PARKS & RECREATION WPROS PARKS, RECREATION & OPEN SPACES MASTER PLAN MARCH 2014 “A City within a park where everyone benefits from parks and recreation.” PARKS & RECREATION WPROS PARKS, RECREATION & OPEN SPACES MASTER PLAN Chapter One Introduction ................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................ 1 1.2 Guiding Principals and Objectives of the Plan ...................... 1 1.3 Westerville Parks and Recreation Today ................................. 1 1.4 Organizational Chart ................................................................. 2 1.5 Accomplishments Since the Last PROS Plan .......................... 3 1.6 Historical Time line of the Evolution of the Department ........ 6 1.7 Master Plan Development Process .......................................... 7 1.8 A Vision for the Future ............................................................... 7 1.9 Mission Statement ...................................................................... 7 1.10 What We Value .......................................................................... 7 1.11 Key Recommendations ............................................................ 8 Chapter Two Community Profile .................................................................................. 11 2.1 Demographic Analysis .............................................................. 11 2.2 Trends Analysis ............................................................................ 15 Chapter Three Community Input ................................................................................... 29 3.1 Input Opportunities .................................................................... 29 3.2 Key Leadership, Focus Group and Public Input Summary ... 30 3.3 Intercept Survey Results ............................................................ 32 3.4 Statistically Valid Household Survey ........................................ 34 Chapter Four Natural Resources and Management............................................... 49 4.1 Natural Resources and Management Overview................... 49 4.2 What are Natural Resources .................................................... 49 4.3 Why Natural Resources are Important .................................... 50 4.4 Natural Resources in Westerville .............................................. 51 Westerville Parks, Recreation & Open Spaces Master Plan Table of Contents Chapter Five Recreational Pathways and Connectivity ..................................... 53 5.1 Recreational Pathways and Connectivity Overview ............ 53 5.2 Definitions .................................................................................... 54 5.3 Existing B&W Recreational Pathways and Priorities .............. 55 5.4 Education & Encouragement ................................................. 61 Chapter Six Recreation Services .................................................................................. 63 6.1 Recreation Program Assessment ............................................. 63 Chapter Seven Parks and Facilities Needs Analysis .................................................. 77 7.1 Park and Facility Level of Service Standards .......................... 77 7.2 Parks and Recreation Facilities Inventory ............................... 81 7.3 Prioritized Facility Rankings ....................................................... 84 Chapter Eight Community Center and Park Improvements ............................ 87 8.1 Visioning and Core Program .................................................... 87 8.2 Westerville Community Center Expansion Opportunities Conceptual Plan ....................................................................... 87 8.3 Park Improvements ................................................................... 91 Chapter Nine Implementation ......................................................................................... 105 9.1 Action Plan ................................................................................. 105 Appendices: Appendix 1 – Statistically Valid Community Survey Appendix 2 – Development Standard Guidelines Appendix 3 – Revenue Source Options March 2014 WPROS MASTER PLAN Natural Resources and Management 4.1 NATURAL RESOURCES AND MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW INTRODUCTION Natural resources such as trees, tributaries, wetlands, streams and other natural areas are very important to the Westerville community and are invaluable to the parks system. Preservation of natural resources is essential in maintaining beautiful scenery for current and future citizens. The Parks and Recreation Department aims to preserve as many natural areas as possible in order to provide educational opportunities and to create passive recreational opportunities to citizens. OVERVIEW While Westerville parks currently contain a variety of natural resources, it will be important to ensure the continued protection of these resources in and around the park system. Two goals have been identi ed by the Parks Bioretention Areas and Recreation Department related to Natural Bioretention areas are designed to provide in ltration and Resources and Management: plant uptake by temporarily storing, treating and slowly releasing runo to remove pollutants. 1. The protection of the city’s natural resources 2. Community awareness of natural resources Open Space (Natural Open Space) found in Westerville Open space is land permanently reserved as a nature preserve, stream protection corridor or other land that naturally regulates storm water. This space provides habitat for natural ora and fauna or protects ecologically sensitive 4.2 sites such as wetlands and signi cant forested areas. WHAT ARE NATURAL RESOURCES Streams and Waterways Natural resources come in a wide variety of Streams and waterways are channels that have a well- forms, from streams and ponds to large stands de ned bed and bank, either natural or arti cial that of trees. Features that occur naturally within the con nes and conducts continuous or periodic owing water environment that exists relatively undisturbed in such a way that terrestrial vegetation cannot establish by mankind in a natural form is considered a roots within the streambed. natural resource. Perennial Stream DEFINITIONS Perennial streams carry water more than 80 percent Below are a series of natural resources de nitions of the year, drying out only during long, dry spells. that will be referenced throughout this chapter. Natural Resources Intermittent Stream Natural resources occur naturally within the Intermittent streams carry water 10 to 80 environments that exist relatively undisturbed by percent of the year. mankind in a natural form. Ephemeral Stream Ephemeral streams carry water only after rain events and shortly thereafter, and carry water less than 20 percent of the time. March 2014 WPROS Page 49 MASTER PLAN Chapter Four transport the water to streams. Overwhelmed by the brief Waterbody but intense water volume, oodwaters scour the stream A waterbody is any natural or arti cial pond, banks of natural vegetation and erode the stream bed. After lake, reservoir or other area that ordinarily wet periods, these creeks often are dry because storm water or intermittently contains water and has a never enters the groundwater supply, which is a signi cant discernible shoreline into which surface waters source of stream water. o w . Trees absorb large quantities of water after rainfall events, Wetlands by taking storm water up through their roots. A mature tree Wetlands are areas that are inundated or can have a root system that can hold almost 1,500 gallons saturated by surface or groundwater with a of rain water. For every 5 percent of tree cover added to a frequency and duration su cient to support a community, storm water runo is reduced by approximately prevalence or vegetation typically adapted for life 2 percent, as the tree directs rainwater down its trunk to the in saturated soil conditions. earth. HABITATS All natural resources, including streams, ponds, trees and 4.3 WHY NATURAL RESOURCES ARE wetlands provide important habitats for wildlife, either IMPORTANT temporarily during migration or as permanent homes. Many wildlife species are dependent on the natural resources in Natural resources are important to both the which they reside and can be dramatically impacted by even environment and the citizens because they the slightest change to their habitat. provide important recreational opportunities, wildlife habitats, reduce runo and improve air AESTHETIC BENEFITS/INCREASE PROPERTY VALUE and water quality. The most observable bene t natural resources provide is their ability to improve the character of the community and FLOOD CONTROL/STORM WATER MANAGEMENT enhance the general appearance of development. Natural Stormwater runo is rainfall that ows over the resources have a positive emotional e ect on people by ground surface. Stormwater runo is the number connecting us to nature and reducing stress. Therefore, it one cause of stream impairment in urban should be no surprise that natural resources such as streams areas. Natural, undeveloped areas allow storm and woodlands have a positive impact on property values water to make its way through the soil into the and enhance the desirability of a location. Creating a more groundwater supply. By contrast, buildings and desirable community is important in attracting and retaining pavement block rain from