Citizen participation in developing Richmond's Downtown Master Plan has been hugely successful because so many individuals have made their voices heard - and now you have a chance to do the same with the City's Parks and Recreation Master Plan.
 
One of the trademarks of my Administration has been to represent the City overall and garner citizen input in how we can make our City better as a whole. In the coming weeks, the City's Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities will host public input sessions to discuss the Master Plan for enhancing our citywide park system over the next ten years.
 
One of the benefits of a directly-elected Mayor is that he is responsible to all citizens. In years past when we had nine "mini-mayors" who served on City Council, the interests of the City as a whole were unfortunately subordinated to narrow interests for political reasons.
 
Creation of the City's first Parks and Recreation Master Plan is a citywide effort. It will not focus on just one or two areas but looks at improving our facilities citywide. Parks & Recreation maintain and operate 57 parks, 24 community centers, eight outdoor pools, special facilities, and also actively sponsors numerous events throughout the City each year.   

From the July 4th concert and fireworks at Dogwood Dell to students and neighbors using WiFi in Monroe Park, from the restoration of Battery Park to the protection of James River Park, Richmond is overflowing with many wonderful parks and events for all of our residents to enjoy. Richmond has long been a City of outdoors enthusiasts and nature lovers, and it is important that we work to continue improve those areas for our residents.

The City offers more than just parks, however. We also feature sports and fitness programs as well as senior activities, golf, aquatics, summer youth camps, and cultural arts, including the City's Dance Program, which has long been recognized as a nationally award winning youth troupe.
 
In a recent Survey of citizen satisfaction showing that 81% of Richmonders think the City is moving in the right direction, 69% also rated our City's park system as Excellent or Good. 

As you can see in the chart, 78% rate the quality of parks as Excellent or Good, 79% highly approve of the quality of programs, 76% approve of the variety of programs, 73% think the appearance of the facilities is Excellent or Good, and 81% enjoy the close vicinity of parks to their neighborhood.

 

In five of the nine Council districts, Parks received an approval rating of 75% or higher, and even the 3rd District - which includes almost restored Battery Park - gave the system an approval rating of 63%.

However, there is always room for improvement and that is where citizen input will be essential in developing the Master Plan.

Citizen participation in the Master Planning process has been open and ongoing. The process began in April of 2007 and led to a statistically-valid survey mailed to 3,000 Richmond households last summer.
 
As part of our Master Plan process, key stakeholders were interviewed earlier this year and a series of 10 focus group meetings were held on April 26 and April 27, with additional focus group meetings on July 11 and July 12. This process included the assistance of a national consultant specializing in parks and recreation who helped complete a current assessment of our parks, facilities and services.
 
Now it is time to move to the next step and that's where your input is valuable and necessary.
 
The Parks and Recreation Master Plan can be viewed here prior to the public meetings. While the document is 139 pages long, you can get a good overview of the analysis by reading the Executive Summary (pages 3-8 and 11-16) as well as the Conclusion (pages 134-139).
 
For the true policy wonks, you can view the Appendix File for even more information. Appendix 1, the "Vision, Mission and Strategy Matrix" details both the recommendations and ways to achieve them during the next decade. This will require new thinking, refined policies, and as yet unidentified revenue opportunities in addition to the City's capital budget. 
 
The Plan ideally calls for $171 million in revenue over the next ten years to fully implement the vision. As full funding of the money is highly unlikely given other capital needs in the City, it is important that the City designate its money wisely and specifically on initiatives that are achievable and most important to citizens.
 
As more and more focus in society is on preserving, adopting, and enhancing open green space, especially in urban settings, this is the perfect time to make your voice heard to improve upon what we have currently and which direction we should be heading. Our City has some beautiful parks and open spaces that we can improve as well as expand our cultural and athletic programs for all citizens.
 
The framework for the next ten years of our parks and community facilities is in place. Now, your voice needs to be heard so we can achieve the next level, moving forward together. 
  
Upcoming Parks and Recreation Master Plan Meetings: 

Tuesday, Sept. 30
Noon -   Hickory Hill Conference Room
            3000 East Belt Blvd.
6 p.m. - Hickory Hill Conference Room
            3000 East Belt Blvd.

Wednesday, October 1
Noon -   Forest Hill Park Stone House
            4100 Forest Hill Ave.
Noon -   Byrd Park Roundhouse
            800 S. Davis Ave.
6 p.m. - Powhatan Community Center
            5051 Northampton St.
6 p.m. - Randolph Community Center
            1415 Grayland Ave.
 

Thursday, October 2
Noon -   Humphrey Calder Community Center     

             414 N. Thompson St.
6 p.m. - Bellemeade Community Center              
             1800 Lynhaven Ave.