………………………....…..4.14 Division Leadership………………………………………........................................................….….4.14 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board………………………………………...........................……….4.15 Job Descriptions for New Positions………………………………………………...........................….4.16 2009 COMPREHENSIVE PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN • TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS Recommendatons Summary……………………………………………………….…….…4.17 Tier One Organizational Priorities………………………......................................................……….4.17 Tier Two Organizational Priorities …………………………….....................................…...………...4.17 SECTION 5 – PROGRAMMING ASSESSMENT………………..……..…………………………….....5.1 Communty Programmng Benefts……………………………………………………….….5.1 Communty Servces Dvson Programs..………………………………………………..….5.2 Program Analysis………………..……………..……..……………………...…………………..……..…5.2 Partnershps…………………………………………………………………………………….5.4 Partnership Analysis……………………………………………………………………………...…..……5.4 Partnership Recommendations……………………………………………………………………...……5.4 Alternatve Provders…………………………………………………………………...……...5.6 Recreaton Trends…………………………………………………………………...………...5.6 Population-Based Programming……………………………………………………………………….….5.6 Activity-Based Programming…………………………………………………………...……………..…..5.7 Program Ideas from Other Communities………………………………………………….………....…..5.9 Trends Overview and Recommendations…………………………………………………….….……..5.11 Recommendatons Summary…………………………………………………………….….5.12 Development of New Programs…………………………………………………………………...…....5.12 Administrative……………………………………………………………………………………..…......5.13 Organizational…………………………………………………………………....……………………...5.13 SECTION 6 – BUDGET ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS...…………………………………6.1 Budget Overvew……………….……………………………………………….…...………...6.1 Budget Analyss……………….……………………………………………….…...…………..6.2 Community Services Division…………………………………………………....………………..……...6.2 Parks and Recreation Department (Parks Maintenance)………………………………………..…....…6.2 Enterprise Funding………………………………………………………….……………………..………6.3 Benchmark Comparison...………………………………………………….……………………..………6.3 Cost Recovery…………….……………………………………………….………………....…6.4 Budget Recommendatons…………….……………………………………………….…..…6.5 Enterprise Centers………………………………………………………….……………………..………6.5 Per Capita Spending………………………………………………………….…………………..………6.6 Cost Recovery………………………………………………………….…………………………..………6.6 Recommendations Summary……………………………………….……………………..…………...…6.7 SECTION 7 – PARK ASSESSMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS………………………………….7.1 NRPA Gudelnes………….…………………………………………………………….…...…7.1 Mini Park.…………………………………………………………………………………………….……7.2 Neighborhood Park.…………...……………………………………………………………………….…7.3 Community Park………………………………………………………………………………….....….…7.4 Regional Park…………………………………………………………………………………...…….……7.5 Special-Use Park………………………………………………………………………………………..…7.5 Natural Resource Area/Preserve……………………………………………………………………...…..7.5 Greenways…………………………………...………………………………………………………….…7.5 School Park…………………………………………………………………………………………......…7.6 Private Parks and Recreation Facilities……………………………………………………………...……7.6 Alexandra Park Provders…………………………………………………………………..…7.7 City of Pineville……………………………………………………………………………………………7.7 Civitan Ball Park/CENLA Fields at Masonic Drive…………………………………………………..……7.7 Cotile Lake.…………………………………………………………………………………………...……7.7 Kisatchie National Forest..…………………………………………………………………………...……7.7 2009 COMPREHENSIVE PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN • TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS Pineville Ward 9 Sportsplex..……………………………………………………………...………...……7.8 Red River Waterway Commission..………………………….……………………………………...……7.8 Faclty Standards and Dstrbuton………………………………………………………..…7.9 Community Standards.……………………………………………………………………………………7.9 Facility Surplus/Deficit……………………………………………………………………………….……7.9 Park Classifications and Service Areas………………………………………………………………..…7.12 Park Distribution.………..……………………………………………………………………………….7.13 General Park Evaluatons, Observatons and Recommendatons……………………….7.15 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).………..……………………………………………………..…7.16 Playground Safety Standards.………..……………………………………………...……………..……7.17 Security and Vandalism.………………………………………………………………….……...………7.17 Indvdual Park and Faclty Assessments and Recommendatons…………………...….7.18 Alexander Fulton Mini Park.………..…………………………………………….........................……7.18 Bayou Rapides Trail.………..……………………………………………………………………………7.19 Beagle Club.………..…………………………………………………………………….....……………7.20 Bolton Avenue Community Center Playground.………..…………………………………………...…7.21 Charles Smith Park.………..………………………………………………………………………….…7.22 Cheatham Park.………..…………………………………………………………………………………7.23 Compton Park………………………………………………………………………………...….....……7.25 Deborah Bowman Park.………..…………………………………………………………………..……7.26 Enterprise Park.………..…………………………………………………………………………....……7.27 Frank O. Hunter Park.………..……………………………………………………...………….....……7.28 Greenbelt.………..………………………………………………………………………………...….…7.30 Harmon Park.………..……………………………………………………………………………......…7.31 Harold Miles Park.………..………………………………………………………………………...……7.32 Helen Black Park.………..………………………………………………………………………………7.33 Johnny Downs Sports Complex.………..…………………………………………..……….….....……7.34 Lincoln Park.………..……………………………………………………………………………...….…7.36 Links of the Bayou Golf Course.………..………………………………………………………….……7.37 Martin Park.………..……………………………………………………………………………...…..…7.38 Mason Street Park.………..…………………………………………………………………………..…7.39 O’Hearn Mathews Soccer Fields.………..………………………………………………………..….…7.40