During the April 1 city council meeting, council voted to award a professional service contract to the accounting and consulting firm for development of a parks, recreation and open space master plan. This plan will guide the development and management of Grapevine's parks, recreation facilities and open spaces, serving as a framework for future planning and prioritization of projects.
The contract is not to exceed $349,555, according to city documents.
What you need to know
Parks and Recreation Director Chris Smith said BerryDunn will allow city staff to get a view of its park systems on a national scale, not just locally.
The work will include a full analysis of city parks, trails, facility, programs and operation standards and BerryDunn will then compare it to the industry standards and national average, Smith said.
The work is expected to take 10 to 12 months and will update inventory from a 2018 plan assessment, according to city documents. At that time, the city had 57 parks, 56 trails, 32 playgrounds, three polls, five sports complexes and one recreation center.
The city is in the process of updating amenities inside the REC of Grapevine, according to previous reporting.
The big picture
Parks and Recreation Director Chris Smith said the Portland, Maine-based company was chosen from an initial group of nine applicants. City staff made a list of three finalists and interviewed each before choosing BerryDunn.
Council Member Sharron Rogers queried about Texas finalists in the process and Smith said one from Austin and another from the Dallas-Fort Worth area were among the final three.
“During the interview process, they just did not weigh out as highly as BerryDunn in evaluation,” Smith said. “They just didn’t come to the table with as much as we felt BerryDunn brought to the table for us.”
What they’re saying
Smith said a master plan could last from seven years to 12 years. He added a master plan now is usually good for up to seven years with annual updates.
“With things moving quicker, updating it is more important than every to get things on the ground and going,” Smith said.
BerryDunn will help the city with its Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies accreditation, as well as grant processes with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
What else?
BerryDunn will provide periodic presentations to the council and advisory boards, according to city documents. Smith said the process will feature citizen engagement through surveys, citizen-based focus groups and pop-up events at parks and facilities.
BerryDunn provided five phases through the 12-month calendar:
- Discovery
- Engagement Phase
- Analysis Phase
- Visioning Phase
- Finalization
