HomeMy WebLinkAbout050916 Jahnke, Debbie - Post-docket Amber Long
Subject:
From: DB Jahnke [mailto:dbiahnke@att.net]
Sent: Monday, May 09, 2016 12:44 PM
To: Amber Long
Cc: David Peterson; Kenneth Clow
Subject: parks and LOS
Dear Amber,
Please provide this information to the Planning Commission for their meeting this week, as requested
by the Chair.
Thank you,
Debbie Jahnke
Dear Planning Commission,
As requested by Chair Frick, here are a few recommended words to add to Table VII-3: Public Facility
Level of Service Standards in the Capital Facilities Element:
For parks LOS, please add the words 'equitable access, distribution and function' after '7.6
acres/1000 population' in the right column.
The National Recreation and Parks Association's vision refers to impacting communities with 'Three
Pillars' - Social Equity, Health & Well-Being and Conservation. NRPA defines Social Equity as having
parks within a 0.5 mile walk to every neighborhood (first link below). The WA Recreation and
Conservation Office uses the same standard among its evaluations for neighborhood parks (see RCO
Manual 2, Planning Policies, pdf page 31, LOS discussion at second link below). In fact, all grants
submitted to RCO for parks and recreation would have to address equitable access, distribution and
function to be competitive.
The total acreage/capita isn't as important as access distance or function. These additional concepts
were in fact incorporated in our 2014 parks functional plan and are discussed in Section 5. Demand
and Need Analysis, see Section 5.2.2. (Note that Map 5.1 in the functional plan is a bit misleading
because Baker View Park, a tiny park with a picnic table, and 35th Street Park, with trails but no other
amenities, get the same radius of 'service' as Bobby McGarraugh and Chetzemoka, which have
restrooms, picnic shelters and many play structures. Chetzemoka even has WiFi.)
Finally, note that the Department of Commerce referred extensively to NRPA standards a decade ago
in its 'Planning for Parks, Recreation and Open Space' guidelines (third link below).
http://www.nrpa.or /About® PA/Impacting®Communities/
http://www.rco.wa. ov/documents/manuals&forms/ anual 2.pdf
LjLtp-://www.commerce.wa.gov/Do uments/GS-Planning®for®Parks® ecreation-Open-Space.pdf
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