10-year Recreation and Parks Strategic Plan

I’m excited about the proposed, 10-year Recreation and Parks strategic plan, which was recently presented to the City Council for review and discussion, and I want to take this opportunity to provide a quick update.

The Johns Creek city staff and its hired consultant have identified and prioritized the next ten years of proposed investment in our recreation and parks amenities.

The next step is to review and discuss the plan during a future Council work session, and then hold another public hearing before taking a final vote on it.

The top priority is the acquisition of additional park land. More specifically, it was recommended that we adopt a policy of Prudent Advance Acquisition (PAA). PAA is another way of saying set aside funds and purchase land suitable for large parks, neighborhood parks and pocket parks that are accessible, serving larger population concentrations and activity centers, even if the land cannot be developed immediately. The concept reinforces the basic premise that if we don’t buy and preserve land today, it will be gone tomorrow.

More than 1,500 residents provided input to the strategic plan, which is very comprehensive, and the resulting product is, in my opinion, very much a reflection our diverse community.

Other areas in the plan we’re considering include expanding recreational facilities, possibly adding a cricket field, adding multi-purpose turf athletic fields and developing an indoor recreation center. The idea behind adding additional athletic fields and facilities is that they’re already desperately needed, and they can help draw and accommodate more tournaments, which may in turn generate additional revenue to supplement our parks  funding.

We’ll also look at expanding programs to include a broader range of age groups and demographics, and link those new programs with existing programs to maximize participation rates.

Another key area under review is our “Parks Without Borders” program, which partners our city with adjacent cities to expand athletic opportunities for our citizens.

In addition, the Council will closely study the recommendation to pursue sensible trail linkages to set the foundation for a future Recreational Greenway Master Plan, while maintaining respect for personal property rights and privacy.

Finally, we recognize the need to improve existing facilities and ensure we’ll continue to provide the exceptional maintenance and service that our residents expect.

The City Council understands the need for our recreation and parks amenities and programs to keep pace with Johns Creek’s growing population. As we continue to move forward with the discussion, we will work to ensure that we strike the right balance between the benefits of providing additional parks, facilities and programs, with the costs associated with each.

Again, we have much more to discuss before the strategic plan is final, and even though the surveys are complete, we still welcome any comment or input you may have. I invite you to read the proposed 10-year Recreation and Parks strategic plan that’s currently under review, and let us know what you think. You can find the plan at  JohnsCreekGa.gov/services/parks/strategic plan.