As part of the project, the city will seek public input on identifying areas of interest for its Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Master Plan. Richardson’s Parks and Recreation Commission will oversee the project.
Richardson plans to hold four focus group sessions and gain additional stakeholder input. The city will also conduct two communitywide open house meetings for all Richardson residents in addition to developing surveys, both online and at city facilities, to collect community feedback.
Updating the master plan will allow the city to refocus its efforts on what residents need in terms of parks and other recreation uses, allowing council and other departments to plan for future projects based on funding opportunities and other factors, said Lori Smeby, Richardson's director of the parks and recreation department.
“I think there is an expectation in the community that our plans for [the parks] fit into our goals, strategies and tactics as a city,” Mayor Paul Voelker said. “It’s important to put a stake in the ground every so often so both our residents and businesses know what is in the future for Richardson.”
The city of Richardson conducts an update to the master plan every five years and schedules a rewrite every 10 years.
"Richardson is required to do the updates in order to receive grant opportunities at the county and state level," Smeby said.
The last update to the master plan was adopted in 2017.
The city is conducting the parks update in tandem with the creation of the Active Transportation Plan. Both of these projects are designed to make Richardson "the best place to locate, contribute and engage" while managing its resources effectively, according to the city.
The program of updating the master plan is divided into two phases. City staff is collecting data, both from city trends and community feedback, to determine what is needed and desired. Once this data is analyzed, the city can develop an action plan along with financial strategies to be presented to council.
The master plan is scheduled to be adopted by council in early 2023.
