Standard: The agency shall have a comprehensive park and recreation system plan that provides recommendations for provision of facilities, programs and services; parkland acquisition and development; maintenance and operations; and administration and management. The plan shall be officially adopted by the policy-making body, updated periodically and linked with a capital improvement budget and a phased development program. The system master plan shall implement policies adopted in the comprehensive plan for the jurisdiction. Interested and affected agencies, organizations, and groups shall be engaged in the planning process.
Suggested Evidence of Compliance: Provide the current plan with documentation of official approval; describe update process; and describe a phased implementation program with linkage to the agency's capital improvement budget. The system master plan shall include:
- Agency mission (1.4);
- Agency objectives (1.4.1);
- Recreation and leisure trends analysis (10.5.1);
- Needs assessment (10.4);
- Community inventory (10.5.2); and
- Level of service standards (10.3.1).
Informational reference in the Management of Park and Recreation Agencies, (2010), 3rd Ed., Chapter 7 – Planning for Strategic Management, p. 120.
Agency Evidence of Compliance:
The Park District completed its Comprehensive Master Plan1-7 with adoption by the Board of Commissioners on December 18, 2014. A consulting firm, The Lakota Group, was hired to lead the Park District through the development of the current comprehensive master plan. A website was created for the project which included important updates, links to online surveys, community open house announcements and important planning documents. The consultants, with assistance from staff, collected and analyzed data concerning the Park District's parks, open spaces, and facilities. Additionally, the Park District's parks and facilities were assessed in the context of the Village of Oak Park, the region, and against recreational trends. Many focus groups, individual interviews, and a community-wide needs assessment was completed to gather community input.
All of this information was used to created a strategy and set of priorities for the Park District of Oak Park, including plans for recreation programming and improved parks and facilities. These strategies were incorporated into specific recommendations and objectives were placed into a 10-Year Action Plan which serves as the core of the final Comprehensive Master Plan Report. Staff have begun incorporating the recommendations and objectives from the plan into the Park District's Capital Improvement Plan8, which drives the capital improvement budget each year.
Documentation:
- 02.04.00_2015-2024-Comprehensive-Master-Plan.pdf
- 02.04.00a_Agency-Mission-in-2015-2024-Comprehensive-Master-Plan.pdf
- 02.04.00b_Agency-Objectives-in-2015-2024-Comprehensive-Master-Plan.pdf
- 02.04.00c_Trends-Analysis-in-2015-2024-Comprehensive-Master-Plan.pdf
- 02.04.00d_Needs-Assessment-in-2015-2024-Comprehensive-Master-Plan.pdf
- 02.04.00e_Community-Inventory-in-2015-2024-Comprehensive-Master-Plan.pdf
- 02.04.00f_Level-of-Service-in-2015-2024-Comprehensive-Master-Plan.pdf
- 02.04.00_2015-2019-Capital-Improvement-Plan.pdf (incorporation of CMP Recommendations below)
Agency Self Assessment: MET
| Comprehensive Master Plan Recommendation | Inclusion in current Capital Improvement Plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Pursue Park/Recreation Space Acquisition & Development | The Capital Improvement Plan has money planned for property acquisition slated for the following years:
| |
| | The Capital Improvement Plan has money planned for additional and/or improved walking and biking paths at the following locations:
| |
| Update and Implement Master Plans and ADA Transition Plan | The Capital Improvement Plan has the following total park and master plan improvements (including ADA improvements) slated for the following years:
Additionally, $50,000/year is also budgeted for additional ADA improvements not included in master plans as well as master plan updates. | |
| Align Park Master Plans with District Level of Service | The Capital Improvement Plan has planned funds to remove a tennis court at Rehm Park in 2019 based on Level of Service. | |
| Manage District Historic Resources | The Capital Improvement Plan has $800,000 planned in 2018 to improve the roof at Pleasant Home. In 2015 and 2017, a total of $515,000 of improvements were done to the Oak Park Conservatory. | |
| Improve Environmental Education Programming | The Capital Improvement Plan guided construction of a new environmental center in Austin Gardens in 2015 which will serves as a natural location for increased environmental education programming. | |
| Update the Capital Improvement Plan Annually | The current version of the Capital Improvement Plan was approved in July 2014. |
Recently Reviewed Facility and Park Master Plans
| Park/Facility | Original Master Plan | Community Meetings | New Master Plan Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rehm Park | Master Plan (2008) | Community Meeting September 21, 2016 | Final Plan approved 11.17.16 |
| Cheney Mansion | Master Plan (2009) | Community Meeting - June 14, 2016 View Park Board Presentation 9.2.2016 | Final Plan approved 9.15.2016 |
| Austin Gardens | Master Plan (2005) | January 5, 2016 - 7pm | Final PlansCompleted in 2016 |
| Andersen Park | Master Plan (2005) | October 27, 2015 | Completed December 2015 |
| Barrie Park | Park renovated during remediation in 2005 | Focus Groups Minutes 1st Community Meeting (meeting minutes) 2nd Community Meeting (meeting minutes) 3rd Community Meeting (meeting minutes) 4th Community Meeting (meeting minutes) | Completed July 2015 |
| Field Park | Master Plan (2006) | Meeting held October 28, 2014 | Completed January 2015 |
| Oak Park Pools | Meeting held Feb 19, 2014 Meeting held April 23, 2014 Meeting held June 25, 2014 | ||
| Longfellow Park | Master Plan (2006) | Meeting held March 18, 2014 View meeting notes | Completed April 2014 |
| Fox Park | Master Plan (2006) | Meeting held Feb 18, 2014 View meeting presentation View meeting notes | Completed April 2014 |
| Carroll Park | Master Plan (2005) | Meeting held Jan 14, 2014 | Completed March 2014 |
| Maple Park | Master Plan (2007) | Meeting held April 23, 2013 | Completed June 2013 |
