Forest Preserve District of Cook County|Recreation Master Plan 2013 Forest Preserve District of Cook County RECREATION MASTER PLAN MARCH 2013 Executive Summary | 1 Connecting People to Nature Forest Preserve District of Cook County| Recreation Master Plan 2013 Table of Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................ 1 Purpose & Goals .............................................................................................................................. 1 History & Planning Context ............................................................................................................. 1 Policy Framework ............................................................................................................................ 2 Planning Process .............................................................................................................................. 2 Recreation Vision & Guiding Principles ........................................................................................... 3 Compatible Recreation .................................................................................................................... 4 Key Findings ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Summary of Plan Recommendations .............................................................................................. 6 Opportunity Sites ............................................................................................................................ 7 Priority Sites .................................................................................................................................... 8 Service Delivery & Operations ....................................................................................................... 10 Future Opportunities & Funding Needs ........................................................................................ 11 Summary........................................................................................................................................ 12 1. Planning Context .......................................................................................................... 13 Purpose of this Plan ....................................................................................................................... 13 History of District ........................................................................................................................... 14 District Mission & Values ............................................................................................................... 14 Master Plan Vision & Principles ..................................................................................................... 14 Policy Framework .......................................................................................................................... 15 Compatible Recreation Evaluation Criteria ................................................................................... 16 Relationship to Other Plans ........................................................................................................... 17 Methodology & Timeline of Planning Process .............................................................................. 18 2. Community Needs Assessment ..................................................................................... 21 Community Profile & Demographics ............................................................................................. 21 Community Survey Results ............................................................................................................ 27 Public and Stakeholder Input ........................................................................................................ 32 Trends ............................................................................................................................................ 34 Peer Agency Comparisons ............................................................................................................. 35 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 42 3. Programs & Services ‐ Analysis & Recommendations .................................................... 43 Overview of Existing Programs & Services .................................................................................... 43 Regulatory Framework .................................................................................................................. 48 Regional Providers ......................................................................................................................... 49 Service Assessment Tool ............................................................................................................... 49 Key Findings ................................................................................................................................... 51 Recommendations – Programs & Services .................................................................................... 52 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 54 4. Inventory ‐ Analysis & Recommendations ..................................................................... 55 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 55 Inventory Assessment & Recommendations ................................................................................ 56 Opportunity Sites .......................................................................................................................... 90 80/20 Land Use Analysis ................................................................................................................ 96 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 97 Forest Preserve District of Cook County| Recreation Master Plan 2013 5. Operations & Oversight – Analysis & Recommendations .............................................. 99 District Overview ........................................................................................................................... 99 Key Findings ................................................................................................................................. 102 Recommendations – Operations & Oversight ............................................................................. 104 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 105 6. Recommendations Summary & Implementation ......................................................... 107 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 107 Recommendations Summary & Action Plan ............................................................................... 108 Capital Improvement Cost Estimates .......................................................................................... 122 Implementation Strategies .......................................................................................................... 127 Operational Analysis .................................................................................................................... 128 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 133 Appendix A – Recreation Trends ..................................................................................... 135 Appendix B – Peer Agency Comparison Charts ................................................................ 145 Appendix C – Select Recreational Services Analysis & Review of Regional Providers ....... 151 Appendix D – Service Assessment Overview ................................................................... 161 Appendix E – 80/20 Analysis of Forest Preserve Lands .................................................... 167 Appendix F – Recreation Analysis Component Chart ....................................................... 175 Appendix G – Camp Master Plan Site Map ...................................................................... 181 List of Tables Table 1: Subarea Demographic Overview ................................................................................................... 23 Table 2: Obesity Ranking (U.S. and Illinois) ................................................................................................. 26 Table 3: Peer Agency Overview .................................................................................................................. 36 Table 4: Nature Program Attendance (2009‐2011) .................................................................................... 47 Table 5: Top Ten Outdoor Athletic Activities Ranked by Total Participation 2011................................... 135 Table 6: Water Recreation Participation byn Activity (i thousands) (6 years of age or older) ................. 137 Table