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Resolution 2010-18 „ . RESOLUTION NO. 2010-18 R A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WYLIE ADOPTING AN AMENDED VERSION OF THE WYLIE PARKS, RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE MASTER PLAN WHEREAS, the City of Wylie, Texas ("City” or "Wylie") through the approval of the 4B Sales Tax election of January 1994, is committed to the development and enhancement of its parks and recreational infrastructure; and WHEREAS, the City recognizes the direct impact that parks and recreational facilities have on the quality of life for the citizens of Wylie; and WHEREAS, the City desires to plan for the development of a park system which is capable of supporting the expected recreational needs of the community as it approaches its ultimate population; and WHEREAS, the City has conducted an extensive review of the existing Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan and identified areas in need of amendment; and WHEREAS, based upon that review, the City has completed an amended Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan for the City Council's consideration and adoption. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WYLIE. SECTION 1: Findin s Incorporated. The findings set forth above are incorporated into the body of this Resolution as if fully set forth herein. SECTION 2: Adoption of Parks Recreation and Open Space Master Plan. The City Council of the City of Wylie, Texas desires to adopt the amended version of the Parks, Recreation and Open space Master Plan, attached hereto as Exhibit "A" and incorporated herein for all purposes. DULY PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WYLIE, TEXAS this 27 day of April, 2010. 9 Eric Hogue ATTEST: 4 OF ` r!' ''' 1, , , c , .- , Carole Ehrlic , i y Secretary . '`" _ ,w t ,. - ;;. ;s . Resolution No. 2010-18(R) ~ ' Adoption of the Wylie Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan . s + "' 572314.v1 •i ' '[w"'- The 2010 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan May 2010 ©2010 by Halff Associates Inc. (this page intentionally left blank) Table of Contents Acknowledgements The following individuals are recognized for their significant contributions to the preparation of the 2010 Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Master Plan for the City of Wylie. City Council Parks & Recreation Board Eric Hogue – Mayor Anne Hiney – Chair M.G. Byboth – Mayor Pro Tem; Place 2 Donna Larson – Vice-Chair David Goss – Place 1 Dan Chesnut Kathy Spillyards – Place 3 Brandi Lafleur Bennie Jones – Place 4 Gary Robas Rick White – Place 5 Eddie Rodgers Carter Porter – Place 6 Jim Ward Parks & Recreation 4B Board City Staff Eric Hogue – Chairman Mindy Manson – City Manager Rick White Jeff Butters – Assistant City Manager Kathy Spillyards Mike Sferra – Public Services Director Bennie Jones Robert Diaz – Recreation Superintendent Anne Hiney Renae Ollie – Planning Director Shirley Burnett Charles Lee – Senior Planner Dan Chesnut Consultant Team Halff Associates, Inc. Raymond Turco and Associates i 2010 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan Table of Contents Acknowledgements.....................................................................................................................i Table of Contents........................................................................................................................ii List of Maps.................................................................................................................................iii List of Tables..............................................................................................................................iv List of Figures.............................................................................................................................v Chapter 1 – Introduction Purpose of the Plan...........................................................................................................1 – 1 Creating a Vision for Wylie................................................................................................1 – 1 Primary Vision Components..............................................................................................1 – 3 Goals.................................................................................................................................1 – 3 Chapter 2 – Context Introduction.......................................................................................................................2 – 1 Background & History.......................................................................................................2 – 1 Jurisdiction & Planning Areas...........................................................................................2 – 4 Demographics...................................................................................................................2 – 5 Growth Patterns..............................................................................................................2 – 10 Comprehensive Plan.......................................................................................................2 – 12 Trends in Parks & Recreation.........................................................................................2 – 13 Chapter 3 – Public Involvement Introduction.......................................................................................................................3 – 1 Citizen Attitude Survey......................................................................................................3 – 1 Focus Group Meetings....................................................................................................3 – 12 Public Involvement Summary..........................................................................................3 – 13 Chapter 4 – Existing Conditions Introduction.......................................................................................................................4 – 1 Park Classifications...........................................................................................................4 – 1 Summary of Existing Parks...............................................................................................4 – 3 Park & Facility Reviews.....................................................................................................4 – 7 Chapter 5 – Needs Assessment Introduction.......................................................................................................................5 – 1 Assessment Methods........................................................................................................5 – 1 Standard-Based Needs Assessment................................................................................5 – 2 Demand-Based Needs Assessment...............................................................................5 – 16 Resource-Based Needs Assessment.............................................................................5 – 19 ii Table of Contents Chapter 6 – Recommendations Open Space Protection.....................................................................................................6 – 1 Embrace the Lakes...........................................................................................................6 – 3 Strategic Policy.................................................................................................................6 – 4 Parks and Facilities...........................................................................................................6 – 8 Chapter 7 – Municipal Complex Property Master Plan Introduction.......................................................................................................................7 – 1 Master Planning Process..................................................................................................7 – 2 Site Analysis......................................................................................................................7 – 2 Program Analysis..............................................................................................................7 – 6 Final Concept Plan Development....................................................................................7 – 10 Implementation Strategies..............................................................................................7 – 12 Chapter 8 – Implementation Introduction.......................................................................................................................8 – 1 High Priority Needs...........................................................................................................8 – 1 The 2010 – 2020 Action Plan............................................................................................8 – 2 Funding & Implementation Strategies...............................................................................8 – 9 Plan Updates...................................................................................................................8 – 16 Appendices Appendix A – Citizen Attitude Survey Cumulative Results...............................................A – 1 Appendix B – Summarized Focus Group Meeting Results...............................................B – 1 Appendix C – Alternative Development Strategies..........................................................C – 1 Appendix D – Creeks and Streams..................................................................................D – 1 List of Maps City Sectors.............................................................................................................2 – 4, 3 – 2 Existing Neighborhood & DeFacto Neighborhood Parks..................................................4 – 9 Existing Community Parks..............................................................................................4 – 10 Proposed Neighborhood & DeFacto Neighborhood Parks...............................................6 – 9 Existing & Proposed Neighborhood & DeFacto Neighborhood Parks............................6 – 10 Existing & Proposed Community Parks..........................................................................6 – 13 Parks & Trails Master Plan..............................................................................................6 – 14 iii 2010 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan List of Tables Table 2.1 – Population History and Forecast 1970-2030..................................................2 – 5 Table 2.2 – Racial Characteristics....................................................................................2 – 7 Table 2.3 – Educational Attainment by Sex......................................................................2 – 7 Table 2.4 – Household Income, Housing Value, and Homeownership.............................2 – 8 Table 2.5 – Occupation of Employed Civilian Population Aged 16 and Over...................2 – 8 Table 2.6 – Industry of Employed Civilian Population Aged 16 and Over.........................2 – 9 Table 2.7 – City Attributes Attracting Americans.............................................................2 – 16 Table 2.8 – City Attributes Detracting Americans...........................................................2 – 16 Table 3.1 – Age of Respondents.......................................................................................3 – 3 Table 3.2 – Length of Residence......................................................................................3 – 3 Table 3.3 – Age of Children..............................................................................................3 – 3 Table 3.4 – Favorite Types of Activity...............................................................................3 – 5 Table 3.5 – Overall Level of Importance to Provide or Expand Recreational Activities....3 – 8 in Wylie Table 3.6 – Overall Level of Agreement with Park Division Action Statements................3 – 9 Table 3.7 – Overall Rating of Parks and Recreation Factors..........................................3 – 10 Table 3.8 – Overall Level of Agreement with Statements Guiding Future Park..............3 – 11 Division Actions Table 3.9 – Overall Level of Support for Trail-Related Activities in Wylie.......................3 – 11 Table 4.1 – Existing Park Facilities...................................................................................4 – 5 Table 5.1 – Park Land Target Levels of Service...............................................................5 – 5 Table 5.2 – Summary of Acreage Needs..........................................................................5 – 9 Table 5.3 – Recreation Facility Levels of Service...........................................................5 – 11 Table 5.4 – Prioritized Demand-Based Needs................................................................5 – 18 Table 6.1 – Proposed Parkland Dedication Ordinance Revisions....................................6 – 7 Table 8.1 – Action Plan Years 2010 – 2020......................................................................8 – 3 Table 8.2 – Summary of Costs – High Priority Action Items.............................................8 – 6 Table 8.3 – Land Acquisition Recommendation Compared to Acreage Need..................8 – 8 Table 8.4 – Land Trusts Operating in Collin County.......................................................8 – 15 iv Table of Contents List of Figures Figure 2.1 – Population and Households..........................................................................2 – 5 Figure 2.2 – Population and Employment.........................................................................2 – 6 Figure 2.3 – Population by Age & Sex..............................................................................2 – 6 Figure 5.1 – Park Acreage Guidelines Based on National (NRPA) Recommended.........5 – 2 Standards Figure 5.2 – 2010 Park Acreage Target Levels of Service for Wylie................................5 – 3 Figure 5.3 – Current & Target Level of Service – Neighborhood Parks............................5 – 7 Figure 5.4 – Neighborhood Parks Service Area Deficit.....................................................5 – 7 Figure 5.5 – Current & Target Level of Service – Community Parks................................5 – 8 Figure 5.6 – Community Parks Service Area Deficit.........................................................5 – 8 Figure 5.7 – Current & Target Level of Service – Other Parks.........................................5 – 9 Figure 5.8 – Key Competitive Facility Needs..................................................................5 – 13 Figure 5.9 – Key Practice Facility Needs........................................................................5 – 13 Figure 5.10 – Key Other Athletic Facility Needs.............................................................5 – 14 Figure 5.11 – Key Non-Athletic Facility Needs................................................................5 – 14 Figure 5.12 – Key Support Facility Needs.......................................................................5 – 15 Figure 5.13 – Key Support Facility Needs – Recreation & Senior Centers.....................5 – 15 Figure 6.1 – Potential Transect for Development in Wylie................................................6 – 5 Figure 6.2 – Typical Neighborhood Park.........................................................................6 – 18 Figure 6.3 – Typical Community Park.............................................................................6 – 22 Figure 7.1 – Site Analysis Map.........................................................................................7 – 3 Figure 7.2 – Low Impact Scenario Diagram......................................................................7 – 6 Figure 7.3 – Medium Impact Scenario Diagram................................................................7 – 7 Figure 7.4 – High Impact Scenario Diagram.....................................................................7 – 8 Figure 7.5 – Final Concept Plan......................................................................................7 – 10 Figure 8.1 – Overall Parks, Recreation & Open Space Priorities......................................8 – 1 v 2010 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan (this page intentionally left blank) vi Chapter 1–Introduction Chapter 1 Introduction The 2010Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan has been developed based uponthe concerted efforts of the citizens of Wylie, City Officials, and City Staff to plan for the best possible future for Wylie. This introductory chapter is intended to provide an overview of the general themes and key recommendations of this Master Plan. The subsequent chapters explain the background information utilized, the process followed, existing conditions within the City, a detailed analysis, a comprehensive set of recommendations, and an implementation plan. PP URPOSE OF THE LAN Planning is the foundation of building a community with high quality of life, efficient infrastructure, and sustainable growth. Most cities practice many types of planning, including transportation planning, zoning, water resources planning, economic development planning, etc. While all adopted planning efforts impact citizens significantly, it is the work performed in planning for parks, recreationand open space that is often most recognizable by citizens. The City of Wylie Parks, Recreationand Open Space Master Planwas developed as a collaborative effort by the City Council, Parks and Recreation Board, City Staff, and Halff Associates of Richardson, Texas (hereafter, Planning Team). Public involvement is a key component of this Master Plan and serves as the underpinning of the analysis and recommendations included herein. Through the implementation of these recommendations, the City will take considerable stepsto improve the quality of life, image, and character of Wylie over the next five to ten years. Specifically, the 2010Parks, Recreation andOpen Space Master Plan: Identifies the need for additional community facilities, including parks; Evaluates the spatial location of parks, recreation, and cultural facilities within the city and recommends measures to ensure a balanced distribution of facilities within the city; Guides the Parks and Recreation Board and City Staff in acquiring land to meet current andfuture park, open space, and facility needs; Recommends and prioritizes key improvements so that the most significant deficiencies are addressed as quickly as possible; Guides City Staff and City leaders in determining where and how funding should be allocated over the next five to 10 years; Identifies opportunities and recommends appropriate measures for improving quality of life within the city; and Provides a plan which is consistent with the funding and grant requirements for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. CVW REATING AISION FOR YLIE Developing this Master Plan required moving beyond the status quo and identifying a vision for Wylie’s future based on public involvement and input from City Officials and City Staff. The culmination of this input is a broad, comprehensive vision for Wylie’s future that stretches 1–1 2010 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan beyond the traditional boundaries of a parks master plan. This vision, while made up of many components, includes two over-arching concepts(context-sensitivity and self-sustainability)by which this Master Plan has been developed. Context-Sensitivity It is important for this Master Plan to be developed in such a manner that it results in goals and recommendations unique to Wylie.Furthermore, it is paramountto carefully consider the unique needs and opportunities in Wylie and consider existing opportunities while making recommendations for policy actions and facility development, location, and type.Specifically, recommendations to acquire land and build facilities should be based notonly on standards and benchmarks but also on Wylie’s unique needs and the opportunities present in the community. Furthermore, innovative approaches should be used to determining land acquisition needs, resulting in future land acquisitions based on demonstrated needs in addition to regional and national standardsin order to build value in Wylie’s parks system. One such innovative approach is using projected facility needs, in addition to acreage standards, to determine near- future park land needs. Beyond using alternative methods for determining needs, it is also important for this Master Plan (and, subsequently, the actions of the City in the near future) to recognize the value of existing opportunities and capitalize upon them.Key opportunities in Wylie include natural areas, specifically along floodplains, which should be protected and/or acquired to ensure the preservation of Wylie’s image and character,and the US Army Corps of Engineers parks located on LavonLake,which provide recreation opportunities for Wylie even though they are not City- owned or operated. Self-Sustainability Perhaps the most important end-result for the citizens of Wylie is for the City to achieve a level of self-sustainability. Being self-sustainable means high quality oflife, economic prosperity, and stability. Achieving self-sustainability requires the concerted efforts and commitment of City leaders to provide a diverse array of amenities and services for the community. Three specific facets of self-sustainability most directly related to Wylie are: Live/Work/Play –Besides housing, people need places within their community to shop, recreate, work, and receive services (such as clinics and hospitals). The City should strive to create destinations linked within and between each other by means of trails, bike routes and other connections. Age-in-Place –There is a need for housing, recreation opportunities, and services for citizens of all ages in order for people to be able to live in Wylie from the time they are born until they are in their late senior years. “Age-in-Place” also means achieving continuity from generation to generation, proud ownership, investment of both time and money into the city and community, emotional/social connectedness, social sustainability,etc. Unique Opportunities –Take advantage of the opportunities unique to Wylie. Wylie can self-sustain by being different than other nearby cities. It is one of the few cities in North Texas that is adjacent to two lakes, that has so much creek associated floodplain, and that is in a growth-mode. 1–2 Chapter 1–Introduction PVC RIMARY ISION OMPONENTS Under the auspices of the over-arching concepts described above and through the results of the public involvement process, three primary vision components emerged. Altogether, these three components serve as the overall vision and driving force behind the entire Master Plan, by which recommendations and priorities are developed. Fingers of Green –Take advantage of the unique open space opportunities in Wylie, specifically the floodplain corridors along Muddy Creek, Rush Creek, and other creeks within the city. Protect these areas and provide access to them through trails and linear parks. Use these fingers of green to act as identity-giving features for the city, gateways, recreational opportunities, wildlife habitat corridors, and connections between parts of the city. Embrace the Lakes –Become a lake-front community. Wylie is the only city in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex that is directly situated between two major lakes. Historically, however, these lakes have not been utilized as prominent features in Wylie. Embrace the lakes because of their recreation and open space values as well as their ability to further enhance the image of Wylie as a unique destination. Diversity, Choice & Image –Create a community that provides Diversity,Choice, and a refined Imagefor its residents while also protecting the small-town character of Wylie. Progressively guiding how Wylie develops in the future is the most effective way to achieve this goal. Wylie should have zones of varying development density and patterns within the city that range from no development and low-density development near the edges of the city and floodplains to higher-density development near downtown and other futureurban nodes within the city. Such zones will provide diversity and choice, but will also make Wylie unique compared to other nearby cities by ensuring that the city is not developed with one single pattern of development (i.e., “sprawl”as is the case with the majority of cities in the Metroplex, including Wylie). G OALS Providing a roadmap to achieving the vision set forth in this Master Plan requires adopting goals which are broad enough to be concise and comprehensive, but detailed enough to provide clear guidance. The following goals were used in developing recommendations and priorities for this Master Plan. Distinguish Wylie from surrounding communities by utilizing unique solutions and approaches to providing parks, recreation, and open space amenities. Maintain and buildupon Wylie’s unique smalltown sense of community and identity. Preserve and enhance the integrity of Wylie’s neighborhoods by developing high-quality parks and facilities that serve as neighborhood focal points and ensure the provision of adequate close-to-home park space. Become a bicycle-and pedestrian-friendly community and provide a first-class regional system of trails that connects schools, neighborhoods, parks, jobs, shopping, and civic areas as well as providing access toneighboring cities and Lake Ray Hubbard and Lavon Lake. Protect, preserve, and provide access to open space and natural areas;specifically those along Wylie’s creeks and lakes. 1–3 2010 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan Embrace Lake Ray Hubbard and Lavon Lake, provide pedestrian, bicycle, vehicular, and visual access to them, and capitalize upon their recreational opportunities. Be multi-generational and meet the needs of a diverse citizenry through facilities, programs, and public spaces. Be forward-thinking and progressive in continually planning for the future of Wylie’s parks, recreation, and open space system and encourage citizen participation and involvement throughout. 1–4 úÕÜÍÉØËúÎÏÉØÅÉ úÕÜÍÉØË úÎÏÉØÅÉ ô ïéëîùèúéôîï Wylie is located about 30 miles northeast of downtown Dallas and approximately 30miles south of McKinney. It is in the southeastern portion of Collin County within the Blackland Prairie Region of North Central Texas. Wylie has an estimated 2009 population of 41,300and is approximately 80% built-out (roughly 3,300 acres remain undeveloped or as crop/farm land). Wylie’s anticipated build-out population is 52,709. In total, Wylie has an impressive 3,600 acres of floodplain within the City limits which constitutes 21% of the land cover in Wylie. The cityis uniquely situated between two major lakes (Lake Lavon and Lake Ray Hubbard) which provide recreation opportunities and drinking water for much of the region. Wylie has experienced rapid growth over the last two decades and many new residential areas in the western and southern portions of the city have been constructed on converted agricultural land. The rapid development pattern, as will be discussed later in this chapter, has resulted in a dichotomy between the older, historic core of Wylie and the newer suburban-style subdivisions that have been built on the city’s fringes. ûõ üúòöëîèïùôêéîëä Wylie was established as a cityin 1886 along the rights-of-way of the Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe Railroads. The engineer in charge was Colonel W.D. Wylie from Paris, Texas. A railroad official and civil war veteran, Wylie had aspirations of having a town named after him. As a selling point to accomplish his goal,he promised many things to the City, one of which was to buy the local baseball team new uniforms. Upon arrival of the post office in June 1886, the name “Wylie” became official, and by the summer of 1886, Colonel Wylie began éÕØúÎÉÉÎÏÛØÑÉëÜÔÑËÎÜÙÊ×ÔËÊÉÉËÜÔÏÔÏÉÎæÄÑÔØÔÏ ÔÊÊÕÎÆÏ laying out city lots with the 100 acres ÆÔÉÕÊÎÐØÎ×ÉÕØÑÎÚÜÑÍØÎÍÑØ of land he had purchased. In 1887, the St. Louis and Southwestern (Cottonbelt) rail line arrived in Wylie from Greenvilleto the west. Wylie’s first mayor was Howard Pickett from the nearby town of Nickleville and the City’sfirst marshall was Bill Phillips.Although, most may remember Ham “Peanuts” Howery as Wylie’s most respected marshall. The most “remembered car” ever in Wylie was owned by Mitt Willis. It was a model-T that he bought new in 1924 and drove until his death in the 1970’s. Spiritual íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ growth of the town began when the nearby towns of Dump, St. Paul, Nickleville and Eurekabrought in five churches, one of which becamethe oldest Catholic Church in this region. Wylie’s major economic basewas farming, which became the foothold of the community with cotton, onions and wheat being the major crop productions. Cotton was the leading crop and was known as the King. It had such an impacton the economy that schools were scheduled around the growing éÕÔÊÍÕÎÉÎÆÜÊÐÜÙØÔÏÉÕØ ÊéÕØ ÷ÎËÙÈÏÙØËÉÕØ seasons so children could help out in the æÄÑÔØöËÎÚØËÄÊÔÖÏÆÜÊÉÕÜÉÎ×ðÔÉÉæÔÑÑÔÊ fields. Onion farming was also important, and for some time, Wylie was the “Onion Capital”of the United States. Wheat, however, is still the most important crop of the localagricultural economy. The first local newspaper came to Wylie in 1889 named “The Wylie Rustler.” The newspaper went through several name changesuntil reaching its current éÕØ name, “TheWylieNews”. Today, æÄÑÔØïØÆÊ is the largest publication in ÷ÜËÐØËÊÕÜÇØÜÑÆÜÄÊÍÑÜÄØÙÜÏØÊÊØÏÉÔÜÑÍÜËÉÔÏÉÕØñÔ×ØÎ× Collin County. æÄÑÔØéÕÔÊÍÔÚÉÈËØÆÜÊÉÜÒØÏðÜËÚÕ ÛÄÜ ÍÕÎÉÎÖËÜÍÕØË×ËÎÐÉÕØöòðÔÑÑØËêÉÈÙÔÎÊÔÏæÄÑÔØ The First National Bank was established in 1896 and was the only bank in Wylie until the First State Bank was organized in 1912. The First National Bank building was the first brick buildingin Wylie,erected by W.B. Cannon,and still standingand marked in downtown Wylie.The new First State Bank was completed in 1963 at its present location at East Oak and Ballard Until 1951, the Cottonbelt and Santa Fe tracks intersectedabout one mile east of town, but with the construction of the LavonLakedam (between 1948 and 1953), the Santa Fe rail line was relocated. Today, Lake Lavon(owned éÕÔÊÍÔÚÉÈËØÆÜÊÉÜÒØÏÔÏ÷ØÛËÈÜËÄ ÔÏÉÕØÎÑÙ÷ÔËÊÉ ïÜÉÔÎÏÜÑûÜÏÒ Chapter 2—Context by the United States government and „ operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers) provides ample recreation opportunities for the region as well as m BROWN 3T drinking water for many of the surrounding cities (the North Texas Municipal Water District, which is WE"UN ST. headquartered in Wylie, treats and distributes water from the lake). The o construction of the lake, as well as the MARBLE ST City's floodplain management practices, has resulted in reduced flooding in Wylie. The construction of SH 78 along the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe rail line split the town in half, but the historic downtown was able to remains r pB intact along Ballard Street north of Highway 78 (see the map at right). i Wylie continued to grow in the 1960s and 1970s as the North Texas Municipal ,; BUTLER 9T Water District created new jobs and the urban growth of Dallas spurred suburban development. Between 1970 and 1990, Wylie's population more than tripled and from 1990 to 2000 the population nearly doubled again. This rampant population growth, as will be discussed later in this chapter, has pressured the City of Wylie to act very quickly to meet the needs of a rapidly growing and changing community. 2-3 2010 Parks, Recreation &Open Space Master Plan JURISDICTION & PLANNING AREAS While informed by the context of the surrounding areas, this Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan includes detailed analysis and recommendations only for areas located in Wylie's city limits and extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ). In order to ensure that input and recommendations are gained and created equitably, the Planning Team divided the City into three planning areas which are used in the administration of the Citizen Attitude Survey (telephone survey) and for the recommendations, which will be made in Chapter 6. These three areas correspond with the City's three existing Park Zones. Of the total estimated 2009 population of 41,300 (excluding ETJ), 36% of the respondents surveyed live in the West Park Zone (Area 1 on the map), 40% of the respondents live in the East Park Zone (Area 2), and 25% live in the Central Park Zone(Area 3). �•. Y 9 ilk ly 3 lt�iv � f j € P SFE eve A :r er CITY S E%Aft;T0RS HALFF ,. t fF l q L# 3 P 1 f N� 2-4 úÕÜÍÉØËúÎÏÉØÅÉ ù øðîöëüíõôúê The following is a review of past and present demographic data, including population, housing, and employment growth forecasts for the City of Wylie. Understanding who lives in Wylie and the City’s growth projections informs direction for future decisions and actions. éÜÛÑØ íÎÍÈÑÜÉÔÎÏõÔÊÉÎËÄÜÏÙ÷ÎËØÚÜÊÉ íÎÍÈÑÜÉÔÎÏ 2,6753,1528,71615,01643,56652,709 õÎÈÊØÕÎÑÙÊ 8921,1183,4965,08510,46613,821 øÐÍÑÎÄÐØÏÉ 5,1446,5868,659 1. Estimated / Projected; 1970-2000 data provided by U.S. Census Bureau; 2010- 2020 data provided by the City of Wylie, TX. 2. Employment opportunities within the city, not total employees residing within the city Sources:City of Wylie; NCTCOG Population Forecasts; US Census Bureau http://www.nctcog.org/ris/demographics/forecast/query.asp?thefield=citycode&thevalue=4705 http://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cph2/cph-2-1-1.pdf ÷ÔÖÈËØ íÎÍÈÑÜÉÔÎÏÜÏÙõÎÈÊØÕÎÑÙÊ 60,00070,000 60,000 50,000 50,000 40,000 40,000 30,000 30,000 20,000 20,000 10,000 10,000 00 197019801990200020102020 äØÜË PopulationHouseholds Sources:City of Wylie; NCTCOG Population Forecasts; US Census Bureau http://www.nctcog.org/ris/demographics/forecast/query.asp?thefield=citycode&thevalue=4705 http://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cph2/cph-2-1-1.pdf íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ ÷ÔÖÈËØíÎÍÈÑÜÉÔÎÏÜÏÙøÐÍÑÎÄÐØÏÉ 60,00070,000 60,000 50,000 50,000 40,000 40,000 30,000 30,000 20,000 20,000 10,000 10,000 00 200020102020 äØÜË PopulationEmployment Sources:City of Wylie; NCTCOG Population Forecasts; US Census Bureau http://www.nctcog.org/ris/demographics/forecast/query.asp?thefield=citycode&thevalue=4705 http://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cph2/cph-2-1-1.pdf ÷ÔÖÈËØ íÎÍÈÑÜÉÔÎÏÛÄüÖØêØÅ 85 years and over 80 to 84 years 75 to 79 years ðÜÑØ÷ØÐÜÑØ 70 to 74 years 65 to 69 years 60 to 64 years 55 to 59 years 50 to 54 years 45 to 49 years 40 to 44 years 35 to 39 years 30 to 34 years 25 to 29 years 20 to 24 years 15 to 19 years 10 to 14 years 5 to 9 years Under 5 years 2,0001,5001,00050005001,0001,5002,000 Source:2005-2007 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates(US Census Bureau) http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=16000US4880356&- qr_name=ACS_2007_3YR_G00_S0101&-ds_name=ACS_2007_3YR_G00_&-redoLog=false úÕÜÍÉØËúÎÏÉØÅÉ éÜÛÑØ ëÜÚÔÜÑúÕÜËÜÚÉØËÔÊÉÔÚÊ ëÜÚØíØËÚØÏÉÜÖØ æÕÔÉØ 79.70% ûÑÜÚÒÎËü×ËÔÚÜÏüÐØËÔÚÜÏ 9.40% üÐØËÔÚÜÏôÏÙÔÜÏÜÏÙüÑÜÊÒÜïÜÉÔÇØ 0.80% üÊÔÜÏ 4.90% ïÜÉÔÇØõÜÆÜÔÔÜÏÜÏÙîÉÕØËíÜÚÔ×ÔÚôÊÑÜÏÙØË 0.00% êÎÐØÎÉÕØËËÜÚØ 5.20% éÆÎÎËÐÎËØËÜÚØÊ 1.90% õÔÊÍÜÏÔÚÎËñÜÉÔÏÎ 18.40% *Hispanic/Latino is considered an ethnicity, not a race by the US Census. This is the percentage of the total population that identify with the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity. Source:2005-2007 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates(US Census Bureau) http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=16000US4880356&- qr_name=ACS_2007_3YR_G00_DP3YR4&-ds_name=&-_lang=en&-redoLog=false éÜÛÑØ øÙÈÚÜÉÔÎÏÜÑüÉÉÜÔÏÐØÏÉÛÄêØÅ øÙÈÚÜÉÔÎÏüÉÉÜÔÏÐØÏÉíØËÚØÏÉÜÖØ ñØÊÊÉÕÜÏÉÕÖËÜÙØ 4.00% ÉÕÉÎ ÉÕÖËÜÙØÏÎÙÔÍÑÎÐÜ7.10% õÔÖÕÊÚÕÎÎÑÖËÜÙÈÜÉØÔÏÚÑÈÙØÊØÌÈÔÇÜÑØÏÚÄ26.40% êÎÐØÚÎÑÑØÖØÏÎÙØÖËØØ 26.80% üÊÊÎÚÔÜÉØÙØÖËØØ9.30% ûÜÚÕØÑÎËÊÙØÖËØØ 19.90% öËÜÙÈÜÉØÎËÍËÎ×ØÊÊÔÎÏÜÑÙØÖËØØ 6.60% Individuals age 25 and over Source:2005-2007 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates(US Census Bureau) http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=16000US4880356&- qr_name=ACS_2007_3YR_G00_DP3YR4&-ds_name=&-_lang=en&-redoLog=false íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ éÜÛÑØ õÎÈÊØÕÎÑÙôÏÚÎÐØõÎÈÊÔÏÖçÜÑÈØÜÏÙõÎÐØÎÆÏØËÊÕÔÍ ðØÙÔÜÏüÇØËÜÖØ üÏÏÈÜÑõÎÈÊØÕÎÑÙôÏÚÎÐØ $69,189 çÜÑÈØ×ÎËîÆÏØËîÚÚÈÍÔØÙõÎÈÊÔÏÖèÏÔÉÊ $147,600 öËÎÊÊðÎÏÉÕÑÄëØÏÉ $993 ïÈÐÛØËÎ×õÎÈÊØÕÎÑÙÊ 9,977 íØÎÍÑØÍØËõÎÈÊØÕÎÑÙ 3.23 õÎÐØÎÆÏØËÊÕÔÍëÜÉØ 82.80% Source:2005-2007 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates(US Census Bureau) http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=16000US4880356&- qr_name=ACS_2007_3YR_G00_DP3YR4&-ds_name=&-_lang=en&-redoLog=false éÜÛÑØ îÚÚÈÍÜÉÔÎÏÎ×øÐÍÑÎÄØÙúÔÇÔÑÔÜÏíÎÍÈÑÜÉÔÎÏüÖØÙ äØÜËÊÜÏÙîÇØË ÉÎÉÜÑØÐÍÑÎÄØØÊ ðÜÏÜÖØÐØÏÉíËÎ×ØÊÊÔÎÏÜÑÜÏÙëØÑÜÉØÙ 38.10% êØËÇÔÚØ 13.00% êÜÑØÊÜÏÙî××ÔÚØ 29.50% ÷ÜËÐÔÏÖ÷ÔÊÕÔÏÖÜÏÙ÷ÎËØÊÉËÄ 0.00% úÎÏÊÉËÈÚÉÔÎÏøÅÉËÜÚÉÔÎÏÜÏÙðÜÔÏÉØÏÜÏÚØ 11.90% íËÎÙÈÚÉÔÎÏéËÜÏÊÍÎËÉÜÉÔÎÏÜÏÙðÜÉØËÔÜÑðÎÇÔÏÖ 7.50% Source:2005-2007 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates(US Census Bureau) http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=16000US4880356&- qr_name=ACS_2007_3YR_G00_DP3YR3&-ds_name=&-_lang=en&-redoLog=false úÕÜÍÉØËúÎÏÉØÅÉ éÜÛÑØ ôÏÙÈÊÉËÄÎ×øÐÍÑÎÄØÙúÔÇÔÑÔÜÏíÎÍÈÑÜÉÔÎÏüÖØÙ äØÜËÊÜÏÙîÇØË ÓÎÛÊÆÔÉÕÔÏæÄÑÔØ ôÏÙÈÊÉËÄÎ×øÐÍÑÎÄÐØÏÉíØËÚØÏÉÜÖØ üÖËÔÚÈÑÉÈËØ×ÎËØÊÉËÄ×ÔÊÕÔÏÖÜÏÙÕÈÏÉÔÏÖÜÏÙÐÔÏÔÏÖ 0.30% úÎÏÊÉËÈÚÉÔÎÏ 10.60% ðÜÏÈ×ÜÚÉÈËÔÏÖ 8.50% æÕÎÑØÊÜÑØÉËÜÙØ 4.20% ëØÉÜÔÑÉËÜÙØ 12.00% éËÜÏÊÍÎËÉÜÉÔÎÏÜÏÙÆÜËØÕÎÈÊÔÏÖÜÏÙÈÉÔÑÔÉÔØÊ 5.60% ôÏ×ÎËÐÜÉÔÎÏ 4.90% ÷ÔÏÜÏÚØÔÏÊÈËÜÏÚØËØÜÑØÊÉÜÉØÜÏÙËØÏÉÜÑÜÏÙÑØÜÊÔÏÖ 9.70% íËÎ×ØÊÊÔÎÏÜÑÊÚÔØÏÉÔ×ÔÚÐÜÏÜÖØÐØÏÉÜÙÐÔÏÔÊÉËÜÉÔÇØÜÏÙ 13.20% ÆÜÊÉØÐÜÏÜÖØÐØÏÉÊØËÇÔÚØÊ øÙÈÚÜÉÔÎÏÜÑÕØÜÑÉÕÜÏÙÊÎÚÔÜÑÊØËÇÔÚØÊ 16.10% üËÉÊØÏÉØËÉÜÔÏÐØÏÉËØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏÜÚÚÎÐÐÎÙÜÉÔÎÏÜÏÙ×ÎÎÙ 6.20% ÊØËÇÔÚØÊ îÉÕØËÊØËÇÔÚØÊØÅÚØÍÉÍÈÛÑÔÚÜÙÐÔÏÔÊÉËÜÉÔÎÏ 4.80% íÈÛÑÔÚÜÙÐÔÏÔÊÉËÜÉÔÎÏ 4.00% Source:2005-2007 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates(US Census Bureau) http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=16000US4880356&- qr_name=ACS_2007_3YR_G00_DP3YR3&-ds_name=&-_lang=en&-redoLog=false íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ öí ëîæéõüééøëïê As stated earlier in this chapter, Wylie has had rapid growth over the last two decades. However, it has been the growth in the last ten years that has been most impactful. It is estimated that between 2000 and 2010, Wylie will have grown by 28,550 people (a growth rate of 190%). Considering that much of this population growth hasbeen or will beaccommodated atabout four dwelling units per acre(based on Wylie’s adopted zoning map)and considering the average household size of 3.23persons per household(illustrated in Table 2.4 earlier in this chapter), this amounts in over 2,200 acres of landbeing developed over the last ten years in Wylie. Comparing the two aerial photos on the opposite page, one can see the large areas of urban growth that have occurred between 1999 and 2007. While this does not reflect the exact same period of growth as discussed above, it illustrates the rate at which Wylie is quickly approaching physical build-out conditions. As of March 2009, Wylie is approximately 80% built-out while containingroughly 3,300 acres of undeveloped land and crop/farm land. The map below illustrates the amount of undeveloped, crop/farm, and floodplain land still present within the City as well as City-and other government-owned land. One can see that much of this land is located along the Muddy Creek corridor (west of Country Club Road and extending down toward Pleasant Valley Road on the map below) and the outskirts of the City. ôÏÉÕÔÊÐÜÍÍÜÊÉÈËØÚËÎÍÑÜÏÙÔÊÊÕÎÆÏÔÏÖËØØÏ×ÜËÐËÜÏÚÕÑÜÏÙÔÊÊÕÎÆÏÔÏÛËÎÆÏÈÏÙØÇØÑÎÍØÙÑÜÏÙÔÊÊÕÎÆÏÔÏ ÎÆÏØÙÑÜÏÙÔÊÊÕÎÆÏÔÏÍÔÏÒ÷ÑÎÎÙÍÑÜÔÏÔÊÊÕÎÆÏÔÏÑÔÖÕÉÖËØØÏ ÄØÑÑÎÆÜÏÙÖÎÇØËÏÐØÏÉÜÏÙÉÜÏËØÍËØÊØÏÉÊ ÙØÇØÑÎÍØÙÑÜÏÙ úÕÜÍÉØËúÎÏÉØÅÉ ÜØËÔÜÑÔÐÜÖØÎ×æÄÑÔØ . ÜØËÔÜÑÔÐÜÖØÎ×æÄÑÔØéÕØÉÜÏ ÑÔÏØÊÎÈÉÑÔÏØÜËØÜÊÎ×ÑÜËÖØ ËØÊÔÙØÏÉÔÜÑÙØÇØÑÎÍÐØÏÉÊÔÏÚØ íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ The overall result of this rapid population and physical, urban growth is that Wylie is quickly approaching build-out, the growth of population is resulting in increased demand for City services,and the amount of land available for parks, recreation, and open space is quickly diminishing. úí îðíëøõøïêôçøñüï This Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan is not the first plan for Wylie seeks to address some of these issues surrounding the City’s growth. In 1999, Wylie adopted its current Comprehensive Master Planwhich provides a roadmap for future city growth(the Future Land Use Map was updated in 2005). The Comprehensive Master Plan adopted several goals as shown below. 1.Quality of Life ¨ Provide a plan which will distinguish Wylie from the existing suburban sprawl patterns which are characteristic of Collin County. ¨ Preserve and enhance significant community features, such as Wylie’s downtown district. ¨ Provide a plan which will expand the housing types, quality, and price rangein Wylie. ¨ Protect, preserve, and enhance existing and future residential neighborhoods. ¨ Protect natural and environmentally sensitive areas as well as the remaining open space. 2.Land Use ¨ Provide a conceptual focus for new development and larger developmentpatterns. ¨ Reinforce and expand Wylie’s historic downtown. ¨ Provide a connection or linkage with the lakes near Wylie. ¨ Provide for a diversified local economy. 3.Thoroughfares & Access ¨ Provide the highest quality, safest, and most efficient system of moving people and goods within and through Wylie. ¨ Provide a system that directly responds to and reinforces the land use plan. ¨ Provide a regional system for moving pedestrians and bicycles, which connects to existing and planned systems. 4.SH 78 and FM 544 Corridors ¨ Provide a vision which increases quality, development standards, sense of place, and circulation access. ¨ Provide a system of circulation management that will control the number of curb cuts and access into a property on the major highways. ¨ Encourage redevelopment and aesthetic quality of the corridors to more closely reflect the quality of life offered by Wylie. 5.Implementation ¨ Encourage citizen involvement and community participation through the planning process. ¨ Provide guidance on future planning and development decisions for the City Council and Planning & Zoning Commission. úÕÜÍÉØËúÎÏÉØÅÉ ¨ Provide the basis for updating the City’s zoning and development standards. Many of these goals are applicable to this Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan; specifically, the following goals directly apply to this plan: ¨ Provide a plan which will distinguish Wylie from the existing suburban sprawl ìÈÜÑÔÉÄÎ×ñÔ×Ø patterns which are characteristic of Collin County ¨ Preserve and enhance significant community features, such asWylie’s downtown ìÈÜÑÔÉÄÎ×ñÔ×Ø district ¨ Protect, preserve, and enhance existing and future residential neighborhoods ìÈÜÑÔÉÄÎ×ñÔ×Ø ¨ Protect natural and environmentally sensitive areas as well as the remaining open ìÈÜÑÔÉÄÎ×ñÔ×Ø space ñÜÏÙèÊØ ¨ Providea connection or linkage with the lakes near Wylie ¨ Provide a regional system for moving pedestrians and bicycles, which connects to éÕÎËÎÈÖÕ×ÜËØÊüÚÚØÊÊ existing and planned systems ¨ Encourage citizen involvement and community participationthrough the planning ôÐÍÑØÐØÏÉÜÉÔÎÏ process The Comprehensive Plan’s goals, which are currently adopted by the City and have been guiding Wylie’s growth over the past ten years, will also shape this Master Plan. In addition to considering these goals, goals specific to this Master Plan are shown in Chapter 1–Introduction. éíë ëøïùêôïüëòêøúëøüéôîï The parks, open spaces, and recreational offerings of a City play a large role in defining quality of life and the City’s identity or image. Relative to the mobilenature ofsociety today,especially in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex,these offerings play a large role in determining where people choose to reside and therefore maintaining population and economic growth. It is therefore important to understand regional and national trends in recreation and cultural amenities in order to ensure that Wylie can attract and retain residents and businesses into the future. Below, several of the most prevalent trends in recreation and culture today are discussed. These are expected to carry forward into the near future and to be relevant for the lifespan of this Master Plan. îÈÉÙÎÎËëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏéËØÏÙÊ ¨ One of the most important and impactful trends in parks and recreation today is the increased demand for passive recreation activities and facilities. Passive recreation, as compared to active recreation, includes activities such as walking on trails, cycling, picnicking, enjoying nature, bird watching, and other activities that focus not on organized, high-intensity pastimes like league athletics (which has long been the focus of parks and recreation departments nationwide) but rather on the individual. People desire opportunities to use parks and open space on their own time and in their own way. ¨ Acrossthe North Texas region, the provision of trails is the top priority for citizens. Numerous telephone surveys, public meetings, questionnaires, and in-person interviews íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ have shown that people, on average, place the importance of trails above the provision of anyother single type of recreation amenity or facility. Many factors contribute to this, including the demand for passive recreation (as discussed above), greater focus on health, rising gas costs, and increasing funding opportunities for bicycle and pedestrian facilities. ¨ Related to the previous two trends, the protection of and access to open space and natural areas is growing in popularity across the nation. As people are increasingly using trails, they generally prefer to use trails that are located inscenic areas in order to “get away” from the city and enjoy being outdoors. ¨ While passive recreation is in greater demand, active recreation activities still play a large role in cities’ parks and recreation systems. One major trend over the last few years regionally has been changing participation rates in various city-sponsored league sports. Examples of these changing participation rates include decreased participation in youth softball, dramatically increased participation in youth soccer, and the emergence of new league sports such as adult soccer and youth lacrosse. ôÏÙÎÎËëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏéËØÏÙÊ ¨ There is amovement away from multiple smaller recreation centers to larger regional centers that are within 15-20 minutes travel timeof its users. This trendrespondsto increased diversity of programming that can be provided at theselargercenters, while also being more convenientforfamiliesto recreate togetherin a multi-generational setting,andincreasingstaff efficiency. ¨ There is a trend of combining dry side recreation with indoor aquatics for wellness and leisure activities. This again reduces initial cost and reduces continuing costs of staff and operations while providing more activity choices for visitors. ¨ Locating separate senior activity areas within a large community centeris another trend. The senior component would generally have its own exterior entrance distinct from that of the recreation center. This would provide autonomy of the senior component while providing convenient access tothe various opportunities in a recreation center including indoor walking track, warm water exercising and properly sized exercise areas. Even so, many in the Baby Boomer generation, while perhaps classified as seniors, do not necessarily identify themselves as such and desire closer integration with younger adults. ¨ Manycitiestoday are seeking a higher feestructure to help offset operational costs. Observation reveals arange from a50-60% recapturerate all the way to a100% recapture rate in the North Texas Region. 1 ¨ University students today have elaborate leisureaquatic facilities at their disposal. This is the first generation coming out of the university that has expectations for cities to 1 The use of the term “leisure” here is to differentiate this type of aquatic facility from a competitive aquatic facility, which many universities also have. úÕÜÍÉØËúÎÏÉØÅÉ provide comparable facilities. Quality of life is an important component of their job search and residence decision and has influenced what new centers will provide. ¨ Large meeting roomswith astage, lights, and sound systemthataccommodate modest seating levels (200-300) are being provided in many community centers today to partially address theneedsof arts and culture activities such as dance, theater, and vocal performance. öØÏØËÜÑéËØÏÙÊ ¨ As North Texas cities and towns continue to grow and expand, citizens are becoming increasingly aware of the diminishing amounts of open space and natural areas in and around their communities. Similarly, this increased awareness parallels an increased interest in preserving open spaces, rural landscapes, and natural areas along creeks, lakes, wooded areas, prairies, and other environmentally and culturally significant locations. ¨ Related to this increased interest in the preservation of open spaces and natural areas is an increased interest among citizens to consider alternative development strategies within their communities in order to preserve and provide access to natural areas, decrease traffic congestion, enhance property values, and increase and enhance recreation opportunities within their community. Alternative development strategies often considered include mixed-use development, new urbanism, and conservation development (see Appendix Cfor a further discussion on these alternative strategies). ¨ The attributes of a community play a large role in attracting (or detracting) a talented workforce to a city or region. Research shows that the quality of a city’s environment (its climate, park space, and natural resources) is the most significant factor in attracting “talent.” As such, high-quality, high-quantity parks and open space systems will attract a talented workforce while low-quality, low-quantity parks and open space systems will ÙØÉËÜÚÉ a talented workforce. The tables on the next page illustrate the importance of a city’s environment on economic and workforce development. íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ éÜÛÑØ úÔÉÄüÉÉËÔÛÈÉØÊüÉÉËÜÚÉÔÏÖüÐØËÔÚÜÏÊ ëÜÏÒëÜÏÒ úÔÉÄüÉÉËÔÛÈÉØ êÚÎËØ øÏÇÔËÎÏÐØÏÉ –Climate, Park Space, Natural Resources 110611 ü××ÎËÙÜÛÔÑÔÉÄ –Cost of Living, including Housing 94124 øÏÉØËÉÜÔÏÐØÏÉ –Arts, Culture, Dining, Music, Recreation 75833 îÍÍÎËÉÈÏÔÉÄ –Professional and Personal (for Self or Spouse) 65442 ÷ÜÐÔÑÄ –Great Place to Raise Children or Support Elderly 63855 úÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄ –Connectivity and Sense of Place 53166 ôÐÜÖØ –Appearance and Reputation 48178 íØÎÍÑØ –Backgrounds, Talents, Perspectives 43187 õØÜÑÉÕÜÏÙêÜ×ØÉÄ –Care and Protection 37899 éËÜÏÊÍÎËÉÜÉÔÎÏ –Ease of Travel 266109 üÙÜÍÉØÙ×ËÎÐêÚÕÆØÄØËüÑÑÜÏïÜÉÔÎÏÜÑéÜÑØÏÉðÜËÒØÉÊ üêÉÈÙÄÛÄÉÕØõÈÐÜÏúÜÍÔÉÜÑôÏÊÉÔÉÈÉØ éÜÛÑØ úÔÉÄüÉÉËÔÛÈÉØÊùØÉËÜÚÉÔÏÖüÐØËÔÚÜÏÊ ëÜÏÒëÜÏÒ úÔÉÄüÉÉËÔÛÈÉØêÚÎËØ øÏÇÔËÎÏÐØÏÉ –Climate, Park Space, Natural Resources 92811 õØÜÑÉÕÜÏÙêÜ×ØÉÄ –Care and Protection 89223 ôÐÜÖØ –Appearance and Reputation 87932 ü××ÎËÙÜÛÔÑÔÉÄ –Cost of Living, including Housing 83944 úÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄ –Connectivity and Sense of Place 65955 íØÎÍÑØ –Backgrounds, Talents, Perspectives 60366 ÷ÜÐÔÑÄ –Great Place to Raise Children or Support Elderly 45177 éËÜÏÊÍÎËÉÜÉÔÎÏ –Ease of Travel 38888 îÍÍÎËÉÈÏÔÉÄ –Professional and Personal (for Self or Spouse) 34197 øÏÉØËÉÜÔÏÐØÏÉ –Arts, Culture, Dining, Music, Recreation 235109 üÙÜÍÉØÙ×ËÎÐêÚÕÆØÄØËüÑÑÜÏïÜÉÔÎÏÜÑéÜÑØÏÉðÜËÒØÉÊ üêÉÈÙÄÛÄÉÕØõÈÐÜÏúÜÍÔÉÜÑôÏÊÉÔÉÈÉØ úÕÜÍÉØË íÈÛÑÔÚôÏÇÎÑÇØÐØÏÉ úÕÜÍÉØË íÈÛÑÔÚôÏÇÎÑÇØÐØÏÉ ô ïéëîùèúéôîï Public involvement is one of the primary components of any planning effort, including this Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan. As such, a concerted effort was given to achieving a high level of public involvement whereby multiple methods were employed to gain the input of Wylie’s citizens. The first method that was utilized was a statistically-valid telephone-based “Citizen Attitude Survey” which assessed the attitudes, or opinions, of 200 citizens. In addition to receiving statistically-valid data from a random sample of Wylie’s population (as was the result of the Citizen Attitude Survey), it was deemed important to gain more subjective input from the public by means of three focus group meetings. During these focus group meetings, participants were asked broad questions about their opinions of Wylie’s present conditions and future needs. These types of questions allowed the Planning Team to receive unique input that helps to formulate the goals and recommendations of this Master Plan. In this chapter, each of these Public Involvement methodologies is explained and a brief summary of the results of each is provided. At the end of this chapter, thereis an overall summary of the public involvement process. úüê ôéôãøïééôéèùøèëçøä Because it surveys a random sample of Wylie’s citizenry, the Citizen Attitude Survey is considered to be a statistically-valid method of gaining input from the public. For this Master Plan, 200 citizens completed a twenty minute survey which took an average of fifteen minutes to complete (an example of the survey questionnaire along with the cumulative results can be found in Appendix A). In order to achieve 200 complete survey responses, the Planning Team contacted 6,118 households. The difference between the number of people contacted and the number of completed surveys can be attributed to several factors included no one answering the phone and people declining to take the survey. Thus, while only 200 citizens completed the survey(which yields an error rate of +/-6% at a 95% confidence level), over 6,000 households were contacted in order to gaininputon the future of Wylie’s parks, recreation, and open space system. The field work (the period during which the survey was administered) took place between January 5, 2009 and January 10, 2009. êÉÈÙÄüËØÜÊ To aid in ensuring an equal geographic distribution of the survey sample, and to identify correlations between citizen attitude and geographical context, thecitywas dividedinto three areas as shown on the map below. These three areas correspond with the City’s three existing Park Zones. The sample used during the survey mimicked the population distribution of the City. That is, the proportion of respondents living in eachsectorof the City correlateswith the portion of the total population residing in each quadrant. In the survey sample, 36% of the respondents surveyed live in the West Park Zone(Area 1), 40% of the respondents live in the East Park Zone(Area 2), and 25% live in the Central Park Zone(Area 3). íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ ëØÊÍÎÏÙØÏÉíËÎ×ÔÑØ The profile or general characteristics of the survey respondents is an important issue in analyzing the overall results of the survey. Tables 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 on the following page illustrate the characteristics of the survey respondents. It is of note that the typical survey respondent is between the ages of 36 and 45, has lived in Wylie for between four and seven years, and has children living at home. úÕÜÍÉØË íÈÛÑÔÚôÏÇÎÑÇØÐØÏÉ éÜÛÑØ üÖØÎ×ëØÊÍÎÏÙØÏÉÊ üÖØûËÜÚÒØÉíØËÚØÏÉÜÖØÎ×ëØÊÍÎÏÙØÏÉÊ ñØÊÊÉÕÜÏ 3% 26% 28% 22% 13% îÇØË 9% ëØ×ÈÊØÙÉÎÜÏÊÆØË 1% éÜÛÑØ ñØÏÖÉÕÎ×ëØÊÔÙØÏÚØ ëØÊÔÙØÏÚØùÈËÜÉÔÎÏíØËÚØÏÉÜÖØÎ×ëØÊÍÎÏÙØÏÉÊ èÏÙØË ÄØÜË 4% ÄØÜËÊ 18% ÄØÜËÊ 42% ÄØÜËÊ 12% îÇØË ÄØÜËÊ 26% éÜÛÑØ üÖØÎ×úÕÔÑÙËØÏ üÖØûËÜÚÒØÉíØËÚØÏÉÜÖØÎ×ëØÊÍÎÏÙØÏÉÊ ÄØÜËÊ 28% ÄØÜËÊ 31% ÄØÜËÊ 24% ÄØÜËÊ 21% ïÎÚÕÔÑÙËØÏ 38% ëØ×ÈÊØÉÎÜÏÊÆØË 1% êÜÉÔÊ×ÜÚÉÔÎÏÆÔÉÕíÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏ îÇØËÜÑÑêÜÉÔÊ×ÜÚÉÔÎÏ The survey respondents showed a moderate level of satisfaction with the quality of parks and ÊÜÉÔÊ×ÔØÙÇØËÄÊÜÉÔÊ×ÔØÙ recreation in the City. In fact, 56% said they are while 15% said they are ; atotal of 71% of those surveyed are satisfied with the quality of parks and recreation. Of the respondents, 21% were dissatisfied with 5% (ten people) being very dissatisfied. It is important to note that people who had previously visited City parks were more satisfied than non-visitors (73% versus 47%) as well as those who used jogging trails (76% versus 63%) orthat had visited aCity playground (74% versus 53%). An anecdotal comparison to surveys performed in seven other North Texas cities shows Wylie to have a relatively low level of satisfaction considering that these sevenother citieshave a satisfaction level above 71%(Hurst –96%, Mansfield –93%, Coppell –93%, North Richland Hills –91%, Mesquite –86%, Cedar Hill –83%, and McKinney –81%). íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ ëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏôÐÍËÎÇØÐØÏÉëÜÉÔÏÖ Respondents were queried as to whether or not they thought that during their time as a resident in Wylie the quality of parks and recreation in the City has improved. Overall, slightly more than half (55%) felt that it has improved, while 40% felt it has stayed the same. Of the remaining respondents, 4% felt that the quality has decreased while 2% declined to answer. It is interesting to notethatresidentsin Area 2were the most positive about the improvement in the quality of parks while residents in Area 1 were the least positive. Statistically, 62% of Area 2 residents recognized improvement compared to 46% in Area 1 and 57% in Area 3. Interestingly enough, although Area 1 did have the lowest percent of recognized improvement, it had the highest neutral rating of 47% compared to Areas 2 and 3 which both had neutral ratings of 35%. As with the overall level of satisfaction, respondents who visited City parks contributed more positive results assigning higher improvement ratings than non visitors (57% versus 39%). It was also discovered that long-term residents were more likely to recognize improvement (21% in Area 1, 55% in Area 2, and 83% in Area 3). Older residents also recognized recreation improvements more so than younger residents with 44% from Area 1, 57% from Area 2, and 67% from Area 3. íÜËÉÔÚÔÍÜÉÔÎÏ Survey respondents were asked several questions throughout the survey related to the types of recreational activities that they engage in. This information helps inform the Planning Team as to whattrends in recreation exist in Wylie éÄÍØÊÎ×üÚÉÔÇÔÉÔØÊ Respondents were asked what types of activities they are interested in. This information helps ÚÜÉØÖÎËÔØÊÏÜÉÈËØ the Planning Team to understand the general or of activities that the citizens of Wylie like to participate in. As can be seen in Table 3.4, the activity in which a majority of respondents said they always or often participate in was Family events like picnics, get-togethers (63%) followed by trail activities like walking, bicycling, jogging, etc.(57%) and social activities like dances, cooking, card playing, etc.(49%) úÕÜÍÉØË íÈÛÑÔÚôÏÇÎÑÇØÐØÏÉ éÜÛÑØ ÷ÜÇÎËÔÉØéÄÍØÊÎ×üÚÉÔÇÔÉÄ üÚÉÔÇÔÉÄüÑÆÜÄÊî×ÉØÏêØÑÙÎÐïØÇØËïÎëÜÉÔÎ îÍÔÏÔÎÏ ÷ÜÐÔÑÄØÇØÏÉÊÑÔÒØÍÔÚÏÔÚÊ 11%52%28%10%0%1.7:1 ÖØÉÉÎÖØÉÕØËÊ éËÜÔÑÜÚÉÔÇÔÉÔØÊÑÔÒØÆÜÑÒÔÏÖ 13%44%25%19%0%1.3:1 ÛÔÚÄÚÑÔÏÖÓÎÖÖÔÏÖØÉÚ êÎÚÔÜÑÜÚÉÔÇÔÉÔØÊÑÔÒØÙÜÏÚØÊ 7%42%29%22%1%1.0:1 ÚÎÎÒÔÏÖÚÜËÙÍÑÜÄÔÏÖØÉÚ éØÜÐÊÍÎËÉÊÑÔÒØÛÜÊØÛÜÑÑ 16%28%17%40%0%0.8:1 ÊÎÚÚØËØÉÚ îÈÉÙÎÎËËØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏÑÔÒØ 7%36%34%24%0%0.7:1 ÚÜÐÍÔÏÖ×ÔÊÕÔÏÖÛÎÜÉÔÏÖ ØÉÚ ôÏÙÎÎË×ÔÉÏØÊÊØÅØËÚÔÊØÑÔÒØ 10%26%30%35%0%0.6:1 ÓÜÃÃØËÚÔÊØÄÎÖÜØÉÚ øÅÚÈËÊÔÎÏÊÑÔÒØÉÎÈËÊÉËÔÍÊ 7%32%41%21%0%0.6:1 ØÉÚ ôÏÙÔÇÔÙÈÜÑÊÍÎËÉÊÑÔÒØÖÎÑ× 5%22%21%52%0%0.4:1 ÉØÏÏÔÊÛÎÅÔÏÖØÉÚ ÷ÔÏØÜËÉÊÑÔÒØÍÜÔÏÉÔÏÖ 8%20%25%48%0%0.4:1 ÙËÜÆÔÏÖØÉÚ íØË×ÎËÐÔÏÖÜËÉÊÑÔÒØÐÈÊÔÚ 8%20%36%37%0%0.4:1 ÙËÜÐÜØÉÚ ñØÔÊÈËØÜÌÈÜÉÔÚÊ 6%25%24%45%1%0.4:1 úËÜ×ÉÊÑÔÒØÍÎÉÉØËÄÆØÜÇÔÏÖ 2%15%21%63%0%0.2:1 ØÉÚ ÷ÔÉÏØÊÊÜÌÈÜÉÔÚÊ 5%10%21%62%3%0.2:1 øÅÉËØÐØÊÍÎËÉÊÑÔÒØûðå 2%9%12%78%0%0.1:1 ÊÒÜÉØÛÎÜËÙÔÏÖØÉÚ ëÎÚÒÎËÆÜÑÑÚÑÔÐÛÔÏÖ 1%5%17%76%2%0.1:1 1 This ratio depicts thenumber of people who participated in the activity (always and often) to the number of people who did not actively participate (seldom and never). In the case of family events, 11% “always” plus 52% “often” is 63% participation, 28% “seldom” plus 10% “never” is 38% non-participation. Dividing 63% by 28% gives a participation ratio of 1.7:1. íÜËÒüÚÉÔÇÔÉÔØÊ In addition to understanding the respondents’ favorite types of activities, it was also valuable to understand the activities people participate in when they visit a city park. 77% of the survey respondents said they go to a park in order take their kids to play, 73% go to a city park to walk, hike or jogand 70% reported that they go to a park to appreciate the view. Of the respondents, over half (59%) do not visit to parks on a regular basis. It is interesting to note the variability between the results from Areas 1, 2, and 3. Survey respondents from Area 1 were the least likely to appreciate the view (56% in Area 1, 76% in Area 2 and 80% in Area 3). It was also determined that respondents from Area 1 were least likely to walk pets (28%in Area 1, 44% in Area 2, and 43% in Area 3). It was determined that people who utilized facilities more often took advantage of park opportunities than those who did not. íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÄíËÎÇÔÊÔÎÏ ñÜÚÒÔÏÖ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÄ Overall, respondents cited the following as the most lacking facility in their part of the City: ¨ Public / community pool –24% of respondents ¨ Recreation/ community center / fitness / climbing walls –23% ¨ Natatorium –10% ¨ Aquatic center / water park –10% Of note is that these are the only four facility types that at least 10% of the total population said were lacking, though at least ten other facility types were mentioned by more than one respondent. There were differences between the three City areas as to what facility was the most lacking as canbe seen below (only those results which gained a mention by at least 10% of the respondents from each area are shown): üËØÜ ¨ Recreation Center –24% ¨ Pool –14% ¨ Athletic fields –12% ¨ Multi-Use Trails –10% ¨ A Park/Playground –10% üËØÜ ¨ Recreation Center –23% ¨ Pool –23% ¨ Natatorium –14% ¨ Aquatic Center –14% üËØÜ ¨ Pool –38% ¨ Recreation Center –23% ¨ Aquatic Center –13% ¨ Natatorium / Aquatic Facility –11% íÜËÒÊÜÏÙ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊÔÏÜÏÎÉÕØËúÔÉÄ Survey respondents were asked whether or not they had visiteda park or facility in another city; 67% said yes, 32.5% said no, and 0.5% did not remember. Of the eighteen or so activities or amenities that attracted residents to a non-city facility, two received significantly more attention than the rest, hiking or jogging on trailsaccounted for 19% and playgroundsaccounted for 18%. The majority of the other-city parks visited by respondents were in Plano (37%) followed by Richardson and Allen (both 13%). úÕÜÍÉØË íÈÛÑÔÚôÏÇÎÑÇØÐØÏÉ ôÐÍÎËÉÜÏÚØÎ×íËÎÇÔÙÔÏÖÎËøÅÍÜÏÙÔÏÖëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏÜÑüÚÉÔÇÔÉÔØÊ Part of the process of updating the City of Wylie’s Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan involves making recommendations for additional facilities and other services; therefore, respondents were asked to give their opinion on the importance of theCity providing or expanding items from a list of 31 different activities(see Table 3.5 on the next page). The three 1 items that topped the list were Playgrounds (importance ratio of 15.5:1) Walk or Jog on Trails (13.4:1), and Family Picnic(13.3:1). Itis interesting to note that while the expansion of walk or jog on trails received an importance ratio of 13.4:1 along with a usage percentage of 73%, only 54% of the respondents had used a city jogging or hiking trail in the past twelve months, indicatingsignificant room for improvement. 1 This ratio depicts the number of people who felt the item was very important or important to the number of people who felt it was unimportant or very unimportant. In this case, there were 15.5 times as many people who felt this item was important than those who felt it was unimportant. íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ éÜÛÑØ îÇØËÜÑÑñØÇØÑÎ×ôÐÍÎËÉÜÏÚØÉÎíËÎÇÔÙØÎËøÅÍÜÏÙëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏÜÑüÚÉÔÇÔÉÔØÊÔÏæÄÑÔØ ëÜÏÒüÚÉÔÇÔÉÄçØËÄôÐÍÎËÉÜÏÉèÏÔÐÍÎËÉÜÏÉçØËÄëÜÉÔÎ ôÐÍÎËÉÜÏÉèÏÔÐÍÎËÉÜÏÉ íÑÜÄÖËÎÈÏÙÊ 37%56%6%0%15.5:1 æÜÑÒÎËÓÎÖÎÏÉËÜÔÑÊ 36%58%6%1%13.4:1 ÷ÜÐÔÑÄÍÔÚÏÔÚ 32%61%7%0%13.3:1 øÇØÏÉÍÔÚÏÔÚ 25%68%8%0%11.6:1 ËØÈÏÔÎÏÍÜÇÔÑÔÎÏÊ çÔØÆÔÏÖÏÜÉÈËÜÑ 23%66%10%1%8.1:1 ÕÜÛÔÉÜÉÏÜÉÈËØÜËØÜÊ äÎÈÉÕÛÜÊØÛÜÑÑ 28%58%11%1%7.2:1 ûÜÊÒØÉÛÜÑÑ 14%72%12%1%6.6:1 îÈÉÙÎÎËÊÆÔÐÐÔÏÖ 27%59%13%0%6.6:1 îÈÉÙÎÎË×ØÊÉÔÇÜÑÊ 17%69%13%1%6.1:1 ôÏÙÎÎË 32%53%14%0%6.1:1 ÊÆÔÐÐÔÏÖÏÜÉÜÉÎËÔÈÐ èÏÙØË ÊÎÚÚØË 25%59%14%1%5.6:1 äÎÈÉÕÊÎ×ÉÛÜÑÑ 23%61%14%2%5.3:1 èÏÙØËÊÎÚÚØË 26%58%14%2%5.3:1 èÊÔÏÖÜÚÕÔÑÙËØÏÊ 33%50%16%1%5.2:1 ÆÜÉØËÊÍËÜÄÍÜËÒ èÏÙØË ÊÎÚÚØË 23%58%17%1%4.5:1 îÈÉÙÎÎË 15%63%20%1%3.7:1 ÍØË×ÎËÐÜÏÚØÊ ëÎÜÙÛÔÒÔÏÖ 15%55%23%5%2.5:1 ÷ÎÎÉÛÜÑÑ 15%56%26%3%2.4:1 ôÏÙÎÎËÇÎÑÑØÄÛÜÑÑ 10%61%28%1%2.4:1 éØÏÏÔÊ 7%57%30%2%2.0:1 ðÎÈÏÉÜÔÏÛÔÒÔÏÖÎÏ 11%52%31%2%1.9:1 ÉËÜÔÑÊ êÜÏÙÇÎÑÑØÄÛÜÑÑ 11%50%36%1%1.6:1 õÎËÊØËÔÙÔÏÖ 11%47%40%1%1.4:1 ôÏÑÔÏØÊÒÜÉÔÏÖ 6%48%42%2%1.2:1 çÔÊÔÉÔÏÖÜÙÎÖÍÜËÒ 14%40%40%4%1.2:1 üÙÈÑÉÛÜÊØÛÜÑÑ 6%39%48%6%0.8:1 üÙÈÑÉÊÎÚÚØË 6%36%53%2%0.8:1 ùÔÊÚÖÎÑ× 5%38%50%3%0.8:1 êÒÜÉØÛÎÜËÙÔÏÖ 4%39%53%3%0.8:1 ûðåÛÔÚÄÚÑÔÏÖ 5%38%51%3%0.8:1 ûÔËÙÆÜÉÚÕÔÏÖ 5%33%58%3%0.6:1 2 This ratio depicts the number of people who felt the item was very important or important to the number of people who felt it was unimportant or very unimportant. úÕÜÍÉØË íÈÛÑÔÚôÏÇÎÑÇØÐØÏÉ êÔÏÖÑØðÎÊÉôÐÍÎËÉÜÏÉ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÄ Respondents were then asked which of the previously mentioned activities was the most important to provide or expand. The results were indoor swimming/natatorium(28%), using a children’s water spray park(11%) and walk or jog on trails(9%). Itis interesting to note that on thth Table 3.5, indoor swimming/natatorium is ranked 10, using a children’s water spray park is 14 nd and walk or jogon trails was 2yet the respondents felt these were the three most important activities for Wylie to expand. üÚÉÔÎÏêÉÜÉØÐØÏÉÊ Survey Respondents were asked how much they agree or disagree with a variety of statements dealing with actions of the Parks and Recreation Divisions. The majority of the survey respondents (96%) felt that as Wylie grows, it is important for the parks and recreation lands, facilities, programs and services to meet the needs of new residents. Additionally, when devising the Master Plan it is important to keep in mind that 90% of the survey respondents agree that quality parks and services attract new residents to Wylie. The remaining statements are ranked below, beginning with the statements that received the most positive responses. éÜÛÑØ îÇØËÜÑÑñØÇØÑÎ×üÖËØØÐØÏÉÆÔÉÕíÜËÒùÔÇÔÊÔÎÏüÚÉÔÎÏêÉÜÉØÐØÏÉÊ êÉÜÉØÐØÏÉêÉËÎÏÖÑÄüÖËØØùÔÊÜÖËØØêÉËÎÏÖÑÄëÜÉÔÎ üÖËØØùÔÊÜÖËØØ üÊæÄÑÔØÖËÎÆÊÔÉÔÊÔÐÍÎËÉÜÏÉ×ÎËÉÕØÍÜËÒÊ 48%48%5%0%19.2:1 ÜÏÙËØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏÑÜÏÙÊ×ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊÍËÎÖËÜÐÊÜÏÙ ÊØËÇÔÚØÊÉÎÐØØÉÉÕØÏØØÙÊÎ×ÏØÆËØÊÔÙØÏÉÊ íËÎÖËÜÐÊÉÕÜÉÎ××ØËØÅÚÑÈÊÔÇØÈÊØÎ××ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ 9%85%5%0%18.8:1 ÊÕÎÈÑÙÚÕÜËÖØ×ØØÊÉÎÛØÊØÑ×ÊÈ××ÔÚÔØÏÉ éÕØÇÜÑÈØÎ×ÐÄÍËÎÍØËÉÄÔÏæÄÑÔØÔÊØÏÕÜÏÚØÙ 37%56%5%0%18.6:1 ÛÄÌÈÜÑÔÉÄÍÜËÒÊÜÏÙÊØËÇÔÚØÊ éÕØÙØÚÔÊÔÎÏÉÎÈÊØÉÜÅ×ÈÏÙÔÏÖÎËÈÊØË×ØØÊ 13%80%4%1%18.6:1 ×ÎËÎÍØËÜÉÔÏÖ×ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊÍËÎÖËÜÐÊÜÏÙÊØËÇÔÚØÊ ÊÕÎÈÑÙÙØÍØÏÙÎÏÉÕØÍÈÛÑÔÚÛØÏØ×ÔÉÙØËÔÇØÙ éÕØÍÜËÒÊÜÏÙËØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏÙÔÇÔÊÔÎÏÊÏØØÙÉÎ 46%45%7%1%11.4:1 ØÅÍÜÏÙÉÕØÔËÍËÎÖËÜÐÊÜÏÙÊØËÇÔÚØÊÉÎÐØØÉ ÉÕØØÅÔÊÉÔÏÖÏØØÙÊÎ×ËØÊÔÙØÏÉÊ ìÈÜÑÔÉÄÍÜËÒÊÜÏÙÊØËÇÔÚØÊÜÉÉËÜÚÉÏØÆ 33%57%8%1%10.0:1 ËØÊÔÙØÏÉÊÉÎæÄÑÔØ üÏÄÔÏÚËØÜÊØÔÏÍËÎÖËÜÐÐÔÏÖÊÕÎÈÑÙÛØ 8%69%17%4%3.7:1 ×ÈÏÙØÙÉÕËÎÈÖÕÚÔÉÄÉÜÅØÊ íËÎÖËÜÐÊÉÕÜÉÊØËÇØÜÖËØÜÉØËÍÈÛÑÔÚÖÎÎÙ 17%51%31%2%2.1:1 ÑØÜËÏÉÎÊÆÔÐØÉÚÊÕÎÈÑÙÛØÎ××ØËØÙÉÎÜÑÑ ËØÊÔÙØÏÉÊÜÉÏÎÚÕÜËÖØ éÕØÐÎÏØÄôÍÜÄÜÊÉÜÅØÊÎË×ØØÊÚÎÐÍÜËØÙ 5%56%31%6%1.6:1 ÉÎÉÕØÊØËÇÔÚØÊÉÕÜÉÉÕØÚÔÉÄÍËÎÇÔÙØÊÔÊÜÖÎÎÙ ÇÜÑÈØ ôÜÐÊÜÉÔÊ×ÔØÙÆÔÉÕÕÎÆÊÉËØØÉÊÜÏÙ 2%52%31%14%1.2:1 ÔÏÉØËÊØÚÉÔÎÏÊÜËØÑÜÏÙÊÚÜÍØÙÔÏæÄÑÔØ 3 This ratio depicts the number of people who agree or strongly agree with the statement to people who disagree or strongly disagree with the statement. íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ íÜËÒÜÏÙëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏúÕÜËÜÚÉØËÔÊÉÔÚÊ In order for the City to determine the elements of parks and recreation that need to be improved, understanding the residents’ perception of general park characteristics is crucial. Respondents were presented with a list of ten park and recreation characteristics and asked to rate them accordingly. Among the characteristics, respondents were most dissatisfied with the variety of recreational facilities within parkswith a 64% disapproval rating. éÜÛÑØ îÇØËÜÑÑëÜÉÔÏÖÎ×íÜËÒÊÜÏÙëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏ÷ÜÚÉÎËÊ ÷ÜÚÉÎËøÅÚØÑÑØÏÉöÎÎÙ÷ÜÔËíÎÎËëÜÉÔÎ éÕØÎÇØËÜÑÑÊÜ×ØÉÄÎ×ÚÔÉÄÍÜËÒÊ 16%55%18%7%2.8:1 éÕØÐÜÔÏÉØÏÜÏÚØÎ×ÚÔÉÄÍÜËÒÊ 16%50%21%9%2.2:1 éÕØÎÇØËÜÑÑÌÈÜÑÔÉÄÎ×ÚÔÉÄÍÜËÒÊ 12%49%28%10%1.6:1 éÕØÎÇØËÜÑÑÌÈÜÑÔÉÄÎ×ÚÔÉÄÜÉÕÑØÉÔÚ 12%43%24%12%1.5:1 ×ÔØÑÙÊ éÕØÐÜÔÏÉØÏÜÏÚØÎ×ÚÔÉÄÜÉÕÑØÉÔÚ×ÔØÑÙÊ 14%41%25%11%1.5:1 éÕØÏÈÐÛØËÎ×ÍÜËÒÊÔÏÉÕØÚÔÉÄ 11%38%36%14%1.0:1 éÕØÏÈÐÛØËÎ×ÜÉÕÑØÉÔÚ×ÔØÑÙÊÔÏÉÕØ 10%33%24%20%1.0:1 ÚÔÉÄ õÜÇÔÏÖÍÜËÒÊÚÎÏÇØÏÔØÏÉÑÄÑÎÚÜÉØÙ×ÎË 12%33%34%19%0.8:1 ÍØÎÍÑØÔÏÜÑÑÜËØÜÊ õÜÇÔÏÖÜÉÕÑØÉÔÚ×ÔØÑÙÊÚÎÏÇØÏÔØÏÉÑÄ 8%32%29%20%0.8:1 ÑÎÚÜÉØÙ×ÎËÍØÎÍÑØÔÏÜÑÑÜËØÜÊ éÕØÇÜËÔØÉÄÎ×ËØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏÜÑ×ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ 7%27%43%21%0.5:1 ÆÔÉÕÔÏÍÜËÒÊ ÷ÈÉÈËØíÜËÒëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏüÚÉÔÎÏÊ Respondents were queried on their opinion regardingvarious statements on futureactions of the Park and Recreation Divisionsin Wylie in order to gauge both the City’s past success and opinions concerning the City’s priorities. It can be seen in the table below that residents are strongly in support of one particular issue –specifically the support of providing access to Lavon Lakeand Lake Ray Hubbard(15.0:1 support ratio). Respondents also expressed their desire for the City to renovate and expand its existing parks(11.6:1) and improve and enhance maintenance of park facilities(11.4:1). The remaining results are expressed in Table 3.8. It is interesting to note that while 91% of the residents feel that the City should improve and enhancethemaintenance of park facilities only 61% feel that the City should increase registration or user fees so that those who use facilities fund a higher percentage of its operation and maintenance. The respondents’ reluctance to bear increased registration fees is closely exemplified in Table 3.6 in which 37% of them feel that the money they pay as taxes or fees compared to the services that the City provides is not a good value. Also the relatively low support ratio of 6.5:1 for the design and development ofmore parks and facilities that focus on passive experiences/activitiesis surprising considering that two of the three activities judged to be in need of expansion are passive activities (playgrounds and family picnics; per Table 3.5). úÕÜÍÉØË íÈÛÑÔÚôÏÇÎÑÇØÐØÏÉ éÜÛÑØ îÇØËÜÑÑñØÇØÑÎ×üÖËØØÐØÏÉæÔÉÕêÉÜÉØÐØÏÉÊöÈÔÙÔÏÖ÷ÈÉÈËØíÜËÒùÔÇÔÊÔÎÏüÚÉÔÎÏÊ êÉÜÉØÐØÏÉêÉËÎÏÖÑÄüÖËØØùÔÊÜÖËØØêÉËÎÏÖÑÄëÜÉÔÎ üÖËØØùÔÊÜÖËØØ íËÎÇÔÙØÜÚÚØÊÊÉÎñÜÒØÊñÜÇÎÏÜÏÙëÜÄ 31%59%6%0%15.0:1 õÈÛÛÜËÙ ëØÏÎÇÜÉØÜÏÙØÅÍÜÏÙÔÉÊØÅÔÊÉÔÏÖÍÜËÒÊ 21%72%8%0%11.6:1 ôÐÍËÎÇØÜÏÙØÏÕÜÏÚØÐÜÔÏÉØÏÜÏÚØÎ×ÍÜËÒ 17%74%8%0%11.4:1 ×ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ øÅÍÜÏÙÉÕØÚÔÉÄÊÉËÜÔÑÊÄÊÉØÐ 21%65%7%1%10.8:1 üÚÌÈÔËØÑÜÏÙÉÎÍËØÊØËÇØØÏÇÔËÎÏÐØÏÉÜÑÑÄ 21%67%10%1%8.0:1 ÊØÏÊÔÉÔÇØÜËØÜÊÊÈÚÕÜÊÏÜÉÈËÜÑÚËØØÒ ÚÎËËÔÙÎËÊ üÚÌÈÔËØÑÜÏÙ×ÎË×ÈÉÈËØÍÜËÒÜÏÙÎÍØÏ 22%66%11%0%8.0:1 ÊÍÜÚØÙØÇØÑÎÍÐØÏÉ ùØÇØÑÎÍÍÜËÒÊÜÏÙ×ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊÉÕÜÉÜËØ 15%68%10%1%7.5:1 ÊÍØÚÔ×ÔÚÉÎÉÕØËØÍÈÉÜÉÔÎÏÎ×ÉÕØÚÔÉÄ ùØÊÔÖÏÜÏÙÙØÇØÑÎÍÐÎËØÍÜËÒÊÜÏÙ 11%74%13%0%6.5:1 ×ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊÉÕÜÉ×ÎÚÈÊÎÏÍÜÊÊÔÇØ ØÅÍØËÔØÏÚØÊÜÚÉÔÇÔÉÔØÊ íÑÜÚØÜËÉÔÏÍÜËÒÊÜÏÙÎÉÕØËÍÈÛÑÔÚÊÍÜÚØÊ 13%54%29%4%2.0:1 ôÏÚËØÜÊØËØÖÔÊÉËÜÉÔÎÏÎËÈÊØË×ØØÊÊÎÉÕÜÉ 6%55%33%4%1.6:1 ÉÕÎÊØÆÕÎÈÊØ×ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ×ÈÏÙÜÕÔÖÕØË ÍØËÚØÏÉÜÖØÎ×ÔÉÊÎÍØËÜÉÔÎÏÜÏÙ ÐÜÔÏÉØÏÜÏÚØ èÉÔÑÔÃÜÉÔÎÏÎ×éËÜÔÑÊ With respect to trails, respondents were asked how strongly they supported or opposed a city- wide trail system in Wylie that allowed any of the following activities listed in Table 3.9. The greatest quantity of support was voiced towards Recreationalwalking or hiking(95%) followed closely by Recreational bicycling (94%)andNature trails(94%). Remembering thatonly 54% of the respondents had used a city jogging or hiking trail in the past twelve months,these results indicatesignificant room for improvement of the City’s trails system. éÜÛÑØ îÇØËÜÑÑñØÇØÑÎ×êÈÍÍÎËÉ×ÎËéËÜÔÑëØÑÜÉØÙüÚÉÔÇÔÉÔØÊÔÏæÄÑÔØ üÚÉÔÇÔÉÄêÉËÎÏÖÑÄêÈÍÍÎËÉîÍÍÎÊØêÉËÎÏÖÑÄëÜÉÔÎ êÈÍÍÎËÉîÍÍÎÊØ ëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏÜÑÆÜÑÒÔÏÖÎËÕÔÒÔÏÖ 43%52%4%1%19.0:1 ëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏÜÑÛÔÚÄÚÑÔÏÖ 36%58%5%1%15.7:1 ïÜÉÈËØÉËÜÔÑÊ 32%62%6%1%13.4:1 úÎÏÏØÚÉÔÎÏÊÉÎÏØÜËÛÄÊÚÕÎÎÑÊ 23%65%11%1%7.3:1 ëÔÙÔÏÖÉÎÖØÉÉÎÆÎËÒÎËÜÊÉÎËØ 18%61%19%1%4.0:1 æÔÙØÏÊÎÐØÉÕÎËÎÈÖÕ×ÜËØÊ×ÎËÛÔÒØ 23%54%21%2%3.3:1 ÑÜÏØÊ ðÎÈÏÉÜÔÏÛÔÒÔÏÖ 13%61%22%2%3.1:1 ôÏÑÔÏØÊÒÜÉÔÏÖ 11%60%22%4%2.7:1 õÎËÊØÛÜÚÒËÔÙÔÏÖ 20%50%24%4%2.5:1 íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ ÷öð îúèêëîèíøøéôïöê Three focus group meetings were held, each catering to different user groups as follows: ðØØÉÔÏÖ ÷ØÛËÈÜËÄ ¨ –Representatives of the Arts Board, Planning and Zoning Commission, and Construction Code Board ðØØÉÔÏÖðÜËÚÕ ¨ –Representatives from various Sports Leagues ðØØÉÔÏÖ ðÜËÚÕ ¨ –Business Leadersand Senior Citizens Each of these meetings had between ten and twenty attendees and each used a similar format. Each meeting started with a presentation given by the Planning Team to give an overview of the Master Planning process and introduce the topics of discussion for the meeting. After the presentation, input was gained from the participants via a “nominal group” technique whereby members of the Planning Team distributed note cards to each participant, asked a question, and allowed time for the participant to write down his or her response. Then, members of the Planning Team went around the room and asked each person to read one of the responses that they had written down. This process continued until all participants had read all of their responses. This process allows an orderly and efficient collection of information while encouraging every participant present to give his or her opinion. The three questions asked at each meeting were generally the same: ìÈØÊÉÔÎÏ ¨ –What is your vision for Wylie’s future? ìÈØÊÉÔÎÏ ¨ –What is your vision for the future of your organization? (or) What outcomes do you hope for? ìÈØÊÉÔÎÏ ¨ –What do the Park and Recreation Divisions need to do to meet this vision and achieve these outcomes? êÈÐÐÜËÔÃØÙ÷ÎÚÈÊöËÎÈÍðØØÉÔÏÖëØÊÈÑÉÊ From each of these meetings unique responses were generated, but the overall results were strikingly similar.At each meeting, respondents provided very similar results to the three questions discussed. Detailed results from each of the meetings can be found in Appendix B. ÇÔÊÔÎÏ Key items from these meetings include the need for Wylie to be self-sufficient(bea live/work/play and age-in-place community), to be unique, to be bike-and pedestrian-friendly, to preserve natural areas, to have better lake access, to be an involved community, and to retain youth(through programs, activities, and education). ÎÈÉÚÎÐØ Key items include developing a sense of pride, providing services and businessesthat meet the needs of Wylie, having schools, neighborhoods, and parks connectedby bike and úÕÜÍÉØË íÈÛÑÔÚôÏÇÎÑÇØÐØÏÉ pedestrian connections, being forward-thinking, demanding quality development, building tradition, being inclusiveand providingopportunities, creating connections between people, and being multi-generational. ÏØØÙÊ Key from the Parks and Recreation Divisions includebetter communicationof goals and plans between boards, land for trailsthat connect places, awareness of bikingas a form of transportation, partnerships with the school district(including applying for safe routes to schools funding for sidewalks and trails), activities for youthand children, more shade in parks, better park signage, and facilities that meet citizens’ needs(so that people don’t have to leave the city), are tied to the communityphysically and culturally, and meet the needs of a growing and changing senior group. íôê èûñôúïçîñçøðøïéèððüëä While thereare many facets of the input that was gained from the public, the following summarizes the primary themes that were uncovered during this process. While some of these themes might deal with issues beyond the scope of this Master Plan, they are important to consider as each relates to the quality, character,and location of parks, open spaces, facilities, and programs. íÜÊÊÔÇØëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏ People most oftenprefer toparticipate in passiverecreationactivities like picnics,taking their kids to play at playgrounds,and walking and bike ontrails. People alsogenerally feel that passive activities like theseare the most important activities for the City to support and expand. This public focus on passive recreation is in contrast to the typical assumption that the primary duty of any city’s parks and recreation department is to support the needs of active recreation (like baseball, soccer, and softball). ñÜÒØüÚÚØÊÊÜÏÙîÍÍÎËÉÈÏÔÉÔØÊ Citizens recognize Wylie’s unique position being located between two majorlakes. Many of the participants in the public involvement process cite the lakes as being items that can (or should) define the Wylie’s image. In addition, there is strong support for improving access to and visibility of the lakes and taking greater advantage of recreation opportunities along the lake shores (including at the existing U.S. Army Corps of Engineers parks). íÑÜÏüÕØÜÙÜÏÙÛØ÷ÎËÆÜËÙéÕÔÏÒÔÏÖ Many people see the need for the City to meet the needs of Wylie’s current and future citizens by being forward-thinking and anticipating changing trends.Specifically, there was much discussion and support for acquiring land for parks and open space and for demanding high- quality development in Wylie. The importance of meeting the needs of all of Wylie’s citizens is exemplified in that although the majority of the public is satisfied with Wylie’s parks facilities and recreation programs, there are many people who feel that their needs are not currently being met. íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ íËØÊØËÇØïÜÉÈËÜÑüËØÜÊ Related to the need to provide additional lake access and acquire land for future park needs, the public places a high level of importance on protecting and preserving natural areas and open spaces such as along Wylie’s creeks, drainage ways, and lakes (88% of telephone survey respondents view this as an important action for the City to take). éËÜÔÑÊúÎÏÏØÚÉÔÇÔÉÄ There is very strong supportacross the Cityfor expanding Wylie’s trail system.Primary reasons for this support is the desire of Wylie’s citizens to makeWylie a bicycle-and pedestrian-friendly communitythat has sidewalks, trails, and other connections linking schools, neighborhoods, and parks. ðÈÑÉÔöØÏØËÜÉÔÎÏÜÑ Because Wylie is a diverse city with citizens of all ages, the public places importance on creating multi-generational facilities and programs for the community. Specifically, people support providing additional facilities and opportunities for both senior citizens and youth. Youth sports was one particular component that citizens said should be better supported and expanded. úÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄôÙØÏÉÔÉÄ One of the most important things to the residents of Wylie is the city’s small-town sense of community and identity. Preserving and building upon these characteristics is an important consideration for thecity. Some specific components of this input is the importance of the historic downtown and the need to demand quality development throughout the city. êØÑ×êÈ××ÔÚÔØÏÚÄ Perhaps the most commented-upon componentof the public’s input was the desire for Wylieto become a self-sufficient community wherein its citizens can live, work, and play. Two main self-sufficiency issues discussed during the public involvement sessions were the need to make Wylie an “age-in-place” community with amenities for people ofall ages and the strong desire for aquatic facilities and a recreation center. úÕÜÍÉØË øÅÔÊÉÔÏÖúÎÏÙÔÉÔÎÏÊ úÕÜÍÉØË øÅÔÊÉÔÏÖúÎÏÙÔÉÔÎÏÊ ô ïéëîùèúéôîï Knowing the existing conditions of Wylie’s parks, recreation, and open space system –including the current condition of various facilities and how well facilities address the current needs of the community –is an essential part of the planning process. Fully understanding the location, size, and quality of Wylie’s parks system also helps in determining the existing and future needs of the community. This chapter describes the types of parks in Wylie, summarizesthe parks, recreation, and open space system in terms of acreage and amenities, and provides a review of each of the City’s parks. íú üëòñüêêô÷ôúüéôîïê Each city classifies its parks differently, using terms like pocket park, mini park, neighborhood park,community park, metropolitan park, linear park, sports complex, city park, etc. However, in most cities the types of parks can be explained simply in one of two categoriesoutlined below. úÑÎÊØÉÎõÎÐØíÜËÒÊ are usually located within the community served by the facility, which includes mini/pocket parks, neighborhood parks and community parks. Other types of parks (such as trail corridors, greenbelts, and linear parks)may sometimesalso be considered close-to-home parks. These parks are the backbone of Wylie’s parks system. îÉÕØËíÜËÒÊ include any other type of park within the City that is not a close-to-home park. Most often special purpose parks, open space and nature area preserves, and regional parks fall into this category. Considering these general classifications, eachof Wylie’s parks can be classified in either the ÚÑÎÊØÉÎÕÎÐØÍÜËÒÊÎÉÕØËÍÜËÒÊ category or thecategory. Within these two major park typologies, there are additional classifications of parks as follows: úÑÎÊØÉÎÕÎÐØíÜËÒÊ ¨ ïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙíÜËÒÊ ¨ úÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄíÜËÒÊ îÉÕØËíÜËÒÊ ¨ êÍØÚÔÜÑíÈËÍÎÊØíÜËÒÊ ¨ îÍØÏêÍÜÚØïÜÉÈËØüËØÜíËØÊØËÇØÊ ¨ ëØÖÔÎÏÜÑíÜËÒÊ íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ íÜËÒúÑÜÊÊÔ×ÔÚÜÉÔÎÏùØÊÚËÔÍÉÔÎÏÊ ïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙíÜËÒÊ Neighborhood parks are typically between five (5) and ten (10) acres in size and are designed and located to serve the surrounding neighborhoods. These parks serve as the core of the parks system and should generally serve no more than 3,000 to 4,000 residents. As a rule of thumb, all neighborhood parks shouldhave a playground, pavilion, and open areas for free play. Additional amenities typically found in neighborhood parks includebenches and picnic tables, basketball courts, loop jogging trails,multi-purpose practice fields, backstopsand tennis courts. These are ÚÑÎÊØÉÎÕÎÐØÍÜËÒÊ typically considered to beas described above. úÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄíÜËÒÊ Community parks are larger than neighborhood parks –typically 25 to 75+ acres in size –and have more amenities. While not intended to serve specific neighborhoods, community parks should be equally distributed across the city in order to serve all populations within Wylie. Typically, community parks will have all of the amenities of a neighborhood park (playgrounds, pavilions, open areas for free play, trails, basketball courts, multi-purpose practice fields, backstops, etc.) plus additional amenities such as lighted competitive baseball, softball, soccer, and footballfields, larger areas of open space for free play, natural areas, and restrooms. Quite often community parks will also include special facilities such as recreation centers and ÚÑÎÊØÉÎÕÎÐØÍÜËÒÊ skateboard parks. These are also typically considered to be. êÍØÚÔÜÑíÈËÍÎÊØíÜËÒÊ Special purpose parks do not have a specific size; rather, the size of the park is determined by the need for which the park is provided (such as athletic fields). The special purpose parks category includes pocket parks, plazas, athletic complexes, practice fields, and “special interest” parks (such as dog parks, skate parks, or any type of park designed to accommodate one specific recreation activity) that are not otherwise part of another neighborhood or community park. ÎÉÕØËÍÜËÒÊ These are typically considered to bein thecategory as described above. îÍØÏêÍÜÚØïÜÉÈËØüËØÜíËØÊØËÇØÊ Open space and nature area preserves also do not have a specific size and are rather based upon unique or valuable land that is identified by the City as important to protect. These areas typically have very few facilities and serve to preserve and provide access to natural areas such as along creeks, floodplains, wooded areas, lakeshores, prairies, and particular geologic formations orareas oftopographic change.As un-programmed space, there is the added benefit thatthese areas are“self-maintaining”–while there may be the occasional need to check for hazards, maintenance is generally not a significant factor. These are typically considered to be in ÎÉÕØËÍÜËÒÊ the category as described above. ëØÖÔÎÏÜÑíÜËÒÊ Regional parks can vary in size depending on the purpose of the park but are generally very large (often over 100 acres). These parks are typically provided because of an opportunity more so than a need(such as for public recreation and access around lakes). Regional parks are often not owned or managed by cities (rather, as is the case in Wylie, they are owned and operated by a úÕÜÍÉØË øÅÔÊÉÔÏÖúÎÏÙÔÉÔÎÏÊ regional, state, or national agency such as the US Army Corps of Engineers). Typical amenities at a regional park include boat ramps, day use areas, camping (primitive, improved, and/or RV camping), natural areas, hiking trails, and large group pavilions. Predictably, these are ÎÉÕØËÍÜËÒÊ considered to be in the category as described above. êøí èððüëäî÷åôêéôïöüëòê The following section includes a summary of Wylie’s park systemanddescriptions of each park by park type. In total, the City of Wylie maintains over 663acres of park land which constitutes sixteen (16)neighborhood parks, two (2)community parks, two (2)special purpose parks, five 1 (5)open space & nature area preserves, and the Dallas County-owned Muddy Creek Preserve. In addition to land owned and maintained by the City, other park lands exist in Wylie, most notably the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers(USACE)parks on the shores of LavonLake. Considering the sum of City-, County-, and USACE-owned parks within the contiguous city limits, there are over 1,000 acres of park land in Wylie. ïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙíÜËÒÊ To date, Wylie has sixteen parksthat the City considers to be neighborhood parks (many of these parks are pieces of land recently dedicated to the City during development and therefore many of them are undeveloped and have several phases). The neighborhood parks in Wylie range in age, size, and level of amenities and include parks like Kirby Park (which was founded many years ago, is 0.5 acres in size, and includes playgrounds and picnic tables) as well as Joel Scott Memorial Park (which was developed between 2003 and 2008, is over 12 acres in size, and includes many amenities including a skateboard park). úÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄíÜËÒÊ Two community parks currently exist in Wylie. Spatially located on either side of the city, each of these parks focuses on athletic fields and other high-intensity uses and each is adjacent to a large school (Founders is next toWylie High Schooland Community is next to Burnett Junior High School). Both parks are located near a creek, though only Founders Park contains significant open space (found in the 17 acre Hensley Property located adjacent to Founders Park). Because of Wylie’s growth over the last few years and the fact that these two community parks provide the only competition fields in the City, they are highly used and are at or beyond capacity. Founders Park will soon be expanded (Halff Associates is completing a master plan for the park) and approximately $1.7million has been approved for improvements to Community Park in the near future. êÍØÚÔÜÑíÈËÍÎÊØíÜËÒÊ Wylie has two special purpose parks currently –Dodd Park and Avalon Park Phase 1. Both of these parks areconsidereda special purposeparks because their primary function is that of providing multi-purpose practice fields. 1 The Muddy Creek Preserve is 37.7 acres in size and is owned by Dallas County but maintained by the City of Wylie. íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ îÍØÏêÍÜÚØïÜÉÈËØüËØÜíËØÊØËÇØÊ One of Wylie’s best assets is the wooded floodplain along and near Muddy Creek and Rush Creek. The City has acquired or has been dedicated several pieces of land totaling approximately 147 acres that have been designated as open space preserves(Muddy Creek 2 Preserve, Parkside Park, Sagecreek 4 Park, Sagecreek 8 and 9 Park, Wylie LakesPark, and Oncor/Lavon Park). ëØÖÔÎÏÜÑíÜËÒÊ Several US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) parks exist in Wylie. While these are not City- owned or maintained, they serve the residents of Wylie (as well as people from the surrounding region). The four USACE parks located in Wylie’s city limits are East Fork Park and Avalon Park (both on the southern shore of the lake, west of the dam), Lavonia Park (just east of the dam), and Clear Lake Park (located across the lake from Avalon Park and not directly accessible from Wylie, but still within the city limits). Collin Park is another USACE park located near Wylie but is not within Wylie’s city limits (it is in St. Paul). Each of these parks has boat ramps, picnic areas, and camping areas (except for Lavonia Park which does not offer camping). üÙÙÔÉÔÎÏÜÑúÔÉÄîÆÏØÙíÜËÒñÜÏÙ õÔÒØûÔÒØøÌÈØÊÉËÔÜÏéËÜÔÑÊ There are seven miles of hike and bike trails and five miles of equestrian trails in Wylie. Many of these trails pass through neighborhood parks or open space & nature area preserves. Besides these trails, there are also segments of trail that have their own park land. The 4.1 acre Meadows of Birmingham Phase 2 Park and the 9.8 acre Trinity Trail Park provide right of way for trails (the Trinity Trail is an equestrian trail). In addition, the Trinity TrailPark provides trailhead facilities for horse loading and unloading and trailer parking. ëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ The Bart Peddicord Community Center is located in historic Downtown Wylie in a former Post Office building. The center is approximately 4,000 square feet in size and is located on a 1/3 acre lot. The center is currently used for City recreation programs, senior center uses, and is available for rentals. èÏÙØÇØÑÎÍØÙíÜËÒÊ In addition to all of the land mentioned so far, Wylie has over 323 additional acres of land which uses have yet to be determined. This includes the 253 acre Municipal Complex Property (of which 19.67 acres are occupied bythe new City Hall, Recreation Center, and Library; a master plan for the remainder of this property is beingdeveloped as part of the Parks Plan project), the 46 acre Alanis Landfill, Birmingham Farms Phase 14B, Creekhollow Estates, and the Hensley Property. It is likely that much of this land will become Open Space or Nature Area Preserves. éÜÛÑØ øÅÔÊÉÔÏÖíÜËÒ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ on the next page illustrates the acreage and facilities of each individual park in Wylie. 2 Muddy Creek Preserve is a Dallas County-owned park that is in Wylie and is maintained by the City of Wylie. õÜÏÙÔÚÜÍÍØÙíÜËÒÔÏÖÎ×ÊÍÜÚØÊ î××êÉËØØÉíÜËÒÔÏÖÎ×ÊÍÜÚØÊ ëØÊÉËÎÎÐûÑÙÖÊíÎËÉÜÛÑØ úÎÏÚØÊÊÔÎÏûÑÙÖÊ üÙÓÜÚØÏÉÉÎúËØØÒ ñÜÒØÊÎËæÜÉØËÔÏíÜËÒ ÷ÎÎÉûËÔÙÖØÊ ðØÐÎËÔÜÑðÎÏÈÐØÏÉúÎÑÈÐÏÊ ðØØÉÔÏÖëÎÎÐÊÆÉÜÛÑØÊÚÕÜÔËÊ ùËÔÏÒÔÏÖ÷ÎÈÏÉÜÔÏÊ ûÑØÜÚÕØËÊ ûØÏÚÕØÊ ûûìöËÔÑÑÊ íÔÚÏÔÚèÏÔÉÊ êÐÜÑÑíÜÇÔÑÔÎÏÊ ñÜËÖØíÜÇÔÑÔÎÏÊ öÜÃØÛÎ úÎÇØËØÙíÔÚÏÔÚéÜÛÑØ üÐÍÕÔÉÕØÜÉØË ñØÔÊÈËØíÎÎÑ ÷ÔÉÏØÊÊñÜÍíÎÎÑ æÜÉØËêÍËÜÄíÎÎÑ ÷ÔÊÕÔÏÖíÔØËîÛÊØËÇÜÉÔÎÏÙØÚÒ ÷ÔÊÕÔÏÖíÎÏÙ ëÜÙÔÎúÎÏüÔËÍÑÜÏØ÷ÔØÑÙ êÒÜÉÔÏÖ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ úËÔÚÒØÉ ñÜúËÎÊÊØ ïÜÉÈËØúØÏÉØË öÄÐÏÜÊÔÈÐ ùÔÊÚöÎÑ×úÎÈËÊØ üËØÏÜ õÎËÊØÊÕÎØíÔÉÊ êÒÜÉÔÏÖ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ íÑÜÄÖËÎÈÏÙÎ×ÈÏÔÉÊ ïÜÉÈËØÜËØÜÜÚËØÊ ÷ÔÉÏØÊÊúÎÈËÊØ éËÜÚÒÊÄÜËÙÊ øÌÈØÊÉËÔÜÏéËÜÔÑÊÐÔÑØÊ ïÜÉÈËØéËÜÔÑÊÐÔÑØÊ èÏíÜÇØÙõÔÒØûÔÒØéËÜÔÑÊÐÔÑØÊ íÜÇØÙõÔÒØûÔÒØéËÜÔÑÊÐÔÑØÊ ðÈÑÉÔÍÈËÍÎÊØúÎÈËÉÊ ÷ÔÉÏØÊÊúØÏÉØË ôÏñÔÏØõÎÚÒØÄëÔÏÒ çÎÑÑØÄÛÜÑÑúÎÈËÉÊôÏÙÎÎËÊ çÎÑÑØÄÛÜÑÑúÎÈËÉÊÊÜÏÙ éØÏÏÔÊúÎÈËÉÊ ùÔÊÚöÎÑ×úÎÈËÊØ ðÈÑÉÔÍÈËÍÎÊØíËÜÚÉÔÚØ÷ÔØÑÙÊ ûÜÚÒÊÉÎÍÊ ûÜÊÒØÉÛÜÑÑôÏÙÎÎËúÎÈËÉÊ ûÜÊÒØÉÛÜÑÑõÜÑ×úÎÈËÉÊ ûÜÊÒØÉÛÜÑÑ÷ÈÑÑúÎÈËÉÊ êÎ×ÉÛÜÑÑ÷ÔØÑÙÊüÙÈÑÉ ÷ÎÎÉÛÜÑÑ÷ÔØÑÙÊúÎÐÍØÉÔÉÔÇØ êÎÚÚØËíÜÙÊúÎÐÍØÉÔÉÔÇØ êÎ×ÉÛÜÑÑ÷ÔØÑÙÊúÎÐÍØÉÔÉÔÇØ ûÜÊØÛÜÑÑ÷ÔØÑÙÊúÎÐÍØÉÔÉÔÇØ úÔÉÄêØÚÉÎË êÍÜÚØ ïÜÉÈËÜÑèÏÍËÎÖËÜÐÐØÙ èÏÙØÇØÑÎÍØÙ ùØÇØÑÎÍØÙ éÎÉÜÑüÚËØÜÖØ úÕÜÍÉØË øÅÔÊÉÔÏÖúÎÏÙÔÉÔÎÏÊ í÷ë üëòüúôñôéäøçôøæê The remainder of this chapter is dedicated to providing a review of each park in Wylie. The intention of these reviews is to provide an unbiased, subjective description of the condition, issues, qualities, and benefits of each park in the city. Though the reviews are not divided into the following structure, the various evaluationcomponents were each considered when creating these reviews: úÑÜÊÊÔ×ÔÚÜÉÔÎÏ ¨ What is the purpose of a given park? Is it intended to serve thelocal neighborhood or a much larger population? êÔÃØÎ×ÉÕØíÜËÒ ¨ How big is the park? Is it large enough to adequately accomplish its intended purpose? ñÎÚÜÉÔÎÏ ¨ Where is the park located in relation to the population that it serves? Is it accessible? êØËÇÔÚØüËØÜ ¨ What are the limits of the area served by each park? Are there any major thoroughfares or physical features that create barriers to accessing the park? üÐØÏÔÉÔØÊÔÏØÜÚÕíÜËÒ ¨ What amenities does the park contain? Are the facilities appropriate for the type of park? ñÜÄÎÈÉ ¨ Is the arrangement of facilities in each park appropriate? úÎÏÙÔÉÔÎÏÎ×ÉÕØíÜËÒ ¨ What is the general condition of the facilities in each park? êÍØÚÔÜÑúÎÏÊÔÙØËÜÉÔÎÏÊ ¨ Does the park provide facilities for the physically challenged that meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act? Is the park maintained in a sustainable manner? Are there natural areas in the park that require special consideration? íÜËÒùÔÊÉËÔÛÈÉÔÎÏ As mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, neighborhood parks and community parks both serve as close-to-home parks, which is the backbone of the parks system. Because of this, it is important that neighborhood and community parks be adequately distributed physically across ïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙÍÜËÒÊÛØÊÉÊØËÇØÕÎÈÊØÕÎÑÙÊÉÕÜÉÜËØÆÔÉÕÔÏÆÜÑÒÔÏÖÙÔÊÉÜÏÚØ Wylie. of the park (generally ½ mile, which for the average person is a 10 minute walk). A primary factor determining this ½ mile service radius is the nature of a neighborhood park to serve the úÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄÍÜËÒÊÛØÊÉÊØËÇØÕÎÈÊØÕÎÑÙÊÉÕÜÉ particular neighborhood in which it is located. ÜËØÆÔÉÕÔÏÜÐÔÏÈÉØÙËÔÇØ of the park (generally 1 mile). Using a 1 mile service radius ensures that all residents are within easy access of a park that has ample open space and amenities so that people can use it on a daily basis. These service radii should be considered as guidelines only. In many instances –due to railroad tracks, thoroughfares, un-crossable water bodies, and other barriers –parks will not fully serve all populations within their service radii. øÅÔÊÉÔÏÖïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙùØ÷ÜÚÉÎïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙíÜËÒÊ The map on the next page illustrates the location and ½ mile service radiusof existing neighborhood parks in Wylie. øÅÔÊÉÔÏÖúÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄíÜËÒÊ The map on page 4–10illustrates the location and 1 mile service radiusof existing community parks in Wylie. íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ úÕÜÍÉØË øÅÔÊÉÔÏÖúÎÏÙÔÉÔÎÏÊ ïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙíÜËÒÊ úËØØÒÊÔÙØøÊÉÜÉØÊíÕÜÊØ íÜËÒÊ ÜÚËØÊ æØÊÉíÜËÒãÎÏØ At sixteenacres, Creekside Estates Park is very large for a neighborhood park. The park is divided into two non-contiguous main areas by Lewis Drive. The park is alsoadjacent to an HOA amenity center. The small portion on the western side of Lewis Drive is approximately 2.3 acres, is adjacent to a small creek, and includes a playground, benches, and a loop trail. This portion of the parkis very attractive and is of a scale that makes it very comfortable for the park users. Across the street is a much larger piece of park land that includes a soccer practice field, backstop, basketball court, parking lot, loop trail, and a drainage area. The two highlights of this portion of the park are the creek corridor along the southern edge and the drainage area in the center of the park. This drainage area appears to be typically empty and is very attractive; the bottom of it is covered in tall grasses and a few cottonwood saplings while the edges are covered in wildflowers. Other than these areas, however, the remainder of this portion of the park feelssomewhatexposed because of a lack of mature trees. This section of the park is well integrated with the surrounding neighborhood, being connected by sidewalks and trails as well as Lewis Drive. The main issues with this portion of the park are the consistency of pathway/trail widths (some connecting portions are only four feet wide)and steep slopes near the Lewis Drive bridge over the creek (these are adjacent to the sidewalks and íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ are showing signs of erosion).Additional park benches would be a welcome amenity to this park. úËØØÒÊÔÙØøÊÉÜÉØÊíÕÜÊØ íÜËÒ ÜÚËØÊ íØÖÖÄñÎ×ÉÔÊùË æØÊÉíÜËÒãÎÏØ This park is completely undeveloped, is mostly wooded natural area, and is adjacent to an undeveloped neighborhood. At the corner of Peggy Loftice Drive and Nathan Drive (the most visible corner of this portion of the park), there is a water tower and a small parking lot. ñÜÒØÊÔÙØøÊÉÜÉØÊíÜËÒ ÜÚËØÊ ñÜÒØÕÈËÊÉñÏ æØÊÉíÜËÒãÎÏØ This small park is located adjacent to a homeowner’s association facility (which has a pond, swimming pool, two playgrounds, and a parking lot). Because of the park’s focus on athletic practice fields(of which it has two), the park itself functions as a special purpose park rather than aneighborhood park. However, when considering the amenities of the adjacent HOA facility, these two pieces of land function in unison to provide a neighborhood park. Lakeside Estates úÕÜÍÉØË øÅÔÊÉÔÏÖúÎÏÙÔÉÔÎÏÊ Park is well connected with the immediately surrounding neighborhood in that it is surrounded by single-loaded roads rather than the backs or sides of houses. The major issue in this park is the viewto the south. The southern edge of the park is bordered by a railroad track; on the other side of this track are commercial and industrial buildings (the backs of which are plainly visible from the park) and Farm-to-Market Road 544. While some berming and small trees exist between the railroad track and the park, they donoteffectivelyserve as a noise/sound or visual buffer for the park. In addressing this issuethrough additional landscaping or more substantial berming, the opportunity also exists to provide a trail along portions of the railroad to connect Oleander and Maiden Drives to provide better neighborhood access(though this land is owned by the Lakeside Estates HOA and not the City). Other issues include the recently-planted hedge of red-tip photinias (by the HOA) between the basketball court (on City-owned park land) and the playground (on HOA land). This is unfortunate since, once this hedgerow matures, it will provide a wall between the two facilities, creating a sense of isolation and separation which will disrupt the HOA/Park symbiosis. ëÔÇØËÆÜÄíÜËÒ ÜÚËØÊ ëÔÇØËÆÜÄùË æØÊÉíÜËÒãÎÏØ The park is attractive and well-organized; it is integrated with the surrounding neighborhood and open space by sidewalks, visual corridors, and design aesthetics. While small in size, this developed portion of this park has an attractive scale and likely serves the surrounding population well. The playground edging in the form of stone seatwall adds both character and functional use andis commended and highly recommended for application in other parks where applicable. Single loaded roads provide a sense of openness and a welcoming feel to the park. Issues with this park include a relatively smallopen area for playing catch or similar games (because of the park’s relatively small size), the pavilion is small and only has a one-tier roof which traps heat underneath it, and the blank wooden fence(on private property)on the northern edge of the park provides an abrupt transition between park and development (this could benefit from screening vegetation or other treatments). While it is not recommended to replace the pavilion now, it is advisable to useslightly larger,multi-tier roofed pavilions in the future. Special care must be taken to ensure that the creek on the eastern edge of the park does not begin to erode or provide safety hazards to park users. íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ ÷ËÔØÏÙÊÕÔÍíÜËÒ ÜÚËØÊ æÕÔÉØôÛÔÊæÜÄ æØÊÉíÜËÒãÎÏØ Friendship Park is a traditional neighborhood park complete with aplayground, pavilion, basketball court, open play area, angle-in on-street parking, and loop trail. It is generally well integrated with the surrounding neighborhood, has many trees (though few have yet reached maturity) and is generally a comfortable park. The park has a fairly large open play field; because of the proximity of Dodd Park and its practice fields, a portion of this open play field could be utilized for programmed uses if needed in the future. The primary concern in this park is the adjacency of Country Club Drive (FM 1378). The proximity of this high-traffic thoroughfare causes visual and audible intrusion into the park that detracts from its quality. Providing berming and additional vegetation along the park’s western edge adjacent to Country Club Drive would help improve the quality of the park. çÜÑØÏÉÔÏØíÜËÒ ÜÚËØÊ ûÔËÐÔÏÖÕÜÐêÉ úØÏÉËÜÑíÜËÒãÎÏØ Valentine Park, one of Wylie’s older parks,is a small neighborhood park that is linear in form and tucked within an established neighborhood. Most of the park is surrounded by fenced- in residential backyards though one edge has an alley between the fences and the park. Portions of the park have mature shade trees while others have younger trees úÕÜÍÉØË øÅÔÊÉÔÏÖúÎÏÙÔÉÔÎÏÊ which do not yet provide much shade. Because of this, the pavilion serves as an essential shady area for the park. While the majority of the park is comfortable and generally well organized, the eastern edge of the park could use some improvement. The entrance driveway serves double- purpose for the park and for the adjacent house. Consideration should be given to adding signage or striping to clarify the park’s entrance. While the driveway appears recent, the parking lot itself needs to be repaved. Finally, the entire park is surrounded by a wood bollard and cable system. This bollard system is aging and often difficult to maintain. Over time this should be replaced with a more efficient, low-maintenance solution such as adding a curb to the alley and parking lot. When the playground is updated, the Cityshould consider replacingthe temporary looking plastic edging with a more durable and permanent edge e.g. a low stone wall that can serve a seatwall as well. éÆÔÏñÜÒØÊíÜËÒêÎÈÉÕÛËÎÎÒíÜËÒ ÜÚËØÊ ÛËÎÎÒñÏ úØÏÉËÜÑíÜËÒãÎÏØ These two contiguous and largely undeveloped parks consist predominately of wooded areas and a cleared wastewater utility corridorand function as one unified park. The park land is predominately surrounded by the backs of houses and their fences. One long edge of the park land is adjacent to a 58 acre ranch estate parcel that provides an attractive rural landscape complete with farm animals and stock tanks. Taking advantage of this vista through providing a trail along the southern edge of this park would provide a great experience for park users to see Wylie’s rural and agricultural heritage. The only developed portions of these two parks include the provision of a single picnic table at the eastern edge of Twin Lakes Parkand three picnic tables and a playground at the western edge (the playground consists of two benches,a swing set, and a slide). Also, in the center of this park land is the Twin Lakes Lift Station. It is recommended that a single, unified master plan be created for these two parks because of their unique character, size, shape, and location. Screening this facility is of prime importance to the overall quality of the park once it is developed (though it is recommended that the wooded areas of this park remain as undeveloped natural areas). íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ íÕØÜÊÜÏÉúËØØÒíÜËÒ ÜÚËØÊ õÜËÇØÊÉúËÎÊÊÔÏÖùË øÜÊÉíÜËÒãÎÏØ While very attractive visually, this undeveloped park land is largely undevelopable because of the extreme slopes that constitute the majority of the land. This park is linear in form and is along a creek with a very deep channel. There is a portion of parkland across the creek from the majority of the park and has limited accessibility currently. Because of the steep slopes and the fact that most of the park land is behind houses, only a portionof this park land is developable. The Pheasant Creek Lift Station is adjacent to one of the larger developable portions of this park; the impact of this lift station has been reduced to some degree by the provision of a brick wall around it rather than the standard chain-link fence. The creek flows east from this park, creating a greenbelt that extends to Lake Ray Hubbard (just over a quarter mile away). Unfortunately, due to the extreme slopes of available land along the creek, the ability to provide a trail connecting the park to the lake is severely limited. A future possibility exists to locate a pedestrian bridge crossing the creek to provide access to the park land on the other side. Such a bridge would also improve connectivity if a neighborhood is ever developed to the north. It is of note to mention the transparent metal fencing as shown in the accompanying photos. Visually transparent fencing allows for informal surveillance which adds to a sense of security for park users. It also reduces a potential feeling of uncomfortable enclosure. úÕÜÍÉØË øÅÔÊÉÔÏÖúÎÏÙÔÉÔÎÏÊ óÎØÑêÚÎÉÉðØÐÎËÔÜÑíÜËÒ ÜÚËØÊ æØÊÉÖÜÉØæÜÄ øÜÊÉíÜËÒãÎÏØ Joel Scott Memorial Park is divided into two unique settings by Westgate Way andconsists of a skate park, picnic pavilion,and parking lot on the west side and a meadow with many young trees, a loop trail, and several picnic tables on the east side. This meadow portion of the park is directly adjacent to and very well connected to the play area (including playground) of Birmingham Elementary School. This juxtaposition of organized play area and open meadow (connected by a loop trail system) serves as a full neighborhood park (though the inclusion of a pavilion is recommended). The primary issues in this park are a lack of mature trees (though many trees have been planted in the park in recent years and will become mature in the future). ûÔËÐÔÏÖÕÜÐ÷ÜËÐÊíÜËÒ ü ÜÚËØÊ îÙØÏÇÔÑÑØùË øÜÊÉíÜËÒãÎÏØ This park is adjacenttoa visually attractive soil conservationlake built along a tributary of Muddy Creek. The park is situated on the east sideof the lake and though the soil conservationlandsand the HOA lands on the west side of the lakeare not technically pieces of park land, it feels as if the area is one large park. In both the actual park and the HOA land on the west side of the lake, there areeight foot wide linear trails(lighted and totaling approximately a half of a mile) that afford wonderful views toward the lake and creek environment. The park has a playground at its northern end. What makes this park unique is the natural state in which the lake and creek area is allowed to exist. The trees, tall grasses, and wildflowers provide a beautiful habitat forbirds and other animals. íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ Improvements that would enhance the quality of this park include continuing the trails so that they create a loop around the lake (this would involve building a bridge over the creek at the northern end of the lake and building atrail across the dam at the southern end of the lake), adding additional benches at key overlook locations (such as near the intersection of Sanden Boulevard and Lowndes Lane), adding signage, and creating a trailhead area near the playground by adding a covered pavilion, a drinking fountain, benches, and a bicycle rack. ðØÜÙÎÆÇÔØÆøÊÉÜÉØÊíÜËÒ ÜÚËØÊ úÜËÇØËùË øÜÊÉíÜËÒãÎÏØ This small park is linear in form and includes a paved trail along its entirety (about a third of a mile). Much of this park lies parallel to an adjacent railroad track on one side and the backs of houses on the other. While the majority of this park does not have good visibility from the street and the neighborhood is only about halfway developed, it has a very comfortable and intimate feel about it largely because of the trees (some mature and some not) and the pampas grass (which grows quickly and though its growthcan be difficult to manage, it makes the park feel more established). While having an active railroad so close to a trail (this line is owned by DART and could eventually support light rail) poses potential safety issues and could be considered by some to be unpleasant, creating a railroad “theme” for this park through the implementation of interpretive signage can add to the charm of the adjacent tracks. îÑÙØúÔÉÄíÜËÒ ÜÚËØÊ êûÜÑÑÜËÙüÇØ úØÏÉËÜÑíÜËÒãÎÏØ úÕÜÍÉØË øÅÔÊÉÔÏÖúÎÏÙÔÉÔÎÏÊ Olde City Park is adjacent to Wylie’s historic downtown and, as it is positioned along Ballard Street, it serves as a gateway into the downtown area. This park has the basic neighborhood park amenities (playground, benches, and open areas, etc.), adequate walkways within and around the park, as well as a large pavilion suitable for rentals and bathroom facilities. Because of it’s proximity to downtown, the park is a good venue for festivals and events. One of the best features of this park are the large, mature shade trees which provide several areas of comfort for park users as well as enhance the aesthetics of the park. The primary issues within this park are the lack of seating in the gazeboand the quality of the playground. While fully functional, the playground includes agingequipmentof two different styles. Future improvements should also include a more permanent fall zone demarcatione.g. a stonewall serves as a seatwall as well, rather than the temporary looking and uneven plastic edging. òÔËÛÄíÜËÒ ÜÚËØÊ ðÜÊÉØËÊüÇØ øÜÊÉíÜËÒãÎÏØ This small, attractive park is located in one of Wylie’s oldest neighborhoods and benefits from having several mature pecan, cottonwood, and maple trees on-site which provide shade to most of the park’s area. This park has an organiclayout in that picnic tables and playground equipment are loosely arranged in a central area under the trees. This entire area, therefore, is covered in mulch rather than vegetation to serve as a fall zone for the play equipment (though it is also likely that the shade of the trees prevents the growth of grass. While this park does not have a pavilion, the number ofpicnic tables that are all shaded and in close proximity practically negates such a need (as does the half acre size of the park). Overall, the park is pleasant, but could benefit from new sidewalks and an enhanced parking areaas funds become available in the future. íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ üÇÜÑÎÏíÜËÒíÕÜÊØ ÜÚËØÊ ôÇØËÏØÊÊæÜÄ øÜÊÉíÜËÒãÎÏØ This small, undeveloped piece of land is heavily wooded yet has minimal understory brush allowing one to take a pleasant walk through the woods. The park is bordered on oneside by the side of a residential lot, on one side by a single loaded road, and on the other two sides by small ranches. The land directly west of the park is adjacent to a creek; this land would be ideal for the expansion of this park. Because of its wooded nature and because there is an old cemetery in the park, it is recommended that park development be minimal and low impact, thereby preserving as much of the wooded area as possible. As such, this site has minimal opportunity to serve as a neighborhood park and should be regarded and treated as a special purpose park instead. øÈËØÒÜíÜËÒ ÜÚËØÊ øÜÊÉíÜËÒãÎÏØ Linear in form, this neighborhood park is about 1,700 feet (1/3 mile) long and 115 to 175 feet wide. The park is bordered on the east by a single-loaded road and on the west by two acre estates (many of which have farm animals including horses and goats). Along the park’s entirety is a paved trail/sidewalk that connects the park to the neighborhood to the east and connects the park’s basketball court to its playground/pavilion area. While the park is well-connected to the eastern neighborhood, there are no paved connections to the estate lots to the west. However, because of their adjacency to the park, these estate lots lend a rural quality to the park that makes it unique. Issues in this park include the current lack of mature vegetation (though many young trees are present in the park) and the single-tier roofed pavilion. úÕÜÍÉØË øÅÔÊÉÔÏÖúÎÏÙÔÉÔÎÏÊ úÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄíÜËÒÊ úÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄíÜËÒ ÜÚËØÊ éÕÎÐÜÊêÉ úØÏÉËÜÑíÜËÒãÎÏØ As one of Wylie’s largest developed parks, Community Park serves as one of Wylie’s primary athletics complexes, houses the Parks and Recreation Divisions(PARD)offices, and is the location of the PARD maintenance facility. In addition to the up to fifteen competitive game 3 fields, Community Park also has a playground, twopavilions (one large and one small), three basketball courts, a sand volleyball court, bathrooms, and a loop trail. The park is bordered on the northeast side by a small creekcorridor(in some parts of this corridor, the City owns land on the other side of the creek; adjacent to this creek corridor, opposite the park, are large-lot residences most of which do not have fences), on the west side by BurnettJunior High School, and on the south side by the backs of houses (with fenced backyards). The park has a nice setting with several mature trees and the creek environment is attractive. The primary issue in this park is that almost every acre of it is developed leaving little room for un-programmed space or for natural areas. Recommendations for this park include renovating the playground equipment to achieve consistency, renovating or replacing the restrooms, adding more parking, building a concessions facility, adding more shade along the loop trail, and replacing the trail itself (it being aged, cracked asphalt and of varying widths). Two other major improvements recommended for this park are to move the maintenance facility to an off-site ðÎÆÔÏÖÉÎÎÚÑÎÊØÉÎÉÕØÆÜÉØËÊØÙÖØÔÊ location and to create an entry gateway for the park ÙÜÐÜÖÔÏÖÉÎÉÕØÕØÜÑÉÕÎ×ÉÕØÚËØØÒ that provides a clear sense of arrival for park users. All of these improvements should be in accordance with the upcommingmaster plan forthe redevelopment of Community Park. Finally, as the library is planned to move to a new facility, 3 These fifteen fields cannot all be used simultaneously, however, because many of them share space and include overlapping outfields. íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ this building could be converted for use as PARD offices allowing the removal of the portable building that currently houses these offices. ÷ÎÈÏÙØËÊíÜËÒõØÏÊÑØÄíËÎÍØËÉÄ ÜÚËØÊ õØÏÊÑØÄñÜÏØ æØÊÉíÜËÒãÎÏØ Founders Park, so named in honor of the individuals responsible for the City of Wylie’s beginnings and progress through the years, is in the process of becoming a multi-use recreational facility providing both passive and active leisure opportunities. Expandingon an already existing sports complex and large playground, Founders Park will offer competitive sports activities for various age groups and skill sets. Primarily designed to accommodate sports like softball and soccer, Founders Park is currently planned to be expanded to include more passive activities like picnicking under custom designed shade structures anda multitude of trees and jogging or úÕÜÍÉØË øÅÔÊÉÔÏÖúÎÏÙÔÉÔÎÏÊ walking trails that willlink all areas of the park. Other facilities may include a basketball court and twovolleyball courts. These upgrades and increase in use create a demand for concession facilities and restrooms, both of which will soon be provided for. The main concession/restroom facility will cater to the four softball fields and will be centrally located between them, while the South concession and restroom facilities will beeasily accessible from the parking lots and adjacent soccer fields. Each concession/restroom facility will be in close proximity to picnic pavilions that offer patrons the opportunity to sit, relax, and enjoy a meal in the shade all the while still in view of the nearby sports fields.In addition, a sculptureby a nationally-renowned artist willbefeaturedat the South concession area. It should be noted that the park’s name and it’s meaning is not lost in all the activities and amenities provided, but is celebrated along the central pedestrian path leading from the South parking lots to the softball fields. Here a number of historical “nodes” will be provided documenting important events throughout the history of Wylie. The southern portion of the park (known as the “Hensley Property”) is an undeveloped open space with many trees and natural vegetation. The natural quality of this area helps to balance the active character of the rest of Founders Park. êÍØÚÔÜÑíÈËÍÎÊØíÜËÒÊ üÇÜÑÎÏíÜËÒíÕÜÊØ ÜÚËØÊ øûËÎÆÏêÉ øÜÊÉíÜËÒãÎÏØ This sole function of this park is athletic practice fields. There are two multi-purpose practice fields andtwo backstops within thepark. The park is surrounded on three sides by single-loaded íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ roads (across one of these roads is a future school site) and on one side by a blank wall of wooden fences. Overhead are large electricity transmission lines and their accompanying towers (twotowers are in the center of the park). The lack of trees, wooden fencing, and transmission lines creates a very open and exposed environment within this park. While the presence of the electrical easement restricts the planting of trees, it is still possible and advisable to plant trees along the fence line and East Brown Street. Through special agreement with the utility company, small ornamental trees may be allowed within the easement itself. If the park was intended for anything other than sports practice, it would likely go unused. Recommended improvements for this park include installing an irrigation system, providing vegetative screening along the wooden fences and planting trees along the three streets that border the park to provide better aesthetics and a shady location for parents and athletes to rest. ùÎÙÙíÜËÒ ÜÚËØÊ êØÑÐÜñÏ æØÊÉíÜËÒãÎÏØ Dodd Park is considereda special purpose park since its amenities are practice fields (four backstops and three multi-purpose fields). Located near a soon-to-be-major intersection and Dodd Elementary School, this park is conveniently located for practice fields yet has limited off- street parking at the north end (though there is shared parking at the school) causing over-flow parking intothe adjacent neighborhood. While the adjacent school has a playground and other amenities, a chain-link fence separates it from the park, somewhat limiting public access to these areas. There is no irrigation system and there are no trees or any other type of shade within the park. Finally, there is an L-shaped parcel to the south and west of Dodd Park (between the park and Country Club Road and Park Boulevard) which is privately owned and for sale. The development of this parcel will have a very significant impact on the quality and character of the park and unless properly addressed will serve to greatly seclude and close-off the park. Considerations should include landscape setbacks for commercial development and visually transparent metal fencing for residential development. úÕÜÍÉØË øÅÔÊÉÔÏÖúÎÏÙÔÉÔÎÏÊ îÍØÏêÍÜÚØïÜÉÈËØüËØÜÊíËØÊØËÇØÊ êÜÖØúËØØÒ íÜËÒ ÜÚËØÊ ëÔÇØËÆÜÄùË æØÊÉíÜËÒãÎÏØ Situated along a tributary of Muddy Creek and between two residential subdivisions, the Sage Creek 4 Park is linear in form and provides a densely wooded riparian environment and has an eight foot wide trail along the street on its western edge (Riverway Lane) which provides a comfortable walking environment and connects an HOA amenity center to Riverway Park (north of Sage Creek 4 Park). The open space area is visually very attractive and provides habitat for many species of birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Issues at this park include the construction of the trail along Riverway Lane which has resulted in extreme cross-slopes caused by settlementin a few areas (these cross slopes need to be checked for ADA accessibility requirement compliance). Because of the proximity of the trail to the wooded area (which is desirable)care should be taken to ensure thatvegetation does notencroach upon the trail. øÅÉËØÐØÚËÎÊÊÊÑÎÍØÎ×ÉÕØÉËÜÔÑÚÜÏÛØÊØØÏÕØËØÜÉ êÜÖØúËØØÒ íÜËÒ íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ êÜÖØúËØØÒíÜËÒÊ ÜÚËØÊ ëÄÜÏùËíËØÊÉÎÏñÏ æØÊÉíÜËÒãÎÏØ This open space, located along Muddy Creek, provides visual and physical access to many acres of beautiful open space. Wildlife is prevalent in this area, including many types of birds (including waterfowl), reptiles, amphibians, and insects. Because of the nature of Muddy Creek, the trail and the area surrounding it flood regularly. Erosion can be a significant issue along the trail as there are several areas of undercutting and pooled water. In addition, several areas of the trail are often covered with sediment from the previous flood events. To address this, certain portions of the trail could be reconstructed as bridges or boardwalks. Besides the flooding issue, several portions of the trail (the portion which extends due east from the intersection of Ryan Lane and Tyler Trail) have excessive slopes and cross- slopes (which need to be checked for ADA accessibility requirement compliance). êØÇØËØØËÎÊÔÎÏÜÏÙÚËÎÊÊÊÑÎÍØÜÑÎÏÖÉÕØÉËÜÔÑ êÔÖÏÔ×ÔÚÜÏÉÉËÜÔÑÊÑÎÍØÜÚËÎÊÊÉÕØÚÈÑÇØËÉÜÊÊØØÏ ÎÏØÉÕÔËÙÎ×ÉÕØÆÜÄ×ËÎÐÉÕØÛÎÉÉÎÐÎ×ÉÕÔÊÍÕÎÉÎ úÕÜÍÉØË øÅÔÊÉÔÏÖúÎÏÙÔÉÔÎÏÊ æÄÑÔØñÜÒØÊíÜËÒ üÚËØÊ úÎÑÛÄñÜÏØ øÜÊÉíÜËÒãÎÏØ Wylie Lakes Park is a series of three open spaces within the Wylie Lakes subdivision. The largest and most prominent park within the development is located on the eastern portionof the development. This site islocated along a single loaded road which emphasizes the prominence of the open space. The approach is highlighted with a massing of crepe myrtles along with country style wooden fencing. A small parking area is providedon the southeastern edge in close proximity to the pond. This area also serves as an overlook to the park. Alarge community of natural vegetation to the east creates an attractive backdrop to the pond area. The creek corridor that connects with Lake Lavon has the potential to serve as an attractive trail connection to Elm Fork Park along Lake Lavon. The use of transparentfencing by the adjacent residences allows them to extend their rear and side yards and enjoy the park atmosphere. Large open spaces of turfare provided for open play and recreation, albeit on a slope,while a looped concrete trail encompasses the perimeter. Additional trees and plantings should be considered to help screen the unattractive drainage rubble as well as provide charactertothe siteand shade for users. The park circulation works well within itself;however, there should be a pedestrian connection to the adjacent park as well as a connection to thewestern park located a few blocks away. The existing open space between theparks would be an ideal location to propose a pedestrian connection. The western Wylie Lakes Park, as mentioned above, is located at the rear of residential homes. The access to the park is surrounded by adrainage channel to the west and residential homes to the eastwhich restricts the view of the park tremendously. This narrow access point should be highlightedby identity signageand ornamental plantings. Once arriving atthe larger area of the park, a looped walkis provided, but is in close proximity to the adjacent residential homes and a naturally vegetated area to the north. The homes take advantage of the park space by using íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ transparentfencing to extendtheir backyards, but the space is not very inviting to the rest of the neighborhood. This parkis visually hidden and physically enclosed making its presence unknown tothe general public. îÏÚÎËñÜÇÎÏíÜËÒ üÚËØÊ øÜÊÉûËÎÆÏêÉËØØÉ øÜÊÉíÜËÒãÎÏØ Oncor/Lavon Park is undeveloped with an open space to the east andsurrounded by heavy vegetation and a utility corridor. The dense vegetation creates an attractivebuffer against the vehicular traffic, but also reduces visibility to the entry ofthe park. Signage and ornamental vegetation should be used to emphasize the entrance of the park when it is developed. The arrival to the park includes a small parking lot with an extended drive to the utility corridor entrance which is encompassed by a white concrete wall. The southeastern portion of the site is slightly elevated above the adjacent road, but relatively open with natural grassland. The further one moves toward the western portion of the site, the denser the vegetation becomes culminating in heavy vegetation toward the northwest. The utility corridor borders one side of the sitewhich reduces the aesthetic views on the site and provides a hard edge which contrasts with the soft edges provided by the wooded areas. The main recommendationsfor this park would be to create a master plan for its future development and toreduce the visual prominence ofthe utility corridor. íÜËÒÊÔÙØíÜËÒ üÚËØÊ ñÜÒØ×ÔØÑÙùËÔÇØ æØÊÉíÜËÒãÎÏØ Parkside Park is a largeopen space areawith extreme terrain changes throughout. The adjacent roadwayto the south is elevated above the park which creates a sense of separation between the two, but also limits access to the park. The unique aspect of this park is the engagingviews provided from the elevated western side of the site lookingout to the east. This area of the site should be celebratedas amajor overlook area, so one may gaze over the water feature and bowl shaped landform below. Any development that takes place immediately west of the park should focus on the views that are úÕÜÍÉØË øÅÔÊÉÔÏÖúÎÏÙÔÉÔÎÏÊ provided. Consideration for single loaded residential development will provide the best possible park experience. This elevated platform would create a unique viewshed that is otherwise not availablewithin the city. As improvements are made to this park in the future, providing access to all areas of the park might prove challenging because of the steep inclines on all sides. Active amenities should not be considered in response to the park lying mostly within the floodplainand spillway. As such, it would be valuable to develop a master planthat focuses on the passive amenities such as overlooks, seating nodes and trails for this park’s future development. ðÈÙÙÄúËØØÒïÜÉÈËØíËØÊØËÇØ üÚËØÊ æØÊÉíÜËÒãÎÏØ This 37.7 preserve site is located at the intersection of Pleasant Valley Road and Elm Grove Road and is one of the last remaining forested areas in this part of Dallas County. The Muddy Creek Preserve Trail is a partnership between Dallas County and the Cities of Wylie and Sachse. As part of the project, a 0.5 mile, 10 ft. wide concrete trail has been installed in the Dallas County part of Wylie off of Pleasant Valley Road and Elm Grove Road. Another 0.5 mile, 10 ft. wide concrete trail has been installed nearby in the City of Sachse. íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ ÉÕÔÊÍÜÖØÔÏÉØÏÉÔÎÏÜÑÑÄÑØ×ÉÛÑÜÏÒ úÕÜÍÉØËoïØØÙÊüÊÊØÊÊÐØÏÉ úÕÜÍÉØË ïØØÙÊüÊÊØÊÊÐØÏÉ ô ïéëîùèúéôîï The needs assessment described in this chapter builds upon the results of the existing conditions analysis described in Chapter 4 by analyzing how well the City’s current facilities meet present and future needs within Wylie. Deficiencies and needs are identified as part of this needs assessment, which influence the creation and prioritization of recommendations and actions in order to address these needs. The needs assessment is both quantitative and qualitative as is discussed below. üð êêøêêðøïéøéõîùê There are three methods used for assessing current and future parks, recreation, and open space needs. These three techniques follow general methodologies accepted by national, state, and regional requirements for local park master plans, including those adopted by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The three types of assessment methods are: êÉÜÏÙÜËÙûÜÊØÙ The basis for a standard-based needs assessment is the set of standards developed by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) in 1995. These standards are based on park acreage (by park type) per 1,000 residents and by number of specific recreation amenities (such as playgrounds) per number of residents. These NRPA standards are used as references only in creating specific target levels of service (LOS) for Wylie, based on local trends, demand, and conditions within the community. This target LOS is then used to assess the surplus or deficit of park acreage at build-out population and various recreation amenities for the population five years out. The five year horizon used for recreation facilities is in recognition of the fact that these needs change over time due to changing trends, demographics, and so forth whereas park acreage needs remain relatively constant. 2009 population data is used throughout this analysis. ùØÐÜÏÙûÜÊØÙ Demand-based needs assessments are often closely tied to the results of public input as well as participation rates and league usage data. This portion of the assessment uses information gained through the Citizen Attitude Survey, the public meetings, and questionnaires to determine how people use parks, recreation facilities, and programs as well as what the community’s wants and needs are. The results of the demand-based assessment helps to determine land acquisition needs, facility provision priorities, and programming needs. ëØÊÎÈËÚØûÜÊØÙ The third manner in which needs are assessed is based on the physical resources within Wylie and what opportunities can be capitalized upon. Most often, the resources that have the greatest bearing on the needs assessment are the natural areas along the city’s creeks, streams, and lakes as well as the historic and cultural landscapes present within the community. o íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ êûïü éüïùüëùüêøùøøùêêêøêêðøïé As discussed in the previous section, national guidelines and standards (such as the NRPA standards) are based on national trends rather than specific local conditions, requiring that they be fine-tuned to be applicable to Wylie’s unique character and conditions. It is important to recognize that national standards are simply guidelines or benchmarks that are intended to serve as a starting point for park planning. Each city has its own unique geographic, demographic, and socio-economic composition, and as such, the arbitrary application of national standards, as is often done, would not necessarily meet the needs of that particular community. Standards exist and are applied in two primary ways: Spatial Standards – These define the amount of park land needed and are usually expressed as a park acreage per capita figure. For example, an acreage standard for neighborhood parks might be expressed as“X acres per 1,000 population.” Facility Standards – These define the number of facilities recommended to serve each particular recreation need. Facility standards are usually expressed as a ratio of units of a particular facility per population size. For example, a facility standard for soccer fields might be expressed as “one field per X population.” Spatial Standards As discussed above, spatial standards are utilized to determine the current and future need for park land of various types. The most common manner of spatial standards is acres of land per capita. In addition to this measure, a park service area analysis is also performed to identify geographically-based park land needs by identifying underserved areas of the community. ïÜÉÔÎÏÜÑíÜËÒüÚËØÜÖØêÉÜÏÙÜËÙÊ The purpose of acreage standards for parks and recreation facilities is to ensure that sufficient area is allocated to allow for all the outdoor recreation needs of a community. The adoption of acreage standards (which help illustrate the City’s deficit of park acreage of different types) allows the City to plan ahead so that park land can be targeted and acquired before it becomes unavailable or too expensive. The NRPA-recommended spatial standards for cities in general are shown in Figure 5.1 below. Figure 5.1 Park Acreage Guidelines Based on National (NRPA) Recommended Standards ïëíüëØÚÎÐÐØÏÙØÙêÉÜÏÙÜËÙÊ úÑÎÊØÉÎõÎÐØíÜËÒÊ Neighborhood Parks: 1.0 to 2.0 acres / 1,000 population Community Parks: 5.0 to 8.0 acres / 1,000 population éÎÉÜÑËØÚÎÐÐØÏÙØÙÚÑÎÊØÉÎÕÎÐØÍÜËÒÊÍØËïëíü ÉÎ ÜÚËØÊ ÍÎÍÈÑÜÉÔÎÏ îÉÕØËúÔÉÄæÔÙØíÜËÒÊ Special Purpose Parks: Variable standard Linear Parks / Linkage Parks: Variable standard Nature Preserves / Open Space: Variable standard Regional Parks: 5.0 to 10.0 acres / 1,000 population o úÕÜÍÉØËoïØØÙÊüÊÊØÊÊÐØÏÉ éÜËÖØÉíÜËÒüÚËØÜÖØñØÇØÑÊÎ×êØËÇÔÚØñîê The NRPA standards as presented in Figure 5.1 were used when developing target LOS for 20 acres of park land per 1,000 population Wylie as shown below. An overall target LOS of was developed for the City of Wylie. Additionally, specific target LOS were developed for neighborhood and community parks; both of which, as described in Chapter 4 – Existing Conditions, are considered close-to-home parks and therefore the primary park types for Wylie. No specific target LOS was developed for special purpose parks or open space and nature area preserves because the need for such park land is variable over time. Nor was a specific target LOS developed for the regional park classification for multiple reasons, including the concept that regional parks are located in an opportunity-based manner and the fact that the many regional parks in and around Wylie are owned and maintained by other agencies, including the US Army Corps of Engineers. These park land target levels of service are presented in Table 5.1 on the following page and are summarized in Figure 5.2 below. Figure 5.2 2010 Park Acreage Target Levels of Service for Wylie úÑÎÊØÉÎõÎÐØíÜËÒÊ Neighborhood Parks: 2 acres / 1,000 population Community Parks: 6 acres / 1,000 population îÉÕØËíÜËÒñÜÏÙ Other Park Land* 12 acres / 1,000 population îÇØËÜÑÑéÜËÖØÉñîê ÜÚËØÊ ÍÎÍÈÑÜÉÔÎÏ *Includes special purpose parks, open space & nature area preserves, and any other park land not considered a neighborhood or community park. Table 5.1 Park Land Target Levels of Service on the next page describes the acreage standards and resulting needs from 2009 until build-out conditions for each park category. íÜËÒêØËÇÔÚØüËØÜ While these target LOS figures provide benchmarks for the City, it is important to recognize that acreage per capita alone is not a sufficient tool for determining current and future park land needs. An additional consideration, specifically for neighborhood and community parks, is the service area of parks and whether or not all residential areas are within ½ mile of at least one neighborhood park and 1 mile of at least one community park. Park service area deficit, as well as acreage deficit, is described in the following sections for both of these park types. o íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ o úÕÜÍÉØËoïØØÙÊüÊÊØÊÊÐØÏÉ ïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙíÜËÒÊúÈËËØÏÉéÜËÖØÉñîêÜÏÙêØËÇÔÚØüËØÜ Currently, Wylie has approximately 97% of the acreage for neighborhood parks required at build-out based upon the 2010 Target LOS for neighborhood parks (see Figure 5.3). However, based upon projected growth trends and future land use (as described in Chapter 2 – Context), there is a service area deficit of neighborhood parks in Wylie (see Figure 5.4). This service area deficit illustrates a need for approximately 10 to 12 new neighborhood park sites. So even though 10 to 12 new neighborhood parks would provide more than 18 additional acres, these park sites are necessary in order to provide adequate service area coverage for the community. Figure 5.3 Current & Target Level of Service – Neighborhood Parks øÅÔÊÉÔÏÖüÚËØÜÖØ 101.7 acres úÈËËØÏÉñîê 2.46 acres /1,000 population éÜËÖØÉñîê 2 acres / 1,000 population éÜËÖØÉüÚËØÜÖØÜÉûÈÔÑÙîÈÉ 105 acres üÚËØÜÖØÉÎüÚÌÈÔËØÉÎÐØØÉéÜËÖØÉ ÜÚËØÊ øÅÔÊÉÔÏÖÜÚËØÜÖØÔÊÎ×ÉÕØÉÜËÖØÉ×ÎËÛÈÔÑÙÎÈÉÚÎÏÙÔÉÔÎÏÊ *Population of 52,709 Figure 5.4 Neighborhood Parks Service Area Deficit The yellow, orange, and red areas shown on this map illustrate areas which are current and uture residential areas f (according to the City’s Comprehensive Plan) which are not within ½ mile of a neighborhoo d or community park. o íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ úÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄíÜËÒÊúÈËËØÏÉéÜËÖØÉñîêÜÏÙêØËÇÔÚØüËØÜ Wylie currently has approximately 33% of the acreage for community parks required at build-out based upon the 2010 Target LOS for community parks. This results in a deficit (at build-out) of about 211 acres of community parks (illustrating a need to acquire 211 acres of land for future community parks; see Figure 5.5). In addition, based upon projected growth trends and future land use, there is a service area deficit of community parks in Wylie (see figure 5.6). This service area deficit illustrates a need for approximately four (4) new community park sites (which, at an average size of 50 to 55 acres, corresponds to the need for 211 additional community park acres). Figure 5.5 Current & Target Level of Service – Community Parks øÅÔÊÉÔÏÖüÚËØÜÖØ 104.7 acres úÈËËØÏÉñîê 2.54 acres /1,000 population éÜËÖØÉñîê 6 acres / 1,000 population éÜËÖØÉüÚËØÜÖØÜÉûÈÔÑÙîÈÉ 316 acres üÚËØÜÖØÉÎüÚÌÈÔËØÉÎÐØØÉéÜËÖØÉ ÜÚËØÊ øÅÔÊÉÔÏÖÜÚËØÜÖØÔÊ Î×ÉÕØÉÜËÖØÉ×ÎËÛÈÔÑÙÎÈÉÚÎÏÙÔÉÔÎÏÊ *Population of 52,709 Figure 5.6 Community Parks Service Area Deficit The yellow, orange, and red areas shown on this map illustrate areas which are current and uture residential areas f (according to the City’s Comprehensive Plan) which are not within 1 mile of a community ark. p o úÕÜÍÉØËoïØØÙÊüÊÊØÊÊÐØÏÉ îÉÕØËíÜËÒÊúÈËËØÏÉéÜËÖØÉñîê Wylie currently has approximately 72% of the acreage for other parks (special purpose parks, open space and nature areas preserves, and all other parks except neighborhood and community parks) required at build-out based upon the 2010 Target LOS for other parks (see Figure 5.7). This results in a deficit of about 176 acres of other park land. As park service area is not a significant consideration for other park types, there is not a need to perform a service area deficit analysis such as was done for neighborhood & community parks. Figure 5.7 Current & Target Level of Service – Other Parks øÅÔÊÉÔÏÖüÚËØÜÖØ 456.9 acres úÈËËØÏÉñîê 11.06 acres /1,000 population éÜËÖØÉñîê 12 acres / 1,000 population éÜËÖØÉüÚËØÜÖØÜÉûÈÔÑÙîÈÉ 633 acres üÚËØÜÖØÉÎüÚÌÈÔËØÉÎÐØØÉéÜËÖØÉ ÜÚËØÊ øÅÔÊÉÔÏÖÜÚËØÜÖØÔÊÎ×ÉÕØÉÜËÖØÉ×ÎËÛÈÔÑÙÎÈÉÚÎÏÙÔÉÔÎÏÊ *Population of 52,709 Summary of Park Land Needs As illustrated previously in Table 5.1 and in Table 5.2 below, there is a need in Wylie for 387 additional acres of park land (acquired by the City or dedicated during development) to meet the needs of the assumed build-out population (52,709) and to meet the target LOS established in this Master Plan of 20 acres of park land per 1,000 population.Additionally, as illustrated in Figures 5.4 and 5.6, there is a need for 10 to 12 new neighborhood park and four (4) new community park sites. As such, the small deficit at build-out for neighborhood parks (eighteen acres) should not be interpreted as there being no future need for additional neighborhood parks. éÜÛÑØ êÈÐÐÜËÄÎ×üÚËØÜÖØïØØÙÊ íÜËÒúÜÉØÖÎËÄéÜËÖØÉêÉÜÏÙÜËÙ üÚËØÜÖØïØØÙÊûÈÔÑÙîÈÉïØØÙÊ (41,300 population) (52,709 population) üÚËØÊ Neighborhood Parks 2 Acres / 1,000 (surplus of 19 acres) (deficit of 3 acres) üÚËØÊ üÚËØÊ Community Parks 6 Acres / 1,000 (deficit of 143 acres) (deficit of 211 acres) êÈÛÉÎÉÜÑúÑÎÊØÉÎÕÎÐØüÚËØÊ üÚËØÊ (deficit of 125 acres)(deficit of 215 acres) üÚËØÊ üÚËØÊ Other Parks 12 Acres / 1,000 (deficit of 39 acres) (deficit of 176 acres) öËÜÏÙéÎÉÜÑ üÚËØÊ üÚËØÊ üÚËØÊ (deficit of 164 acres)(deficit of 391 acres) o íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ Facility Standards As with spatial standards, facility standards are used to determine the current and future needs of the community for various recreation facilities and amenities. Most often, facility standards are applied to a city by creating a target LOS which expresses needs as a ratio of units of a particular facility per population size (such as one tennis court per 5,000 population). Sometimes, however, it is beneficial to use a different target LOS – one which expresses needs as square footage of facility per capita. This type of target LOS is most applicable to recreation centers, senior centers, and other indoor facilities. ïÜÉÔÎÏÜÑ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÄêÉÜÏÙÜËÙÊ In addition to creating standards for park land acreage, the NRPA also has an adopted set of facility standards that are considered to be the national benchmark for recreation amenities and facilities. As with the acreage standards, these facility standards are intended to serve as a starting point for cities in determining their own unique, individual target LOS. One consideration is that NRPA standards do not exist for all facility types – they exist for only ten of the twenty five recreation facility categories analyzed in this Master Plan. éÜËÖØÉ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÄñØÇØÑÊÎ×êØËÇÔÚØñîê Many factors determine the specific target LOS developed for this Master Plan, including demographics, regional and statewide trends, City goals, and Wylie’s own unique “culture of use” – the manner in which leagues, teams, and the City operate and use facilities. The recommended target LOS for recreation facilities are specifically based on demonstrated needs, the actual number of facilities in the City, and the amount of use each facility receives. Table 5.3 on the following page illustrates both the NRPA standards and Wylie’s target LOS (as established in this Master Plan) for twenty five (25) different recreation facility categories. The target LOS timeframe for each facility is five years (2009 to 2014). Facility LOS is viewed in this timeframe, as opposed to build-out conditions, because recreation trends change and require regular reassessment of goals and needs. Table 5.3 Recreation Facility Levels of Service on the next page illustrates NRPA standards, the adopted LOS, and five year deficits for various recreation facilities. o **** Refer to benchmarking information for square footage comparison page 5-14 NOT used for competition *** Wylie's competitive facilities are also used as practice facilities. This section only accounts for facilities (2) All population estimates rounded; Source: City of Wylie** A decimal need of 0.8 and higher is rounded to the next whole number. (1) 1995 NRPA standards *Seven fields at at Community Park - Seven used for soccer spring play up to 2 used for football in the fall center)1(need forpop.pop. úØÏÉØË ~1.20 0n/a01 / 20,000units0Amphitheater center)1(need forpop.pop.Center (Nature Center) úØÏÉØËÊ ~0.960n/a0n/acenters0Environmental Learning center)1(need forpop.(7,000 to 7,500 sqft) úØÏÉØË ~0.960n/a0n/acenters0Senior Center **** center)1(need forpop.pop.pop.(50,000 to 55,000 sqft) úØÏÉØË ~0.96 01 / 2500001 / 20,000centers0Recreation Center **** centers)0(need forpop.pop. úØÏÉØË ~0.96413001 /n/a0n/acenter1Community Center units)7(need forpop.pop.pop.pop. èÏÔÉÊ ~19.2434421 /1 / 200001 / 2,000units12Pavilions êÈÍÍÎËÉ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ park)1(need forpop. íÜËÒ ~1.20 0n/a0n/adog parks0Dog Parks holes)16(need forpop.(Frisbee) õÎÑØÊ ~16.030n/a0n/aholes0Disc Golf Course Holes parks)1(need forpop.pop.park íÜËÒ ~2.41413001 /indefinite0n/askate 1Skate Park parks)2(need forpop. íÜËÒÊ ~2.410n/a0n/aparks0Water Spray Park centers)1(need forpop.pop.pop. úØÏÉØË ~1.2001 / 2000001 / 20,000centers0Family Aquatic Center units)7(need forpop.pop.pop.pop.pop. èÏÔÉÊ ~19.24 34421 /1 / 400036701 /1 / 1,000playgrounds12Playgrounds miles)0(need forpop.pop. ðÔÑØÊ Ð ~4.8182601 m /n/a0n/amiles5Equestrian Trails miles)8(need forpop. ðÔÑØÊ Ð ~8.020n/a0n/amiles0Natural Surface Trails miles)8(need forpop.pop.to 20000 pop.pop. ðÔÑØÊ ~16.03 Ð49761 m /1 / 1000001 / 10,000miles8.3Paved Hike and Bike Trails ïÎÏüÉÕÑØÉÔÚ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ gyms)0(need forpop.pop.pop.basketball, volleyball, etc.) öÄÐÊ ~1.20413001 /n/a01 / 20,000gyms1Gymnasium (Indoor courts)3(need forpop.pop.pop.pop.(Outdoor) úÎÈËÉÊ ~4.81206501 /1 / 5000183501 /1 / 5,000court2Sand Volleyball courts)2(need forpop.pop.pop.pop.(10 are ISD facilities) úÎÈËÉÊ ~12.0341301 /1 / 250001 / 2,000courts10Tennis Courts goals)0(need forpop.pop.pop.pop.pop.(Outdoor) öÎÜÑÊ ~16.0325811 /1 / 250091751 /1 / 2,500goals16Basketball Goals îÉÕØËüÉÕÑØÉÔÚ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ fields)10(surplus ofpop.pop.pop.pop.(18 are ISD facilities)(Soccer/football goals) ÷ÔØÑÙÊ ~16.0315881 /1 / 645091751 /n/afields26Multi-purpose Practice Fields backstops)8(need forpop.pop.pop.pop. ûÜÚÒÊÉÎÍÊ ~16.03 51631 /1 / 300020391 /n/abackstops8Baseball/Softball íËÜÚÉÔÚØ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ field)1(need forpop.pop.pop.pop.pop. ÷ÔØÑÙÊ ~3.21 206501 /1 / 20000183501 /1 / 20,000fields2Football fields)4(surplus ofpop.pop.pop.pop.pop. ÷ÔØÑÙÊ ~12.0325811 /1 / 430013111 /1 / 10,000fields16Soccer fields)4(need forpop.pop.pop.pop.pop. ÷ÔØÑÙÊ ~8.02103251 /1 / 400020391 /1 / 5,000fields4Softball fields)4(need forpop.pop.pop.pop.pop. ÷ÔØÑÙÊ ~12.03 51631 /1 / 400020391 /1 / 5,000fields8Baseball úÎÐÍØÉÔÉÔÇØ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ ÍÎÍ ¿ñîê ñîê êÉËÙ ëØÌÈÔËØÙÜÙÙÔÉÔÎÏÜÉéÜËÖØÉñîê×ÎËéÜËÖØÉñîê×ÎËéÜËÖØÉúÔÉÄêÚÕÎÎÑéÄÍØ ÷ÔÇØäØÜË ïëíüøÅÔÊÉÔÏÖ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÄ úÔÉÄÎ×æÄÑÔØíÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏÜÏÙîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ ëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÄñØÇØÑÊÎ×êØËÇÔÚØñîê éÜÛÑØ úÕÜÍÉØËoïØØÙÊüÊÊØÊÊÐØÏÉ òØÄúÎÐÍØÉÔÉÔÇØ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÄïØØÙÊ Within the next five years, there will be deficiencies in three of the four competitive facility areas: baseball, softball, and football. In total, nine (9) additional competitive facilities are needed (see Figure 5.8). The needs assessment does not reveal a need for additional competitive soccer facilities within the next five years. In fact, based on the LOS analysis, there will be a surplus of five fields. Figure 5.8 Key Competitive Facility Needs úÎÐÍØÉÔÉÔÇØ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÄïØØÙÊ ÎËäØÜËéÜËÖØÉ Baseball Fields 4 Fields** Softball Fields 4 Fields** Football Fields 1 Field** *Deficiencies based on a projected 2014 population of 48,100 **This need is in addition to the new fields being provided as part of the Founders Park expansion. òØÄíËÜÚÉÔÚØ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÄïØØÙÊ As with competitive athletic facilities, there is a city-wide need over the next 5 years for additional practice facilities. Specifically, there is a need for eight (8) additional backstops for baseball & softball practice (see Figure 5.9). There is not currently a need for additional multi- purpose practice fields as there are eighteen (18) such fields provided by Wylie ISD that are available for public use. A multi-purpose practice field can vary in size, but should be large enough to accommodate at least one team of any age group and often include combination soccer goals, football goals, or combination soccer/football goals at each end. Figure 5.9 Key Practice Facility Needs íËÜÚÉÔÚØ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÄïØØÙÊ ÎËäØÜËéÜËÖØÉ Baseball/Softball Backstops 8 Backstops** *Deficiencies based on a projected 2014 population of 48,100 **This need is in addition to the new fields being provided as part of the Founders Park expansion. Open fields designed or usable for football and soccer practice òØÄîÉÕØËüÉÕÑØÉÔÚ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÄïØØÙÊ Additional tennis courts and sand volleyball courts are needed within the next five years, as shown in Figure 5.10. The needs assessment does not reveal a need for additional outdoor basketball goals or indoor gymnasiums within the next five years. o íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ Figure 5.10 Key Other Athletic Facility Needs îÉÕØËüÉÕÑØÉÔÚ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÄïØØÙÊ ÎËäØÜËéÜËÖØÉ Tennis Courts 2 Courts Sand Volleyball (Outdoor) 3 Courts *Deficiencies based on a projected 2014 population of 48,100 òØÄïÎÏüÉÕÑØÉÔÚ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÄïØØÙÊ There are several areas of deficiency in the non-athletic facility category that should be addressed over the next five years (see Figure 5.11). Many of these facilities (such as playgrounds, water spray parks, skate parks, disc golf courses, and dog parks) can theoretically be provided as part of an existing or planned park. A family aquatic center (which typically includes recreational swimming pools, water slides, wading pools, and lazy rivers) often is a stand-alone facility but can also be collocated with other park facilities, such as a recreation center. Trails generally connect parks and run along creek corridors and through natural areas. Paved hike and bike trails are typically higher-traffic facilities than are natural surface trails, which are well suited to be located in more environmentally-sensitive areas. Figure 5.11 Key Non-Athletic Facility Needs öØÏØËÜÑëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÄïØØÙÊ ÎËäØÜËéÜËÖØÉ Paved Hike & Bike Trails 8 Miles Natural Surface Trails 8 Miles Playgrounds 7 Units Family Aquatic Center 1 Center Water Spray Park 2 Parks Skate Park 1 Park Disc Golf Course Holes (Frisbee) 16 Holes** Dog Parks 1 Park *Deficiencies based on a projected 2014 population of 48,100 **Disc golf courses are built in increments of 9 holes. A deficit of 16 holes implies the need for a single 18-hole disc golf course. òØÄêÈÍÍÎËÉ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÄïØØÙÊ In addition to all of the recreation amenities and facilities discussed thus far, support facilities play a large role in maintaining the quality and usability of Wylie’s parks and open spaces. Within the next five years, there is a need for one environmental learning center (also known as a nature center), one outdoor amphitheater, and seven pavilions (many of which can be placed in existing parks; see Figure 5.12). o úÕÜÍÉØËoïØØÙÊüÊÊØÊÊÐØÏÉ Figure 5.12 Key Support Facility Needs êÈÍÍÎËÉüÐØÏÔÉÔØÊïØØÙÊ ÎËäØÜËéÜËÖØÉ Pavilions 7 units Environmental Learning Center** 1 Center Amphitheater 1 Amphitheater *Deficiencies based on a projected 2014 population of 48,100 Also known as a Nature Center Recreation & Senior Centers The target LOS for recreation and senior centers are based upon regional benchmarks that reflect square footage per capita for a set of benchmark cities, which included Arlington, Richardson, 1 Irving, Grand Prairie, Keller, Frisco, Flower Mound, and Burleson. Of the comparison facilities, approximately 66% of recreation centers included indoor aquatics. Comparison numbers included both built and planned facilities for actual and projected populations. The following target LOS were developed based upon the benchmark city analysis: Recreation Centers – 0.94 square feet per person Senior Centers – 0.14 square feet per person In addition to these benchmarks, the recommended size for a recreation center is 50,000 to 60,000 square feet, depending on included amenities. Based on Wylie’s projected build-out population of 52,709, it is rational to project the need for one 50,000 to 55,000 square foot recreation center at the time of build-out. Because Wylie is so close to this population level, the construction of such a center is recommended within the next five years. Similarly, Wylie’s five-year and build-out populations also illustrate a need for a 7,000 to 7,500 square foot senior center. Figure 5.13 Key Support Facility Needs – Recreation & Senior Centers êÈÍÍÎËÉüÐØÏÔÉÔØÊïØØÙÊ ÎËäØÜËéÜËÖØÉ Recreation Center 1 Center** Senior Center 1 Center*** *Deficiencies based on a projected 2014 population of 48,100 **50,000 to 55,000 square feet ***7,000 to 7,500 square feet 1 These cities were used for comparison because of available data on recreation center square footage and are not all considered to be cities comparable to Wylie. o íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ ùûïü øðüïùüêøùøøùêêêøêêðøïé The demand-based needs assessment is primarily based on the results of the public involvement process and illustrates the needs, wants, and desires of Wylie’s citizens. As with the other needs assessment types, the demand-based needs assessment is one tool by which recommendations for this Master Plan are developed. Each of the items discussed below reflect the common themes that arose throughout all aspects of the public involvement process and summarize the overall recreation goals of Wylie’s citizens. ùØÇØÑÎÍôÏÙÎÎËîÈÉÙÎÎËüÌÈÜÉÔÚ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ When asked during the Citizen Attitude Survey (telephone survey) what one facility was most lacking in their part of the city, 44% of respondents said public/community pool,natatorium, or aquatic center/water park. Similarly, during the focus group meetings, people said that having indoor and outdoor aquatics is an important goal for Wylie in order for the city to achieve self- sufficiency and to meet the needs of a multi-generational population. ùØÇØÑÎÍÜëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏúØÏÉØË After aquatics, recreation center was cited as the most lacking facility by respondents in the Citizen Attitude Survey. Similar response was received during the focus group meetings in which people said that a recreation center is important in developing a sense of pride in Wylie and providing opportunities for all of its citizens. ôÐÍËÎÇØüÚÚØÊÊÉÎÉÕØñÜÒØÊ Wylie is uniquely situated between two major lakes which both provide many recreation opportunities, beautiful shorelines, and animal habitat. While these two lakes abut Wylie, they have limited visibility from the city and are difficult to access. Participants in each component of the public involvement process cited providing better access to the lakes, enhanced recreation opportunities, and capitalizing on the lakes as identity-giving features for Wylie as very important goals for the City. Ninety four percent (94%) of survey respondents think better access to Lake Ray Hubbard and Lavon Lake should be provided. øÅÍÜÏÙÉÕØéËÜÔÑÊêÄÊÉØÐ In the Citizen Attitude Survey, 73% of the respondents said they regularly like to walk, hike or jog. Additionally, 19% of respondents said they go to another city to use their hike and bike trails. The importance of trails is closely reflected by survey respondents’ ranking of trails as the second most important facility to provide or expand out of a list of thirty one (31) facilities. Similarly, during the focus group meetings expanding the hike and bike trail system came up as a very important goal for the City in order to connect schools, neighborhoods, and parks and to achieve the citizens’ vision of being self-sufficient, unique, and bike- and pedestrian-friendly. øÏÕÜÏÚØëØÏÎÇÜÉØúÑÎÊØÉÎõÎÐØíÜËÒÊ The Citizen Attitude Survey revealed that family events is the favorite type of recreation activity in Wylie. Furthermore, the two most common park activities are taking kids to play and appreciating the view. Eighteen percent (18%) of survey respondents said they take their kids to o úÕÜÍÉØËoïØØÙÊüÊÊØÊÊÐØÏÉ 2 another city to use a playground. Overall, these types of close-to-home park activities are seen as very important to Wylie’s citizens. The number one most important item for the City to expand or provide is playgrounds (94% of survey respondents said this was very important or important). The results of the focus group closely mirror the importance of the passive recreation activities that occur at close-to-home parks. The general need identified is to ensure a city-wide level of service for these types of parks by renovating certain neighborhood and community parks and constructing new neighborhood and community parks in areas that are not well served. Overall, ninety two percent (92%) of survey respondents feel that the City should renovate and expand its existing parks. íËØÊØËÇØíËÎÇÔÙØüÚÚØÊÊÉÎïÜÉÈËÜÑüËØÜÊ Eighty nine percent (89%) of survey respondents feel it is important to be able to access natural areas in Wylie. Similarly, eighty nine percent (89%) of respondents also supported acquiring land to preserve environmentally sensitive areas such as natural creek corridors. Furthermore, the importance of preserving natural areas as a way to be unique and maintain Wylie’s small town character were major topics of discussion during the focus group meetings. ùØÇØÑÎÍüÙÙÔÉÔÎÏÜÑüÉÕÑØÉÔÚ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ Further supporting the results of the standard-based needs assessment, which illustrates a need for additional athletic facilities, the Citizen Attitude Survey reveals youth baseball, basketball, youth soccer, and youth softball as all being important athletic activities to provide or expand. While the majority of respondents feel that the overall quality and maintenance of athletic fields in Wylie is excellent or good, half of the respondents feel that there are not enough athletic fields and that they are not conveniently located. üÚÌÈÔËØñÜÏÙ×ÎË÷ÈÉÈËØíÜËÒÊÜÏÙ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ One of the strongest pieces of input from the focus group meetings was the need for the City to proactively plan for the future and to meet the needs of a growing community. Both of these require acquiring or otherwise setting aside land for future parks and facilities. Further supporting this argument, survey respondents firmly agree that the City should acquire land for future park and open space development (89% of respondents). øÅÍÜÏÙëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏíËÎÖËÜÐÐÔÏÖ Finally, the importance of providing adequate programming for all of Wylie’s citizens (particularly seniors and youth) was cited as an important goal for the City. While the Citizen Attitude Survey was designed to assess physical needs and not programming needs, the results of the focus group meeting strongly exhibit a need to ensure the provision of such programming to ensure the self-sustainability of Wylie, to build Wylie as an involved community, and to retain youth in the city. 2 “Close-to-home” parks are defined on page 4-1 and typically take the shape of a neighborhood or community park. o íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ éÜÛÑØ íËÔÎËÔÉÔÃØÙùØÐÜÏÙûÜÊØÙïØØÙÊ ëÜÏÒ ùØÇØÑÎÍôÏÙÎÎËîÈÉÙÎÎËüÌÈÜÉÔÚ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ 1 ùØÇØÑÎÍÜëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏúØÏÉØË 2 ôÐÍËÎÇØüÚÚØÊÊÉÎÉÕØñÜÒØÊ 3 øÅÍÜÏÙÉÕØéËÜÔÑÊêÄÊÉØÐ 4 ëØÏÎÇÜÉØøÏÕÜÏÚØúÑÎÊØÉÎõÎÐØíÜËÒÊ 5 íËØÊØËÇØíËÎÇÔÙØüÚÚØÊÊÉÎïÜÉÈËÜÑüËØÜÊ 6 ùØÇØÑÎÍüÙÙÔÉÔÎÏÜÑüÉÕÑØÉÔÚ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ 7 üÚÌÈÔËØñÜÏÙ×ÎË÷ÈÉÈËØíÜËÒÊÜÏÙ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ 8 øÅÍÜÏÙëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏíËÎÖËÜÐÐÔÏÖ 9 o úÕÜÍÉØËoïØØÙÊüÊÊØÊÊÐØÏÉ ëûïü øêîèëúøüêøùøøùêêêøêêðøïé The final component of the needs assessment – in addition to analyzing standards, benchmarks, and citizen demand – consists of identifying the key physical resources within Wylie and what challenges and opportunities they present related to parks, recreation, and open space. This section examines three of Wylie’s most valuable natural resources: extensive floodplains, Lake Ray Hubbard and Lavon Lake, and rural and agricultural landscapes. ðÈÙÙÄúËØØÒëÈÊÕúËØØÒîÉÕØË÷ÑÎÎÙÍÑÜÔÏÊ Wylie has a large amount of floodplain within its city limits. In total, floodplain constitutes about 21% of Wylie or about 3,600 acres. The majority of floodplain within the city is located along Muddy Creek, Rush Creek, and the shores of Lake Ray Hubbard and Lavon Lake. All of these areas provide unique recreation opportunities, aesthetic benefits, and invaluable environmental services to Wylie. These environmental services include wildlife habitat, flood protection, water quality enhancement, and physical connections and linkages throughout the city. An additional value of the floodplains in Wylie is the natural gateways they provide along FM 544 and SH 78 as people travel in and out of Wylie. To date, the City’s Engineering Department has made good progress toward protecting these resources through the provisions made in the floodplain ordinance. It is important, however, to also ensure access is available through these areas by means of trail connections and that the very nature of these areas remains fully protected by means of limiting or disallowing floodplain reclamation. Additional information on floodplain protection can be found in Appendix D. o íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ ñÜÒØëÜÄõÈÛÛÜËÙñÜÇÎÏñÜÒØõÈÛÛÜËÙñÜÇÎÏñÜÒØ As mentioned throughout this Master Plan, Wylie isAs mentioned throughout this Master Plan, Wylie is uniquely situated between two major lakes. uniquely situated between two major lakes. These lakes provide many opportunities to the These lakes provide many opportunities to the community, including recrcommunity, including recreation, drinking water, eation, drinking water, open space, wildlife habitat, aopen space, wildlife habitat, and aesthetic charactend aesthetic character. Recreation opportunities possible or r. Recreation opportunities possible or available at these lakes include available at these lakes include shoreline activities (such as trails, bird watching, picnicking, shoreline activities (such as trails, bird watching, picnicking, camping, and environmental education) and watecamping, and environmental education) and water-based activities (such as skiing, sailing, r-based activities (such as skiing, sailing, kayaking, canoeing, and motor boating). Current issues kayaking, canoeing, and motor boating). Current issues relative to the lakes isrelative to the lakes is that there is a lack that there is a lack of visibility of them from the city, access to thof visibility of them from the city, access to the lakes is confusing and indirect, and in some e lakes is confusing and indirect, and in some instances, the shoreline is generally inaccessiblinstances, the shoreline is generally inaccessible for the general public. These lakes are a e for the general public. These lakes are a valuable resource for Wylie and should be prvaluable resource for Wylie and should be protected and celebrated as a major and unique otected and celebrated as a major and unique component of the character and marketability of the City. component of the character and marketability of the City. o úÕÜÍÉØËoïØØÙÊüÊÊØÊÊÐØÏÉ ëÈËÜÑüÖËÔÚÈÑÉÈËÜÑñÜÏÙÊÚÜÍØÊ Wylie is at a turning point in its history where it is quickly changing from a rural community into a suburb. All suburbs have passed this turning point at some time in their past, but most have not taken the necessary steps to preserve the rural, small-town character of their city. Protecting rural/agricultural landscapes (including crop land, farm houses, barns, silos, and other pieces that can be considered “Americana”) is crucial for the City of Wylie in order to maintain the level of attraction that encouraged people to move to Wylie in the first place. Protecting Wylie’s rural character does not mean turning away all development. Rather, view corridors and key pieces of this landscape need to be protected so that future generations can share in Wylie’s rich natural and agricultural history. It is important to consider that low density residential developments (one or two acre lots) do not protect rural landscapes. Rather, it is important to preserve rural landscapes in intact pieces of 20 to 100+ acres within the city. The result of low density residential development is a landscape with all of its variables and unique characteristics divided into a uniform patchwork of residential lots, which are typically mowed, and the loss of natural corridors and intact communities of vegetation. o íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ (this page intentionally left blank) o Chapter 6 – Recommendations Chapter 6 Recommendations This chapter summarizes the findings of the Needs Assessment and recommends a series of actions to improve and expand Wylie’s park system, recreational opportunities, and quality of life. These recommendations stem from the vision outlined in Chapter 1 (fingers of green, embrace the lakes, and diversity, choice & image) and they address acquisition of park land, general improvements to existing parks, the development and provision of recreation facilities, operations and maintenance, and City policy. The recommendations should be implemented or initiated over the general life of this Master Plan, which covers the next five to 10 years (recommended items in this chapter are prioritized in Chapter 8 – Implementation). The recommendations fall into four general categories: Open Space Protection – Recommendations to preserve and protect Wylie’s “fingers of green” and other important open space areas in the city. Embrace the Lakes – Actions designed to better incorporate the lakes into Wylie’s parks, recreation and open space system and as image-defining features of the community. Strategic Policy – Strategies and policies to ensure the maintenance of Wylie’s unique small town character and wealth of park land. Parks & Facilities – Physical recommendations for the parks, recreation and open space system. OSP PENPACE ROTECTION The protection and preservation of open space, which includes natural areas, creek corridors, prairies, floodplains, lakeshores, wooded areas, and other types of undeveloped land, is an increasingly important goal for the City of Wylie. There are a multitude of potential physical and policy-based actions which the City can and should take in order to insure the protection of the unique natural areas that make Wylie special; however, the following actions are arguably the most important for the City to take over the next five to ten years. Protect Floodplains Floodplains are typically the most environmentally diverse and valuable locations within any city. This is definitely true for Wylie, which has an impressive 3,600 acres of floodplain within its boundaries. Besides providing recreation opportunities, wildlife habitat, visual interest, and character, floodplains also provide “environmental services” for the community including water quality enhancement, flood protection, and other actions which occur naturally, thereby saving the City the money, time, and effort that it would need to expend in order to provide these same services if ample, healthy floodplain were not available. As such, the protection and preservation of floodplains, especially those along Muddy Creek and Rush Creek, is of vital importance not just from a recreation point of view, but also from a quality of life and public health and safety point of view. 6 – 1 2010 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan Floodplain Protection Plan It is recommended that the City of Wylie’s Engineering Department (in cooperation with the Planning Department and Parks and Recreation Divisions) create a Floodplain Protection Plan which identifies the fully-developed, 100 year floodplain at build-out conditions for all drainage corridors within the City. It is important to consider fully-developed conditions (that is, identifying what the floodplain will be when Wylie is 100% developed) in order to ensure the long-term health and quality of floodplains and economic sustainability of the City. Furthermore, protecting the fully-developed floodplain today affords more opportunities for recreational uses, such as trails and nature preserves, along creek corridors. Floodplain Management Strategy While the development and implementation of a Floodplain Protection Plan might be a longer- term action, the City can take immediate actions which will provide long-term benefit to the community. It is recommended that the City adopt a floodplain management strategy that includes policies relative to three concepts: Consider allowing no reclamation within the 100 year fully developed hydrological floodplain. Reclaiming floodplain impacts public safety, water quality, erosion, wildlife habitat, visual quality, tree cover, and greatly reduces recreation opportunities. Acquire floodplain land for public use or otherwise ensure its protection and acquire access easements for linear trails. While preserving the floodplain (regardless of ownership) is the primary goal, it is also important to ensure that people can access floodplains and creek corridors by means of trails. Do not allow high-intensity recreation facilities within the floodplain. Even ball fields and other recreation facilities often require floodplain reclamation, the removal of trees and disturbance of the floodplain vegetation that has the function of slowing down surface water and filtering pollutants. While it is often desirable to have parks which include these types of facilities adjacent to creek corridors, it is important to ensure that the highly-developed portions of these parks are outside of the floodplain. Develop an Environmental Resource Inventory Wylie has many areas of unique environmental quality ranging from the creek corridors mentioned above, to wetlands at the north end of Lake Ray Hubbard, to fragments of native prairie. Protecting ecologically valuable areas requires having a firm grasp on what resources exist and the relative quality and quantity of each. It is recommended that the City create an Environmental Resource Inventory of the ecologically important areas within Wylie that provide wildlife habitat, cultural landscapes, environmental services, and/or other characteristics that warrant their protection. Developing and maintaining such an inventory will aid the City in guiding future development actions, developing policy, and prioritizing open space acquisition. Acquire Open Space While ensuring the preservation of open space is important, it is also important to actually acquire open space for public use. It is recommended that the City acquires at least enough open space to provide trails along all major creeks and floodplain areas in the City as well as space for trailheads and access points for these trails. Further helping to establish a “fingers of green” model for the city’s parks and open spaces, it is recommended that the City strive to locate many 6 – 2 Chapter 6 – Recommendations of its parks along these corridors so that the establishment of a network of open spaces and trails will also serve as linkages between parks. EL MBRACE THE AKES The opportunities presented by Lake Ray Hubbard and Lavon Lake are extensive and capitalizing upon them has been one of the primary results of the public involvement process and needs assessment. Taking action to “embrace” the lakes (that is, take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the lakes) is one of the most important recommendations in this Master Plan. The following individual recommendations have been developed to help the City achieve this goal. Utilize Regional Parks The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) owns and maintains four large regional parks within Wylie’s city limits (East Fork Park, Avalon Park, Lavonia Park, and Clear Lake Park). Each of these parks provides great opportunities to the City because of their size and location along the shores of Lavon Lake. It is recommended that the City partners with the USACE to make improvements to each of these parks (especially East Fork and Avalon). Specific recommended improvements include: Improve bicycle, pedestrian, and vehicular access to and from these parks Expand upon the amenities in each park and improve the overall quality of the parks Enhance the visibility of the parks as a key part of Wylie’s character, image, and urban form The impetus for these recommendations is the need for Wylie to utilize opportunities provided therein as a way to provide a greater diversity of recreational offerings for the community. If a situation ever arises where the USACE desires to transfer management of one or more of these parks to a local entity and the City of Wylie determines it has the resources to operate and maintain one or more of these parks, such a transfer could result in great benefit to the community by allowing the City to redevelop these parks to best suit the needs of Wylie. Such a transfer of management might negate the need for costly land acquisition elsewhere. Provide Physical and Visual Connection to the Lakes Allowing people to view and have access to the lakes is one of the key ways in which Wylie can embrace the lakes. It is recommended that the City, in partnership with the USACE and other entities, develop a system of trails along the shores of both lakes to provide recreational opportunities for the community. In addition, it is also important to develop trails along creek and utility corridors to connect these lakeshore trails with central and western Wylie. Because of its proximity two the two lakes, Wylie is well-situated to become a hub for two regional systems of intercity shoreline trails. Develop Lakeside Parks In addition to capitalizing upon the opportunities offered at the existing USACE parks, there are opportunities to provide smaller parks (such as neighborhood parks and nature preserves) along the shores of both lakes. The City should strive to develop parks in these locations whenever possible so that citizens can have access to the lakes, which will provide recreational benefit as 6 – 3 2010 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan well as help solidify the presence and importance of the lakes as components of Wylie’s character and image. Become the “City Between Two Lakes” Beyond the tangible tasks of providing facility and physical improvements, there are intangible actions which should be taken to capitalize upon the presence of the lakes. It is important for the City to become the “City Between Two Lakes” by establishing an identity for Wylie as being the only city in North Texas to be located between two major lakes. Physical improvements, as recommended above, will make great strides toward creating this identity, but other actions, such as holding festivals and events at lakeside parks or a branding/marketing campaign, well help to reinforce this identity. SP TRATEGIC OLICY While the provision of facilities is often the main result of a plan of this type, the importance of developing strategic policies to help Wylie achieve the vision set forth earlier is a key component of this Master Plan.This Master Plan is not intended to replace the City’s policies and actions related to development and planning. However, based upon the input from the public, Wylie’s rapid development, and the major interrelatedness between the City’s development patterns and the quality and quantity of park land and open spaces, it is important to establish a paradigm in which the City can reach its maximum development potential while enhancing quality of life for all of Wylie’s citizens. The following strategic policies and actions, which also reflect the goals of Wylie’s current planning efforts, go beyond the sole responsibility of the Parks and Recreation Divisions. However, these actions greatly impact the ability for the Divisions (and Wylie as a whole) to achieve its goals and can be greatly supported by actions taken by the Divisions. Encourage Conservation Development Conservation development, also known as “cluster development” or “density equivalent development,” is a practice that will allow Wylie to accommodate continued residential development while at the same time preserving and protecting open space, increasing property values, and improving the visual character of the community. The basic concept behind conservation development is to preserve the natural features of a site that provide ecologic, cultural, and aesthetic value while maintaining the same or higher overall gross density within the subdivision. The method in which this is achieved is to allow smaller lots, clustered together, and leave other land open as public open space. Allowing and encouraging conservation development in Wylie will not only improve the overall amount of open space, but will also enhance the quality of development in the community. Adopt a Wylie Transect Based upon the current goals of both the Planning Department and the Parks and Recreation Divisions, a “development transect” has been created to augment the vision of the existing Comprehensive Plan by outlining four broad zones of increasing density and urban character into which current zoning and development standards can be categorized. Adopting this transect is an important recommendation of this Master Plan for two primary reasons: 1) such a transect will help to protect and preserve open space by more effectively guiding high-intensity development away from ecologically-sensitive areas and 2) it will aid the Parks and Recreation Divisions in developing strategies for providing parks and facilities within the various 6 – 4 Chapter 6 – Recommendations development patterns currently present in Wylie and expected in the near future. Specifically, the City of Wylie has taken efforts recently to redevelop the historic core of Wylie as a mixed- use area by expanding its Downtown Historic District and creating the South Ballard Overlay District and is seeking to preserve the rural character of the City through alternative development strategies, including conservation development. The four transect zones recommended are: Open Space / Rural – This zone contains natural areas, agricultural land, and ranches. Key locations for this zone are along floodplains, along the lakes, and the edges of the city. Conservation Development – This zone is more rural in nature than typical neighborhoods. Conservation development is a concept which allows developers to trade density within a subdivision so that large areas of heritage farmland, open space, or other desirable features can be preserved. This type of development pattern should be used adjacent to open space / rural zones in order to provide a transition between those zones and Neighborhood zones. Neighborhoods – This zone resembles the traditional subdivisions that already exist within Wylie and will likely make up the bulk of land use within the City. Neighborhood zones provide a good transition between conservation development and mixed-use zones. Mixed Use – This zone represents the highest density areas (urban nodes) of Wylie. Downtown and South Ballard Street are two existing examples of mixed-use zones. Subsequent to this Master Plan, the City should create a map that illustrates which areas of Wylie should correspond with which of the four transect zones. As a general rule, floodplains and the edges of the city should be abutted by open space / rural zones and mixed-use zones should be located at locations which include high-intensity development. Figure 6.1 Potential Transect for Development in Wylie The Parks and Recreation Divisions can play a key role in establishing and maintaining these zones within Wylie. Besides being the key department for acquiring and protecting open space, 6 – 5 2010 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan the success of each of the other zones is dependent on how park facilities are provided. Each district will require unique consideration for parks provision. As an example, while pocket parks are inefficient and ineffective in neighborhood areas, they are well suited and very valuable in mixed-use areas. Similarly, parks in open space/rural areas and conservation development areas should generally be low-intensity and more passive in nature so as not to detract from the quality of the natural environment. Revise the Parkland Dedication Ordinance Ensuring the adequate provision of park land and open space in the face of rapid development requires adopting a Parkland Dedication Ordinance on par with similar communities in North Texas. Doing such will help the City maintain a good park acre per capita ratio as Wylie grows and help the City to acquire land before it is all gone. The following calculations illustrate Wylie’s current Parkland Dedication Ordinance and the changes recommended as part of this Master Plan. Existing Conveyance of Land Requirements 1.: a.5 acre / 100 DU for single family and multi-family development. b.Land within floodplains is accepted as a fulfillment of this requirement on a case- by-case basis. c.No dedication of less than five acres accepted Payment in lieu of land 2.: based upon density of development as follows: a.Five or more single-family dwelling units per acre - $1,500 / lot b.Three or four single-family dwelling units per acre - $2,000 / lot c.One or two single-family dwelling units per acre - $3,000 / lot d.Individual multi-family dwelling unit - $800 / du 1 e.Non-residential – None Park Improvement Fee 3.: None Revision In order to allow developers to share the burden of providing neighborhood park facilities, revise the Park Land Dedication Ordinance as follows: Conveyance of Land Requirements 1.: a.No change b.Do not accept floodplain land as whole or partial fulfillment of the Parkland Dedication requirement. c.Allow parkland dedication of less than 5 acres, subject to approval of the City Council, in Mixed Use areas where pocket parks might be desirable. Payment in lieu of land 2.: No change a.No change b.No change c.No change 1 The City of Wylie formerly required a parkland dedication fee of $1,000 per acre, or prorated portion thereof, for non-residential development. 6 – 6 Chapter 6 – Recommendations d.No change e.No change; however, it is recommended that the City continually investigate opportunities for commercial development to contribute to the parks and open space system. Park Improvement Fee 3.: Adopt a fee of $1,300 per dwelling unit (single and multi- family) to assist the City in developing neighborhood parks. This fee is based on the cost of developing an average neighborhood park as follows: a.Cost for developing an average neighborhood park in North Texas = $1.2 million; b.One neighborhood park serves 3,000 to 4,000 people c.Cost todevelop an average multi-generational neighborhood park: $1.2mil/3,000 = $400/person. d.The average household in Wylie contains 3.23 persons; e.Neighborhood park development fee is calculated as: $400 x 3.23 = $1,292/DU Summarized Revisions In summary, the major recommended revisions to the Parkland Dedication Ordinance are to no longer accept floodplain land as applying to the required land dedication, to begin accepting parks under five acres in size if they are dedicated as part of a mixed-use development project and are approved by City Council, and to adopt a Park Improvement Fee to contribute to the cost of developing neighborhood parks (see Table 6.1). Table 6. 1 Proposed Parkland Dedication Ordinance Revisions ExistingProposed Revision/New Conveyance of Land 5 acres / 100 DU* No change Payment in lieu of land $800 to $3,000 / DU** No change Park Improvement Fee None$1,300 / DU* (single & multi-family) Floodplain Dedication Ratio 1:1Do not accept Minimum Dedication 5 acres 5 acres unless as part of a mixed- use development and approved by City Council *For Single-Family and Multi-Family Development **Varies based on development density: $800/du for multi-family $1,500/du for five or more single-family dwelling units per acre $2,000/du for three or four single-family dwelling units per acre $3,000/du for one or two single-family dwelling units per acre 6 – 7 2010 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan P&F ARKSACILITIES The remainder of this chapter focuses on recommendations for improvements to parks and facilities in Wylie. These are the types of recommendations most typically associated with a master plan of this type. This section focuses on four primary series of recommendations: Land Acquisition – Recommendations for acreage acquisition of various types in specific sectors of Wylie. Athletic Facilities – Recommendations for the number, type, and location of additional athletic facilities to meet demonstrated needs in the near future. Neighborhood Park Development Guidelines – This section provides a series of guidelines for the City of Wylie to use when developing new neighborhood parks and renovating or expanding existing neighborhood parks. Community Park Development Guidelines – Similar to the neighborhood park development guidelines, this section provides guidelines for the development, renovation, and expansion of community parks. Land Acquisition Ensuring that adequate land is available for future improvements is the determining factor in developing a quality, sustainable parks, recreation, and open space system. In addition to simply providing space for needed facilities, it is important for the City to acquire land in order to maintain the target levels of service and park service areas set forth by this Master Plan (see pages 5 – 3 and 5 – 4) as the city continues to grow. In the Citizen Attitude Survey, 96% of respondents agree that “as Wylie grows, it is important for the parks and recreation lands, facilities, programs and services to meet the needs of new residents.” When asked if it is important for the City to “acquire land for future park and open space development,” 88% agreed that it is indeed important (see Chapter 3). The following specific acquisition actions are recommended per sector (these sectors correspond with the City’s current Park Zones). Sector 1 (Western portion of the City) – 1 Neighborhood Park, 1 Community Park Sector 2 (Eastern portion of the City) – 5 Neighborhood Parks, 2 Community Parks Sector 3 (Central portion of the City) – 4 Neighborhood Parks, 1 Community Park Neighborhood Parks While some of the land to be acquired might need to be purchased outright by the City, it is the intent that the majority of the necessary land acquisition illustrated above for neighborhood parks will occur through parkland dedication during the development process (either through outright dedication or acquired fees in lieu of land) so that accommodating the needs of additional residential growth in Wylie is shared between the City and the development community. TheProposed Neighborhood & DeFacto Neighborhood Parks map on page 6–9 illustrates the location and ½ mile service radius of proposed neighborhood parks in Wylie. TheExisting & Proposed Neighborhood & DeFacto Neighborhood Parks map on page 6–10 illustrates the location and ½ mile service radius of existing and proposed neighborhood parks in Wylie. 6 – 8 Chapter 6 – Recommendations Community Parks The recommendation of four additional community parks is driven by future facility need based on the target levels of service illustrated in Table 5.3. While that table only illustrates needs over the next five years, if the same needs are extrapolated to Wylie’s build-out population, there will be a need for 25 athletic competitive and practice fields which will require approximately 75 to 150 acres of additional land. As such, it is important to note that while four future community parks are recommended, it is likely that only two or three of these community parks will have these types of active facilities (such as those currently in Founders Park and Community Park). The remaining one to two additional community parks are recommended as more passive- oriented parks that have significant amounts of natural, undeveloped open space for people to enjoy and also include other special types of amenities such as spray parks, dog parks, or other types of facilities not necessarily included in a neighborhood park. Determining which of these parks should be active in nature or passive in nature should be guided by the character of the land which is used. Specifically, the Alanis Landfill site is well-suited to be an active community park because it has few trees, is relatively flat, and is easily accessible. There are two options shown for the second potential active community park (both located near the intersection of McMillen Road and Country Club Road). As a final note about acquiring land for community parks, the opportunity exists for the City to partner with the US Army Corps of Engineers to improve the accessibility, function, and character of East Fork and Avalon Parks (which are located along the southern shore of Lavon Lake) so that these parks can better serve the community and actually function as community parks. Such an action would not only provide a better recreation experience with views of the lake, but would also reduce the burden on the City to purchase land to meet the needs of the community. TheExisting & Proposed Community Parks map on page 6–13 illustrates the location and 1 mile service radius of existing and proposed community parks in Wylie. TheParks & Trails Master Plan map on page 6–14 illustrates the location of all existing and proposed parks in Wylie and their relationship to schools and the previously adopted Trails Master Plan 6 – 11 2010 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan 6 – 12 Chapter 6 – Recommendations Athletic Facilities As discussed in the previous section, there is a need to provide additional athletic facilities in Wylie. While the previous section discussed a need at build-out of 25 additional fields, the recommendations in this Master Plan focus on the needs of the next five years as trends often change and the exact number of facilities needed at build-out will likely vary. The following facilities are recommended to be constructed in the next five years in order to meet the needs of the community which was demonstrated through public meetings, the telephone survey, and benchmarking with surrounding communities: 2 Competitive Facilities Baseball Fields – 4 fields Softball Fields – 4 fields Soccer Fields – (no immediate need) Football Fields – 1 field Practice Facilities Baseball/Softball Backstops – 8 backstops 3 Multi-Purpose Practice Fields – 4 fields Neighborhood Park Development Guidelines Neighborhood parks are the backbone of Wylie’s park system. The development and general design of neighborhood parks is of crucial importance in order to ensure that they serve the needs of the surrounding neighborhoods. But beyond simply meeting certain levels of service, it is important to ensure that neighborhood parks are unique in character, respond to the surrounding environment, provide unique experiences for the park’s users, and bring the neighborhood together informally. The following development guidelines – which focus on size, location, facilities, design, and parking – were developed to ensure that the City is able to efficiently provide the best possible neighborhood parks for its citizens. Size - The size of a neighborhood park may vary considerably due to the physical location of the park and condition of the site. Generally, neighborhood parks should be five to ten acres or larger. A typical neighborhood park should generally serve no more than 3,000 to 4,000 residents per park. Location- If possible, neighborhood parks should be centrally located in the neighborhoods they serve and should consider the following location attributes: Neighborhood parks should be accessible to pedestrian traffic from all parts of the area served. Ideally neighborhood park facilities should be located within a one-quarter mile radius (five minute walk) or one-half mile radius (ten minute walk) of the residents who will use those facilities. 2 These recommended facilities are in addition to the new facilities being constructed at Founders Park (at the time of writing). 3 Fields for soccer and football practice. These often include combination soccer/football goals. 6 – 15 2010 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan These parks should be located adjacent to local or minor collector streets which do not allow high-speed traffic. A neighborhood park should be accessible without having to cross major arterial streets and should be far enough from major streets that traffic noise is not obvious in the park. When located close to or on the City boundary, it is important to provide access to all residents living within a quarter mile of the park, whether in Wylie or an adjacent city. Residents typically do not discriminate between cities and it is neighborly to share facilities. It is desirable to locate neighborhood parks adjacent to creeks, greenways, and lakes which allow for trail connections to other parks and City amenities. Neighborhood parks are frequently located adjacent to elementary schools in order to share acquisition and development costs with the school district. Adjacencies of park and school grounds allow for joint use and sharing of facilities. It also lends itself to the community’s involvement with the school grounds and vice versa, leading to a synergistic result that adds to the quality of life for everyone. Facilities– All future neighborhood parks should include the following facilities: Playground equipment with adequate safety surfacing Unprogrammed free play areas Adequately sized pavilions with multi-tiered roofs Loop trails or connection to the City-wide trails system Additional facilities often provided in a neighborhood park include (but are not limited to): Unlighted basketball courts and half courts Picnic areas with benches, picnic tables, and cooking grills Unlighted tennis courts Skate parks Basketball courts Security lighting Drinking fountains Design – The overall design and layout of a neighborhood park is an important determinant of its final quality and timelessness. These parks should generally be designed with the programmed space – playgrounds, pavilions, basketball courts, etc. – clustered into an “activity zone” within the park. These areas need ample seating and shade to be hospitable year round. Siting these areas near existing stands of trees is strongly recommended as this eliminates the years of waiting for shade trees to mature. The open/unprogrammed space should be visible from this activity area but should be clearly delineated through plantings and hardscape features such as paved trails and seatwalls. Finally, a loop trail is today considered an essential component of a neighborhood park. When a segment of the city-wide trails system passes through a neighborhood park (which is strongly recommended), it is important to connect the loop trail to it. Adjacency & Interaction – How the park integrates with the surrounding land uses – residences, schools, wooded areas, etc. – is crucial to the quality of experience within the park. When a road borders the park, the houses across the street should face the park. It is recommended that at least 80% of the park’s boundary be bordered by single-loaded roads such as these. No more 6 – 16 Chapter 6 – Recommendations than 20% of any park’s boundary should be bordered by the backs of houses. When houses must back up to a park, the fencing between the houses and the park should be transparent (such as wrought iron fencing or similar) rather than opaque wooden fortress fencing. Transparent fencing allows a softer transition between park and residence and provides for informal surveillance of the park. High-limbed trees along the fence line furthermore allow for a combination of privacy and transparency. When a park is constructed adjacent to a school, the two sites should interact. That is, there should be paved connections between the school and the park and it could even be recommended that when new schools are designed, windows overlooking the park should be provided. Parking– In general, the use of shared-use trails, sidewalks, bike routes, and public transportation should be encouraged to decrease automobile traffic in and around neighborhood parks. When parking is deemed necessary, the exact amount of parking spaces will vary based on the size of the park, the facilities it contains, and the number of users. Generally, depending on the carrying capacity of adjacent streets, parallel on-street parking may provide sufficient parking space. Opportunities to share parking may be beneficial to different yet compatible functions, such as churches, schools, libraries, and other City facilities. 6 – 17 2010 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan Figure 6.2 illustrates a typical neighborhood park and some of the elements that the park might contain. Note that this is simply a typical arrangement, and each neighborhood park should be designed as a unique part of the neighborhood that surrounds it. Figure 6.2 Typical Neighborhood Park 6 – 18 Chapter 6 – Recommendations Community Park Development Guidelines Community parks are larger than neighborhood parks and serve much larger portions of the City. These parks typically include facilities that serve the entire community (such as lighted playing fields for competitive sports) and therefore have a greater service area, attract more users, and require higher-intensity facilities such as considerable off-street parking. While the primary function of community parks is to serve a broad population and geographic area, it is also important to develop them in such a way that they are integrated into the surrounding area. Because they are often in fairly close proximity to neighborhoods, community parks have the ability to function as de facto neighborhood parks – that is, while they are not classified as neighborhood parks, they can serve double-duty as a neighborhood park because of their similar basic amenities and proximity to residential areas. As such, it is crucial to consider the needs of the immediately surrounding residents as well as the community as a whole when developing a community park. Size – The size of a community park should be large enough to provide a variety of amenities while still leaving open space for unstructured recreation, practice space, and natural areas. The park should also have room for expansion as new facilities are required. Community parks may vary in size from 20 acres to over 70 acres depending on needs and site opportunities. Location – Because they are intended to serve large portions of the city, community parks should be centrally located and easily accessible by major thoroughfares and trails. When connected by major trails and greenbelts, community parks are not only more easily accessed, but they also serve as a hub for the trails system and other parks in the community. Care should be taken when locating a high-intensity community park adjacent to or near residential areas. In these instances, it is important to provide adequate buffers to minimize noise and bright lights at night when possible. Because of the requirement for lighted facilities, it is often desirable to have higher-intensity or “active” community parks located adjacent to commercial, retail, and/or light industrial areas, rather than residential neighborhoods. Facilities– All future community parks should include the following facilities: Playground equipment with adequate safety surfacing Unprogrammed free play areas Adequately sized pavilions with multi-tiered roofs Picnic areas Unlighted multi-purpose practice fields for soccer and football Backstops for baseball and softball practice Loop trails or connection to the City-wide trails system Sufficient off-street parking based on facilities provided and size of park Additional facilities often included in a community park include (but are not limited to): Restrooms Natural open space where available or present including access to these areas via trails Lighted competitive baseball, softball, soccer, and football fields (the actual type and number of competitive fields should be based on demonstrated need as per the facility target LOS put forth in this Master Plan) 6 – 19 2010 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan Lighted multi-purpose practice fields Recreation center, community center, senior center, or environmental learning (nature) center Security lighting Other facilities as needed which can take advantage of the unique characteristics of the site, such as fishing adjacent to ponds, swimming pools, amphitheaters, etc. Design – The design of a community park is largely dependent on the intended character of and facilities included in each individual park and can generally be classified as active or passive. Wylie’s two existing community parks (Founders Park and Community Park) are both active in nature due to their inclusion and focus on high-intensity facilities such as lighted competitive game fields and manicured landscaping. Passive community parks, on the other hand, typically have low-intensity uses such as hiking, picnicking, and free play and generally have a large amount of natural and un-programmed space in the park. The general design of a park, therefore, will vary depending on the intended character of the park – as such, the amount of natural open space, number of game fields, amount of parking, and spatial orientation of amenities will vary. As with neighborhood parks, the overall design and layout of a community park is important to the park’s final quality and timelessness. Similarly, activity zones of programmed space are also important within community parks. Playgrounds, pavilions, and basketball courts make up one type of activity zone while ball fields, concession stands, and equipment storage buildings make up another type. Providing shade by means of siting the former of these two activity zone types near existing stands of trees is strongly recommended, as is the provision of benches and picnic tables. In community parks and other large parks, it is often desirable to delineate between activity zones and unprogrammed areas by the use of natural features, such as stands of trees and creek corridors. This helps to break up the park visually and delineate space. Paved trails should connect these various areas with each other, as well as provide a walking/jogging loop for recreational use. The interaction between a community park and the surrounding areas is crucial to the quality of experience within the park. Because community parks are often located outside of neighborhoods, there are different considerations than there are with neighborhood parks. As with neighborhood parks it is important that the park is bordered by single-loaded roads and creeks or other natural areas. When development does border the park, how the edge is addressed depends on the type of development. If the development is residential, the fencing between the houses and the park should be transparent (such as wrought iron fencing or similar) or a row of trees and/or shrubs should be used along this fence line to soften its appearance. However, if the development is industrial in nature or otherwise aesthetically unpleasing or potentially a nuisance, the border should be well-screened with dense plantings of trees and shrubs to soften this edge. It may also be desirable to place a fence and/or masonry wall at these borders for safety reasons (such as reducing the likelihood of a ball rolling out of the park or debris entering the park). Community parks often interface well with schools. In such instances, work with the ISD to have windows on the side of the school that faces the park and paved connections between the two. 6 – 20 Chapter 6 – Recommendations As a final consideration, it is important to understand that community parks themselves can sometimes be a nuisance if near residential neighborhoods. Bright lighting at night, excessive noise from cheering spectators, or the overflow of parking onto neighborhood streets can all become major issues. If a park is to be developed in close proximity to a neighborhood, take measures to address these issues and identify any other potential issues.Specifically related to the issue of light impacts, a good option to be considered is “cut-off” lighting, which allows light patterns to be controlled, thus avoiding nuisance to neighbors. Parking – This varies based on the facilities provided and the size of park. The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) recommends a minimum of five spaces per programmed acre, plus additional parking for specific facilities within the park, such as pools or ball fields. The actual amount of parking provided in each park should be determined by the facilities provided in that park. Even so, consideration should always be given toward the concept of “shared parking.” The benefit of shared parking is the reduction in the number of parking spaces that need to be built. There are two ways shared parking can be implemented in a park: Typically, the number of spaces required to be constructed in a park is determined by the peak parking requirements of each of the uses. This can result in the provision of excessive amounts of parking. Instead, determine the number of parking spaces by considering the different peak parking schedules of various uses, thereby potentially reducing the number of parking spaces needed by “sharing” parking between uses (i.e., football fields and baseball fields can share parking since football and baseball games are not played concurrently). The traditional concept of shared parking is to create an agreement with adjacent land uses like schools, churches, and other City facilities so that parking can serve both the park and the adjacent land use. Finally, in addition to reducing the overall amount of off-street parking, it is important to consider the design and construction of parking and its impact on the park and the environment. In order to offset the surface water runoff and pollution from large areas of parking, it is recommended that serious consideration be given to the use of permeable paving combined with shade trees and bio-swales to bio-filtrate runoff water. 6 – 21 2010 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan Figure 6.3 below illustrates a typical community park and some of the elements that the park might contain. Note that this is simply a typical arrangement, and each community park should be designed according to the specific needs of the community. Figure 6.3 Typical Community Park 6 – 22 úÕÜÍÉØËðÈÏÔÚÔÍÜÑúÎÐÍÑØÅíËÎÍØËÉÄðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ úÕÜÍÉØË ðÈÏÔÚÔÍÜÑúÎÐÍÑØÅíËÎÍØËÉÄðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ ô ïéëîùèúéôîï This chapterof the Wylie Parks, Recreationand Open Space Master Plan focuses on land use planning for the Municipal ComplexProperty –an area of the city largely defined by its diverse array of beautiful natural habitatand its central location within Wylie. However, this area isalso defined by its future as the civic “core” of Wylie. With the establishment of the new signature City Hall,Library, and Recreation Centeron the site, the Municipal Complex Property has the potential tobecome a unique and vibrant area within the community. Set against the backdrop of a wall of large treesgrowingalong a creek corridor, one gets a sense that the new civic complexis a hub of activity that lends itself to becoming a key focal point of the city. ThisMunicipal ComplexProperty Master Plan is intended to function as a long-range guide for the preservation and recreational development of this areawhile supporting the development and activityoccurring at the new civic complex. While beyond the scope of this Master Plan, it is important to consider that the energy created by the civic complexwill spur continued development in and around the Municipal ComplexProperty. Through careful planning, however, surroundingdevelopment can be guided in a way that balances the benefits of economicdevelopment with the importance of preserving, maintaining, and enhancing our quickly-disappearing natural landscapes for the greater good of the surrounding community. íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ ðíí üêéøëñüïïôïöëîúøêê In developing the Municipal ComplexProperty Master Plan, the Planning Team performed a site analysis, conducted aprogramanalysis, developed alternatives, and preparedthe final Master Plan as shown toward the end ofthis chapter. The site analysis included examiningsite features and characteristics such as topography, vegetation, existing and proposed development and infrastructure, hydrology, and view corridors. This information led to a greater understanding of the site’sopportunities and constraintswhich in turn informed an analysis of various programmatic options. From the site and program analysis, alternatives for the Municipal ComplexProperty were developed. Each of these alternatives explored differentapproaches of how to best preserve the quality and character of the Municipal ComplexProperty while providing quality recreational amenitieswhich will support and be supported by the new civic complex. These various analysis and alternatives tasks,along with three preliminary design reviews with City Officials and City Staff,all contributed to the ultimate site plan for the property, which merges preservation of the natural environment, provision of recreational opportunities, and guidance for qualityurban development. êü ôéøïüñäêôê To arrive at the land use plan for the Municipal ComplexProperty, the Planning Team, in conjunction with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), conducted a series of analyses, both ofthe site itself and through the use of conceptual diagramming. To truly understand and appreciate the varying features of any site it is necessary to physically walk, explore, and experience with all of the senses what is special about that place, whichin the case of the Municipal ComplexProperty, proved to bea delightful experience. The Planning Team visited the site on October 21, 2008and was deeply impressed with what the site has to offer. üçØÖØÉÜÉÔÇØÜÏÙíÕÄÊÔÚÜÑüÏÜÑÄÊÔÊ The Municipal ComplexProperty provides a present-day snapshot of different habitats ranging from former corn fields toupland forests to pastures and hay meadows, resulting from past agricultural practices. It is possible this is reflective of over 100 years of management which has now led to most of the site being dominated by herbaceous cover. In addition, the site is also shaped by surrounding new development including neighborhoods, buildings, dams, and roads, each contributing in its own way to the opportunities and constraints of the property. çØÖØÉÜÉÔÇØüÏÜÑÄÊÔÊ èÍÑÜÏÙ÷ÎËØÊÉÊ Possibly undisturbed due to the steeper slopes associated with water channels throughout the site, the areas surrounding thecreeks have been left alone for at least a century and are now supporting mature upland forests. The presence of dead and dying bois d’arc trees in this úÕÜÍÉØËðÈÏÔÚÔÍÜÑúÎÐÍÑØÅíËÎÍØËÉÄðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ area suggests that this was originally a bois d’arc savanna that is now largelyreplaced by cedar elm, green ash, and hackberry trees. Onehighly remarkable and attractive feature of these forests is the openness of the understory. Consequently,management of the area should be focused on preservation, removal of invasive species, and thinning of forest saplings and woody vines to ensure this extremely valuable landscape remains well-suited for hike and bike trails. Management of the adjacent land outside the forest is critical for the continued high level of quality expressed in this environment. Buffer strips should be considered alongthe perimeterof the Upland Forestswhich would allow for maintaining a wildlife corridoras well as providing a protective buffer to prevent unwantedencroachment and the negative impactsassociated with such encroachment. ÷ÔÖÈËØ êÔÉØüÏÜÑÄÊÔÊðÜÍ íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ íÜÊÉÈËØÊÜÏÙõÜÄðØÜÙÎÆÊ The area labeled East Meadow is largely characterized by introduced vegetation such as coastal Bermuda, King Ranch bluestem, and Johnson grass. This combined with actual skeletal remains of cattle suggest that these areas were once used as fields for livestock grazing. Remnants of native tall grasses are present, however, likely from the pre- settlement era when these fields would have been dominated by little bluestem. Maintaining this herbaceous character would be possible by mowing every two to three years, burning every several years, or cutting and grubbing woody saplings that quickly move into it. Interestingly, an approximately 5 acre section labeled “Forest Succession”is rich in silver bluestem, early succession native prairie grasses, and invading eastern red cedar trees. These characteristics are typical of the ecological process of transitioning toward a forest habitat dominated by conifer trees. ÷ÎËÐØËúÎËÏ÷ÔØÑÙÊ Until approximately 2006, the areas labeled Central and West Meadow wereplowed and planted with row crops. After the planting came to an end, broadleaf herbaceous plants would have most likely been the first to fill the void created by cessation of agricultural crops. In this area, Johnson grass is expected to increase in abundance without management, but since there is little well established perennial vegetation, prairie restora- tion could take place with a high expectation for success. úÕÜÍÉØËðÈÏÔÚÔÍÜÑúÎÐÍÑØÅíËÎÍØËÉÄðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ íÕÄÊÔÚÜÑüÏÜÑÄÊÔÊ æÜÑÒÔÏÖÉÕØêÔÉØ The Municipal ComplexProperty is naturally defined by the creek corridors that run through the site, but the influences of man are becoming very apparent. Starting with the new civic complexat the heart of the property, one can see how its setting in middle of the Central Meadow gives prominence to the structures. As one walks down to the creek corridor below, it is possible to move almost effortlessly through the trees due to the absence of any significant understory. The large mature trees rise up from the forest floor like columns and create a very enjoyable experience along the clear waters of the creek. Standing outside the forest in one of the many concave nooks,a sense of safety and security is felt and the gently sloping terrain suggests that an amphitheater would be ideal in one of these locations. Walking in the East Meadow, which is intersected by large power lines, the tendency is for one to skirt the edges of the forest,already hinting on a route that a trail may take. From the Muddy Creek Reservoir dam, the civic complexdevelopment is clearly visible above the treetops as well as a wonderful panoramic vista of much of the city itself. íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ íü ëîöëüðïüñäêôê Following the analysis of the physical and vegetative characteristics of the site, a programmatic analysis was performed. This analysis explored different development scenarios for the Municipal ComplexProperty, each with increasing levels of activity and impact. Each of these scenarios has its own merits and weaknesses buthelped inform the development of refined alternatives (described in the next section). The development scenarios aredescribed in further detail below. ÷ÔÖÈËØ ñÎÆôÐÍÜÚÉêÚØÏÜËÔÎùÔÜÖËÜÐ ñÎÆôÐÍÜÚÉêÚØÏÜËÔÎ The closely follows the habitat management and preservation recommendations established earlier to maximize the amount of site that is dedicated to passive uses. These include uses such as meadow protection, prairie restoration, hard and soft surface trails, and an amphitheater. In all of the scenarios,the dam and spillway area are seen as a key view point, and have the possibility of becoming asignatureoverlook and amphitheater. The creeks and associated forest are entirely preserved aside from trail connections and possibly minor overlooks and interpretive signage. A large area for a learning center is shown next to the civic complex, which would create synergy between the two uses, and also act as a gateway to the woods for exploration of the natural environment. Feeding off of the new development, an additional civic use area has been designated on the West Meadow which further strengthens the civic complex now occurring on both sides of F.M. 1378. úÕÜÍÉØËðÈÏÔÚÔÍÜÑúÎÐÍÑØÅíËÎÍØËÉÄðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ ÷ÔÖÈËØ ðØÙÔÈÐôÐÍÜÚÉêÚØÏÜËÔÎùÔÜÖËÜÐ ðØÙÔÈÐôÐÍÜÚÉêÚØÏÜËÔÎ The looks at a higher level of development but is still mostly characterized by low intensityuses. While the forests are still intended to be left intact and managed to maintain their understory openness, large areas of the West and Central Meadows are dedicated to ball fields, helping to meet the City’s need to provide more fields. The West Meadow is also shown as having civic use, once again creatingsynergy between both sides of F.M. 1378, andan aquatics center is proposed as anappendage on the east side of the civic complex. The northern part of the East Meadow is proposed to havelimited ball fields, which provide a transition totheprotected meadow further south. The limiting factorsrelated to this conceptinclude tight access from Brown Street, relatively steep grades that will require substantial cut and fill,and the power lines that bisect the site. Two possibilities for locating an amphitheater are shown: one just south of the civic complexwhich would be very visible and be seen as a destination passing through the building’s breezeways and another to the west of the forest, taking advantage of the moderately sloping terrain and the attractive backdrop provided by the wooded edge. íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ ÷ÔÖÈËØ õÔÖÕôÐÍÜÚÉêÚØÏÜËÔÎùÔÜÖËÜÐ õÔÖÕôÐÍÜÚÉêÚØÏÜËÔÎ The takes the approach of a “Town Center” type development atthe heart of the Municipal ComplexProperty. The developments around the civic complexwould be mainly mixed-use with retail, office, and residential space. “Green corridors”within the mixed- use area lead to the larger trail network beyond,which provides important pedestrian linkages between all the different areas of the site. The idea is for the mixed use development to “grow” out of thecivic complex, tofeed off of the activity going on throughout the day and becoming lively after hours through restaurants and cafés that keep the development active at night. A limitedamount ofball fields are proposed on the East Meadow again transitioning to protected meadow. One can almostimagine looking out from the dam in the evening hours to the town center and hearing the faint sounds of a live band playing and the laughter of nearby residents walking home from dinner along one of the trails. úÕÜÍÉØËðÈÏÔÚÔÍÜÑúÎÐÍÑØÅíËÎÍØËÉÄðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ úÑÔØÏÉôÏÍÈÉ úÔÉÄúÎÈÏÚÔÑÜÏÙíÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏûÎÜËÙ -The Planning Teampresented the program analysis diagramsdiscussed on the previous pagesand theinitial ideas for the Municipal ComplexProperty to the City Councilandthe Parks and Recreation Boardon October 28, 2008. The Planning Team utilizedphotographs whichconvey the aesthetic beauty, habitat quality, and opportunities for nature experiencesto help describe existing conditions and explain the various program scenarios. This premise was understood well and the overall consensus was to keep the property natural according to the Low Impact Scenario. No ball fields of any kind (as shown in the Medium and High Impact Scenarios) were desired, and the idea of mixed use was entertained, but questions arose as to whether or not that would violate the purchase agreement stating that the land be used for civic purposes only. The Planning Team suggested that a 100 year lease agreement may suffice. Many in the meeting questioned intense development stating that it may cause unfair competition with downtown Wylie businesses. íÑÜÏÏÔÏÖêÉÜ×× –The consultant-led Planning Team presented the results of the site analysis and program analysisto the Planning Department on July 23, 2009. The pros and cons of each of the program analysis scenarios were weighed and discussed. One very significant point of discussionwas the impending future development which will eventually occur(largely due to the new civic complex)north of the Municipal ComplexProperty at the intersection of Brown Street and F.M.1378. The impact of this future development on the Municipal ComplexProperty, the need to address and guide such development, and the importance of better addressing how the Municipal ComplexProperty should interact with surrounding areas came out as important considerations for the future. Considering the input of the City Council, Parks and Recreation Board, and City Staff, the Planning Team has identified the need topreservethe natural features of the landscapewhile identifying ways in whichthe City can be prepared for and accommodate futurehigh-intensity multi-use developmentnear the Municipal ComplexProperty.This can be done without detracting from the beauty and quality of the natural land beyond, but will require the vision and will to make it happen through appropriate ordinances including setbacks, limited development footprint, stormwater management, and other environmentally conscious development requirements. In addition, programs for the meadows and forested areas to be kept natural, which will help retain the property’s current character,should be employed. íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ ÷úíù ôïüñîïúøíéñüïøçøñîíðøïé Based upon the review and input of City Council, Parks Board and staff, the Planning Team developedthe final concept plan. ÷ÔÖÈËØ ÷ÔÏÜÑúÎÏÚØÍÉíÑÜÏ The number one goal to be achieved through the Municipal ComplexProperty Master Plan is ÕÜÛÔÉÜÉÍËÎÉØÚÉÔÎÏ Through the vegetative and physical analysis of the site,it wasdiscovered that the most interesting and beautiful parts of the property are also the most ecologically sensitive. The creeks are surrounded by majestic canopy trees which are a wonderful natural resource to take advantage of, but (as these areas are easily accessible)extra care must be taken to maintain this environment in its current form. For this to happen, it is crucial to entirely preserve the upland forest associated with the creek corridorswhile also preserving a100’to 150’wide buffer strip of land around the edges of the forest. Any development in these areas should be limited to trails only. The buffer strip creates an added measure of protection forthe creek environment byincreasing the amount of timeit takesfor surface runoff to make its way to the creekand by filtering harmful pollutants and sediment from the runoffbefore it enters the creek. úÕÜÍÉØËðÈÏÔÚÔÍÜÑúÎÐÍÑØÅíËÎÍØËÉÄðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ Preserving the upland forest areas along the creeks as well as the buffer strip around it not only help to ensure that the environment will continue to thrive in its natural state, but also ensure the continued presence of wildlife within the corridor. This type of area generally provides a multi- layered habitat including trees, shrubs, grass, and herbaceous plants, as well as aquatic habitat, all of which supports a highly diverse array of flora and fauna. In addition to permanent habitat, these areas provide breeding, foraging, and resting areas forall types of birds, insects, reptiles, and mammals, whether permanent or transient. Finally, one of the primary reasons for establishing a buffer strip around these areas is due to the fact that the places where two ecological zones meet are extremely important from a vegetation and wildlife dynamic point of view. Animals may forage in onezonewhile resting in the other and plants are often adapted to that specific edge zone. In the designated buffer zones around the upland forests, management practices should be implemented based on the detailed analyses of existing vegetation and soils. As previously mentioned, these practices may range from yearly mowing to introducing an entirely new native seed mix. The large area of open space on the East Meadow is ideal for yearly mowing practices and specific restoration efforts in key areas where soils may tend to erode. With these principles in mind of preserving the ecologically sensitive parts of the site, an overall ÉËØÜÙÑÔÖÕÉÑÄÎÏÉÕØÑÜÏÙ theme for the Municipal ComplexProperty begins to take shape: Building upon the signature City Hall, Library and Recreation Center, the design of the Municipal ComplexProperty focuses onstriking a balance between high intensity, active areas and low intensity, passive areas in order to make the most of this new civic destination. The intent of the design is to purposely link the civic uses together in a looping pattern, hugging the edge of the woods like a string of pearls. Visual recognition is a key point in determining the layout of the site. Approaching the intersection of Brown and F.M. 1378,“The Commons” acts like a grand front yard for the civic complexand associated buildings. This open space functions as a space where the history and culture of Wylie are to be celebrated. Imagine a group of horses(real horses or sculptures of horses)in the space and a split-rail fence, likening back to historical Wylie when ranches and open space was the norm. Serving as the cultural center,“The Barn”is a facilitywith exhibits, artwork,and historicalartifactsgeared toward strengthening the bond everyday citizens have with their city. The environmental education center south of The Barn is another link in the string of pearls where programs that look after and maintain the vegetation on sitecan be managed;this canalso be the location from which guided tours of the area originate and community outreach programsare held. A “Friends of The Municipal ComplexProperty” type organization can be a way of ensuring kids and adults alike are able to come to the area, explore, and learn about all the important ecological features readily on display here. Moving to the amphitheater, this facility utilizes the proximity of the civic complexto attract visitors for outdoor performances, summer evening movies, weddings, or any number of other uses. The enclosure of the trees makes this space feel comfortable and inviting. Walkability from within the civic complexand all throughout the site is important as this should be a very pedestrian oriented destination. As perthe educational importance of the property and its management practices, it is important to provide trail connections throughout the preserved íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ areas in a way that is less impactful on the landscape. “Cow paths” are typical when users want to make their own way throughout the forest;to avoid this, boardwalks should be considered in the more sensitive areas such as next to the creek or through a prairie restoration area. Overall this planrecognizes the civic complexas the catalyst for a new “City Center”that embodies not only City government, but also creates adestination forrecreation while celebrating the cultural and natural heritage of the City of Wylie. The end result will be a strong sense of community and increased quality of life for Wylie residents. ôê ðíñøðøïéüéôîïéëüéøöôøê In order to realize the vision set forth for the Municipal ComplexProperty in an efficient manner, certain implementation strategies should be considered. êÈÖÖØÊÉØÙíÕÜÊÔÏÖ Due to its size and layout, phasing is an important part of implementing the master plan for the Municipal ComplexProperty. It isimportant to establish certain aspects of the designearly-on in the process to maintain the overall integrityof the master plan. íÕÜÊØîÏØ Consists of hike and bike trails throughout the portions of the site intended to be left in a natural stateand the implementation of signage for educational purposes and protective measures. Examples of this include interpretive signs identifying native plants or stream dynamics, establishing important viewpoints, and boardwalks and/or “no-access zones” through the most sensitive areas. íÕÜÊØéÆÎ Consists of establishing “The Commons,” theamphitheater, and the environmental learning center, which will make up one half of the civic ring. With the protective measures in place from Phase One, the environmental learning center will become a gateway to experience the landscape itself, and the amphitheater and commons will provide the finishing touches to make the Municipal Complex Propertya true destination. úÕÜÍÉØËoôÐÍÑØÐØÏÉÜÉÔÎÏ úÕÜÍÉØË ôÐÍÑØÐØÏÉÜÉÔÎÏ ô ïéëîùèúéôîï The primary purpose of this Master Plan is to provide both a broad vision and detailed guidelines for the future of Wylie’s parks, recreation, and open spaces. While previous chapters outlined existing conditions, various needs, and general recommendations, this chapter summarizes, prioritizes, and estimates costs for the primary actions which need to be taken over the next five to ten years and beyond. For a better understanding of the action items contained herein, refer to Chapter 4 – Existing Conditions (especially the Park & Facility Reviews section pages 4-7 to 4- 29), Chapter 5 – Needs Assessment (especially Tables 5.1 and 5.3), and Chapter 6 – Recommendations (especially the maps). Overall, the methodology used to prioritize the recommendations and actions contained in this chapter was based on three criteria: The level of need based on citizen demand and standards (Chapter 5); The logical order of facility development (that is, land must be acquired and plans must be developed before a facility can be constructed); and The level of potential capital funding over the course of the next five to ten years. õíï ôöõëôîëôéäøøùê The following lists the top priorities for parks, recreation, and open space in Wylie. These priorities have been developed utilizing demand-based needs, standards, City Staff and City Official input, and guidance from the Planning Team in order to provide the best set of actions to enhance quality of life in Wylie. The priorities are broken into two lists – one for outdoor facilities and one for indoor facilities. Figure 8.1 Overall Parks, Recreation & Open Space Priorities îÈÉÙÎÎË÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊôÏÙÎÎË÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ 1. Hike & Bike Trails 1. Indoor / Outdoor Aquatic Center 2. Neighborhood Park Development 2. Environmental Learning Center 3. Municipal Complex Property Development 3. Senior Center 4. Additional Sports Fields Beyond these priorities, it is important to consider land acquisition as being an underlying priority that is related to each of these items. That is, in order to achieve the priorities listed above, land must first be acquired or otherwise set aside to house these facilities. o íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ é o üí õøúéôîïñüï The Action Plan included in this chapter is a tool that translates the diverse and detailed recommendations within this Master Plan into concrete action items, which are then prioritized and given estimated costs. These action items are grouped into one of three priority groups (five year action items, ten year action items, and future action items beyond ten years) which reflect the needed improvements for each of these time periods based on target levels of service (as discussed in Chapter 5 – Needs Assessment) and forecasted population growth. It is important to understand that this Action Plan is not intended to serve as a business plan or capital improvement plan for the Parks and Recreation Divisions, the Parks & Recreation Board, the Parks & Recreation 4B Board, or the City Council. Nor should this action plan be seen as a commitment to funding and/or carrying out these projects in the order listed. Rather, this action plan should be viewed as a tool and guideline for the City of Wylie for revising its capital improvement plan and making funding decisions. Without a doubt, the funding levels shown for the next five to ten years are highly aggressive compared to Wylie’s past funding for parks and recreation and are possibly not one-hundred- percent achievable. However, these funding levels reflect the costs associated with taking the actions that the analysis of this Master Plan has found to be necessary to improve Wylie’s quality of life, stay ahead of the curve as Wylie continues to develop, and to help the City achieve a level of service in keeping with regional and national benchmarks. While it is possible that the City will not be capable of funding every improvement listed in the Action Plan, it is important to have a plan in place for three reasons: 1) to provide guidance for the capital improvement plan; 2) to illustrate the City’s goals during the grant application process; and 3) to have a plan in place in the event of a financial windfall. Table 8.1: Action Plan Years 2010 – 2020 on the next page summarizes the major actions and tasks which should be initiated over the next five to ten years and beyond in order for Wylie to achieve its vision for parks, recreation, and open space. o This Action Plan is a tool and guideline for planning and grant application purposes only. Grants and donations may reduce the cost of each item significantly. Land costs are estimated at an average of $75,000 per acre at an estimated 2015 value. Land costs shown are general estimates intended to establish allowances and will vary. Costs shown are 2015 values at a pre-design level, and will vary as more detailed design occurs. List is for guidance in planning, and not all items may be implemented. Notes: éÎÉÜÑüÊÊÎÚÔÜÉØÙúÎÊÉÊ×ÎËõÔÖÕíËÔÎËÔÉÄ ÉÎ üÚÉÔÎÏÊ éÎÉÜÑüÊÊÎÚÔÜÉØÙúÎÊÉÊêÉÈÙÔØÊíÑÜÏÊ éÎÉÜÑüÊÊÎÚÔÜÉØÙúÎÊÉÊùØÇØÑÎÍÐØÏÉÎ×ëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏÜÑÜÏÙðÜÔÏÉØÏÜÏÚØ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ éÎÉÜÑüÊÊÎÚÔÜÉØÙúÎÊÉÊíÜËÒùØÇØÑÎÍÐØÏÉÜÏÙôÐÍËÎÇØÐØÏÉ ÜÚËØÊ éÎÉÜÑñÜÏÙüÚÌÈÔÊÔÉÔÎÏ Summary of Associated Costs for High Priority (2010 to 2015) Actions êÈÛÉÎÉÜÑëØÚÎÐÐØÏÙØÙêÉÈÙÔØÊ plan for the development of this park. ðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏðÈÙÙÄúËØØÒúÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄÍÜËÒ ÄØÜËÊ $25,000CIP$25,000Create a master development of this park. ðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏîÏÚÎËñÜÇÎÏíÜËÒ ÄØÜËÊ $25,000CIP$25,000Create a master plan for the above. guidance to the Floodplain Management Strategy referenced Department and Parks and Recreation Divisions, it will provide acquisition. In addition to assisting and guiding the Planning actions, developing city policy, and prioritizing open space This inventory will help the City in guiding future development locations of important ecologically sensitive areas within Wylie. øÏÇÔËÎÏÐØÏÉÜÑëØÊÎÈËÚØôÏÇØÏÉÎËÄ ÄØÜËÊ Planning, EngineeringOther City Departments$50,000CIP$50,000 Inventory and map the Management Strategy referenced above. corridors within Wylie. This plan should inform the Floodplain hydrologic floodplain at build-out conditions for all drainage Floodplain Protection Plan, which should identify the 100 year ÷ÑÎÎÙÍÑÜÔÏíËÎÉØÚÉÔÎÏíÑÜÏ ÄØÜËÊ Planning, EngineeringOther City Departments$120,000CIP$120,000Prepare a comprehensive City wide êÉÈÙÔØÊíÑÜÏÊ ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ ÄØÜËÊ êÈÛÉÎÉÜÑùØÇØÑÎÍÐØÏÉÎ×ëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏÜÑÜÏÙðÜÔÏÉØÏÜÏÚØ per year for 5 years = 10%. TaxCalculated at 2-4% per year of development cost; rounded to 2% ðÜÔÏÉØÏÜÏÚØÛÈÙÖØÉ×ÎËÍÜËÒÊÜÏÙËØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏ×ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ ÄØÜËÊ $3,000General Fund, 4B Sales $3,000- êÈÛÉÎÉÜÑ ÄØÜËÊ existing parkland within the city. ùÔÊÚöÎÑ×úÎÈËÊØ ÄØÜËÊ TPWD Outdoor Grant, Private Donations$30,000CIP$30,000- Develop an 18 hole disc golf course on and improvement (see pages 5-13 to 5-15). Restrooms etc. are accounted for in the above park development êÈÍÍÎËÉ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊîÏÖÎÔÏÖ TPWD Outdoor Grant, Private Donations - Playgrounds, Pavilions, Picnic Facilities, Park football field, and 8 backstops (see pages 5-13 to 5-15). will be a need for an additional 4 baseball fields, 4 softball fields, 1 WISD assistanceimprovement of community parks. Between 2010 and 2015, there êÍÎËÉ÷ÔØÑÙÊîÏÖÎÔÏÖ TPWD Outdoor Grant, Private Donations, explore - Accounted for in the development and ùØÇØÑÎÍÐØÏÉÎ×ëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏÜÑÜÏÙðÜÔÏÉØÏÜÏÚØ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ êÈÛÉÎÉÜÑíÜËÒùØÇØÑÎÍÐØÏÉÜÏÙôÐÍËÎÇØÐØÏÉ ÄØÜËÊ cost; rounded to 2% per year for 5 years = 10%. TaxCalculated at 2-4% per year of overall preferred development ðÜÔÏÉØÏÜÏÚØÛÈÙÖØÉ×ÎËÍÜËÒÊÜÏÙËØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏ×ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ ÄØÜËÊ $1,745,000General Fund, 4B Sales $1,745,000- êÈÛÉÎÉÜÑ ÄØÜËÊ $50,000 per year for all parks. úÔÉÄÆÔÙØéËØØíÑÜÏÉÔÏÖ ÄØÜËÊ Private Donations, TPWD grant$250,000Tree Mitigation Fund$250,000 - Implement a focused tree planting program at éËÜÔÑÊ natural surface trails at $100,000 per mile. õÔÒØÜÏÙûÔÒØõÔÒØÜÏÙûÔÒØéËÜÔÑÊ ÄØÜËÊ TPWD Outdoor Grant$800,000CIP, Grant Funding$800,000Develop 8 miles of (Natural Surface) éËÜÔÑÊ Enhancements Grant$800,000 per mile. õÔÒØÜÏÙûÔÒØõÔÒØÜÏÙûÔÒØéËÜÔÑÊ ÄØÜËÊ TPWD Outdoor Grant, TxDOT Transportation $6,400,000CIP, Grant Funding$6,400,000Develop 8 miles of paved trails at (Paved) íÜËÒ County Grant Fundsper existing plans (under design). úÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄúÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄíÜËÒôÐÍËÎÇØÐØÏÉ ÄØÜËÊ TPWD Outdoor Grant, Private Donations, Collin $3,000,000CIP, Grant Funding$3,000,000 - Renovate Community Park as learning center as well as zoning changes. development of trails, an amphitheater, and an environmental úÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄíÜËÒ County Grant FundsProperty Master Plan as described in Chapter 7. This includes the îÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÈÏÔÚÔÍÜÑúÎÐÍÑØÅíËÎÍØËÉÄ ÄØÜËÊ TPWD Outdoor Grant, Private Donations, Collin $3,000,000CIP, Grant Funding$3,000,000 - Implement the Municipal Complex Park, Avalon Park Ph. 2, and Pheasant Creek Park). Dedication (Creekside Estates Park Ph. 4, Twin Lakes/Southbrook existing land that has been dedicated to the City through Parkland íÜËÒ Feeneighborhood parks at $750,000 to $1,250,000 per park on ïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙ÷ÎÈËïØÆïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙíÜËÒÊÎÏùØÙÔÚÜÉØÙñÜÏÙ ÄØÜËÊ Grant Funding$4,000,000CIP, Park Improvement $4,000,000 - Develop 4 íÜËÒùØÇØÑÎÍÐØÏÉÜÏÙôÐÍËÎÇØÐØÏÉ ÄØÜËÊ ÜÚËØÊ êÈÛÉÎÉÜÑñÜÏÙüÚÌÈÔÊÔÉÔÎÏØÅÚÑÈÙÔÏÖëØÖÔÎÏÜÑíÜËÒÊ floodplain. County Grant Funds, Land TrustsAcquisition of other important Open Space land not within the îÍØÏêÍÜÚØîÍØÏêÍÜÚØüÚÌÈÔÊÔÉÔÎÏÜÏÙíËÎÉØÚÉÔÎÏÎÈÉÎ×÷ÑÎÎÙÍÑÜÔÏ ÄØÜËÊ Park Land Dedication, Private Donations, Collin $1,125,000CIP, Grant Funding,$1,125,000acres15 - ÜÊÊÈÐØÙ ÍØËÜÚËØ floodplains County Grant Funds, Land TrustsAcquisition of land within the Muddy Creek and/or Rush Creek îÍØÏêÍÜÚØîÍØÏêÍÜÚØüÚÌÈÔÊÔÉÔÎÏÜÏÙíËÎÉØÚÉÔÎÏ÷ÑÎÎÙÍÑÜÔÏ ÄØÜËÊ Planning, Engineering, Park Land Dedication, Private Donations, Collin $1,700,000CIP, Grant Funding,$1,700,000acres85 - "acquisition" of land. íÜËÒ Landabove), East Fork Park's acreage can be considered an úÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄøÜÊÉ÷ÎËÒíÜËÒ ÄØÜËÊ $0Existing USACE-owned $0acres166 - Per a future shared use agreement (described has "matured" to a point where park development is appropriate). íÜËÒ Landfuture community park (this is dependent on whether the landfill úÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄüÑÜÏÔÊúÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄíÜËÒ ÄØÜËÊ $0Existing City-owned $0acres46 - Repurpose the Alanis Landfill for one Existing & Proposed Community Parks map on page 6-13). Floodplain and north of FM544 (see Option A and Option B on the (western portion of the City) adjacent to the Muddy Creek íÜËÒ about 20 acres for 1 future small community park in Park Zone 1 úÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄðÈÙÙÄúËØØÒúÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄíÜËÒüÉÕÑØÉÔÚúÎÐÍÑØÅ ÄØÜËÊ Private Donations, Collin County Grant Funds$1,500,000CIP, Grant Funding$1,500,000acres20 - Acquire íÜËÒ neighborhood parks north of and adjacent to Akin Elementary. ïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙíÜËÒÊ ÄØÜËÊ Park Land Dedication, WISD assistance$600,000CIP, Grant Funding$600,000acres8- Acquire about 8 acres for 1 future development occurs. íÜËÒ neighborhood parks @ 5 to 10 acres per park ( ~ 8 acres) as ïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙíÜËÒÊ ÄØÜËÊ $0Park Land Dedication $1,875,000acres25- Acquire about 25 acres for 3 future ñÜÏÙüÚÌÈÔÊÔÉÔÎÏ amenities). enhancement of school grounds to provide neighborhood park foster partnerships for future ventures (specifically to allow the agreement with Wylie ISD for the shared use of facilities and to óÎÔÏÉèÊØüÖËØØÐØÏÉÆÔÉÕæÄÑÔØôêù ÄØÜËÊ $0$0- Develop a joint use and parks & trails along the lake shore. pedestrian access, park visibility, directional/wayfinding signage, accessibility of Wylie's two lakes through improved vehicular & Planning Departmentsprogram that focuses on improving the visual and physical ùØÇØÑÎÍÜÏÙôÐÍÑØÐØÏÉÜñÜÒØüÚÚØÊÊíËÎÖËÜÐ ÄØÜËÊ Engineering & $0$0- Create a Fork Park to function as a community park for Wylie. use agreement with the US Army Corps of Engineers to allow East øÜÊÉ÷ÎËÒíÜËÒêÕÜËØÙèÊØüÖËØØÐØÏÉ ÄØÜËÊ Planning Department$0$0 - Engage in a shared and Conservation Development (see pages 6-4 and 6-5). Comprehensive Plan and the Zoning Ordinance to allow Transect èÍÙÜÉØúÎÐÍËØÕØÏÊÔÇØíÑÜÏãÎÏÔÏÖîËÙÔÏÜÏÚØ ÄØÜËÊ Planning Department$0$0- Update the below). Environmental Resource Inventory (see Studies & Plans section recommendations of the Floodplain Protection Plan and use and aesthetics. This strategy should implement the floodplain reclamation and protects open space for recreational Planning DepartmentsDevelop a Floodplain Management Strategy that minimizes ùØÇØÑÎÍÜÏÙôÐÍÑØÐØÏÉÜ÷ÑÎÎÙÍÑÜÔÏðÜÏÜÖØÐØÏÉêÉËÜÉØÖÄ ÄØÜËÊ Engineering & $0$0- help develop parks and trails. Land Dedication Ordinance to meet regional standards and to íÜËÒñÜÏÙùØÙÔÚÜÉÔÎÏîËÙÔÏÜÏÚØëØÇÔÊÔÎÏ ÄØÜËÊ Planning Department$0$0- Revise the Park íÎÑÔÚÄüÚÉÔÎÏÊ High Priority (1 to 5 Year) Actions & Associated Costs ùÎÑÑÜËÊ ÔÏÇÎÑÇØÐØÏÉ ôÐÍËÎÇØÐØÏÉñØÇØÑ ôÏÊÉÔÉÈÉÔÎÏ ×ÎËíËØ×ØËËØÙéÄÍØüÚËØÜÖØ ùØÍÜËÉÐØÏÉêÎÈËÚØÊúÎÊÉ÷ÈÏÙÔÏÖ îÉÕØËúÔÉÄüÙÙÔÉÔÎÏÜÑÜÏÙîÉÕØËíÎÉØÏÉÔÜÑ÷ÈÏÙÔÏÖðÜÔÏêÎÈËÚØÎ×øÊÉÔÐÜÉØÙúÎÊÉ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÄüÙÙÔÉÔÎÏÜÑüÚÉÔÎÏíËÔÎËÔÉÄ íüëùÜÊÊÈÐØÙ This document is a tool and guideline for planning and grant application purposes only. Projects will be completed when funding is available; all appropriate projects will be presented to City Council and the Park Board for their approval prior to project implementation. úÔÉÄÎ×æÄÑÔØíÜËÒëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏÜÏÙéËÜÔÑÊðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ üÚÉÔÎÏíÑÜÏäØÜËÊ éÜÛÑØ This Action Plan is a tool and guideline for planning and grant application purposes only. Grants and donations may reduce the cost of each item significantly. Land costs are estimated at an average of $75,000 per acre at an estimated 2015 value. Land costs shown are general estimates intended to establish allowances and will vary. Costs shown are 2015 values at a pre-design level, and will vary as more detailed design occurs. List is for guidance in planning, and not all items may be implemented. Notes: éÎÉÜÑüÊÊÎÚÔÜÉØÙúÎÊÉÊ×ÎË ÉÎ üÚÉÔÎÏÊ ÜÚËØÊ éÎÉÜÑüÊÊÎÚÔÜÉØÙúÎÊÉÊ×ÎË ÉÎ üÚÉÔÎÏÊ ÜÚËØÊ éÎÉÜÑüÊÊÎÚÔÜÉØÙúÎÊÉÊêÉÈÙÔØÊíÑÜÏÊ éÎÉÜÑüÊÊÎÚÔÜÉØÙúÎÊÉÊùØÇØÑÎÍÐØÏÉÎ×ëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏÜÑÜÏÙðÜÔÏÉØÏÜÏÚØ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ éÎÉÜÑüÊÊÎÚÔÜÉØÙúÎÊÉÊíÜËÒùØÇØÑÎÍÐØÏÉÜÏÙôÐÍËÎÇØÐØÏÉ ÜÚËØÊ éÎÉÜÑñÜÏÙüÚÌÈÔÊÔÉÔÎÏ Summary of Associated Costs for 2015 to 2020 Actions êÈÛÉÎÉÜÑëØÚÎÐÐØÏÙØÙêÉÈÙÔØÊ plan for the development of this park. ðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏðÈÙÙÄúËØØÒúÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄÍÜËÒ ÄØÜËÊ $25,000CIP$25,000Create a master êÉÈÙÔØÊíÑÜÏÊ ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ ÄØÜËÊ êÈÛÉÎÉÜÑùØÇØÑÎÍÐØÏÉÎ×ëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏÜÑÜÏÙðÜÔÏÉØÏÜÏÚØ per year for 5 years = 10%. Calculated at 2-4% per year of development cost; rounded to 2% ðÜÔÏÉØÏÜÏÚØÛÈÙÖØÉ×ÎËÍÜËÒÊÜÏÙËØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏ×ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ ÄØÜËÊ $600,000General Fund$600,000- êÈÛÉÎÉÜÑ ÄØÜËÊ maintenance facility. íÜËÒðÜÔÏÉØÏÜÏÚØ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÄ ÄØÜËÊ $1,000,000CIP$1,000,000- Renovate the parks operation and and Forrest Ross Road. pedestrians. Make improvements to Skyview Drive / Co Rd 384 implement a wayfinding signage system to direct vehicles and Planning DepartmentsCounty Grant FundsAccess Program (described above under Policy Actions), ñÜÒØüÚÚØÊÊøÏÕÜÏÚØÐØÏÉÊ ÄØÜËÊ Engineering & TPWD Outdoor Grant, Private Donations, Collin $1,000,000CIP$5,000,000- Upon implementation of the Lake and improvement. Restrooms etc. are accounted for in the above park development êÈÍÍÎËÉ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊîÏÖÎÔÏÖ TPWD Outdoor Grant, Private Donations - Playgrounds, Pavilions, Picnic Facilities, Park WISD assistanceimprovement of community parks. êÍÎËÉ÷ÔØÑÙÊîÏÖÎÔÏÖ TPWD Outdoor Grant, Private Donations, explore - Accounted for in the development and ùØÇØÑÎÍÐØÏÉÎ×ëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏÜÑÜÏÙðÜÔÏÉØÏÜÏÚØ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ êÈÛÉÎÉÜÑíÜËÒùØÇØÑÎÍÐØÏÉÜÏÙôÐÍËÎÇØÐØÏÉ ÄØÜËÊ per year for 5 years = 10%. Calculated at 2-4% per year of development cost; rounded to 2% ðÜÔÏÉØÏÜÏÚØÛÈÙÖØÉ×ÎËÍÜËÒÊÜÏÙËØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏ×ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ ÄØÜËÊ $2,095,000General Fund$2,095,000- êÈÛÉÎÉÜÑ ÄØÜËÊ $50,000 per year for all parks. úÔÉÄÆÔÙØéËØØíÑÜÏÉÔÏÖ ÄØÜËÊ Private Donations, TPWD grant$250,000Tree Mitigation Fund$250,000 - Implement a focused tree planting program at éËÜÔÑÊ natural surface trails at $100,000 per mile. õÔÒØÜÏÙûÔÒØõÔÒØÜÏÙûÔÒØéËÜÔÑÊ ÄØÜËÊ TPWD Outdoor Grant$800,000CIP, Grant Funding$800,000Develop 8 miles of (Natural Surface) éËÜÔÑÊ Enhancements Grant$800,000 per mile. õÔÒØÜÏÙûÔÒØõÔÒØÜÏÙûÔÒØéËÜÔÑÊ ÄØÜËÊ TPWD Outdoor Grant, TxDOT Transportation $6,400,000CIP, Grant Funding$6,400,000Develop 8 miles of paved trails at (Paved) may function as a Community Park for Wylie. expanding amenities, and improving visibility of the park so that it íÜËÒ of Engineers to improve East Fork Park by enhancing access, úÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄøÜÊÉ÷ÎËÒíÜËÒôÐÍËÎÇØÐØÏÉÊ ÄØÜËÊ TPWD Outdoor Grant$500,000CIP$500,000 Partner with the US Army Corps below). include restrooms, concessions, lights, and sport fields (see Proposed Community Parks map on page 6-13). This park should and north of FM544 (see Option A and Option B on the Existing & íÜËÒ County Grant Fundscommunity park located adjacent to the Muddy Creek Floodplain úÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄðÈÙÙÄúËØØÒúÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄíÜËÒüÉÕÑØÉÔÚúÎÐÍÑØÅ ÄØÜËÊ TPWD Outdoor Grant, Private Donations, Collin $6,000,000CIP, Grant Funding$6,000,000- Develop 1 íÜËÒ County Grant Fundsper Chapter 3 (two parks @ $250,000 per park). ïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙíÜËÒôÐÍËÎÇØÐØÏÉ ÄØÜËÊ TPWD Outdoor Grant, Private Donations, Collin $500,000CIP$500,000 - See recommendations as neighborhood park amenities in this currently under-served area. to Smith Elementary School on WISD land in order to provide íÜËÒ with Wylie ISD to develop neighborhood park amenities adjacent ïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙíÜËÒüÐØÏÔÉÔØÊÜÉêÐÔÉÕøÑØÐØÏÉÜËÄ ÄØÜËÊ TPWD Outdoor Grant, Private Donations$500,000CIP, WISD Assistance$500,000 - Partner Park). Creek Hollow Ph. 2 Park, and Bozman Farm Estates Ph. 1B park amenities in currently under-served areas (Parkside Park, $750,000 to $1,250,000 per park in order to provide neighborhood íÜËÒ FeeDevelop neighborhood park amenities in 3 existing parks at ïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙíÜËÒüÐØÏÔÉÔØÊÔÏéÕËØØøÅÔÊÉÔÏÖíÜËÒÊ ÄØÜËÊ Grant Funding$3,000,000CIP, Park Improvement $3,000,000 - Dedication as development occurs. that has yet to have been dedicated to the City through Parkland íÜËÒ Fee3 neighborhood parks at $750,000 to $1,250,000 per park on land ïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙéÕËØØïØÆïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙíÜËÒÊÎÏùØÙÔÚÜÉØÙñÜÏÙ ÄØÜËÊ Grant Funding$3,000,000CIP, Park Improvement $3,000,000 - Develop íÜËÒùØÇØÑÎÍÐØÏÉÜÏÙôÐÍËÎÇØÐØÏÉ ÜÚËØÊ êÈÛÉÎÉÜÑñÜÏÙüÚÌÈÔÊÔÉÔÎÏ ÄØÜËÊ ÜÊÊÈÐØÙ ÍØËÜÚËØ floodplains County Grant Funds, Land TrustsAcquisition of land within the Muddy Creek and/or Rush Creek îÍØÏêÍÜÚØîÍØÏêÍÜÚØüÚÌÈÔÊÔÉÔÎÏÜÏÙíËÎÉØÚÉÔÎÏ÷ÑÎÎÙÍÑÜÔÏ ÄØÜËÊ Planning, Engineering, Park Land Dedication, Private Donations, Collin $0CIP, Grant Funding,$1,700,000acres85 - special purpose use. yet unforeseen íÈËÍÎÊØíÜËÒÉËÜÔÑÖÜÉØÆÜÄÊÉËÜÔÑÕØÜÙÊ County Grant Funds, Land Trusts, and other as , purpose parks including êÍØÚÔÜÑêÍØÚÔÜÑíÈËÍÎÊØíÜËÒÊ ÄØÜËÊ Park Land Dedication, Private Donations, Collin $750,000CIP, Grant Funding$750,000acres10- Acquire about 10 acres for special Community Parks map on page 6-13). of Wylie East High School (see the Existing & Proposed íÜËÒ community park in Park Zone 2 (eastern portion of the City) south úÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄøÜÊÉêÔÙØúÎÐÐÈÏÔÉÄíÜËÒ ÄØÜËÊ Private Donations, Collin County Grant Funds$3,000,000CIP$3,000,000acres40 - Acquire about 40 acres for 1 future Lake Ray Hubbard from the City of Dallas. íÜËÒ neighborhood park near the convergence of Rush Creek and ïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙíÜËÒÊ ÄØÜËÊ Park Land Dedication, WISD assistance$600,000CIP, Grant Funding$600,000acres8- Acquire about 8 acres for 1 future development occurs. íÜËÒ neighborhood parks @ 5 to 10 acres per park ( ~ 8 acres) as ïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙïØÔÖÕÛÎËÕÎÎÙíÜËÒÊ ÄØÜËÊ $0Park Land Dedication $2,250,000acres30- Acquire about 30 acres for 4 future ñÜÏÙüÚÌÈÔÊÔÉÔÎÏ 5 to 10 Year Priority Actions & Associated Costs ùÎÑÑÜËÊ ÔÏÇÎÑÇØÐØÏÉ ôÐÍËÎÇØÐØÏÉñØÇØÑ ôÏÊÉÔÉÈÉÔÎÏ ×ÎËíËØ×ØËËØÙéÄÍØüÚËØÜÖØ ùØÍÜËÉÐØÏÉêÎÈËÚØÊúÎÊÉ÷ÈÏÙÔÏÖ îÉÕØËúÔÉÄüÙÙÔÉÔÎÏÜÑÜÏÙîÉÕØËíÎÉØÏÉÔÜÑ÷ÈÏÙÔÏÖðÜÔÏêÎÈËÚØÎ×øÊÉÔÐÜÉØÙúÎÊÉ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÄüÙÙÔÉÔÎÏÜÑüÚÉÔÎÏíËÔÎËÔÉÄ íüëùÜÊÊÈÐØÙ This document is a tool and guideline for planning and grant application purposes only. Projects will be completed when funding is available; all appropriate projects will be presented to City Council and the Park Board for their approval prior to project implementation. úÔÉÄÎ×æÄÑÔØíÜËÒëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏÜÏÙéËÜÔÑÊðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ üÚÉÔÎÏíÑÜÏäØÜËÊ éÜÛÑØ íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ Action Plan Summary Below is a summary of the costs of the high priority action items. This table reflects the total costs associated with the high priority action items shown on the Action Plan but should not be seen as an indication of committed funding. éÜÛÑØ êÈÐÐÜËÄÎ×úÎÊÉÊoõÔÖÕíËÔÎËÔÉÄüÚÉÔÎÏôÉØÐÊ ÛÜÊØÙÎÏÜÊÊÈÐØÙÏØØÙÊ×ÎË ÉÎ øÊÉÔÐÜÉØÙúÎÊÉ úÔÉÄüÊÊÈÐØÙúÎÊÉ ùÎÑÑÜËÊ ) Total Land Acquisition/Reallocation ÜÚËØÊ Park Development and Improvement Development of Recreational and Maintenance Facilities Studies & Plans éÎÉÜÑüÊÊÎÚÔÜÉØÙúÎÊÉÊ×ÎËõÔÖÕ íËÔÎËÔÉÄüÚÉÔÎÏÊ * High Priority Actions are based on target levels of service for the City and forecasted population growth between 2010 and 2015. **Estimated Cost reflects the total value of improvements and land acquisition (this column includes the value of land to be dedicated to the City through development). City-Assumed Cost reflects total expenditures for which the City of Wylie would be responsible (this column does not include the value of dedicated parkland because it will not require any City expenditure). The action items described in the Action Plan are divided into five categories – policy actions, land acquisition, park development and improvement, development of recreational and maintenance facilities, and studies and plans. Each of these categories is discussed in more detail below. íÎÑÔÚÄüÚÉÔÎÏÊ Several policy actions are included in the Action Plan. While these actions were described in Chapter 6 – Recommendations, they have been included here as well so that the Action Plan can serve as a comprehensive set of necessary steps to take to realize the vision of this Master Plan. These policy actions do not present a cost to the City and generally influence the way in which development occurs in Wylie. ñÜÏÙüÚÌÈÔÊÔÉÔÎÏ Acquiring land is often the essential first step in making improvements to the parks, recreation, and open space system. The needs assessment performed in Chapter 5 demonstrates the need to acquire additional park land in order to meet the target level of service (20 acres per 1,000 residents) and provide a well-distributed park system. As land is finite and as its costs are continually increasing, the Action Plan’s land acquisition recommendations are based on build- out conditions to ensure that there is enough park land to house future recreation facilities. o úÕÜÍÉØËoôÐÍÑØÐØÏÉÜÉÔÎÏ Land for Future Neighborhood Parks In order to meet the target level of service for neighborhood parks and to ensure that these types of parks are present across Wylie, thirteen new neighborhood parks will eventually need to be developed. The land for most of these parks will be dedicated to the City through the development process, but additional park land will need to be acquired by other means. The Action Plan includes recommendations for providing new neighborhood park sites by four types of action: Purchase Land (2 park sites) Dedication of Land by Development (7 park sites) Utilize Land Already Owned by the City (3 park sites) Partner with Wylie ISD Through Joint-Use Agreement (1 park site) Land for Future Community Parks In order to meet the target level of service for community parks and to ensure that these types of parks are present across Wylie, four new community parks will eventually need to be developed. Unlike with neighborhood parks, the land for community parks will likely not be dedicated to the City through the development process. Rather, park land will need to be acquired by other means. The Action Plan includes recommendations for providing new neighborhood park sites by three types of action: Purchase Land (2 park sites) Utilize Land Already Owned by the City (1 park site) Partner with the US Army Corps of Engineers to Utilize East Fork Park as a Community Park (1 park site) Other Land Acquisition In addition to acquiring land for neighborhood and community parks, there is a need to acquire land for open space protection, trails, trailheads, and future facilities. The most significant land acquisition actions in the Action Plan (other than that for neighborhood and community parks) is the need to acquire land for open space protection and preservation. This land (in conjunction with the development of trails) would provide access for Wylie’s citizens to the beautiful natural areas within the community. Proposed Acquisition versus Standards-Based Need The table on the following page compares the Action Plan’s acreage acquisition levels to the acreage needs identified in Chapter 5 – Needs Assessment. At first glance, the amount of land acquisition as shown in the Action Plan might appear to exceed the amount that the standards- based needs assessment (pages 5-2 to 5-9) identifies as needed. Indeed, the Action Plan recommends acquiring more land for neighborhood parks and other park land than was found to be necessary in the standards-based needs assessment. However, there are two key concepts which must be understood when considering the Action Plan: 1. It is important to recall that, as discussed in Chapter 5 (specifically on pages 5-3, 5-7, and 5-8), acreage-based needs should not be the only factor in determining how much land the City should acquire over the next five to ten years. Rather, it is important for the acquire an adequate amount of land in all sectors of the City City to to provide space so that all residents enjoy the same level of service for parks and facilities . o íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ Specifically, while the acreage-based portion of the Needs Assessment only shows a need for 18 acres of neighborhood park land in the future, examining park service area identifies the need for an additional 10 to 12 new neighborhood park sites by build-out (see page 5-7). 2. Not all of the acreage “acquisition” as shown in the Action Plan would need to be purchased or dedicated. Rather, 212 of the acres shown on the Action Plan are currently owned by either the City or by the US Army Corps of Engineers. So while the total acreage acquisition shown on the Action Plan is significantly greater than what was a significant portion of the acreage identified in the standards-based needs assessment, shown on the Action Plan refers to acreage that can be “repurposed” rather than purchased or dedicated for community park purposes. éÜÛÑØ ñÜÏÙüÚÌÈÔÊÔÉÔÎÏëØÚÎÐÐØÏÙÜÉÔÎÏúÎÐÍÜËØÙÉÎüÚËØÜÖØïØØÙ üÍÍËÎÅÔÐÜÉØüÚËØÜÖØêÉÜÏÙÜËÙÊûÜÊØÙüÚËØÜÖØÏØØÙ íÜËÒéÄÍØ üÚÌÈÔÊÔÉÔÎÏÜÊÍØËüÚÉÔÎÏíÑÜÏÜÉÛÈÔÑÙÎÈÉÍÎÍÈÑÜÉÔÎÏ Acquisition Reallocation* Total Neighborhood 710713 Parks 60212272211 Community Parks êÈÛéÎÉÜÑ 1950195176 Other Park Land** éîéüñ *Indicates land already owned by the City or USACE which can be reallocated as community park land. ** Including Special Purpose Parks, Linear Parks, Open Space Preserves/Nature Areas, Hike & Bike/Equestrian Trails, and Recreation and Other Park Facilities. íÜËÒùØÇØÑÎÍÐØÏÉôÐÍËÎÇØÐØÏÉ In addition to the need to acquire land for future parks, it is also important for Wylie to develop new parks and renovate existing parks within the next five to ten years. In total, it is recommended that the City develop thirteen new parks in the near future as follows: New Parks within the Next Five Years (Five Parks Total) Four New Neighborhood Parks One new Open Space/Community Park (The Municipal Complex Property) New Parks within the Next Six to Ten Years (Eight Parks Total) Three New Neighborhood Parks Develop Neighborhood Park Amenities at Four Existing Parks One new Community Park Also included in this category are recommendations for developing a total of 32 miles of trails in Wylie (16 miles per five year period, half of these miles should be paved and half should be natural surface). This recommendation is based on the facility level of service figures shown on o úÕÜÍÉØËoôÐÍÑØÐØÏÉÜÉÔÎÏ Table 5.3 and discussed on page 5-14. It is also recommended that within the next five to ten years the City begin improving two of its older existing neighborhood parks each year. ùØÇØÑÎÍÐØÏÉÎ×ëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏÜÑÜÏÙðÜÔÏÉØÏÜÏÚØ÷ÜÚÔÑÔÉÔØÊ The majority of these types of facilities should be constructed along with park development; however, some recreational facilities will likely be constructed independently of other park development projects. Specific to this category, the Action Plan includes the following items as being priorities for development within the next five to ten years: Disc Golf Course, Lake Access Enhancements (including street improvements), and renovations to the Park Maintenance Facility. Addition recreation facilities have been identified as priorities, but on a longer time- frame. These include an Indoor/Outdoor Aquatic Center and a Senior Center. êÉÈÙÔØÊíÑÜÏÊ Finally, this Action Plan includes items pertaining to future studies and plans that will assist the City in implementing the actions included in this Master Plan. Recommended studies include a Floodplain Protection Plan, an Environmental Resource Inventory, and individual park master plans for Oncor / Lavon Park and two future community parks being referred to in the Action Plan as “Muddy Creek Community Park” and “East Side Community Park.” ÷ôê èïùôïöðíñøðøïéüéôîïéëüéøöôøê Between 2004 and 2009, the City of Wylie’s capital expenditures for parks, recreation, and open space totaled $8,638,823 with an average annual expenditure of $1.73 million. The total funding levels for the next five to ten years shown in the Action Plan significantly exceed this average annual expenditure ($55.5 million total; $5.5 million per year). As discussed earlier in this chapter, it is not assumed that the City will be capable of spending $55.5 million on parks, recreation, and open space within the next ten years. Rather, the Action Plan is presented as a menu of options (all of which are important) for the City to choose from. The City Council, Parks & Recreation Board, Parks & Recreation 4B Board, and City Staff should use this as a guide for decision making and should focus on investing in parks and facilities that provide the greatest value for the community. Therefore it is important for the City to strategically implement this Master Plan utilizing multiple funding sources – both real and potential – to achieve as much of the Action Plan as possible. The following describes some of the potential funding strategies to be used by the City of Wylie. City-Generated Funding Sources The most likely funding source for the majority of the items shown on the Action Plan is the City’s capital improvement program, which draws upon municipal bonds, the General Fund, property taxes, sales taxes, and the 4B sales tax among other things. The level of funding available through tax sources is constant, generally changing only as commerce increases, property values increase, or tax rates increase. In other words, the level of funding made available through taxes alone is probably insufficient to implement the Action Plan. Because of these limitations, the City should look beyond taxes for funding options in order to effectively implement the Action Plan. Two such sources for funding which should be explored by the City are municipal bonds and developer fees. o íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ ðÈÏÔÚÔÍÜÑûÎÏÙÊ One way to significantly augment the amount of funding available for parks, recreation, and open space through the capital improvement program is to perform debt financing through the issuance of municipal bonds. Debt financing through municipal bonds is a strategy wherein a city issues a bond, receives an immediate cash payment to finance projects, and must repay the bond with interest over a set period of time ranging from a few years to several decades. The interest rates for municipal bonds are significantly lower than rates for corporate bonds or consumer loans (such as home mortgages). There are two main types of municipal bonds, described as follows: General Obligation Bonds – This is the standard type of municipal bond and is repaid through property taxes. This is the most common form of bond for parks and open space purposes (as well as other infrastructure uses such as streets and storm sewers). Revenue Bonds – This type of bond is repaid through revenues generated by a facility, such as the user fees generated by a water utility. This type of bond may be appropriate for funding recreation centers, aquatics centers, and senior centers if the user fees for these centers are substantial enough to service the bond’s debt. Given the costs associated with implementing the Action Plan, it is likely that the City of Wylie will need to issue municipal bonds within the next five to ten year period, depending on whether other funding sources become available. ùØÇØÑÎÍØË÷ØØÊ Many of the needed improvements included in the Action Plan are a result of Wylie’s continued growth and the need to accommodate the needs of new residents. While the City currently requires that park land be dedicated to the City when new development occurs (the amount of which varies based on the size of the development), there is currently no requirement for development to assist financially in the construction of these parks. Implementing a Park Improvement Fee requirement as described in Chapter 6 – Recommendations would assist the City in funding neighborhood park development and require “development to pay for development” (see pages 6-6 to 6-7). Grant Opportunities Grants offer the opportunity to greatly enhance Wylie’s parks, recreation, and open space system. While the majority of items on the Action Plan will be funded through traditional means, grant funding can be utilized to help offset the cost of certain projects and reduce the strain on the City’s budget. However, because of current economic conditions, grants are becoming increasingly competitive and in many instances are decreasing in scale. For these reasons, it is important for the City to make a concerted effort to apply for grants as competitively as possible. A variety of grant sources exist, but five major sources account for most of the major potential sources of grants for parks in Wylie: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Collin County Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) Department of the Interior through the Urban Parks and Recreation Recovery (UPARR) program. o úÕÜÍÉØËoôÐÍÑØÐØÏÉÜÉÔÎÏ The following is an overview of major grant programs from these sources. éØÅÜÊíÜËÒÊæÔÑÙÑÔ×ØùØÍÜËÉÐØÏÉ Outdoor Recreation Grants (TPWD) This program provides 50% matching grant funds to municipalities and other local units of government with a population less than 500,000 to acquire and develop parkland or to renovate existing public recreation areas as identified and described per a TPWD- approved Parks Master Plan. There are two funding cycles per year with a maximum $500,000 award of . Eligible sponsors include cities, counties, municipal utility districts, river authorities, and other special districts. Projects must be completed within three years of approval. Application deadlines are January 31st and July 31st each year (the Parks Master Plan submission deadline for TPWD approval is 60 days prior to application deadline). Award notifications occur six months after deadlines. Indoor Recreation (Facility) Grants (TPWD) This program provides 50% matching grant funds to municipalities and other local units of government with a population less than 500,000 to construct recreation centers, community centers, nature centers and other facilities (buildings) as identified and described per a TPWD-approved Parks Master Plan. The grant maximum is $750,000 per application. The application deadline is July 31steach year (the Parks Master Plan submission deadline for TPWD approval is 60 days prior to application deadline). Award notifications occur the following January. Community Outdoor Outreach Program (CO-OP) Grants (TPWD) The CO-OP grant helps to introduce under-served populations to the services, programs, and sites of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. This is not a land acquisition or construction grant; this is only for programs. Grants are awarded to non-profit organizations, schools, municipalities, counties, cities, and other tax-exempt groups. Minimum grant requests are $5,000 and maximum grant requests are $50,000. The application deadline is February 1st and October 1st with awards on April 15th and December 15th. The purpose of the Community Outdoor Outreach Program (CO-OP) is to expose participants to environmental and conservation programs as well as outdoor recreation activities. Recreational Trail Grants (TPWD) TPWD administers the National Recreational Trails Fund in Texas under the approval of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This federally funded program receives its funding from a portion of federal gas taxes paid on fuel used in non-highway recreational vehicles. The grants can be up to 80% of project costs with a maximum of $200,000 for non-motorized trail grants. Currently there is not a maximum amount for 1 motorized trail grants. Funds can be spent on both motorized and non-motorized recreational trail projects such as the construction of new recreational trails, to improve existing trails, to develop trailheads or trailside facilities, and to acquire trail corridors. Application deadline is May 1st each year. 1 The contact number for motorized trail grant funding availability is 512-389-8224 o íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Grants (TPWD) TPWD administers the Texas apportionments of LWCF through the Texas Recreation and Parks Account. If an entity is applying for an Indoor Grant, Outdoor Grant, or Small Community Grant, TPWD may consider the application for LWCF funding. No separate application is required. Regional Park Grants Administered by TPWD This grant program was created to assist local governments with the acquisition and development of multi-jurisdictional public recreation areas in the metropolitan areas of the State. It allows cities, counties, water districts, and other units of local government to acquire and develop parkland. The program provides 50% matching fund, reimbursement grants to eligible local governments for both active recreation and conservation opportunities. Grants are awarded yearly by Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission when funds are available. There is no ceiling on matching amounts but grant awards are dependent on the number of applicants and the availability of funds. Past recipients for This program is the Regional Park Grant have ranged from $750,000 to $1,200,000. currently inactive but may be reinstated in the future. In past years, the deadline was January 31st each year. úÎÑÑÔÏúÎÈÏÉÄ Project Funding Assistance Program In November 2007, the citizens of Collin County approved a $17 million bond proposition for Parks and Open Space. Between 2009 and 2015 Collin County will make these funds accessible to cities and non-profit organizations within the County. These funds will be obtainable through an application process to assist with the acquisition of park land, trail construction and park/open space improvements. The Collin County Parks Foundation Advisory Board administers the Project Funding Assistance Program. This is a reimbursement program. Applicants must have at minimum dollar for dollar in matching funds, comprised of direct cash or in-kind services, for the project being proposed. Proposed project goals must be similar to and support or advance the mission published in the Collin County Parks and Open Space Strategic Plan (October 2001). The executive summary of this plan is made available on the Collin County website or you may request a complete copy by emailing openspace@collincountytexas.gov. In 2009, the application submission deadline was July 7. General questions can be addressed by phoning (972) 548-3744. éØÅÜÊùØÍÜËÉÐØÏÉÎ×éËÜÏÊÍÎËÉÜÉÔÎÏ Statewide Transportation Enhancement Program (TxDOT) Through the Statewide Transportation Enhancement Program (STEP), the Texas Department of Transportation periodically makes funds available for construction of bicycle routes, trails, pedestrian safety enhancements, and landscaping of transportation facilities. To date, there have been seven program calls (1993, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2005-cancelled, and 2009) totaling in $533.4 million worth of grant dollars. Grant o úÕÜÍÉØËoôÐÍÑØÐØÏÉÜÉÔÎÏ selection and administration goes through NCTCOG, which reviews the projects within the Metropolitan Planning Area for eligibility, ranks the projects, and provides the state- required Letter of Transportation Improvement Program Placement. The Program provides monetary support for transportation activities designed to strengthen the cultural, aesthetic, and environmental aspects of the transportation system. Funding is on a cost reimbursement basis, and projects selected are eligible for reimbursement of up to 80% of allowable cost. The grant application window for the 2009 program call is now closed. However, there will likely be additional grant calls within the next five years. This is one of the most important grants for trail projects. Additional information can be found at: http://www.txdot.gov/business/governments/ te.htm ïÎËÉÕúØÏÉËÜÑéØÅÜÊúÎÈÏÚÔÑÎ×öÎÇØËÏÐØÏÉÊ Sustainable Development Funding Program (NCTCOG) The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) Sustainable Development Funding Program was created by its policy body, the Regional Transportation Council, to encourage public/private partnerships that positively address existing transportation system capacity, rail access, air quality concerns, and/or mixed land uses. By allocating transportation funds to land use projects promoting alternative transportation modes or reduced automobile use, NCTCOG and its regional partners are working to address mounting air quality, congestion, and quality of life issues. The program is designed to foster growth and development in and around historic downtowns and “Main Streets,” infill areas, and passenger rail lines and stations. To support this effort, the Regional Transportation Council designated $41 million in 2009 for sustainable infrastructure and planning projects throughout the region. Types of projects include: Infrastructure: o An infrastructure project is a construction project that provides public infrastructure in the public right-of-way and can be used to support private vertical development. Examples include pedestrian amenities, landscaping, intersection improvements, lighting, street construction, traffic signalization, etc. Planning: o Planning projects include market, housing, and economic analyses, transit station planning, Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Planning, general planning (subdivision regulations, creation of new code/zoning regulations, master planning, updates to pedestrian and/or bicycle plans, etc.), and others. Regional Transportation Council Partnership Program (NCTCOG) Through the Local Air Quality Program, NCTCOG's Regional Transportation Council will fund transportation projects that address the new air quality standard, including traffic signal timing, trip reduction, air quality outreach and marketing programs, vanpool programs, bicycle/pedestrian regional connections, high-emitting-vehicle programs, o íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ diesel freight programs, off-road construction vehicle emissions reduction programs, park-and-ride facilities, and other air quality strategies. ùØÍÜËÉÐØÏÉÎ×ÉÕØôÏÉØËÔÎËèËÛÜÏíÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏëØÚÎÇØËÄíËÎÖËÜÐ èíüëë National Park Service (NPS) Programs include the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Act (UPARR), which provide funds for parks and recreation. Congress appropriates both funds. Typically, the funding sources have supported traditional parks rather than linear systems. Funding for the State of Texas exceeded $1.2 million in 2008. Alternative Funding Sources In addition to the funding sources described above, there are other, alternative funding sources and implementation strategies which might be available or become available to the City in the future. Tree Mitigation Funds The source of such a fund results when a City levies fines against developers for removing quality trees for development. The revenue generated is used to plant trees and to irrigate City properties enhancing the community. Purchase of Development Rights Purchase of development rights (PDR) is a program for rural landscape preservation whereby a municipality, county, or other entity can pay landowners (typically farmers and ranchers) to limit development on their land. Through this program, farmers and ranchers are paid an amount relative to the development potential of their land, required to maintain their land generally as-is (greatly limiting any future development), maintain ownership of the land and residence, and rural land is thereby conserved. This type of program typically can offer a financially competitive alternative to selling land for development. Transfer of Development Rights Taking the PDR model a step further, transfer of development rights (TDR) programs conserve rural landscapes through “trading” density between sending areas and receiving areas. Areas to be protected (significant cultural, rural, or natural landscapes) are designated as sending areas while areas where denser development is desirable are designated as receiving areas.In this model, landowners in sending areas are allowed to sell their right to develop their land to developers in receiving areas. Land Trusts Land trusts provide a valuable service to municipalities across the country in helping to acquire natural areas, open space, and other land for public use. Typically, land trusts not only assist in funding land acquisition but also assist in managing the transaction and financing. Often, each land trust will have a specific set of requirements for the types of land they are willing to help acquire and/or how that land will be used. Contact the Texas Land Trust Council for more information (http://www.texaslandtrustcouncil.org). Here are some of the land trusts operating in Collin County: o úÕÜÍÉØËoôÐÍÑØÐØÏÉÜÉÔÎÏ éÜÛÑØ ñÜÏÙéËÈÊÉÊîÍØËÜÉÔÏÖÔÏúÎÑÑÔÏúÎÈÏÉÄ ïÜÐØíÕÎÏØæØÛêÔÉØ üÐØËÔÚÜÏ÷ÜËÐÑÜÏÙéËÈÊÉ (413) 586-4593 http://www.farmland.org/ üËÚÕÜØÎÑÎÖÔÚÜÑúÎÏÊØËÇÜÏÚÄ (505) 266-1540 http://www.americanarchaeology.org/ úÎÏÏØÐÜËÜúÎÏÊØËÇÜÏÚÄ (214) 351-0990 http://www.connemaraconservancy.org/ úÎÏÊØËÇÜÉÔÎÏ÷ÈÏÙ (512) 477-1712 http://www.conservationfund.org/ ùÈÚÒÊèÏÑÔÐÔÉØÙôÏÚ (832) 595-0663 http://www.ducks.org/ ïÜÉÔÇØíËÜÔËÔØÊüÊÊÎÚÔÜÉÔÎÏÎ× (512) 772-4741 http://www.texasprairie.org/ éØÅÜÊ ïÜÉÔÎÏÜÑæÔÑÙéÈËÒØÄ÷ØÙØËÜÉÔÎÏ (803) 637-3106 http://www.nwtf.org/ ìÈÜÔÑèÏÑÔÐÔÉØÙ (800) 450-1602 éØÅÜÊüÖËÔÚÈÑÉÈËÜÑñÜÏÙéËÈÊÉ (210) 828-7484 http://www.txaglandtrust.org éØÅÜÊúÜÇØðÜÏÜÖØÐØÏÉ (210) 699-1388 http://www.tcmacaves.org/ üÊÊÎÚÔÜÉÔÎÏ éØÅÜÊñÜÏÙúÎÏÊØËÇÜÏÚÄ (512) 301-6363 http://www.texaslandconservancy.org éØÅÜÊíÜËÒÊÜÏÙëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏ (972) 744-4595 http://www.tprfoundation.org/ ÷ÎÈÏÙÜÉÔÎÏ éØÅÜÊíÜËÒÊÜÏÙæÔÑÙÑÔ×Ø (214) 720-1478 http://www.tpwf.org/ ÷ÎÈÏÙÜÉÔÎÏ éÕØïÜÉÈËØúÎÏÊØËÇÜÏÚÄ (210) 224-8774 http://www.nature.org/texas/ éÕØéËÈÊÉ×ÎËíÈÛÑÔÚñÜÏÙ (512) 478-4644 http://www.tpl.org/ æØÉÑÜÏÙõÜÛÔÉÜÉüÑÑÔÜÏÚØÎ×éØÅÜÊ (936) 569-9428 http://www.whatduck.org/ æÔÑÙÑÔ×ØñÜÏÙéËÈÊÉõÈÐÜÏØ (301) 548-7735 http://www.hsus.org/ êÎÚÔØÉÄ Source: Modified from Texas Land Trust Council’s Prairies and Lakes Region Land Trust Database Electric Utility Partnerships This type of partnership can be established for the purpose of providing trails along utility easements. This partnership typically does not involve monetary contributions. However it does, though use agreements and/or easements, make land for trail corridors accessible at little or no cost to the City. Utility Bill Contributions In many cities, residents are allowed to electively add a small amount to their utility collection bills to fund park improvements. Abilene has used a $1.00 a month contribution in its water utility bills to raise over $470,000 since 1987 and has used that funding to replace playgrounds throughout the community. o íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ íè ñüïíùüéøê This Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan is a guide to be used by the City to develop and expand the existing parks, recreation and open space system for future needs over the next five to ten years and beyond. Since trends and needs change over time, it is important that this Master Plan is seen as a living document and is updated regularly based on these changing trends and needs. Potential factors that might bring about the need to revise this Master Plan include: The population may increase more or less rapidly than projected; The needs, wants, and priorities of the community may change; and The implementation of certain action items may stimulate and inspire other needs. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department stipulates the following for park master plans: “The park, recreation, and open space master plans must cover at least a ten year period after which a completely new plan is required. Plans must be updated every two years to remain eligible. As a minimum, updates should include a summary of accomplishments, new public input, most recent inventory data, and updated needs, priorities, and new implementation plan. Demographics, population projections, goals and objectives, standards, and maps should also be updated if appropriate. Priorities should be updated as high priority items are accomplished and lower priorities move up. A new resolution is not required when updating priorities; however if priorities are revised or change, a new resolution adopting the new priorities, is required.” A review and update of this Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan by City Staff should be conducted every two years (as required by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department) or when significant changes occur. These updates can be published in short report format and attached to this Master Plan for easy use. Four key areas for focus of these periodic reviews are as follows: Facility Inventory - An inventory of new facilities should be recorded as well as any significant improvements of facilities provided by Wylie Independent School District whenever such facilities may become available for public use. Facility Use - Facility use is a key factor in determining the need for renovation of additional facilities. Updates on league participation of sports facilities should be prepared each season with data from each association. Changes in participation of those outside the City limits as well as the citizens of Wylie should be recorded. Public Involvement - As mentioned previously, this Master Plan reflects the current population and attitudes as expressed by the citizens of Wylie. However, over time, those attitudes and interests may change as the City changes. Periodic surveys are recommended to provide a current account of the attitudes of the citizens and additional direction from the public on issues that may arise. Action Plan - As items from the action plan are implemented, updates should be made to this prioritized list to provide a current plan of action for City Staff. Maintaining a regularly updated Master Plan will ensure that the needs of Wylie’s citizens continue to be met and that the vision set forth in Chapter 1 of building fingers of green, embracing the lakes, and providing diversity, choice, and enhancing Wylie’s image can be achieved. o Appendix A – Citizen Attitude Survey Cumulative Results Appendix A Citizen Attitude Survey Cumulative Results The following pages provide a summary of the results of the Citizen Attitude survey which was administered by telephone to 200 randomly selected households in Wylie. The fieldwork for this survey was conducted from January 5, 2009 to January 10, 2009. In order to achieve 200 full survey responses, a total of 6,118 households were contacted. The average time to take the survey was fifteen minutes. A – 1 2010 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan CITY OF WYLIE 2009 PARKS & RECREATION SURVEY CUMULATIVE RESULTS PROJECT 11012008 RAYMOND TURCO & ASSOCIATES JANUARY 2009 ÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ ïãîûï÷óéÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝÝûîøóïåóèôêûãïûêê÷é÷ûêùôå÷ûê÷îíèûøóê÷ùè ïûêñ÷èóîõöóêïûîøèôóéóéîíèûéûð÷éùûððå÷ûê÷ûìçúðóùíìóîóíî ê÷é÷ûêùôöóêïùíîøçùèóîõûéçêæ÷ãûúíçèóééç÷éóîãíçêùíïïçîóèãåíçðøóè ú÷ûððêóõôèóöóèííñûö÷åïóîçè÷éíöãíçêèóï÷èíûéñãíçûö÷å ëç÷éèóíîéý AREA AREA I . . . . . . . . 36% AREA II . . . . . . . 40% AREA III . . . . . . . 25% øûè÷ÝÝÝÝÝÝéô÷÷èîíÝÝÝÝÝÝÝ SEX MALE . . . . . . . . . 52% FEMALE . . . . . . . . 48% __________________________________________________________________________ 1. FIRST, HOW SATISFIED OR DISSATISFIED ARE YOU WITH THE QUALITY OF PARKS AND RECREATION IN YOUR CITY? VERY SATISFIED . . . 15% SATISFIED . . . . . 56% DISSATISFIED . . . . 21% VERY DISSATISFIED . . 5% NO OPINION . . . . . . 4% 2. AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN YOUR CITY? UNDER 1 YEAR . . . . . 4% 1 - 3 YEARS . . . . 18% 4 - 7 YEARS . . . . 42% 8 - 10 YEARS . . . . 12% OVER 10 YEARS . . . 26% REFUSE TO ANSWER . . . 0% 3. DURING THE TIME YOU HAVE LIVED HERE, DO YOU FEEL THAT THE QUALITY OF PARKS AND RECREATION IN YOUR CITY HAS IMPROVED, STAYED ABOUT THE SAME, OR DECLINED? IMPROVED . . . . . . .55% SAME . . . . . . . . .40% DECLINED . . . . . . 4% REFUSE TO ANSWER . . . 2% A – 2 Appendix A – Citizen Attitude Survey Cumulative Results 4. HOW FREQUENTLY DO YOU OR ANY MEMBER OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD PARTICIPATE IN THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES . . . . A O S N NO A) INDOOR FITNESS/EXERCISE LIKE JAZZERCIZE, 10% 26% 30% 35% 0% YOGA, ETC. B) TEAM SPORTS, LIKE BASEBALL, SOCCER ETC. 16% 28% 17% 40% 0% C) INDIVIDUAL SPORTS LIKE GOLF, TENNIS, 5% 22% 21% 52% 0% BOXING, ETC. D) FINE ARTS LIKE PAINTING, DRAWING ETC. 8% 20% 25% 48% 0% E) PERFORMING ARTS LIKE MUSIC, DRAMA ETC. 8% 20% 36% 37% 0% F) CRAFTS LIKE POTTERY, WEAVING ETC. 2% 15% 21% 63% 0% G) EXCURSIONS, LIKE TOURS, TRIPS ETC. 7% 32% 41% 21% 0% H) OUTDOOR RECREATION LIKE CAMPING, FISHING, 7% 36% 34% 24% 0% BOATING ETC. I) SOCIAL ACTIVITIES LIKE DANCES, COOKING, 7% 42% 29% 22% 1% CARD PLAYING ETC. J) LEISURE AQUATICS 6% 25% 24% 45% 1% K) FITNESS AQUATICS 5% 10% 21% 62% 3% L) EXTREME SPORTS LIKE BMX, SKATEBOARDING, 2% 9% 12% 78% 0% ETC. M) TRAIL ACTIVITIES LIKE WALKING, BICYCLING, 13% 44% 25% 19% 0% JOGGING, ETC. N) FAMILY EVENTS LIKE PICNICS, GET-TOGETHERS11% 52% 28% 10% 0% O) ROCK OR WALL CLIMBING 1% 5% 17% 76% 2% 5. WHAT ONE RECREATIONAL FACILITY WOULD YOU SAY WYLIE IS LACKING? Public-community pool (24%), recreation-community center-fitness-climbing walls (23%), natatorium (10%), aquatic center-water park (10%) 6. WHAT ONE RECREATIONAL FACILITY WOULD YOU SAY YOUR PART OF TOWN IS LACKING? Public-community pool (24%), recreation-community center (24%), parks (12%), multi-use trails (11%) 7. IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS, HAVE YOU OR ANYONE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD . . . . YES NO DON'T REM A) VISITED OR USED A CITY PARK OR PARK FACILITY 88% 12% 1% B) VISITED OR USED A CITY ATHLETIC FIELD 56% 43% 1% C) PARTICIPATED IN A YOUTH ATHLETIC LEAGUE 37% 64% 0% D) PARTICIPATED IN AN ADULT ATHLETIC LEAGUE 8% 92% 0% F) USED A CITY JOGGING OR HIKING TRAIL 54% 47% 0% G) USED A CITY TENNIS COURT 12% 88% 1% H) VISITED A CITY PARK PAVILION 69% 31% 1% I) VISITED A CITY PLAYGROUND 80% 20% 0% J) VISITED A PARK OR FACILITY IN ANOTHER CITY 67% 33% 1% A – 3 2010 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan 8. (IF YES IN 7J) IN GENERAL, WHAT ACTIVITY OR AMENITY DREW YOU TO THAT PARK OR FACILITY? Trails (19%), playground-large equipment (18%), in the area-proximity (9%), water spray park-water park (9%), attended an event-meeting (8%) 9. (IF YES IN 7J) AND IN WHICH CITY WAS THAT PARK OR FACILITY LOCATED? Plano (37%), Richardson (13%), Allen (13%) 10. THE CITY IS CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING ITS MASTER DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR ITS PARK AND RECREATION SYSTEM. WHEN COMPLETED, THE PLAN WOULD MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL FACILITIES AND OTHER SERVICES. HOW IMPORTANT OR UNIMPORTANT DO YOU THINK IT IS TO FOR THE CITY TO PROVIDE OR EXPAND THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES IN WYLIE? VI I U VU NO A-01) ADULT BASEBALL 6% 39% 48% 6% 3% B-02) YOUTH BASEBALL 28% 58% 11% 1% 3% C-03) YOUTH SOFTBALL 23% 61% 14% 2% 2% D-04) UNDER 8 SOCCER 26% 58% 14% 2% 1% E-05) UNDER 12 SOCCER 25% 59% 14% 1% 2% F-06) UNDER 16 SOCCER 23% 58% 17% 1% 2% G-07) ADULT SOCCER 6% 36% 53% 2% 4% H-08) TENNIS 7% 57% 30% 2% 6% I-09) FOOTBALL 15% 56% 26% 3% 2% J-10) INDOOR VOLLEYBALL 10% 61% 28% 1% 1% K-11) SAND VOLLEYBALL 11% 50% 36% 1% 3% L-12) BASKETBALL 14% 72% 12% 1% 2% M-13) DISC GOLF 5% 38% 50% 3% 4% N-14) WALK OR JOG ON TRAILS 36% 58% 6% 1% 0% O-15) ROAD BIKING 15% 55% 23% 5% 3% P-16) MOUNTAIN BIKING ON TRAILS 11% 52% 31% 2% 6% Q-17) EVENT PICNIC/REUNION PAVILIONS 25% 68% 8% 0% 1% R-18) IN-LINE SKATING 6% 48% 42% 2% 3% S-19) PLAYGROUNDS 37% 56% 6% 0% 1% T-20) FAMILY PICNIC 32% 61% 7% 0% 0% U-21) OUTDOOR SWIMMING 27% 59% 13% 0% 2% V-22) OUTDOOR PERFORMANCES 15% 63% 20% 1% 3% W-23) VISITING A DOG PARK 14% 40% 40% 4% 3% X-24) VIEWING NATURAL HABITAT/NATURE AREAS 23% 66% 10% 1% 2% Y-25) SKATEBOARDING 4% 39% 53% 3% 2% Z-26) BMX BICYCLING 5% 38% 51% 3% 4% AA-27) USING A CHILDREN’S WATER SPRAY PARK 33% 50% 16% 1% 2% AB-28) OUTDOOR FESTIVALS 17% 69% 13% 1% 1% AC-29) BIRD WATCHING 5% 33% 58% 3% 2% AD-30) INDOOR SWIMMING/NATATORIUM 32% 53% 14% 0% 1% AE-31) HORSE RIDING 11% 47% 40% 1% 3% 11. FROM THE LIST I JUST READ (01-31), WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY FOR THE CITY TO EXPAND? _____________ Indoor swimming-natatorium (28%), using a children's water spray park (11%) walk or job on trails (9%), outdoor swimming (7%) A – 4 Appendix A – Citizen Attitude Survey Cumulative Results 12. IS THERE ANOTHER PROGRAM OR ACTIVITY NOT IN THE LIST ABOVE THAT YOU THINK WOULD BE MORE IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY TO EXPAND THAN THE ONE YOU JUST CHOSE? IF SO, WHAT IS IT? Indoor fitness center (11%), senior center (11%), fishing(7%), hockey (7%), golf course (7%) 13. PLEASE TELL ME HOW STRONGLY YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS . . . . SA A D SD NO A) THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPT. NEEDS TO 46% 45% 7% 1% 2% EXPAND ITS PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO MEET THE EXISTING NEEDS OF RESIDENTS B) AS WYLIE GROWS, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR 48% 48% 5% 0% 1% THE PARK AND RECREATION LANDS, FACILITIES, PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF NEW RESIDENTS C) THE VALUE OF MY PROPERTY IN WYLIE IS 37% 56% 5% 0% 3% ENHANCED BY QUALITY PARKS AND SERVICES D) QUALITY PARKS AND SERVICES ATTRACT NEW 33% 57% 8% 1% 3% NEW RESIDENTS TO WYLIE E) ANY INCREASE IN PROGRAMMING SHOULD BE 8% 69% 17% 4% 3% FUNDED THROUGH CITY TAXES F) PROGRAMS THAT SERVE A GREATER PUBLIC GOOD 17% 51% 31% 2% 1% (LEARN TO SWIM, ETC) SHOULD BE OFFERED TO ALL RESIDENTS AT NO CHARGE G) PROGRAMS THAT OFFER EXCLUSIVE USE OF 9% 85% 5% 0% 2% FACILITIES SHOULD CHARGE FEES TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT H) THE DECISION TO USE TAX FUNDING OR USER 13% 80% 4% 1% 3% FEES FOR OPERATING FACILITIES, PROGRAMS AND SERVICES SHOULD DEPEND ON THE PUBLIC BENEFIT DERIVED I) THE MONEY I PAY (AS TAXES OR FEES) 5% 56% 31% 6% 4% COMPARED TO THE SERVICES THAT THE CITY PROVIDES IS A GOOD VALUE J) I AM SATISFIED WITH HOW STREETS AND 2% 52% 31% 14% 2% INTERSECTIONS ARE LANDSCAPED IN WYLIE 14. USING A SCALE OF EXCELLENT, GOOD, FAIR OR POOR, AND BASED ON WHATEVER IMPRESSIONS YOU MAY HAVE, HOW WOULD YOU RATE WYLIE IN TERMS OF . . E G F P NO A) THE NUMBER OF PARKS IN THE CITY 11% 38% 36% 14% 3% B) HAVING PARKS CONVENIENTLY LOCATED FOR 12% 33% 34% 19% 4% PEOPLE IN ALL AREAS C) THE OVERALL QUALITY OF CITY PARKS 12% 49% 28% 10% 3% D) THE OVERALL SAFETY OF CITY PARKS 16% 55% 18% 7% 6% E) THE MAINTENANCE OF CITY PARKS 16% 50% 21% 9% 5% F) THE VARIETY OF RECREATIONAL FACILITIES 7% 27% 43% 21% 3% WITHIN PARKS A – 5 2010 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan E G F P NO G) THE NUMBER OF ATHLETIC FIELDS IN THE CITY 10% 33% 24% 20% 14% H) HAVING ATHLETIC FIELDS CONVENIENTLY 8% 32% 29% 20% 12% LOCATED FOR PEOPLE IN ALL AREAS I) THE OVERALL QUALITY OF CITY ATHLETIC FIELDS 12% 43% 24% 12% 11% J) THE MAINTENANCE OF CITY ATHLETIC FIELDS 14% 41% 25% 11% 11% K) THE NUMBER OF PRACTICE FIELDS IN THE CITY 9% 29% 28% 20% 15% L) HAVING PRACTICE FIELDS CONVENIENTLY 7% 28% 32% 20% 15% LOCATED FOR PEOPLE IN ALL AREAS M) THE OVERALL QUALITY OF PRACTICE FIELDS 11% 37% 25% 13% 15% N) THE OVERALL SAFETY OF PRACTICE FIELDS 12% 41% 21% 12% 15% 15. WHAT DO YOU GENERALLY DO WHEN YOU GO TO A CITY PARK? IF YOU DON'T GENERALLY GO TO PARKS, PLEASE TELL ME THAT ALSO. TAKE KIDS TO PLAY . . . . . 77% PARTICIPATE IN ORGANIZED SPORTS . . 37% PICNIC . . . . . . . . . . 59% PARTICIPATE IN NONORGANIZED SPORTS . 42% WALK, HIKE OR JOG . . . . . 73% APPRECIATE THE VIEW . . . . . . . . 70% BIKE . . . . . . . . . . 31% ATTEND SPECIAL EVENT/PROGRAM . . . . 00% WALK PETS . . . . . . . . . 38% DON’T GO TO PARKS . . . . . . . . . . 59% OTHER ____________________________________________________________ . 6% 16. THE CITY IS ESTABLISHING A SERIES OF PRIORITIES TO DIRECT FUTURE PARK DEPARTMENT ACTIONS. PLEASE TELL ME HOW STRONGLY YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS: I THINK WYLIE SHOULD . . . . __________ VI I U VU NO A) PLACE ART IN PARKS AND OTHER PUBLIC SPACES 13% 54% 29% 4% 2% B) RENOVATE AND EXPAND ITS EXISTING PARKS 21% 72% 8% 0% 1% C) INCREASE REGISTRATION OR USER FEES SO THAT 6% 55% 33% 4% 4% THOSE WHO USE FACILITIES FUND A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF ITS OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE D) EXPAND THE CITY’S TRAIL SYSTEM 21% 65% 7% 1% 8% E) ACQUIRE LAND TO PRESERVE ENVIRONMENTALLY 21% 67% 10% 1% 3% SENSITIVE AREAS SUCH AS NATURAL CREEK CORRIDORS F) PROVIDE ACCESS TO LAKES LAVON AND RAY 31% 59% 6% 0% 4% HUBBARD G) DESIGN AND DEVELOP MORE PARKS & FACILITIES 11% 74% 13% 0% 4% THAT FOCUS ON PASSIVE EXPERIENCES/ACTIVITIES H) DEVELOP PARKS AND FACILITIES THAT ARE 15% 68% 10% 1% 7% ARE SPECIFIC TO THE REPUTATION OF THE CITY I) IMPROVE AND ENHANCE MAINTENANCE OF PARK 17% 74% 8% 0% 2% FACILITIES J) ACQUIRE LAND FOR FUTURE PARK AND OPEN SPACE 22% 66% 11% 0% 2% DEVELOPMENT K) HOLD MORE SPECIAL EVENTS 18% 67% 12% 1% 4% L) CHARGE USER FEES FOR PARTICIPANTS 7% 62% 24% 3% 5% OF SPECIAL EVENTS M) BEAUTIFY MEDIANS AND ENTRYWAYS THROUGHOUT 19% 58% 21% 1% 2% THE CITY A – 6 Appendix A – Citizen Attitude Survey Cumulative Results __________ VI I U VU NO N) CONSTRUCT RENTAL PICNIC/REUNION PAVILIONS 11% 74% 14% 0% 2% THROUGHOUT THE CITY O) PROVIDE SPACE FOR CULTURAL/PERFORMING ARTS 13% 72% 13% 0% 2% ACTIVITIES P) PLANT MORE TREES IN THE CITY 20% 61% 16% 1% 4% Q) CONSTRUCT A TENNIS CENTER 5% 51% 37% 1% 7% R) CONSTRUCT AN AQUATIC CENTER 23% 58% 16% 2% 2% S) CONSTRUCT A NATURE CENTER OR BOTANICAL 15% 58% 23% 2% 4% GARDENS T) DEVELOP TRAIL ACCESS AND LOOKOUT POINTS TO 20% 67% 11% 1% 3% WHERE RESIDENTS COULD ENJOY CREEK AREAS 17. TALKING ABOUT TRAILS. HOW STRONGLY WOULD YOU SUPPORT OR OPPOSE A CITY-WIDE TRAIL SYSTEM IN WYLIE THAT ALLOWED THE FOLLOWING. SS S O SO NO A) HORSEBACK RIDING 20% 50% 24% 4% 3% B) RECREATIONAL WALKING OR HIKING 43% 52% 4% 1% 1% C) RECREATIONAL BICYCLING 36% 58% 5% 1% 1% D) NATURE TRAIL 32% 62% 6% 0% 1% E) INLINE SKATING 11% 60% 22% 4% 5% F) MOUNTAIN BIKING 13% 61% 22% 2% 3% G) WIDEN SOME THOROUGHFARES FOR BIKE LANES 23% 54% 21% 2% 1% H) RIDING TO GET TO WORK OR A STORE 18% 61% 19% 1% 2% I) CONNECTIONS TO NEARBY SCHOOLS 23% 65% 11% 1% 2% 18. THESE LAST FEW QUESTIONS ARE JUST FOR CLASSIFICATION PURPOSES. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING AGE GROUPS DO YOU COME UNDER? LESS THAN 26 YEARS . . 3% 26 - 35 YEARS . . . 26% 36 - 45 YEARS . . . 28% 46 - 55 YEARS . . . 22% 56 - 65 YEARS . . . 13% OVER 65 YEARS . . . . 9% REFUSED TO ANSWER . . 1% 19. PLEASE TELL ME IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 18 AT HOME (IF YES: IN WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING GROUPS DO THEY COME UNDER? 0 – 4 YEARS . . . . . 28% 5 – 9 YEARS . . . . . 31% 10 – 14 YEARS . . . . 24% 15 – 19 YEARS . . . . 21% NO CHILDREN . . . . . 38% REFUSE TO ANSWER . . 1% A – 7 2010 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan 20. DO YOU BELONG TO AN ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION IN THE CITY OF WYLIE? YES . . . . . . . . 13% NO . . . . . . . . . 87% REFUSE TO ANSWER . . 0% THAT'S THE END OF OUR SURVEY BUT COULD I CHECK TO SEE IF I DIALED THE CORRECT NUMBER. I DIALED __________. AND COULD I HAVE YOUR FIRST NAME, ONLY IN CASE MY SUPERVISOR HAS TO VERIFY THIS INTERVIEW?_________________. THANK YOU AND HAVE A NICE EVENING. CALLER INI.______ SHEET NUMBER _____ ZIPCODE______ SURVEY LENGTH______ A – 8 Appendix B – Summarized Focus Group Meeting Responses Appendix B Summarized Focus Group Meeting Results Below are the summarized comments received at each of the three focus group meetings. Meeting 1 – February 24, 2009 Representatives from: Arts Board, Planning and Zoning Commission, and Construction Code Board Question 1: What is your vision for Wylie’s future? Mixed-use / multi & single family walkable community Recognition Family-friendly A sense of belonging Live/shop/play Unique sense of community, small town Cradle-to-grave community / multi-generational / age in place Lake-focused recreation and entertainment Preserve natural areas A city connected by trails (internally and to other cities) Rail (freight) as an economic driver DART Connection Question 2: What outcomes do you hope for the organization that you represent? Balance Promote Wylie to the community and to people elsewhere A sense of pride Promote all types of art, enrichment and application of the arts, idea of a museum Provide commercial places/businesses that meet the needs of Wylie Connected schools, neighborhoods, and parks Capture protect and maintain the essence of Downtown Be forward thinking, anticipate changing trends Demand quality development that fits the city’s vision Improve aesthetics and types of lake front development Question 3: What does the Parks and Recreation Department need to do to help you achieve these outcomes? Identify key places for art in Wylie Communication of goals and plans between various boards Relay PARD’s plans for areas in the ETJ and the lake shorelines so planning and zoning can provide input Performances and events in parks Community gardens B – 1 2010 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan Meeting 2 – March 23, 2009 Representatives from: Sports Leagues Question 1: What is your vision for Wylie’s future? Youth and family focused opportunities; keep youth in the City; youth development Bike friendly (transportation & recreation) Proactively provide state of the art facilities to meet the needs of a growing community Citizens active in city governance; centralize information and improve communication to citizens Balance between open space and development; quality development; unique Host tournaments to drive economic growth and tourism Community center that serves as focal point of Wylie Improve lake access and amenities City contributing to the social development of youth Question 2: What outcomes do you hope for the organization that you represent? Having an inter-connected trail system and safe biking options Community/team building Inclusion Varying levels of competition, abilities Respect, responsibility, discipline Build tradition Character building, self esteem, Self-improvement (physical and emotional) Provide opportunity where there is none Help kids with scholarships to afford college Letting kids play for fun; not only through team sports Creating connections with other cultures through sports Question 3: What does the Parks and Recreation Department need to do to help you achieve these outcomes? Facilities people can be proud of Facilities to meet Wylie’s needs so people don’t have to leave the city Facility that is tied to the community physically and culturally Group amenities and facilities for convenience Additional fields and facilities Land for trails Awareness of biking Partnerships with ISD Shaded areas for/near practice areas Park wayfinding signage Start an “Adopt a Field” program to help offset maintenance costs B – 2 Appendix B – Summarized Focus Group Meeting Responses Meeting 3 – March 26, 2009 Representatives from: Business Community and Senior Citizens Question 1: What is your vision for Wylie’s future? Protect historic character and small town feel of Wylie Maintain a unique downtown Have more trees and more attractive streetscapes Provide more activities and facilities for seniors including a center and a therapeutic pool Build a central recreation/community center Build facilities that are timeless architecturally Develop a cultural and performing arts center Create an extensive network of trails that connects destinations within the cities and connects to other cities Provide better streets with sidewalks Public transportation is needed Provide established programs that provide healthy outdoor activities Provide access to the nearby lakes for people of all abilities Protect more natural open spaces Create destinations like a skateboard park for non-organized people Ensure the safety and security of parks and trails Develop an arboretum Question 2: What outcomes do you hope for? Wylie will be a self-sufficient community; it will have services and businesses for its citizens, will have medical facilities, and local entertainment. People won’t need to leave and will use hometown resources. Wylie should utilize the resources it has now and build upon them and should become a “lifetime” community where people are born, grow up, have children, and become seniors. Wylie should grow and prosper while retaining its small town character and culture. Citizens will pass on a legacy of home town pride and the “Wylie” way of life while the city grows. Opportunities for seniors to recreate and be active, learn, and have places to live and interact; plan for age 50+. Become a multi-generational community with age-specific activities that will meet the needs of a changing senior citizen base and will attract and keep youth in the community. Wylie will be a caring community with warmth, cooperation, and friendliness. It will promote volunteerism and provide opportunities for community service. Explore opportunities for partnering with businesses and foundations to improve quality of life in Wylie Build on Wylie’s history of education and provide higher education locally through a community college extension. Be a beautiful city, both in its architecture and parks. Provide a high quality of life and a healthy environment (physically mentally, spiritually) for citizens. B – 3 2010 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Master Plan Increase the publicity/visibility of programs and opportunities within Wylie to its citizens. Build community by providing public events of multiple scales. Utilize hometown resources and become a thriving city rather than a bedroom community. Question 3: What does the Parks and Recreation Department need to do to help you achieve these outcomes? Biking and hiking trails that people can use. Places for people to get out and walk. Safe Routes to Schools grant to provide more trails A new Senior Center building to meet the growing senior group (consider the old library for this use) Free access to park facilities If pool is too expensive, install a splash pad Consider reusing older buildings Make sure facilities accommodate needs More activities for you youth – attract to park – children friendly B – 4 üÍÍØÏÙÔÅúüÑÉØËÏÜÉÔÇØùØÇØÑÎÍÐØÏÉêÉËÜÉØÖÔØÊ üÍÍØÏÙÔÅú üÑÉØËÏÜÉÔÇØùØÇØÑÎÍÐØÏÉêÉËÜÉØÖÔØÊ As discussed in Chapter 6 (pages 6-4 to 6-6), typical suburban development is not a sustainable model for Wylie. Specifically,it is not environmentally, economically, or socially sustainable over the long runfor the communitybecause it does not make efficient use of the land, does not create unique places, and does not stand the test of time. With typical subdivisions and shopping centers come high rates of vehicular travel, expanded carbon footprints, inefficient use of land, decreased mental and physical health, and the plague of “sameness”; that is, a loss of uniqueness within the community. Alternative development strategies are available to the City to ensure that Wylieremains unique and retains its cultural landscapes, small-town feel, and attractiveness to new residents. While there are many factors that determine the quality and suitability for varying development strategies, the two main factors for determining good development strategies are walkabilityand context sensitivity. That is, alternative development strategies shouldfocus on the needs of people rather than cars and should besensitive to the landscape in which it is being applied. There are many tools by which to achieve good development, but a few of them, namely Conservation Planning & Design and New Urbanism are discussed in the following pages. References: 1.Urban Sprawl and Public Health: Designing, Planning, and Building for Healthy Communities by Howard Frumkin, Lawrence Frank, and Richard Joseph Jackson 2.Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream, by Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, and Jeff Speck úÎÏÊØËÇÜÉÔÎÏíÑÜÏÏÔÏÖùØÊÔÖÏ üúÜÊØ×ÎËúÎÏÊØËÇÜÉÔÎÏíÑÜÏÏÔÏÖÜÏÙùØÊÔÖÏ æÔÉÕØÅÉËÜÚÉÊ×ËÎÐüËØÏÙÉëöËÎÆÔÏÖöËØØÏØËíÈÉÉÔÏÖúÎÏÊØËÇÜÉÔÎÏÔÏÉÎñÎÚÜÑíÑÜÏÊÜÏÙîËÙÔÏÜÏÚØÊ ôÊÑÜÏÙíËØÊÊ ÜÏÙÕÉÉÍÆÆÆÖËØØÏØËÍËÎÊÍØÚÉÊÚÎÐÖËÎÆÔÏÖÖËØØÏØËÍÙ× éÕØúÎÏÊØËÇÜÉÔÎÏíÑÜÏÏÔÏÖÜÏÙùØÊÔÖÏúÎÏÚØÍÉ Each time a property is developed into a residentialsubdivision, an opportunity exists for adding land to a community-wide network of open space. Although such opportunities are seldom taken in many municipalities, this situation could be reversed fairly easily by making several small but significant changes to three basic local land-use documents -the comprehensive plan, the zoning ordinance and the subdivision and land development ordinance. Simply stated, Conservation Design rearranges the development on each parcel as it is being planned so that half(or more) of the buildable land is set aside as open space. Without controversial “down zoning,” the same number of homes can be built in a less land-consumptive manner, allowing the balance of the property to be permanently protected and added to an interconnected network of community green spaces. This “density-neutral” approach provides a fair and equitable way to balance conservation and development objectives. ú íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ Conservation Planning and Design are attractive to cities since they are relatively easy to implement, do not involve public costs, do not diminish landowner equity, and are not onerous to developers. æÕÄÚÕÜÏÖØ×ËÎÐÚÎÏÇØÏÉÔÎÏÜÑÊÈÛÙÔÇÔÊÔÎÏÍÑÜÏÏÔÏÖÜÏÙÙØÊÔÖÏþ Conventional Subdivision Planning and Design,as applied in most of the USA, generally refers to residential development in which all the developable land is divided into house lots or streets. The only open space is typically undevelopable wetlands, steep slopes, and storm water management areas. There are no amenable places to walk, no open meadows for wildlife, and no communalplaying fields for children. Furthermore, almost all of the land has been cleared, graded, and converted into lawns or private back yards. As a result, residents of conventional subdivisions depend upon their cars even more to bring them social and recreational opportunities. Conservation Planning and Design offers social and recreational advantages over conventional layouts in several distinct ways. ûØÏØ×ÔÉÊÎ×úÎÏÊØËÇÜÉÔÎÏíÑÜÏÏÔÏÖÜÏÙùØÊÔÖÏ The benefitof Conservation Planning and Design is threefold: ¨ Environmental and ecological benefits ¨ Social and recreational benefits ¨ Economic Benefits øÏÇÔËÎÏÐØÏÉÜÑÜÏÙøÚÎÑÎÖÔÚÜÑûØÏØ×ÔÉÊ In addition to preventing intrusions into inherently unbuildable locations suchas wetland and floodplains, conservation subdivision design also protects terrestrial habitats and upland buffers alongside wetlands, water bodies, and watercourses, areas that would ordinarily be cleared, graded, and covered with houses, lawns, and driveways in a conventional development. The environmental and ecological benefits to employing conservation subdivision design instead of conventional layouts include wildlife management, water quality protection,andgreater aquifer recharge. êÎÚÔÜÑÜÏÙëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏÜÑûØÏØ×ÔÉÊ Conservation Planning and Design offer social and recreational advantages over conventional layouts in several distinct ways. ¨ Pedestrian friendly neighborhoods, ¨ Community-wide greenways and trails, ¨ Increased interaction within the community due to the footpath system that connects the homes with interesting places to visit. øÚÎÏÎÐÔÚûØÏØ×ÔÉÊ ¨ Lower costs including reduced infrastructure engineering and construction costs, for example shorter roads, less wetland/creek crossings, less stormwater management facilities and less wood clearing. ¨ Value appreciation; it has been proven that properties within Conservation Planned and Designed communities appreciate markedly more than their counterparts in conventional communities. ú üÍÍØÏÙÔÅúüÑÉØËÏÜÉÔÇØùØÇØÑÎÍÐØÏÉêÉËÜÉØÖÔØÊ ¨ Reduced Demand for New Public Parkland; The natural areas that are preserved and the recreational amenities that are provided in ConservationPlanned and Designed communities help to reduce the demand for public open space, parkland, playing fields, and other areas for active and passive recreation. Current deficiencies with regard to such public amenities will inevitable grow larger as population continues to rise. To the extent that each new development meets some of its own local needs, pressure on local governments will be lessened in this regard, a factor that may make such designs more attractive to local reviewing bodies. ïØÆèËÛÜÏÔÊÐ New urbanism refers to a movement dedicated to improving the human experience of the urban fabric and functionality of our cities. It addresses manifold problems relative to the way typical cities function in the United States of America. The problems that our citiesface include tremendous waste and misdirection of resources. Firstly, our most precious resource, time; secondly, the costs and loss of productivity from time spent in auto traffic; thirdly, there are social and spiritual impoverishment in isolation and alienation contributing to social diseases; fourthly, lack of easy access to nature areas and open space, unhealthy air and an urban environment that thwarts our fundamental need for the most basic exercise, walking. The underpinnings of a healthier, more effective and efficient urban arrangement requirescitizens, planners,and developers to strive for development that providescharacteristicssuch as: Walkability, Connectivity, Mixed-Use and Diversity,Quality Architecture and Urban Design, Smart Transportation,Sustainability,and Quality of Life. Essentially, New Urbanist principles benefit every sector of a city, from residents to businesses, developers to municipal governments. The benefits to each group are summarized below: ëØÊÔÙØÏÉÊ enjoy easy access and proximity to a high quality public realm of open space, parks, civic uses and retail with a local focus. A diverse mix of housing and pedestrian oriented development provides more walking, exercise and economic savings. Density also means utilities and roads are more efficient and tax dollars more effectively spent. ûÈÊÔÏØÊÊØÊ may expect increased sales resulting from pedestrian volume and increased discretionary spending available for residents; more profit results in live-work units, without a stressful and costly commute. There is also benefit inmore community involvement and knowing customers who are residents: businesses tend to be more successful and the experience more pleasurable for customers when personal relationships are forged between business owners and their clientele. Economies of scale in marketing are possible due to proximity and cooperation with other local businesses. ùØÇØÑÎÍØËÊ benefit from more income potential from higher density mixed-use projects due to more leasable square footage, more sales per square foot and higher property values and selling prices. There is faster sell out due to greater appeal and to wider market share. Other benefits include lower utilities costs resulting from the compact nature of New Urbanist design, less need for parking facilities and faster approvals in communities which have adopted new urbanist and “smart growth” principles. ú íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ ðÈÏÔÚÔÍÜÑÔÉÔØÊ benefit from stable, appreciating tax base and spend lessper capita on infrastructure and utilities than typical suburban development due to compact, high-density nature of projects.There is less traffic congestion due to the walkability of design, better overall community image and sense of place and less incentive to sprawl because theurban core area is more desirable. Other benefits include less crime and less spent on policing due to the presence of more people day and nightandit is easy to install transit where it's not, and improve it where it is. Source: http://www.newurbanism.org/newurbanism/principles.html References: 1.Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream, by Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, and Jeff Speck Links: 1.Congress for the New Urbanism is an organization dedicated to providing the tools to put into practice the principles of New Urbanism and revitalizing communities. http://www.cnu.org/ 2.New Urban News, http://www.newurbannews.com 3.Smithsonian, http://www.smithsonianmagazine.com/issues/2006/august/newurbanism.php 4.Smart Growth Online http://www.smartgrowth.org/ ú üÍÍØÏÙÔÅùúËØØÒÊêÉËØÜÐÊ üÍÍØÏÙÔÅù úËØØÒÊÜÏÙêÉËØÜÐÊ éÕØçÜÑÈØÎ×úËØØÒÊÜÏÙêÉËØÜÐÊÔÏÉÕØèËÛÜÏÜÏÙêØÐÔèËÛÜÏ øÏÇÔËÎÏÐØÏÉÊ Water availability for domestic, industrial, agriculture,as well as ecological use is important ÜÏÙ from a quantity quality point of view. In fact,water has become a scarce commodity which has far-reaching impacts on the future of all communities,especially in Texas. Uncontrolled land development, water overuse,and pollution continue to impact this precious and primary life supporting element. Planning on all levels should be cognizant of the effects of our actions on the future of water availability. Communities need to realize that good stewardship of water is crucial to ensure sustainable economic growth including safety, health, and welfare toeveryone. Ideally, state, county, and municipal planning should take place on a watershed scale where the source, use, and disposal of water are all integrated. The goal of such an approach is sustained availability of good quality water, effective flood management, and ecologically healthy environments, with tremendous recreational opportunities. Specific tools to achieve effective watershed management include the protection of riparian/ creek buffers and integrated storm water management. éÕØÚËØØÒÚÎËËÔÙÎËÉÕÜÉËÈÏÊÉÕËÎÈÖÕÉÕØæØÑÑÊíËÎÍØËÉÄÔÊÔÏÜÇØËÄÕØÜÑÉÕÄÚÎÏÙÔÉÔÎÏðÎÏÔÉÎËÔÏÖÈÍÊÉËØÜÐ ÙØÇØÑÎÍÐØÏÉÜÏÙÉÕØÊØÏÊÔÉÔÇØÙØÇØÑÎÍÐØÏÉÎ×ÉÕØæØÑÑÊíËÎÍØËÉÄÔÊÚËÈÚÔÜÑÔÏÎËÙØËÉÎÐÜÔÏÉÜÔÏÉÕØ ØÚÎÑÎÖÔÚÜÑÇÔÜÛÔÑÔÉÄÜÏÙÏÜÉÈËÜÑÛØÜÈÉÄÎ×ÉÕØÚËØØÒ ù íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ ûÈ××ØËÊüÑÎÏÖúËØØÒÊÜÏÙùËÜÔÏÜÖØæÜÄÊ ëØ×ØËØÏÚØÊ ëÔÍÜËÔÜÏûÈ××ØËêÉËÜÉØÖÔØÊ×ÎËèËÛÜÏæÜÉØËÊÕØÙÊðØÉËÎÍÎÑÔÉÜÏæÜÊÕÔÏÖÉÎÏúÎÈÏÚÔÑÎ× öÎÇØËÏÐØÏÉÊ êÉËØÜÐúÎËËÔÙÎËëØÊÉÎËÜÉÔÎÏéÕØ÷ØÙØËÜÑôÏÉØËÜÖØÏÚÄêÉËØÜÐëØÊÉÎËÜÉÔÎÏæÎËÒÔÏÖöËÎÈÍ The WylieParks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan recommends that riparian buffers be established along all creeks and drainage ways in the City of Wylieand its ETJ as a measure to protect the fully developed 100 year flood area as an important resource for the City. The value of such corridors is manifold and includes the following: Flood conveyance and management ¨ Natural streams have developed over time to absorb flood waters and to release them Î gradually once the flood has subsided. In fact, wetlands andriparian vegetation act as “sponges” that take up the water, hold it and release it slowly as it drains through the vegetation. Maintaining the natural vegetation within creek corridors contributes to less intense floods, less erosion, and more stable stream banks. Creek morphology ¨ Creeks and drainage ways are by nature dynamic which means that they change course Î over time as the rushing water of large floods carves its way through the landscape. A proper riparian buffer allows for this dynamic change without impacting property and structures. Upstream development typically leads to higher intensity floods that increase the 100 Î year floodline over time. A wide riparian and creek buffer takesinto account the future elevated 100 year floodline based on fully developed and build-out land use conditions in the watershed. æØÑÑØÊÉÜÛÑÔÊÕØÙËÔÍÜËÔÜÏÛÈ××ØËÊÜÙÙÉÎÙÜÐÊÜ×ØÉÄ Safety ¨ Structures within creek corridors including buildings, bridges, and dams are all Î potentially in danger of being damaged or destroyed during floods, depending on the size of the particular flood event. Where bridges and dams by their very nature are built within corridors, habitable structures should be located outside the build-out 100 year floodline as a safety precaution. ù üÍÍØÏÙÔÅùúËØØÒÊêÉËØÜÐÊ Wide riparian corridors have a definite positive effect on dam safety –well established Î riparian corridors upstream of a dam decrease the chance of dam failure: Should a dam failure occur, the resultant downstream damage will be reduced with the floodwater absorbed by the wide riparian corridor. This is a particularly important point for Wylie with the various soil conservation dams within the city limits. Health and water quality ¨ Water quality in streams and creeks is typically a factor of the quality of water entering Î the system and the manner in which vegetation in the watershed “cleans” the runoff before it enters the creek. The excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides within a watershed, leads to low water quality entering the streams and creeks. In an intact system, vegetation, especially native grasses, filtrate the runoff prior to entering the creek and stream. However, it is crucial that the riparian buffer is in place to ensure such filtration. Riparian buffers lead to reduced nutrient load of streams which effects water quality. Î This, in turn, prevents the development of algae blooms in lakes. Riparian buffers prevent excessive sediment loads in streams which, in turn, decrease the Î possibility of sedimentation of lakes. An ecologically intact creek and drainage way system has a natural predator and prey Î system in place whereby insects like mosquitoes are preyed upon by reptiles, birds and bats. However, habitat disturbance through excessive erosion and concrete lined channels, causes a loss in the predator species which leads to excessive insect populations. Considering the mosquito born West Nile virus it is thus important to keep the creek corridors healthy by encouraging the protection of the riparian vegetation. Economy ¨ Î Economics areimportant in the protection of structures by their construction outside the 100 year floodline based on build-out conditions. Î Stable stream banks preclude expensive measures to prevent or fix failing stream banks. Î Reduced flood damage means fewer costs. Î Property facing or adjacent to open space is more desirable and expensive which leads to increased tax income. Ecology and habitat preservation ¨ Riparian buffers typically preserve some of the natural breeding, foraging, and resting Î areas of native animalsand bird species. Riparian vegetation adds to the diversity of life within streams, wetlands, and lakes. Î The edges where two ecological zones meet are extremely important from a vegetation Î and wildlife dynamic point of view. Animals from the one zone mayforage in the one while resting in the other, and plants are often adapted to that specific edge zone. The edges of creeks and other water bodies are thus important where the water and land ecosystems are supportive, enriching, and dependant on each other. The variety of habitats within creek corridors leads to greater diversity of wildlife. Î Riparian vegetation typically includes multi-layered habitats including trees, shrubs, Î grass, and herbaceous plant material, which increases the biomass and diversityof the landscape. Riparian vegetation provides a variety of functions related to aquatic habitat including: Î Providing food source for species of the aquatic food chain; – Regulating light and temperature entering the water body. Many species have a low – tolerance for temperature or light change beyond the normal range; Maintaining oxygen concentrations in water through temperature regulation; – ù íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ Preventing sediment from inundating water bodies, which interferes with fish – behavior and destroys benthic habitat. Recreation ¨ Creek corridors provide visually appealing environments. Î The linear nature of creeks and drainage ways render them ideal for hike and bike trails, Î both hard and soft surface trails. Linear creek corridors with an associated trail system link various destinations within the Î City with better interaction between neighborhoods, schools, and parks. The variety of wildlife found within creek corridors leads to the opportunity for wildlife Î viewing, including birding. Education ¨ Î A myriad of natural processes is very visible along creeks and creek banks, all of which is ideal for educational purposes. Î Students and the public may learn about the vegetation and wildlife of both terrestrial and aquatic environments, the process of natural erosion and deposition, stream morphology, and water quality. Utilities ¨ Areas that parallel creek corridors provide the opportunity for utility corridors with Î permeable surfaces including water, sewer, overhead power, and telephone lines. Such utilities should be located outside the 100 floodline at build-out conditions to Î prevent future damage that may result from floodsand to limit aesthetic interference due to above ground items. Î Measures must be taken to prevent impacts on the recreation and habitat integrity within the creek corridors. Disturbance of vegetation must be minimized during the construction phase of placing the utilities. ëÔÍÜËÔÜÏûÈ××ØËúËÔÉØËÔÜ The ability of a riparian/creek buffer to realize its many benefits depends on how well it is planned, designed and maintained. As development is considered for properties, the following provide some criteria in this regard. ëÔÍÜËÔÜÏûÈ××ØËùÔÐØÏÊÔÎÏ For creek corridors, a wide riparian buffer is an essential component of any protection strategy. A network of buffers acts as the right-of-way for a creek and functions as an integral part of the creek ecosystem. The primary criteria for buffer sizing should be ecological but may also include economic and legal factors. However, the danger is that economic and legal considerations may compromise the very essence of what constitutes a healthy ecological creek corridor. With creek corridors in the City of Wylieconsidered a crucial natural resource all factors should be considered when establishing the riparian buffer dimension, including habitat integrity, ecological services, recreation, and aesthetics including views and vistas. Due to unique local conditions, the riparian buffer may vary as deemed appropriate. ù üÍÍØÏÙÔÅùúËØØÒÊêÉËØÜÐÊ éÕËØØãÎÏØûÈ××ØËêÄÊÉØÐ The primary aim of the buffer system is to protect the core of creek corridors including the stream channel, its banks, the 100 year flood area with vegetation adapted to flood conditions, as well as an upland buffer area that is crucial for the health of creek systems. Protecting the entire area below the 100 year floodline together with an upland buffer, ensures the protection of current creek conditions, as well as the anticipated changed conditions in the future. The upland buffer outside the 100 year floodline is divided into 3 lateral zones: stream side, middle zone and outer zone. Each zone performs a different function, with a different vegetative target and management scheme. 1.The stream side zone has the function to protect the physical and ecological integrity of the stream associated ecosystem. It adds visual and ecological protection through preservation of views, wildlife habitat, and noise abatement. The vegetation target is the éÕÔÊÊÉËØÉÚÕÎ×êÜÖØúËØØÒÔÊÜÏØÅÜÐÍÑØÎ×ÜÏ pre-development natural condition ØÚÎÑÎÖÔÚÜÑÑÄÕØÜÑÉÕÄÚËØØÒÆÔÉÕÍÎÏÙÊÜÏÙËÔ××ÑØÊÊ ÕÜÙØ including range land with low key ÜÏÙÐÎÊÊÚÎÇØËØÙÊÉÎÏØÊÉÕÜÉÜÙÙÉÎÉÕØÌÈÜÑÔÉÄÎ× recreational development including hike, ÛØÏÉÕÔÚÆÜÉØËÜÊÊÎÚÔÜÉØÙÔÏÊØÚÉÑÔ×Ø bike, and equestrian trails. 2.The middle zone provides additional distance between upland development and the stream ecosystem and is available for utilities with no impervious surfaces, open space development including ball fields and golf courses, and storm water management including retention/ detention basins. The vegetative target is natural pre-development conditions or unfertilized dry land cultivation and range land. 3.The outer zone is available for a parkway collector street system. Such a parkway has four major functions. First, it will serve as a buffer between development with potentially manicured landscapes and the natural creek corridor environment. Secondly, it will provide easy access for maintenance. Thirdly, the parkway will improve local traffic circulation. Fourthly, the parkway will provide a leisurely route connecting the parks, schools and neighborhoods along the creek corridor. The pleasing vistas along the creek corridor allow for scenic drives and improved neighborhoods. In fact, similar projects in other cities have enhanced property values along the route. ù íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ ùËÜÔÏÜÖØüËØÜ It is recommended that creek corridors and riparian buffers are applied to all creeks and streams from a point along its course where the creek or stream drains a surface area of 100 acres or greater. For any drainage area smaller than 100 acres, it is recommended that the practices as defined in the iSWM (Integrated Stormwater Management) design manuals for construction and for site development as prepared by NCTCOG (North Central Council of Governments) should be applied. ûÈ××ØËúËÎÊÊÔÏÖÊ Major objectives for riparian buffers are to maintain an unbroken corridor of riparian habitat and to allow for upstream and downstream movement of both aquatic (including a fish passage) and terrestrial wildlife along the creek corridor. Where linear forms of development such as roads, bridges, underground utilities, enclosed storm drains, or outfall channels must cross the stream or the buffer, measures must be put in place to minimize blocking the aquatic and terrestrial wildlife passageway including extended bridge spans. ûÈ××ØËðÜÏÜÖØÐØÏÉ The general vegetation target for the land that involves the 100 year flood plain and upland buffer is pre-agricultural development/ modifications. Treated correctly, such vegetation cover requires the minimum management effort. In order for the burden to not fall on the City or individual landowner, it is recommended that management be done by one of the many Texas Land Trusts that will have an interest in such land. (see www.texaslandtrusts.org) ïÎëÔÊØÔÏûÜÊØ÷ÑÎÎÙøÑØÇÜÉÔÎÏ It is recommended that the reclamation of the 100 year floodplain at fully developed conditions should be permitted only if it can be demonstrated that there will be no rise in the base flood elevation of fully developed watershed conditions. The FEMA “floodway” concept contained in the National Flood Insurance Program allows up to a one foot rise in flood elevations assuming current development conditions only. However, reclamation which allows a rise in the flood elevation could predictably create adverse impacts either upstream or downstream. Also, without due consideration of future upstream build-out conditions, which imply increased impervious surfaces with higher volumes surface runoff over shorter periods of time, areas that appear adequately protected with the “No Rise in Base Flood Elevation” may be compromisedin the future. úËØØÒúÎÏ×ÑÈØÏÚØÊ Creek confluences typically have unique natural and visual qualities due to the increased channel length per surface areas, widened floodplain, the potential occurrence of wetlands, dense stands of trees, and increased wildlife. Such areas, also referred to as “ecological nodes”, call for their special protection in the form of nature parks and nature preserves. The Wells Property is a very good example of such an ecological node where a tributary joins the Muddy Creek. æÜÉØËÊÕØÙðÜÏÜÖØÐØÏÉíÑÜÏ As much as it is important to ensure the protection of the creek and drainage way corridors and nodes, it is also vitally important to follow a watershed wide approach to stormwater management and landuse planning. Watershed management suggests measures in place that aim ù üÍÍØÏÙÔÅùúËØØÒÊêÉËØÜÐÊ to decrease the amount of hard and impervious surfaces which result in higher frequency and intensity of runoff, as well as water detention that absorbs the runoff peaks allowing it to drain slowly and over time into the creek system. Together with watershed wide measures, proper site design of each and every development is essential to obtain the best results. The manner in which development occurs in the watershed is crucial. Due consideration should be givento every component that may contribute to increased runoff volumes and intensity. Two complimentary tools that are effective to achieve watershed management are Integrated Stormwater Management and Conservation Development. ôÏÉØÖËÜÉØÙêÉÎËÐÆÜÉØËðÜÏÜÖØÐØÏÉ Recognizing the importance of water quantity and quality, the North Central Texas Council of Governments, developed iSWM (Integrated Stormwater Management) design manuals for construction and for site development that assist cities and counties to achieve their goals of water quality protection, streambank protection, and flood control. They also help communities meet their construction and post-construction obligations under state storm water permits, current and emerging. (see http://iswm.nctcog.org/) êÉÎËÐæÜÉØËðÜÏÜÖØÐØÏÉÔêæðüÍÍËÎÜÚÕ éÕØôÏÉØÖËÜÉØÙ êÎÈËÚØÕÉÉÍÔÊÆÐÏÚÉÚÎÖÎËÖÔÏÙØÅÜÊÍ Development and redevelopment by their nature increase the amount of imperviousness in our surrounding environment. This increased imperviousness translates into loss of natural areas, more sources for pollution in runoff, and heightened flooding risks. To help mitigate these impacts, more than 60 local governments are cooperating to proactively create sound storm water management guidance for the region through the integratedStorm WaterManagement (iSWM)™ program. The iSWM™ design manuals for construction and for site development are cooperative initiatives that assist cities and counties to achieve their goals of water quality protection, streambank protection, and flood control by managing stormwater on a site-by-site basis throughout all phases of development.. They also help communities meet their construction and post-construction obligations under state storm water permits, current and emerging. ¨ The iSWM™ Design Manual for Construction contains a systematic methodology for creating an effective storm water pollution prevention plan for construction sites and detailed information for the design, installation, and maintenance of practices to reduce the release of sediment and other pollutants resulting from construction activities. The Design Manual for construction is also intended to assist public and private entities in compliance with the Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) Construction General Permit, TXR 150000,issued by the Texas Council on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Cities in the region are encouraged to officially adopt the Design Manual for Construction and require compliance with the provisions of the Design Manual within their jurisdictions. Adoption of the Design Manual for Construction will fulfill the major requirements of the “Construction Site Storm Water Runoff Control” Minimum Measure ù íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ of TPDES General Permit TXR040000 for Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems. ¨ The iSWM™ Design Manual for Site Development is a step-by-step detailed instructional document to guide developers and government agencies on the control and management of storm water quality and quantity. It is a practical manual oriented to implementation in everyday practice. It calls for the consideration of storm water issues at the conceptual stages of projects and provides tools to achieve the goals of water quality protection, streambank protection, and flood control. Its adoption in the region will simplify engineering designs, minimize local government plan review efforts, facilitate multi-jurisdictional drainage analysis, and enable regional training opportunities. ÷ÈËÉÕØËêÉÈÙÔØÊ ëØ×ØËØÏÚØñÔÏØÜËöËØØÏÛØÑÉíÜËÒêÉÈÙÄúÔÉÄÎ×üÑÑØÏéØÅÜÊ For purposes of establishing an integrated riparian corridor and greenbelt system for the City of Wylie, a Creek and Linear Greenbelt Park Study is recommended. It is recommended that such a study include the following components: 1.Floodplain Delineation The flood plains of all creeks defined and delineated as the area inundated by either the 100 year flood based on a fully developed watershed condition, or the maximum flood on record, whichever reaches the higher water elevation. 2.Environmental Inventory and Analysis Study areas to include: a.Physical features (geology, topography, soils, climate); b.Biological features (vegetation and wildlife); c.Man-made features (history, archaeology, streets, buildings and utilities); and d.Scenic values. 3.Stream segments Homogenous segments with similar landform, unique water features, common vegetation, wildlife habitat, scenic features, and divisions made by existing roadways. 4.Stream Corridor Delineation Delineation of the 1% and 0.2% flood events. 5.Stream Corridor Alternatives Flood plain and stream corridor management 6.Implementation Strategy Supporting and additional information may include: a.social, cultural, legal, and governmental influences; b.land use planning along creek corridors; c.funding; d.public participation; and e.landownership issues. The Linear Greenbelt Park Study that was conducted for the City of Allen in 1986 is proof that early planning efforts lead to superior city development conditions. Based on this 1986 study, ù üÍÍØÏÙÔÅùúËØØÒÊêÉËØÜÐÊ the City of Allen has ordinances and regulations in place that ensure the optimal protection and use of creek corridors. The end result 24years later is a noticeable quality of life experience for its citizens that surpasses may other cities in the region. The vision for the City of Wylieis to build on the experience of this Texas city and to incorporate exemplary and functional practices that will ensure the protection of its natural resources for the enjoyment and appreciation of future generations. ù íÜËÒÊëØÚËØÜÉÔÎÏîÍØÏêÍÜÚØðÜÊÉØËíÑÜÏ ÉÕÔÊÍÜÖØÔÏÉØÏÉÔÎÏÜÑÑÄÑØ×ÉÛÑÜÏÒ ù