! ! ! ! ! ! ! Passaic&County,&New&Jersey& Parks,&Recreation&and&Open&Space& Master&Plan&! Comprehensive&Plan&Element& ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Passaic&County,&New&Jersey& Parks,&Recreation&and&Open&Space& Master&Plan&! Comprehensive&Plan&Element& ! ! July%2014% ! Prepared!by:!! ! ! 11!Tindall!Road! Middletown,!NJ!07748! ! ! ! ____________________________!! ________________________________! Evan!J.!Stone,!ASLA,!LLA! Richard!S.!Cramer,!PP,!AICP! NJ!Landscape!Architect!No.!21AS00092100! NJ!Professional!Planner!No.:!2207! ! ! ! ______________________________! MiChael!La!Place,!PP,!AICP! Passaic!County!Planning!Board!(Secretary!and!Director)! Passaic!County!Planning!Department!(Director!of!Planning)! NJ!Professional!Planner!No.:!5467! ! ! Passaic%County% Rich%History%•%Bright%Future% ! ! The%original%of%this%document%was%signed%and%sealed% in%accordance%with%New%Jersey%Law.% ! Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan Comprehensive Plan Element Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders Pasquale “Pat” Lepore, Director Theodore “T.J.” Best, Jr., Deputy Director John W. Bartlett Ronda Casson Cotroneo Terry Duffy Bruce James Hector C. Lora Passaic County Staff Anthony J. DeNova, III, County Administrator Hector A. Herrera, Deputy County Administrator Michael La Place, AICP, PP, Planning Director Nicholas Roca, Parks and Recreation Director Kathleen M. Caren, Open Space Coordinator ii Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan Comprehensive Plan Element Passaic County Planning Board Pasquale “Pat” Lepore, Freeholder Director Terry Duffy, Freeholder Theodore “T.J.” Best, Alternate Freeholder Michael La Place, AICP, PP, Planning Director Steven Edmond, County Engineer Stephen Martinique, Chair Kenneth Simpson, Vice Chair Miguel Diaz William Gervens Joseph Metzler Sam Mirza Thomas Williamson Passaic County Open Space Trust Fund Advisory Committee Ronda Casson Cotroneo, Freeholder Hector A. Herrera, Deputy County Administrator Kathleen M. Caren, Open Space Coordinator Nicholas Roca, Parks and Recreation Director John Pogorelec, Jr. Assistant County Council Raymond Egatz, Chair Sandra E. Lawson, Vice Chair Isabel Agudelo Maria Flynn Gerald E. Glisson Maria-Elena Grant James Rogers Alice A. Szepietowski Anna Tacinelli Bernard Vroom, III iii Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan Comprehensive Plan Element T&M Associates Evan J. Stone, ASLA, LLA Richard S. Cramer, PP, AICP Robert Dare, PP, AICP, MCIP Anthony Rodriguez, PP, AICP Martin Truscott, PP, AICP, LEED-GA Robert Gregoria, PE, PP Edward Klump, PE Jason Ervin SSP Architectural Group, Inc. Emily A. Hammer, LEED AP Swarupa Rani Samant, AIA, LEED AP ETC Institute Ron Vine iv Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan Comprehensive Plan Element Executive Summary The Comprehensive Plan Element of the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan presents recommendations for the improvement of the Passaic County Park System, and a vision for its future. It includes detailed information on the county-owned park, recreation, and open spaces, presents the technical findings of the consultant team responsible for preparation of the plan, and is based on the knowledge gained through public meetings and comment as well as interviews with community officials. The comprehensive plan provides the foundation for the management, maintenance, improvement, and expansion strategies described in the Passaic County Park System Strategic Plan. The content of the Comprehensive Plan Element is summarized below. • An Overview of the Passaic County Park System, which discusses the history and development of the Passaic County Park System, the Olmsted influence on the system, and the previous park system plan. • Inventory of Park and Open Space Areas, which describes each of the eleven park, recreation, and open space areas of the Passaic County Park System. • Goals of the Comprehensive Plan Element, which defines the mission, vision, and goals for an integrated network of public park, recreation and open space areas that are alive with energy, attractive and well maintained, and provide a high-quality experience for all visitors and users of county park and recreation programs. • Plan Development, which explains the need for the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan and yearlong effort made by the county the develop the plan and to incorporate the voices of the public. • The Planning Context, which surveys local geography and other factors that are relevant to the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan, as well as its relationship to other plans and programs at various levels of government, and within the non-profit sector. • Assessment of the County Park System, which reviews park system operations, financing, facility conditions, ADA accessibility, programming, natural resources, cultural resources, circulation, and the benefits of the park system. • Needs Analysis, which evaluates the existing and future need for county-owned park, recreation and open space. • Action Plan for the County Park System, which provides both system-wide and park-specific actions to effectuate the goals presented in the Comprehensive Plan Element. • Open Space System Map, which shows the proposed system of parkland, greenways, and open spaces within Passaic County. • Appendices, which present technical information and data utilized in the preparation of the plan. v Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan Comprehensive Plan Element Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction to the Comprehensive Plan Element ....................................... 1 Chapter 2: Overview of the Passaic County Park System .............................................. 3 History and Development ...................................................................................................................................... 3 The Olmsted Influence ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Previous Plan ............................................................................................................................................................... 7 Chapter 3: Inventory of Park, Recreation and Open Space Areas .................................. 8 The Passaic County Park System ........................................................................................................................ 9 Apshawa Preserve ...................................................................................................................................................... 9 Friendship Park ........................................................................................................................................................ 10 Garret Mountain Reservation ............................................................................................................................ 11 Goffle Brook Park ..................................................................................................................................................... 12 Peckman Preserve ................................................................................................................................................... 13 Pompton Aquatic Park .......................................................................................................................................... 14 Preakness Valley Park ........................................................................................................................................... 15 Rifle Camp Park ........................................................................................................................................................ 16 San Cap Park .............................................................................................................................................................. 17 Tranquility Ridge Park .......................................................................................................................................... 18 Weasel Brook Park .................................................................................................................................................. 19 Chapter 4: Mission, Vision, and Goals and Objectives ................................................ 20 Mission ........................................................................................................................................................................ 20 Vision ........................................................................................................................................................................... 20 Statements of Goals and Objectives ................................................................................................................ 20 Chapter 5: Plan Development .................................................................................... 23 Need for an Updated Plan ................................................................................................................................... 23 Demographic Changes ........................................................................................................................................... 23 Changes in Acquisition Objectives .................................................................................................................... 25 2010 Standards for Accessible Design ...........................................................................................................